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Last week we sent out a request to help cover some of the costs associated with the dental requirements of 4 specific furbabies; Fabian, Josie, Minka, and Magpie.
Just wanted to let everyone know that all of the cats have received their dentals. To date we have raised $920 which is almost half of… View moreLast week we sent out a request to help cover some of the costs associated with the dental requirements of 4 specific furbabies; Fabian, Josie, Minka, and Magpie.
Just wanted to let everyone know that all of the cats have received their dentals. To date we have raised $920 which is almost half of the amount required and that is amazing! So a huge thanks to everyone who has donated so generously.
However we still do need help to cover those dental bills so if you can, please donate at givealittle.co.nz...
for this specific cause. (Every dollar helps.)
Also we have more exciting news, two of the cats have been rehomed. Fabian and Josie now have permanent furever homes so thank you so much for that as well.
Anybody had trouble with Vodafone and know who to address complaints to?? Someone close to me had paid her phone bill on time but keeps getting demands and threats to cut off service even after she has provided a copy of bank statement to show it has been paid. Every time you ring you spend ages … View moreAnybody had trouble with Vodafone and know who to address complaints to?? Someone close to me had paid her phone bill on time but keeps getting demands and threats to cut off service even after she has provided a copy of bank statement to show it has been paid. Every time you ring you spend ages waiting to get through and get someone different who promises to fix the problem. Suggestions please. Grrr
The Young Gardener Awards 2018 are open! So it’s time for budding young gardeners across the country to get their green fingers dirty again.
The new T&G Passion for Growing Award is open to ALL primary schools nationwide that have a veggie garden.
So go on, encourage your local primary… View moreThe Young Gardener Awards 2018 are open! So it’s time for budding young gardeners across the country to get their green fingers dirty again.
The new T&G Passion for Growing Award is open to ALL primary schools nationwide that have a veggie garden.
So go on, encourage your local primary school to get stuck in. Share your passion for growing fresh, nutritious food and win! There are some amazing prizes up for grabs and it’s really easy to enter.
Supported by T&G and Garden to Table.
Are there any superheroes in your neighbourhood?
This September we are raising money to help deaf children listen and speak and we’d love to have you join our squad! Thousands of workplaces, schools and community groups will put on their loud shirts to support deaf Kiwi kids with cochlear … View moreAre there any superheroes in your neighbourhood?
This September we are raising money to help deaf children listen and speak and we’d love to have you join our squad! Thousands of workplaces, schools and community groups will put on their loud shirts to support deaf Kiwi kids with cochlear implants.
Loud Shirt Day is a great way to commit serious fashion crimes and have a whole lot of fun. This year's theme is Superheroes, so grab your brightest, funkiest superhero outfits to wow others and raise money for a great cause. Register at loudshirtday.org.nz and we’ll send you a free fundraising pack. It’s that easy!
If you're keen to help kick-start our fundraising efforts, good news! You can donate via Givealittle here.
Thanks for your support,
Ankita
(Loud Shirt Day Coordinator)
You've been asking when you'll be able to attend events at the new Events Centre and refurbished Town Hall. Here's a selection of upcoming events which might interest you!
Capital Quilt Show - 11 & 12 August
Hutt Winter Festival - 16, 17, 18 August
IFBB (body building) … View moreYou've been asking when you'll be able to attend events at the new Events Centre and refurbished Town Hall. Here's a selection of upcoming events which might interest you!
Capital Quilt Show - 11 & 12 August
Hutt Winter Festival - 16, 17, 18 August
IFBB (body building) Wellington Championships - 8 September
Faultline Chorus and Wellington City Chorus Barbershop concert - 15 September
HighLight - Labour Weekend
Horticultural Show - 10 & 11 November
Twilight Craft Market - 8 December
A very interesting read from the Gottman Institue. The link below : )
What’s the point of marriage?
No, really, this is a serious question. What’s the point? If you don’t have a goal, objective, or specific outcome in mind, or if you don’t know what you and your partner’s needs are … View moreA very interesting read from the Gottman Institue. The link below : )
What’s the point of marriage?
No, really, this is a serious question. What’s the point? If you don’t have a goal, objective, or specific outcome in mind, or if you don’t know what you and your partner’s needs are and how best to fulfill them, how can you know whether or not you’re being successful in your partnership?
Having the wrong goals or “point” to your marriage can leave you feeling frustrated, alone, or even reeling in confusion or anger. Speaking of anger (this will all tie together, so stay with me here), I saw a quote on social media the other day that got me really upset:
“You deserve to be with somebody who makes you happy. Somebody who doesn’t complicate your life. Somebody who won’t hurt you.”
This quote got me riled up because this is the kind of hogwash cooked up by a social media manager in desperate need of some validating “likes.” It can destroy relationships because it is offering an ineffective platitude that people will take as serious advice.
Is unending happiness the goal? Sounds boring.
So, here’s another honest question: since when did the pinnacle of relationship achievement become existing in a constant, unchanging state of happiness, simplicity, and total safety? When did the fantasy of “and they lived happily ever after“ stop being the end of a storybook for kids and turn into literal #lifegoals?
I don’t remember “providing your partner with an endless supply of happiness” being in the details for me or my wife when we signed up for this marriage thing. Social psychologist Eli Finkel argues in his book, The All or Nothing Marriage, how, in today’s world, couples expect more and more of each other. We rely on each other for many aspects of socialization and support that, prior to the 20th century, many people found outside of their marriages.
Don’t get me wrong, I think happiness is great. It’s necessary in all aspects of life, and especially in a relationship. But it’s also a fluid emotion that comes and goes based on how your stomach reacts to the burrito you ate for lunch today, your coworker’s irritable habits, what’s happening in the White House this week, if your baseball team wins or loses, or who lives or dies on Game of Thrones.
Happiness is not a strong, stable foundation upon which to build lasting, committed love. It is simply too unstable, fleeting, and constantly in flux, and the ways in which we achieve happiness changes as we change over time.
Honestly, sustained and immutable happiness is arguably the most ineffective goal you could set for your relationship because it’s not possible to achieve. The reality of happiness, just like any other emotion, is that it comes and goes, just like the in-laws during the holidays, 80’s fashion, or stomach cramps.
Well, today it’s time to bust out another cold, hard truth:
The point of marriage is not happiness. The point of marriage is growth.
The Human Growth Machine
The key to becoming a truly successful couple is to take action and expand your comfort zone. Marriage is what Dr. David Schnarch, author of the book Passionate Marriage, calls a “Human Growth Machine.” And Finkel also posits that, in our world, “a new kind of marriage has emerged, one that can promote self-discovery, self-esteem, and personal growth like never before.” I love the idea of having a growth-centered marriage. That is something I can achieve, and it feels satisfying to grow and improve. It is a tangible goal.
Regarding goals: in the last few years, I started doing something I never thought I’d do. I lift weights.
I used to be a slender little guy. I once dropped a girl when I was country dancing and was so embarrassed by my weak muscles that I never went back. Then I hit the gym. I remember when I first started lifting, I squatted 225 pounds and my coach was like, “Dude, Nate! That’s awesome!”
I was so proud of myself! So, I kept at it.
A few years later, after grinding away at the gym every week, I now squat around 345 pounds. Big improvement, right? And every time I add another pound, I feel like a champion because growth is satisfying and progress feels amazing.
How to keep your marriage strong for the long run
Now I apply the principles I used in the weight room to my marriage. For example, I used to get anxious when my wife was feeling sad or stressed. And I used to snap at her if I felt attacked or threatened. For over a year I’ve been working to improve myself in this area. I practice self-soothing, taking deep breaths, and thinking before I speak, and giving my wife the benefit of the doubt and trying to understand her perspective when I feel hurt.
I’m definitely not perfect (a little secret: nobody is!), but I’m getting better at managing conflict between us and using it as an opportunity for understanding and growth. I’m less stressed out when she is. I snap at her less. My wife even smiles compassionately at me when she sees me taking deep breaths, or using the plans we’ve put in place to help us fight better and love smarter.
She’s commented that I’m improving, and because of that, we’re improving as a couple. But, like working out, it’s not easy, and especially not at first. It stretches your comfort zone. It pushes you to your limits. It expands your capacities as a human being. And this painful stretching and expanding and growing means that, sometimes, your partner and your marriage will not make you happy.
Honestly, marriage is a challenge. And it’s a good one because marriage reveals your limitations and exposes your weaknesses, flaws, and vulnerabilities. Marriage makes you painfully aware of how impatient you might be, of your struggles to say “no” to things that aren’t important and “yes” to things that are, and of how challenging it is to navigate your differences when you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, or simply hangry.
Marriage challenges you to deal with sickness, tragedy, financial stresses, changes in faith or beliefs, job loss, weight gain, raising kids, losing parents and other family members, and you have to do it all while supporting and satisfying another emotional human being!
You can’t tackle this stuff and come out on the other side still in love with each other by remaining the exact same people you were when you started. You can’t go through all of that together while remaining in perpetual bliss. You have to constantly grow and evolve into the version of you that’s capable of facing and overcoming the unique challenges that life throws at you at any given moment.
That dynamic won’t feel like perfection, but that’s actually what you want. In fact, Dr. John Gottman argues strongly in favor of a good enough marriage when he states that today, couples “expect to be treated with kindness, love, affection, and respect. They do not tolerate emotional or physical abuse. They expect their partner to be loyal. This does not mean they expect their relationship to be free of conflict. Even happily married couples argue. Conflict is healthy because it leads to greater understanding.”
You will be confronted with uncomfortable truths throughout your marriage. It might be about sex, or money, or time spent together, or parenting, or all of that. Things won’t always work out how you plan them, and plans may need to change if you’re going to have the relationship you want.
Having someone challenge you to expand and grow can make things feel worse before they get better. It may even put the relationship on the line if you or your partner refuse to confront your own flaws, or if you won’t take responsibility when things go wrong. If the Four Horsemen come charging into the dynamic, then you might be doomed if you don’t find ways to fight them off.
But this is what love is really about. It is not always about always pleasing your partner, or always being pleased yourself. Instead, it is about supporting your partner.
Pleasing your partner means you make sure they are happy and comfortable and worry-free, and there will be times you must do that. But if that’s your primary goal, it might cause you to be overly agreeable and be accommodating even when your partner is being unkind or hurtful. And we all make those mistakes, but pleasing your partner also means shielding your partner from anything that could make them feel challenged or uncomfortable.
Like the uncomfortable experience of growth.
Supporting your partner means you have their best interests at heart and you intentionally act to uphold and achieve those interests. It means you stand by their side, you help them, you have their back, and sometimes it means you engage in conflict with difficult truths and regrettable incidents. True partners dedicate themselves to the person they love and to the bond they share, even when those acts of dedication might be temporarily painful due to the positive growth it causes.
Dedication to that positive growth forces you to identify and open up about your weaknesses, insecurities, and fears is exactly what leads to the periods of happiness, trust, connection, passion, and commitment.
Is that the kind of love you want? Or are you willing to settle for less?
Hi Neighbours, Help us celebrate 39 years of suppling quality lighting. From 1st August to the 1st of September we are having our Annual Birthday Sale, and everything is discounted. There are in-store specials, and lots of “Super-Specials”. Even custom mades and orders are discounted. We would … View moreHi Neighbours, Help us celebrate 39 years of suppling quality lighting. From 1st August to the 1st of September we are having our Annual Birthday Sale, and everything is discounted. There are in-store specials, and lots of “Super-Specials”. Even custom mades and orders are discounted. We would love to catch up with you. Come and see us at 3 Rutherford St, Lower Hutt.
Shady Lady Lighting are the Lighting experts you need to see. Our showroom is a treasure trove, packed with lighting for homes of all types. We have NZ’s biggest collection of Reproduction and Traditional lighting, and an extensive range of modern and contemporary fittings. As a Neighbourly Birthday special EVERYTHING is 20 - 70% off
Wed 1st Aug – Sat 1st Sept, Monday - Friday 9-5, Saturday 9.30-4.
Nothing wrong with it just the cracked screen. Have factory reset it so it's ready to be set up again.
I am original owner have recipes as proof as seen in photo.
Quick trades only
250$
We’ve had some great feedback and suggestions already from the community on the draft Te Kāuru Upper Ruamāhanga Floodplain Management Plan.
Have your say on the draft plan now
Sometimes our beautiful companions have some extra special needs.
While we do what we can to give them love, assurance, and see to their general health needs, there are some things that we need to ask additional help for.
We have Fabian, Josie, Magpie and Minka that, due to age; bad diet; or … View moreSometimes our beautiful companions have some extra special needs.
While we do what we can to give them love, assurance, and see to their general health needs, there are some things that we need to ask additional help for.
We have Fabian, Josie, Magpie and Minka that, due to age; bad diet; or not getting the care they deserved before coming to us, require dental care ranging from teeth cleaning, to teeth extraction (one has just had their dental).
Dental care is expensive and costs between $400 and $800 per cat. Total this by 4 and we are looking at a vet bill of $1,600 to $3,200.
Being a charitable organisation means we relay on all you generous humans to help us look after our furry friends who have to yet to find their forever homes.
We have set up a Givealittle page in the hope that you can help us to help them. If you can, please donate at givealittle.co.nz...
for this specific cause. (Every dollar helps.).
Thank you for your support as we can't do it without you.
We’re really glad Upper Hutt’s Cannon Point Walkway is now open. This is one of Upper Hutt’s most popular bush tracks, starting from Tulsa Park in Totara Park and heading up the hill via the zig- zag to the trig. It’s also one of the main walking access routes into Akatarawa Forest so … View moreWe’re really glad Upper Hutt’s Cannon Point Walkway is now open. This is one of Upper Hutt’s most popular bush tracks, starting from Tulsa Park in Totara Park and heading up the hill via the zig- zag to the trig. It’s also one of the main walking access routes into Akatarawa Forest so respect all signage as some of the walk is on private land.
No dogs are allowed due to farming and people should also watch out for vehicles, logging trucks and mountain bikers, although with 15,000 hectares in this park there is plenty of room for everyone.
Students are no longer able to hold or shoot army guns at school under new government guidelines. The move comes after much public debate on the appropriateness of firearms being brought into schools, including when soldiers taught children as young as nine how to assemble and shoot assault rifles … View moreStudents are no longer able to hold or shoot army guns at school under new government guidelines. The move comes after much public debate on the appropriateness of firearms being brought into schools, including when soldiers taught children as young as nine how to assemble and shoot assault rifles at a leadership exercise in Palmerston North last year. However students can still use firearms as part of shooting clubs and competitions. Click here to read the full article and guidelines.
So what do you think of the new rules? Are you for or against them?
They were four pregnant mums that the Upper Hutt Animal Rescue Society took out of a house of 15 cats. They were put into foster care to have their kittens and also to get used to humans. They had seen humans, but had never been patted or cuddled. They had lived outside and never really got enough … View moreThey were four pregnant mums that the Upper Hutt Animal Rescue Society took out of a house of 15 cats. They were put into foster care to have their kittens and also to get used to humans. They had seen humans, but had never been patted or cuddled. They had lived outside and never really got enough food. Well that changed in their foster homes. Lexie is one of those mums.
Lexi’s previous foster carer taught Lexie how to allow humans to pat her and to not be scared being around humans.
She went back to the Haven ready for adoption. But she really couldn’t cope with being up there and withdrew into her shell. So Lexie has gone to another foster home and what a change. She is fantastic. She loves to be patted and will come when you call (well sometimes – definitely if she wants food – ha ha). She loves her toys – and she loves all the other cats’ toys.
She wanders around the house and likes being in the room with the humans. She is ready for her forever home.
Although two young children (2 and 4 yrs) visited for a couple of weeks ago. The noise and running around was not Lexie’s idea of a good time. She would be better suited to a home with a couple, (or single person), and if there were children – they would need to be older children.
She has the softest meow – but loud purr and is adorable.
If you are interested in visiting Lexie, please call the Haven on 04-526 2672 and they can arrange a visit. She is currently being fostered in Lower Hutt.
In this week's issue of Get Growing we have top tips on repotting container plants, potting up seeds, taking cuttings, collecting scion wood and moving large plants. Our crop of the week is perpetual spinach and we have a special feature on growing easy-peasy succulents. Try out delicious … View moreIn this week's issue of Get Growing we have top tips on repotting container plants, potting up seeds, taking cuttings, collecting scion wood and moving large plants. Our crop of the week is perpetual spinach and we have a special feature on growing easy-peasy succulents. Try out delicious Jewish recipes from Feasting by Amanda Ruben and enter to win a pair of Red Band gumboots from Skellerup and a $35 voucher from Awapuni Nurseries. Not subscriber yet? Sign up today. It's free!
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