What a fantastic Easter weekend in Hawke's Bay. Beautiful weather with some much needed rain thrown in on Friday evening — perfect timing.
There was so much on that I managed to double book myself on Saturday.
Not only had I said yes to joining friends out for lunch butI also said yes to doing the Big Easy with some of my family. Ticket was bought. Mr Neat kindly gave my bike the once over. It needed a new tube so sorted that all out last weekend.
I was good to go and looking forward to my first Big Easy.
Then one of my friends mentioned the lunch. "Don't forget our lunch at The Mission on Saturday".
Oh no. Now I was in big trouble. The lunch was booked months ago and I had forgotten all about it.
When I started jabbering about the Big Easy she looked at me and said "Linda cycling more than 30km versus a delicious lunch and perhaps a glass of bubbles."
Okay when you put it that way I really had no choice. And it was a good choice. We had a lovely relaxing lunch, good food and good company.
Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.
And by all accounts the Big Easy was a huge success. Everyone I was going to go with had a great time and really enjoyed the concert at Church Road.
It is definitely on my "to do " list for 2022.
I also spent a good part of the weekend picking up feijoas — the beautiful autumn bounty that are shaped like eggs.
Once again this year I have given bags of them away. I also put a box full at the gate with a help yourself note.
I had a few takers on Saturday and again on Sunday, but on Monday the box remained full at the end of the day.
While the feijoas were waiting at the gate to be taken to a new home, Mr Neat and I took ourselves out to Maraetotara Falls. What an absolutely beautiful spot.
I have been there before but quite some time ago. I had forgotten how beautiful it is. We walked through the bush listening to the rush of the water and the birdlife — lovely.
As we were leaving some very excited children were running down the path, towels under their arms talking flat out. Mum followed. I said to her "they are brave getting in that water, it's really cold". She looked at me and smiled and said "I'm hoping it will take their breath away". I laughed all the way back to the car.
It's so nice to come across someone with a sense of humour.
My final words today are for Labour MP and Cabinet Minister Kiri Allan who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Firstly to go public with something like this is so brave of her and she's not doing it for sympathy. Far from it. She's doing it to try and get the message out there to women all over the world who put the issue of their own health at the bottom of their to do list.
It's time to make it your first priority, if you can't remember the last time you had a smear, make an appointment today.
Good luck Kiri - if the well wishes of the nation could cure you, you would be back at work tomorrow.
