PEACEFUL DAY

 

After my not so lovely day yesterday, I am going to make sure today is a good one.

I pruned a magnolia tree which is just outside our kitchen window yesterday afternoon.  It was sprouting all over the place and I didn't want it blocking the sun etc.  So today I need to pick up all the pruning's and take them down to the foliage bin. 

The weather is looking lovely, so I might stay outside and see what else I can do in the garden... I'm no fan of gardening, but I'm in the mood so why not!

Once I'm sick of doing that, or there isn't anything else to do, I'll come inside and get on with my latest 'Wonky House' project. 

ONWARD... 

ABOVE: This trolley is so freakin' handy.  I just used it to take all the clippings down to the bins.  I get so many people commenting on it here in the village.  Many ask me if I'm leaving home with all my bits 'n' bobs in it! lol

But seriously, it is one of the best investments I've made.  

Thankfully, my gardening is now done and I can move on to something else.

I'm thinking of going out to the shops to see if I can find a wooden board big enough to cover the cook top.  If not, we will have to commission one from one of the guys who sells those sorts of things at markets.  

12.20 pm and I'm home from the shops.  I didn't see or find any wooden board big enough to cover the cook top.  Looks like we will be getting one custom made.

Which is probably the best way to go.  As for anyone concerned about covering the cook top and causing a fire... stop worrying!  The board will have 'feet' on it, so it sits above the cook top, it will NOT be touching the cook top at all.  

Before I left for the shops, I was scrolling Facebook and Instagram (as ya do), and watched a little video clip from Jay-Jay Feeney, who is a New Zealand personality.  She is just lovely, very funny, talented and a true Kiwi Girl.

Anyway, she had just bought a Christmas Wasgij Advent jigsaw.  I thought, hmmm.... 

ABOVE:  LOL, and now I have it too.

ABOVE:  I do believe I shall be starting that... today.  😂😊😉

I bet they don't last long in the shops with Jay-Jay talking about it.

Lunchtime and I'm starving...

TWO NEW PROJECTS

 

Because I really don't need any more 'stock' for markets, I was at a loss what to do for the next week or two.

Then I thought of a project for here in the house, and another one as a possible market item. 

ABOVE: The first project I shall work on today is using this fabric.  It won't actually take me much time to make... so you should see it later on today.

ABOVE: The second project is using these fabrics, plus some more that I won't show you right now.  It will take me a bit more time, and I will take my time doing it.  I'll kinda drag it out... so I doubt you will get to see it for a few days, if not a week or more.

I'm relieved I have something to do in Crabby Quarters, and down in the Craft Room.  I can't imagine what I would do with myself without having a project on the go!

Like, what the hell do ya do when you have no kids at home, bugger all housework, no gardening to speak of, etc?

Maybe I should find another volunteer job?  One lady here works as a volunteer at the St John Op Shop... I might consider doing that.  

My only hesitation is in being 'tied down' to a commitment like that.  It means you can't just 'up and go away' whenever you want.

It is something to think about if nothing else, if I find I really am just twiddling my thumbs too much.

My first 'job' for the day is to get down to the Post Office and suss out posting Placemats to Christchurch.  Then I'll come home and head down to the Craft Room for some sewing.

And that is me for now, catch ya later.

ONWARD...

2.04 pm. I'm still at craft group. It has been a really shitty day. I'm frazzled and crabby.

More when I get home in an hour.

3.15.  I am home.  First up, when I got to craft group the ladies had the heater on and it was unbearably hot.  So walked back home and got into summer weight clothes.

Then ...

ABOVE:  Mc Dreamy decided to crap himself royally... and just would not sew properly at all.  His tension was totally off, he wouldn't sew the stitches I chose and then he started making an awful noise AGAIN.   So I took him home, vowing to NEVER use him again.  He is retired.  I am not going to spend another cent trying to get him 'fixed'.

I ended up taking the Baby Brother down to the craft room to use.  He did OK.  Not stellar, but OK.

So that was my second trip back to the house in the morning.

Then a lady wanted Placemats, so I said I'd go home and get them.  Only I couldn't find my house/car keys.  I hunted in my trolley, sewing boxes etc ... nope.  So went home and used the key in the lock box to get inside.

I thought I might have left my keys in the house after the second trip back home.  Nope.

They had to be somewhere in the craft room.

When I got back and gave the lady her placemats, I had another big hunt for them, and luckily I did find them.  PHEW!  I was so hot and crabby by then I really should have come home and had a nana nap!

But instead I stayed and finally settled down enough to enjoy the ladies company for another hour.

Every Monday at craft group I seem to end up having to walk home at least twice, and like today, sometimes three times!  

Let's look on the positive side shall we?  It's exercise.  😖😓😉

Today's projects.   I didn't make the one with the blue fabric after all.  It was going to be a cover for the induction cook top, so we could safely put things on top of it when we need more bench space.  But I'm going to get a wooden board made instead.  It will be safer for the cook top.

Instead of doing that, I moved on to the next project.  And I will show you what it is shaping up to be:

ABOVE:  I'm making a 'Wonky House Quilt'.  Not a full size quilt, probably just a knee rug size, or end of bed size.  I'll see as I go how big it gets.  I'm using the 'quilt as you go' method.

I am so relieved to be home I tell ya.  It's been one of those days.  Even the ladies at craft group said I should go back to bed, and start the day again!  Bit late in the day to go back to bed, tempting as it is.  

I am going to cook up some sausages for our dinner, and make a salad.  Then I can relax for a while.

ABOVE: 7 pm.  When Stew arrived home, we went for a walk around the bridges.  It was nice, with a light, cool wind.  Now... it's dinner time.

The sausages we won at the pub last night were very average sadly.  Hopefully the steak is better.

Stew is in bed, and I'm not far off joining him.  I'm feeling good and tired, which means I might get a decent night's sleep.

Catch ya tomorrow.

A QUIET SUNDAY AHEAD

 

Stew and I will be having a relatively quiet day today.

First up we will unload the car, something we didn't do yesterday when we got home from market.

Then we will do some grocery shopping.

Then we are picking up a couple of surf casting rods that are being gifted to us by some friends.

They need reels and lures, so we shall get them at some point.  Fishing... hopefully we will get to do that soon.  

I have decided we should get a standard lamp for our lounge.  At the moment the lounge has 4 recessed lights, which are very bright.

That's fine if you want to read, but at night it would be nice to have more subdued lighting.  So, we might just go out later on and see what's available.  I suppose I should 'google' where we can go. 

What fun!  Shopping.  lol

ONWARD...

Don't ya love days that go to plan, and turn out even nicer than expected?

Our morning has been awesome.  We did a grocery shop, then picked up the surf casting rods.

Home, unloaded then headed out to the lighting shops to find a standard lamp.

First place was a firm 'NO', then off to the second one, where we found something that will work for us.

Stew is putting it together as I type this.

There is a fairly new shop next to the lighting shop that Stew drives past on his way home from work.  He said "I've never been in that shop, so let's have a look now".   I was like, OK... and in we went.

ABOVE:  We had no idea what sort of shop it was... and were very pleasantly surprised to find it stocked outdoor furniture and bits 'n' bobs like table top BBQ's etc.

ABOVE:  It is a really lovely shop.  And I spied something in there that I'd been wanting for a while, so Stew my Darling bought it for me.

It will arrive sometime next week.

AND I will show you what it is... then.  lol

ABOVE:  And there is our new standard lamp.  I didn't want anything too 'old fashioned' or too 'modern'.  This works for us.  You can have one or both lights on,  you can dim them, and angle them, which is rather handy.  

It is now nearly lunchtime.  I am having an Opti shake with a pear blended into it.  Stew is going down the road to get a Kebab.  

Then later on this afternoon we are going to the local pub to see some friends, and drop off a Fish Runner.  I'm giving the runner to our friends who gifted us the Surf Casting rods.  The are keen fishers, and go to the beach often.  

When we visited them I couldn't help noticing all the fish stuff they had dotted around their home and property.  Pretty much just like us!  I am sure a fish runner will fit into their décor perfectly. 🐟🐠🎣

Our visit to our local pub was lovely, hanging out with a really large group of people today.  And there was a table full of Village residents as well, and they all said 'Hi' to us, which was nice.

Our friends LOVED the fish runner, and it is going to be hung on their wall.  

Stew took a raffle ticket, and he won.  So we brought home a meat pack.  Nice one darling.

After the pub, we went to The Foundation for dinner...

ABOVE: As per usual, Stew had to eat over half my dinner, because I simply get full fast now.  It's great for me, but maybe not Stew.  He's put on a few kilos of late.  He still looks good though.

We are now home and a quiet evening is ahead of us.  I doubt either of us will be up late, we are both tired.

Catch ya tomorrow.

TAMAHERE IN OCTOBER

 

5.30 am, and we are up and getting ready to head off to market.  The weather is looking good, just a bit freakin' cold right now.

Yesterday afternoon I spoke to the head of Maintenance/Gardens here in the village about 'the tree'.

There is a tree slap bang outside my garage wall, right where my new window is going.

It has to be the most ugly tree you ever saw.  

ABOVE: That's 'the tree'.  Seems an earlier gardener thought loping the top off, and tying it's branches down with wire would give it a 'nice' shape!  Didn't work.  It looks like that for about 8 months of the year!  BUTT UGLY.

After I spoke to 'L' and 'B' about the tree, I thought they would get around to coming and looking at it eventually.  I told them there was no rush.

ABOVE: They turned up in all of 5 minutes!  And yes, they agreed it was BUTT UGLY, and they would chop it down and replace it with something much nicer.  Something that would not grow too tall and block the sun from my window.  How cool is that?  They had already known about that tree as other people had commented on it being awful.  Glad I'm not the only one who thought that.

Now STEVE doesn't have to 'accidentally' run into it with his bull bars!  Though 'L' said he was welcome to!  😂😅😖  But don't Steve, it's getting removed properly.

Right I better get off here and get a move on... 

Catch ya later on.

ONWARD...

...

ABOVE: We arrived just after 6 and it is now 7.40 am, and we are all set up. The weather is perfect right now, but very cold. I'm praying a wind doesn't develop.   We have SO MUCH STOCK! I really don't need to make anything else for a while. 

2.20 pm, and we are home.  So relieved to be home too.  It was a gorgeous day weather wise, but just not that many people out and about.

It was a very average day sales wise.  And after making ALL.  THOSE.  PLACEMATS, we sold NONE TODAY!   

NONE!!!!

That was weird, but at least I sold some here in the village during the past week.   I'm sure they will sell at the end of the day, just not today.

One lady said "OH placemats", rifled through them and then walked off saying "I only like plain ones".  BITCH.  Like really?  😡😠  Go to fucking Briscoes lady, they have plenty of PLAIN ONES.

One lady headed straight to our stall, and chose a Runner for a friend in FINLAND.  So nice knowing my runners are going all over the world.  She was a returning customer, having bought a few runners off us now.

And that is why we keep going... cos we do have loyal, returning customers.  Who expect to see us at Tamahere, and the other markets we have coming up that are regular for us.

Our next market is on Labour Day (Monday 26th October).  Hoping that one is a bit better than today's.  

I have no idea what I shall do with myself this coming week.  I certainly do not need to make anything else for markets right now!  OMG I have so much stock.  Which is a good thing I suppose.

We are now going to play 'Darby & Joan', and have a quiet afternoon/evening.  I woke up this morning at 4 am, and couldn't get back to sleep, so it's been a long day already.  I have a slight headache, most likely from being tired.  There's a good chance I'll fall asleep in my chair.  Let's see shall we?  😴😜

6.44 pm.  No nap, just rested.  Stew is now watching rugby and I'm listening to a True Crime Doco on YouTube with me earphones on.

Looking forward to tomorrow, when we will continue to do NOTHING much.  Hoping it's another nice weather day.

Catch ya tomorrow.

EXCELLENT NEWS!

 

After patiently, (well not really), waiting almost two weeks to hear back from the Village Manager and City Council, I got this email late yesterday:

Chris

 

I have now had some advice from the city council which I have looked over, it appears the same advice given when the window was installed at number 42. However, as your window is larger and two studs will be removed, they commented on the lintel size to spread the weight and also the requirement for a sill to be installed with sealing to the newly exposed brick work (on the sides).

 

As you are having a registered builder complete the task, the colour and aluminium profile matches the existing windows there will be no issue on our part.

You should therefore have this in by year end.

WHOOP WHOOP!   I have WRITTEN permission to get my new window.  I am beyond thrilled to bits.  It is going to make such a positive difference to my work space... both in summer, and winter.

I have already asked Steve to order the window, and he will project manage the whole process.

It is so neat having a registered builder/Operations Manager in the family.  

What an excellent way to end the week.  It's been such a good week too.  

Today I am going to walk up the hill, pick up my car, then go down to the craft group until mid afternoon.

I am going to make something... not sure what yet.  But you can be sure I'll be productive.  And happy.

ONWARD...

It is now 2.30 pm.  I went down to the Craft room at 9.30 and sewed.  I had company the entire time which was lovely.

ABOVE:  I really couldn't think what else to make, so well... I made 7 Kiwi Bird Placemats, and...

ABOVE:  Four more dog placemats.  And NOW I'm done.

I'm home.  I'm taking a break.  I will pack things up for tomorrow's market a bit later on.

Stew and I are going to our favourite Indian Restaurant for dinner... I'm really looking forward to it.  I just hope I can do justice to the meal.  I can always bring some home in a 'doggy bag' if not.

ABOVE: Deceptive photo, those bowls of Butter Lamb and whatever Stew had were NOT that big!  Seriously.  The dinner was wonderful, and I managed to eat all my butter lamb!  I was kinda hungry having only had some crackers for lunch.

I should sleep well tonight, with a full tummy.

We still have a damn cold, blustery wind, I hope like hell it's not this cold and windy tomorrow.

Lots of wind is even worse than rain at a market.

Right, that's me for the day, I'm dog tired and won't be too late into bed tonight.

Catch ya tomorrow.

ROTOTUNA DR APPOINTMENT

 

I've got a Doctors appointment this afternoon to get my next prescription for WEGOVY... which will be a bit early, but it's so hard to get an appointment, I made one well in advance the last time I was there.

I've still got two more Fridays of being on 1 mg, then I go up to 1.7 mgs.  Better to have it on hand and not have to worry about not getting it in time eh?

This morning I am going to Coffee & Chat, in between finishing these:

ABOVE:  10 really cute cat 'n' dog placemats.  Once they are done I have a few colourful Kiwi ones ready for stitching/quilting etc.  THEN I might just call it quits on making any more.  For now.

I am dying to see how they go at market on Saturday.  It will have been a full month since our last market.

Next year I am going to convince Stew that we need to add one or two regular monthly markets into our calendar.  I don't want to JUST be doing Tamahere from February to September.

I'm thinking of adding Te Awamutu, and either Morrinsville or Matamata.  They are all within 'cooee' of here.

BEFORE I FORGET:  Harking back to being a blogger for 20 years, I'd like to say a HUGE 'thank you' to my Darling Stew.  If it wasn't for his constant encouragement, I might have stopped several times over by now.  He really loves me blogging.  He likes to know what sort of mood I'm in BEFORE he gets home from work, so he can prepare for 'it'.   😂😅😇  All joking aside, he is my rock.

OK, I might just roll over and catch another hour in bed, before starting the day properly.  

ONWARD...

9.50 am:  I'm up, and 'things' have settled down in the nether regions.  Thank goodness, yesterday wasn't fun at all.

I'm off to C & C in a minute... see ya later.

11.50 am:  Morning tea with a much smaller group today... it was raining.  We melt in the rain it would appear.  😀😂

One of the ladies who ordered placemats for grandchildren told me this morning she would like each child's Initial on their placemat.  So I just did that and delivered them to her.

In the rain.  Without an umbrella.  So, another resident saw me walking in the rain and gave me her umbrella. Nice people around here I must say.  Now I have to return said umbrella, which I'll do on my way out to the Dr's this afternoon.

As it is now nearly lunchtime, I might just have lunch.  

ABOVE:  2.10 pm.   And there they all are... laid out as I will display them at market.

In less than a month I have made 113 Placemats, and have already sold 11 here in the village.

Not a shabby effort.

I don't think I will make any more today or tomorrow.

I'm kinda tired.  And I have a good selection to be going forward with right now.

I now need to freshen up in readiness for my visit to the Doctor.  And I also will be picking up Stew's dry cleaning and a few groceries we have run out of.

8.11 pm.  DR's visit went well, I have the next lot of WEGOVEY to cover the next increase in dose.

Did the grocery shopping, and picked up the dry cleaning.

Then home.  Stew arrived home and we drove up to the pub, where I spent an hour with the regulars, before heading over to visit the kids.

Nice visit done and dusted.  Back to the pub, where I had TWO GLASSES of wine.

And now I can can hardly type.. masses of mistakes that I have to keep correcting.

But it was a lovely, fun evening with our friends.

Now we are home and Stew is cooking himself a few chicken nuggets/chippees for his dinner.  I'm not having any, having had something like that for my lunch.

I must admit, two glasses of wine is now my limit... I feel really PISSED.  I'm such a light weight.

I will probably sleep well tonight!  lol

Time to sign off, it's been an EXCELLENT DAY.  

TWENTY YEARS AS A BLOGGER!

  

GOOD MORNING!

TODAY

I

HAVE

BEEN

A

BLOGGER

FOR

TWENTY YEARS !

Twenty years of blogging every single day, except a couple of times when I was in hospital and couldn't do it myself, so Stew or Steve did it for me.

I am super proud of myself for hanging in there for so, so long.  BTW:  That is 7,317 blog posts!

Back story:   I started my blog not long after I had lost 61 kilos going to Weight Watchers in Palmerston North.

I had gained 15 kilos and wanted to try and lose them ... I didn't.

Since then I have gone up and down numerous times.

Right NOW I am 25 kilos up from my lightest ever adult weight.  So...  I was up 15 kilos back in 2006, then add another 10 kilos as of today.  If I can lose those 10 kilos, I'd be perfectly happy!

I thought I was FAT after gaining 15 kilos!  I wasn't really.  

ABOVE:  Me at my heaviest, back in 2002 ish.

ABOVE: And me after I had lost 61 kilos, going to Weight Watchers.

I am in the same sweatshirt that I was wearing in the 'heaviest ever' photo.

Now looking at that photo, I realise I was not at a 'maintainable' weight, FOR ME.

ABOVE: And  yes... here I am in that exact same sweatshirt, 23 years later (and older), and 25 kilos heavier.  As I said, I really, really want to lose another 10 kilos.  THEN I will be content.  Can they PLEASE go off my boobs?????

AND that sweatshirt is at least 35 years old, and I'm keeping it!

ABOVE: Stew back in 2002 ish.

ABOVE: And after he lost about 12 kilos in 2003.

ABOVE: Stew now, another 5-6 kilos lighter.  I think he looks even more HUNKY NOW!  I might be biased though. 😂😅😍

ABOVE: This photo was taken around 2004, and ... I still have that dress!  One day I will wear it again.

Now, back to today.  

I have some flyers to deliver around the village, to advertise the Craft Groups mini market at the end of the month.

Then I will be coming home to continue with the placemats.

Here's a few questions for YOU.  How long have you been reading my blog?  How did you find it?  What keeps you reading it? Have we met in 'real' life?

  

ONWARD...

It has been interesting reading your comments, particularly how you 'found' me.  Thanks for your comments, and for staying around to read my daily drivel.  😊

I have been sewing all morning... along with frequent trips to the bloody loo.  Something has not agreed with my tummy, NO IDEA what though.  I have not eaten anything out of the usual the past day or two?

Just a pain in the butt to be honest.

ABOVE: Another 21 placemats finished today (so far).  I'm on a roll.

I also got those flyers delivered, something else off my mind.

It's another ikky, dreary day here.  But not freezing, so I can't bitch about that!  Which is good, we don't like me bitching eh?  😂😅😆

ABOVE: Me. Dog tired. Lying back on the lazy boy chair... I  don't even have the energy to edit that photo. I see I now have friggin grey eyebrows, what's left of them.  I'm too chicken to do the tattoo thing  in case someone fucks it up. Might do the dye job again.  But not today. It's 2.25 and I'm having a nap. I hope.

7.21 pm:  *snort*... I didn't have a nap.  Had a Coco instead.  She jumped up and kept me company... wriggling and sniffing, and generally being a pain in the arse.  I should have locked her out of the room... but NO.  😒😔

Stew arrived home and was off on a walk, so I accompanied him up the hill then left him to it, and came back home.  I'm still not 100% after all the 'crap' today.  And I might be getting a UTI, as I've had to pee all day long as well, which is certainly not like me.

Luckily, I have a Doctor's appointment tomorrow, so if I'm still not feeling better, I'll mention it then.

Right, that's me for the day.

Catch ya tomorrow.