TO CROCK, OR NOT?

 Another day with our darling Keera here with us.

Sometime today we are taking our old double fridge/freezer over to Lacy's, so we will give Keera back then.  😋😊

ABOVE:  She is all long limbs, and cuteness.  She doesn't have an 'OFF' switch, so by the time bedtime rolls around we are 100% ready for some peace!  lol

Emily arrived yesterday wearing her Crocs.

Of course, we have seen people wearing them EVERYWHERE, even nurses and doctors in the hospital.

But I have never tried them.  Not even interested in trying them.

But yesterday, I decided to slip Emily's on... and not only did they fit, I found them to be very comfortable!

ABOVE:  I am now SERIOUSLY considering getting myself some to wear around the house and in the garden.  They are so easy to slip on and off.  And so LIGHTWEIGHT.

Am I TOO OLD to wear Crocs people?

I even LOVE the jibbitz thingees the kids put on them. 

I imagine it is quite fun switching them out to suit what you are wearing/doing.

Emily certainly had some very cute ones on her crocs.

Andrew said you can even get 'high heel crocs' now!  The mind boggles.

I will have to go investigate them next time we are in a mall.

ONWARD...

10.50 am:  And OMG it's another super foggy, damp and freezing cold day here.

My friend 'S' was supposed to fly into Auckland from LA this morning.

Her flight got diverted to FIJI because Auckland airport is too foggy for any flights to arrive or leave from.

She's stuck in a transit lounge in Fiji with dozens and dozens of other travellers, and it's super HOT there.

Poor girl.  She's gunna freeze when she finally gets home.

In the next little while we will be taking that fridge/freezer over to Lacy's.   Then I can get into my sewing room and make a start on some new braid runners.  I've now laid out 6 to make.

12 noon.  And that's done.  I have more room in my garage.  And I'm going to fill it with another trestle table, so I can lay out more braid runner fabric strips.  Yaaa.

Less clutter in the sewing room, and neat to have all the strips in one place.

Now... it's lunchtime, and we are going to get something from our local chinese takeaway.

ABOVE:  Steve, Bex and the kids called in to visit after lunch.

Then Jacqui and Sofia also called in.  So we all had a nice 'Sunday visit'.

Lily was adorable, and enjoyed sitting with Me, then Stew and finally Jacqui.

Now they have all left, and we have a bloke calling in to look at our Cross Trainer.

FINGERS FIRMLY CROSSED he wants it.

3 pm:  And YES, they bought it!  Another large item out of my house!  That's two things out of here today.

I'm loving seeing the house with so much less clutter.

Over the next week I will tidy up the gym room and space things out a bit better, now that there's more room in there.

Today's weather went like this:

Overnight:  Rain, damn cold.

6 am - 11 am :  THICK FOG, Damp and damn cold.

11 -4 : Grey, damp and damn cold.

4 pm till now (6.30 pm) :  Got dark, still damp and DAMN COLD.

8 pm :  FOG, DAMN COLD.

I'm totally over this shit weather.  Even rain would be better than the FOG.

I am living with a hotpod on my lap, AND the heat pump on.  I refuse to freeze if I can help it!

And now... I'm settling down for the evening.  Gunna watch some mindless telly till bedtime.

FINALLY PUTTING BRAIDS TOGETHER

 

What's on the agenda today?

First off, I am lining up a few Braid Runners for sewing up next week.  This is the fun part for me... Putting the fabric together.

ABOVE:  I got three lined up late yesterday.  I might still tinker with them a bit more yet.  

As Keera is here with us for a couple of days, I thought it would be nice for her to hang out with some cousins today.  So we are expecting family for lunch.

I've got out some Cheerios for the kids (kids love them), and I'll make some of my scones.  I might even cook up some mini Spring Rolls as well.

I think the highlight of my day will be.... LUNCH!

lol

Nah, I will enjoy seeing some of the grandkids most. 

ONWARD...

ABOVE:  Well... not got a lot done so far today.

We lay in bed and had lots of laughs, and some good conversations with this kid.

Stew has just left to get some cream for our lunchtime scones.

It's a rotten day out there, a super thick fog that is in no hurry to leave by the look of it.

Keera is so happy here with us, we do kinda spoil her.  💗💚😉😊💖💙

After last night's dinner, I rate the Indian Restaurants we visit like this: 

Best Butter Chicken:  Hello India, Cambridge

Best Non Vegetarian Platter:  Royale Indian, Davies Corner, Hamilton

Best Butter Lamb:  Great Flavours of India, Horsham Downs, Hamilton.

Best Garlic/Cheese Naan:  Great Flavours of India, Horsham Downs, Hamilton.

So, next time we want the platter and butter lamb, we will just have to do a trip from one to the other!  Works for me.  lol

Well our visitors duly arrived, and we are enjoying a lovely visit with them.

Lunch was really yum, my scones came out perfectly as per.  

ABOVE:  Marley loves Andrew. She is so hit and miss when it comes to visitors.  She either loves you, or totally ignores you.

ABOVE: Cousins hanging out.  And NO, it's not cold in my house.  Liam just got a new puffer jacket, and he won't take it off!

ABOVE:  I love this photo!

ABOVE:  we are all taking turns playing Connect Four, it's fun.

7.50 pm:  Our visitors have left, dinner is over, Keera has been in and out of a huge bubble bath, and is now snuggled up with her blankie and wheat bag.

Time to wind down for the day.

PUBLIC HOLIDAY

 

So, his nibs can lie in bed for as long as he wants today. 

No work for him today.  It's a public holiday today.

I presume a lot of the shops will still be open today, it's not one of those days where everything has to stay closed.

I plan on getting into the sewing room to continue some cutting out.  I would like to think I will get it all done in the next few days, but I probably won't!

ABOVE:  My camera had a brain fart last night, hence it took shitty photos.  Lily just cut her first tooth, which explains the massive amount of DROOL!

She is going through her clothes on the hour just about!  Everything ends up sopping wet.  

And that's about it from me for now.  

ONWARD...

11.00 am:  Seems lying in bed is not so attractive as it once was.  We both end up with a backache if we stay in bed too long!  DANG, this getting older lark is the pits.

One good thing, I have managed to do 1.5 hours of cutting out this morning:

ABOVE:  I am getting an impressive line up of fabrics ready to go.

I'm running out of room in fact, so once I get the double fridge/freezer out of here, I can set up another table to use.

Roll on Sunday.

ABOVE:  I just cut out about a dozen 'centre blocks' for runners, using this fun fabric.  I can see in my head how they will look already, using lots of black and white fabrics.

Now, I am stopping for a while.  Stew and I are going for a walk down to our local shopping center.  We will grab some lunch, then a couple of things we need from the supermarket, then walk home again.

ABOVE:  Well that was a rather nice, if hot walk!  I was overdressed, with a polar neck, long sleeved thermal on, then a heavy jacket on top!

The sun is out.  It is a glorious winters day.  Yes, it was only 2 degrees this morning, but what a gorgeous day it has turned into.

We got what we needed at the supermarket, changed our minds about having lunch down there and came home.  

We are going to have dinner at our local Indian Restaurant this evening.  Much better idea than an average lunch.

I might just relax a while, then go do some more cutting out.

Happy to say we have Miss Muppet staying with us for the weekend.  

ABOVE: She's trying to decide if she likes the hot stuff!  We got two different shared platters, so lots of cholce.

I don't think she liked the hot stuff.  

ABOVE:  I must admit, at least half of this lot was quite HOT, and I didn't enjoy it much either.

ABOVE:  She LOVED the Butter Lamb and the Garlic and Cheese Naan bread!

So did I.  Stew, Keera and I shared one dish of Butter Lamb, which proved to be plenty to go around.

After our dinner, we stopped in at the supermarket and bought some 'dessert'.

ABOVE:  Luckily, we hardly ever do this now!  But cos Keera is here, we indulged.

Worth noting, I got my blood test results today, and ALL my levels/numbers were GOOD.  No reason for concern anywhere.

I must be doing something right!

Proud of myself.

And now... I'm going to sign off for the day.

WALK, THEN HAIR, BLA BLA BLA

Today is gunna go something like this:

Off to Cambridge for a walk that starts at 9.30 am.

Stay for a hot chocolate and natter.

Come back to Hamilton, go and get a hair dye.

Come home and dye my hair.   That will take a couple of hours.

I will probably do a 'before' and 'after' photo, cos well... that's what I do.

Once that is done, I might end up doing some more cutting out in the sewing room.  So much time is spent just doing 'Prep Work'!

ABOVE:  I used to cut out at least a dozen strips from each piece of fabric.  Now I'm only doing 4 strips at a time!  It saves my back.  Why didn't I think of doing that sooner I wonder?

I should be ready to start making some new Kiwiana Braid Runners, using some of the new fabrics, tomorrow.  That will be fun.

There is three weeks or so until our next Tamahere Market, so I do have plenty of time to get a few made before then.

Right, that's all I have for now.

ONWARD...

ABOVE:  Today's walk was wonderful!  Neat company, I just love our 9.30 am leader.  Only 7 of us today, with 6 of us partaking in a hot drink afterwards.

Note to self, don't sit at the front, ya end up looking like the incredible hulk!

Seriously hate this photo!  

When will I stop hating how I look????

ABOVE: The walk stats.  Not a bad time today, we upped the speed a little.  It's nothing like the pace I was doing around the lake, but my thinking has changed a lot this year.

It's not about beating a personal best, it's all about just getting out there, being with friends and feeling good.

I am now going to dye my hair, having been to the Base to get the dye, and some more thermals for this cold season.

ABOVE:  for about 2 months, I didn't see any rabbits on my trip over to Cambridge.  I almost always saw them when I was exiting the Expressway, heading into Cambridge.

I thought someone must have shot or poisoned them.  They were just GONE.

I felt so sad.

Then ... they have popped back up again!  

It's made me very happy.

I know they are a pest of monumental proportions, but I like seeing them.

I have the dye in me hair... waiting till I can wash it out, then tone and condition it...

ABOVE: Done.  In the AFTER photo I look hot and bothered.  I was.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to get a hairdresser to do it... but at $315 a visit, I'm like NO.

ABOVE:  It's not perfect.  It's quite yellow at the baseline, and much lighter going down the length.  But in the next week or so, and after a few toning shampoos, I'm sure it will look fine.

I am now done in!  I shall sit and do nothing for a while.

Tonight is Stew's 'pub' night, so I shall visit Steve, Bex and the kids for a couple of hours. 

ABOVE:  Well, I had a lovely visit with the family, I even ended up having dinner with them. 

Now, Stew and I are home, and looking forward to a couple of hours together before bedtime.

MORE FABRIC

 

In the past few days I've visited three fabric shops, and bought fabric from all of them. (I didn't NEED more fabric, but oh well!)

Gosh it was so much fun!

I need to do it again.

Like today.

So, as there is no FBG walk on today that I wish to join, I'm going to a shop in Te Awamutu this morning.

I love going there.  Stew and I bought our first home there.  Steve was born there. We got married there.  So, it's a special place with special memories for us.

I will probably have a good browse of the shops while there, as I don't go there very often now.

Today a very, very dear friend of mine is having surgery in Mexico.  She will be on my mind all day, until I hear she's had her surgery and is OK.

I love you 'S'... I hope to hear from you soon, and see you when you get home again.

ONWARD...

It is now 12.35 pm, and I just got home from my little shopping trip.

Similar time as yesterday in fact.

Photos:

ABOVE:  Heading to Te Awamutu, a lovely view of Mt Kakepuku.   One day I might climb it!

But then again, it's A MOUNTAIN!  So maybe not.  lol

ABOVE:  I stopped at this private Catholic Cemetery near Ohaupo so I could get a nice photo of Mt Pirongia.

It has headstones commemorating the lives of quite a lot of priests there.  I got the drift that the priests bodies were not necessarily there.

ABOVE: The view I stopped for.  I love this part of the country, it is so pretty.

ABOVE: First stop, the fabric shop in Te Awamutu.

ABOVE: The fabrics I got there.   I will fold out the one (bottom left) later to show you, it's really cute.

ABOVE: Second stop was Backstreet Bargains, where I get most of my Kiwiana fabrics.  It's the cheapest place for them.  They charge $24.50 a metre, other places can charge upwards of $27 - $36 a metre!

Why would you pay that price???

ABOVE: Today's Kiwiana fabrics.

Right, that's me for now.  I'm going to have some lunch.

ABOVE: What do ya think of that fabric:  I think it's bloody cute.  I have enough to make two runners out of it.  

I had me lunch, then I started reading online again.  I'm enjoying my second ebook by Jonas Jonasson, called The Prophet and the Idiot.  It's not quite as funny as the first one, but it's still entertaining.

I might keep reading till Stew comes home.  I'm in no hurry to get into the sewing room.

It can wait till tomorrow.

5.18 pm:  Well I did end up in the sewing room.  I did some more cutting out of the new fabrics, for braid runners.  I am now limiting my cutting out time to ONE HOUR stints, to make sure I don't annoy my back too much.  It seems to be working!

Sure, I don't get as much done as I would like, but it's not a race at the end of the day eh?

I better go and sort out something for Stew's dinner now.  Hmmm... I wonder what he feels like?  I don't think I can get away with toasted sandwiches two nights in a row! 😅😆😂

My dear friend 'S' has had her surgery and is up and moving.  All went well, which is such a relief.  Now she just has to get home and recover.  

It's the end of the day... so I'll sign off.  

STANDING/SITTING

 

Monday to Friday Stew gets up and does about 40 minutes exercise.  Isn't he good!

That's his 'Rise and Shine' routine.

Me?  I stay in bed as long as possible, I hate getting up early!

This morning, once I'm up, I shall drive over to Te Aroha and swap the cushions we bought. Then I can show you WHAT we bought!

Once home again, I am going to try sewing...

ABOVE:  I'm gunna try sewing standing up!

And if it works out better for my back to alternate between sitting and standing, I shall invest in a 'standing desk'.

But first, I have to ascertain IF I can work standing up.

So, let's wait and see.

For now... I am gunna get out of bed, shower, dress and so on, then go over to Te Aroha.

ONWARD...

I left home at 8.30 am.  It is now 12.45 pm, and I'm finally home!

My trip to Te Aroha turned into a 'shopping trip' to various places.

I will fill you in once I've had some lunch, and edited my photos....  hold on ...

ABOVE: The trip to Te Aroha was uneventful... except for playing 'dodgem' with a ruddy big water tank in Morrinsville.

When I arrived in Te Aroha, I had to wait for the shop to open.  She was a bit late.

When I went in, she didn't say a damn thing about us travelling over on Sunday for NOTHING.  I was a bit cross.

She had ample time to reply to my two phone messages, and/or the Messenger message I left her ... but no.  

So, instead of buying two more cushions to add to the two I had, I only swapped the doubled up one out for a different one.

I won't be visiting that shop again.

I decided to visit a couple of fabric shops on my way back to Hamilton.

They were not too far out of my way after all...

ABOVE: First stop was 'Tis The Season' at Matangi, where I found some really lovely fabrics.

ABOVE:  My second stop was at 'Bower Bird' in Tamahere.  Again, I found some lovely fabrics to add to my stash.

ABOVE: After that I ended up at Lacy's, measuring up where to put the double fridge/freezer.  I have had an idea.   More on that another day.

DEAD

RAT

SQUASHED FLAT

It was on Lacy's driveway.  She thinks it was her car that did the damage.  😂😖😏

ABOVE: My two new cushions.  So cute, we just had to get them.  They are in a similar vein to one of our big cow paintings.

ABOVE: The lovely fabrics I bought today.  6 are for Runners, and three are for???  I just loved them?  That will do.

Now, I'm taking a break for a little while, before tackling that sewing machine on my bench top.

DOGSTARS:  I will use the machine pedal flat on the floor, not up on my wedge.

ONE.... HOUR... LATER:

And I  have found out I can't sew standing up.  I have to lean down a bit to see the needle and what I'm doing, and OMG, that causes instant backache.

If I were to raise the machine much higher, my shoulders and arms would be working raised too high up... again causing pain.

So.  Back to my sewing desk I go.  I will just have to make sure I take time out to stretch and relax every couple of hours, when doing a lot of work.

At least I tried it.  And ultimately saved myself wondering if a standing desk would work for me.  AND I saved several hundred dollars on a standing desk I didn't need.

I did some cutting out this afternoon, but not for long as I have got a shitty headache.  I need to take a Panadol.

Stew is making himself toasted sandwiches for his dinner!  I am such a lazy tart sometimes.

It's not as cold as yesterday, but still cool enough to want me Hotpod and blankie on.

I'm now settling down for the evening, there's a new programme starting on Channel 1 that I want to see.  Elsbeth... it sounds interesting.

And on that note, I'm outta here.