Happy Days

Well Sis has been here for just on a week and tomorrow we head up to Christchurch by plane and then over to the Coast. One of our cousins is coming out to the airport for a catchup and a coffee between flights so we're all looking forward to that. I've been busy packing today, I keep thinking of things I've forgotten to put in but I think I'm set now. Not to worry though, there are shops in other towns if needed :)

 

And what have we been up to this week? Not a lot really but Lorraine (Sis) assures me she's quite happy. One day we went over to daughter Jacqui's house so Aunty could teach her to crochet, another string to her crafty bow. That's them up above and you'll see Jacqui did end up with a moon boot on her injured foot. She's happy but says it's heavy :)

 

 Lorraine is the quilting sister and so another day we drove over to younger daughter's place to deliver a quilt to teenage grandson. He was out and about with his mates so we put it on the bed for him. He was suitably impressed when he arrived home and saw it.

Sunday was a wet miserable day so after lunch we had a look through some old photos of Mum's. I'd been looking for old school photos to put up on the reunion page and hadn't found any. There was one box left to look at and that's where we found them. The last box! Above is one the class photos with me and two of my siblings. I was a year ahead of them and teachers taught two classes. We're all in the second row, my brother on the right, I am sixth in from the right and sis is three in from the left. Large classes with up to 40 kids was the norm and the teachers had full control.

 

And how could we not go out for a meal? Of course we did! Lorraine, Jacqui, Vanessa Bob and I all went out for lunch yesterday. Bob and his harem :) The meals were big, read huge, I brought some of mine home and had it for tea. If that was lunch I wonder what the evening meals are like. We went to the Concord Tavern, we haven't been for quite some time, last time we were there they were upgrading the dining room and it is so much nicer now. That's Bob up above, coming down the entrance steps. It was a great hour or two just enjoying being together as family.

Lorraine and I have also been out for a couple of short walks, dictated by the cold, wet weather, and we had an afternoon in the shop and dressed the window together.

That is all for now.

Until next time,

Diana

Traversing the 'Green Belt'

No, I'm not learning martial arts, I don't think my body would survive that, but you never know.

Last week I was browsing the local weekly freebie 

when I saw an article about a walk through the town belt. 

This is a ring of greenery around and through the city, 

mostly native bush but some parks
and occasionally across a busy city road.

 I decided I'd go out and walk it. 

I tried to coerce some of my family 

into coming with me but no, they weren't interested.

So on Sunday I collected my map (and bar of chocolate)

from the starting point and headed out.

We had to check in at five points and each one was at a place of interest, 

e.g. the Beverley Begg Observatory where they had a telescope

 set up for us to observe the sun,

or at  a memorial of some sort.

This was a memorial to Admiral Richard Byrd 

who sailed from Dunedin to the Antarctic on Dec. 2nd 1928.

There were some great views down the harbour and a lot of people

took advantage and snapped pics, me included.

With so many people about it was hard 

to get one without a body in it, but I managed.

Some of the tracks were paved and others were just mud trails, 

some with gravel on the steepest parts.

It was definitely up hill and down dale

and had been advertised as buggy friendly 

but I'm glad I wasn't trying to get a buggy up, 

or down, some of the places.

I felt sorry for the young mothers pushing their buggys, 

the ones who had the daddy with them were lucky. 

Most times people helped them at the worst parts.

We were up above the CBD 

and the schools were mostly below us as well. 

This is a zoomed snap of Otago Boys High School 

with the sports ground in the foreground.

I love this type of architecture and we have quite a bit of it in the city,

part of our Scottish heritage.

Eventually we arrived at the Bullock Track, 

the final part of our 8 kilometre walk.

At the bottom was the park and the very 

welcome sausage sizzle and cup of tea or coffee.

When everyone had checked in there was a tree planting ceremony

and we were able to take seedlings home to plant. 

I grabbed some for my eldest granddaughter

 who has studied horticulture, 

I thought she might like to try growing them. 

Not me, I tend to kill off things instead of growing them.

I was quite pleased with my effort, 

I walked it in 2 hours. 

Buuuut do. I. know. it. 

My hips complained all day long yesterday

but are slowly coming right 

and my calves decided to  object all day as well.

Luckily we didn't have much to do so it could have been worse.

Was it worth it? 

Yes...but I think probably more enjoyable with company.

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

And talking of cups of tea, I wanted to show you this tea cup.

Easter is upon us and down under 

it happens in the autumn, not the spring.

So this is my autumn tea trio to celebrate the coming season.

It's a Colclough, bone china.

I think it is quite pretty even though 

the colours are not usually my favourite.

(Bun made by my GKB)>

Joining with:

Marthas Favorites

Roses of Inspiration

Have a blessed Easter,

Diana