Down and dirty with the bulbs.

Yesterday I got all prepared to plant my bulbs, so armed with a few essentials I got to and DID IT!

Fabulous gloves on, time to get stuck in.

Preparation is of course essential as is making sure you are hydrated!!

A few simple steps and I was on my way!

 Ta-fricken-da and Hallelujah because it is Easter, JOB DONE!!

Tex provided the essential company, good advise and help out the front.

Sheba and Oscar were on back up duty behind the screen door, and Tex finished the session with a well deserved drink.

Roll on Spring, even though we still have Autumn and Winter to get through first.  But I am prepared!!

♥♥♥

My blog went tits up for a day or so therefore I haven't been able to post anything so hopefully it will now work. If it does this is from Tuesday when I went and played with the clay at Dawns.

Dawn busy under glazing the letter box, and tree necklaces

Cupcakes and cake stands now join in with the teapots for an up and coming exhibition

Dawns cute as they get grand daughter

It's now Thursday and you have to love a short week that will evolve into an extra long weekend.  Good on ya Easter!!!  Happy chocolate over dosing to yo all.

I wore Flip Flops (jandels) to the BeachHop!!!

TOF and I were invited to stay with our good friends Leonie and Ayden over at Whangamata this weekend.  They were coming up from Wellington so it seemed like such a good idea to head over them there hills and play catch up!!!

I made a bacon and egg pie on Friday afternoon so we ate pie, (yes I know that sounds bad on so many levels) on our trip over to the coast.  I think my dad was in that beam of light heading down on us as he always enjoyed the annual Beach Hop.  The drive through the gorge between Paeroa and Waihi is one of my favourite parts of the entire road trip.  Like wise is seeing the row of Palms when just about at Waihi.  But I never get tired of the first sighting of the ocean as you get to the top of the first hill out of Waihi.  If you have driven this road as many times as I, then you will understand where I am coming from.

Friday night is Cruise by night and a great way to see the huge variety of cars that are at this event.  I slept so well that night, I think I was just petrol fumed out!!!

Saturday is a full on day of parades and parking up of both vehicles and people.  The main street is closed off for the day and there was music and food the entire length.  I took a mere 274 photos but have condensed them hugely so I can share this fabulous weekend.  So here goes.

Some Bikes

Lots of fabulously attired people enjoying the sunshine

The ladies were rockin' the spots and crinoline for sure

Ayden and TOF having a quick coffee and muffin break.  And my sweet life long  friend Leonie.

Plenty of Chrome

Just a couple of the bands on offer

Groovy old planes flew over

Leonie and I looked Frockin gorgeous on the old tandem bike we used to ride to school over 30 odd years ago!!

TOF found his dream car, a Valiant Charger

We went back to the bach and had a delightful lunch and then me and TOF tootled off.  First to the harbor as I had a strong desire to walk on the sand and dip my toes in the ocean.  He sat in the car and listened to the CRICKET on the radio. I KNOW!! The CRICKET!!

 After a quick cupper with our brother in law we took a back road back into town to avoid the traffic blockage and went and looked at all the retro caravans parked up.

Totally to die for!!!

This lady was hilarious and she owned the camp sight in these pics, check out the laundry.

Then it was time to say goodbye to Whangamata and head on home.  It was a grand time catching up with good friends and family that live over there.

♥♥♥

OMG!!! It's Friday already!!!

Who stole my week???  Anybody??
Well who ever took it, I hope you had a good old time with it, because I obviously did and I cannot remember where it went and if it even took my along for the ride!!

I do know I had lunch at Lake Rotoroa which is smack bang in the middle of my City Hamilton.  Me and Sue W had a bit of a crack at the op shops on Tuesday and then she suggested we DO LUNCH, as you do, at the Lake.  Mighty fine it was too.  Lovely day but the wind was blowing like a bugger causing white caps on the lake so we sat indoors.  And yes we did manage to find plenty of lovely things and we filled up the car.  The B car that is, as TOF was away with work so we took his little car for a trip out.

On Wednesday I went to Tirau, but before I could even do that I had to take the B car for a warrant and register her.  Thanks very much lets kiss good bye to $110.  Never mind, she passed her warrant and has rego for another 3 months.  Took the A car, my big red wagon to Tirau tho as I was picking up a floor lamp that I had bought off Trade Me.  Thinking it was in Hamilton and a bargin at $15, and then finding out the silly old girl didn't mention that she lived in Tirau.  Just a wee drive out of town but requiring more petrol than was in the tank.  The seller of the lamp lives in the old local Fire Station and it was amazing!!  She wanted me to stay (lonely chatty old girl) but I really didn't have the time so maybe next time I am that way I will call in.  Anyway, the local Tavern is up for sale, maybe me and TOF should become pub owners?  But what about my boots???  These little beauties were originally $380!!!  Like I would part with that amount for one pair of anything.  Scored them for $70 and they are wickedly comfy.  Bring on Winter!!!!!  A friend of mine has already called them my Cougar boots!!

On my drive back home I stopped off at a rest stop on the side of our Mighty Waikato River to take in the sight and take photos.   The river is pretty wide at this part and the water was flowing rapidly.  This river flows through our city and heads up north to supply water to those that live up that way, like Aucklanders.  Anyway, just along from where I took these photos is Lake Karipiro, which is home for Rowing.

At the moment the New Zealand High School Rowing Champs called the Mardi Cup are being held.  With my big zoom on my camera I think I managed to see the beginning of where they race.  Jak has headed out this afternoon and will be going again tomorrow as mates from his old high school are racing.  They have a very good chance of taking out the cup which the school has had many times before.  I even remember going when I was at high school as some of my girlfriends rowed.  This is also where the World Rowing Champs were last year?  Amazing venue and great use of the river/lake.

A lot of farms are along the bank of the river and I spotted this farmer busy doing farmy type stuff.  You can see how brown the paddocks still are up here.  We did get a couple of days rain which has filled tanks and helped my garden, but I don't think it was enough for the farmers.

Well I have bottled more Beetroot, made some Capsicum Jelly and have a bacon and egg pie in the oven.  There is a strong possibility that me and TOF are heading off to Whangamata tonight to catch up with my gorgeous friend Leonie and her hubby.  Oh and also the Beach Hop is on.  Shall take my camera.  Hope you all have survived the week and are getting all ready to embrace the weekend.

♥♥♥

If you Stew about Bottling things up you will end up in a Pickle

I am still alive!!!  Just been busy faffing about doing stuff so here is a very quick over view of some of the stuff I have been up to.

TOF put the new BBQ together and we have been cooking on her.  This is his moment in the spotlight posing with his beloved new BBQ!!

Our shelves are full of lovely pickles and preserves from produce out of our garden.  And there is still more to come.

I went to an Italian festival in the Hamilton Gardens last weekend.  Fabulous music, delish smelling food being cooked and sold, but it was incredibly hot and very crowded, and I just don't do crowds.  But this bridge was reflecting in the murky water and begged to be photographed!!

Of course there has been shopping of the op shop and new variety.  There is clothing to show off that will happen when I get a-round-to-it!!  Lovely Jak took me shopping and bought me the bits in the RHS photo.  Bit of a role reversal thing was going down, me asking for stuff and him saying, OK put it on the counter!!

Visiting took place and even a couple of job interviews!!  The visiting was far more fun!!  Dawn has been sculpting huge garden art to go in her kiln and her man has been making lovely braziers.

And yesterday there was a 12 hour lunch with a bunch of old friends so today I am in recovery mode.

Will catch you all later in the week, hoping you are all well, happy and enjoying life!!

Barn dance for the elderly!!

Finally Saturday night arrived!!  Had been a busy week and an incredibly busy day on Saturday for me.  With working in the shop, then going to a baby shower, I got home only to get changed and head on out to Sue Ws birthday party.

So me and TOF got dressed in beach gear, me in a bikini!!  I scored a nana bag for Sue that I glued flowers to the top, filled with goodies and then draped a hula skirt on it to deliver it to her.  She hates Nana bags on wheels so it only seemed right that I got her one.  When ever we are out op shopping and I find one of these beauties I park it next to her and walk away.  I always hear her go" oh fuck off".  Inside this was a sample of Tena lady with a DVD on pelvic floor exercises, loads of prescription drugs, helpful information sheets from a chemist, a huge wine glass with Birthday Girl on it, and a few other take the piss type of gifts.

The barn looked fantastic, totally pimped out for the party.  There was bikini bunting hanging at the bar and more bunting along one of the farm fences outside.  Alice the lovely french woman staying made all the cool as signs.  Some drunken petonqu was being played outside, and alot of drinking and dancing was going on inside.  It was a fabulous night!!

The birthday girl did a bit of snogging with young men. Does that make her his Cougar or him her Toyboy?

My lot settled in for the night, except TOF bailed and went home when the younguns left but I stayed on until after midnight because I can do that!!!

Sue proved that she still has what it takes!!

The young ones were doing the shots!!  They propped up the bar nearly all night, with Michael, Sues sons clearly enjoying his roll as head bar man making cocktails and lining up the shots.

These lads all went through high school together and really good mates, that Sue and I have had numerous good times with over the years. My one is in the red top.

It was a brilliant night and one that will be remembered by some and not by others.

The food was amazing and the band was outstanding, but the best part was that our birthday girl got to have the party she wanted after all her hard work at planning and decorating.  She had a ball!!!

And like most parties, someone always ends up butt naked some where!!

I think we should celebrate birthdays every 10 years now as they are all milestones from 50 on!!!

♥♥♥