DUST BUNNIES

 I forgot to get more 1 point hot drink sachets yesterday.  so I will be going out today to get some.  I might even try to see Leo (Dr at town clinic) this morning too.

Kill two birds and all that shit.

After that... OMG!  I am going to slowly vacum the entire house.  We have dust bunnies!  My housekeeping is slipping I tell ya.  I just don't vacum anymore.  Sometimes Stew does it.  Sometimes Bex does it.

But lately, no one has done it.  So I will.  It won't kill me.  Just me back.  It's gone past being ignored now.

Then, once I've done that, I will be working on this:

ABOVE: This will be my 2nd Christmas Braid Runner.  I hope it ends up looking nice.  I love the Grinches. 

Last day of June.  Half the year is done.  Heading towards summer now.  

9.20 am: at the clinic in town. Only 14 people ahead of me... waiting to see the one Dr here. JOY.

11.50 am:  finally home from the Dr's.  Long wait, but at least it wasn't 2-3 weeks!  As Leo said, his clinic is the only place in Hamilton where you can see the Dr the same day and not wait weeks.  And he's wonderful.  

Now.  Lunchtime.  Then vacuuming.  Maybe NOT all of the house today, just the worse areas.  Where the dust balls are lying in wait to get ya!  lol

ABOVE:  Yesterday's runner (the blue Kiwiana one), and today's, the Red Christmas one.

And I hope I don't get the urge to make another one for a few days!

Though, I'm open to ideas on themes?  for another.

It's now 4.09 pm, and I'm inside getting warm.  Might even do bugger all else for the day.

I take the silence as a NO on ideas.  That's fine, I will just think of something myself.

Quiet evening here, it is so cold!  I had the heat pump on all night, and was still cold!  So heat pods and blankie on and finally, I'm warm. 

catch ya tomorrow.

NOTHING MUCH

 MEH.

I really having nothing much to yabber on about today.

I was supposed to have a Dr's appointment today, to get my prescription renewed.  But I got a text message yesterday saying the Dr would not be able to see me today and to ring and reschedule my appointment!  Like hell I will.

That means I will have to wait another two weeks.  NOPE.

I'm gunna go to the Clinic in town and see Leo.  He can renew my prescription instead.

I tell ya, Tui Health suck sometimes.  Well... almost all the time to be honest.  Grrrrr.

While out, I will pop into the supermarket for some of these:

ABOVE:  I'm not one to rave about any vege, but these Cauliflower Bites are DELICIOUS.  I have been craving them since the first time I bought some a few weeks ago.

I'm also going to be looking for 'Chicken Bacon' as a lower calorific version of 'bacon'.  Someone at WW reminded me about it a couple of weeks ago.  

I'm bound to get more than just those two things at the supermarket... who ever went in for just one or two things, and didn't come out with half a trolley full!

So, that's me for now.  When I get home again, I will most likely get in the sewing room and do a big clean up again.  Then start on a couple of Christmas Braid Runners, no time like the present to get ahead.

6th night in a row I got very, very little sleep.  Last night was the worst though, I didn't get to sleep until after 4.30 am.

No idea why.  Don't tell me why it could be, I'm NOT in the mood.

Went to the Drs to reschedule my cancelled appointment.  I have to wait ANOTHER 2-3 weeks, so I said no.

And took myself off to the drop in medical centre in town.  

The doors were locked.

They are taking no more patients until this afternoon.

So I went to the supermarket then came home.

DEFEATED.  2 hours wasted.

So, so annoyed.

I don't want to have to drive into town again today.  I will try again on Monday.

ABOVE:  I forgot we have a 'hot' oven.  Set it for 200 degrees and once it's at temperature, you think OK, all good.

But no.

It's probably more like 230 degrees, so ya have to be very careful to not leave the food in the oven as long as you expect.

I forgot. 

Me bacon is toast.

Rubbery, inedible bacon flavoured toast.

I couldn't even give it to the dogs, cos we don't give them that sort of stuff.  In fact, they don't get any treats.

Unless Steve comes over.

Then they get some cheese or a little meat off his plate.

The cauliflower bites were saved, thank goodness.  I actually got some food for lunch.

I have tried making my own Cauliflower Bites, but they just were nowhere near as nice at those store bought ones.  

If anyone has a tried and true recipe, gimme!

Unlike yesterday, when I was going to have a 'do nothing day', I actually am today.

I'm cold.

I'm crabby.

And just over it.

Might take a bloody nap.

Stew just got home from work (early), as he's not feeling well.  He's had a head cold all week.

NOT COVID.

Anyway, he got a call from the CEO of his company today, and when he answered it, up popped 30 odd people on his screen (ZOOM call).

He was very surprised, not sure why they were all on a Zoom Call to him.

Today marks 25 years he's been with the company!

Sneaky man didn't say a word about it to me.

So, all the senior management team wanted to wish him congratulations.  How lovely was that?

He would normally be off to the pub now to catch up with his mates, but he's staying home.  He's tired too.

We both are for various reasons.

He caught me in the sewing room when he got home.  I was just sorting out fabrics for the next Braid Runner.  I'm not sewing anything today.

Time to sign off for the day, it's bloody cold and miserable.  We will be sitting here watching TV and keeping warm.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

 I don't know how ... but yesterday afternoon I ended up making my grandson some Scrambled Eggs.

He wanted to see how my new Weight Watchers Scrambled Egg dish worked.  So I shook up two eggs in a shaker, then put them in the dish.  Added some salt and a tiny bit of cheese.

Liam said "Grandma, you have to put milk in that".

I was like, "No I don't".

Some backward and forward discussion ensued, cos Liam was adamant I had to add milk.

I didn't add milk.

ABOVE:  Guess what?

Liam loved his milk free scrambled eggs.

ABOVE:  He had the grace to say I was right.  Yeah.  I may be old mate, but I know a darn sight more than you.  Little pipsqueak.

Cute photo of him and Emily having some afternoon tea.

I was really happy with my Weigh In last night.  I worked so hard for that 1.1 kg loss.

Now I just have to keep it up, and have another loss next week.  

I'm trying to add more exercise into my day.  It's not always easy when its so cold!  I hate being cold, it's so tempting to just snuggle up with a blanket and heat pods.

At least when I'm sewing I am busy, up and down all day pressing seams and so on.

But today I just feel like I need a break from the sewing room.

So maybe I will just snuggle up!

Catch ya later.

ABIGAIL DOUGHERTY

The grey house on the right of the image has begun to collapse after being damaged in a landslide (File photo).

Emergency crews have closed parts of a major west Auckland road after a house damaged in a recent landslide started collapsing on Tuesday night.

Scenic Drive in Swanson was barred to traffic just after 7.30pm as a red-stickered house started showing signs of breaking up.

A FENZ spokesperson said a neighbour had called emergency services worried that the house was going to come down.

ABOVE:  Those three houses we saw on our way out to Khady's on Saturday are starting to fall down onto the road now!   Luckily, they are empty.

I dreamed about making another Kiwiana Braid Runner.  I often dream about stuff that I really want to do.  So yeah.

I'm in the sewing room.  NOT what I had planned for today at all.

But oh well, I'm being productive right?

The sun is shining!  Most unexpected.  It is rather cold though.  Think I'll turn me heater on and at least be warm in here.

5 pm:  another quiet day around here.  I had a very lazy afternoon, and have only just started working on the latest runner again.

It is going to be almost exactly the same as yesterday's one.  I just had to change one fabric,

It it still going to look amazing.

I had to take some pain killers today as my upper arms were really sore.  I presume it's from all the sewing.

Thank goodness for pain killers, I can work again.

I am going to try adding some water to the scrambled eggs, so they are not so dense.  Not that they were 'bad' how I did them, but let's see what adding water does shall we?

Well... the scrambled eggs came out beautifully this evening.  I had some cooked onions with me eggs on a wrap for dinner.  Very yum.

Been watching the telly since dinner.  A quiet night as per usual really.  Damn cold.  Not enjoying this winter at all.

Bring on summer, so I can bitch about being too hot! lol

THAT WAS HARD

 When Amanda picked Liam up yesterday, Liam told her about my Braid Runners.... because he and I had been working on a Kiwiana Braid Runner.

She hadn't seen them.  I didn't know that, so I showed her.

And that tart took one!  MY FAVOURITE ONE!

ABOVE:  It was SO HARD to part with this one!

I have been torn between selling it or keeping it.

I know I don't need yet another runner myself, but I utterly LOVE this one.

But, as Amanda said, I can make myself another one.  Which I probably will do.

Weight Watchers this evening.  OMG I hope like hell I have a decent loss, or I'm going to lose the will to live ... I mean lose HOPE.  I have been 100% focused and on point this week, bar our one meal out.

I allow myself AT LEAST ONE off point meal a week, it's what I have always done when doing WW diligently.  I am sticking to only ONE off point meal a week now.

So, cross everything girls 'n' boys.

I deserve a good loss.

Worth noting:  I have some pink jeans I bought about 10 years ago.  I tried them on about two months ago, and they were really, really tight over me belly and upper thighs.

Although my weight is very similar to two months ago, I tried them on again yesterday.  They fit!  In fact, they were kinda lose on my legs.

Is that weird or what? 

I shall probably never wear those jeans, I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought them!  😂😅😆

Shitty, horrible weather is back with a vengence.

And it's supposed to stay wet and shitty for an entire week.  Then a couple of fine days, and THEN... back to WET.

I was talking about it to the AA guy yesterday, and he's the same as me, 100% over it.  He said everyone he talks to feels the same.  

Just OVER IT.  8 months of RAIN, STORMS, CYCLONES, FLOODS, LANDSLIDES, ROADS CLOSED, & MISERY for so many people.

I have never believed in 'climate change'... but this might just tip me over into believing it.  Just a little.

But not entirely.  

Today?  Treadmill for a walk, then into the sewing room to work on the Kiwiana version of a Braid Runner.  I hope it's gunna look gorgeous.

And please leave me a comment today, or I might just crack a shit! 😂😉😊 

10.10 am:  It's raining.  Funny that.

I slept in a bit today, so went straight onto the treadmill for 30 minutes, then now I'm in the sewing room.

It's bloody cold.

ABOVE:  Poor Marley is in the Cone of SHAME.

Both dogs have been reacting to something in their environment the past couple of months, and scratching and itching like mad.

Marley now has a couple of sore patches that's she's created by gnawing overnight, so I had to resort to the cone.

I'm at a total loss as to what is causing them to itch. edit:  At a loss as to what in their environment is causing them to itch.  It's nothing to do with their food/bedding/cleaning products/treats or shampoo used. It is something outside in the garden or air.

IT'S NOT FLEAS.

They desperately need a groom, I am sure their appointment is coming up in a week or so.  They are going to freeze.  Poor girls, but a groom is so necessary for their breed.

Right back to it, and thank you so much for the lovely comments.  It has made me smile heaps.

ABOVE:  Awww the poor girl.  She just stood there, without moving for over an hour! I picked her up and put her in her bed.

She is asleep now.

ABOVE:  Laurie:  I put my phone on that shelf, and watch YouTube videos, or Netflix.  It keeps me entertained while walking.  And of course, it's not HOT here at all.

In summer I have a fan on me while on the treadmill.

ABOVE:  I'm making excellent progress on this runner.  About to start the quilting.

ABOVE:  And that's it for Braid Runners for now.  I'm tired.  Oh and this one looks much nicer in person, the colours don't show up quite right in the photo.

Ha!  Amanda saw the runner I made today and might just be changing her mind about which one she wants now.   I must admit todays runner is my favourite now!  It's a shame you can't see it in person, cos it is so much prettier in person.

Weigh in tonight, and I lost 1.1 kgs.  That's a relief, I worked hard for that!

Now, we are going to relax for the remainder of the evening.

Catch ya tomorrow.

SOMETHING NEW

 At Weight Watchers last week, there was a little sale on their products. 

NOT that there's many products right now to choose from.  I virtually never buy any Weight Watcher stuff, as it's usually overpriced.

But last week I decided to buy their Egg Poacher, cos it was half price, and I could see it being used for a variety of things.

ABOVE:  I was really pleased with how it worked.  Though I learnt real quick that 1 minute and 20 seconds was 10 seconds too long for the eggs!  My eggs almost blew up.

I also like that I can use the larger compartment to make scrambled eggs, or just heat something up in it.  So, multi useful.

I love anything that can be multi useful.  I reckon I will be using this a lot.

Now.  Today?

First up will be the housework, then I'm getting on the treadmill for at least 40 minutes.

After that,  I will be sewing the next Braid Runner.

I was browsing on my blog last night, looking for something, and saw this:

ABOVE:  Hmmm, I remember making quite a few of those Runners.  I have none left, so clearly they were fairly popular.  I think I will make more of them after I'm sick of making Braid Runners.  They were fun to make.  

I forgot to update this yesterday:   the treadmill is fixed.  And so is the light in my sewing room.  

And that's me for now.

Catch ya later.

9.30 am:  I just had me walk.  I cut it down to only 20 minutes as I'm probably going to another walk this afternoon.

I went to open the boot of me car just now.  Would not open.  Weird.  The doors open, but guess what?

FLAT BATTERY.

Can't think why.  But oh well... we are members of AA, so I rang them and they are coming out in an hour or so.

The car is in the garage, so not sure if we will have to push it outside?  I suppose I'll find out once the guy gets here.

For now... I will sew.  

Carl from AA duly arrived and got me car going again.   He told me to take it for a 40 minute run, or run it for 20 minutes in the garage, then take it for a 20 minute run.

I opted for option #2.

So, after it ran in the garage for half an hour I drove out to the expressway and went to Tamahere, then turned around and came home.  So easy on the expressway.

Then I had my wrap for lunch and came back into the sewing room.

I'm 'clock watching'.   I need to pick Liam up from school for the next unknown period of time.  Amanda had to move house, and she's struggling to work out an option for getting Liam safely home after school.

As she's too far away for him to walk home, I  have offered to pick him up after school until something else can be arranged.

His school is down near the Rototuna shops, so I might walk down to get him, then we can both walk home again.   Exercise.... don't mind if I do.  😊😉😏

ABOVE:  And there is #5 Braid Runner.  Totally foreign colours to my usual, but it's quite nice.

Now... I'm definitely taking a break.  I've just checked my car will still start (it does), so I will drive down to the school to get Liam today.

I'm just feeling knackered.  So much for good intentions of walking down.   

But in my defence, the sun is out and I don't like walking in sunshine too much.  I overheat.

ABOVE:  One grandson safely picked up, and being fed as we speak.  Now I just have to keep him entertained till his Mum picks him up.

Lucky I have a big toy box and telly.

ONE COMMENT all day!  ???  Where is everyone?

I know I blog for ME and for my 'living  records', but it is nice to hear from readers too ya know!

Pfffffft.  

Ha ha... as I type, here comes a comment for my faithful DOGSTARS!  I better go and read and publish it.

DOGSTARS:  Dante and Archer's school is very close too... I can walk to theirs in about the same time as I can walk to Liam's school, just opposite directions.  They attend different schools btw.

5.30 pm and my little afternoon sidekick has just gone home with his mum.   He was a very good boy, and even helped me in the sewing room, ironing strips of fabric!

He loves to help.

I think he would have given sewing a go too, if I'd let him.

My fear of a rapid moving needle and his fingers stopped me giving him a go!!!

He also learnt REAL FAST his hands had to be OFF the table when I was cutting with the rotary cutter.  He wanted to know WHY?  

I told him he'd look like a dick with no fingers. SIMPLE.

Moving on... Stew will be home soon.  I wonder if he will want some dinner?  If so, I will make him a wrap.  It's my 'go to' now.

Stew made his own wrap.  And he called it a 'Thin Crust Pizza'... cos it sounded better than a wrap.

Funny man.

Signing off now.  Too quiet on here.

OUT AND ABOUT AGAIN

 A lovely day dawns.   Ha ha ha.  It's WET.

But never mind.  Stew and I are going out this morning.  We have a list of things to do and get.

Grocery shopping.  

Black fabric shopping (for the Braid Runners).  

The new light bulb didn't fix the light in the sewing room, it must be the starter thingee.  So we will be getting a new one of those today.  

Stew has a prescription to pick up.  Once we have done all that we will come home.

Then Stew can adjust the belt on our treadmill, so we can use it again.  It's been out of commission for a few days now.

Dante did a little 'rap' last night, so I asked him to do it again for a video.  He told me he had a 'better' one... so I videoed that...

 

 IT WASN'T WHAT ANY OF US WERE EXPECTING!

And he knew it.

We all cracked up laughing.

ABOVE:  Steve's going for the 'Viking' look, much like Mike does.  

It will get shaven off eventually, once Bex gets sick of it, or he keeps eating it with his lunch.  😂😊😋

I am going to start another Braid Runner at some point today, using the new fabrics I got yesterday.  Gold/Orange/Pink/Lilacs.  Might be stunning?

Won't know till it's finished really.

11. 10 am:  Stew has gone to the supermarket on his own.  I had a few little jobs to get done around the house.

Then went into the sewing room to sort out the next runner/fabrics.

Still not quite sure I'm happy with them.

It's a process I tell ya!

Once Stew is home and unpacked the groceries, we will go out for the other couple of things.

OH and the skies are BLUE!!!!  Wonders will never cease.

ABOVE:  This is the new line up.... NOT A HINT OF BLUE anywhere!

Totally unlike me.  But I think this one will be just lovely.

I got it all cut out, and will stitch it up tomorrow.

Now ... stopped working in the sewing room, as we have visiting grandkid (s).

Liam is here right now, and Emily will be here a bit later on.

After they leave at dinner time, Stew and I are going out to dinner ourselves.  We are going to our local Indian Restaurant to meet up with some friends from Cambridge.  Looking forward to that.

ABOVE:  We had another lovely dinner this evening.  Our friends C & K were lovely company.  Home afterwards, and a nice quiet evening ensued.

Time to sign off for the day, catch ya tomorrow.

DAY TRIP

 Today we are off to Auckland.

Three reasons.

1.  To visit a shop that has recently moved premises, and is now bigger and 'better'.  The Ribbon Rose is a very good, comprehensive craft shop, it sells every sort of craft you can imagine.  Not just Fabrics.  But I only visit them for fabrics, or course!

2.  We will be visiting Stew's sister, Khady out west Auckland.  Bethell's Beach to be exact.  She's living part time there, and part time in Wanganui.

3. Well the last reason?  ... just to have a day trip is a good enough reason to go eh?

I'm hoping the day is reasonably nice, so we can have a wander on the beach.  But according to the weather forecast, NO.  It's supposed to rain.

For the next two weeks in fact!  Then, we might have one sunny day... then back to ... RAIN.

What the Effing Fook is happening to our weather?  Everywhere in this country has been inundated with bad weather for MONTHS on end.

Right, I better stop bitching and just get on with the day ... catch ya later.

...

SORRY, RANT AHEAD.

Imagine having 6-8 kids.  And you get told certain information by one (or more), but you are not allowed to tell anyone else, or just some, or only one.  But NOT that one, or that one.  

We have at least two SITUATIONS on the go right now, with our kids.  They are 'do not tell' situations. There's ANOTHER one with an extended family member too.

It's a constant juggling act trying to keep 'secrets' from your own family members, trying to remember who you can tell, who you can't tell, what you can tell, what you can't tell.  

I'm so fucking over it!

Sibling love/hate/jealousy/rivalry... as I've said a million times before...

WE ARE NOT THE WALTONS.

I'm tired.  Tired of being in the middle of so many people's egos/insecurities/intense dislike.

Cos DISLIKE/hate/jealousy is alive and well in this family.

The only consolation is that we are not alone with this family dynamic.  

You see so many seemingly 'Perfect' families on YouTube and Instagram... it's all bullshit.  No family is bloody perfect.

That helps me cope with all the shit.  But only just.

RANT OVER.   It helps putting it down on 'paper' sometimes eh?

No it's not over, I thought of more.  Imagine having separate relationships within your family, where the family circles never overlap, or very rarely.  It's DIFFICULT.  I've tried so many times to bring the 'circles' together, but to no avail.  Some just don't want to meet up.

So I'm DONE.  No more trying.

AND BE WARNED FAMILY:  from now on, if you don't want it talked about or shared, DON'T TELL US.

Cos I'm over keeping secrets.

I will keep the 'current' secrets.  But that's it.  If you tell me something, I'm going to tell EVERYONE.

And there ends the rant.

NOW.... Let's get on with our lovely day.

ABOVE:  First mission accomplished.

The new shop is AMAZING!!!

6.10 pm and we are finally home again.  It's been a long, cold, wet day.

But nice to visit Khady and have a good catch up.

ABOVE:  Ha ha... Stew in the fabric shop.  Looking so angelic.

ABOVE:  The cutest little stream that runs down the hill beside Khady's home.

ABOVE:  A little 'bridge'....  with debris.

ABOVE:  The stream culminates in a little waterfall.  And at night that area has GLOW WORMS!

ABOVE:  The house bus on the property.  

ABOVE:  And that little building is called the Boat House.  The property can accommodate quite a few people at any one time.  In summer it's only a short walk to the beach too.

Stew and I had planned on taking a walk on the beach this afternoon, but the weather was just awful by the time we wanted to do that.

So no beach photos.  Bugger.

ABOVE:  At the top of the road leading out to Bethell's Beach were three houses which had the hillside behind them come down on them.  See that house in the middle?  It's concertinaed!   Obviously all three have been 'Red Stickered', which means they are uninhabitable now.

The road to Bethell's has several washouts of the road, it was a rough drive out.

ABOVE:  Constant rain all the way home... and of course, the traffic jam at Taupiri slowed everything down.  That section of road has been 'getting fixed' for years now!  So frustrating.

It was nice to go up to Auckland, but I'm happy to be home, nice and WARM again.

Steve and Bex were here when we got home, so they had put the heater on for us.  We are all going to enjoy some Chinese Takeaways for dinner now.

I'm really pleased with myself.  I chose to have a very, very small helping of the takeaways, with no seconds.  I knew I could have had HEAPS more if I so desired, but I didn't.  I had a taste of  everything, and stopped at that.

So, hopefully I've kept today's point count under control.

The family have gone home now, and Stew and I are just winding down before bed.

Catch ya tomorrow.