You can never have enough...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Reminds me of my Mum popeye! She had a pair of cream linen straight leg pants she made in the fifties. She called them her 'diet pants' because if they didn't fit and look good she would start dieting lol.

Probably one of the childhood scars that puts me off any kind of forced dieting!

[Roma]

Good morning. 

Brisk wind out there,  but it's sunny.

Just back from coffee out with son/partner/dog ... they're trying to expose her to everything and anything as a fairly anxious dog. All went well until a dog appeared at the next table exactly like mine except 4 legs,  lol, but she did settle down.  That collar sounds interesting Mica, need to look into it!

Happy birthday to Mr K. Nice to make a day of it. 

Popeye, that place sure keeping you on your toes.

Speaking of climate change, my passionfruit has half a dozen or so full sized green fruit ... they will never ripen now ... totally out of season. Worst of all the well established, thick stem has been totalled gnawed at the bottom by slugs/ snails (I've just discovered). I'm thinking it will spell disaster for the now well established vine   Not sure if there's anything I can do to repair/protect it, apart from bait 

Time to get washing out and a few jobs done. 

Have a good day.

[popeye333]

Roma give your passionfruit plant a drink, made with epsom salts and water. tip it from the top of the vine down.. They really love it.
Years ago we lived in a house that had a huge vine but apparently it seldom had many fruit. The neighbour said it was pathetic lol.. We gave it a drink and the next year we had so much fruit that we were giving them away .

Well I can wear my wedding dress Yay.. just need to sneak a bit of the neck lining to cover a missing button. A dress my sister in law sent up last year fits. But a top I got last year at a church sale.. A Naff Christmas tree themed one hangs like a sack. It was to tight when I first got it..

But I also tried on a shortish dress I got several years ago that didnt fit and it does. But I think a couple more kilos and it will be perfect. Its purple and I love it. So Ill watch that one closely. I dont want it to end up too big without wearing it. Still has the price labels on it lol.

So Im feeling rather happy lol.

[Lilith7]

Finally got the lawn mowed, despite it being still slightly wet in shady areas.
Taking dog for a walk earlier, there was a chap taking his dog for a walk on the other side of the street - my dog started whimpering, obviously slightly scared. The bloke called out to ask if that was my dog, I said yes its her whimpering & he said that his dog was doing it too - both scared of each other! A pair of big babies!

Still slowly working on a couple of paintings & sorting out workroom bit by bit - its likely to take quite a while, I think.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies A chilly start to the day but that's OK, it's coming up winter.

well done on the dresses, popeye. Always nice to find something fits now.

awww Lilith, both dogs being scared! I think there are lots of fraidy dogs out there. My friend bought one of those thunder coats and she swears by it for her dog.

We had a great evening last night, everyone enjoyed themselves. And the fish and chips was great lol, it's been a while since we have had f & c.

Epsom salts are great for plants, they strengthen branches and leaves. You don't need much, a tablespoon per plant does the trick. I use epsom salts on the roses, especially roses that have small stems but large flowers. Potash is great for flowers and increases the depth of colour and size.

I started my next project, a large colourful butterfly on the side of a bag. My sister-in-law likes teals, greens and blue so it should look pretty with black outlines. I was thinking maybe a cocoon hanging on a branch for the other side. Will have a think about it.

Happy crafting

[Mica]

Morning all
Nippy but sunny


Well done PE.

 The cardi toile is wearable but not convinced its right for the velvet so plan on drafting another with slightly different band and deeper v. We will see

Off to Waiararapa  today to meet up with friends for lunch . Have made chocolate cake with ganach icing yum.

K9s all sunning themselves in various spots around the living area. So I am enjoying my coffee before they think about a walk.

Have a good day

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Chilly here but the sun is out.

I had a lovely day yesterday, housework in the morning and then a couple of pick ups in the afternoon.

I promised MIssy I would be home all weekend and Im sure she understands lol.. She was up and down off my lap most of the day.

The Bag sounds lovely Kiwimade. Like the idea of the cocoon. Kinda a work in progress for the butterfly.

I enjoyed watching the Platinum Jubilee yesterday. Ive always enjoyed the Military Tattoos so it was good and I realy Like Omid.

Have a fab day everyone

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Me too popeye, but I kept getting wet eyes at the thought of the losing the Queen. She has been there all of my life, it will be a strange time when she gets her Get Out of Jail Free card...

[Lilith7]

Oh dear - went for an early walk & came back down the street. Along the way dog discovered a lovely big pile of leaves which she was very keen to rearrange, so had to be dissuaded quickly but not before she'd messed it up slightly - & then we found there were two more lovely big heaps of leaves so had to walk briskly past. Very unwillingly on her part but we managed it.

That butterfly sounds gorgeous KM.
Had a phonecall from youngest great grandson this morning; he & his brother are coming over later, & bringing their Mum & Dad. Haven't seen them for a while so that'll be lovely; their eldest is due to start school soon.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

You big meanie. Leaf piles are a dog's heaven...

[Lilith7]

You big meanie. Leaf piles are a dog's heaven...

Oh, I know! And I felt really mean, too.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies It's bucketing down but meant to clear up later today.

It's an early start for me this morning as I'm taking a friend's dad to Waikato Hospital for another appointment. So once again, I get to drive his new car.

Yesterday we ended up in Thames, well. just above Thames at one of those pretty bays. We were there to look at a crib/batch friends have recently bought. There is a huge poinsettia tree (yep, it's that big) with hundreds of monarch butterflies feeding on it. And there is the biggest pphutukawa I have ever seen, it's monstrous. Just gorgeous. Beautiful spot and holiday home but you do have wonder about climate change and how this will affect their new property in the future.

We missed seeing the Royal Tattoo on the telly, hopefully it will be repeated or we can find it on demand. I will also miss seeing Her Majesty when she falls off her perch. She is such stalwart and will be terribly missed.

omgg Lilith, you dared to walk your boy away from leaf piles! lmao Poor thing, I bet he was thinking terrible thoughts about you lol.

Once home this afternoon I'll be making marmalade as we came home from Thames with a big bag of oranges. The rinds have been soaking overnight with the pith tied into a bag so this should help with the pectin. I'll be able to give some to our friends who own the tree.

Happy crafting

[Mica]

Morning all
Rain overnight going to be another nice fine day.

Had lovely day out yesterday 

Nothing planned for today other than chores, DH on k9 walking today and they all need a good brush.

Started knitting a cardi for new GD due in September  will knit matching hat and booties too.

Time for the gym

Have great day

[popeye333]

Morning everyone.

Overcast here and a tad chilly.

One of the Jonquils has opened Ill take a pic later.

Thames, one of my Fave places. I spent my childhood there. Oddly tho it wasn't until we had moved away that I got as far as Coromandel.

Ohh Leaves are made for dogs lol...

Have to drop off a sale on my way to MrP this morning.. I really enjoyed being home 2 days in a row, and MIssy did too thats for sure. Lots of lap time.

I finished the gingerbread house yesterday. I might start the other Missy one.. not sure as yet tho. It will depend on my games.

Ohh I looked at wordle and gave it up as a bad joke lol... way too many words to figure them out lol.

And yes I too will be sad when the Queen Goes. I kinda hope it skips Charles and goes straight to William. But then Charles has been groomed for years so he is entitled to his turn.

Have a fab day everyone

[Roma]

Morning all.

Cold outside ... that doesn't deter the gs's who insist barefeet is just fine for school  

Another weekend has whizzed on by ... halfway through the year before we know it.

Have epsom salts on my list to give the passionfruit vine a boost, thanks for that tip    Jonquils already PE ... I love their scent. Piles of leaves go well with dogs and kids alike, lilith 

An 'anything can happen day' with gd here so had better get moving ... more stories being requested before morning tea.

Have a good day.

[Lilith7]

I once made gingerbread houses for the grandkids for Xmas - just the once, they were somewhat fiddly to make but they loved them.

Where do little kids get their energy from?? Those two littlies ( nearly 3 & nearly 5) were hardly still the entire time they were here, but they had fun, drawing on the path with the chalk in between the odd biscuit & drink. I wouldn't mind even half their energy.

I suspect that Charlie doesn't much want to be king though I could be wrong. He's definitely been somewhat ahead of his time in some ways though, having had an organic farm (Highgrove) years ago. And is apparently also having a bash at an 'eco town' near London.


https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-glou...e-53819052

https://www.timeout.com/news/prince-char...don-101921

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Poundbury? More than just eco - it is socially interesting too. Way ahead of its time, while we stick to building tacky clone social housing slums of the future...

[Lilith7]

Poundbury? More than just eco - it is socially interesting too. Way ahead of its time, while we stick to building tacky clone social housing slums of the future...

Yep, the very one. Apparently the next project is to build a small modernist town & 'show them how to do it.'


https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...-community

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies We have another frost this morning

Prince Charles was certainly ahead of his times. I remember when the media were pretty much calling him bonkers for his ideas and actions. And talking to his plants? What kind of future king was this! But as a gardener from waaayyy back, I liked him and his ideas. And now they are proving to be what we need. And as for talking to plants, I get that. I do it too as a way to voice my thoughts and 'put them out there'. Plants don't argue back

Yesterday was busy with our friend's hospital appointment and then making the marmalade jam in the afternoon. It set beautifully using the pith of the oranges. I soaked the rind and pith overnight and the bottles were soaking the labels off while I was in Hamilton so it was all good to go after lunch. There are six jars of golden orange marmalade sitting on the bench ready for labelling and giving away over the next few days. MrK does the labelling as his handwriting is neater than mine.

Today is shopping day, while out I need to buy some smaller curved needles. The one and only curved needle I have is too big for what I need, more an upholstery needle. The suns out so it should be a nice morning to be out and about.

Happy crafting

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I loved Dame Judi's doco on trees, and that explained so much of the science we are uncovering about the other kinds of lifeforms we share the planet with. Plants do communicate, with each other, with other species, and with their environment, just as we do, albeit in very different ways. So when we gardeners carry on conversations with our plants we aren't mad, just ahead of the science...

Fingers all crossed for a good weather day ahead today. I am off for coffee and cake a day early because one of our trio is isolating and that means we lonely pair can suit ourselves. I shall do a letterbox drop off of some red threads for the isolated one, she has acquired an op shop denim jacket to play with - this slow stitching thing is contagious! And then of course a flyby past the hardware shop's bargain plant trolley, just in case, and I might have room for some silverbeet plants, or maybe a beetroot punnet or some mini cabbages. Though the white butterflies are still about I notice...

We'll see!