Good Friday

The day started slowly with hot cross buns for breakfast and then it was out the door and off to the Good Friday service at church at 10am. It was a nice service with readings and songs and a shorter sermon than usual, followed by morning tea. More hot cross buns and biscuits. Yum :)

After lunch we delivered the Easter treats to our great grands grandparents as one was out of town and the other was staying the night. Eldest daughter Jacqui has injured her foot and is having treatment, if it hasn't improved when she goes back this week she'll be getting a moon boot. She's hoping so because she thinks she'll be able to get a bit more mobile. She's bored with mainly sitting and resting it. 

After visiting with Jacqui for a while and delivering Arlo's goodies we went over to youngest daughter Vanessa's and delivered Theo's treats. He arrived to stay the night with her just before we were leaving so it was lovely getting to see him, but he sure is a little whirlwind. And he looks cute with his new haircut just like his Dad's. A mullet!

So we had quite a relaxed day, a nice day, and we enjoyed it :)

Wishing you all a Blessed Easter - and don't forget, 

it may be Friday but Sunday is coming.

Diana

Touching base

Jacqui has a good crop of strawberries, I wonder if she has enough to share, though? Hmm..

Autumn has arrived and the weather has settled down to some extent. There's very little to no wind, mornings are cool and we sometimes need some heating on while we're having breakfast. Then at the other end of the day we can be sitting with the fan blowing the air around to cool us down. It's pleasant enough to sit out on the swing seat and read for a bit in the afternoons as well and that's always a big plus in my mind :) The picture below is taken from my granddaughter's office window, a city view, with the leaves just starting to turn.

The house next door has sold. Not the one with the new roof but on the other side. It has been empty for two years since the old couple both passed away. The family have been clearing it out and getting it cleaned up for sale. It took two years of family coming to get it done, about three months of intense daily clearing out of papers and personal items then weekends there was always someone there doing something. It taught me that I need to clear clutter out of our house before it gets too much for us and not leave such a big job for our kids. A young fellow has bought it, he looks to be in his 20's, and it'll be interesting to see what he does with it :) It needs a lot of work inside (and we wouldn't mind if he got rid of some of the trees on the fenceline). Just saying.

 

I'm looking forward to my sister coming over from Aussie next month. We're heading over to the West Coast for our primary school reunion and staying a week altogether. I wasn't going to go as both the girls I was really good friends with have passed away and I haven't really kept in touch with anyone else. And the old school building is gone so I can't even wander around there and reminisce - we'll just have to make do with photo's I guess. But sis was really keen and I didn't want to let her go by herself. I'm quite looking forward to it now and I'm sure I'll enjoy it once I'm there. One of our cousins is flying over from the Gold Coast to see us! He was thinking of coming over for a holiday anyway and thought he might as well come while we were at the reunion, he spent his early childhood there as well and wanted to do a nostalgia trip. So that's a bonus. 

This is the programme, or part of it, there is also a lunch 

on the Sunday. There's plenty of spare time to go gallivanting and looking up our old haunts, if they still exist :)

Not a lot has been happening, we're both in good health at the moment, have just had our six monthly checkups. And life goes on in it's own little rythm.

Keep well until next time,

Diana

Anniversary lunch and Sooty.

 It's our wedding anniversary today so we decided to go to a pub for lunch as opposed to going to one of the local cafes. The cafes are good if you want something light or just a cuppa and cake but we wanted a hot meal so we could forget about cooking tonight. That was my plan anyway seeing as I would most likely be the one cooking. Mitchell's where we used to go has burnt down so we thought we'd try the Waterloo just down the road from where it was. Well, we'll certainly be going back. I had roast beef and Bob had the fish meal. Medium. I wouldn't like a full sized meal, I managed this one but...

Both meals cost less than $20 each.

On the way home we decided to call in and see eldest daughter Jacqui and have a cuppa with her. That is how the next sequence of photos came about with Sooty.

As soon as I sat down Sooty, who has been 16 for about three years, decided my knee was the ideal place to sit. His backside is also on my arm so not really the best place but he was comfortable apparently.

I also had my legs crossed so he had to hold on...and his claws don't retract so no sudden moves on my part.

After a short snooze he spotted my open handbag and decided to explore the inside. Luckily nothing in there that he could harm.

No, that's not very interesting maybe I'll just use it to rest on.

Eventually he decided my lap was the best place and curled up and had a nice snooze while we drank tea and caught up on the family news.

I hope you enjoyed seeing Sooty. I haven't posted about any cats for a few years, not since my friend went into care. Her cats were the ones who made my headlines so to speak :)

That's it for this week.

With all thats happening in the world take care and keep safe until next time.

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

Here and there

Well the kids have been here ... and now they're there. 

 It's been quite an emotional few weeks.

And I'm feeling a little blue.

My GKB came home from hospital and the next day was Aaron's ordination. He wasn't able to attend but I went with Jacqui our eldest daughter, our youngest daughter was away visiting her grandchildren for Easter or she'd have been there too. 

Aaron and Sofi after a relaxed but suitably formal service. 

Very proud Mum and sister.

There was a nice celebratory supper put on afterwards.

Aaron called in on his way home and donned his robes so his father could have his photo taken as well which was really thoughtful of him. We appreciated that :)

A couple of days later it was time for our house group to farewell them so we had raspberry chocolate cake before we started our study that evening. Yum. Very rich though.

Then at the weekend the family wanted to have a farewell get together and as Vanessa was home from her visit we gathered at her place. Nothing formal, we had takeaways - fish n chips, Chinese and pizza so there was something for everyone. Including the wee fellow.  Followed by GF cream puffs :)

Not long after Aaron and Sofi left on their trip north to their new home and appointments in Auckland.

They crossed on the ferry on a beautiful day, after the crossings had been cancelled for three days due to stormy weather. 

Out for a meal with Chloe, Atu and the kids in Palmerston North.

They drove up and stayed with friends and family or called in for coffee and a catchup on the way.

Catching up for coffee with Andrew in Cambridge,

and spending money in his shop before they left.

Then arriving in Auckland to discover their furniture hadn't arrived and was still on the wharf in Picton. I was quite pleased to hear that's where it was as we'd seen containers toppled on the wharf in Wellington due to the winds and hoped theirs wasn't among them.

So they're camping in their new home at the moment. Luckily they'd packed their camping gear in the car in anticipation of their first night being without furniture so are coping okay for now.

So they've been here, and now they're there. Not a five minute drive away but a two hour flight. Sigh.

Hoping everyone is well and enjoying the season, whatever it is. There is always beauty to be found in our surroundings if we only look.

Until next time,

Diana

A bit of a fraught week

 Good morning folks. I'm sorry, I've been MIA the past couple of weeks. I was about to sit down and write a post on our visit to a couple of places in The Catlins when my GKB became ill and needed a doctors visit. While there he collapsed and was taken to hospital by ambulance and was quite ill for a few days. He was given several units of blood and had some investigative procedures. After a couple of days, when all seemed well and he was stable he was sent home. Three days at home and we had another ambulance ride. More blood transfusions, more procedures and some medication changes which should help but finally he is home. 

Tonight he is going to watch our son Aaron become fully ordained as a Presbyter before he heads to Auckland. Unfortunately he won't be going to the church to watch, will see it on livestream, but wants me to go in. He said one of us need to be there in person. It's such a shame as Bob is very proud of Aaron but I think he's making the right decision for himself.

Waiting with Jacqui for discharge paperwork. The kind nurse brought us all a hot drink while we waited as Bob had missed the afternoon tea trolley when it arrived. Both the girls were very good with taking me to the hospital and back, it saved the stress of finding car parks, there's never one when you need one and the hospital car park is always full. I'm very grateful to them :)

I'll leave you there. 

Have a good week.

Diana

A trek up Baldwin Street, Dunedin

Baldwin Street is the steepest street in the world. 

On Saturday a small group of us walked up it at granddaughter's request. She has set herself a monthly  challenge and the January one was this walk. She invited people to go with her and nine of us set off from the bottom. Seven of us made it to the top.

 

Looking up from the corner. The bottom is tar seal, the top concrete so vehicle tyres have something to grip. Someone tried to get up on a motor scooter while we were there but never made it.

Not one of our team making hard work of it. Some walked on the road and others, like me, took the steps.

We noticed that the locals were in tee shirts and the tourists were all in sweatshirts, jackets or hoodies. Too warm and muggy for that.

Pausing for a breather and looking back at where we'd come.

A not very flattering shot of Jacqui, me and Vanessa at the top with Arlo. 😄 Contemplating the downward journey. It was very steep, I saw one older man having trouble and trying to go down sideways but he decided the steps were the best bet. 

I decided I wanted to walk down the opposite side to what I came up so had to cross the road. I'd slipped near the top on a little patch of gravel so Vanessa took my hand. I thought I was well past having to hold hands to cross the road but apparently not. 😏

We'd been promised drinks and protein bars when we reached the bottom and here we are gathered around with them. It was fun. I think her next challenge is to donate blood but I can't do that due to the medications I'm on unfortunately. Still I'll join in where I can. 

 One of my sisters in Aussie has decided she'll try and do the equivalent with us. She walked up to their local lookout, not as steep but a greater distance.

Here is a link to a Wikipedia article about Baldwin Street if you'd like to read a bit about it. I think it makes an interesting read.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_Street

That's it for today, stay safe, stay well and enjoy life, 

until next time,

Diana

Trimmed

My GKB was getting worried about how he was going to get the hedges trimmed as they were getting rather overgrown and shaggy. Just recently we changed from our old rubbish bin collector, which we paid a fee for, to the city council one which was covered in our rates. This meant swapping some of our old bins for the council ones. 

The council green waste bin was quite a bit smaller than the old one and meant we were only able to mow half the lawn at a time and get the clippings in the bin. The other half was done the following week. No way were we getting garden weeds in let alone hedge clippings. 

But the kids must have been discussing it as this weekend eldest daughter, Jacqui, and her partner arrived with all the right gear on the back of the ute and got stuck in.  Well the men got stuck in, Jacqui and I drank tea, gossiped and kept out of their way.

The growth was quite prolific as it has been a warmish (🙄) 

summer (??) as well as a wet one. So everything is very lush.

Even after being trimmed back it's still looking nice, thick and green, and all the cuttings have been taken away on the back of the ute.

We ordered a new bin, but they won't swap them over, just deliver the larger one so that we now have two green bins and an extra fee to pay once a year. Never mind though, we now have more than enough green bins for our needs, 😄

And that's it from me today.

Have a nice weekend, keep well, keep safe, especially those of you in the fire or snow affected states in the US.

Prayers are being said for all.

Diana

Bookended

We had another wonderful day yesterday. It started with my GKB bringing me a fat envelope he had found in the letterbox. It was a lovely wee notepad and a Christmas card with a thankyou note from Friday Light, the outreach I cook for every now and then 

In the afternoon I went over to grand daughter's house. She's going away for a few days and we've volunteered to feed the cats. We had a nice chat over a cold drink and she showed me where everything is, and yes, I remembered to come away with a key to the house.

And finally our Christmas Eve dinner was going to happen, nine days late, but who's counting. I spent quite a bit of time in the morning preparing the fruit salad for dessert, mostly fresh fruit, yum.

Finally it was time to head over to Aaron's place for our meal where we sat out on the deck in the late afternoon sun and waited for the hostess to appear. She'd gone to visit a neighbour and lost track of the time. But it didn't matter, we enjoyed each other's company over nibbles and a drink. She was a bit embarrassed when she finally arrived back but we just had a good laugh.

Aaron had spent the day preparing a roast meal, lamb from a friend's farm accompanied by new potatoes, roast pumpkin, carrots and parsnip with gravy. It was delicious and I ate far too much. DIL then brought out a fresh cheese board and crackers while we were sitting letting our meal settle. You don't need this, I thought, but that didn't stop me from indulging. I should have known better, I knew there was still dessert to come.

After dessert, which I also ate too much of, we blobbed inside in front of the telly and did some karaoke. It was a lot of fun. Some of us performed beautifully, some of us just looked on and enjoyed - and laughed.

And as we were leaving we were given another Christmas gift. A gift box of barbecue sauces, rubs and nibbles. Another lovely surprise. You could say the day was bookended with gifts. 😄

When we arrived home I said to my GKB that really I should go for a run around the block after all that food but of course I was only kidding. I had a cup of tea and went to bed instead.

I did go for a walk this afternoon though, albeit a short one.

Keep well and keep enjoying the holiday season.

Diana

A wonderful family Christmas

 Christmas is over for another year and we are sitting relaxing on a quiet Boxing day. We managed to do everything we wanted and I even managed to bake us a Christmas cake. I bought tins of biscuits and chocolates for the family instead of baking them cakes this year. I don't think they minded. 

On Christmas Eve afternoon in recent years our church has combined with one of the other local city churches to put on a free family festival. There are bouncy castles, food stalls and games and competitions and the last half hour is a presentation of the Christmas story. The local community has received it well and numbers have grown each year. I usually invite my little great grands and this year Arlo came along. He had lots of fun and food. The other two were away out with their paternal grandparents :)

That night I went to a Carol service at one of the local  Presbyterian churches as I'd been unable to attend any of the Christmas services in my own church for various reasons :(  It was a lovely service and I managed to sit with a friend I hadn't seen for quite some time. When I got home we watched It's a Wonderful Life on DVD, I always enjoy this movie at Christmas time.

Christmas Day dawned grey but warm and a bit humid. It was already 20C when we left to have breakfast with our eldest daughter at 9:30am. It stayed grey and muggy all day. Breakfast was simple, only the four of us and we had bacon, eggs, tomatoes and new potatoes chipped and fried with toast. Followed by tea or coffee. Just what we'd ordered. We never have a cooked breakfast so really enjoyed it for a change.

And then about 11:30ish we headed over to our eldest grand daughter's home to deliver presents and wish them Merry Christmas. We sat and chatted over a drink and Christmas fare for a while and headed home again to watch the live stream of our church's Christmas day service that had been held while we were having breakfast. Aaron had recovered from covid which was just as well as he was the service leader :)

Before long we were away again to our youngest daughter's home where most of the family were gathering for a late Christmas lunch. Yes, all the covid patients were finally testing negative by Christmas Day. Luckily we were able to open the doors and let the kids run around outside, and in. Lunch was cold ham and salads which we followed with cold desserts. Gifts were opened in stages, whenever someone felt like handing some out, which made for a nice relaxed time.

 Eventually in the early evening  we arrived home after a busy and enjoyable day - just in time for the King's Christmas message followed by the Princess of Wales' 'Together at Christmas' service. Tired but happy. I'd like to tell you I slept like a log but I think I'd eaten too much sugary food and found myself sitting up reading at 2 in the morning.

I hope your Christmas was as enjoyable as ours was.

Until next time enjoy the remainder of the Christmas season.

Diana.