The silly season is nearly here, so grab it by the @*%#s and go for it, have some fun.

I cannot believe it is December already, where has this year gone to?  The older I get the quicker they pass by and I am not convinced I like that.  I actually dusted off our Christmas Tree and put it up on the 1st day of the month, threw 4 decorations at it as I didn't have time to go the whole hog on it right there and then.  But now......

Our tree is smothered in felt and fairies and 3 sets of lights, and yes it is on a lean. In fact it fell over as I have a tendency to decorate the front and sides as it goes in a corner.  All this  has been fixed and now the back has it's quota of decs to prevent further toppling.

I have even done a bit of a Christmas display in the front entrance!  At this rate you will all be thinking I totally subscribe to all that is Christmas.  Well not really, I love decorated trees, houses that have been pimped up in flashing lights and that is about it.  No carols for me, panic shopping or big family get together.  We have a very laid back attitude to the season and it WORKS!! 

It has been so warm at night that I have been wearing plaits to bed!

TOFs vegetable garden has doubled in height and the edibles are being eaten while others are being watched for signs of readiness.

I bought one of those sponge bun things so my hair has been going up!  Pretty sure I'm not doing it correctly but what the hell I say.

These beautiful flowers keep on flowering!

I purchased a Tweedia plant from Habitat and Zinnias from Bunnings and potted them all up.  Colour for the garden is everywhere and when you can get Zinnias for 99cents a plant you have to buy at least 3 of them.

All the latest colour has been put out the front and Tex even got some fancy smancy solar lights over his 'chair in the bush' bed. 

Who knew that you could get a White Kakabeak?  Well not me that is for sure.  I have 2 red ones so I decided I needed a white one.  I have potted it up and it is out in the back garden, it will be divine when it does it's thing next year.

My Hydrangea is starting to flower and has some impressive sized heads on it already.  This is the time of year to take cuttings of other ones poking through fences and on roadsides because you can see what the flowers are like.

Work has been really busy with end of month stuff and of course with a short month this month it is all go to get things done.  We close on the 18th of December for 3 glorious weeks of summer holiday. My favourite shopping places will also be on holiday as all the op shops shut up shop for a summer vacay!  I found the above brand new sandles for $2 the other day at Hospice, and they are as comfortable as they look.

I also came home with all these old decals, I remember putting a big dog one on the draws under my bed at our beach house when I was a kid to identify my bed out of the 3 in us girls bedroom.

Yesterday Sue W and I decided we would go for a wander around Lake Rotoroa the lake in the middle of our city.  I think it is just under 3 kilometers around and a rather delightful walk.  We did our walkies in the morning before it got too hot, but it was over cast and already humid. JOY not!

We parked by the Veranda Cafe and walked anti clock wise as out reward at the end was going to be coffee and cake!

There is an lovely flat even surface pathway (with duck and pigeon shit everywhere) the entire way around and lakeside all the way. 

Even though it was overcast it was still a pretty nice outlook to enjoy while chatting, laughing, stopping for photos and walking.

 

I will admit this is the FIRST time I have ever walked the entire way around.

I think when I was suffering greatly with anxiety and agoraphobia this was just far to big of a challenge. 

But now at 53 (and happily medicated) I can accept the challenge and I am so glad I did, it is a beautiful way to spend some time with a good friend.

We quite possibly solved a lot of world problems during our walk as most women seem to do when together.

Maybe it is time women took over the running of the world?

There are many lovely old trees that have stood strong over the years.

Can you see the face?  At least it has not been painted.

The last part of the walk is on a board walk and it passes by houses and meanders through lovely native planting.

 There is plenty of wildlife at the lake and numerous babies.

And the Water Lilies are all flowering!

These cars and boat have been in the children lakeside playground since I was a toddler.  So cool to see they have survived all the up grades and health and safety nonsense over the years.  They have even had very snazzy paint jobs done.

With our burst of fitness done and dusted we went to the Cafe to have refreshments and bugger me if the waitress gave us our age for our outdoor table!  The place was buzzing with activity, children playing, people walking, dogs waiting patiently in cars for other cafe visitors.

Behind the Cafe and up a small hill is this beautiful little Rose Garden, full of, well you guessed it, ROSES!!!

The Roses are planted in a circle on the outer edge of the Gazebo, so  we wander around between the roses drinking in the heady perfume that some offered.

Such an array of colours and varieties and all looking very beautiful and well cared for by our City Council gardeners.  Well done to them and I do not mind our rates contributing to the upkeep of such lovely things.

And to show our appreciation this took place!!

Some say we are mad

I say we enjoy life!

 Two of my favourites if I had to choose.

Heading back to the car

I told Sue we needed to go for a train ride. 

So we did!!

The rest of our day was spent popping in and out of Op shops and coming home with very little or in my case, nothing.  

Now it is the weekend so it is time to hang at home with TOF and the pets.  We are having to keep our eye on our dear old man Tex as he is slowly but surely heading done hill thanks to being elderly.  He has lost a lot of weight and generally just sleeps.  He is still eating, drinking and peeing and getting about, just moving a lot slower.  Trust me, he is being watched and waited on and if the need arises he will be helped into the next phase of his journey.

So no matter what age you are,

have some fun,

enjoy life because none of us know

how long we have!