Floods, Friendship and Food

Photo by Tina White and published in the Manawatu Standard, of four of us who swam togeher over 50 years ago.
By Val
@valmnz (17095)
New Zealand
April 8, 2017 12:48am CST
What a week this has been! New Zealand has been suffering the after effects of Australia's Cyclone Debbie and much of the country has been under water this week. Even locally we've had flooding from our river, but we've fared better than many places. And friendship has been very much part of the scene this week. My book launch was on Monday night, over 60 people attended, many of them friends and family. I was able to spend time with three women whom I've known for well over 50 years! Then a close friend and I had breakfast together on Tuesday morning. The photo accompanying this post is by our local paper reporter and is of the four of us who swam together in the 1960s. And a week of food. Dinner with family after the book launch, breakfast at a cafe with a close friend on Tuesday, dinner with friends at our regular girls' night on Thursday and right at this moment cooking homemade pizzas for my husband and I. That more or less sums up my week, or at least highlights the important things. Right now it is Saturday night, a time to relax and watch the rugby on TV with my husband. Life couldn't be better.
15 people like this
13 responses
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
8 Apr 17
Congratulations on the book launch. I'm very happy you had a good turnout for it. It's good to unwind with friends and food after a wonderful event such as that. Sorry about all the flooding. I'm glad you were safe and I hope it didn't do too much damage to your country.
2 people like this
Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
Hi Valerie, because we're a small country surrounded by water, as well as many rivers, lakes and such, rain such as we've just experienced does tend to do a lot of damage.
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Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
8 Apr 17
@valmnz I hope everything will get taken care of in a timely manner. Is your book available somewhere? I tried looking for it online, but couldn't find it.
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Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
@just4him no, at this stage as it is a local history it is only available in hard copy. I'm hoping to make my first book into an eBook later in the year .
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Judy Story
@jstory07 (148730)
• Roseburg, Oregon
8 Apr 17
Friendship is great . Have a good weekend.
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Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
Thank you. And yes, friendships that last more than 50 years are rather special!
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Judy Story
@jstory07 (148730)
• Roseburg, Oregon
8 Apr 17
@valmnz That is a long time to have a friendship for.
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Always smiling
@allknowing (153530)
• India
8 Apr 17
This must have been the greatest week of all times for you.
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Always smiling
@allknowing (153530)
• India
8 Apr 17
@valmnz Can you show us the book cover atleast?
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Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
9 Apr 17
@allknowing haven't I done that? I forget where I've posted it and where I haven't :-) look out for a post shortly.
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Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
It has certainly been a rewarding week surrounded by so many people important to me.
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Marie
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
12 Apr 17
Just this month we also had foul weather and areas that flooded.
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Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
12 Apr 17
The seasons are all confused.
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Marie
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
12 Apr 17
@valmnz yes they are
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Jekca
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
11 Apr 17
Nice turn out for that book launch? Are you going to donate copies to the library?
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Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
12 Apr 17
Great turn out, about 60 people and 43 sales. Before I had a chance to donate books to the library the purchased two! Even better
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Jekca
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
13 Apr 17
@valmnz oh nice!!!!
paigea
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
8 Apr 17
Congratulations on the book launch! The 4 of you must have had a great time reminising. I hope people did not suffer too much flood damage!
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
Thanks. Parts of the country were pretty bad and most of the country pretty wet.
paigea
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
9 Apr 17
@valmnz What a mess water can make.
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celticeagle
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
8 Apr 17
I really appreciate good friendships.
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celticeagle
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
8 Apr 17
@valmnz .....How nice.
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Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
It was great being able to spend time with these women again.
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Happy Lady and Freya the Catblog Cat
@Jackalyn (7558)
• Oxford, England
8 Apr 17
I was wondering about you in the floods. So glad your book launch went well.
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Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
I was thankful that people came out in spite of the weather.
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Anne Marie Guyer
@LeaPea2417 (40029)
• Toccoa, Georgia
9 Apr 17
Congrats on the launch of your book!
AbbyGreenhill
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
8 Apr 17
I get tired just reading about all you do!
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
lots of people say that. I think I must be hyperactive. If you think I'm bad you should meet my sister and her family. They bow me away with what they achieve.
Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (14784)
• Ireland
8 Apr 17
@valmnz A nice reward after all your hard work on the book - apart from the floods!
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
Disasters are becoming far too commonplace here, but life moves on. I seem to have already stepped back into the full steam ahead mode.
Laurel (L_B)
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
8 Apr 17
Aside from the terrible flooding it sounds like things are going good with you. Congratulations on the book launch. It is always nice to catch up with friends. We are making homemade pizza tonight.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
I'm sure you enjoyed your homemade pizza as much as we enjoyed ours.
haripriya
@Hari101 (1123)
• Chennai, India
8 Apr 17
Congratulations! and I am happy that you are safe with your family. Friendship means a lot to us because even in the very hard situations they are there for us. You are proud to have friends like that.Have a Happy weekend.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
8 Apr 17
Thank you for your nice comment. Yes, friends are important.