tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45728408588581031312024-03-05T17:28:47.014-08:00The adventures of the Kiwi MulligansTheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.comBlogger308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-84887558150878874922020-05-10T03:17:00.000-07:002020-05-10T03:17:44.502-07:00Tales from the Trunk # 11A Mulligan headstone in Gisborne
Mulligans and Hutchins, and in Gisborne? But we came from Southland!
So what's the "story" here?
It goes like this.
Francis Humphrys (that's correct - no 'e') was the eldest son of James Mulligan and Agnes Simpson. James was the first of our family in NZ, along with his sister Margaret. Agnes Simpson was Scottish, from Edinburgh. James died in 1901 and his TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-81274023286687371232016-03-13T13:11:00.000-07:002017-05-03T02:41:43.804-07:00Murder in the 'hood!Gulp! Murder most foul, and dastardly deeds!
Call the Police.
We've had a case of gnomicide!
I suspect we know the Catprit.TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-16904808015238533742016-02-25T14:33:00.001-08:002016-02-28T11:50:35.000-08:00Shapeshifter 2016We were invited to the opening of Shapeshifter 2016 at the Dowse Art Museum. The exhibition is held every second year as part of Wellington's Arts Festival.
It features sculptures by artists from throughout New Zealand all placed around Riddiford Gardens opposite the Gallery.
A fascinatingly diverse range of pieces were displayed. So we wandered happily for over an hour, and I snapped lots ofTheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-39145822493888805472016-01-27T00:54:00.001-08:002016-01-27T00:54:52.901-08:00What goes around ...Last October, we travelled to Whitianga and had a (largely) lovely time. And I've extolled the virtues elsewhere and again.
A few weeks ago, I even managed to finish processing some of the video I took during the trip:
And then, just the other day during my daily perusal of the newspaper's Death Notices, the following leapt out at me:
Barry Brickell, of the Driving Creek Railway! Oh dear!
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-61149673765220366622016-01-24T00:55:00.004-08:002016-01-24T00:55:59.916-08:00It's time to move onIt's been here a long time.
And it's ending was signalled a long time ago
But still, there's something sad about when it finally arrives.
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-23688863958638074422016-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:002016-01-10T10:46:53.556-08:00Edo's Table MannersCats aren't always the most house-trainable animals.
And sometimes their table manners leave a bit to be desired!
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-61207358287459940722015-12-30T17:14:00.001-08:002015-12-30T17:15:39.696-08:00Summer at Petone ForeshoreWe've been walking as often as possible at Petone Foreshore.
There's always interesting things to look at, and especially at this time of year, the view from the beach-side walkway is truly lovely.
In many ways, it encapsulates and "New Zealand summer", even when there is a southerly blowing, or the clouds have rolled in.
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-42791986027818055982015-12-30T15:14:00.000-08:002015-12-30T15:14:38.137-08:00Featherston Camp MemorialWe have driven through the Wairarapa countless times, and always straight past the memorial to Featherston Camp.
It is located a few kilometres outside Featherston on State Highway 2.
It marks the location of a Military Camp which was built for service during World War 1, as one of the places new recruits received their first military training.
During World War 2, it also served as an TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-53037724612906080572015-12-30T13:55:00.000-08:002015-12-30T13:55:25.539-08:00The wisdom of youthIt's always interesting when one's children return home and help in the kitchen.
Especially when they tell you that they're a little concerned about the cleanliness of the chopping boards, and so give them a scrub and put them outside to dry in the sunlight and fresh air.
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-39247560667683620442015-12-19T15:20:00.000-08:002015-12-19T15:20:01.992-08:00A wake-up callWe came home the other evening to find our bed taken over by cats. Peonie was at the foot of the bed, while Edo was tucked up against Desiree's pillow:
And Peaches was pleased that we were home again, so she came in to say hello, and hooped up beside the bed, as she does.
Which woke Edo up, and put her on the alert, as she's still not entirely at ease with the other two cats.
So she was TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-12496108255647130202015-11-28T17:28:00.000-08:002015-11-28T17:28:39.975-08:00You know summer has startedYou know summer has started when there are seed-heads and flowers on Petone foreshore almost a month earlier than last year.
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-10466777773248137832015-11-28T16:26:00.000-08:002015-11-28T16:26:02.786-08:00A new hoops fan in the house!I was watching basketball the other evening, as is my want. When I was joined by another viewer, who decided she wanted to get up close to the action!
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-9373132604208967242015-11-23T00:21:00.002-08:002015-11-23T00:21:51.588-08:00Edo comes to stayAnd makes herself at home, on high!
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-41295712857057302032015-10-10T00:14:00.001-07:002015-10-10T00:14:17.200-07:00Whitianga in the sunshineWe've had a fairly rough month or 6-weeks - pneumonia, a brutal cold, and the long drag from Queen's Birthday weekend holiday to Labour Weekend, so we needed a break away.
And so we did - to Whitianga in the Coromandel. An area of New Zealand we've never visited before. So an intriguing prospect.
The weather was great - it was warm & sunny, in marked contrast to the week before. And we enjoyedTheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-71817413565482694642015-08-31T18:12:00.000-07:002015-08-31T18:12:07.673-07:00Feature on Margaret SparrowTheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-60793667148562949982015-08-30T20:38:00.002-07:002015-08-30T20:38:46.287-07:00Turning 24Our Jayne turned 24 recently. So we had a family get together - well, almost! we also marked another milestone as well.
So it wasn't just about Jayne.
Charlotte also had a birthday recently (actually back in June!) but she had been wandering Europe at the time so we couldn't mark it with a gathering.
And sarah-Rose & Pip are in London, so attending a family get together is problematic for them.TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-1596744683442934252015-08-05T20:23:00.000-07:002015-08-05T20:23:10.230-07:00Jerry Collins, A car crash in France, Regina, & MeI've been wondering recently what the common element was in these events, and Regaskin in Co Cavan.
And now I know the answer.
For those not in New Zealand, or who don't pay close attention to the News, let me colour in a few background details.
Jerry Collins was a New Zealander of Samoan descent, from Porirua City, here in the Wellington Region. He was a very successful rugby player for the TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-78268842763908520102015-04-27T17:58:00.000-07:002015-04-27T17:58:10.691-07:00Remembering the fallenThe last few days have been somewhat busy, and we've all been pre-occupied by the centenary of the landings at Gallipoli during World War One.
Every city, town & village is making an effort to commemorate the event, as are many individuals and organisations. All in all, it has been a fascinating collective effort top mark a landmark event in our young nation's history.
And I have been at a TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-42878275862895002202015-04-18T16:53:00.000-07:002015-04-18T16:53:38.205-07:00Us in a nutshell?It can be an unsettling experience to encounter a description of someone else which might in fact have just as readily been applied to oneself.
We have long been fans of books by Donna Leon. Partly, the attraction is the locale - vivid renderings of the townscape of Venice; partly it is the sharp-eyed skewering of characters, especially the foibles of the Italian national persona; and partly it TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-60934163797494003332015-04-12T01:23:00.000-07:002015-04-12T01:23:29.132-07:00What we are doing on our hols!We've been touring a bit: Christchurch, Hanmer Springs, Greymouth, Punakaiki, Westport, Motueka, Mapua, Blenheim with Kaikoura & return to Christchurch still to come.
Along the way we've had some fun, a few laughs, taken a few photos, visited some new places, and re-visited others.
Every journey begins with a small step
So I made the most of it!
I felt quite at home in Reefton for some reason
TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-4471089800811671572015-04-03T16:36:00.000-07:002015-04-03T16:36:35.630-07:00365 in 2015 - MarchAn experiment to see if I am disciplined enough to take at least one photo every day of the year. So far, not quite! But I'm working on it.
1 March 2015
2 March 2015 - The Cable Car approaching
3 March 2015 - The Irish Railway System map
4 March 2015
5 March 2015 - Patterns in concrete
6 March 2015 - Sunrise over the Hutt Valley
7 March 2015 - a page of Sandy Mulligan's Photo Album
8 March TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-75676260095491285112015-03-07T21:24:00.001-08:002015-03-07T21:24:18.671-08:00365 in 2015 - FebruaryAn experiment to see if I am disciplined enough to take at least one photo every day of the year. So far, not quite! But I'm working on it.
1 February 2015
2 February 2015
3 February 2015
4 February 2015 - The kitten thought we'd got her a new trampoline
5 February 2015 - Sunrise
6 February 2015 - A memorial to Catholic parishioners at Korokoro
7 February 2015 - A Jellyfish on Petone Beach
8 TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-76391692181844913952015-02-28T13:20:00.000-08:002015-02-28T13:20:00.009-08:00Hokio SandsWe recently had a family expedition to Hokio Beach.
We have owned a property near the beach for some years and used to use it as a weekend bach or crib when the girls were younger, but that became something of a chore, so for the past however many years it has been rented out.
Now, however, the girls seem interested in considering using it for that purpose again.
So we went to have a look at it, TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-40394548276761306182015-02-26T14:52:00.000-08:002015-02-26T14:52:05.966-08:00Starting youngNone of our daughters showed much interest when they were younger in learning to drive, which is OK.
We didn't try to force, figuring there would come a time when they felt the need. After all, one of their grandmothers only learnt after she retired, and I taught her!
Recently, however, both Sarah Rose & Jayne have expressed an interest in learning, so lessons have begun, and are progressing TheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572840858858103131.post-60937615174946149672015-02-23T14:15:00.001-08:002015-02-23T14:15:08.102-08:00Tales from the Trunk # 10
Coming of Age in Wartime
I have been lucky enough to have been given access to a number of artefacts belonging to a cousin dating from World War 2.
Ronald James Mulligan was one of 2 sons of George Henry Mulligan, my grandfather's younger brother. George served in World War 1, from May 1916 for 3 years & 1 month.
25 years after he returned home, his eldest son enlisted in the NZ Airforce toTheMulliganzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03955474186870008693noreply@blogger.com0