Our cool neighbor Lilly

Don has already mentioned our neighbor Lilly who is a pretty cool lady. She’s been doing her darndest to take good care of us. We’ve been to her place for dinner three times and met her daughter and her family, who live down the road. During that dinner her daughter’s family offered to help us unpack our shipping container—and we’d just met them!

I couldn’t make it to one of her dinners, so she sent over two full plates of food: full dinner and homemade sushi for the next day. As you might imagine, it lasted longer than one meal, the plate was so full. Every time I return her plates, she sends me away with something new.

She’s also baking for us . . . I am sure Deanna we’ll be relieved, we have a new supplier of banana bread. She did this after we bought her bananas from the Saturday market. We didn’t ask her to do this, we just brought her bananas because we got them cheap. Another week: biscotti. Yet another week, these amazing wonderful coconut treats. We are being well taken care of indeed!!

A few weeks ago for dinner we ate a bowl full of pumpkin soup she made for us out of the blue. This was in response to our obtaining 2 months free membership at the pool for her (she goes there anyway, but on a punch card), one each for our new memberships. We lied and said she referred us, and because they have a referral program, she got 2 free months.

Lilly is a native Kiwi of Chinese descent, but says she is often mistaken for Maori. She is very active, working out most mornings and hosting weekly dinner parties. We've spotted her at the pool several times when we've been there. On weekends she works at the fish factory doing work she finds social and rewarding. She drives a spiffy new car and spends more time out of than in her house. Her Wednesday dinner parties are a hopping affair, maybe you can join us when you come out to visit.