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I got up around dawn this morning but only to bring in the basket of washing I took off the line yesterday about 3:30pm and then left outside the back door and then remembered about at 5:40 am. Also to do the pee I should've done the night before.

Not really into attempting to create traditions for my family after my one attempt to failed badly. I was attempting write a kind of 'snapshot of you' or 'summary of the past year' into birthday cards for my first child each year. But I didn't get to his first birthday one until he was almost 2, so that was a sham, and then same happened with the 3rd birthday, doing it months in arrears, based on my photos and videos, and brief notes typed in a Google doc, rather than memory. It became such a chore that I had to abandon it in embarrassment. Yet to decide if I keep them or destroy them and pretend they never happened.

Traditions seem like too much of a commitment.

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Lol I totally know that one! Traditions are so hard when you’re in the thick of it!

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Lol i was also up for the Dawn listening to most of the household wee. Leave your washing out sounds like a tradition to me

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Watching Double Parked and Deadloch has reignited my crush on Madeleine Sami. Deadloch has so excited about our trip to Tasmania next week!

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Yay! I love Tasmania! You’ll have a great time ❤️❤️❤️

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I’m cooking for our traditional (in its second year) potluck Matariki dinner with friends old and new - mostly new this year because people have plans - maybe the tradition is “potluck with whoever is around”.

Reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow after reading Pet (Catherine Chidgey) and before reading Lioness (Emily Perkins). I’ve really been enjoying reading lately.

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Oh I hope you love tomorrow it’s my fave. One of the best books I read this year!

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I loved Tomorrow! Lioness was great too, although I did feel like the butt of the joke (that’s “a me problem” as the kids tell me). Now reading Kawai (finally)

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Love this, thanks Emily! Happy Matariki!

We were going to have dinner with friends tonight but three of them now have covid.

I'm listening to an audiobook called How to Talk to a Science Denier, it's both illuminating and yes a bit depressing. But it will hopefully be useful in conversations about politics.

Last night I watched a two hour video the channel Shaun released about Posie Parker. I must be a masochist. He does really thoughtful stuff about all manner of horrible people. I knew she was awful, but she's actually completely psychotic. And man JK Rowling is keeping some insane company. Terfs seem happy to be buddies with Nazis is the upshot. And they pretend to care about women's rights. Gah.

I'm still fuming about Hipkins. I hope he spends Matariki trapped in an elevator.

In better news, the new Cadbury passion fruit and vanilla choc is delicious, I'm enjoying a short, breezy book called This is How You Lose the Time War, and I really liked Flea's memoir Acid for the Children (he reads the audiobook version and is super likeable).

And shit, the sun's out, I have my favourite sandwich ingredients in the fridge, the neighbour's kids are laughing and playing, and there's plenty of Substack to catch up on. Time for a tea and some edibles maybe

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Love this! And yes I don’t see how people can be like “ok but is JK Rowling that bad?” Look at who she champions! Literally Nazis! I am excited to try the new passion fruit choc!

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Matariki pops out from behind the hill in another couple of weeks here but this morning there was a shining crescent moon. It was clear and blustery and I enjoyed my long run in that wild wind, something I wouldn’t normally attempt!

Mānawatia Matariki

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Beautiful! I love that ❤️

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Would never set an alarm to get up early with baby so young buuuut he woke me at 5.30 and I was so tired I STILL forgot to go look at the sky until it was too late, doh. Enjoyed the whakaata coverage this morning, managed to get hold of some hangi for lunch - YUM. and will have a matariki dinner on Sunday when my kiddo is back from her dad’s. My brother died about six weeks ago and I’m trying to farewell him but it just feels too soon. Beautiful karakia though - I’ll try again on Sunday. Read the marriage portrait - thoroughly enjoyed. Finally finished the crown, Ted lasso, still watching Shrinking. Hanging out for the next season of sex education. Mānawatia a matariki 💫 🌟 ⭐️

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Arohanui I’m so sorry for the loss of your brother x I can’t imagine ❤️ that’s a huge loss. Sending you so much love x

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Thank you for the karakia. I lost a dear friend and disability justice powerhouse a few weeks ago and I'd love to honour them before their zoom service.

I got my bivalent booster today! Grateful for the pharmacies open today.

This afternoon we're visiting a friend's house to build a fire and toast marshmallows,wholesome and wintry activity (much better than the slime we made yesterday with 3 kids, what a shit show. I've used half a bottle of vinegar cleaning that shit out of the carpet and clothing)

Mānawatia a Matariki <3

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Arohanui to you x we have lost so many incredible people this year I’m so sorry ❤️ slime is the worst it’s now banned in our house

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If you ever need a super easy “slime” recipe chuck a packet of jelly crystals with some cornflour and add water till happy. It’s edible and way easier to clean up. Too much water makes it more like oobleck but can add more cornflour to thicken it up again. One of my Covid lockdown attempts to entertain a toddler (at that time) that was actually a success and that the now 6yo still enjoys!

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I'm spending it with my partner's whānau and having a hangi! Very much looking forward to it.

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So great!

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I watched Shrinking on Apple recently and really enjoyed.

Hoping to create a Matariki ritual today. It will just be us as I’m not super well but the cat will be coerced to join 😼

Thanks for a lovely FNC - I really liked the karakia, have a heart warming weekend ❤️

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We just adopted a kitten! So I reckon cats are great matariki company 😂

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🙀😽😻

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Ohhhh, if those telcos had just held strong!

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If only!

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We had kai with friends to celebrate Matariki 🥰 and I haven’t done it yet this year 😅 but we usually write something down on a piece of paper that we want to let go of and set the bit of paper on fire on our back lawn under the stars. Obviously we don’t have kids, but I think it’s a cool tradition for adults

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Your Matariki traditions are lovely. We are still developing ours. I had a 30 year uni reunion this weekend in Dunedin which was amazing.But will try to be with my whanau for Matariki in future and weave some of your ideas in. Also loving Double Parked. Really enjoyed the Wham documentary this weekend too.

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This year Matariki is the same day as my birthday, so for us it's mostly been birthday stuff, though the boys also had ballet classes this morning too. The upshot of birthday stuff is that we went out to dinner with the kids and the grandparents too. I haven't been reading much because I'm in the middle of knitting my first baby jacket, all I've done is bootees, hats and mittens, so the putting it altogether is going to be interesting

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Those traditions are so lovely Emily. We started with a charitable food donation last year and have done the same this year too. We also make sure we see extended family - mine last year, my husbands this year. As my boy gets older I’d love to do a moment of remembrance and thanks with him.

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Happy Matariki Emily and thank you for sharing what your family do. Love the articles that you have shared Emily! Still have not signed up to threads lol even though it looks like everyone is on it and using the platform. I have just learnt in my late twenties and now being 30 I don’t want to spend hours on social media.

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