You can never have enough...

[Mica]

Morning all
Another hot day already very muggy

Recovering from my gym session my trainer is back from maternity leave so interval training has been reinstated so I am weary

DH wants to pop back to art supply shop I  town to get the brushes he left behind on Monday why he didn't just buy them then I don't know.

Popped my machine back to hospital yesterday so we will see. Free motion quilting can be hard on machines and you rack up a high stitch count. He will probably fix it now that I have my sights on a new and improved model

Made a batch of capsicum and apricot chutney yesterday it won't last long if the family spies it.

Going to dig out my sheepskin today to cut out soles for sheepskin booties for DGD for winter

Washing machine calling
Have a good day

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Lol Kiwimade I like your thinking about encouraging the Jasmine. My sisters favourite flower, she had a whole hedge of it the length of their section.

I didn't get to the wrap yesterday. I spent the day playing phone Tag with the med center and then had a nasty phone call from MrP. he is back to blaming me for everything blah blah blah, but he also packed everything up and expected me to go pick him up. So it got nasty. But he knows how to work them. He had them convinced he was sad cos I hadnt rung him so they asked me to ring him. he will no doubt try the same today cos I doubt he listened when I said I wasn't ringing until i hear from the DR.

If there is one thing I can suggest to you all for older age. Make the desicions early and save yourself all this crap.

Loving the cooler temps already.. Sleep is much easier.. Well apart from last night lol... the brain wouldnt shut down then I ended up hurting all over lol... Bodies shouldnt age and wear out.. Its annoying lol

Have a fab day everyone

[Roma]

Morning all.

Another brilliant day ... just back from doggy walk and need to sit in the shade now to drink my coffee!

Sorry to read of your ongoing problems Popeye ... you are quite right, we should all plan for our old age ... but very hard to put into practice!

My sister is having my mum out (of the resthome) for a couple of hours for her birthday on the weekend. We have been advised to have RAT tests first which is a pain ... well accessing them will be. Sis says she has some we can use, so will just have to hope they are not C+ and have to drive 2 hours back home again!

Coffee finished ... time for a bit of sewing (dungarees for grandaughter) and then some baking.

Have a good day.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I did a bit of garden pot emptying yesterday and discovered my Gloriosa lilies had made so many new tubers they had broken out the bottom of the big ceramic pot they lived in. So that pot now has silverbeet in it, much better behaved plants. So faced with an excess of tubers I popped a couple of listings on TM and both sold within hours, so I might be packing up tubers for the courier today, and the bank account will be a little fatter than expected. Just as well, seeing I got tempted while browsing last night and bought another piece of denim to play with, this one bound for a complete rip down and recycle.

I am telling myself it was a wedding anniversary present to excuse my fifteen dollar extravagance, though somehow I doubt denim is the right gift for forty two years of wearing that solid gold ring. But a little spoiling was definitely called for...

[Lilith7]

Yes, the two blokes were apologetic - they hadn't seen us coming & I think they were quite startled.

That doesn't sound much fun, Popeye - it can be a bugger, getting older.

Have just done the hedge, accompanied by the dog providing background 'music' every time I used the trimmer - she's none too keen on the noise.


Aho creative have some lovely embroidered patches, in their newsletter which came today. Slightly tempted but trying to resist for now, since I bought one or two DVD's yesterday when I really didn't intend to.
https://ahocreative.com/collections/aho

[kiwimade64]

I have finished my tui! Will wash it, iron it and take a pic later. What a mission lol.

Lilith, you have my sympathy with being charged by an unleased dog. The Furry One and I have had this happen too... it's the only time I have put the boot into a dog

[JanW]

Good afternoon - hasnÔÇÖt caught up for a day or two so much going on but felt I must respond to the comment about veggie prices - the supermarkets buy off the veggie markets like Turners and growers - they set the price with the grower and the markup on fresh veggies in my sons PaknSave is 11% which isnÔÇÖt excessive when you take into account the wastage ,wages ,electricity etc etc has to come out of that .Paknsave owners unlike Countdown or New World are allowed to have agreements with local buyers - my son has had the same local market gardeners and orchards supplying him for 15 years - he doesnÔÇÖt rip them off if he did they would send their produce to market .My son started stacking yoghurt as a schoolboy - he was always going to be a policeman - but something clicked and the management saw something in him - he worked really hard - admittedly my husband was able to help him prepare stuff for the bank to borrow the nearly 20 million to buy his store - the bank loans are truly frightening - at the end of the year his return on his investment sits around 4% - both of them work extremely hard in the beginning 7 days a week - yes he drives a nice car and has flash sun glasses and his children go to boarding school mainly so they can do all the sports they love and yes he can afford to give his Mum free groceries and he can afford to sponsor the rugby team at the local low decile schools and every school day he sends the necessary food for the breakfast club and a truckload goes out everyday to food bank ,once a week to SPCA and the Sallies and recently food rescue charities .He funds a program at a low decile school for school leavers to learn how to present themselves for an interview - I could go on and on - his trolley boys are the lowest paid on site at $25.74 so he pays well -he has trolley boys that have advanced up to Department Managers so he obviously cares for his workers .It really saddens me that people arenÔÇÖt looking at the whole picture - recently the government legislated to stop the power companies giving our food processors and supermarkets prompt payment discounts which resulted in costs going up right across the board 25% and the power companies are making more money - the legislation recently passed to take my low user rebate and give it back to the power companies because itÔÇÖs unfair pensioners get it is simply unbelievable but the facts are there on MBIE website why she decided to put pensioners power charges up and increase power company profits - Countdown stores pay 59% more for transportation than their Ozzie stores do because our fuel is double the price - we have the most expensive transportation costs in the OECD because our fuel tax is double what Ozzie pay so of course are prices are higher -a container of groceries used to cost $600 to Cross our border since covid that same container is $18000 - and the contents of many are spoiling - again legitimate reasons why prices are increasing .I am not saying owning a supermarket isnÔÇÖt a good lifestyle itÔÇÖs a lot of hard work and like any job when you work hard you are rewarded .The Commerce commission admitted that they were wrong saying the supermarkets are making 24% and in fact it is only 4% which if you take into account the billions of dollars invested by the owners is what we used to get at the savings bank .It really saddens me to hear people wanting to destroy a 100 year old kiwi company by tax payers assisting a German company Aldi to open here - if there was profit in the kiwi market for Aldi they would have jumped the ditch when they opened in Oz and to think tax payers money would subsidise this move is simply incredible .
I hope this doesnÔÇÖt offend but I think the Commerce Commission realised there really isnÔÇÖt racketeering going on - otherwise there would have been action taken but like the enquiry into the fuel companies there was no racketeering - but of course the rhetoric has been set that supermarkets are responsible for the increasing prices but the increases have been caused by our government and the worldwide supply chain grinding to a halt

---

Just one other point his cauliflower are $3.99 - never bern above $5 -

[Oh_hunnihunni]

And yet ours are $7.50...

And yes, each supermarket is owned by an independent owner, although there are agreements in place that tie their hands. Some are fantastic, others are not, and those are the ones who will always contribute to the public perception. Rubbish veg, excessive mark ups, arm wrestling small suppliers - it goes on. When it only takes one supermarket to make a millionaire, it isn't a good look.

I think we do need competition. The CC has decided we don't. I guess we will wait and see...

[JanW]

He has been in business 30 years with a huge investment - politicians earn a million dollars in two years with absolutely no investment and donÔÇÖt create jobs- imagine how much tax that supermarket owner has paid so we can have our parliamentarians being the 5th highest paid in the OECD - more than Boris Johnson Trudeau and Macron .There is often criticism of dairy prices Fonterra set the prices - my son makes 1c a litre on milk but the volume of sales gives him profits - our meat manufacturing plants - most of them are now owned by overseas owners - the largest was sold last year to a Chinese company set meat prices but the perception is the supermarkets are ripping the farmer off - again our high transportation costs and the increased power costs caused by the loss of rebates at the meat processors has seen a huge jump in costs - not sure where you are but looking at PaknSave online the average - cauliflower price is $5.39 - if there was room in the market for more competition that would result in food price reduction CC would have recommended it .Our biggest pet food manufacturer was also sold last year to Chinese owners so the product is going off shore starving the kiwi market
I will tell you what my son thinks - we need to get back to making stuff here - Tip Top have ground to a halt which will increase prices because they import every thing even ice block sticks and the fancy wrapping that ice blocks are wrapped in - one of the sauce companies have just about gone out of business that use glass bottles because the tops are held up somewhere .He is hoping that kiwi entrepreneurs seize the chance to get cracking - he has helped a young grain farmer set up a plant to manufacture oat milk so instead of importing Ozzie oat milk its kiwi made on his backdoor step - whoever would have thought we donÔÇÖt even make iceblock sticks

[Lilith7]

Very keen to see the finished Tui, Kiwimade. The dog was friendly enough thankfully but my dog's a bit dodgy with strange dogs - all OK though.

Still mucking about with the same painting - I may have got slightly carried away but it keeps me off the streets where I might frighten the horses!

And I'd agree that we need competition in supermarkets & ought to be making stuff here - imo, each country should aim to be as self sufficient as is possible, because you never know what's around the corner. And at the very least, we ought to be making ice block sticks.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Oh I so agree about bringing back our manufacturing. If we have learned anything from covid, it is that we must rebuild our self sufficiency as a nation.

As for the cat food thing, that is still happening. If I buy an online delivery including the only catfood my ancient beast can tolerate I can predict I will get a fraction of what I order. Last week four packs unavailable, so I got enough for two days. And yet the nearer supermarket had heaps when I went in in person. And yet it is really hard to find the new NZ made product on the shelf. Be nice if the retailers supported the local guys, might encourage a few more locals to try supplying the local market...

But hey, I really appreciate our local, despite all the whinging. Without them we'd all have been in trouble these past two years. I just wish they'd try harder to make our food budgets go further. We remain far too expensive as a nation, and it isn't all in supply chain issues...

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies   It's a bit misty this morning but that will burn off soon.  No rain in sight for us.

I appreciate your point of view, jan and I see where you are coming from.  I read this morning it's the recent weather being so dry then the cyclone which has impacted on the price of our leafy greens.  Couple this with the supply chain problems and staff off thanks to Covid, and we have the perfect storm.  Your son has worked hard for what he has, there is no denying this and he may be able to keep caulis under $5, but the caulis, cabbages and silverbeet I saw at Pak n Save in Rotorua last week were well over $6.50 each with the cabbage trending to $10. I think these types of reports highlight good and bad practice so I'll wait and see what happens.  In the meantime, we'll carry on growing our own veg  as much as we can which won't help the grower, but will help our pockets.

I agree with manufacturing our own products.  Jan raised a good point not long ago about ice block sticks... we have a huge timber industry, why can't we make these type of products here?  A pandemic certainly points out our frailties that's for sure.

I washed my tui yesterday and will iron and starch it to prepare it for lacing onto a board.   I am so pleased I kept going with it.  Now to decide which bird to do next.  I'll have a look through photos I've taken over the years and see if one grabs my attention.

Time to move the garden hose, it's so dry here even the mulch doesn't hold the water for long.

Happy crafting 

[Roma]

Good morning all.

Another sunny day ahead, I think the rain is no longer on the horizon!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/explaine...pp-android

An article above in this morning's Stuff  giving a good explanation on the rising grocery bill. I certainly noticed the increase in items at yesterday's essential shop at the supermarket. I get my fruit and veg couriered from an outlet ... super fresh (it needs to be, I only shop 1/week) and I think good value. I started because of covid and it can include bread, eggs and some dairy if I needed in case of isolating. Such a bonus, for those that can eat from their own gardens. 

Time for doggy walk.

Have a good day.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Three types of broad beans in my seedling pots yesterday, Hughey - the red flowered one, a pink seeded version, and a prolific miniature to go in the front of those two! Should be a harvest to remember, lol! And I have celeriac seed and tatsoi to set in among the petticoat daffs. They can all fight it out for space and sheep pellets this year. I saw celeriac for $30 last year, so it is definitely a luxury product! Makes fabulous soup too...

[Mica]

Morning all
Another .loverly warm day ahead

Cost of basics certain,y have increased and the Russians aren't helping grain and fuel prices which  will increase as one of the consequences

Got my machine back yesterday 24 hr turn around not bad. Lovely man   as he says she has stitched a few kms and the parts I have worn out he has not had to replace before. So we will see a new machine might be in the future hopefully not in the next 2-3 months. Started another eyespy quilt, yesterday got half of the blocks done this will be my test quilt for free motion  quilting performance so will do a few twirly whiirlies to test her out next week.

Looking forward to seeing your Tui KM

Volunteer morning so must get moving

Have a good day

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

It was sunny a few minutes ago but it has changed.

I also think some of the price hikes are the responsibility of the owners too.. But thank goodness not all of them are rip offs. With our local New world the last two owners have been tight fisted, putting the prices up all the time, cutting out the cheaper brands.. but the manager before then was awesome. He was a real community minded guy. he is still missed by many.
There will always be the greedy and a kind.

An emotional day with MrP yesterday. As I predicted he had a fall. And then later he stumbled into the big nuts and bolts on his walker and ripped his leg open. but thankfully a nurse was walking past his door so it was tended to quickly.

He is living in the past at the mo, and Oddly we had both been thinking about the day we met. he walked me home from his sisters house ( she lived across the road from me) and I knew he wanted to kiss me but I was shy back then and put my keys in my mouth to open the gate lol. he talked for a full hour last night, about things we had done in the past and the number of people we have helped out, and had fun with.

I never heard back about my x-ray so its going to have to wait.. I have to get some groceries today.. the costly stuff too unfortunately, like Missy's litter. I buy a crystal one which is on average $4 cheaper by going to pak n save. But it totally eliminates the smell. Oddly shes uses her tray when I go to the toilet lol...

Have a fab day everyone

[kiwimade64]

   

   


ta dahhhh! lol Finally!  It's much smaller than I planned but it was the best way for me to get my head around it.  The photo is what I worked from.  I took the photo at the Arapuni Dam in 2017.  There are huge kowhai trees by the loos and the tui love them.  

[Oh_hunnihunni]

You are a clever sausage, and an inspiration to me.

The tui is pretty cool too!

[popeye333]

Oh Kiwimade it is Beautiful....

You are one Clever lady.

[Mica]

Wow absolutely fabulous you are a talented sewist