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

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

A road trip - spoiler

I went on a road trip this week with my sister.

Here are five photos of some of the

 places we stopped very briefly at, 

or passed through. I hope you enjoy. 

I will post about this trip later. 

Joining Amy at Five on Friday.

Why don't you pop on over and see 

what others have been up to as well.

Sunset over the Tasman Sea.

A rainbow as we headed into Otira, Westland.

Tussockland in the Canterbury high country.

Near Castle Hill, Canterbury, 

with the Southern Alps in the background

Ducks and geese swimming in

 a braided river in South Canterbury.

Diana