Happy New Year

 

I've lost a day, I thought tomorrow was New Year's Eve but no.

 So, to everyone reading, whether or not you stay up to see the New Year in, I wish you all a fabulous 2026 filled with all God's richest blessings.

Diana

Merry Christmas.

 From our home to yours.

We wish you all the blessings of Christmas  

and all you could hope for in the coming year.

Diana & Bob

Sweet treats and Christmas trees.

My Christmas tree is up and decorated.

The family's presents are all wrapped and under the tree.

We'll take them over to Vanessa's place on Christmas Day and give them out after we've eaten dinner. She has the table set up so it will be a sit down meal. I think all the family from down this way will be there which will be nice. There's been one or two missing the last couple of years.

The first Sunday of the month we have a shared, pot luck, finger food lunch at church. We don't coordinate in any way so it really is pot luck and usually ends up being a good mix of savoury and sweet. This month we were gifted with some beautiful gingerbread Christmas cookies made by one of the ladies from our 'mother' church. There were enough left over that I could bring some home for my GKB, Bob. They were a nice, unexpected sweet treat :)

One evening I was checking the list of decorated houses for our little town and noticed that one of the houses was in a cul de sac just across the road from us. So instead of getting ready for bed that night I waited up until about 11pm, donned a jacket, it was horribly cold out, and walked over. The house was rather pretty and my photo doesn't really do it justice, but I think it looks a bit like a gingerbread house. And I love the way the background turned out. And yes that is the last of the sun setting further south.

And just for fun, I have been trying to put a photo of a different Christmas tree on my Story on facebook daily. It started out just for me and because I hadn't put up my tree yet I used family ones to start. I seem to have gathered a following though with people commenting and looking out for my tree so I'll have to do a big reveal on Christmas Eve I think. Just a bit of Christmas fun :)

Some of the trees I've put up, Some are big family sized and others are kids creations :) I need to find three more for this week but as the shops all have them it shouldn't be too hard :)

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Love came down ...

and stayed.

John 3:16   For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

 that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

LOVE and Advent blessings to all.

Diana

Christmassing

One of my nativity sets. Can you see what's wrong here? Joseph has gone AWOL. My youngest brother, when he first knew Joseph was missing, said he'd probably adjourned to the local inn to get away from all the busyness in the stable what with all the visitors that keep turning up :)

A look at my eldest daughter Jacqui's living room where she is decorating for Christmas as well as entertaining her grandson, Arlo.  School is finishing this week for the summer holidays but Mum and Dad are still working.

I was a bit early with my third candle last week - so -

have another JOY filled week :)

Blessings,

Diana

Tuesday 4 meme - Christmas

  Thank you for joining in for Tuesday 4, begun by Toni Taddeo and kept in her memory. Here is the link if you'd like to join in. https://tuesdaysplace.blogspot.com/ 

Christmas is fast approaching for billions of people...

1. Do you have a favorite Christmas carol and if so is there a particular version you especially like?

I just like Christmas carols, I don't think I have a favourite.  My grandfather's favourite was Away in a Manger and when I hear it I think of him..

2. Do you have a special dinner for the holidays? What foods are included?

When I was young we had the full Christmas roast. Lamb, potatoes (roast and new), pumpkin, kumara, parsnip, carrots with peas. Mint sauce and gravy. Pudding was jelly, icecream and fruit as well as steamed plum duff (Christmas pudding), complete with thr'penny bits, with custard and cream. And don't forget that Christmas is the middle of summer here. These days it tends to be a barbecue or cold meats and salads. The desserts are usually a selection of cold goodies - trifle, fruit salad, ambrosia, icecream and you can't have Christmas without at least one pavlova. A much more sensible way of celebrating. No one slaving over a hot stove half the day. There's usually Christmas cake and little Christmas tarts to nibble on along with other sweet and savoury snacks. 

3. Holiday movies ... which do you like to watch?

I like to watch White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. After that I like anything as long as it has a nice Christmassy vibe. 

4. What traditions do you continue to keep year after year for the holidays?

We always gather as many of the family as can make it at one place for Christmas Day. I guess that's a tradition. Personally I like to go to the Carol service on Christmas Eve but sadly I'm not usually joined by any family members. We have a Christmas tree but at the rate I'm going this year will be lucky to get one up. But the girls both have one so I'll enjoy theirs. I used to decorate the sitting room but since the family have grown up and left the nest that no longer happens :)

Wishing you a joyful week as we draw near to Christmas.

Diana

A Christmas lunch

Today the volunteers with husbands and wives and friends from the bookshop went out for our annual pre Xmas lunch. I'd like to say it was an enjoyable time but apart from the company it was not!

Twenty minutes to heat a loaded potato and some of the meals were already off the menu and it was only 12:30pm.

 Our table was situated under a fan and the air con and it was cold. One couple stayed long enough to eat and then left. We had asked for the air con to be adjusted or, preferably, turned off but the staff member didn't seem able to do either! But on the plus side, I still got to enjoy my cup of tea from a pretty bone china tea cup. (And no, that is not a rather large insect in my tea, it's part of the pattern on the inside of the cup). 💗

We all left with a small gift and mine was a small

 hand held wooden cross.

There were some nice Christmas decorations

 and below is the tree in the foyer...

...and the wreath 

just down the hall from it.

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And just because I can - Caitlin and Brayden with their triplets :)

 

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Peace be with you this Advent season.

Diana

Baby has a name

My GKB was up and out of the house before I was out of bed today. I was wide awake at 5am and sound asleep when it was time to rise. He saw where the greengrocer had very cheap fruit today and didn't want to miss out, especially on the strawberries. It was all sitting on the bench when I went out for breakfast. I think we'll be enjoying strawberries and ice cream some time during the evening :)

It was a beautiful blue sky day last Saturday when five of us drove down to Gore for an Aglow leaders retreat. I'm no longer a leader but was invited to go, which was really nice. We had a lovely day enjoying each others company and eating lunch out on the deck. It was a bit breezy but warm and with a garden like this who cared? Not me:) During the course of the day I had some personal insights which were then affirmed on Tuesday evening by a lady who hadn't been there and knew nothing about me. Very encouraging.

This is a beautiful garden with several 'rooms', the one at the very end of the section with seats and a swing :) Good fellowship, good teaching and good food! What more could you ask for.

And as per the post title, baby has a name. 

Lucia (with a soft c) Carolitta. Very pretty I think.

This is Lucia after her first bath - which didn't happen until after the cord had fallen off! Things have certainly changed since I had my babies :)

It's been very warm and wet in the past week or so and so the growth around about has been lush. This is down the side of our driveway. The foxgloves are looking a bit shabby because of the wind, which hasn't really let up though it isn't so strong as it was. We're hoping eldest daughter's partner is going to come and cut bushes and hedges back before too long.

 I'm slowly getting what I call my garden into shape for the holidays. With the wind has come the pollen and I can only be out in it for about twenty minutes at a time then need to come in. Hayfever is a real bummer. I blame my lovely wee maternal grandmother :) she used to get it too and spent most of spring and summer indoors due to not having the access to antihistamines that we have today.

On the domestic front I have finally got cracking on my Christmas cakes. We bought the ingredients a few weeks ago but I've only just got started today. This is the GF one for Jacqui. I think I'll need to buy a new cake pan though as this is not quite as big as the normal cake so is not so deep. I think it would be a nicer cake if it was deeper.

And that is about it for now. 

Keep smiling until next time and enjoy this Advent season.

Diana

Random happenings

I've been out tidying up the garden in front of the house today. I started weeding it about a week ago but rain interrupted and I never got back to it until now. It was looking awfully untidy once the jonquils had died leaving just the leaves. They still haven't died off but I managed to get the weeds out and it looks a lot better. 

Peony in bud. It's going to look gorgeous when it flowers. 

 Miniature rose in full bloom. No I don't know what it's called but I love the colour. Sadly it's not scented.

This is the wee jacket I sent our new baby, the grey is lighter than it shows in this picture and it looks quite attractive. They decided not to find out whether they were expecting a girl or a boy and I thought these colours would suit either. And no, she doesn't have a name yet - I just call her Sweetpea at the moment. As my sister said we can't keep calling her 'she'.

And this wee fellow came for a visit at the weekend. Theo was our youngest great grand but now he is a big cousin. Here he's eating chippies and laughing at Great grandad who was pulling silly faces. He's a sweetheart at 18 months.

A couple of Sundays ago there was a plant sale in the grounds of the school where we hold our church services. We were praying for good weather as if it had rained we would have had to move out of the hall so they could come inside. It's an annual event and as you can see the weather was good to us. Several of us wandered around after the service but I never bought anything. I had plants at home I'd already been given and still have to get in :)

And a sunset one night last week. The colours were quite deep, they haven't shown up very well. It's not the Aurora which I forgot all about, and was quite spectacular from the photos I've seen. I thought our sunset was quite spectacular too :)

And that is all I have for this time.

We haven't been out and about much of late 

so not a lot of interest to talk about.

Keep well, keep smiling, until next time,

Diana

A new addition

          We have welcomed a new addition to the family. A lovely little girl joined us at the beginning of last week.

  Big brother was very, very disappointed she wasn't a boy but now is quite besotted.

Big sister is just in love and very proud.

    She doesn't have a name as yet but I'm sure it will suit her beautifully when she does.

    I don't know when we'll get to meet her as she's in the North Island but I hope it's not too long.

That's all for now.

See you soon,

Diana

Tuesday 4 meme is Music.

 

I've been missing in action for a few days so thought I'd take part in Tuesday 4 (albeit a couple of days late) just to keep in touch :) If you'd like to take part or see what others have to say this is the link   https://tuesdaysplace.blogspot.com/ 

Tuesday 4 is hosted  in memory of Toni Taddeo who started it a few years ago and I hope you will join in with us each week. It is a great way to visit new bloggers, make friends and discover new and interesting things about your friends.

The topic for this week's Tuesday 4 meme is Music..

1. Do you play a musical instrument? 

No, but I'd love to have learned the piano when I was younger. And drums, are they a musical instrument? My son is a drummer and he practised in his bedroom. We had to shut him down at a reasonable time in the evenings though so he didn't upset the neighbours. I also spent a term learning the violin at school, last year at Primary I think, I hated it so didn't go back to learn more. I quite like to listen to one being played though which may be why I was attracted to it to start with.

2. Have you taken music lessons? What kind? If not, is there one you might enjoy learning? It is never too late to start.  You might be surprised at how accomplished it will make you feel.

A friend paid for me to have about half a dozen piano lessons once upon a time, and I can 'kind of read' music as long as it's not complicated.

3. Is there music in your home as background to your day's activities or do you have music playing in your car, etc.?

No, not any more. I always had the radio going or tapes playing before my hubby retired but he has the telly going all day and the rooms are too close together to have both radio and telly on at the same time unfortunately. Yes the radio is usually on in the car.

 If so, what kind of music do you enjoy hearing?

I enjoy music from the 60's, my era.  And singers like Shirly Bassey or Bing Crosby are a couple I grew up listening to and so I learned to appreciate a lot of different styles. I also used to enjoy Cleo Laine. 

What kind of music do you NOT like?

Heavy metal. Techno.

4.  Do you have a favorite composer or genre of music that you like most? Maybe you like several. Please share with us your thoughts?

Some jazz, I enjoy piano and I also enjoy listening to big band music. I pretty much just like music in most forms :)

Take care until next time

Diana

That was a week, that was

We had a storm blow through the country this week. It was quite devastating with a lot of property damage and one person dead after a tree branch fell on him. I know it is the spring equinox and we always get wind at this time of year but I can't remember it being this bad before.  The whole country was affected, with the wind starting in the south and travelling north.

We have trees down

Roofs off.

Fences where they shouldn't be.

Telephone poles snapped.

And debris all over the place.

We were fortunate that the only thing to happen to us was that my irises ended up horizontal to the ground and needed to be tied up and we had to pick other peoples rubbish up from around the yard. The worst day of the storm was also rubbish collection day.

The wind started gently enough on Monday and gathered in intensity over the course of the week with the worst of it happening on Thursday and finally abating on Friday. Thousands of homes are still without power and we have been asked to conserve water in our area. And now we are being told there is more to come.

But today, Sunday, our church ladies were due to have a high afternoon tea, so we did. It was a good way of  getting to know each, being a new church. And putting names to faces. So scones, savoury and sweet, and cake was the order of the day along with tea or coffee. Kelly and Maria did a wonderful job and it was a pleasure to sit at such a beautifully set table. Bone china, lovely glassware and dainty silver teaspoons and butter knives..

A great way to finish off a horrible week.

Until next time

Diana

Edit: we didn't go out looking for storm damage, the photos are from various members of the family taken in their areas. Thankfully none of us sustained damage to our homes or properties but daughter's partner lives in another town and he was without power or water so drove through to her place for a shower and a hot meal then headed home again. A lot of work to  be done where he lives he said.

Tuesday 4

Its time for this week's Tuesday 4 and if you would like to join in or see what others are sharing here is the link:

https://tuesdaysplace.blogspot.com/

Autumn evenings were always special when I was a kid.

The day ended early and the family gathered in the living room where my mother and grandmother watched a little TV and my father sat on the sofa reading and smoking his pipe.  My parents enjoyed a cup of coffee and sometimes a snack.

1. Does your life go along in the same way all year or do  things change with the seasons?

   I spend more time outside when it's warmer though if I'm just sitting with a good book I wear a hat and use sunscreen. When it's cooler I'm only outside when I'm going from one place to another. I'm not a cold weather person.

2. Do you have a favorite meal on the chilly night? 

   I like soups and stews in the winter. My hubby is not so keen on soup but doesn't complain.

3.  Do you have a snack while you watch TV or read?

   Only at afternoon tea or supper although we do sometimes have a small packet of chips or a piece of chocolate in the afternoon and in the evening ice cream.

4. Do you have a fireplace in your home?

   We do, but it hasn't been used in probably 30 plus years. We had a gas heater for a while and now have a heat pump installed, so much cleaner and we can set it to come on before we get up so the living rooms are nice and warm when we come out.

Keep well,

until next time,

Diana

Christmas and a Sindy

I've started my Christmas shopping. I was looking at a local notice board and saw these cute children's baking sets for sale. Apron, little bowl and utensils, cookie cutters, and a baking pack and it all comes in a little bag that the child can colour in. Coloured pens are provided. Alice and Sitiveni will enjoy them, Dad is a chef. There was a limited number of them, only twenty, so I was pleased to get a couple.

And on a Christmas theme I was in town doing some shopping for my friend who is in a rest home and spotted these Mrs Santa mugs. They are very festive but I don't need any new mugs and I'm never sure how they would be to drink out of. I think if I had something like this I'd have to fill them with candy canes or chocolates although I guess they are meant for hot chocolate or cocoa. But we don't drink that at Christmas in this part of the world.

On the way home we called in to visit Jacqui. She was very excited to show us her new bargain buy. She been browsing in one of the local op shops and found this almost mint condition 1960's Sindy doll. With a bed. Original clothing and bedding and not a mark on either. She only paid $12 for the lot. Jacqui collects dolls, Daisy though, not Sindy. But she said she couldn't leave her behind. They were on a high shelf behind a couple of other things and she wonders whether someone had hidden them and was planning on going back for them later. Whatever the reason, they now reside at Jacqui's with the Daisys that are already there.

And I think that's about it for today.

Until next time,

Diana

 

A mixed bag

It was time to vote in the local body elections this past weekend. So we filled out our forms and got them in the orange bin by Friday afternoon. I've just checked the provisional results and not one of my preferred candidates got through. Disappointing but we have a new look council and I've done my civic duty. 

(And I'm pleased to say that the 200 hundred year old vampire from Florida never made it either. Yes, someone did promote themself this way and probably received votes. Florida, would you care to take him back? We have enough idiots of our own.)

Last week I had a visit to the optometrist in their rooms in the city. If I'd waited to get an appointment out here it would have meant another month or so. I'm pleased to say not much has changed and all I have to do is wait for word from the hospital for a cataract op. I won't be holding my breath with the current state of our health system though. Oh the joys of getting older :)

It was a really lovely day, a teaser for summer, with temps in the mid 20's. It almost felt like we were back in Aussie. We decided to go to the Village Green for lunch but when we got there everyone seemed to have had the same idea and it was full. We were almost home by then, the Village Green is only one suburb over, so we just went home anyway and made tomato and cheese sandwiches. We enjoyed them. Then I sat outside with a book for a while - in the sun with just a slight warm breeze.

Jacqui and Steve were on their way through to Central Otago on Thursday and stopped off at Lake Waihola for a break. Jacqui took this photo of a black swan with her three cygnets. You can see it wasn't the brightest of days and the water was choppy. A lot of black swans make their home there and are considered a pest. They're quite lovely to look at though, well I think so anyway.

The shops are starting to put their Christmas decorations out and I saw these outside a gift shop one day, guarding the doorway. They're not little Santa's but the Nordic gnome or goblin which I think is cute. Depending on which country you're in they have a different name - in Norway I believe it is Nisse. But don't quote me :)

And just because I can, here's a sign I saw one day whilst I was out and about. It made me grin, cos that's me down to a 't' :)

And that's all from me today.

Until next time, 

blessings,

 Diana