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

Sunset at the village

Last weekend I went down to Gore for a women's retreat with American author Sharon Garlough Brown. I went with a couple of friends and we shared a unit at the hotel. We were asked not to take photo's at the retreat but I thought I'd show you these that I took at sunset the night we arrived.

We were filling in time until we went out for our evening meal and so decided to visit the little heritage village across the road from the hotel.  I thought I had one or two more of the buildings but no :(

Once through the gate we were met by this flock of ducks, and the occasional goose, on the grass just beside the stream.

Some of them objected to us disturbing them and departed for the water where I guess they thought we wouldn't follow them and as it was winter they were right :)

There was a display of old farm implements.

The gate to the right of the church is a memorial to the 

pioneer women of the district and was erected in 1944.

(Though probably not in this spot, I'm not sure).

We wandered over a little bridge, around the path and up the 

side of the stream opposite where we had entered.

Then across another little bridge where we were met by this duck and goose who had wandered away from the main bunch.

It was a nice walk but by then it was starting to get dark and colder so we headed back to the hotel, got in the car and went out for our meal. Chinese, it was delicious.

That's it for the moment, I'm sorry some of the photos are a bit dark, but it was just on dusk.

Have a good week,

blessings,

Diana

Round up of the past week

It's been a busy week. Monday was just the normal round of housework and making sure I had everything ready for the Aglow meeting on Tuesday night.

Tuesday I spent a bit of time finding last minute substitutes for people who couldn't get to the meeting after all, for various reasons, so couldn't help as had been planned. But it all worked out well and we had a great meeting. People are pretty good at filling in on the night anyway but it's nice to have things organised.

Wednesday is my half day in the local Christian bookshop where I volunteer. We have people come in for all sorts of reasons, some want prayer, some want to drop off a prayer request and others just want a chat. Some even buy books or gifts!  :) It's a nice wee shop, selling a great range of goods from books and clothing to cards and gifts.

Thursday saw me up with the larks - before 6am - so I could be over at my friends house for a 7:45am start on our trip south. I don't like to rush in the mornings. We were headed to Gore, which is a couple of hours drive away, for a combined Aglows board meeting. People come from all over the south of the south and it's good to have a catch up with those we haven't seen for a while and to meet the new board members.

 Below is a picture of the back garden of the house we met at, a great space for relaxing and chatting over a hot or cold drink. The lady of the house said the garden didn't look too good this year - I wish my garden didn't look this too good :) We arrived home about tea time and I was pleased to see my bed on Thursday night.

Friday was walk the dog day again. Sassy was really excited to see me as the last few times I've been over we've been out walking. Today we went over to John Wilson Drive. which has the beach on one side and the golf course on the other.

 All dogs have to be on a leash as it is baby sea lion season and some of the mothers have taken their pups over to the bushes by the golf course to keep them safe from any bull sea lions. They stay well hidden usually but sometimes come out and sunbathe on the road or on the course. 

And no, Sass is not pooping, just wondering why Granma has to take a photo of her - again :) she's got better things to do.

This pic is just for fun. I love the mural above the centre shops.

There is an optometrist on one side and a cookie shop on the other.

A gutsy gal...and a trip away

Mrs D

This morning I watched a programme on telly I had asked my GKB to record for me because I had been reading this girls' blog on and off for a few months now and was interested to see her in person. I'd like to recommend it to you. I so admire the guts this girl had to go on national television and tell the story of her battle with alcohol and the road to recovery. She started to blog as a way of helping to cope with coming off the drink and if you go to her post of 22nd June you can get the link to her interview. I'm sorry I haven't worked out how to link you through to her blog site but it is called: Mrs D Is Going Without The link to her interview is: On Demand
I reckon this interview would be helpful to anyone with an alcohol problem, knows someone with an alcohol problem or for someone who is just interested in people. The honesty of it just blew me away. I hope you'll go over and have a look and maybe just encourage her on her journey - she has touched so many people all over the world already just since she went on air. It's amazing.

******************

And now for something completely different.

On Saturday my little mother and I went down to Gore with a couple of other girls for an Aglow conference. 

We had a great time, arrived the night before so that we wouldn't be leaving in the dark on a frosty morning. Of course that meant we had to find somewhere to have tea and we decided the prices at the lodge were too high so we went exploring in town. We ended up going to a Thai restaurant, the first time either my little mother or I had eaten it, so a new experience. And we enjoyed it. And you use a fork and spoon so no wrestling with chopsticks. Phew.

We managed to get a cabin at the venue so we weren't roaming around a strange town looking for where we were going when we should have been there. The conference centre was gorgeous, lots of bling. Chandeliers in the powder room no less. And in the conference room. Lots of chrome and mirrors and lights. I loved it. I'm a blingy sort of a girl, or maybe I'm just a magpie and attracted to bright objects. I took photo's of the chandeliers but discovered when I got home that I had the camera set on landscape and all my indoor pics were blurred. Oh well, you live and learn. Check your settings before you start clicking away.

It did mean my outside shots weren't too bad though. These were taken at 8:30am, just as the sun was coming up and a light, misty rain started to fall. I love the golden glow of them.

Anyway that's it for now. 

Have a great week

and I'll see you back

here again soon.

Diana