Winter Solstice

Marking the southern hemisphere's shortest day and longest night of the year, when the sun's daily presence is but a brief moment and the darkness an endless blanket... all across New Zealand, kiwis (and a couple Americans) left the warmth of their homes to pay homage.  The spectacular tradition in Dunedin is a celebration commencing after sunset... full of homemade lanterns, dancers, musicians... and animation to fill any childhood dream.

Mark and I, along with some friends, joined in the celebration marking the first day of winter, and thus the lengthening of days.

This year the theme was creatures of the night, complete with owls and dancing people that I surmise live in the dreams of the children who filled the streets.

The celebration ended with the explosions of fireworks from a building nearby. 

I shivered with the excitement of the coming of spring.

 A Midwinter's Night Dream.

4 Days and Counting

Last week marked the end of all lectures for this semester!  It's hard to believe it's actually here.  It really feels like just yesterday that that I sat in my first Physics lecture with a, "I'm sorry what did you say?" look on my face.  Today starts the countdown until my first final.  The library is busting at the seems with terror stricken faces.  All my usual hiding places are filled with energy drinks and laptops.  And around about the same hour each day, you'll find a good majority of my fellow students face down at their desk.  Not sure why this is funny to me.  But then again, I was looking out the window of the top floor of my favorite library that overlooks another portion of the roof... and Otago Harbour.  I've peered out over this portion of the city countless times, but for some reason this time the sign at the edge of the roof caught my attention...

This is a horrible shot, but the sign says "Beware: Keep Away From the Edge".

I thought I was never going to stop laughing!  How appropriate to have on the edge of the building that houses the activities that causes you to want to throw yourself off a roof.  Ok, maybe I'm a little delirious... but it really was funny at the time.  I'm sure if you looked at the ground below you'd see a pile of Physics and Chem books!

Ok, study break over...

Mark and a Toaster Oven

Most of you know that being the brilliant woman that I am... I chose well in marriage.  Aside from his many wonderful attributes, my husband is an amazing chef.  What's truly remarkable is what he has made in our dinky kitchen.  To fully appreciate this, you would need to see it for yourself... but I refuse to post pictures of our kitchen.  So, just understand that instead of a stove... we have a toaster oven.  I've never seen a toaster oven with stove "eyes" on top until we moved here.  But nothing stops this man!  He has continued to amaze me with his culinary feats.  The following photos aren't even the most amazing things he's made, but I've never seen someone bake bread in a toaster oven!  Mark has taken my desire for healthy AND good food as a challenge... Everything is from scratch, everything is made of things that I can spell, and no butter nor any of the traditional things that are the easy way to make food taste good!  Are you jealous yet!?!  :)

Whole Grain Sunflower Seed Bread

Marbled Butternut Squash and Quinoa Bread

Honey Glazed Oat Bread

Whole Wheat Crust, NZ Sausage Pizza

(Mark wanted me to add that he made the sausage)

Whole Wheat Tomato and Basil Pizza

Before: Some fish I don't remember the name of... but YUM!

After...

We eat fish most nights.  I'm in heaven!!

In case you didn't believe me about the toaster oven...

How lucky am I!!