Little Deceptions.

I guess we are all guilty of little deceptions.

Sometimes it is little lies we tell ourselves, to make us feel better about a situation or something we have - or have not- done.

We can represent ourselves in one light, when telling a story, so as not to appear the 'baddie' in the story. Or we can exagerate- which is a form of deception- to make the story funnier or sadder.

Then there are the little white lies we tell, to be kind to someone.
"Does this shirt make my bum look big?"
Thinks, 'why yes, it looks like a tea trolley!'
But what you actually say is "No, really, it looks fine."

I really intended to post about a little white lie of sorts, that I told my mother, after an adventure out with my brother.

Over the years there have been many white lies to Mum, but most of them I did come clean about in later years. This is not one of them.

This is a photo of my Beloved Brother, & I, on my wedding day in 1966.



I could post this, & say this is us. It would be true, but it would also be a deception, because this was us.


This pic would be more accurate. This was us in November 2008.


Much closer to the reality of today.

This is a self taken pic, in the mirror, & it was taken yesterday, so I suppose it is about as real as I can get.

The story I wanted to retell, is about a trip my BB & I took back to our little old hometown. It is some years ago now.
Since our mother has been gone for 11 years, it is well before her death.

I used to try to get over to New Zealand once a year to visit my mother. Though we lived far apart, we were very close & she was always one of my best friends.

My BB had to borrow our mother's car for this trip. I think she felt unwell, & wanted us to have the trip anyway. She made me promise not to let BB do anything 'stupid' with her car.

I should add, that he would have been in his late 40s when this trip took place.

Off we went, calling on relatives scattered over the North Island, & generally having a lovely time.

When we got to our former hometown, we visited rellies still living there, then went off on a tour of the town, to revisit our grandmother's old house, where we grew up. Gone were the beautiful fruit trees of our childhood, & where the hen house & pen had been there is now a 2 storied house.

Our grandmother's house is still standing, though it has been renovated. It looks far smaller than our memories had painted it!

The road where the house is, had been a rural road, in our day, leading up to many farms, & most of it had been gravel, back in the day. There was also rumoured to be a designated road to Rotorua, at the very top of that road.

BB had always been determined he was going to travel that road to Rotorua, one of these days.

He became obsessed with the idea that we could do it, in Mum's car, on this trip. I laughed & lightly scoffed.

However, he became like Toad of Toad Hall, & he set off to prove he could do it. Of course I knew our mother would consider this doing something 'stupid' with her little car.

On & on he drove, the sealed road ran out eventually after the housing estates ended, & on he went, bouncing us around on the rough potholed road.

I began to suggest he was taking this too far, we had better turn around, & go back. The more I white knuckledly clung to the seat as we jounced & bounced around the more determined he became.

Finally, at the blackberry, tussocks, rocks, & huge open gully stage, he listened to reason. To this day he still maintains that had we kept going, we could have been in Rotorua!

Of course, on returning home safely to our mother, the first thing she asked me was had he done anything stupid in her car. Of course, not wanting to get him into hot water, I lied & said "No". I suspect Mum knew, deep in her heart that he had attempted to make that drive, but we all kept the pretence.

I have had other trips with BB, just the 2 of us. We have had a lot of fun together & get along very well. Mostly.

When he gets his Toad instinct I have to get quite sharp to bring him to his senses! He became obsessed with reaching a beach, which we had been told by locals, was 'just over the hill'.

This was in very hostile bush covered hilly country in coastal Australia, near the birthplace of our Grandfather, & BB became sure our grandfather had walked this beach, & he wanted to do so for himself.

After the small rental car had almost been swallowed up in huge ruts, among the gum trees, & almost flipped over, in parts, as it struck huge boulders, & huge roots of trees, I finally convinced BB that the locals had been pulling his leg, & we were not covered for travel on rutted rain rivened goat tracks'unpaved roads', so we had better get onto sealed roads again smartly.


No doubt he will claim I have exagerated things a little!


In spite of the misadventures here & there, we have had a lot of fun travelling together, over the years.

Neil Diamond, Porcupine Pie. I have no idea what the makers of this vid were doing but it is the best version of the song, which is fun.