Rock Around The Clock

Rudy Pompilli, was born on this day in 1924 or 1926 (Wikipedia says sources agree on the date but not the year).

Pink Panther

Henry Mancini would have been 86 today.

I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself

Dusty Springfield would have been 71 today.

Peter Ustinov on Queen Mary

Peter Ustinov would have been 89 today.

Spike Milligan – English language inflation

Spike Milligan would have been 92 today.

It rained

We got 15 mls of very welcome rain last night.

The near-empty irrigation dam shows how much it was needed.

Now the pressure is off the irrigation and we might be able to stop watering for the season.

Last night’s fall brings us to a total of 27 mls – just over an inch in old money – for the month and about 50 mls this year, though still only 336 mls in the last 12 months which is well under the annual average of around 500 mls.

While the rain made a big difference to us because we’re irrigated, it wouldn’t have done much more than lay the dust on dryland farms and it was localised.

Totara, about 10 kilometres as the crow flies from us, received only 9 mls and our hill block at Waianakarua about 20 kms away got only 4 mls.

The downpour came with a thunderstorm which brought a lot of water in a very short time. We don’t complain about rain here so this is an obesrevation not a moan – it also brought a flood inside the conservatory which took three buckets and seven towels to mop up.

Memo to self: clean the spouting before it rains again.

Two tonne of urea could help save a life

An email from a friend asked me to spread the word about a TradeMe auction to help fund potentially life-saving cancer treatment.

The email said:

Hello friends

 

I know you are all busy people.    If you could take a few minutes to search the website mentioned below and to place a bid you would be really helping our friend Jane who is a real kiwi battler.  

 

Jane is fundraising for her own cancer treatment.  Its not some obscure drug treatment, its a drug that she would be getting on national health if she lived in Australia or the UK.  This drug has worked wonders and is giving Jane a good quality of life.   If you are not in a position to bid on any of these great offers from Jane’s friends and family, then please forward to any of your friends or work mates who might like a South Island holiday, golfing packages or some collectible art.   Any donation no matter the size will help.

 

 

. . .  The auction will close on Trade Me on Saturday 17th April – this Saturday – so you will have to be quick.

She attached this message from Jane:

It gives me much pleasure to make the fundraising auction live! Many thanks to friends and family who have helped me and to businesses who have donated – enjoy!

Go to: http://www.janewebdesign.co.nz and don’t forget to forward on to your own contacts.

Background
In December 2003 I lost my kidney to cancer. Exactly five years later, I was told that the cancer had spread to several locations throughout my body.

Kidney cancer of this type does not respond well to traditional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation. My only viable option is a very expensive targetted drug therapy, which is not subsidised by government or covered by my health insurance. So far I have responded very well to this drug but because of the huge cost I am obliged to fund raise.

I have every reason to live and this drug gives me the quality of life to enjoy my two beautiful daughters and many wonderful friends. It was friends and family who provided the inspiration for this ‘on line auction’ web site which gives you the opportunity to place a bid for an incredible range of New Zealand art and fashion, specialist services and leisure time in some of the loveliest parts of the South Island.

I would like to thank all the many businesses and individuals who have supported me through their generous donations to this auction.

Jane Egerton

Items up for auction on TradeMe include art work, accommodation vouchers, a round of golf at Michael Hill’s course and a day with Burton Silver.

Jane’s cause has also been taken up by Jamie Mackay on the Farming Show where two tonne of Urea is being auctioned with the proceeds going to fund Jane’s treatment.