Dear Reader

A Bright, bright, sun-shiny day

For the past few weeks Neil and I have both succumbed to this terrible cold that seems to be plaguing half our little community.

Then I woke one morning feeling like the clouds were lifting. My cough wasn’t so bad. My head, not so achy. I started doing little things around the house – decluttering a shelf, filling some bags for recycling, dusting. Not much, not all at once, but little things that made me feel like the sun was going to shine again.

Neil recovered more quickly than I did. He suggested a drive out to Raglan, a walk along the beach, lunch at a cafe – and my soul called out “Yes!” It was just what I needed.

Raglan, about forty minutes drive west of Hamilton has always been my go-to feel-good place ever since we arrived in NZ in 1978. Trees and water – my soul foods when I’m sad, afraid, recovering from life’s challenges.

And it didn’t disappoint this time.

It might be the negative ions or it might be the clarity of the air or it just might be a change of scenery – I definitely felt energised standing on the beach breating in the view and the fresh air.

And memories surfaced of my time working as a town planner and my visits to Raglan. The road above the beach is lined with Pohutakawa – you might recognise it as the New Zealand Christmas tree. Crimson blossoms adorn the skyline from about November.

No blossoms at the moment but its beauty is still impressive. This photo shows the remarkable ability and strength of the Pohutakawa clinging to the cliffs. It’s growth is typical of the coastal protection qualities of these trees.

It’s trees and water that feed my soul ever since I was a little girl. Now I live by the Waikato River, walk among the trees lining its banks and enjoy living in a city where the local council maintains over 100,000 trees across local parks, roadside verges, and reserves. This is nearly one tree for every two Hamilton residents.

I’ve long been grateful for the opportunity I had to be a planner here, benefitting greatly in my role from the policies established the 1970s and earlier that set aside about a third of urban land as open space. Planning for urban growth was easier with these policies already established in the expectations of Hamilton residents.

These days, however, with current intensifying urban development, this ratio is being challenged. Yet some policies still encourage and provide for revegetation and public access to green space.

A visit to Raglan and home again

We came back from our short visit to Raglan refreshed and with renewed gratitude and appreciation for the environment around us – all within a few minutes walk. And gratitude for the people I worked with and who came before me with their vision and resilience to bring that vision into a legacy visitors and residents can enjoy for generations to come.

When you visit Hamilton /:) check out these two locations that have a particular place in my heart:

​https://hamilton.govt.nz/community-spaces/finding-walkways-and/detail/waiwhakareke-natural-heritage-park-walkway

and https://hamiltongardens.co.nz/​

and soak in the joy of being in nature preserved by hands and hearts of visionaries.

With love, always,
Stephanie

Ages of Pages Book Fair – Hamilton, NZ May 1st 2027

I’m getting in early to invite you to the Ages of Pages Book Fair 2027! If things go haywire for me, at least you’ll have this invite to refer to earlier to the time. I’ll be there and so will my daughter Phoebe. Along with over 140 other authors and book vendors.

Once the website for 2027 is up I’ll share the link here. In the meantime, I’m keeping this invite up on the newsletter.

Why I Write – for you and for me too.

Some stories come from lived experience, like navigating my son’s addiction and the long road of recovery. Others are shaped by imagination, like the cozy mystery I’m writing, set in a small café where trust is both tested and rebuilt. Some of my life stories still bring tears. Others make me smile. And many are filled with memories that warm my heart.

I write for anyone who’s ever carried a burden across generations, and for anyone who longs to heal forward.

I write to bring a little encouragement, comfort and joy into my life and yours.

With love,
Stephanie

My thoughts for Living Life in 2026 and beyond:

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“My religion is kindness”

Dalai Lama

“Cast your bread upon the waters and it will
come back – buttered”

Doris May Payne – my mother

“Life is a Daring Adventure or Nothing”

Helen Keller

“Write it on my heart that every day is
the best day of the year”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Remember that sometimes not getting
what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck”
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Dalai Lama

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave [person] is not [the one] who does not feel afraid, but [the one] who conquers that fear.”

Nelson Mandela

Read past Newsletters and, if you enjoy them,
please share with your friends and encourage them to subscribe
through my website:

http://www.StephanieHammondAuthor.com

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