Life in fast lane – polishing silver

Arrowtown book buyer Miranda Spary continues her regular column about her recommendations for a good read and life as she sees it.

My job was to sit on the edge of the road, waving the traffic to slow down, while fabulous Fiona and her wonder dog herded brainless old Buttercup into a paddock.

I just don't think I am cut out for the life of a cowgirl.

I was recently told what a racy life I lead, so I've been paying attention to see just how racy it is - this week has been all about car cleaning, cow catching, silver cleaning and other thrilling pastimes.

Wakatipu High School economics pupils are doing an assignment which involves setting up a business and learning how money is made.

Cam Williams and his friends have set up a car valeting business and so when I heard about it, I thought my own luxury limo would be an excellent challenge for them.

I am not sure when it was last cleaned, but I do know that, after our sweet babies have been using it, I fish out some mysterious packages containing half eaten pies and a lot of clothing that doesn't belong to me.

It only took the team a whole day to shave the layers of filth from the inside of my car, and Cam's dad, Jeff, was very apologetic when I went to collect my blindingly sparkling machine - they just couldn't get the stains out of my carpet and upholstery and the dents on the roof of the car mystified them.

Me too. But I am quite sure our babies would be able to provide a solution to that mystery.

What a great idea for an economics topic. Well done Wakatipu High.

I think they are doing their project for a month, so if you need your car valeted, give Cam's cleaning team a ring - 442-3560.

My lovely gleaming car was put to good use on Sunday when one of our cows got out on State Highway 6.

There is nothing nicer than the phone call that tells you something like that, and those calls only come when my darling is on the golf course with his phone off.

The only way I like cows is medium rare and I definitely don't like getting up close and personal with them.

My job was to sit on the edge of the road, waving the traffic to slow down, while fabulous Fiona and her wonder dog herded brainless old Buttercup into a paddock.

I just don't think I am cut out for the life of a cowgirl. But silver cleaning, now that's another story.

As much as I despise housework and do my best to avoid it at all costs, I found a recipe for silver cleaning in a child's book of experiments that sounded so strange that I had to give it a whirl.

You put a sheet of tinfoil in the bottom of the sink, put the silver on top of it - all the bits touching each other, sprinkle on 3 tsp each of kitchen salt and baking soda and then pour over a whole jug of boiling water.

You just leave it for 5 minutes and it all comes out sparkling.

I'm sure my mother and everyone who knows me well will screech with laughter at the thought of me handing out housekeeping tips.

I think I might also have to start giving economics tips to the NZ Army.

Our slightly damaged No 3 son needed driving to Christchurch for knee surgery, and on the way we passed six army trucks (khaki ones) bristling with soldiers off on some exercise.

Five minutes later, three beige-coloured trucks passed us (maybe for warfare-in-the-tussocks practice?) and then at Geraldine, to our great alarm, three small maroon four-wheel-drive vehicles full of soldiers and emblazoned with the rental car company's logos went past.

It worried us that perhaps our great army was rushing off to defend us from some sort of enemy invasion and were running short of big manly army trucks and having to ring around for good deals on jeep-like vehicles.

Going to Christchurch always makes me so glad I live in the Wakatipu - Cantabrians are all slowly going mad with the grey weather and dangerous flatness of the region.

I bumped into Geoff Bradley up there and he told me he had read a marvellous book, so it was a bit of a shame he couldn't remember what it was.

I certainly haven't forgotten the book I have just read, Barbara Trapido's Sex and Stravinsky - pure escapism and laugh-out-loud descriptions of the most frightful mother- and sister-in-law - the "Witch Woman" and the "Less Fortunate One".

The letter from the French exchange student - the "tall, merry fellow with the hairs brown and curled" was delicious as well.

Marvellous collection of strange and wonderful characters all knitting together in an irritatingly unbelievable way at the end, but this is an easy read and a perfect companion for a cold and rainy day.

By the way, Barbara Trapido is going to be at the Christchurch Writers Festival next week if you are up that way.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week and Spring is here - drag out those bikinis and polish your garden furniture!