BEACH OR HOME?

 Today we were thinking of taking a drive over to the Mount.

But seriously?

It's too hot to be travelling.  And the beach won't actually be any better than our pool.

So... we shall stay home and enjoy our pool and home comforts.

It means this blog will be kinda repetitive for a while!  We are not doing a damn thing!

Swimming.  Relaxing.  Eating shit.  Drinking heaps of Diet Coke.

Making sure we don't get dehydrated... and it's working!

I am LOVING having ice in my diet coke!  Heaps of it.  The new ice maker is getting a thrashing.

Sooooo... guess what?  I'm actually 'drinking' some water!  

Last summer I kept getting horrible cramps... legs, feet, toes and weirdly, my forearms and hands!

This summer so far, NO CRAMPS.  I'm putting that down to the ice.  And making sure I drink 2-3 litres of fluid a day.

The only drawback?  Ya have to get up 2-3 times during the night for a piddle!  Seriously annoying.

But I think I prefer getting up to piddle over having cramps.

ABOVE: The driveway... is getting more damaged by the day.  Car tyres are leaving marks and indentations all over the place.

And there's heaps of loose stones too.

We have not heard from the Asphalt company since our last email to them on the 24th of December.

Our plan now is to wait until the 10th of January, and then send them another email, asking what is going on?

They should be back working after the Christmas/New Year holidays by then.

I'm trying to not let it worry or stress me out.  Just going with the flow, and waiting to see what happens next.

Right, better go.  I've got two big loads of towels to hang out.

ABOVE:  DONE.  

My first book read on the new Kindle.  It was a very good read.  I had a little tear right at the very end.  

On to the next one...

Stew went out for a haircut.  He had to wait an hour.  Now he's home with lunch. A kebab.

Nice one.

After lunch has gone down a swim will be in order.

It's SO QUIET here now!  Just Stew and I.  I fully expect the kids over for a swim soon though.

4.30 pm:   I've been in and out of the pool for the past 3 hours!   It's just too hot to do anything else.

Though, it does seem to be a bit cooler today, with light clouds masking the sun here and there.

Brylee has been around to sort out some employment stuff with her Dad.

Steve and Bex have been around to have a swim, we expect them back after dinner for the same again.

I had to throw out my togs!  Yesterday the girls kept jumping out of them (the boobies), and scaring the family!

They were about 4 years old and just didn't have enough elasticity left in them to do the job.

Luckily, I had a new pair lined up waiting to be used.

They got christened today.   I bought them while I was in Australia in 2020. 

 

ABOVE: I am biting the bullet and hopefully getting my nails done tomorrow morning.  I did use a strengthening polish on them for a while, but that simply did not work.

So, I'm gunna get them covered with acrylics.  

I actually can't wait to have pretty nails again.

Dinner tonight is probably left overs, cos we have plenty of them in the fridge.

Don't judge me.  We had fish 'n' chips.

Then we sat and watched TV.

The kids came around for a post dinner swim.  

I bet those boys sleep well every night!

Catch ya tomorrow.

BIT SAD TODAY

 I'm a bit sad.

Mike and Joyce leave for Palmerston North this afternoon.

Might not see them again for a while.

ABOVE:  There's Joyce wearing her GORGEOUS Christmas Socks last night.  

She loves neon green, so I better start hunting some down  .... lol!

Our FBG group have started a New Year Challenge.

We have until February 28th to do everything on the BINGO Card:

ABOVE:  As it's terribly hot right now, I think I'll do the easy ones first!

Today I'm going to buy a Kindle.  I had one but it died years ago.  So, getting another Kindle means I can read as many books as I want, without having to buy actual books and store them.

I used to be a massive bookworm, from the age of about 10 on. 

I would finish a book every couple of days.  In fact, it was rare if I wasn't reading a book.

The past (probably) 12 years or so reading books just stopped.

No idea why really.  It will be good to get back into reading.

Right, I am going to roll over and snooze for a bit longer, then see what everyone is doing today.

It's been so lovely spending so much time with family the past week or so.

1 pm:  And I am now the owner of a new Kindle.

ABOVE:  And I just bought my first book.  A grand price... $3.26.

Might start reading it later on today too.

As expected, it's another blistering hot day.  The boys have already been in the pool.

The 'grown ups' went into town, and came back with Sushi for lunch.  Yumm.

8 pm:  Mike and Joyce arrived back in Palmerston North safely around dinner time.

Stew and I lazed away the afternoon, had a swim, ate snacks, fell asleep!

Then Steve, Bex and the boys came over after dinner and we all ended up back in the pool.

Time to wind down for the day.  Hopeing it gets a bit cooler at bedtime!

WE DID IT

This morning I will be sorting out this lot:

ABOVE:  It's all the really little scraps of fabric that I wanted to keep.

They have laid on the sewing room floor overnight to dry.  There was NO WAY IN HELL I was going to peg it all on the line!

Once I've sorted and put it away the sewing room with be done, except for marrying my fabric up with Mrs C's.

That won't take too long as I've been sorting Mrs C's fabrics into colours as I folded it all up.

ABOVE:  I tried to get a decent photo of these three little boys with their Christmas swords.

HA HA HA!  Well, I tried.

ABOVE:  Mike is a VERY popular Uncle to all his nieces and nephews.  

The kids just love him.  He always takes the time to play with them and be with them.

ABOVE:  Amanda's car last night, stacked to the gunnels!

ABOVE:  There wasn't much room left for Emily and Liam.  Lucky they didn't have far to go to get home.

Right, that's me for now.  I predict another stinking hot day is ahead of us.

ABOVE:  And there ya go.  All Mrs C's fabric is sorted, washed, dried, folded and put away.

I have decided not to 'marry' it up with my fabrics for now.

It can stay there, separate from mine for the time being.

Some of it still smells a bit, so best to let it just air out some more.

I cannot thank Bex and Joyce enough for helping me get it all done!!!   It would have taken me a couple of months on my own. 

Because the last couple of weeks have been quite stressful (stuff behind the scenes), Stew and I are going to just stay home and do NOTHING for a while.

Mike and Joyce will hang out with Steve and Bex for the majority of their visit.

ABOVE:  The guys playing Exploding Kittens last night.  I do believe Mike enjoyed it, even though he's wearing the 'Cone of Shame'.

4.15 pm:  The kids are off playing mini golf.  Stew and I are just chilling at home, watching movies etc.

Amanda and her two youngest are due here for a swim soon.

It is STINKING STINKING HOT.  I hate summer.

6 pm:   So hot I had to go for a swim.  The water was bloody WARM.

Steve is cooking everyone's dinner this evening.  Butter chicken on rice.

It's so hot in our house right now we are all feeling it.

Amanda and her two kids just left after lazing away in the pool for ages.

LEEANN:  It's not a mothballs smell.  The fabric is from a house where someone smoked.  We washed all the fabric with baking soda, it has taken out most of the smell.

ABOVE:  These two doing the 'Mum thing', watching the kids in the pool.

Not my job anymore!

Been there, done that.

RHONDA:  Our high today was 30 C.  I think it's what you are used to, as to how HOT it feels to you.

30 C plus high humidity is not very tolerable here!

35 in Sydney probably feels like 25 here.  You get a dry heat.  We get a humid heat, totally different.

Our AIR CON:  is not working, so we are waiting until we can get a repairman in.  Hopefully in the next few days.

Our dinner was wonderful.  Steve did well.

I've just been out watering pots and some of the garden.  My hydrangeas were wilting, so are my Peony's.  The pond went down by about 4 inches today, so I've topped that up too.

I will have to do that every evening from now till the end of March.  What fun. NOT.

Another reason I don't like summer.  

9.25 pm:  The day is done.  All is quiet in the Harvey house.

Time to sign off for the day.

Catch ya tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA

It doesn't take long for the first birthday to come around !

ABOVE:  It's Amanda's Birthday today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOAD.

I just noticed those bruises/marks on her arm, must ask her what happened? 

ABOVE:  Opening her Christmas presents yesterday.  I think she liked them.  And YES, she also got freakin' socks!

ABOVE:  Stew took two of my paintings to his offices.  He wanted to put them on the interview room walls.  Everyone comments on how lovely they look there apparently.

I think they look awesome on those blue walls!

It's supposed to be stinking hot again today, so apart from continuing to wash the fabrics and get them put away, we will probably live in the pool, and hang out with the kids and grandkids.

12.29 pm:  Washing fabric and hanging it on the line all morning.

Folding it as it dries.

Meantime, ...

ABOVE:  First swim of the day, and Mike even got in.  Reluctantly.

edit:  It's too bloody hot for me to even think about getting in the pool!

By the time you get out and get dressed again, you are all hot again.

It's about 29-30 degrees out there right now.

Great for getting all the fabric dry.

Mike, Joyce, Dante and Archer have gone shopping in town.

Bex is waiting for Steve to get back from Thames then they will come back around here.

Steve had to go to Thames  first thing this morning for work, an insurance 'Make Safe' after a flood in a building.

Such a shame he has to be 'on call' while his brother is here.

But work comes first.

Amanda is due here soon.  So it's still like we have a revolving door here.

Tonight's dinner was various flavours of sausages, coleslaw and grated cheese and Kumera Poppas, Kumera rissoles and Mushroom Poppas.

DELICIOUS!

ABOVE: We didn't have a birthday cake.... didn't know Amanda would be here for dinner!

But as we had PLENTY of food, her and the little kids stayed.

I gave her a Kumera Poppa 'birthday cake' !

ABOVE:  There ya go.  The first birthday done and dusted.  lol

ABOVE:  Sparkling... that's a Poppa.  We all love the Kumera ones the best.

https://poshpoppas.co.nz/

It is finally quiet in our home.  Only Mike and Joyce here after dinner.

Amanda left with a car load of  Mrs C's stuff.

One load left for her to take away and it's DONE DONE DONE.

My car is back in the garage!!!

And of that happy note, it's ....

2022

 

2020 - Covid 19.

         - Lockdowns.  Quarantine.  Isolation.

         - Mum died.

         - Start of legal troubles.

2021 - Legal/Court battles.

         - Stress, worry, shit.

         - DELTA

2022 - OMICROM

         -  MORE STRESS and WORRY.

Why do we look forward to a 'New Year'?

Well... the only thing you can do is hope this is a better year.

We have had two years of living with Covid, so what's another one eh?

ABOVE :  these two darlings arrived last night.  So, so happy to see them again.

We spent a good deal of time yakking last night, just love spending time with them.

ABOVE:  The kids found these 'that's so Mum' gifts for me earlier in the year in Picton, when they were on holiday.  They know me rather well eh?

So, not sure what everyone is doing today.

I think Stew and I will stay home and just be a base for visitors to come and go, swimming and just spending time with family.

1.25 pm:  I have been in the garage all morning, sorting through all Mrs C's stuff.

Bex and Joyce helped me, and I can't quite believe it, but we have actually finished the sorting!

ABOVE: We found some real treasure fabric!

ABOVE: The washing and drying has started...

ABOVE: There's just this pile to wash, dry, iron, fold and put away.

ABOVE:  We have a HUGE pile to donate to others.

I'm hoping that Amanda can take some of it to her Op Shops.

ABOVE:  Steve and Mike are playing Magic.  The girls are just sitting there watching! lol

ABOVE:  My fabrics have been given a massive tidy up thanks to the girls helping me!

We had done SO MUCH today, it's mind boggling.

It's now 3.30 pm and everyone is knackered.  Or just too hot to move.  Some had been swimming, and if I actually had the energy I'd be in the pool too.

Maybe soon?  Once I've relaxed for 5 minutes.

Well I had a swim, then got dinner on.

Emily and Liam got dropped off, so we gave them their Christmas presents.

Then all the kids had a swim before dinner.

ABOVE:  She LOVES her new socks!  They are so  damn funky and fun.

Hers have wings on the back!

ABOVE:  Apparently I'm 'THE BEST GRANDMA'.

I'll take that.

Dinner tonight was Teriyaki Chicken over savoury rice and veges.  We had 8 adults and 5 kids to feed.   For once there are no left overs!

Now... time to wind down and just freakin' well relax!

9.58 am:  And it's nearly time to go to bed.  Nice and early tonight, we are both bloody tired.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.  If it's as productive as today it will be a good one.