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

We're coming home

Jack rang his mother and said, "we're coming home. Can we stay with you?" Mum and dad decided they didn't have room in the house without moving the current occupants around so they opted for getting a sleepout for the yard. It duly arrived and the yard went from this...

to this...

via these steps...

The sleepout was backed up the drive on a trailer...

carefully removed...

lifted with a small hydraulic crane...

and swung over the cars that were parked in the yard.

My GKB and I were on hand to watch the process

 having gone over to daughters home for a visit and a coffee. It was interesting because they had a tight space to do it in. 

Of course we were not being nosey :)

Regardless, Jack and his partner are now safely ensconced and I think everyone is happy.

Have boys they said...

...it'll be fun they said...

A view of my youngest daughter's back yard. 

She has two boys, only one at home...

her and her husband's vehicles are not pictured.

Celebrations

 It's been a week of celebrations for our family.

On Friday we had a visit from middle Granddaughter and her new fiancee. They came around especially to tell us they had just become engaged. She is a lovely thoughtful girl and he is an outgoing and caring man and I think they are well matched. We're very happy for them. 

On Saturday my daughters took me out and bought me a 'decent' pair of walking shoes for my birthday. All the kids contributed. Asics. They've taken a bit of getting used to, and I think I look like I'm wearing Daisy Duck shoes, but they're really comfortable. Just as well for the price :) That evening we went to number one son's home for a lovely birthday dinner. 

And a couple of days later we welcomed a new addition to the family. Theo was expected to arrive on my birthday but he had other ideas. He wanted his own day :) He is our grandson's son and our fourth great grandchild. He is well loved :)

I will leave you there and try and have a catch up with everyone as the day goes on.

Enjoy your week, keep well, 

Diana

On the edge

Edge

Balanced on the edge

Loaf

Two grandkids loafing on the couch

Bridge

Chinese opera on a bridge

Mine

Replica mine entrance at a theme park

Black

Yellow lights on a black night

My choice

Beautiful silverback eating popcorn at

Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch

jigsaws, books and feijoa jam

It's a strange winter - not as wet as usual - but the temperatures are still way down there.

The nights draw in early and the drapes are all pulled around 4:30pm on a bleak day.

And that makes for long drawn out evenings.

So what to do on a long winters night?

Well I don't know about you but I get a bit
fed up with the fare on the telly,

 although there are one or two programmes I like:

Once upon a time.

Castle.

Weekend murders.

Undercover Boss.

Junior Masterchef.
Missing.

just to name a few.

So to while away the time I dug out some jigsaws.

 I haven't done a jigsaw for quite a few years so
 I thought I'd better start slow and easy,

 like a 500 piece one.

It only took a few days so I got brave
 and pulled out a 1000 piece box to do next.

One Sunday youngest grand boy came in and was really
 fascinated by the size of the puzzle and how
 small the pieces were. .

so seeing as he had a birthday coming up
I thought I would see if

 I could find him one that was not too big.
I managed to find a

 60 piece map of the world with some stand up icons
 and he was really pleased with it.  

He rang that night to tell me he had finished doing it
 in one afternoon,

 'not a week like it takes you Granma'.

Don't ya just love 'em?

I also went along to the library and got an armful
 of books out, 'cause I just love reading.

Unfortunately I can be quite anti social when I read,
I get really lost in a book if it has a
good story line, then have to run around like
an idiot getting things done.
It's just as well my GKB doesn't mind, he likes his telly,
I like to read.

I've also made some feijoa jam, it turned out horrible but edible,
 so I am eating my way through it.
Thank goodness it is only a couple of jars.
The next door neighbours have a couple of trees on our fence line and I harvest the windfalls, well the 2 little grand boys do.
 They love going out with a bowl and gathering the fruit up,
though I think they may not all be windfalls,
 but what I can't see isn't hurting and the neighbours don't mind.

The boys are allowed to pick the berries
on our side of the fence in season too, raspberries,
blackberries and there is a nut tree as well,
hazelnuts I think. I can never remember what they are.
We have to wait for them to fall as well,
 they're practically invisible on the tree.
Youngest grand boy loves cracking the nuts open with a rock.
And not many of the berries make it inside either!!

It's 3 degrees celsius outside just now and will probably drop below freezing overnight, which will mean a good frost in the morning and hopefully a nice winters day.

Have a good week everyone, wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

Diana

Bob's birthday bash

              Last weekend my GKB celebrated his 70th birthday!

               All the extended family gathered to party with him.
                       Well when I say all the family gathered
                        I mean all 22 of us who live in Otago.
                         We have family in the other island
                                as well as overseas in Asia -
                               just a bit far to travel for tea!

                   Traditionally we meet for a meal somewhere.
                            This time we gathered at a hotel down  
                               the hill from my eldest daughter.
                           We threatened her with coming back
                                to her place to cut the cake
                              but the roads were so icy we
                                      decided against it.
             Middle grand girl who is 14 baked the cake and I think
                              she did a pretty good job of it.
                      It was rich and decadent and covered with 
                              mostly melted chocolate for icing.

            We had a private bar which was at the back of the pub
                     and was fully self contained, loos and all,
                    so we didn’t disturb any of the other diners
                    and the little grand boys could play around
                             without anyone getting upset.
                    The grand boys thought it was great fun 
                               to sit on high bar stools at a
                                  high round table to eat.
                                              

                      Some of the younger fellows came instead
                   of going to the big footy game, big sacrifice,
                                our teams last for the season,
                 but we had a big TV in the corner of the room
                            and so we turned it on and kept
                   the sound down and all the fans were happy!

I'm afraid that by the time we left though

and the poppers had all been popped

(and the balloons had also been popped)

there was a bit of a mess on the floor -

 but it was a clean mess and easily cleaned up.

A fun time was had by all

even if there were some

tired grands the next day.

(And some tired grandparents as well, haha).

A walk in the April sun

I have been so busy lately it hasn't been funny, so have been feeling just a little bit tired. Well maybe a big bit tired. But that's okay as I'll be away for a few days next weekend with my GKB to the caravan. She needs a bit of tlc but not sure it will happen this trip.

We had a lovely midday with nephew and his wife and family today and my GKB's sister and her husband. I rang and got the grandboys to come for a visit so the kids would have some playmates, they're all of an age.

They don't see each other much, living in different islands so it's good they're now old enough to remember each other.

When they were all gone again and the house was back to normal (whatever that is) I made myself go out for a walk, it was such a beautiful day. I didn't really have the energy but it's surprising how a walk in the sun gives you a boost. I took the camera as well, just in case, and have some photo's to share of my walk in the April sun.

I walked to the playing fields where I

discovered the soccer nets were up and the first game of the season was under way for the "big" boys. Grandboy Jack will be pleased  as he is a soccer player and was wondering when the season was going to start - after the school holidays are over I'm thinking.

Then through the park where the leaves are starting to

turn beautiful autumn colours...

(one wee fellow and his mother were having lots of fun kicking heaps of leaves around)

...past the (usually) beautiful rose gardens. They're looking a little shabby now and in need of  a good pruning but still quite attractive. I would have liked to have gone in and taken a photo from the other end but there was a loving couple on one of the benches, quite engrossed in each other and I didn't want to disturb them.

Then I was at the children's park, which has just been redeveloped in the last two or three years. It's a really lovely place with a fenced area for the preschoolers as well as a large spider web climbing net and skateboard area for the older kids amongst other things.

Being such a lovely day the place was teeming with kids and their parents.

I walked home along the banks of the Silverstream. There weren't many people on it today, just one or two, and no dogs whatever. But...

...I did see a family of ducks under the bank, several in the water as well as up on the bank snoozing.

A lovely walk, I'm pleased I took myself out.

Have a lovely week, everyone.

I'm off to watch 'Weekend Murders' on the telly.

pretty flowers and a snowman

Aren't my flowers pretty? My sister in law picked them for me from her garden just before Christmas and I have just thrown the last of them out this week.

And I have been sooooo gooooood. My Christmas stuff is all packed away for the year. The tree is back in its box and the bins of decorations are back in the man cave somewhere - I leave the putting away of the bins and tree up to my GKB.

 Friday 6th being twelfth night I thought I should make an effort and do it. So after breakfast and doing a little bit of essential housework I got stuck in, and you know what? I enjoyed it! When my GKB arrived home I was on a roll and hadn't even stopped for a coffee. Mind you, these days he gets home in time for a late lunch, so it isn't as bad as it sounds. I packed everything up and then decided I might as well clean the whole room while I was moving furniture about so everything is dusted and polished and shiny and bright. My GKB even luxed (vacuumed, hoovered) the floors for me cos he knows that is the one job I really hate doing.

I do have one Christmas thingy still out though and that is because my little grandboys haven't discovered what it is yet. I think with everyone being outside on Christmas Day they just didn't see it.

The snowman covers a lolly container and is currently filled with mini packets of gummi bears.

 I have had it for years. My own kids loved when it came out but the 2 grandboys haven't had enough Christmases here yet to have discovered what it is - we have turns at hosting on Christmas Day. They will be back from holiday at the end of the week though.

Well my bed is calling so I am going to say goodnight to you all.

Have a great week.

a good GRAND weekend

Well spring is sprung and the spring flowers are beginning to put on a display, but only beginning to. The temperatures are still down there in winter mode - it is almost midday and only 7.5 at the moment. The jonquils have been out for several weeks and continue to put on a show, the trees are bursting into blossom and look lovely, I have a feeling I will miss the best of them while I am on holiday - we have a lot of blossom trees on the grass verges around town and they are beautiful when they come into flower together. I need to get out for a walk and have a look at peoples gardens in the next few days. If only the wind would drop, it's coming off the snow...

Last weekend was a weekend for catching up with all of my gorgeous grandchildren - all those who live in the vicinity anyway. A bit hard to catch up with the two based in Wellington and Japan but it was still a good GRAND weekend. Friday afternoon brought a text, C. wants to go to youth group tonight, can you pick her up please and can she stay the night. So of course I said yes and went in to town to pick her up about 4 in the afternoon. In the car we had a good old chat about what she is doing  and how she is enjoying her first year at secondary school.

  The next morning youngest grandgirl was playing netball and had her prize giving a couple of hours after her game so she arrived with her mother to have lunch with us before they went back up to the hall. I have to confess I haven't been to the games so much this year, what with everything else I've had going on. Sometimes Saturday is the only time to have a lie in.

On Sunday morning it was time to go up the hill and pick up the two youngest grandboys and bring them over to Sunday School. Then to Granma and Grandads for lunch where we are always joined by Great Granma as well. Grandad (the GKB) always makes hot scones for Sunday lunch in the winter and always checks on who is likely to arrive at lunchtime before I leave for church, so that he makes enough There could be up to 10 or 11 if everyone decides to come. Hot scones and 'red' jam, yuuummy. The grandboys get very disappointed if by chance Grandad decides to do something different. Then after lunch we settle down for some family news (?gossip or sharing?), watch some telly and play some games with the two wee boys. Since Granma and Grandad do NOT have any electronic games they have to amuse themselves, either by watching telly, or playing outside when it is warmer, or not so warmer as the case may be. Lately though they have discovered the joys of board games and are really quite enjoying things like snakes and ladders, pick up sticks', old maid and draughts just to name a few. It has been fun teaching them, although old maid is not much fun when you have just turned 5 and somehow you keep ending up with THE card at the end of the game. 

On Sunday afternoon another text, can I give C. a lift home because blah, blah. I have to say I didn't receive this text with a lot of grace but as it turned out it gave me an opportunity to catch up with beautiful eldest grandgirl and her boyfriend. Of course I had to then be introduced to the newest additions to her menagerie - she now has a couple of rats and several mice, having sold her rabbits and guinea pigs. Oh, there are also a couple of cats in the household and previously there has been a young dog who bounced around all over the place and who now lives on a farm!  All of the grandkids have had a variety of pets over the years and eldest grandgirl has also helped with riding for the disabled. So a really good grand weekend it turned out to be.

I see a daffodil from my kitchen window!