PICKET FENCE NOT FINISHED YET , 2ND TREE SECTION

Well... the fence is still not finished. I only have one side left to get painted now... then it's a case of watching paint dry.

So... I probably won't be showing it to you for a couple more days yet.

Sorry.

I woke up this morning with a horrible headache and so tired!  My mind would NOT switch off last night... I have been quite crabby the past few days thanks to twats annoying me.

My stress levels are rising!   I was feeling so calm the past few weeks, now?  Not so much.

That is really annoying.  I shall have to work harder to not allow toxic people to get to me.

So now, how about I show you the 2nd section that will be going on the tree TODAY?

ABOVE:  For as long as I can remember, Hamilton has had a Hot Air Balloon festival once  a year.

Dozens of balloons float over Hamilton for a week or two, then there's a night event, where the balloons 'glow' in the dark, and some dip into the lake as well.

So, when Bex suggested the next section had air balloons on it, I thought... BRILLIANT!

I was just gunna do birds!

Right... I better get up and start the day.  More fence to paint.  Sheesh, anyone would think it was a full sized fence the time it's taking!

ONWARD...

I got up early to get ahead on the painting.

ABOVE:  I now only have one plank to go!  I have to wait for other bits to dry before I can do that one though.

Which is fine.  It will get done later today, then by around the 2nd January the picket fence can go out to the tree.  Awesome.

Well... we have now got a HUGE bowl of chicken marinating for dinner.  The usual family who hang around will be here to enjoy Teriyaki Chicken and Garlic Bread.

Then we hope to have our brazier going while we see in the New Year.

Might even have a wine... or tipple.

AND...

ABOVE: The second section is on the tree... and it looks amazing.  I really love doing my tree.

2.03 pm:  Stew and I went out to get more hooks for the grape vine netting.  Then we went to a few shoe shops looking for summer footwear.

I have nothing that I can just slip on and mooch around in, and Stew? 

He has the most HIDEOUS jandals ever, ever.

So, we finally found and bought these:

ABOVE:  They are just so comfortable!  Love them.  And... damn cheap as too.  SCORE.

Stew is just finishing up the grape vine covering now.  I will take a photo once it's done, to show you what a wonderful job the guys did.

ABOVE:  Teriyaki Chicken.  IF ONLY you could smell it!  Mouthwatering.

Add garlic bread and you have the easiest, but crazy yummy dinner!

Dinner was wonderful, and we have some left overs for next year. 

Lacy is here with us, as is Steve, Bex and the little boys, and of course, Brylee.

I don't know if we will be firing up the brazier now... Stew isn't keen.  So a quiet evening inside by the look of it.

And there ya go.  Another year bites the dust, and we move on to the next one. (well, in 3 hours)  

Catch ya NEXT YEAR my friends.

BRAZIER & PAINTING THE PICKET FENCE.

AND.... we have another little job finished.

Positioning the brazier in a place where we can actually USE it.

ABOVE:  It is even on a flat, 'safe' base.  It's down the bottom of our garden, by the two chairs under the maple trees.

I'm hoping we can fire it up on New Year's Eve.

ABOVE:  I have put primer/undercoat on the picket fence, and painted ONE side.

I will continue painting it today.  

It is going to take a few days to get all sides done and DRY.

Then it can go out and around the tree.

I can't wait to do that!

While I do that, I'm hoping Stew and Steve can get the new netting on the grape vine.

Once that is done, most of the little, annoying jobs that needed doing around the section will be done.

AND Stew can finally sit back and watch CRICKET (OMG kill me now)... I loathe cricket!

Isn't it wonderful when you get to an age where you can actually DO THAT?  

I heard a BEAUTIFUL new song while travelling in the car yesterday.

MUSIC makes me SO, SO HAPPY.

Check it out:  Ed Sheeran's  AFTERGLOW.

I LOVE IT.

ONWARD...

12.06: Well... I've managed to get two sides of the picket fence done this morning!

So cool.   I can't wait to show you.   How about a sneak peek?

ABOVE:  So yeah... it's not gunna be white.

Steve and Bex are here... they brought lunch for everyone.  Sausage Rolls, about to go in the oven.

Then I presume the guys will get the netting on the grape vine.

It's a lovely day, the horrid wind we've had for weeks has settled down, so a swim this afternoon is highly likely.

We all went swimming in the pool this afternoon.  It was just perfect.  The wind came back a bit, but it was still just lovely.

After the kids went home, Stew and I did a quick run to the supermarket for a few things.  The main shop will be done tomorrow.

I'm basically still watching paint dry!

No netting today, the guys opted for swimming this afternoon instead. 

They will do it tomorrow morning when it's not so hot.

There is virtually nothing on TV worth watching at the moment, so we go to our 'if there is nothing else to watch' programme:  Ridiculousness.  

If nothing else, it makes us laugh.

And that's it for today.

Catch ya tomorrow.

SNEEK PEEK AT SECTION 2

 First up for today, how about a sneek peek at section 2 for the tree:

ABOVE:  I am quite sure no one is going to guess what it is, apart from a KIWI of course! lol

But a Kiwi on what, where, doing?  😂😄😜

Now, back to today.

Stew and I are going on another little road trip.

This time in another direction.  I am not going to say where right now.  

I asked Steve to make me a little 'white picket fence' to put around my tree.  To keep dogs from peeing on the tree, and to protect the tree from little fingers.

ABOVE: that is what I expected.

But no.  Steve decided to do it 'extra special' for me, knowing how much I like things to be different.

ABOVE:  Construction going on!

ABOVE:  Unloading it at our house, I was gob smacked!  I nearly cried.

ABOVE:  Now I need to paint or stain it, then Steve can install it around the tree's base with a few stakes.

It won't be 'stealable, as it will be around the entire tree trunk, kinda 'built' in place.

I absolutely LOVE IT, it is in keeping with our big fence at the end of our driveway.

Right, time to get a move on... we are going to have a lovely day, just the two of us.

ONWARD...

12.07 pm: and today's  mission is over. We are on our way home now.

A little clue of where we went:

ABOVE: More on that once we are home.

 We went to Tokoroa.  My home town, where I was born and raised until I was 15.

When my Mum died, I took a lock of her hair and also a piece of her favourite nightgown (she wore it in the hospital until her very last day).

I put both the hair and the nightgown into a little metal Urn.  I am going to bury the Urn with my Dad in the Tokoroa Cemetery today.

I want it done before this year is over.

While there I will also photograph my Dad's headstone, so that I can get my Mum's details added.  

I know Mum isn't 'there' with Dad, but I need her details there for posterity.  So she is acknowledged as having lived and died.

This is one of the last things I can do for her.

And it gives me closure too. 

ABOVE:  The first job was to dispose of all the old flowers, and give both headstones a good scrub.

ABOVE:  Finished, all clean and new flowers.

ABOVE:  We did have another little job to do while there.  Bury Dante and Archer's placentas.

Under the same tree we buried Brylee and Griffin's. 

Bex is thrilled to bits to have them out of her freezer, she's got more room for food now.  😆😅😂

On our way home we stopped in at Tirau for lunch at our favourite cafe.

ABOVE:  It's the one where everyone signs their names on the walls/ceiling/woodwork.

ABOVE:  I found a big empty space on one of the posts by the bar!  BOOM!  Recorded for posterity.

And now I'm gunna take a break before starting to paint the little picket fence.

Well... I have got ONE side of the fence painted.

It was fun! 

And then, my fun ended.

WHY are there so many toxic people in this world?  Who live to drag others down to their level?  YOU are an evil, disgusting person M, NEVER EVER come near me.   Cos I will not be responsible for what I might say and do to you.

I thank GOD I never have to associate with you again.  There is NOTHING to link us together now.  NOTHING.

STOP READING MY FUCKING BLOG you piece of shit.  Get a life of your own, or go attack and back stab someone else eh?  You are a vile, malicious, hateful person.  

Thank GOD we are not related in any way.

And now... back to MY LIFE.  Living it how I WANT.

9 pm:  Trying to calm down now... and enjoy the rest of this rather stressful day.

WAIT ... OR NOW?

 I have been pondering on WHEN to start decorating my tree again for weeks.

Yesterday I decided.

Let's end this super shitty year with a smile!

So, out I went with the very first section.

ABOVE:  While out there stitching that section on, several cars drove by and virtually every single person SMILED at us.  (Bex was out there with me).  It was so lovely to see the smiles again.  We even got a wave too.  

ABOVE:  Some of the tassels etc that I'd left on the tree over winter will be coming off soon, as they are fairly weathered.

Now... I have to make the 2nd section in the next few days.

I might start that today.

Stew is on holiday until the 11th of January.  We do not plan on going anywhere, just a few day trips like yesterday.

Today I'm going to make him work though.  There's a bit to do outside.  The grapevine needs to be covered in netting to stop the birds eating all the grapes for a start.

I'm sure I will find more for him to do. 

Right, off to start me day.  Catch ya later.

ONWARD...

When I got up this morning, the dogs were barking like crazy.  So I went out and see what was bothering them.  And to my horror BOTH dogs were out on the driveway, beside the footpath!

I looked down the side of the house, and yep, our side gate was wide open.  OMG.

That kinda means somebody deliberately opened our gate.

Which also means last week when I found the gate open, it might NOT have been the power meter reader.

Bloody hell.

I've asked Stew to put a padlock on that gate now.  That ain't happening again that's for sure.

12.00 midday:  And I have actually finished the 2nd Tree Section!

I thought it would take longer than that, but no.  I'm just fast I suppose.

I won't be showing you it until I'm ready to put it on the tree, which will possibly be in the next couple of days.

ABOVE:  So, I'm sitting in the sewing room ... sewing (as I do) and it's damn hot!  

Look at Coco.  That's where she sits and surveys the world while I'm working.

I can't open the door or she will run off!

Sooooo hot.

ABOVE: And then it hits me in the face!

There's a freakin' window right in front of me.

Like, how the  hell have I never noticed that before?

So, it get's shoved open and OH!  Instant relief, as there's a lovely breeze coming straight in.

ABOVE:  Steve sent me these photos today.  Him and his little family are out walking along the river side.  Nice one.  Stew and I should do that more often too.

ABOVE: LOOK at that tomato!  WOW.

ABOVE:  The side gate now has a padlock on it.

ABOVE:  Stew spent 4 hours out in the garden today.  He put wooden edging on the garden down the 'dogs side' of the house. He put new bark on some gardens.

He weeded. He got the grape vine ready for netting. He also did another job, which I'll show you another day.

Steve also did a job for me.

I asked him to make 'something' for my tree project.  It took him 3 hours.

Again, it's not quite finished, so I will show you another day.

The kids came around for a swim, it was raining!

ABOVE:  Because we have not had much sunshine today, no one stayed in too long!

We are now ordering fish 'n' chips for dinner.

9 pm:  Finally, everyone got fed, then those that don't live here went home.

I've got nothing else to do now except chill out and watch TV.  

So catch ya tomorrow.

MIGHT GO TO AUCKLAND

 The weather forecast isn't too promising today.

In fact, we are supposed to get thunderstorms this afternoon.

So I have suggested to Stew that we take a day trip up to Auckland.

Sylvia Park to be precise.

We have only been there once since the expansion was opened. So, it might be nice to have a leisurely wander around.

I painted me nails properly last night... I got some base and top coat polish to do the job right yesterday.

How come the minute you get wet polish on ya nails, ya need to pee?

Like really bad?  Grrrrr.  I had to 'hold on' for over an hour until me nails were dry enough to even contemplate trying to get me knickers off! 

I'm happy to say I managed it, without ruining me nails!  It was a mission though, I tell ya.

And this is how my nails look now:

ABOVE:  I wish I could grow my nails.  But no, they always just split and break, or tear off.  It's so frustrating.

BTW, it's the first time THIS YEAR I've done them properly.  

Only a few more days until the NEW YEAR is here.

Does anyone else feel like this year has just flown by?

ABOVE:  Marley is STILL loving her white bunny toy.  She's eaten it's eyes off already. 😂😊

If we go up to Auckland, I might see if I can find her a few more lovely soft toys.

In case you have wondered, NO, Coco does not love toys.  She will chew one, once in a blue moon.

Right, I'm going now, catch ya later.

ONWARD...

ABOVE:  I just found this photo taken on Christmas Day.  It's the 'Third Wave' ... as in Stew and I, and our 3rd wave of kids!

My first 4 were the first 'wave', then the next two boys were the second 'wave' and those two above were the third 'wave'!

How many families have that I wonder?  Probably way more than ya realise.

Heading off to Auckland shortly.  Might just be Stew and I as Brylee doesn't know how to get ready fast.

I can get up, have a shower, get dressed and be ready to go out the door in about 30 minutes.  Can you? 😅😂😊

3.33 pm:  And we are home from Auckland.

The kids are out in the pool.  Stew is preparing beef schnitzel for dinner.

And I'm here, updating YOU on our day.  lol

ABOVE: There were some very interesting cloud formations today.  And there were scattered thunderstorms all over the Waikato.  We missed them, being up in Auckland, but could see them on our way home.

ABOVE:  Well that was not intentional AT ALL!  But me fingernails match today's top!

ABOVE: On our way UP to Auckland.  The traffic coming out of Auckland was banked up for miles/kilometers!  Sadly, it was still like that when we left ... so it was a slow trip to get out of Auckland.

ABOVE:  Sylvia Park was certainly not too busy when we got there.  I love these 'Knuckle Bone' seats!

ABOVE:  I also liked this 'Jet Plane Lolly' sculpture.  

ABOVE:  Stew and I were very disappointed in our shared lunch.  All the dishes were cold, when they should have been warm at least.  And they were not nice at all.

Lesson learnt, don't go there again.

On our way home, we stopped in at the Made In Italy shop on the top of the Bombay hills.

ABOVE:  How could I resist this dress???  It's my favourite shade of blue and it has FISH on it!  OMG it was on sale too.  BOOM!  MINE.

ABOVE:  I also got this little ceramic Angel, in memory of my Mum.

And there ya go... that's our day up in Auckland.

Time to sign off for the day, I'm knackered.  Trying to stay awake to watch a new TV series called 'Des'... but nope.  I'll have to record it and watch it another day.