OFF TO THE HOSPITAL

ABOVE:  This is Coco's boyfriend... he's coming over next weekend to 'be with' Coco... 
Teddy has been trying very hard to 'do the deed' with Coco... but the poor bugger has no balls!  lol.
Seems boys dogs still get the 'urge' even when they are de-sexed. 

I'm catching the train to Middlemore Hospital today to visit Myra... my neighbour.  Her daughter rang me last night to let me know she has turned the corner and is on the mend.  I couldn't be happier for them. 

So, I'm outta here for now...
ONWARD...

I caught the train to Middlemore Hospital... and spent a long and difficult hour and a half with Myra.  She was in a chair when I arrived and was in a lot of pain.  2 nurses came and tried to get her to stand up and get back into bed... well that didn't work!  She just got so distressed... it was awful to see her in so much pain. 

After the nurses trying for about half an hour they finally got 3 more nurses to help and lifted her out of the chair and put her into bed. 

ABOVE:  the frailty of old age... she is COVERED in bruising... and is so sore.
The sum extent of our conversation was her telling me she was in EXCRUCIATING PAIN, she couldn't hear me cos she didn't have her hearing aides in and someone had taken her watch.  I don't know if I can bear the thought of going up to visit her again... it was very hard to feel like my being there was making any difference to her.

JAXX: good point.. out of respect to her I have removed her photo... just in case.  I will ask her and her daughter if it's OK before doing that again.  Though what is 'appropriate' to put on my blog is up to me I think...and as everyone knows I blog about anything and EVERYTHING... so well... there ya go. (said ever so nicely of course)

Dinner tonight I tried a new thing.... Beef Wellington.  Seared steak (scotch fillet) wrapped in pastry that has been lined with caramelised onions and herbs... then baked in the oven for 20 minutes.  OMG it was exceptional!  Everyone loved them. 

ONLY.... it wasn't until we were eating them that we realised it was BLOODY PORK!  lol
It still tasted exceptional.    Salad on the side was almost not necessary...

END OF DAY:  a nice day all up.... looking forward to tomorrow when I can get out and see the girls at the Hospice Shop.  (I say 'girls' fairly loosely as I'm the youngest one there... lol)
nite nite.

NASTY NEW GAME ON COMPUTER!

I was telling you about a new game I found last night... it's part of SKYPE I think...
Anyway.. I got engrossed on playing one of the games called "Patchwork".... lol... it's really like a jig saw puzzle game, you have to put the pieces in the right place.:

ABOVE : just three I did last night... they start off easy but get progressively harder.  I got up to level 80-something.  The nasty thing about it is that you can't save the game and come back to it later at the same level.  You have to start at level 1 again... what a pain!

Anyway... I am NOT GOING to play it today... I've got masses of housework to do, and blogs to read, and sewing ... bla bla bla.

ONWARD...

I got an email this morning at 8.30 am.. from the school. Reminding me about the meeting to discuss Brylee's progress at 9am today.   Hells Bells, I'm still in me nightie! 
So, I rush around getting myself presentable and tootle off to the meeting.

Upshot:  all is going well.. Brylee is learning new strategies for making friends and keeping them... bla bla bla.  So no major problems there.  What a relief.

Home now and I need to do some housework...

ABOVE:  I started moving furniture around in the Family Room.. brought up the Marble Top Unit from the garage and now the Family Room looks quite different!  Steve and I spent about 2 hours doing that!  The marble top unit weighs A TONNE!!!  We really struggled getting it up the stairs.

I doubt I will get anyone to move it again... lol!

Today has gone so fast... I still have not washed the floors ... which is what I had started doing before I felt the need to move furniture.  Derrr.

END OF DAY:  well another very dull day... best thing about it was our weather, it's much cooler now.  BLISS.
nite nite.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY

I'm trying not to get angry .... hopefully TODAY the people from Whitianga will turn up with the furniture and stuff taken from my Mother's house.

So, we will most likely stay home and wait and see if they turn up.
That in itself is going to make me cross... maybe I will get Stew to ring them and see what the hell is going on?

Yeah, I'll do that when he gets out of bed...

Until then... I'll do some housework ...

BACK LATER....

Pissed off.  The people who were SUPPOSED to be dropping off our stuff from Whitianga (that they took by 'ACCIDENT) are not coming this weekend.  Apparently it's too wet for them.  I only know this cos I rang their daughter to find out what was up as they were not answering their phone and ignoring my text's.  So... I'm now really crabby with them.

To top off me bad mood, we went grocery shopping.  I'm all hot and bothered now and I have to make lunch.  Pfffffft.

LYNISE: Exactly!
And these people are supposed to be friends of ours...to make it worse they are ALSO our Grandson Joshua's other Grandparents!  Grrrrr.

END OF DAY:  Spent the evening playing a new game on the computer... it came over the net via SKYPE.. I'm finding it rather addictive!
nite nite.

I LOVED IT

ABOVE:  we watched the finale of American Idol last night.... Steve did not open his big mouth and tell me who won, so that was good.
I really, really wanted Lauren to win... but Scotty won... but it didn't upset me too much as they are both AMAZING singers, and I'm sure they will both become BIG stars over time.

Today:  well hopefully I'm getting a sleep in! 
After that?  Probably go to a mall... or maybe go check out some Spa Pools?  Apparently at the Hot Springs Spa Pool shop in Botany you can get INTO the pools to try them out!  Hmmmmm.... now there's an idea!

lol.... maybe not knowing Stew.  I really can't see him getting into a spa pool in a shop.  Me?  OH YEAH BABY!

So... it could be an interesting day....
ONWARD...

Pfffft... I didn't get into the spa pool... we wanted to go to town after looking at the pools so I decided it wouldn't be prudent to get all wet!  I think we have decided on which spa pool to get... if money comes available!

After looking at the pools we had lunch in Newmarket and had a wander around the shops... so expensive in Newmarket!  Well... clothes are.  And talk about masses of shoe shops!  I'm sure there were at least a dozen just on the main street.  Sadly ... NO fabric shops.  *sniff*

We are having a quiet afternoon... Stew and I have been 'dozing' while watching some mindless TV.  No motivation to do anything else right now!

END OF DAY:  stayed home all afternoon expecting to hear from the people who are supposed to be dropping off stuff from Whitianga... but they didn't reply to my messages ... and didn't turn up.  Cross about that.
nite nite

DID I SAY I WAS COLD?

Well seriously.. I'm not really!
It is supposed to be winter here...... and I'm still waiting to be really cold! 
If we were still in Palmerston North I'm sure I would be freezing by now, turning my electric blanket on etc.

But here?  OMG it just isn't cold yet.  I look at the heaters and think... almost redundant!

So... clearly I have bugger all to ramble on about today!
I might do some sewing today.... I have done NONE for ages.... maybe if I go into the garage and sew I will feel cold?
Cos it's certainly cooler in the garage... and damper.  The freaking door is leaking really badly... but were are supposed to get ANOTHER brand new one in about two weeks.  We will see....

This weekend some 'friends' from Whitianga are supposed to be dropping off some furniture they 'accidentally' took from my Mother's house a couple of years ago... one thing is a really HUGE  desk that I have been wanting returned for ages, as I want to use it in my sewing/card making area.  I can't wait to see it again. 

ABOVE: another gorgeous photo of Sienna and Tess ... pinched off their Facebook ...lol.  How bloody cute is our newest Granddaughter!

Right... that's 'it' for now, I'll be back later...
ONWARD...

Steve accidentally found out who won American Idol... so I have been avoiding reading the news... like he did.
And when he was telling me about it I had to put my fingers in my ears and go 'la la la' very loudly so he wouldn't tell me too!

We don't find out until TONIGHT who won... so I am not reading ANY blogs today!  I don't want to know until I see it!

It's been a very quiet morning... totally boring in fact.  There is heaps I could be doing... but I just can't conjure up any enthusiasm... feeling really 'blah'...

END OF DAY:  had visitors for dinner, my friend Jackie and her son Joel.. we had Chinese for dinner... always have too much!
nite nite.

BUSY TODAY...

Another Thursday rolls around... taking Griffin to his Speld lesson... might go into Pukekohe for a wander around the shops.

Then home to do some blog reading.... lunch... bla bla bla.

Been of two minds if we should get the sleep-out or.... a spa pool!  lol... while we could use the extra 'room'... I've been thinking of getting a spa pool for a couple of years! 
BUT that is only if we can get the money!  Working on that.

Anyway... this is the spa I'm looking at:

ABOVE:  ya gotta dream eh?

ONWARD...  Oh and my neighbour Stephanie and I are going to the hospital to visit Myra this evening too... I do hope she is doing well.

It's a thoroughly horrid, wet day.  Took Griffin to his lesson, spent the time reading a magazine in the car... home now and not exactly looking forward to going out this evening... but it's planned so I will go.  Hopefully Myra will enjoy seeing us.

We had a lovely visit with Myra in the hospital... she was not 'lucid' when we arrived, but certainly perked up after a while .... we fed her dinner... she only managed to eat about a teaspoon full!  So sad.  She is so very frail... it's hard watching her breathe... even that tires her.

Anyway, Stephanie and I left after about and hour and a half and went to the mall and had dinner at Nando's... which was nice.  Then we had a walk around the mall... I introduced Stephanie to City Chic, which she had never been in before.  She ended up buying some tights and a top.  She was really wrapt with the shop.

End of Day: pleasantly tired now... ready for me bed.
nite nite.

SALES PITCH AGAIN

The shop which I was supplying with my wee cards is under new management, and they are moving to another area of Auckland. 

So, I have an appointment today to see the new Sales Manager with a view to them continuing to stock my cards.

As I have already had a good talk with  him in person I am fairly confident he will still want my cards (he hasn't seen my cards as they sold out of them)... but you never know until they take them eh?  Fingers crossed...

ABOVE:  a very rare white Kiwi, born at Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre. He is the first white kiwi to be breed in captivity and he has been named 'MANUKURA' which means "of chiefly status".  He is not an albino either... he's just white,  which is extremely rare.  I hope he does well. (The kiwi is our national bird.)

What else?  Once I get home I'm going to read blogs and just do a big catch up. 

ONWARD...

The last thing I said to Steve last night was "Don't let me forget my appointment at the shop tomorrow".
This is what I found when I got up this morning!

ABOVE:  somehow I don't think I am going to forget!  lol

ABOVE:  our son Russell and baby Sienna.... what an awesome photo!  So very glad I can pinch their photos off Facebook!  lol

EXCITEMENT abounds!!  Coco has gone into season... so in 10 days she bonks her boyfriend (who she ain't met yet..lol) and in two and a half months we will have puppies (all going well).

Good news! The new shop Manager took me cards again.. AND he wanted the larger cards too... and paid in cash on the spot...so I'm wrapt.  

End of Day: spent the evening doing bugger all... have felt COLD today!
nite nite.

FOUR ON ONE CHAIR:

Last night Amanda had the AUDACITY to sit on the dogs chair in the family room:

ABOVE: as per usual, I couldn't pick JUST ONE picture... so there's three of the dogs re-claiming their chair!  They didn't move until Emily cried... awwww.... so darn cute.

ABOVE:  our Emily without the Pavik Harness... it was weird holding her without it on... she felt so soft and cuddly.  It won't be long before she gets used to the freedom, and her legs come down to the normal position.  But for now, she's still our little frog.

TODAY: don't have any plans yet... Amanda and Andrew are here all day so we might just chill out at home?  We will see....

::: Teddy is in the cone again as he chewed his back leg... and made a mess AGAIN.  Luckily I caught it very quickly and it should be all better in a few days.

My neighbour Myra came through the hip operation ...  the next 4 days are critical for her...so fingers crossed all goes well.

Mid afternoon:  and it's been one of those 'do nothing' days here.  In fact I went and had a nana-nap this afternoon!
Was nice to just do nothing.

Amanda, Andrew and Emily left at lunchtime... I expect they will be back soon!  Amanda sure is enjoying coming up here with the baby lots.. so are we.  I am sure once Amanda goes back to work we won't see as much of them...

It is very quiet in blogland!  Maybe I better do some blog reading soon to see what you are all up to!

End of... a very average day. 
nite nite.

OMAHA BEACH PHOTOS FROM YESTERDAY:

ABOVE:  Steve was on a little sand bank ...

ABOVE:  I had fun trying to take photos from a different angle...

ABOVE:  gentle waves rolling in...

ABOVE:  proof I was on the beach!  lol

It was a magical day.

TODAY:  kids back to school (yaaaa) and housework for me....

back later...

GOOD NEWS:  the garage door people are coming this afternoon... well... so they say!  We will see.

And HOPEFULLY more good news later on this afternoon.  Emily is having a hip scan again this afternoon... and MAYBE, just maybe she can get out of her harness?  We are all hoping so.  Fingers crossed....

The garage door man ARRIVED!  He spent over an hour putting sealant on the door on the INSIDE this time... then he waited for it to set then hosed the door down.  Water pissed in!  And the door was actually WORSE than before!  Even more leaks.

He had gone back to his workshop with the promise he will get us a BRAND NEW DOOR within two weeks.

He looked really upset to tell you the truth...he said he has NEVER had this happen before.  I almost felt sorry for him. 

ABOVE:  EMILY IS FREE!  she is out of the harness.... so, so happy!!!  OH and Amanda and Andrew (and Emily of course) are coming up here tonight!  AWESOME.  I get to cuddle our baby with no harness on.

End of Day:  well the kids and baby are here... a very grumpy, overtired, overhandled baby. 

DIET:  should stop putting this bit in... cos it just ain't happening.

nite nite.

SMASHING GLASS?

Last night Stew and I were just sitting down to watch American Idol... when we heard a noise outside... then SMASHING GLASS!  It sounded really close so we jumped up and looked outside.

It was Ambulance Officers breaking into our neighbours house!  Well of course we hot footed it over there to see if we could help in any way.

Our dear wee neighbour had taken a fall on the kitchen floor... and couldn't move.  The ambulance officers got her onto the stretcher and I went with her to hospital as her daughter (who lives with her) was out at the movies.

Myra is 84 ... and has had dreadful health in the past 18 months... starting with a stroke, then problems with her bowel... and now... A broken hip and elbow.  The poor thing.  I stayed with her for four hours until her daughter arrived...

So, I get to watch American Idol this morning! 
Then... not sure.
Can't visit Myra till at least next week as she isn't having surgery till Monday or Tuesday.
So, maybe after watching me show we will go out and about.... I feel the need to walk on a beach!

ABOVE:  well I think we are going here.  Omaha Beach.. which is just the most gorgeous beach for walking on.

ONWARD...

Well we have had a really lovely day!  I will show you our lunch:

ABOVE:  we went to our favourite pub in Matakana and ordered their 'Matakana Mega Works Burgers'... OMG they are amazing!!!

ABOVE:  said burger!  Chicken pattie, beef pattie, bacon, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomatoe, beetroot, pineapple and onion!  With sauce and mayo.   You could not fit it in your mouth... I had to eat bits out of it before I could wrap me mouth around it!  

 ABOVE:  Stew on the other hand has a big gob and managed it!  lol  The kids had chips and chicken nuggets.  Griffin was being a twit.

ABOVE: we had a tiki tour around the houses in Omaha before hitting the beach... this was a mural on a house wall!  Gorgeous... stunning even.

ABOVE: I found this really neat shell... with 'thingees' on it.  Totally cool.

I took a few more really lovely photos of the beach itself, which I will share with you tomorrow. 

On our way home we stopped in for a visit with family friends in Brown's Bay (Auckland) and now I'm waiting for Stewy to cook dinner again!  Not expecting or need much after our huge lunch!

PENNY:  re your comment yesterday... YOU ARE ON!  I would love to meet you.

End of Day:  tired tonight.  Just watching some programmes on the telly that we missed last night.
DIET: don't ask!
nite nite.

GIRL TIME...

Today  Amanda and I are popping over to Botany Town Centre to look at stuff in the market there.  I saw some really lovely stuff there last weekend and wanted to show Amanda.

We may even leave the baby with the guys!

Those blasted garage door men DID NOT come yesterday, after promising they would.  Grrrrrr.
I think Stew will be ringing them again on Monday!  God help them.

ABOVE:  Russell and his daughter Sienna. Awwwww.

ABOVE: Haylea and her sister Sienna, who is going to be a real blondie by the look of it!

ONWARD...  so we went shopping.... it was nice, just the two of us.  I got spoilt by Amanda .... she bought me this totally gorgeous Blue Pendant!  :

ABOVE:  lovely pendant, it will get masses of use ...

ABOVE:  topped up the Gift Parcel for baby Sienna... now the big question is:  do I post it... or hand deliver it???  Time will tell.

ABOVE:  After Amanda and Emily left we decided to go for a drive.... and went over to Devonport.  While the guys and kids had a run around at the look out I had a hot drink and wander around the shops.  When they picked me up we went up Mount Victoria and I got these awesome photos.  I could never get tired of the view of Auckland city.

ABOVE:  a lovely wee church at the foot of Mt. Victoria.   We parked there to get an ice cream from the dairy.  YUM.

Home now and Stew is 'the cook' for dinner... wonder what he's doing?

End of Day:  our evening took a totally different turn from expected.  I did not get to see American Idol... which I really wanted to see... so will have to watch it tomorrow.  NO. BUGGER. TELL.  ME. WHO. THE. FINAL. TWO. ARE!!!
DIET: yeah OK.  Oh and I'll tell you what I did tonight... TOMORROW!
nite nite.