Blenheim!

After 2 very wet and windy days in Wellington catching up with my boys and siblings...not to mention soaking up some great Wellington coffees again!...Daffy, Magic and I crossed Cook Strait this afternoon and are now snug for the night in Blenheim. The crossing was a bit rock 'n roll...but nowhere near as bad as I had anticipated given the previous 2 days of southerly gales. As we sailed into the Marlborough Sounds the low cloud and drizzle made the water and sky meld into veils of silver, and there were dolphins leaping ahead of us and alongside. (left my camera in the camper...along with Magic who had to stay in there by herself...double sad)

When I checked the route to Christchurch with the guy at the Blenheim campground he said 'just point the camper south and drive till you get to an earthquake'...it sounded like he had said that joke every day for a year! Poor Christchurch...but I bet they've got a few good jokes as well.

I'm so looking forward to seeing Sonia again...I will be staying with her at her fabulous new home. She was Plum Garden's first enrollment coordinator and a huge support throughout the setting up of the Parenting Centre. She's about to have her 3rd baby...so a very special time.

I begin my lectures in Christchurch on Saturday with a weekend entitled: 'Building Positive Social Responses in our 7-12 year-olds'. Considering all these dear parents have been through I think discussing these issues with them will be a profound learning experience for me.

Will keep you 'posted'!...Love to all, Mary.

Hello from the Road!

Hello at last from the Plum Parenting Lecture Tour!

How it all began....(this start-up blog will be long, and thereafter the blogs will be short)

Just when I thought I was heading into another wonderful year of operating the Plum Garden Parenting Centre in Brooklyn, Wellington, the new owners of the next-door property announced a large and lengthy renovation that would threaten the quiet we need for at least 2 if not 3 terms of 2012! 

 

After my initial dismay I spotted a silver lining! ...an opportunity to take a year off to write my book, to have a rest, and to tour the country offering this work to other communities. To cut a long story short the Parenting Centre has now been closed with hopes to reopen it next year on a new property that better suits a viable funding structure (i.e. not depending on me working 6 long days per week to pay the rent!)

The Centre has been hugely successful over the past 3 years with 80-100 parents and children coming through the gates per week to attend playgroups, parenting courses and parent counselling sessions. In addition I have been seeing many parents in their homes and doing phone and Skype counselling nationally and internationally. Over 250 families have now received 1-on-1 counselling. I have given lectures in a few locations and several communities throughout New Zealand have been asking for the service to visit their area.

The playgroup furniture, toys and equipment have been put into storage (thank you so much Louise!) and I have moved into a campervan!! (with the family dog ‘Magic’)                                                                       and begun touring the country. It has all happened so fast!

May I take this moment to give huge thanks to all of you who gave selfless hard work to get me through this transition, especially to my brother John who literally carried the move, along with Chris, Jav, Meredith, Murray, Annemiek, Ebony, Eileen, and Joe. Also big thanks to my sister Jude with whom I stayed in the most crazy weeks after I moved out, when my belongings and admin were spread between storage, the car, the camper and her place! 

Very special thanks to Jeroun who created a fantastic office for me in the campervan                                                                      and to Ebony, Tara, Prometheus Finance and a very dedicated group of special supporters (you know who you are!) who all helped to make the acquiring of the campervan possible. And thank you to Kay, my landlady, who has been especially generous and supportive throughout the entire 3 years.

Jane Fergusson has taken over operating a Saturday morning playgroup at the Wellington City Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten in Thorndon for the year....thank you Jane and have a great year!

Last but not least thank you to all the staff (Eileen, Nicki, Jane, Brigid, Enzo and Jane of accounting support) and the parents and children of the Plum playgroups....you are GOLD!...and I miss you all so much already!

So that is the introduction and history of Plum Parenting to date...now let us begin the Tour blog!!

It all began with a spectacular campervan breakdown only an hour after leaving Wellington! Just a clamp on a hose to the radiator but it blew just 2 corners from the top of the Rimutakas just on dusk in one of the worst gales Wellington has ever had, right at the top of the long upward gully funnelling the wind smack into the side of the camper while I waited over an hour for the AA to come. Luckily I had just paid to upgrade my AA membership to AA Motorhome Plus and they popped the camper on the back of a huge flatbed truck and took me to Masterton (where I was to visit family). The delays for repairs however meant that I got to see my son Ben who had just arrived back from Berlin, as I made my 2^nd attempt to leave Wellington! (there have been silver linings all the way)

All fixed then on to the Coromandel to spend 2 days organising the campervan 
and finishing the Wellington admin. Then finally just one precious day off. Had a wonderful meal and catch-up with Anna Gavey and fell in love with Long Bay at sunset. Thank you Rebecca, Graham and Anna for letting me stay at your properties!

Then it was off to Waiheke Island...yes I managed to back the campervan on to the ferry with everyone watching...  There I enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Vibhusha and Mike (including building me a ramp so the camper could be level, and hooking me all up!) and had a magical and very hard-working 10 days on the island giving lectures to parents and teachers and doing parent counselling in the community. Special thanks to Dawn, who organised it all so beautifully and patiently, and to Luis who made me a ladder and clothing rack for the camper, even though he was already busy and had a cold. My heart is full of the lovely people of Waiheke. And the 2 swims at Palm Beach were heaven!                                                                    Then it was on to Tauranga to do the same thing again, staying this time with Mary and Mike and mostly with Rebecca (thank you so much!) and walking daily (even if short) on Papamoa beach while keeping up an intense schedule of lecturing and counselling.

  The new Whare (hall) and the spirit of this community were wonderful. I was there for 6 days. Thank you Tauranga for your incredible enthusiasm and feedback! 

Now I am back in Masterton with my sister and parents, about to have 48 hours with my boys and siblings in Wellington, then on Wednesday I head across the Strait to Christchurch. Will keep you posted!! 

Apologies to all those who I meant to farewell before leaving Wellington...I just ran out of time and had to drop the ball, sadly.

Much love to you all and have a great year everyone!

 And now let's play 'spot the camper'!...on Waiheke Island. (I'm calling it Daffy as in 'Duck', as it is a DAF. It was once an ambulance in Dunedin, brought over from the U.K. and was made into a camper only 6 years ago...so the interior is still in mint condition. The engine was reconditioned not too long ago.)