Life in Eureka

In Waikato, we are experiencing the hottest weather – 32.9oC on January 29th 2019 since 1998-1999. Back to 1973, the small town – Rangiora was the record break 42.4oC.

For the Waikato area, the highest apparent temperature was 35.7oC on the 29th January 2019, and the humidity was 96% on the 28th January 2018.

We, in Eureka, have to be careful with our water supply from the tank when I do watering the garden including the vegetable gardens. The method I use to watering on one part of the vegetable garden including the rose garden and the greenhouse on an even day. On an odd day, I wet the other part of the garden which less garden and plant cuttings in many pots. we were lucky to have a back up bore water hole with a hand pump next to our water pump hut. One thing that we DO NOT have a swimming pool here.

In our property, we were lucky to have plenty of tall and large trees like liquidambar, silk tree, English Oak and many other types of trees growing here. I often sit under the liquidambar tree which shape like an umbrella (upside down shape) and the breeze come from the north. Here is one of the old photo here – the liquidambar tree stands gracefully behind the white flowers of the viburnum tree.

Now I can use our two dogs sits beside me for a short time without distracting from the private road. Before we used to have three dogs and I was forced to leave them inside the house with a courtyard which fenced off. The main problem was the neighbour who came from England and bought the house and another small sleepout back in 2012. From the start we moved here, this neighbour – Ali, rang the dog control officers because one of our ex-dogs jumped over the fence and greeted them in a friendly manner. Ali got the wrong message, and she won’t change her view over our dogs as working/assistance dogs for me who I am deaf over four years. Ali and her husband Gary kept ringing up the dog control officer. Things have changed because we lost one dog on a one early hour of the morning several weeks ago. Everything is so strange and calm.

Our neighbourly – many farms are using waters for their livestock, maizes, to fill up in the drinking well for the animal and other things. Some of the neighbours have got a swimming pool. Not of them have plenty of large trees in their farmlands.

So we are bracing for a long hot drought already, and we noticed the neighbour’s farmlands have gone brown or light brown.

The carving is at the Waipoua Forest, Northland, New Zealand. If you want to learn about the carving, the oldest largest kauri tree standing at the Waipoua Forest. Here is the link for you.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/northland/places/waipoua-forest/things-to-do/tane-mahuta-walk/

This morning I was invited by one of the staff of the Waikato DHB (District Health Board) for the workshop – Disability Responsiveness Plan. They have established the aspirations for their Disability Responsiveness Plan and to address inequities to ensure better health outcomes by working within the DHB and the Disability communities.

The opening of the workshop – a disabled presenter who is in a wheelchair and he talked about his life. He spoke about Tāne Mahuta and showed us the picture as here.

I remember reading the Māori myths when I was a young girl. It was about the 3 Basket of knowledge along with other stories about Tāne Mahuta, Tāne-nui-a-rangi, Tāne-te-wananga, Tāne-te-Waiora, Tāne-Torokaha, Tāne-Ueika, Tāne-te-Whawhanga and Tāne-Tahurangi. These stories were from Rangitaane, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Ira (Te Whakatōhea) of the Wairarapa region. This area is where my mother’s family came from many years ago.

First of all, how can I explain the line of genealogy from the beginning.

Ranginui (father of the Sky) and Papatūānuku (Mother of the Earth) and they have many children. The children’s name were Tūmatauenga (God of War, Hunting, Fishing and agriculture), Tāwhirimātea (God of Weather and Storms), Tāne Mahuta (God of Forests and Birds), Tangaroa (God of Sea), Rongo (God of Peace and Cultivated plants), Haumia-tiketike (God of wild food plants), Uru-te-ngangana (God of Light) and Rūaumoko (God of earthquakes, volcanoes and seasons). Here is the link if you wish to explore more information.

https://maaori.com/whakapapa/ngakete3.htm

Next thing, He talked about using the appropriate words when describing the Māori disabled people in the community. In the Māori Language, we have 2 ways of the meaning in the translated and definition to a word – disabled. One word is called hauā which mean in English for crippled, lame, disabled and the other word is called Whaikaha which mean in English to have strength, be strong enough and disabled (modifier within the Māori disabled community.

Over the last 4 years, I am on the EGL Waikato (Enabling Good Lives) Leadership and the new roll out of the location around New Zealand was mid central of North Island in October 2018. It is called Mana Whaikaha and it rings a nice bell for the EGL in the mid central North Island.

We bought our homes in Eureka, Waikato over four years ago and I always knew something special about our houses in Hinton Road. Uncle Tom Hinton as one couple through my dad’s side – Watkinson-Yates always called him ‘Uncle Tom’. My great grand uncle and aunty were Fred and Joy. Joy who she married Fred Yates and Joy was not my blood relative to our Watkinson-Yates families. Joy came from the Hinton families line dating back to 1864 in Waikato, New Zealand. Joy and ‘Uncle’ Tom’s great grandfather was Henry Hinton senior (1828-1891). Joy’s grandfather was Henry Hinton junior (1849-1935) and ‘Uncle’ Tom’s grandfather was Thomas Hinton (1860-1944). Henry junior and Thomas were brothers.

The next part is very tricky to work out how the Hinton Families related to our home. See the chart…

The story of our homes once belonged to one of the Hinton families. That was interesting as I felt a kind of connection here from the start when we were looking for a home outside Hamilton City. A bit of the story how our two houses were here before our times.

Back in the 1860s’ there was a war in Waikato – Māori, people wanted to retain their land, not for the European settlers to have the land titles and to live in. The Māori, people, lost the war and the Governor of New Zealand gave the land more than 50 acres farm section and the country section including the Hinton’s Gully to the Waikato Militia 4th Regiment. John Gordon bought the land then Ernest Melbourne Masters (not related to my Masters’ family) bought 212 hectares in Eureka in 1913. Thomas Luxton purchased the land in 1921, but it returned to Ernest Masters in 1925. To my understanding, it was the time of doing subdividing the property out of 212 hectares. Clarence E. L. Inglis and Arnold G. Powdrill bought the land in 1930. It was only the first house off the main road in the top photo before the 1930s. Then a new owner – bought it or gave the subdivided land to James R. Inglis in 1939. Then the second house built next to the first house which can be seen in the second photo. The first house listed in the record in 1949 to Charles E. Edwards, Alfred Drake and James W. Hooper while the second owners – Wesley E. Richards in 1955. From the second house – Francis John Guinness Hinton took over in 1961. Then Francis and his two sons – Ashley and Trevor Hinton in 1973.

Trevor moved out and married to one of the neighbours in Eureka. Between 1979 and 1984, there were Francis, Ashely and his wife, Glynis Hinton. There was a business called Eureka Transport Ltd, and it runs by one of the Hooper family in 1977 – to the first house. One of our homes was an ex-army Government cottage and ex-Eureka Transport Ltd before 1949. According to the Eureka Express Newsletter in 2010, Lila and Maurice Duncan were living in an ex-army Government cottage. It sounds like renting out in the first house. The chap who runs the petrol station and a small workshop – Eureka Motors and his name is Colin Duncan. His parents were Lila and Maurice Duncan. Another small world! 

From the start, the first original house was not inhabited to live in when we bought the property.  We decided to pull down and make the way of using woods for fire, reuse for recycled materials around home and gardens, making other gardens with fruit trees and dog runs.

We encountered another neighbour the other evening, and his wife’s maiden name was Hinton. They have got a book, and he asked me if I was interesting to have a look at the properties of Eureka and the families living in Eureka. My replied was yes and I will wait for him to come over one day.

http://www.eurekaexpress.co.nz/history.htm

Holiday is nearly over!

Reflecting the last twenty-eight days holiday mode I took my annual leave and allowed me to recover my new disability a rest.

Nothing prevails to me or to us at home here! My sister’s daughter and her family were due to spend with my sister ‘B’, her family and with our family over Christmas time. My niece Samantha and her family’s plan did not work out what they were expecting in Sydney, Australia. Samantha’s husband David (Dave) was involved in a serious vehicle accident and ended up in a hospital. It is a life-changing for them now and the future. Dave’s best mate set up a website ‘GoFundMe’, and the funding will help my niece and her family for their financial needs such as medical costs and pieces of equipment for I know Dave will need it around the home and possible for his work in the future. It will be more than two years for Dave to recover from his injuiries. Dave is a kiwi photographer for all skateboarders from around the world over nineteen years. You can check out the website here and support them by fundraising. https://www.gofundme.com/x7wty7-chami-family-support?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb_dn_cpgnsharemore_r&fbclid=IwAR2ZtDl6zJ0dyIKWDYwxtoq8caMggZOjJYUL4hnB2_Fy4DcjU9ClYysJMVQ

Dave’s injuries were no stranger to us for my partner ‘R’ who had been involved with his motorbike accident many years ago. ‘R’ know what is to feel like and to live with it. His injuries including skin grafts from his legs were pretty much the same as Dave. For me as an ex-health carer assistant to two specialist hospitals in Hamilton where there were so many young people suffering from a head injury to body injuries from their vehicles accidents to fall accidents including drunk driving accidents. I was working there for six months. Currently, there is one man who is in wheelchair, and I often met him at my workplace. He was one of the ex-patients who I looked after and take care of medication and therapy. When he got out of the specialist hospital, he was walking again a very long time ago. Today his body is unable to cope with the fitness strength and get tiring quickly. However, he is so delightful to see me at my workplace where he can pop in for a meal lunch once a weekly.

My garden was full of mess, and the extra height windbreak meshes onto the fences were not done as I promised to do this over the holiday. I have not done any weeding or pruning back any trees last year because I was still in pain for a year. Then I got the result from the specialist and my diagnosed was not so good. It was called Chronic C5-8 Radiculopathy Degenerated Disc Disease. No one came to help out for putting the extra height of the windbreak meshes onto the fence since I placed the advertisement in the local newsletter and on the Neighbourly website. Why do we need this? Because our middle dog can jump over the fence when someone was walking down the rural road plus one nuisance lady who forever ringing up the Dog Control Department over four years. She refused to come over or to learn about my disabilities and my NEEDS and SECURITY around the home. Our dogs are not aggressive types, they are working dogs for me as a deaf lady who cannot hear any sounds out there. We just had enough with this nuisance lady and move on. I managed to do the gardening for the last two weeks, BUT I can not do daily or once every two or three days a week. My right side of the body gets tiring quickly and become very painful. The fence was not done and it is on the job list to do this year.

Lastly, I spoke to ‘R’ that we should be pulling down the old farm homestead rather putting off. We were so busy, and I was battling with my right side injuries for the last four years. So we did pull down the old farm homestead every two-three days over two weeks at the beginning of January. We have not completed it due ‘R’ was back to full-time work, and I am not allowed to do on my own for safety reason.

May God give you…

For every storm, a rainbow,

For every tear, a smile,

For every care, a promise,

And a blessing in each trial.

For every problem life sends,

A faithful friend to share,

For every sigh, a sweet song,

And an answer for each prayer.

An Irish Blessing.

Received a concise message from my sister a couple days ago, followed another message from my mother yesterday… Drawing near to Xmas season, a blow to my niece and her family in Australia. Her husband was involved in a severe accident and ended up in ICU ward at the hospital. He was riding a Vespa while the other driver was driving in a car or 4 wheel drive car for I was not clear. My niece and her husband have got a son under 7 years old. The latest news, I got two messages – one message from my niece and a terse note from my sister last night as I read the messages early hour of this morning while my partner is ready for his ‘call out’ work today. The husband is doing well but still in unconscious until the Specialist give a ‘clear go’ to wake him up,

I am no stranger to anyone who had been involved in vehicle accidents many years ago. I was a health care assistant nurse for nearly 7-8 years, and I worked as a ‘call out’ to cover the staff’s jobs in two different places where there were so many young people including teenagers who were involved in drunk driving, hit and run, speeding and suffered a head injury from high fall etc. I was amazed to see the high number of young people in the specialised hospital than reading in the newspapers.

My partner suffered a couple severe accidents from motorcycle to a house fire in his past many years ago before he met me. He is a survivor today, and of course, he is an atheist for I am a deaf Christian. Deep down for my partner has got a good heart and faith in his own way. Our relationships are strong and standing firmly on the ground foundation through daily lives. To me, I knew that God has given him another chance to move forward and starting a new life – ‘a clean slate’. See Irish Blessing for he is an Irish man.

Daily news from social media to newspapers, many families have lost their members or lucky to be alive from a vehicle accident, bombing attack, hit and run accident and any other kind of accidents. It is tough to cope when there is terrible timing toward to Xmas for those people even a family who are facing difficulties in financing for the health if they have got no health insurance to pay for the treatment, home care supports, the need of counselling and griefing.

Often wondering if you were expecting or hoping your loved ones coming home safety with the door open wide, like the photo I took from our home. We always text each other if we are coming back from work or my long day meetings.

This afternoon, a couple young people with learning disabilities asked me – what do I want a Christmas wish come true or one day! Oh bless them for their curiosity.

I said well, all I wish to have an extra height on top of the current fence to keep dogs in our property. Because I have got a new disability – chronic C5-C8 Radiculopathy with degenerate disc disease. I can’t do the fencing job on my own for my partner is working 6 days a week. I put an advertisement in the Neighbourly and our local newsletter this week. Nothing happening so far.

The young people with learning disabilities – Tania and Ryan responses they would like to help and not good at doing fencing. They love to help me out when I am at work some times even at the library.

Late afternoon, coming home and becoming exhausted quickly. I was unable to do any light weeding in the garden or to prune lavenders back for the next flush of flowering. Some days I am okay with some strength to do something like cooking tea, light rose cutting, walking around the fields than suffered nasty or deep painful and unable to do anything for another day. The worst of all, daily trip to/from the house to the gate, I have to check the road is clear when there is not a nuisance lady of State Highway walking her dog. If the coast clear, then I let our dogs out for a good run with my eyes on them for I cannot hear anyone walking down the road.

I have another day of meeting tomorrow and getting paperworks, preparing New Zealand Sign Language Class for next year. I am working with Jacek this Saturday before we head out to Auckland or half way to meet my partner’s son and hopefully seeing the grandson. Then another four more working days before 21st.

Seeing the sunset out of our kitchen window while having tea late. Here hoping wishes come true or not!

This rose come from our rose garden and it is the oldest for I am not sure what is called. This rose was there when we moved here four years ago.

Four Years have gone since we moved here in Eureka, Waikato. Walking around the property where I grow many flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables this afternoon.  Many of flower plants, fruits like strawberries, vegetable crops producing more than before and surviving the harsh weather in the past. Even battle with rabbits, possums, birds and mice/rats pecking foods before us.  

A planter box full of strawberries under the silk tree – it showing display of fruits when they are ready to eat BUT I need to pick them before the birds and rabbits even Joseph – our oldest dog loves eating strawberries. It is better than last year because of the weather. The strawberry planter box is in front of our kitchen window where we always look out toward the field and the road.  

 Bright and cheerful colour bottlebrush trees displaying at the driveway when we go or come home from work and shopping every day. It reminds us it is nearly Christmas time this month. I looked back this year and how peaceful and relaxing times for us and our dogs here. For my health – chronic C5-C8 Radiculopathy and degenerated disc disease impacted my life this year. Nothing will stop me from doing activities here and at work! The only option is effortless – start maintaining lifestyle, change or to adapted types of equipment for gardening, cooking and housework.  I was lucky for my workplace gave me the opportunity to work from home when I am in great pain overnight or in the early hour of the morning. We would not move back to Hamilton City because we choose to live here in Eureka, out in the rural lifestyle. We knew the city of Hamilton is growing fast and no space of private, the lack of growing vegetables or fruits gardens in a small section and for our dogs to run freely etc. 

Garden is my favourite hobby and it helps me to relax a lot of times in the last four years. This year I am taking easy as along when doing weeding, pruning and growing seedlings.  It is NOT alway easy when my partner is not at home where I need help with shifting or digging up. 

One evening I was looking out through the kitchen window and saw the beauty of sunset out in the field and across the farmland of our neighbour. We get many beautiful sunsets every time we see out there, and it bought us wonder and the peace of goodwill for us.  This is how we choose and to enjoy living in Eureka, Waikato. 

Shifting through old photos which left from our uncle Norman via Uncle John through our late grandmother – Biddy Masters nee Watkinson. 

I came across this photo – a chap and a car outside the homestead or one of the worker’s homestead at Ruakura Research Centre. I don’t recall it was one of the Watkinson boys except for Uncle Johny Watkinson. 

Surrounding Ruakura lands, there were many wetlands and forests in the 1800s then came in the 1900s, the wetlands and forests were removed to make a way to establish intensive farming activities and the Ruakura AgResearch Station was formed in the early 1900s. I will type more about the history of Ruakura in the next blog. 

Our ancestors – the Watkinson families, came down to the Waikato area before moving to Ruakura and Hamilton from Walton which just outside our home – Eureka. For I know that uncle Johny worked there after shifting to Ruakura from Walton and his nephew Ernest Watkinson helped him out. Then came along our grandfather – Alan Masters for he was called ‘Shorty’ at the Ruakura Research Station. He met Hilda – Biddy there at the dance club. 

During the school holidays, Shorty always took me out to Ruakura Station and helped him out or to meet other families who have children to play with me. I have had so many memories during my childhood. The homesteads are not there anymore for I will try to find the map and buildings back 1920s. 

Today Ruakura Centre – AgResearch Centre is a hub between Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland. I travel to /from work each day and I noticed there has been a lot of developments out there. 

Radiculopathy is a condition due to a compressed nerve in the spine that can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness along the course of the nerve. Radiculopathy can occur in any part of the spine, but it is most common in the lower back (lumbar radiculopathy) and in the neck (cervical radiculopathy).

C6-C7 degenerative disc disease
The disc acts like a cushion between the bones (or vertebrae) in the neck. As the disc positioned between the C6 and C7 vertebrae starts to lose its cushioning and height during the normal ageing process, the facet joints endure more stress resulting in degenerative problems. This can lead to pain generation arising from the disc itself, from the settling of the joints, and/or irritation of the adjacent nerve. Cervical Degenerative Disc…

Looking back to the first diagnosis early this year. How I am managing so far this year?

The biggest challenge is activities around home and work such as doing weeding, cooking a Christmas cake, carry shopping, communicating in sign language, let the dogs out for a run, gardening and the list go on. Of course, there is still one nuisance problem from the neighbour over our dogs, and she refused to help us for four years.

A small change makes my life easier which are to work from home during recovering, one hour doing light weeding, away from doing the computer/laptop from evening to the early hours of the next morning, taking a day off in between work days/meetings. Let the dogs out for a run with an eye on them and to check the private road if a nuisance woman is walking her dog or not. I am going to order plants as hedges along one side of the private road to reduce the distraction from the nuisance woman of State Highway 26.

Gardens bought me relaxing when I do walking around in the morning or in the evening but without dogs often. Other times, my partner is at home, and our dogs come with me while my partner uses his ear for sounds and distraction.

Too many medicines make me tiring and finding difficult to get up in the early hours of the morning. I changed to a different medicine which helps me and reduces the pain, for example, recovering 72 hours in the past and now it is about 55-45 hours. I take the prescription medicines only when I really need it.

I go to physio once a month with my own income – not cheap, and it helps me to relax. I am unable to seek funding such as Disability Support Funding even I need to put up an increased height of the fence. All I am asking around $5,000 to help me to get back on the track plus the fence. Our dogs are working/assisting dogs than pet dogs.

Two months ago, this was me with Mark Hadlow at the Central Library in Hamilton, and it was great to catch a quick chat. We met many years back where there was an event – people/children with disabilities. On that day, I put up my brave face for I was in pain, and I met several students with learning disabilities for their lesson at the library.

It is about the hidden pain syndrome I am suffering daily and how I am managing daily life.

Sigh!

More work to be done in the community before Christmas and New Year…. I am having a long break but I dont know how I am over the holiday.

Cheers!!