Daybook entry for October...

I enjoyed taking part in The Simple Woman's Daybook community
way back in June so thought I would indulge myself again this month.
Back then I said I was going to make myself a hot ginger drink -
someone asked me how I made it and I have given the method at the link above.





For today July 6th 2015

Outside my window - the sun is shining and there is a warm breeze.
This a nice change as we have been experiencing 
gale force winds in the last day or so.
The street is quiet with just two kids wandering 
up the footpath with a skateboard and a backpack.
It's the school holidays - another week and they will be back
 to school until the Christmas break.

I am thinking - I should really be doing my daily reading
or sewing up that knitting I've finished.

I am listening to - easy listening radio. This is what I like,
music from the 50's, 60's and 70's is playing at the moment.

I am thankful for -  good health, I can still hear, see and get around,
so what more could I ask for?

I am wearing - red and white tee shirt, navy 3/4 pants and bare feet.

I am creating - I have just finished knitting a snood for my daughter.
I still need to sew it up and I have been putting that off,
 I find it a chore. It hasn't turned out the same as in the pattern
 but it is still okay, she's happy with it and that is the main thing.

I am going -  out for lunch with three other ladies, 
looking forward to it.

I am wondering - how I am going to sleep in this heat.
 I anticipate a lot of tossing and turning 
or sitting up reading when I should be sleeping. 
Maybe we'll turn the fan on in the bedroom, 
we don't have air conditioning through there.

I am reading - I have just finished reading
'My Sister Clare' by Sara Hylton.
I have just discovered this writer and have read
two of her books and found them very enjoyable.

I am hoping - this wind doesn't get any stronger, 
it is no longer a breeze!

In my kitchen - my good kiwi bloke has just made us a coffee
so I will take a break and join him.

In my garden - the spring flowers are getting a beating from the wind.
I've started tidying up and weeding but am pleased that some
of the plants are starting to bush out and hide the weeds, phew.

A peek into one of my days - today, lunch with the girls, 
two trips to the supermarket, 
once for a sick friend and once with Mum
 to do my own shopping and hers. 
Too hot to cook tea so tonight will be
fresh bread rolls with salad fillings :)
My GKB is easy to please.

One of my favourite things - on a hot day like this
 has turned out to be (28 C.) I love a bowl of
 fresh fruit salad and ice cream, any flavour will do.

A favourite quote - Never give up.
Never, never give up.
Never, never, never give up.
- Sir Winston Churchill.

Seems like good advice to me.

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

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.

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

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

Totsy and friends

Many moons ago I showed you two of my dolls 

and said that one day I would show you a couple more.

I don't have a lot but today is a nice warm spring day 

and I though I would get Totsy and her friends down 

from on top of the cabinet in the lounge.

(I'll have to get back up there one day very soon and do a spot of dusting - it's been a case of out of sight out of mind :( ugh).

Totsy had her cute name when she arrived 

but the other two were poor little un-named tykes,

 so I call them Bella and Billy.

We had been out for a drive one day and spotted them in a little shop in a little town that is not a destination but the sort of place you pass through on the way to where you're going.

Unless you live there, of course :)

Totsy is 40cms or so in height and she has 

the most glorious red hair with beautiful ringlets.

Her eyes are a lovely blue grey

 and I think she has quite a pensive look on her face.

I had her for quite a while before the other two arrived.

Billy and Bella are both 32cms in height 

and I tend to think of them as twins.

Both of them have lovely red gold hair,

 just like two of my grandkids :)

Maybe that's why I was so attracted to them.

Their eyes are a lovely bluish green, 

and to me they have a look of utter astonishment on their faces.

All three of them look like they are dressed 

in their 'Sunday meeting clothes'.

I didn't buy them but when I got home 

I discovered my GKB had bought them for me. 

What a gem!

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

And this is nothing to do with dolls 

but is the medal my pre teen grandson won 

at the end of the footy season, for good sportsmanship.

Way to go Jack :)

joining Stephanie at:
roses of inspiration

Have a great week.
See you next time,
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

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

I hope you've all had a great week. 

Until next time, 

Diana

The First of September

Below are some photos I took around town today, 

it was cold and grey and the colour was just starting

 to show on some of the trees and bushes 

while on others the branches were still bare and bereft of any life.

Almost as if we were still in the throes of winter.

The poem I've put with them sums up

 the beginning of spring in New Zealand,

where I live, as well as Australia, which it mentions.

The jonquils have been putting on a great show for most of the winter

but the daffodils are the first ones I have seen this season.

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

The morning it is breaking cloudy and gray

It does seem another cool late Winter's day

But the birds in the Parkland they whistle and sing

Believe it or not 'tis the first day of Spring

The first day of September the day of the year

When to Australia in the Southern Hemisphere

The Spring she arrives for her three months stay

With much warmer weather just a few weeks away

The Spring has arrived with her wildflowers and green

And her beauty in gardens and parks to be seen

Spring she arrives and she brings with her new life

And in parks and gardens Nature's beauty is rife

For the first day of September a cool chill in the breeze

But the birds chirp and whistle on the bushes and trees. 

The First Of September 

Francis Duggan

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

Joining in with Stephanie at: 

roses of inspiration

I hope you are enjoying your week 

whatever the season.

Until next week,

Diana

Catching up

Finally - the jigsaw is finished!

I almost gave up about halfway through 

when none of the pieces fitted together :)

But I decided that a few bits of coloured cardboard

 weren't going to beat me, so I kept at it.

In all it took six weeks!

I said I thought it would take all winter, 

well it took half the winter.

There is one piece missing but my daughter, 

who owns it, didn't think that was too bad 

as she bought it about thirty years ago.

Claude helping

One day this old fella decided to give me a hand.

I was worried he would leap off and take it with him, 

but no, he just sat and inspected it, then 

 slowly stepped onto the couch and went to sleep.

Mack having cuddles

Do you remember Mack, my grand daughter's wee Chihuahua?

He is finally out of his cage and walking again.

It was a long three months for him and everyone looking after him.

He still has to be careful, try telling that to a dog 

who has been locked up for so long. I'm pleased all is well.

Monica and Ben

Now this same grand daughter has just become engaged :)

Her and her beau make a really nice couple 

and we are thrilled for them. So I need to go shopping 

for a nice engagement present for them.

Not easy as they have been living together for 

a couple of years now, but I will find something.

Eldest daughter is moving house, she going into a smaller place because it will just be her at home before too long.

What has a crocodile got to do with that you may well ask?

Well I don't know whether there is any lawn at

 the new place and she loves this piece of garden art.

But knowing her she will find a home for it,  

she's much more creative than I am.

 I haven't joined Martha at Tea Cup Tuesday 

for a while so I wanted to today.

The tea pot is made in Japan and was a gift.

The tea cup is Queen Anne bone china, 

quite a pretty cup with the dainty blue daisy pattern.

It once belonged to my middle sister who left it 

with me when she moved across the ditch to Aussie.

I have one or two others she left as well 

and I will show you them another time.

Joining Martha at:

Tea Cup Tuesday

and Stephanie at:

roses of inspiration

That's it for today.

Have a lovely week 

and I'll see you again soon.

Diana