ANOTHER ONE HITS 40

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY TODAY LACY

Dad and I hope you have a lovely day ... see ya later on!

It makes me feel rather old knowing another one of our kids is freakin' 40!

But it is what it is... time goes on, the years march on and there isn't a thing you can do about it.  

So... we are having a very small family lunch here today.  And cake.  That should be lovely.

After lunch I fully expect everyone to jump in the pool and have some fun.  There's no more big jobs to be done ... it's time to just enjoy our new home now.

So... I will come back later with the obligatory Birthday Cake photo.  *smiles*

ONWARD...

We were busy in the garden this morning... and chasing the dogs down the road!  They sneaked past us three times... and the last time they actually tried running after a bloke on his bike!  They were not being aggressive, just wanted to join him! lol


ABOVE:  A little wander around the section.

Steve and Bex are here ... so just waiting for the Birthday girl to arrive now.

LACY ARRIVED:


ABOVE:  That worked!  The day is going great so far.

ABOVE:  Opening presents.

ABOVE:  And there it is, the cake cutting.  Done. Eaten.  Party food over.  

6.33 pm:  Lacy went home.  Everyone else went to the movies... it' was the very first time Dante and Archer had been to the movies.  They loved it.

While they were out I made 3 more coin purses (dog fabric ones), then I cooked dinner.

Which was a chicken/onion/capsicum dish over pasta.  I tossed in some grated cheese right at the end too.  Everyone thought it was very nice.

Now... Steve, Bex and the kids will be heading home.  Tomorrow is going to be a very relaxing day for everyone.


ABOVE:  Ha ha!  I thought they were leaving, but Steve had other ideas. He wasn't leaving till he'd had a swim.

No one else has had a swim today as it was raining and overcast, and much cooler today.

THESE ARE LIKED IT SEEMS

Well!
I started making little coin purses a couple of days ago, and showed them on here, and Facebook.
I was NOT trying to sell them to anyone right now... I'm making them for market really.

But... I have already sold three!

ABOVE:  I got a message from a friend in Australia last night.  She wants this one! lol
I shall take it over in March and post it to her from there.
By the time I leave I will have half a suitcase full of my sewing stuff for people over there! 

They are not expensive items (the coin purses), so I'm not going to make me fortune... but still nice to know they are liked.

Today:  Well first up... I'm going to sit outside the WINZ office and see if a certain person turns up for their appointment.

ABOVE:  Then I'm going over to Cambridge for an FGB Coffee Meet up.  I'm really looking forward to that.

Then I will come home and make some coin purses.  My aim is 3-4 a day until I have a nice number ... then I shall get back to my Australian Order.  Just 2 cot quilts to go on that one.

ONWARD...

Semi success... the kid turned up.  But has to go back within a few day after doing what he was SUPPOSED to do in the past 3 weeks.  Freakin' kids eh?  *frown*

Then off to Cambridge, where I spent a lovely hour catching up with girlfriends.

ABOVE: There were about 20 of us, so a really good turn out.

I then went to Spotlight to get more supplies for me little coin purses.  Came home, watered me lawn and am now in the Studio about to make my daily quota of coin purses.

It's so hot I have sweat running down my face and back!  JUST SITTING HERE!

My Uncle Ron, who is me Mum's partner, sent me a photo today.
Now I took one look at it and said "I'm not coming!"... as in, maybe Aussy ain't a good place to visit!

ABOVE:  Like... it's a freakin' SNAKE!!!!   I can literally hear me Mum screaming holy blue murder for Ron to come and kill it!   *shudder*

OLD MOO... there better be none around when we come over there!  And RON... yes, of course I'm a chicken.

Dinnertime.  We (Stew and I) go to the supermarket for some stuff we need for tomorrow.

We are heading out of the supermarket when an alarm goes off.  We keep going out the door, but next thing ... this voice right behind me says:

"STOP!  Spread your legs and hands up against the wall!!!"

I actually stopped and started to spread my legs, looking behind me with what must have been a very alarmed look on my face.

And the bloke behind me looks at me and says "Oh hell!  I was just joking!"

I slapped him, on the arm.  

Then we all laughed.  Only I wasn't that amused really.

And on that note... I'm off to sew some more.
Catch ya tomorrow... when LACY turns 40!

THROWBACK, THEN AND NOW

I'm not really in a blogging mood today.

So you get this:

 ABOVE:  13th of October, 2019. Just a jungle of Japanese Maples, and undiscovered ROCKS.

ABOVE:  20th/21st December, 2019... and TWO ROCKS found.  They managed to move the smaller one (behind the BIG one).

ABOVE:  The same area... 8th February 2020.  Quite a change!

 ABOVE:  29th January, 2020.  Just a mess.

ABOVE: 2nd February, 2020.

And that's where we are for now.

I'm feeling really ikkk today.  Not in a good mood.  

ABOVE:  I'm suffering from unexplained crabbiness.

I will come back later, hopefully in a better mood.

ONWARD...

10.42 am:  Well I finally got outta bed at around 9!  Lacy turned up for left overs.  So I got her to earn them!
She bathed the dogs and watered the lawn.

 ABOVE:  They smell much nicer now.  It won't be long before they will need grooming again.  Particularly Marley, she is a fast hair grower!


ABOVE:  cos I can, you get this.

 ABOVE:  The lawn is starting to look lush in some  places, and the final stubborn areas are finally sprouting grass too.

ABOVE:  Once it sprouts, it certainly doesn't take long to fill out.  That patch in the middle of the slope was bald just a couple of days ago, and the top bit?  Sprouting!  

Obviously I can't stop showing you me friggin GRASS!

Like ... it's awesome shit. lol

I'm now in me sewing room and about to start another zippered purse.

ABOVE:  2 X Large Zippered Purses and one 'normal' sized Zippered Coin Purse.  I kinda love the dogs!

I'm now taking a break cos I have a thumping headache.  Relax time.  Followed by a swim.

Well, no swim today, I just feel like shit.  Still got a thumping headache.
Stew arrived home and as it was just the two of us for dinner, we went out for a burger.  

Burger Fuel is just down the road, and they make  THE BEST burgers ever.

Not doing much else now, taken some more painkillers, hoping it kills the headache.

PUFFED UP

Guess what happens when I sit and sew for a few hours in the heat?

ABOVE:  Me damn legs puff up and I end up with no shins or ankles.  Grrrrr.
I'd managed to avoid this problem so far this summer, but yesterday/last night?  Yeah.  All puffed up.

My toes felt all tight and horrible too... even though they don't look too bad.

ABOVE: See?  When I press down on me shin I end up with dents.  Horrible.

So today I'm going to make sure I don't sit for any longer than an hour at a time, and take a good walk around to get the fluid moving again.

I am going out first thing this morning to post off a Zippered Coin Purse to a friend in Wellington.  She saw it on Facebook last night and bought it.  

Then I will come home and make some more.
They are lots of fun to make, nice and quick, and it's neat choosing the fabrics, what goes with what and so on.

I think they will be a great project to use fabric scraps on too... I'm always wanting ideas on how to use up me scraps.  I don't throw away ANYTHING, cos it might come in handy at some point.

Hence my scrap bins are kinda full!

I don't think I have anything else 'on' today except the usual.  Watering the various areas around the yard, and the LAWN... cos it really is almost a lawn!

I'm not gunna bore you with any more progress photos of grass.  I'm gunna now wait till it's fully grown before I show you again.

Oh and yeah,  *sigh*... gotta do some washing. Friggin boring as shit like that just makes me go MEH... don't wanna do it, but I have to.

Back later.

ONWARD...

Who else gets to the middle of the afternoon and then thinks "Oh hell, what shall I do for dinner?".

Yeah, that would be me for the past few months.
And it's so annoying.

So, Stew suggested I go back to planning out the week's dinners.

ABOVE:  So, I did.  And what a difference it makes.  No more desperately defrosting something at 4 pm, or going nah, can't be arsed and getting a takeaway.

It's so easy to just look at the planner and go grab the meat out of the freezer.  

I've already got tonight's dinner cooking.  Pork in the crock pot.

I had a bright idea when I went into the Studio this morning!  Yeah, it does happen sometimes.

I've had a pile of blocks sitting waiting to be used for 'something' for quite a few years now.  And I decided they would be perfect for 'Zippered Project Bags' ... or just larger 'Coin Purses'...

  ABOVE:  I have 16 of them.

ABOVE:  And there ya go, the first one is done.
So gorgeous!!!


ABOVE:  And as predicted, it lasted all of 3 minutes!

I've now made three of the bigger Zippered Bags... time to take a lunch break.

ABOVE:  my NEW favourite!  It's got a boat!  I'm tempted to keep this one.

4.30 pm:  And I've wrapped up me sewing day.  I ended up making 4 of the larger zippered bags.  Then Brylee and I had a lovely swim.

Griffin swung by for some clean clothes... then left again.  But not before I had a few words with him.  Most likely in one ear and out the other, but I tried.

Now it's time to get the dinner finalised.  I'm turning the pork into a stew then putting it in a pie.  OMG I feel like pie!  lol

It's a Kiwi thing.  We love our pies.  Not sweet ones, savoury ones for sure.

8.30 pm:  And dinner was really yum, as I knew it would be.  No left overs though, sorry Lacy.

Time to just relax and watch some TV.  

CARROT DISH

I got a couple of emails last night asking for our Baked Carrot Dish recipe, so here ya go:

ABOVE:  You can add other stuff to it too... any other veges, meat, garlic etc.  Totally up to you.

NOT SHITTING YOU...  just after I typed that about adding some meat to it... I looked at Stew and said:

"Adding some cubed bits of ham would be nice in it".... 

And bugger me... he said he was literally thinking the EXACT same thing and was about to say it to me!   

Not just ham, he was thinking 'CUBED BITS OF HAM'.

We think alike so often... at. the. same. time.
It's a bit freaky. 

Love my man so much.  We are very different when it comes to temperament, but still on the same wavelength.

Today... first up... water the 'lawn'.  It's coming along nicely.
Still have some patches that are just dirt...but I'm sure they are gunna sprout any day now.

At some point I will go into the sewing room and do some prep work for my little 'zipper' projects.
I might have another cot quilt order to work on too!

And that's me for now... catch ya later.

ONWARD...

I just remembered it's Card Night in Cambridge tonight, so I better think of something to take.  We all take a small plate of nibbles for supper.

ABOVE:  Lacy came over and was very surprised at my lawn's growth.  There I am pointing out areas that have come up overnight.

When we go on holiday next month it will be her job to keep it ALIVE!  

So... I was looking at some You Tube videos... and decided to do some 'zip' sewing without a zipper foot.  Plenty of people do it would appear, so I could too.

I made two of my 'zip projects'... here they are:

ABOVE:  I wanted to make some coin purses for market.  This is my first attempt.  A bit big, and also I felt it needed a tag thingee.

 ABOVE:  My 2nd one... which I'm much happier with.  Still not perfect though, I forgot to top stitch along the zipper edge. *sigh*

I'm sure the third one will be just right.  *smiles*

ABOVE:  Is it too soon to have a favourite?  Cos I really love this one!
And I remembered all the steps.  AND did I mention you can fit ya mobile phone in these coin purses too?  
So handy if you just want to go out with some change and ya phone.

I have probably got just enough time to make one more before I have to prepare and cook dinner... then go out to Card Night.

ABOVE:  And there ya go, the last one for the day.  I'm now out of the Studio, and into the kitchen.

OH YAaaaa.  NOT.

Card Night got cancelled due to there only being two of us going. Which is sad, but it means I get to make a couple more little purses after dinner.  *smiles*  There's always a positive right?

Stew will be home shortly from Rotorua, dinner is simmering away in the pot and I have some lovely Turkish Bread defrosting in the microwave.  

I put photos of my little coin purses on Facebook... visable to my friends only.  And just like that, the first one I made is sold, and I have an order for a nautical one.  LOL
And someone suggested I make PURPLE ones for the FBG's.  We will see on that one.  Not everyone is gunna want one!

Dinner was delicious... followed by a Movenpik ice cream, cos we had to go into town to turn on the security alarm at Stew's offices.  So much for once a month! 

Oh well... I'll just have to be extra careful for the next few days.

Time to sign off for the day.  Catch ya tomorrow.

DAMMIT IT, NO ZIPPER FOOT

Edited. 

If it wasn't for THE OLD MOO and my friends, who love reading about our daily life, I would fucking delete this blog right now, then 'they' wouldn't be able to even see/read about us... like they care anyway? 

What am I getting up to today?

Well... we went to Spotlight yesterday afternoon and got these:

ABOVE:  Yeah, I'm gunna take a break from my Aussy order for a day or two and try making something different.

I will show you WHAT once I've made a couple.

And that is all I have for now.  Now off ya go and have a good day, cos I sure will.
So happy all the HARD WORK is done and behind us now.

ABOVE:  more grass!  It's growing really good in some places, and not so good in others.  But I feel sure it will all be sprouting soon. 
This is a 'Panoramic' photo, so it shows our entire back lawn.  Not too big right?  *smiles* 

I say 'back lawn' but in reality, it is the side yard!  Our back yard consists of the sheds, a path and a grapevine.

ABOVE:  See?  Not much area out the 'back' at all, and certainly no grass.

ONWARD...

I rang Spotlight (Hamilton branch) and asked if they had a zipper foot for my machine.  They said YES, so drove down there.
And ... NO, in fact they don't have a zipper foot for my machine.  WTF?  
CRABBY.

I drove over to Sewing Machine World at 5 Cross Roads, they didn't have one either, but I could order one in.  So I did that.

ABOVE: Oh yeah, I might have bought these while there too.  lol
I think I already have the two on the left, but who's counting?  


LOL.. another edit out!  
It's just one of those days.

So.  It's been quite an informative day.  I've found out a few things.  Not news really, just drummed it in as fact. 

Sibling rivalry is alive and well, and the root cause of so much angst.  
To be hated for helping a kid of ours?  Sad.
I will never turn my back on any of my kids.  
Not if they need help.

I will however, turn my back on being verbally abused and accused of god knows what, and people who hold GRUDGES and believe their own bullshit.

Some of my kids hate my blog!  Hate me blogging.  Well too bad.  It's my blog, my daily 'diary' of our life.  Before I blogged I kept a written diary, every day for 20 years.  This is so much better!  If it offends you, or you simply hate being mentioned on here, don't worry.  You never will again after today.

But I MIGHT just say how horrible 'some' of you are, and call you on your behaviour (no names were mentioned by the way).  Cos I can.  Don't ya just hate that?  Yeah, I know ya do.

Now ****, go relay all that to him who "doesn't even read this", OK?  

END OF THIS CHAPTER.

It's nearly 2 pm and I've literally done NOTHING today.  To'ing backwards and forwards between texts, PM's, Phone calls and emails!  

Think I will now just focus on my day and what I want to accomplish.  Which is more than just sitting here being a 'keyboard warrior'. *snort*

ABOVE: Some pretty big clouds overhead.  But they are just joking.  I will have to water the 'lawn' later.  We've not had rain in so long!  It's 30 degrees outside right now... more inside.
If it does rain, it will be a miracle.  I'll let ya know... *smiles*

I'm preparing dinner.  We are having chicken drumsticks baked in the oven, our baked carrot dish and salad.

Dinner was lovely, as I thought it would be.  Not had the carrot dish in a very long time, it was worth doing for sure.

Time to head off to bed now, it's just on midnight.

WAKEY WAKEY...

*yawn*... morning!

Let's just go straight to last night's concert:

 ABOVE:  Steve, Stew and I had never been to SPARK ARENA before.  We were really impressed, it's a lovely venue.

 ABOVE:  We arrived there just before they opened the doors... so did 12,000 other people!   But we got in very quickly and found our seats without any problems at all.

We had awesome seats!  Virtually no one was right in front of us at all.  We  had a clear view the entire time.  

ABOVE:  Too funny!  We were spotted in the crowd by a girlfriend from Tauranga!  She sent me this photo of us over Facebook, before the show started, saying 'Hi'!  
There was an FBG girlfriend there too.

 ABOVE:  Pentatonix... they were awesome.
The lighting was fantastic, it was a well put together show.

ABOVE:  I got some 'merch'.... lol.  Just a t-shirt to remember the evening by.


ABOVE:  The opening set.  Even 'just' the intro was fantastic.


ABOVE:  Their final song.  My favourite.  It was certainly a way, way better concert than Kenny Rogers 37 years ago! No comparison really.

So... after having a nice sleep in, it's time to get up and do a few jobs around the house.  Washing. Dusting. Watering the grass and gardens, cos they didn't get done last night, that's for sure.

I wasn't going to get out there at 1 in the morning for anything, not even new grass. lol

ONWARD...  3 pm:  Well after doing all me first thing in the morning jobs, I decided to make us Brunch.
I've not done a cook up in the morning in FOREVER!

ABOVE: That was Stew's plateful... he ate it all!
I on the other hand, could not.  So the dogs got lucky with lots of sausage.  The bread went down the sink.

After that feast, we both felt a bit sleepy! Funny that.
I kinda cat napped on my chair for an hour or so, and Stew did a little work outside.

Then around 2 pm we decided to pop out as I wanted a couple of things from Spotlight.  Not much, I will show you what tomorrow.

Then we went into town and had a Movenpik ice cream.... it's going to be a once a month treat.
We know total denial of treats just leads to HUGE BLOWOUTS.  We ain't gunna do that. *smiles*

I went into the studio this afternoon, spent about an hour looking for one of my sewing machine feet.  Not luck at all, so first thing tomorrow I need to go to friggin Spotlight AGAIN to buy a zipper foot.  Grrrr.

Stew cooked dinner tonight,  we had pork spare ribs, but they were more like steaks, and salad.

Time to head off to bed, I'm freakin' tired.