Stars and stripes, stained glass, sketches and sets

Wanganui has been host to the rugby team from the United States of America - the traffic island fairly near our house looks to me like it has been planted to be reminiscent of the Star Spangled Banner. Nobody we know has mentioned it, we haven't seen it written about anywhere in the local press - so maybe I'm dreaming! Perhaps after the fiasco of the team's very reluctant paddle down the Wanganui Rivier in a Waka - the powers that be decided they wouldn't bother to tell them about the 'island flowers' in their honour!!

We took an adopted granddaughter to a piano recital/Chamber Orchestra performance at one of the retirement villages here - this is one of the stained glass windows in the Chapel at the Centre.
The music was mostly Beethoven  - Pathetique Sonata and a Concerto with the Wanganui chamber orchestra - who are in need of second violinists and have approached the author - have not decided yet - will keep you posted!

 Speaking of Beethoven, this sketch has winged it's way to Marike in South Africa for her birthday - busy on a set of composers - am wondering if the set will ever be complete - especially if the artist keeps giving them away!

When you live really far away and want to send parcels for little people - paint their name in letters! They are really pretty and really light for the postage!
Thanks to the miracles of technology we could enjoy Julia opening her present from us via Skype!

"New Zealand's biggest television recycling event! The Great TV Take Back, supported by the government's Waste Minimisation Fund will run from September 21st to October 4th and will enable Kiwis to return old unwanted televisions to 20 participating The Warehouse stores throughout the country. The sets will be recycled according to strict environmental standards. Televisions returned to The Warehouse would be recycled by an approved specialist recycler. (We have never met one of these in the flesh, but have to assume that they do indeed exist!)Recovery rates of the embedded materials in each television are estimated to be as high as 96%. To encourage participation, The Warehouse will also offer prizes and discounts on new televisions and digital receivers to anyone returning their old sets. The free recycling offer is available to all households with unwanted televisions of any brand - regardless of any intent to purchase."

We happened to catch a moment on telly about this recycling effort - haven't seen it since - and loaded up our old sets (it's a long story) and took them to The Warehouse in Palmerston North (our one is not part of the scheme!) where the chappies there loading up the container with the old sets told us that in three days they have collected about 750 sets!!
We done gotta voucher and they took 20% off a flash new flat screen for us - utterly necessary with the World Cup an' all!
Dis al!