TO THE PARK! TO THE PARK!

*sigh*  Bex wants to go to the park and feed the ducks.
She wants to drag me along too.... probably wants me to take photos.

So... I suppose we are going to the PARK!

I'm actually quite looking forward to it!  Maybe it's just what me sorry arse needs... some bloody EXERCISE.

Seriously, I think I took 50 steps yesterday.  I knitted.  All day.  I only got up to have a piddle.  And get lunch. Which was nice I might add.

So, today I shall do better.  I promise.  And I will take photos.
Of the kid.  And ducks.   Let's not forget the freakin ducks.

Fingers crossed it doesn't rain.  That would piss me off now that I've decided to go TO THE PARK.

*smiles*

I don't have any photos for the day... yet.
Watch for them.  They are bound to be of.... DUCKS.

Going now.  Be good.  Say hi if ya have a moment.  Or not.

ONWARD...

Our morning walk... in no particular order:

ABOVE:  his nibs loved this tractor, but only to touch.  NOT to sit in the bucket. lol

 ABOVE:  A really lovely time to see the flowers, still with dew on them.

 ABOVE:  A hungry Tui.  He had the most lovely voice, when I heard it I knew right away it was a Tui.

ABOVE:  Sometimes you see a colour and think "it's fake"... but hold on!  Those flowers are real!  Amazingly gorgeous colour.

 ABOVE:  nice eh?

ABOVE:  Kate, just for you.  DUCKS!  

 ABOVE:  Another nice one.

ABOVE: Spring is near!

ABOVE: running around getting tired... GOOD!

ABOVE:  Walking over the bridge, perfectly happy. 

 ABOVE:  Then Mummy pointed out the water underneath the planks.

(silly Mummy!)

 ABOVE:  Frozen on the spot! I can see WATER!   OMG I might fall in !!!!!!

 ABOVE:  Save me Mummy!   Save Me!

I hope he's not scarred for life.  

*smiles*

 ABOVE: Fungus.  But interesting.

 ABOVE:  Just in case we didn't know what that was, it's spelt out for us.  Ta.

ABOVE:  Gorgeous eh?

Right, that's me done for now, off to watch yesterday's Home and Away!

CHRISTINE:  Spring here means less rain, warmer temperatures and FLOWERS!  It's still more winter here than summer, and in some areas of New Zealand they are under snow too.
That park (the Botanic Gardens) is about a 15 minute walk from our home, so yes, we are very lucky!

I finished the blue/white booties, and have started another pink pair, but in a different pattern.  It's one I've made a million times before (25-35 years ago).... can't wait to see them finished.

Bex is a bitch.   She poked me with a pin!  And I was kind enough to unpick some slippers her mother had made too long for Dante too.   Tart.

edit:  She called HERSELF a bitch, I was only echo'ing her!

End of Day:  a really lovely day.  It was so nice at the Gardens this morning, it kept me happy all day!
Dante is just so adorably entertaining now, he's just like a beacon of happiness.  How anyone can be grumpy around him is beyond me.
nite nite

PLANS CHANGE...

Hmmmmm.... today I was supposed to meet up with Lacy at the mall in Manukau and take Keera off her hands for the day, so Lacy could attend an appointment.

Seems that ain't happening now?  She's got her sister Kelly coming up and taking her and Keera to Hamilton... then Lacy is off to Tauranga for a few days, leaving Keera with Kelly.

Well.... I'm sure Keera will just love spending time with Kelly, Gordon and Rena.

That means our weekend is free after all, as obviously we won't be having Keera this weekend.

Lacy won't NEED 'time off' if Keera is staying with her Aunty for a few days.

Which is good as it's grocery shopping weekend and we don't like taking the kids with us.

Dumm dee dooo..... what to do today?  Might just make another one of these:

ABOVE:  one done!  How ADORABLE is that bootie???   I shall make the 2nd one today.

Someone better have a baby girl soon!

So... I'm walking down the hallway yesterday afternoon and I see a little bum....

ABOVE:  his nibs trying to get outside with Coco!!!  He got his hands down on the ground, but he just couldn't figure out how to get his legs out!  If he had pushed with his legs I think he would have face planted ... so just as well he didn't give it all he's got.
We shall have to keep an eye on the little monkey I think!

JACKIE MANTO:  I sent my first couple of quilts to a professional quilter... but it was SO expensive I decided to try QUILT AS YOU GO.  It is amazing!  I make a block, then add the batting and backing fabric and quilt it, then once you have all the blocks or pieces of your quilt done, you join them all up and quilt the sashings as ya go too.  (there's some good tutorials on YouTube)

My fern quilt was done that way, I quilted the middle fern block on it's own, then added the borders... quilting each section as it was joined on.

My machine DOES have some fancy quilting stitches, but I prefer to use a wavy line on most of the larger pieces and sometimes I stitch along the joins of pieces too.  On the fern I did some lovely fancy stitching down the middle of each segment of the fern to act as the 'quilting'.

I hope that answered your question, and sorry I forgot to answer it sooner.  Kinda forgot!

Weight issues:  stalled in the water like a windless day in a yatch!  Hopefully now that things are settling down in relation to a few variables in our lives, I can get myself motivated again.

I started up a Facebook Weight loss support group... and have kinda let it run itself lately!  So bad of me.
I am scared to even step on the scales today, I've been so self indulgent these last few days! Seriously, if I'm not eating, I'm spending money!

They seem to be my two main crutches when I'm teetering between depression and stress.  So frustrating.

How do you cope with stress and or depression?

Whoops, that got a bit heavy!  Better go before I say more twit-ish stuff...

ONWARD...


My darling friend Anne Kean is really, really struggling right now... her health is causing massive concerns AND there is also family stress BIG TIME.  Can we all just send her some lovely messages and let her know that even though she's not blogging or facebooking right now, we still CARE?   I know I do ... very much.  THANK YOU if you do go 'visit' her.

I've had an awesome morning/lunchtime.  Finished the cute pink booties, got some good news from Stew, had a nice lunch, and it's warm inside!

I got one thing wrong in my post today.  Lacy is not going to Hamilton, only Keera is.  Lacy is leaving from Auckland tomorrow, and going to Tauranga.

Whatever.   I know Keera will be happy with her Aunty Kelly and Uncle Gordon, so all good.

ABOVE:  I am really enjoying making baby booties!  I wonder when I will have 'enough'?  *smiles*

I'll probably get the 2nd blue on done tonight... cos right now (4.55 pm) I think I will go downstairs and umm.... make my bed!  Just a bit late in the day...

BLONDIE:  no mate, they are quite little!
I have made bigger kids ones but not for a long time!

End of Day:  well, a productive day.  It was nice and quiet too... except for Dante playing that is!  He can be a ratbag sometimes, but a bloody cute one.
nite nite

BETTER BE WORTH IT.

First on my 'to-do' list today is go down to Griffin's school and cough up $260 for his 5 day school trip next week.

Griffin is really looking forward to going.
I just hope he can look after all his gear and bring most of it home!  He's notorious for losing stuff.   *sigh*

 ABOVE:  a photo of Motutapu Island, where the school camp is being held this year.  Motutapu is in the foreground, then behind it is Rangitoto Island and in the distance is Auckland City.
Both Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands are protected islands, with no pests like possums and stoats, therefore they are safe havens for our native flora and fauna.
I hope Griffin does have an awesome time there.

After I've been at the school, I will pop into the local Hospice Shop, which is next door to the school.  

Bex and Dante will be at Playcentre this morning, so once I get home it will be a nice quiet morning.

I might even get that 2nd bootie knitted!

ONWARD...

Just back from being 'out and about'... paid for Griffin's camp (that hurt!) then I took some more photos of the Hospice Shop down to the boss.

SPARKLING:  there is a meeting next week for all the shop managers etc, and she's going to present her 'paper/email/photo' trail and ask for an explanation.  She's also forwarding all her 'stuff' to the BIG MANAGER at the same time.

So hopefully she gets it sorted out.

I did pop into our 'local' Hospice Shop, but didn't see a single thing I wanted.  All good!

Then I went down to the Manukau Hospice Shop and gave me boss some more photos ... and ummmm.... I have to confess:

I CAN'T GO IN THERE WITHOUT BUYING SOMETHING!

ABOVE:  A snapper!  It's so ME!  Stew often calls me 'The Old Snapper'... can't think why.

ABOVE:  This 'thing'.... is now at my front door with unbrellas hanging off it... for now anyway!  I might find another use for it eventually.

Pretty cool treasure today eh?

Well.... the rest of today has gone as per usual.  I finished knitting that pretty blue/green botties and started on another pair.  Will hopefully show you tomorrow, I'm having to wait FOREVER  for some photos and little videos to download off me camera card.  
Sheesh!

End of Day:  off to bed shortly... kinda tired.
I made home made pizzas for dinner, my chicken and cranberry ones got a big tick from the family, which was nice.
nite nite.

ONE DOWN... ONE TO GO

I started knitting a little 'something' yesterday, and finished it last night:

ABOVE: how cute it that?  I adapted a baby bootie pattern to make a bigger bootie.   This should fit Dante I think.  If not, there's other, smaller babies in our family who can wear them.
I shall hopefully make the 2nd one sometime today.

I have always loved making baby booties!  I even made my 'big' kids bootie/slippers at some point years ago.

Ya just have to use thicker wool and larger needles, and wha laa.... bigger ones.  *smiles*

Now, today?  Housework, Spotlight with Bex, lunch... Hospice shop duty.

So, a normal Monday!

ONWARD...

I need a medal!  I just ironed 11 shirts for Stew... it's not something I do too often.  I loathe ironing!  Yes, he usually does his own shirts... I'm not a very nice wife!

It's almost time for me to leave for the Hospice shop... where I will try to spend NO money today.

Wish me luck on that one would ya?   *smiles*

I failed in my quest to not buy anything!
I should have known I couldn't do it...

ABOVE:  I found some old frames, and framed my heart doodle while I was at the shop.... I took the card with me and the doodle obviously.
I also got those two adorable little casserole dishes, and a silicone 'mat' for the bench.  And Dante got a little aeroplane, though he wanted to play with the casserole dishes more!

It was very quiet in the shop today, and cold.  I am so thankful I now have that game 2048+ on my phone, it sure helps while away the hours.

No knitting got done tonight.  I just blobbed out in front of the telly tonight.  Played that wretched game 2048+... until I was seeing double again!
At least tonight I knew when to stop!  

End of Day:  a really nice day, could have been a bit warmer, but it is winter, so shouldn't complain too much.
nite nite

DO YOU DOODLE?

How's that for a random Sunday morning question?

Well... do ya doodle?
When do ya doodle?
Do you end up doodling the same doodle all the time?

Or do you doodle different designs every time?

I doodle.
I doodled last night while I was watching Youtube.

I can't do just ONE thing at a time... if I'm watching TV I'm almost always either doodling or playing a game on me phone.

And I often doodle when I'm talking to me Mum on the phone.... cos our conversations can be over an hour long!

This is what I doodled last night:

ABOVE:  one of me nicer doodles!  I might even put it in a frame and give it to Griffin... cos he loves it.

I might invest in a good green pen too... or .... I've just remembered I've got a large set of gel pens!  Lots of different colours too.

What fun!

Today our plans are just to get the housework done, and enjoy a nice day at home.  I might even do some sewing, those bird mug rugs are still waiting to be done.

So.... let me know about ya doodles... and I'll be back later!

ONWARD...

Ummm....thanks for the lovely comments girls!   I still just consider it 'doodling'... but I quite like the idea of framing a doodle and giving it as a Christmas gift!

It would be something different for sure.

Everyone is enjoying a very relaxed, do nothing sorta day.
I decided to knit.

ABOVE:  Not finished yet... can ya tell what it is?

Stew and the kids have gone down to the Warehouse.  Stew bought both of them a radio/alarm clock yesterday, but one of them isn't working... so they took it back to exchanged it.
 Other than that... it's a quiet day here, and I am loving it.

Stew and I are going to my Aunt and Uncle's home for dinner tonight.  We haven't seen them for months and they are just up the road from us!  Whoops!  So, lots of catching up to do no doubt.

Brylee and Griffin are staying here with Steve and Bex.  

End of Day:  Wow really Paula?  Ha ha, it's just a doodle Chick, I doubt anyone would want to buy a tea towel with a doodle on it!
But I am thinking of ways to doodle to me hearts content and use them somehow.
A lovely evening here... got home before 9, so got to finish that little knitted 'something'.
Will show you tomorrow.
nite nite

EEYORE!

I started 'collecting' BRITTO figurines and soft toys a few months ago.
And the only place we know that has them is Surprises in Sylvia Park.

They must have got to know us pretty well, cos yesterday I got a phone call from them letting me know that they had a new shipment in from Australia, and there was an Eeyore porcelain figurine in that shipment!

I think I did mention at some point wanting to get that one!

So, the lady (Sue) just wanted to let me know... IN CASE I wanted it?

DOH!  Of course I want it!
We are going there today anyway,  as we want to get a new SKY remote control from the SKY shop on Mt Wellington highway.
So... expect to be shown my new Eeyore BRITTO figurine later!

I have no doubt we will have lunch out as we usually do on a Saturday.
And a wander around the mall.  

Cos when we get home, it's housework time for everyone.

Catch ya later...

ONWARD...

Well!  What a morning.   We picked up Lacy and Keera and went to the SKY office in Mt Wellington to see about getting a new remote control.
I was sure it would cost us something, but wasn't sure how much.  The lady saw us coming in with the old remote, and had a new one in her hand before I even got to the counter!
And even better... AT NO COST.  Awesome.

From there we went to Sylvia Park for lunch and to pick up Eeyore from Surprises.

We looked at all the new figurines for a while, and I decided I actually wanted Uncle Scrooge instead of Eeyore this time around.

And Stew said he loved 'that one, and that one, AND that one' too.

I said to him, how about we choose one each?

He said yep, and headed off to the counter.

I followed and told the lady I really wanted Uncle Scrooge... and Stew told her he wanted Eeyore, Dopey AND the large Jiminy Cricket too!!! 

I was like, what the hell???  You are getting FOUR of them?  Yep, he got us 4 of them!

ABOVE: Eeyore, he's GORGEOUS!

ABOVE:  Dopey, Jiminy Cricket and Uncle Scrooge!  ♥♥♥

 ABOVE:  It's hard to get a good photo of stuff behind glass... but as you can see, I already have quite a collection!
I think it will be a while before I get any more.

Lacy and Keera are here for the afternoon, maybe dinner too.  

End of Day:  well it's been a lovely day, spent with family and my rapidly growing BRITTO Collection!   Watched TV for a while tonight, then a few episodes of One Born Every Minute on Youtube.  I rather enjoy that programme.
nite nite

FINALLY... NOTHING TO DO BUT WHAT I WANT TO DO

This whole week I've been wanting to do some sewing, and every day there has been something happening that has stopped me from doing so.

Today... I AM going to sew.  I just hope it's not too cold in the garage! 
I might have to get our gas bottle refilled so I can have the gas heater on down there while I'm sewing.

It really has turned cold lately!

Now that my Dresden Plate quilt if finished, I don't feel like it's a monkey on my shoulder any more, and that feels great.
I can now get back to making a few smaller projects... like the dozen or so mug rugs I have cut out and ready for stitching.

Teddy... is skating on thin ice right now.  In the past few days I have seen him snap at Dante and go to bite him at least 3 seperate times.  It's a worry.  I don't like the idea of having to lock him out of the living areas of the house in order to protect Dante, but I can't relax knowing he's unreliable around our toddlers.

What to do?  What to do?  I have always said if he bit a child I would have him put down.  I don't want to do that though.  Any ideas people?

P.s.  Dante is not even rough with him, he loves the dogs.  Teddy just does NOT share that love.

I don't think I have anything else to yabber on about right now... so until later...

ONWARD...

Been............sewing.  This morning I made:

 ABOVE:  two more pillowcases for my bed.  I love them!

ABOVE: not quite finished, a set of 4 small mug rugs.

Then I had lunch and watched some TV... and now I'm going to finish those wee mug rugs before starting some more of me bird mug rugs.

Change of sewing plans, I decided to make a runner for the top of the new wall unit:

ABOVE:  I couldn't help it... I added some bling.

Time now to get dinner made, I've got roast beef in the oven, now I'm going to make some cauliflower cheese and veges to go with it.

End of Day:  well for someone who doesn't really like roast beef, I must say it was rather nice.
Spent the evening watching TV with the family, and that's about all!
nite nite

EXCITED!

Today the big wall unit I got from the Hospice Shop arrives... this morning in fact.

Then I can sort out what's going in it.

I plan on putting all our tinned/bottled food stuffs in the lower cupboards, thereby freeing up a whole lot of room in my half pantry.

That's going to be awesome.

I have worked out where it's going to go, and will show you once it's in place.  It took a bit of thought before finding the perfect place for it I can tell you!  It's not a small item.

Once it's here, Bex wants to go to Spotlight, so I shall tag along and drop off the photos I took of the Hospice shop to the Boss, as the shop is only across the road from Spotlight.

So, until later...

ONWARD...

It' later!

The wall unit arrived bang on 9.30 and I'd just finished putting me face on.  LUCKY!
lol

We put off doing anything with it until we'd been down to the Hospice Shop with the photos for the boss.

Picked up a nifty little tray thingee, will show ya later.

Once that was done, we came home and Bex and I set to work re-organising the kitchen cupboards, and putting all tins and 'surplus' grocery items into the wall unit's cupboards.

ABOVE:  fits perfectly there!  

ABOVE:  more kitchen storage, now my half pantry is for all the baking stuff and breakfast cereals etc.  Really happy with how it's worked out.

ABOVE:  Bex thought she didn't have enough wool....   YEAH RIGHT!

Well... been a little while since I hopped on here today!

Bex now has heaps of new wool, I have her a shit load of mine!

Dinner:  KFC tonight, being our 'takeaway' night.  Thursday nights are wonderful, no cooling for me.

GEORGINA:  You can't see in my two fridges and 3 freezers at all the other food we have... correct?  We do not only eat tinned and processed food Chick. 

(was that being 'aggressive' in reply people?)

End of Day: well a neat day, I am really thrilled with the new wall unit, it is awesome.  Even the kids noticed and thought it was cool!

Expect Steve, who reckoned he could have made it for so much less $$'s.

But, I wasn't prepared to wait 10 years for it....  lol!

Time for bed. I'm seeing double tonight... tired.

I hope I get a better sleep tonight, last night my back caused me to have a very restless, uncomfortable sleep.

nite nite

OK.... SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE NO MORE MICE

About a week ago, I was lying in bed at around 1am and all I could hear was rodents scurrying around above my head in the attic/loft space above the garage.

It freaked me out, I had visions (nightmares!) about some rat or mouse falling through a light fitting onto my head!

So.... I got Stew to buy some rat/mouse poison and put it in the roof!

Not heard a single noise since then!  Yaaa... I'm so relieved.

I keep thinking I should climb the ladder up there and check out what they were eating?
Or maybe they were building nests?

MAYBE NOT ... scared I'd fall off the bloody ladder actually!

It's freakin' freezing again this morning.
I would love to stay in bed... but nope, got shit to do.

Kids off to school, then a bit of housework... and then I'm going to meet Lacy and Keera for a wander around a mall then have lunch.

After we've done that, I'm taking them home and doubling back to do a job at the Hospice Shop.

I'm taking photos of our 'back room' for the boss.  She is having trouble with the lady who is supposed to keep the shop supplied with stock.
WE HAVE NO STOCK ... haven't had any deliveries to speak of for weeks and it's starting to seriously affect our daily sales.

So, taking photos is 'evidence' for the records/paper trail my boss is accumulating.
Seems this woman has a vendetta against my boss and wants her OUT.  So starving the shop of stock is how she's going about it.

SO WRONG.  And hopefully her actions come back and bite her on the arse.

So, that's me plans for the morning and first part of the afternoon.

I'll be back once I'm home again. 

ONWARD...

Well today hasn't quite gone to plan.
I did meet up with Lacy and Keera, but we didn't have lunch at the mall.

I bought strong pain killers and came home again.

WHY?   I did a really dumb thing.  I lifted up a heavy cupboard and put it on top on another unit... and it wasn't until about 10 minutes later that I realised I'd done me lower back in.

WHOOPS.  I couldn't even BREATH without pain.

Stupid me.   The painkillers have kicked in now, so I'm feeling OK-ish... for now.

Lacy is at the Doctors, Keera has had a midday nap and now her and Dante are running around the house making lots of noise. 

Once Lacy is back I am taking her and Keera home, then calling into the Hospice Shop... as I had planned to this morning.

Bex is making dinner for me now too.   I don't think I should be doing too much for the next couple of days, to give my back time to get over whatever I did to it.  Derrrrr.

I left the house at 4 pm, ducked into the shop, took a few photos then took Lacy and Keera home.  I got home just now at 6 pm!  The traffic is just crazy at this time of day/night!
A trip that should have taken me maybe 1 hour, tops, took 2 hours!

Lucky Bex is doing dinner, cos if it up to me we'd be having dinner at 8 pm.

End of Day:  well Bex did really well making dinner tonight.  She made her version of Beef 'n' Bacon pie, and it was easily as good as mine, maybe even better!
Watched the tv all night, trying to be kind to me back so it doesn't kill me again tomorrow.
nite nite