You can never have enough...

[Lilith7]

I think too, that for little kids especially the colour in illustrations can grab their attention which helps draw them into the story being told in the book. I did little books for each grandchild's birthday when they were little, just a scrap of story with illustrations & as I eventually had six grandkids it got to be quite a bit of work but they enjoyed them; I think some of them still have some of their books. I had a battle with eldest granddaughter to not do any more once they reached their teens, but pointed out that the last thing any teenager wanted was a book written by their gran!

Good for you Popeye - you get to live your life too, & if not now, then when.

I've recently started re reading some of my old books Mica - very interesting too as I'm a different person now so its a different experience altogether.


Very successful hunting this morning, found a beautiful trivet, very colourful with a gorgeous Tui head on it for third eldest granddaughter's birthday next month & also a wee bottle of her favourite shower gel while I was there; already have a book of Maori proverbs for her so just some chocolate now & that's her birthday sorted.

I'd intended to mow a lawn when I came home but too knackered so it can wait till tomorrow - weather permitting.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies What a stunning sunrise we had this morning! Just glorious

You go girl! Popeye, life is too short to put up with grumpy husbands! Especially husbands who know they bought most of their problems on themselves but are happy to blame others and try to pile on the guilt.

MrK needs another cateract op, he has decided to give up driving until he can have it done. So we will find a good optician and see about getting it organised.

Yesterday we were in Rotorua and came home from my sister-in-law's with a blueberry plant. It's massive so now the trick is for MrK to find a home for it. I suspect it may end up in the flower garden. He has trimmed it hard back seeing as it was being moved so no blueberries this season but oh boy, are we looking forward to next season.

I'm glad you got your compost, Roma It's great being able to buy that sort of thing in bulk. Much cheaper and no plastic packaging.

Happy crafting

[Roma]

Good morning.

It's cloudy outside, cooler and the rain is looking imminent.

You will enjoy the blueberry shrub KM and it will look quite in place in the flower garden showing attractive wee flowers before the fruit 

Plan to get some flower seeds into pots today and if nothing better to do continue with the cute vintage pink cardi I've started for 3yo gd 

Lilith you do well with your birthday present hunting/buying. I'm hopeless and have to ask what to get or send some $$ for the parents to buy!

Enjoy your day all.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I rather like the blueberry flowers, there's certainly a lot of them! I plan to pull out the spent broadbeans in that bed and pop the blueberries in that spot and keep the polyanthus and spring bulbs underneath them. Just now the sweetpeas I put among the broadbeans are climbing madly but they are a oncer as well. So soon as they are over the sheep and chook pellets go in and some more compost then the bushes come out of their pots. By then I will have netting in place so I can pull it over them, probably perfect timing seeing with luck there will be fruit well on the way. If the nextdoors bees have done their work. All very exciting.

Today I start on the destash of the big art box that is the last of the containers from under the bed. It was a heavy one to haul out last night. It is a tad dangerous walking round the room here now with half sorted boxes and bins, but I know if I don't create chaos I would just postpone the process, and I have promised myself to get it done before Spring comes, and I turn 70. I am a great procrastinator, which is why I have all this stuff in the first place. Still, the recyclers will benefit and the op shops if no one else wants to pay pennies for it on TM. Meantime though, I have tea, a good book, and a warm cat on my tummy so I'm staying put for a while...

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Kiwimade, Please thank MrK.. for knowing that he shouldn't be driving sat the mo. That's another of MrPs moans. That the Dr said he couldn't drive. But it wasn't the Dr it was me. I didn't tell him his renewal forms came in.. I knew he has terrible distance perception. And dont want him killing anyone else, let alone me and our car.

I've change my mind many times in the last 24 hours but I've decided to go for it. And not feel bad. Just hope it stays fine enough for a cemetery visit too. Im looking forward to seeing the changes. And so long as I have petrol and money for lunch I dont have to worry. the groceries will be very few today, cos I haven't used much lol.

And I discovered there is a Lyncraft in the mall too.. so bonus lol

Kiwimade just watch MrKs INR with the blueberries, they can affect it... I love fresh blueberries but not as much cooked.

OHH you are spurring me along with downsizing, and Im enjoying getting rid of alot of stuff.. Im just over it.. And it was good that my friend took all her stuff she got from me away. gives me more room lol.

Have a fab day all

[Mica]

Morning all
Bright overcast day here, mild temps.

OH chaos before order.

Love blueberry bushes foliage and the berries
KM hope Mr K gets is cztaaracts sorted soon, best thing I did way back in 2008 have accommadating  replacement lenses so dont need glasses
Popeye have a great day out.

GD still in NICU she's doing well and growing, DIL spends the day in with her

I managed to put together baby quilt got most of the quilting done just border to quilt and then attach binding so will donate it next week.
Volunteer day so must move

Enjoy your day

[Venetian1]

Home again after a lovely couple of days with family and Hamilton didnÔÇÖt actually rain although rather overcast.

Popeye you can now get very absorbent underwear for men so they donÔÇÖt have to wear ÔÇ£smelly nappy pantsÔÇØ. I know several men who have them for a variety of reasons, and they can go out with confidence of no leakage or odour. Maintains their dignity and helps reduce the stigma associated with urinary incontinence. IÔÇÖm sure that if you contact a hospital the continence nurse can give you more information.

[Lilith7]

I'd intended to mow a lawn this morning but it pithed down during the night so too wet. Oh dear what a shame never mind! Mucked about with a painting instead.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Home again after a lovely couple of days with family and Hamilton didnÔÇÖt actually rain although rather overcast.

Popeye you can now get very absorbent underwear for men so they donÔÇÖt have to wear ÔÇ£smelly nappy pantsÔÇØ. I know several men who have them for a variety of reasons, and they can go out with confidence of no leakage or odour. Maintains their dignity and helps reduce the stigma associated with urinary incontinence. IÔÇÖm sure that if you contact a hospital the continence nurse can give you more information.

Rest homes often refuse to use those because of the shared laundry thing...

[popeye333]

I enjoyed my day out.

The weather wasn't terribly kind but it wasn't too bad.

The roads have changed, they have snuck a round about in lol... but it was sooo nice to be driving at 90-100 kms for a change. Im sure the car enjoyed it too.

Got myself another Sherpa snuggly jacket / hoodie. In cream and less than Half price. The food hall in the mall was disappointing, two Asian shops and Maccas.

BUT there was a Lyncraft and Id never been in one of those before. I could have been tempted soo many times, but I'm downsizing.

I looked at houses we have lived in, was shocked that my grandparents house has been demolished and replaced.

A place called Jacobs Ladder, which is a very steep set of stairs by the Primary school I went to now has a hand rail And each step is painted a Rainbow of colours.. Id have taken a photo if it hadn't been raining at the time. But it looked sooo cool.

I got the best fish and chips I've had in a long time for lunch. From the middle of town.


MrP wears Pull ups but sadly for him I have a very extreme hate to the smell of urine and he hates having to "go" in them too and expects me to find a place to pull off the road in seconds and get him a bottle. I biffed the bottle ages ago.
He wouldn't have wanted to come today anyway , they had a group of Ukulele players in for a visit.

I have weary bones. But I've done my visits.

I realised as I was driving home its 11ish years since we went down last. So its no wonder things have changed.

My stepfather always said I would go back to the "Queen" city as he called it. And I could Very easily.

An early night tonight I think.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I remember going past our place in Campbell Road and seeing half a dozen brick and tiles in its place. That was a shock, not because of the house, but the garden... It was such an incredible space. Just recently though I google earthed a house we had in Remuera, where I had my first 'grown up' bedroom. It was for sale, and some of the internal pics showed wallpaper my father had put up. It had a ballroom of all things, ugliest house I ever lived in. Best offers over a figure with far too many zeroes. Totally outrageous, but hey, Auckland was smaller back then...

[popeye333]

I remember going past our place in Campbell Road and seeing half a dozen brick and tiles in its place. That was a shock, not because of the house, but the garden... It was such an incredible space. Just recently though I google earthed a house we had in Remuera, where I had my first 'grown up' bedroom. It was for sale, and some of the internal pics showed wallpaper my father had put up. It had a ballroom of all things, ugliest house I ever lived in. Best offers over a figure with far too many zeroes. Totally outrageous, but hey, Auckland was smaller back then...

I knew one of our houses had been pulled down. But found that another had too.

Seeing my Grandparents one gone was sad tho.  Soo many fun times in that house. My sisters house looks old and unloved. 

My primary school still has the huge oak trees out the front, tho they are fenced in now. 

What they did to Jacobs ladder was the best tho. When we were kids it was where we had our "Huts" just off from the stairs in the bush.. Probably not so cool these days.

It was fun driving around looking at old Haunts.  But also good seeing the changes for the better too

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies More rain. Need I say more.

When I drove to Whanganui a few weeks ago I called into Turangi to see our old home. Hasn't changed much at all, just a new garage where our play hut and vegie garden used to be. Am glad you were able to go, Popeye I wonder if sometimes it would pay not to tell MrP what your plans are and just do it. It could save the sulking and carrying on.

Today I'll get on with housework, but there is still aprox 15 wheelbarrow loads of mulch to move. It is too wet to tie the Furry One up outside while I work and he doesn't have a kennel. He doesn't mind being tied up if he can see us and MrK has rigged it so he can be through the gate to see me at the pile of mulch. But we don't like wet dogs lol so it will have to wait until the weather clears. Just hope the grass hasn't been killed off too much in the meantime.

The blueberry bush was planted by MrK while I was out and about yesterday and ended up in a big tub, not the flower garden. He was determined it was going by the fruit and veg and got in before me lol. At least it is in soil and can grow.

Spring is here, our magnolia is starting to colour up. It flowers after our nieghbour's one has finished so we get a lovely long season of magnolias. I suspect the previous owner of our home did that on purpose I need to dig up one of my hyacinths as my sister-in-law and I are swapping. Mine are all pink (started off with purple and white but lost them) and hers are white so are doing a colour swap. The tulips a friend bought for 10 cents a bulb from the Rotorua council are up and the beginning to flower. They are just starting to colour and I suspect they will be red. So the colour mystery is solved lol. I might buy a trough type of pot and replant them in that when they have finished.

Housework is calling and the washing machine has beeped. Time to get moving so the day is my own when done.

Happy crafting

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Yes Wet... I simply just want to mow the lawn lol.

Yeah Kiwimade all MrP knows is that I did the shopping yesterday. He doesn't know where lol I've stopped telling him things that I do cos he only grumbles.

He's quite down at the mo, but I've said to him that is of his own making. There are plenty of people there to talk to.

The Trio of singers are back again this afternoon. So we will watch and sing along again. I admit it means I dont have to drag a conversation out of him and it is lovely to see everyone enjoying the music. Same songs most of the time but its nice singing along.

I have a house inspection on Monday so will wash the cupboard fronts just to spruce them up. And take extra care when vacuuming.

MrPs ex carer is coming around this morning, I'm altering a Dress for her. Its stunning and I hope I can do it justice.

Saw many magnolias flowering yesterday. Lovely simple flowers.

Have a fab day everyone

[Roma]

Good morning. 

The sun is now out after rain last night and it's warm.  I hope hanging my washing out was a wise move 

I admired the gorgeous budding magnolias in Bunnings yesterday but managed to move right along and get the plum tree I was after plus some seedlings. I'd never seen a yellow magnolia before ... must be a sight in full bloom.

Jobs to get done, plus some baking. Won't be getting much done with a 24 hour energetic dog sitting stint on Saturday!

Enjoy the day all.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I planted a yellow magnolia in one of my Blenheim gardens, I often wonder how it is doing twenty years later. There was a massive old grandiflora in the Campbell Road garden, that I used to climb up into with a book, to get away from my sister and her friends. She was always a very social child and I wasn't so it was a great escape! Might be that tree that gave me my love of them.
The seed pods are great in blackwater aquariums too. The fish love them. And the branches go on forever in water so florists use them a lot.

But my favourite tree has to be a copper beech...

[Roma]

OHH the grandifloras are magnificent and definitely require a huge space. I'd always grown copper beeches along with a lot of the old English trees ... great for their beauty as well as shade for the stock.

For those who like cats, today's Friday Furries have some great poses:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed...ing-nicely

[Mica]

Morning all
Raining again 

Got border quilted and binding on quilt yesterday, was going to stitch  down last night but DIL asked if I could knit small vests for DGD so needles out will have one finished today.

Good fun on your road trip Popeye.

Hope it finds up so that you can move the mulch KM.

DH has a friend coming this morning to talk about watercolour paints so must move.

Enjoy your day