KiaOra

each stick+bundle is balanced carefully on the next

 and we managed to take them one by one without having anything fall over

i really like the trans-Tasman flight

it's just the right length for dinner and a movie

along with a little string-making

i made a small vessel [to hold water] from a Qantas sickbag

and

when i arrived in Auckland

a very nice gentleman wished me a welcome home

what more could i want?

we are now two days into class

and it's a joy

at the end of last year i felt a bit tired and wobbly

but so far this week has felt like a kind of reaffirmation of faith

of course it helps that i love being in New Zealand

[Auckland has a gently humid climate much like New Orleans

and i can feel my wrinkles melting away] 

but also

the class is already becoming a kind of "loaves and fishes" event

one participant is married to a patissier...and 

brought exquisite tiny lemon meringue pies today

another brought muka, which she allowed me to soak in a leftover dye bath

tomorrow we will twine some string from it

someone else brought walnuts, a fourth gathered seaweed for class

as for me?

i'm in love. something i didn't think could happen again at my age

meet my new best friend, tanekaha