HOW LONG?

ABOVE:  How long can you look at something that's in the WRONG place, and keep forgetting to ask someone taller to move it?

FOUR MONTHS.  That's how long. FOUR FREAKIN' MONTHS!

I've looked at that blue candle stick and wanted it moved back up to beside the other one for FOUR LONG MONTHS.   And every time I think of asking Stew to move it, he's not around.  

He's going to be here all day (as per usual), so I shall ask him to move it TODAY.  *sigh*

Now.   Yesterday's efforts in the Sewing Studio:  I will be taking a little video to show you a bit later in the morning.  Gotta get out of bed first!

Once I've done that I will be titivating in the sewing studio most likely.

 ABOVE:  Future Lemon Meringue Pie.

Just waiting to ripen.

 ABOVE:  Mandarins, still getting plenty

off our tree.

Is it weird to feel so chuffed we have our own mandarins?

ABOVE:  We are all riding the same

storm.

But we are not all in the same boat.

BE KIND.

ONWARD...


ABOVE:  So there ya go.  What do ya think?
Good idea or no?
Bearing in mind I will still try and do some markets in summer.

 ABOVE: Yaaa I got more wool.  It arrived via courier.

ABOVE:  Today's tree addition was just a two coloured strip up the middle of the tree.

As I was up the ladder a lady stopped in her car.  She had her Nana with her, and had stopped to show her the tree.
She was really happy to 'finally meet me'.  

Awwww.  I may have started this tree to make someone smile, but I get so many smiles out of it too.

 ABOVE:  I put my screen up behind the shelving units to block the gap in the middle, and also to provide privacy for the 'back work area'.

ABOVE:  There is now room here for another smaller work table.  It's worked out really well.

 ABOVE:  Lacy moved those two biggish pots from around the back to here.  They frame the Studio entrance nicely.

 ABOVE:  I feel like I'm outta my funk.  I even chucked some 'face' on today.  *smiles*

Lunchtime.... and I didn't have brunch today, so I'm just a bit hungry.

I've had an AWESOME afternoon in the Studio!  So happy I'm outta my funk.  I did some titivating, then I did some sewing.
I will show you what I made tomorrow.

Dinner tonight is pulled pork, slowly cooked in the Crock Pot, mashed potatoes and veges.

Stew has just finished work (5.40 pm) and he's having a run on the treadmill before dinner.

***  And scrap that.  The power point in the gym has stopped working ***

Stew has checked out the meter board, no problem there?  So, we will have to get the electrician back who installed said power point.  What a pain in the butt.

Last thing for today.  YES, the candle stick got moved.  Stew read the blog before going to work, so it was done in 2 seconds flat.  *smiles*

Time to sign off for the day, it's been a good day here.

FIVE YEARS OLD

5/5/15

@

15.15 pm

Today our youngest grandchild turns 5.

And for the first time ever, our grandson won't be going to school on his 5th birthday like all of the others did.

We are living in strange times for sure.

Turning 5 means going to school in this country, so for him to be at home, doing home schooling is something new.

ARCHER, we love you and miss you dreadfully.  We hope you have a lovely day with Mum, Dad and Dante.  We will have to do presents and cake as soon as we are allowed to travel again.

Today I'm going to try and get out of my funk... which is lingering.

I might do some baking... a cake I think.  The Anzac biscuits are all gone... they proved very popular.  

I'm giving some thought to how I can sell my sewing products from home.  Maybe a sign out the front, limited hours, set up in the garage?  Not sure, still mulling it over.  

That could be half the reason for my funk.  Just don't know what to do.  I love doing my sewing, but there is no point if I can't sell it. *sigh*

Right, I'm off to start the day.  I think I have a new addition for the tree?  Yeah, I do.  Just a 'normal' strip today.

ONWARD...

 ABOVE:  I'm baking.

 ABOVE:  I am SICK TO DEATH of this smell.

 ABOVE:  Working from home.  And now I know.

He spends 80% of his time yakking on the phone.

I'd like a job like that thanks.

ABOVE:  It's raining.

Yes, I forgot to turn off the flash.

Deal with the bright orb.

 ABOVE:  Raining?

Not a problem.

I have a BIG sun room to dry the clothes in.

The cake is starting to smell delish.  It's a LUMBERJACK cake.  Cos I like it, and Stew ain't eating cake any more, so I don't have to cater to his taste. 

Bet if it was a carrot cake he'd be lining up to eat it.

Been talking to Stew about me selling from home.  An idea is starting to form.  I'm starting to feel optimistic it can be done.  Little bit excited.  Might come to NOTHING ... but I can try right?

8.45 pm:  Well I got a bit done this afternoon towards having a little 'shop' at home.  I will show you tomorrow, once I've got good light for a photo or video.

Dinner tonight was lamb patties, chicken kebabs and garlic bread... totally weird dinner cos I ran out of time to do something 'proper'.

It suddenly got REALLY COLD tonight!  I've got a blanket on me to keep warm.

Catch ya tomorrow.

BONUS ROOMS

80% people I talk to out by the tree ask me:

"Why did you move here from Cambridge?"

Obviously it's a valid question.  Cambridge IS a beautiful little town and it's not that far from Hamilton.

So I tell them about wanting a smaller section, smaller mortgage, closer to Stew's  job etc.

Another reason for me was I wanted a house that 'fit' us better.

And this house fills EVERY single criteria we had on our list when we were looking last year.

But BEST OF ALL....

ABOVE:  WE GOT Bonus rooms!  In this home we got three!

ABOVE:  We got a 2-part sunroom... which we just LOVE LOVE LOVE.

ABOVE: Stew got his separate gym room, and I got the Sewing Studio.

ABOVE:  Do you remember the ARCHGOLA room in our Auckland Home?   It was our Bonus Room there.  It was so needed too, that home was simply not big enough.  I loved our Archgola Room, it was so pretty.

Right, back to today.  I finally hung this too:

ABOVE:  Last time I went to the supermarket I bought some Command hooks.  I knew I needed one for something.  It took me 2 days to actually remember what for!  lol
Seriously... my mind is mush now days.

I can't wait until there is some sort of order back in the days... ya know.  Stew and Brylee go to work in town, I go for walks with the FBG's, there are 'proper' weekends, where we go out and about a bit.  Just some ORDER and NORMALCY back.

ONWARD...


ABOVE:  Today's tree addition. Done with Lacy's help, cos I couldn't reach on the big ladder without feeling like I was gunna fall.  Which I probably would have done.
Even Lacy found it difficult.

Moving on.  HRV New Zealand FINALLY got back to us about replacing the filters on the HRV system.
They had installed it, and according to their records it had not be serviced for over 2 years, which means, as I thought, the previous owners of our home did not get it done when it was due.  I feel cross about that.

So HRV NZ are coming on Thursday afternoon, and we have to maintain 'social distancing' so they can do their job without breaching our bubble.  That should be easy, it's in the roof.  None of us are gunna be in there with them! lol

3.35 pm:  I'm having an utterly shitty day.  I feel crabby, and cranky, and just totally out of sorts.  And SO TIRED.  I just had a nap and feel even worse now.  Grrrr.

I have lost all motivation to do anything at all.  What's up with that?  I'm just sitting here thinking all I wanna do is go to bed.  OH and I  wouldn't mind stabbing someone 16 times in the chest.  (JOKING! as if I could get away with it! )


Dinner tonight was Rice Risotto with sausage and salami.  Was quite nice.
Been watching mindless TV this evening, not much else to do.

ZERO new Covid 19 cases today!  Seems we are doing something right.

ACCESS VISIT

Yesterday Lacy got to see Keera for the first time in over 6 weeks.
It was a most unexpected visit, one which Lacy was very happy about.

 ABOVE:  Such a pretty child.
She had a nice time with her Mum and Granddad.

Next weekend, Sunday, is Mother's Day and Lacy will have Keera for the afternoon then too.  Which is neat, I will get to see her too.

Today I don't have an addition for the tree. As it's supposed to be a terribly wet day, I doubt there will be any walkers out and about today, so not a problem.

But I will sit down and make a couple at some point today.

No other real plans for the day.  What about you?

ONWARD...

5 and a half weeks ago I put the first addition on the tree.
And I wanted to find my knitting block pattern book.  It had patterns and photos of blocks I'd knitted in it.

So I started looking for it... quite sure it was in my studio somewhere.  Like, that's where it should have been.

YEP.

And for the past 5.4 goddam weeks I have hunted high and low for that damn book.  SERIOUSLY, not every day... but at least 2-3 times a week.  I looked in every cupboard/drawer/box and wardrobe in the house, you name it, I looked there.

Last night I decided to go through the cupboards in the studio AGAIN, this time taking everything OUT, just in case my book was under or behind a box?

As I was doing that, Lacy came into the room and asked me what was I doing?

So I told her, and showed her another book that looked exactly the same as the one I was looking for.  So she offered to start looking at the other end of the room.

I was about to tear everything out of the lowest level of a cupboard, no mean feat as there was a shit load of stuff in it... and BUGGER ME!!!

Lacy opens a drawer that I'd looked in a dozen times already and friggin well pulled out...

ABOVE:  THE BLOODY BOOK. She found it?  WTF?  I'd looked in that damn drawer so many times.  I was like, how?

HOW? I'm sure there's a bloody ghost living here, playing tricks on me.  Seriously.

10.53 am:  Just been fluffing around in the house this morning.  It's dreary outside, wet and windy.
Lacy took the dogs for a walk in the rain.  Pretty sure they didn't mind.

Off to have my brunch now.  Shit it's a quiet day!

 ABOVE:  I have plans for these hearts.

 ABOVE:  Stew just hung this mirror in the shower room.  It had sat behind a door for the past 5 months.

ABOVE:  Today's project.  Any ideas what ?

ABOVE:  Well that's what I was doing!  I'm not very good at free hand writing, but it will do.
Now when I want someone to get something out of a particular shed, they won't come back and say "It's not there" cos they looked in the wrong shed.

They will take a while to dry, the flowers are pretty thick paint.  Stew will get the job of attaching them to the sheds another day.

7.40 pm:  I haven't enjoyed today.  Too quiet. No motivation to do anything much. I could have made a start on a table runner after the painting, but just couldn't be arsed.  I tried to have a nap late afternoon, but it didn't happen.

I lay there and listened to the TV in the room next door, and Stew cooking dinner and decided it was a no go.

At night I'm not sleeping well at all, it's even worse than usual, and I don't know why.

Maybe I just need things to go back to normal?  I am over the isolation.

I missed putting something on the tree today, and seeing and talking to people on the footpath.  It was just too damn wet and wild out there today.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is pretty much the same as today.  WET.  *sigh*

Time to sign off ... have a nice evening.

11.08 pm: and it's absolutely PISSING DOWN.  I don't think Auckland will have to worry about water shortages any more!

BAKING LATE AT NIGHT

Last night I was up till almost midnight. Baking biscuits.

Cos, well.... I freakin' well felt like biscuits.  ANZAC biscuits to be precise.

Stew said it was a bit 'late' to be making ANZAC biscuits, cos Anzac day had been and gone.

But ummm... there ain't no rules barring you from baking them any time of the year right?

Just like hot cross buns, Christmas Cake and so on.  You can have 'em any time.

 ABOVE:  The first batch were purely Anzac biscuits.  I slightly under cooked them so they wouldn't be too hard.
My oven is a VERY HOT oven, so I'm still learning just how long to leave things in it.

ABOVE: The second batch I added raisins to, cos I love raisins.  And they came out really lovely too.  
Stew and I had a biscuit for a very late supper.  *smiles*

We just had to, the smell was so divine.  

Later on today I shall be baking a cake.  Not sure what sort yet, but it won't be a Lumberjack cake.  I think the family, (read STEW), is tired of it.

ABOVE: This is the next addition for the tree.  It's for a long, narrow branch.  There might be a tassel or two going on it too.

It won't get added until a bit later on in the morning.  Tis a bit early to be out there with a ladder right now.  AND I will need Stew to be with me cos it's a high branch, he will need to stand and hold my bum ladder.

He is not likely to get up till 9.  He's really loving the sleep ins we get now days.

ONWARD...

ABOVE:  Today's addition is on.  I had to use the biggest ladder we had to reach up there.  It was bloody awful.  I think that might be the highest I will be going on the tree.

There's still plenty of branches to cover at that height, so the tree will go on for a while yet.

Stew and Lacy went out this afternoon... on a visit to see Keera.  I've got some photos coming.  Probably tomorrow.

I went out to watch out for them coming home again, and saw this:

ABOVE:  A mum (Wendy) and her two children trying to get a 'selfie' with the tree.  It was not working for them, so I went over and took it for them.
Then of course, we had a lovely chat.  Wendy is just lovely, and doesn't live very far away.  

5.15 pm: It's raining!  It wasn't supposed to until tomorrow... but I'll take it.  Our ground is still so dry, we need the rain.

I've got dinner cooking.

*** IT SMELLS DIVINE ***

Teriyaki Chicken is a family favourite, over rice. And with Garlic Bread.  OMG my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

10.10 pm:  Well dinner was delicious.  And after dinner it was chill out time.
It's cooling down in the evenings now, so nice.

Time to bugger off till tomorrow. 

MAY ALREADY!

OMG this year is flying by!  Even the past 5 weeks have flown by while we've all been locked up at home.

 ABOVE:  So... this is what the Peony tubers look like.  They were all starting to sprout when I put them in the ground yesterday.

ABOVE:  lol... me all hot and bothered after my gardening efforts yesterday.  Note the new hair colour?  

It's officially called "Lock down, Level 4".  In a few more weeks it might get changed to "I used to be blonde... now I'm mouse".
I am liking it to be honest.  I am NEVER going to spend huge amounts of money on getting it coloured again. 

I have seen heaps of videos online of women in the same boat!  Massive regrowth going on everywhere.  So I'm not alone.

Today I shall be planting the hydrangea cuttings that I forgot to plant yesterday.  And then I'm going to do another little project I've got in the works.

Stew has taken today off work, so he's taking the trailer load of chopped down tree etc to the dump, which opened again this week.

ONWARD...

11.24 am:  Well it's been a busy morning.
I/we moved most of Lacy's stuff out of the garage so I can get my car back in there.
She's gone back into the 'spare' bedroom because Griffin did not come back.

Stew is tidying up that little extra garden area I created yesterday for the peonies.

Then he's off to the dump.

I will be heading off to the supermarket shortly.  I'm going to Countdown today.  I sat and did an online 'shop' yesterday.

I wrote out a list of common things I normally buy, then 'bought' them all from each shop (Pak N Save, Countdown and New World), and per $100 spend, Countdown was $7 more expensive than Pak N Save, and New World was $13 more expensive than Pak N Save.

So I choose... Countdown.  Mainly because it's got a much larger variety of goods, and it's just a nicer store, and way, way closer to home.  In fact it's only about 2 minutes down the road, as opposed to Pak N Save, which is 10-15 minutes down the road depending on traffic.

ABOVE:  The addition on the tree today, we have more tassels.  I noticed a lot less people out and about on foot this morning.  Might be because it's a bit cooler?

2.00 pm:  Just back from the supermarket.  Feeling very frustrated.  I really thought it would be awesome, but it wasn't.  It's a much smaller supermarket, and while it has a good selection of different stuff, it's meat section is very small and they didn't even stock some of the 'common' stuff I usually get.

So, I might have to stick to Pak N Save for our everyday shopping, and get the stuff they don't stock from Countdown.

Hence the frustration, cos I really don't like the Pak N Save at all.  It's grotty.  And so many of the clientele are NOT keeping social distancing once inside the store.  It's a bloody free for all!

Anyway, for now we have groceries to last us another week or two, so I shall rethink this issue again later.

Stew is at the dump.  I'm gunna sit and crochet a new section for the tree, I have nothing for tomorrow at all.

ABOVE:  This morning Stew put an edge around the extended garden bed, and also tidied up and extended the pebble/stone bit too.  Then he mowed the lawn before heading off to the dump.  He did well.
The garden looks a bit 'empty' right now, but it won't be long before those peonies make an appearance (I hope).

I could get some little annual flowers for the front edge of that garden too?  

The trouble is that you can only 'click and collect' at garden centers right now, so ya need to know what ya want, and I don't.

I really don't have a clue when it comes to plants.  *smiles*

GRIFFIN:  is fine.  He's up in Auckland with his girlfriend and her family.  He's looking for a job up there for now.  We have no concerns about him.

Stew and I just went to the Te Rapa Countdown.  Got a few of the things I couldn't find at our local one.  We have spent a small fortune in supermarkets today!  *sigh*

ABOVE:  It's TIPPLE O'CLOCK.  First one this year.  Nice.

Gunna cook dinner soon... Lamb rissoles, mashed potato, veges and gravy. 

And... dinner was bloody yum!  Now... watching the telly till bedtime.