Scavenging again

For photos that is. Most of them are from the archives, some are new. We haven't been out and about much in the last few weeks what with my GKB being a bit under the weather and then the snow followed by floods. I hope you enjoy them anyway even if you have seen some of them before. 

1:  Crane

We had been to Nunobiki Herb Garden at the top of the Ropeway (cable car, gondola) overlooking the beautiful city of Kobe in Japan. Travelling back down and naturally taking photos of the view we spotted this building being constructed. The crane was in the centre of the building on a gantry and as the building pushed skyward the crane was also heading skyward. Three photos I'm afraid.

2:  Ring

A cinnamon roll (ring?) I had for lunch one day whilst out with my GKB. Technically not a ring but with a smidgen of imagination it could be - it's circular, sort of :)

3:  Set

My DIL was baking and when I went out to the kitchen this is what I saw. I have never seen a cake cooling like this before but apparently it stops the weight of the cake from flattening itself. Who would have thought? Not me. Anyway I thought this cake was well enough 'set' to put in this post. I hope you all agree :)

4:  Light

Light reflecting off the top of the display case containing antique pocket watches. We took this photo in the jewellers/watchmakers shop in Shantytown earlier in the year.

5:  Bow

The bow used to be the pointy bit of the boat and landlubbers like myself could tell one end from the other. But looking at these two ships I'm not sure which end is the bow and which is the stern but I believe the ship on the left is bow toward us. If not we can see both ends of the ship on the right so one end must be the bow. Mission accomplished! Phew.

6:  Spring

Out visiting the local vet one 'spring' day and this was 

what I saw over the fence. 'Spring' lambs and one

 of them is 'springing'. 

7:  Open

Only 'twasn't. In fact it had been shut for a couple of weeks and was due to reopen the following day. We took this while strolling around one of the city suburbs one lunchtime and thought number  one son and DIL might be interested in visiting Kamome for a meal sometime. 

8:  Grand

We certainly felt grand sitting in these throne like chairs when out for dinner one evening with friends while on holiday. If we had realised how grand the setting was going to be we might have taken some grander (cringe) gear to wear. Still everyone enjoyed the dinner and the company and that's what it was really all about.

9:  Park

A sign pointing to a car park in a national park. Jacksons is a small place in Arthur's Pass National Park in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. If you blink  passing through you could well miss it, literally. There's a pub and not much more. That is the car park on the left, the sign on the right and it is surrounded by beautiful national park. 

10:  My own choice

A Thrush singing his lungs out one grey day.

 Just enjoying being alive

Joining Hawthorn and friends over at 

  I live, I love, I craft, I am me  

Lunch in Outram

It was a beautiful spring day and as life has been a tad busy lately we decided to head over to Outram for a bite of lunch. It seems everyone else had the same idea but we managed to get a little table outside and dined al fresco.

That's my GKB sitting under the hanging basket on the left.

I had a cinnamon roll and cup of tea which was served in a lovely Queen Anne rose patterned china teacup. Lovely. It's nice to get your tea served in one of these dainty cups when you're out.

One of the reasons we decided on Outram was that we wanted to get some photos of the blossoms and daffodils. And although it is country it's only 10 minutes drive from home.

The pink and white blossom is really beautiful and we could hear the tuis calling to each other as they fed. I have more photos and will put some up next week if I get the chance. 

We had parked in the gateway to a farm road and it is absolutely beautiful. Either side of the driveway is absolutely smothered in daffodils. More photos of those as well for next week, so I guess this post is a bit of a tease.

And finally on the other side of the road were the paddocks with the ewes and lambs. Sure signs that spring is here.

I hope you have enjoyed my springtime photos.

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

Thank you for your concern for my little mother.

She has had a bad year and for someone who is not used to being ill and is very independent she has not coped well. On Monday she had her annual checkup with the heart specialist and on Friday she goes in for tests to ascertain what to do next. She is much happier now she knows something is being done. 

joining:
Five on Friday
Friday foto friends
Teacup Tuesday

Coffee mugs and teacups

Coffee mugs - I love them.

The trouble is I have had the same ones 

for years, the blinking things won't break!

And my sis and my SIL have both said

 the same thing to me since Christmas.

They won't break! 

So when I saw these ones in the 

Warehouse I decided to buy them regardless.

They are thick glass but I think they are fun.

Good for every day use.

And then I pulled these ones out. 

I have had them for years, my youngest

 daughter gave me four of them several years ago.

Of course you'll probably recognise them

 as Avon breast cancer fundraisers.

Really nice to drink out of, quite fine china.

This pretty pair came from Korea. 

My son brought them home after he had been

 in Seoul on a three month mission stint.

They are Hankook Fine Bone China.

I've only had them on display so far

but they are nice and fine as well

 - and don't you just love the delicate pattern?

Now I just love the rich autumn colours in this

 beautiful pair. The photo really doesn't do 

them justice.They were a gift from my DIL 

the first time she came over from Japan.

It has a rather ornate stamp on the bottom 

ringed with the words BEST HOME PORCELAIN.

Eldest daughter is a tea drinker,

 I may just get them out next time she's over :)

And she's the one who gifted us these two coffee mugs.

First to come along was the big mauve one - it says:

my Mum can make the smile 

on my face come straight from my heart.

Nice sentiments you say. 

But then a little later she gave her Dad the one that says:

I don't need Google, my wife knows everything.

Mixed messages from the cheeky child, haha.

 Now you might be wondering what I did 

with all the old coffee mugs - well they have 

been cleared out of the cupboard, cleaned up 

and will be taken to the op shop 

the next time we head down there.

joining Amy at:

Five on Friday

and Martha at:

Martha's Favorites

Keep well until next time,
Diana

Brightening up a dreary day

It's a dreary day at our place today,

a touch of autumn perhaps.

The temps have dropped a wee bit

and it's forecast to be this way until at least Friday.

So after lunch my GKB said he might go

 up to the Sallies, an op shop, to have a poke around.

This is not my favourite way of passing 

time but I go along anyway. I find I enjoy

 it more each time I go and I think that

 is helped by the fact that they seem to have

 new managers and the store is quite well set out now.

We parked the car and as luck had it 

we had to pass the '$2 and Gifts' shop.

So in we went to have a look.

We have been looking for a cat ornament of some

 sort to put where we have buried our Claude.

This was grandson's (his true owner) request. 

And we found one in here. And it's ginger 

as Claude was, but with more white, Claude was

 totally ginger, but it will do the job well.

Grandson can paint over the white if he wants to.

And of course the danger with these shops 

is that you find all sorts of things you can't

 go home without. Especially if they are 

Christmas decorations on sale. I can't resist them.

But the little haul I came away with cost under $10.00

excluding the cat. A bargain in anyone's language.

Two angels, two snowmen and a porcelain Santa.

I can already see them on my mantle piece next Christmas :)

We did eventually get to the op shop! 

My GKB and I like to poke around in different areas. 

I head for the china and browse the books

 and he heads for the gadgets and cd's etc.

He found himself five DVD's and we have tried

 them all and they are in good working condition.

I think we'll be watching 'High Society' on Sunday

with my little mother if the weather hasn't picked up.

If the sun is shining we'll sit outside and chat.

And this lovely trio is what I found. 

It's a Royal Albert, Old Country Roses. 

I think it is beautiful and my GKB shouted it for me!

I think I'll keep him :)

joining Martha over at:

Martha's Favorites

and Stephanie at:

roses of inspiration

And that's it for today.
Keep warm if you're in the snow, 
keep cool if you're in the sun
and I'll see you back here next time.
Diana

Spring in my town...

I went out and took one or two photos today

 around the town I live in.

Spring has arrived and I will not say any more except

some were taken in public places and others in private yards.

The camellias are at my little mother's place and I love them.

camellia

daffodils and snowdrops

flowering cherry, pear and magnolia

hedges and edges

planter box

I hope you enjoyed the spring flowers as much as I do.

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Seeing as it is spring I thought I would show you these 

pretty Colclough tea cups, saucers and plates. 

They are the same colours as some of the spring flowers.

This is the set my little mother gave me, I had coveted it for years. As you can see it has several pieces missing and so I am 

on the lookout for replacement pieces. 

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

This week I am joining Stephanie at:

roses of inspiration

and Martha at:

Martha's Favorites

See you next week.

Take care until then, 

Diana

Once upon a lunch time...

I had spent much of the morning busy typing up the minutes

 for the Aglow group I am in when my GKB came in and said

 "How do you fancy going up to the Blackstone for lunch?"

"Wonderful" I said, "I won't be a minute".

So we both got tided up and headed to The Blackstone

which is a nice wee cafe and bar in the middle of town.

It was quite busy but still had a couple of tables empty, 

but unfortunately none by a window when we went in.

One came vacant before our order arrived so we shifted to it :)

My GKB had decided before he left home that 

he only wanted a savoury scone so that's what we both ordered.

Hot scones with butter and a pot of lemongrass and ginger tea 

for me and cappuccino for him. Delicious. 

Why is it so much nicer when you don't have to prepare it yourself?

I saw this clock on the wall and rather coveted it, I'm afraid.

 I thought it might be French style 

but it has an American flag so I think not.

If you look closely you will see it is also a 24 hour clock.

After lunch we took a stroll through town 

and wandered into the Sallies op shop.

I like to poke around the china and glass to see what's there,

they have it so nicely displayed now,

 and my GKB just likes to poke around 

and see what he comes up with.

 Today he found a dvd of the Four Tops for $1.00

 and we've had that playing since we came home.

I was so pleased to find this Colclough trio and had to have it. 

I have another one very similar but with an

 English  pastoral scene. I'm wondering if they are 

part of a series so will have to investigate.

They had a few more nice sets as well and I think I will be making a trip back in the not too distant future :)

And that's it for today.

joining in with Martha at:

Tea Cup Tuesday

and Stephanie at:

roses of inspiration

Keep well 'til next week,

Diana

Roses , roses, roses...and ginger?

Not a lot has been happening so I thought I'd just show you

 a couple of things from my china cabinet.

They all have roses on them, hence the title :)

This cake plate was a wedding present

but sad to say it has never been used.

By the time I figured out how to put it together,

 posh afternoon teas were a thing of the past :(

But all is not lost, 

I am thinking about doing a posh afternoon tea

 for Mum for her birthday.

I think I will just invite the girls in the family as

 I can't really see the blokes sitting down with

 fine china and crooking their little finger, while making polite conversation - it would more likely be grunts - but who knows.

The plate is made by Old Foley

This little cake plate, creamer and sugar bowl 

were also wedding presents. They are so pretty.

I love them and will get them out 

for little mothers' birthday as well.

These are also Old Foley. 

And this gorgeous trio by Royal Vale was given to me

 but I don't recall when or by whom.

I think it is so elegant and look forward

 to drinking some Darjeeling out of it.

 Now that is really being posh :)

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

Now you might wonder what this has

 to do with ginger and I have to say ... nothing.

About a month ago someone asked me how I made my hot ginger drink and I've been meaning to get round to telling.

It is not hard.

Get some fresh ginger root. 

Chop/slice it quite small and put in a pot. 

You don't need to peel the ginger but make sure it is clean.

Cover with water and bring to the boil.

Turn down but keep the water simmering for an hour.

Remove the ginger, cool the juice and put into a bottle or jar. 

Use the same way as a cordial i.e. pour a small amount into a cup or mug and fill with hot/boiling water.

Sweeten with honey if you want or put a slice of lemon in.

(I have a friend who throws this ginger into her corned beef 
while it is cooking but I haven't tried that yet).

Great in the winter and marvellous for circulation. 

You can research the benefits of it online if you want.

Now the only thing this ginger drink has in common with the top part of this post is that I have a favourite mug 

to drink it from and it is Arthouse bone china. 

A bit more modern than the other pieces 

but nice to drink from all the same.

joining Stephanie at:

roses of inspiration
and Martha at:
Tea Cup Tuesday

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I hope you've all had a great week. 

Until next time, 

Diana

Knick knacks and treasures

It was quite a cool morning a few days ago 

so I decided it was time to sort out the china cabinet.

I'd been wanting to do it for quite a while 

but kept putting it off because during

 the Christchurch earthquake four years ago 

everything inside moved forward. 

By several inches.

I was a bit reluctant to open the door

 in case everything fell out onto the floor.

As you can see several things are balanced on the brink,

but it all stayed put as I finally bit the bullet and opened the door.

Centre front on the top shelf was this tiny ceramic table and chairs, 

they belonged to my grandmother, along with the salt and pepper kittens.

The kittens are about 3 inches high or 8cms.

Granma loved her wee knick knacks.

My eldest daughter has one or two of them as well.

Colclough bone china, made in England

As a slight digression, I love this teacup and saucer set 

and I see I could buy another 5 trios on TradeMe 

and make up a full teaset, but alas, I do not have the funds.

And anyway I am trying to find replacements pieces 

for a set my mother has given me,

and one project at a time is probably best.

But you know it was tempting, right?

Back to the job at hand...

Of course starting this job meant not only washing and polishing everything inside,

but cleaning all the glass on the cabinet as well.

 What a long job! Such tiny lead light panels, 

but wow, what a difference when I had finished.

I'm amazed at how dirty the glass was inside the cabinet.

This cabinet belonged to my GKB's mother and is a good old age.

Some things got thrown out,

 like ribbons that started to disintegrate when I touched them. 

I'm not sure really why I kept them

 but there was probably a perfectly logical reason at the time. 

I didn't throw out the flowers from

 the top of our wedding cake though, 

even though they are very fragile now.

I think I'll hold on to them for a while yet.

Some things were packed away, like big soup cups 

and so we were able to bring out some newer pieces

 we have been given by family in recent years 

and didn't think we had space to display them.

So that is a job well done, even if I say so myself,
and even if it did take me years to get around to it.

I'm so glad it's finished.

joining with:

roses of inspiration

Marth's favourites

Have a good week, 

see you next time,

Diana