The unusual and creative bird nest in the rural life

One day, two young children walked down the private road, passing our home to the rural mailboxes. The children’s names are Victoria and Charley, and they live with their parents – a father as a farmhand worker and a mother as a housewife/part-time worker across the road from us. Charley said, ‘Cor blimey’ when they opened the mailbox door flap and found a mess of straw flattened down. Victoria said, ‘ what on earth is that?’

Let run back and tell mum and dad; off they ran home, passing me in the car arrived home in our driveway. I wonder what the children running back in such a hurry. That is not usual for them to run back quickly.

The next few days by, I was outside doing the pruning deadhead roses near the rural mailboxes. Victoria waved in front of me, for she knew I was deaf. Charley was saying something and pointing at their bright red rural mailbox. Mm, I began to chuckle by knowing it would happen every year. I realised they were not living here for a long time as they and their parents moved recently. I went over via the gate of our driveway and walked up to our mailboxes. Charley and Victoria were afraid to open the flap of the mailbox. I placidly to them by carefully opening the flap door to disturb any baby birds inside the mailbox. Ahh, yes, definitely three tiny baby birds are hugging together quietly.

Charley and Victoria peeped to look at the baby birds quietly. Ohh, cor blimey, awe came out from their voices. I assure them and remind them to check daily when their dad comes home from farming.

Day by day, Charley and Victoria love peeping to see the baby birds growing, BUT one day Charley came to see me when I came home from work. Where are the baby birds now? What happening? Did the wrong people take them away? I found it was amusing to see Charley worry about the baby birds, and it repurchased my childhood memory. Victoria came along in a hurry to see what the fuss was about and felt sad that there were no baby birds in the nest. Oh, Charley, they grow big – remember them when you and Victoria watched every day, and now they flew out from the nest as they were strong enough to fly out to explore over many farms.

Mind you, Charley and Victoria, there will be another birds nest next year sitting in the same bright red mailbox. Victoria told Charley, Better tell mum not to move and sweep the grass bits, straw bits and rubbish papers out of their mail box. Charley said, ‘well dad said it is nusiance and bird nests taking over everywhere.’ I chuckled at them quietly and assured them that we have plenty of bird nests in our many tall trees and make loud noises where our dogs hear them. If you look up high and spies carefully where the hidden nests shelter between branches where mother birds fly in. Thank you, Jean, and off Charley and Victoria went home peacefully by knowing the baby birds are adults now.

No matter life are small or big in the world as Christmas approaching

One morning Jean watched the programme – Breakfast News, and there was a discussion about people facing financial, entering in the poverty stage, finding it challenging to meet the end with food as Christmas is coming. Readers are not alone, and there are many families with children, families with a disabled child, and a young couple who have the same problems.

The director of the workplace where Jean work emailed about preparing food parcels and Christmas meals for the homeless people, families, reformed gangs/ex-prisoners and low-income families as Christmas is nearing before our workplace close for a holiday. In Hamilton, New Zealand, people live in Level 3-stage 2 due to Delta variants lockdown, and there is uncertainty if our workplace is open to them to enjoy Christmas meals. 

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” – Matthew 6:2

There are broad beans, cabbage, silverbeets and herbs growing in the vegetable garden here. These vegetables will give away to anyone who seeks foods on their table and shares with their children every year. One elderly deaf with CP (Cerebral Palsy) and speech impaired said he gives me half of the vegetable seedlings prices when Jean buys or grow in the garden as a gift and a few vegetables and fruits for vegetables and fruits and other D/deaf people and people with disability. Jean has been growing vegetables and fruits and gave them away to this elderly deaf CP chap, to the Food Parcel Centres, and we keep partially to ourselves here over many years. 

Christmas is the season of joy, of gift-giving, and of families united.” 

The first crops grew by a disabled man and us.

Many Christain, like Jean, know about Jesus the Lord, the Holy Spirit and the Son. Jean knows many non-Christain, atheist people, and of course, people who buy toys and technology for their children, have their family around for the day, not going to the church instead of thinking about Jesus. Jean noticed many young people struggling to buy Christmas presents no matter how much the toys and technology cost them a bomb of prices to pay based on what the children love to get. Yes, of course, the average families struggling as well. These people feel too embarrassed to ask for help, feel shame, and do not want their lives exposed to other family/friends they know and do not know where to ask for help. 

The message of Christmas is that where there is hope, love, light and life, the plan and purpose of God will reach.

“Peace on earth will come to stay when we live Christmas every day.” “He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” 

We are not the only country facing despair with financial loss, the high price of food, housing shortage, the loss of employment in business and many other issues. Every other country is faring worst than us here, especially in the third countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan. Indeed many people forgot about them and are keen to look in the other direction away from the Third countries. Every aid worker, Doctors without the Borders, Red Cross workers, and World Vision workers work through toil day and night by making indigenous people and children’s lives better in the villages. 

Luke 1: 46-55 “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

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Time waiting and waiting!

Has anyone experienced a long waiting for the essential item or technology like a mobile during Level 3 from Wiri, NZ Post Depot, Auckland?

Perhaps yes! I am one of you people as well. Why that?

My work mobile was no more extended function and unable reboot on Saturday evening over the Labour Weekend. It was the battery defected. I live in a rural area outside Hamilton City, and of course, we are in Level 3. The Spark NZ is closed in Westfield, Hamilton, due to restricted paperwork and no click and collect available for me to pick up last week. Last Tuesday, my partner rang Spark NZ, and they recommended to do online and send to me within 3-5 days. I ordered the choice of my new work mobile to replace the old work mobile urgently and hoping it will be delivered by last Saturday (30th October).

Sadly the new replaced mobile did not come, and I was using the tracking number through NZ Post. On 31st October, my ordered new mobile was processed through, and it said it would be delivered yesterday plus another day which is an extra day for the rural delivery today. There was no parcel in the rural mailbox today. I left a couple messages to NZ Post through Messanger, and they replied there has been lengthy processing with huge boxes and blah, blah and of course blah. I left a message to Spark NZ, and they were disappointed to hear about the delay of delivery to our home here. They told me if I don’t have my new replaced mobile by this Friday and give them a message to contact NZ Post in Wiri, Auckland.

Over a week, I lost communication with D/deaf people, disabled people, agencies’ staff, and two workplaces. All I have the communication is email, BUT not all people do not have email. I know it is not helping me as a deaf essential worker for the D/deaf people, disabled people, and other people I am assisting/referring to.

Guess what? In Waikato from tonight, we are going to the new Level 3.2, which means anyone can pop in the retail park. Oh, bother! It was the wrong timing, and I wish it should have done that last week. No, the reality is there is still an increase of Delta cases around Waikato, Kings County and Waipa.

Today I was put off from working at home because I had no idea if there were any texts for me to get in touch with them and feeling frustrated. On the other side, this morning, I received a friendly email along with the certificate I studied at the start of this year. It was from the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum in London. This email cheered me up a bit, and I turned to garden work while waiting for the new replaced work mobile.