So my life has been fairly normal, up to a point, but not like a regular worker doing it's daily routines.
In 2017, Brian and I did 2 Campervan trips, one was around the East-cape in March, and the second one was in June, around Taranaki, and visiting Alice's Mum and Pete on the way. That was a week long.
In August 2017, I went to visit Jos and Rachel inn Australia, Melbourne and also stayed with Tim and Marie in Gisborne, Victoria. ( 1 hour by train).
On the Wednesday 25th of August,( whilst I was still in Australia) and my Dad was at Summerset Care centre, he had an other fall, ( he had falls often) but this time he fell, but strangely never complained about pain, until the following Saturday, then suddenly the pain became unbearable. I was contacted by dr.Armstrong, and she said Dad will have an X-ray on Monday, I told her I am coming home on Monday anyway, so on Tuesday morning I went to see my Dad and he was very unwell, in bed and half conscious. I told him" I am back, I am back", held his hand and said it a few times, and then he said" I can see you." so that was nice to know. After that he didn't speak again. On Thursday 31st I was with him for a few hours, reading Psalm 23, and letting him hear that song by Don Moen, also Psalm 23.
He was peaceful and not in pain. One hour after I left him, he passed away, peacefully and knowing where he was going.
My brother came over from France and the funeral was one week later.
After everything settled down, now the house is for sale. It's January 2018. Still waiting for someone to buy the house.

It is now March 3rd. The house is 99.9% sold. Next Tuesday it will go unconditional. It has . been a long outdrawn business. But at least it is now sold.
I have booked a trip to Hong Kong, Holland, France and Israel. Brian doesn't want to go.  He feels that he hasn't go the time this year. So I am going on my own. Israel all fell into place miraculously after 6 Israeli's stayed here one week. They all have offered me to stay but one lot offered me to stay at their Kibbutz, at Kibbutz Ein Harod. it is near Beit She'an. That's the parents of the 2 boys that stayed here. So I am excited about that.
The fare to Israel was $211- one way from Eindhoven. The return ticket AKL-HK-AMS-Eindhoven-TelAviv-HK-AKL was $1645- Very cheap indeed. So Israel is my stop-over holiday on the way home. I'm there for 3 weeks. Can't wait. Count down is 95 days before I leave. I will be away 2 1/2 months or 70 days.( skipping winter)
In the meantime, we had a busy wet and hot and humid summer.

We had Tim and Marie come and stay with us for 1 week. Then we had the 6 Israeli's and then we had an American couple from Ohio that found me on " As seen through horses ears" FB group and they booked our place through Airbnb. The specifically wanted to do some horse riding here. So I took them to Tuapiro beach and to Noble's farm . Mr Noble had told me I could bring paying tourists to his farm, the only requirement was that, he said" they needed to enjoy themselves." When asked if he had a problem me charging for the horses( horse hire) he asked me" and who is feeding your horses?" I said" I do" , then., he said, the money goes to your horses, I don't have a problem with that" I think some other people seem to have a problem with that but it ain't mr Noble. I audio recorded that conversation on my phone so there can be no argument but proof that mr Ian Noble said that.