The Festive Season is upon us......

...and for us here in New Zealand this means SUMMER HOLIDAYS!!!

The last week of work was manic, I was so busy that for the first week of my holidays I plan to do very little. Catch up with friends, catch up on some sleep, and catch up on some reading. Sounds good doesn't it.  Anyway the build up pre Christmas was a little like this.

With my living tree decorated I threw together

a Christmas front entrance display!

I took my good friend Leonie (who is back in NZ for a few weeks) to see the Trees @ the Meteor which is a annual event that I enjoy going to. Nothing Traditional here, all recycling at it's very best. We then went out for coffee and cake and a little bit of Christmas shopping.  Such a nice way to spend with my oldest friend, as in since we were babies, I shit you not, that long!!

 Our weather was warm enough for more frocks, sandals and sunglasses.

The Sweat Peas have continued to bloom and little Miss Autumn made a nest among the fragrance.

It would seem that my Hydrangea is on Growth Hormones as this year it is HUGE!!

I got goodies from Goody!!
YUMMMMY!!
Thanks again darling Jenifer!!

I rescued a Preying Mantis from a Spider Web.
You're welcome.

We had some welcome rain that my garden eagerly drank.

The Sun returned.

And the flowers bathed in the sunshine.

A Tomato Faerie left some plants on our door step.

Both fruit and nuts are growing well in the garden. 

I finally found my Wings.
Just waiting for my Halo to arrive now.

TOF had a birthday two days before Christmas so the Spare and I took him out to Ten Pin Bowling.  Turns out TOF and I are absolute crap at this game now.  But the view down the mighty Waikato River was outstanding.

With my tripod and remote we attempted a family photo, after a dozen or so shots we settled on this being the best.  Some were too funny, but I was told not to show and tell.  

Christmas morning after a hearty breakfast and the exchanging of gifts the lads and I took the dogs for a run on the beach out at Raglan.  TOF was creating delights in the kitchen for lunch.

Plenty of Surfers were enjoying a Christmas day surf at Manu Bay.

Because it was only about 9:30am we pretty much had the beach to ourselves.

The dogs had a ball running in and out of the ocean which I might add was lovely, not cold like I expected it to be.  It was so nice to get that coastal air into my city lungs.

Needless to say there were some tired,

wet and smelly pooches in the car

on the drive back home.

We had a late lunch with TOFs sister and family which was beautiful but we will all be living off left overs forever.  That part I hate, too much food!!  But I love my SILs (sister in law) garden, she like me loves gardening so we retreated to the garden to get out of the dishes!!!

Her puppy Ginny has doubled in size and loves me.

My SIL even had Festive loo paper!!

Today, Boxing Day has been spent sleeping and snacking on leftovers, watching cricket on the TV and drinking tea. Yeah we live the high life around here.

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Where ever you are and how ever you celebrated or didn't celebrate Christmas, I hope you and your family and friends had a lovely day enjoying things you like to do.  All I know is the casual approach to this time of year works for me, I do not like fuss and stress.  And I never listen to people that tell me not to show and tell.

 

 

   

Life goes on, and then it is time to decorate the tree!!

Day after day you wake up and go through the motions of another day. I on the other hand wake up excited to face another day, every day is a gift remember.  None of us know how long we have and that is a good thing.  Who would want to know anyway?  Not me that's for sure.  I like to think I am a cup half full kind of person, who welcomes each morning looking for the good things.

Well I found some!!

I rescued this Bee off the lawn and placed it in the middle of a flower, within seconds it was covered in pollen and very alive.

Close up flowers make me marvel at nature's skills.

The foster babies have gone, hopefully to their forever homes.  Our local SPCA that I fostered from has now closed due to a lack of finances and with the kitten season upon them they just knew they couldn't do a proper job being so under funded and under staffed.  Hopefully they will sort things out over the next few months and I will be back doing one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, oh and fun!!

Oscar will miss them.

A beautiful Sunny Saturday was spent out at Raglan giving a pre view of the gorgeous weather that will be gracing us daily very soon.

In about a month or two these lush green hills

will be brown from the Summer sun.

A return trip that evening to have dinner with friends

gave us a lovely sunset.

I puppy sat the puppy for  a couple of hours which was very easy with my dogs to help and a good sunny day so the entire time was spent outdoors.

Oscar is not keen on those long legs that get waved in his face,

but Sheba LOVES little Stella.

Frocks are getting worn, some new to me and some old favourites.

Flowers get picked, Fruit gets gathered when collecting the eggs.

And Big spends a lot of time meditating!

It would be fare to say I have had some successes at the charity shops of late. I love the change of season when people sort out their clothes!!  Oh and I got me some HOT BUNS!!

I visited Sue in the country and we wandered the estate as we always do.

This year I decided I wanted a real tree for Christmas.  I don't like the thought of buying one that has been shaped and then chopped off at the base, only to be thrown away when it has turned brown.  So for a similar amount of money, well maybe even less I bought a potted Pine Tree.  It smells perfect even though it doesn't look perfect.  But it is perfect to me. I reckon we should get a couple of Christmases out of it before it will retire to the country and be  planted to grow super tall. It has Pink Flamingo and Jandel lights, and an assortment of fairies and animals decorating it.  And my gifts I have bought have been wrapped and placed, all done and dusted!!

I love my decorations, a selection of things that bring me pleasure.  Like these three, the one on the left and on the right were made for me by my arty farty friend Louise.  The one in the middle was sent to me when my friend Leonie lived in Germany.

Anyone else have a cow on their tree??

I love Fairies and Angels so they are everywhere among the branches, keeping my whimsical animals in good company.  Can you see my old dog Ben wearing Angel wings, he now is an Angel Dog.  Have you got a tree up and decorated?

My Hydrangea is absolutely smothered in huge flowers this year and it looks pretty nice just on dusk. I am waiting for my Pink one and my White one to flower.

Wishes at night look

magical.

I don't usually buy Christmas cards but these two made me laugh, and we know a Gary so that is for him. 

 

I hope you are all ready for Christmas, whether you celebrate it or not.  All I know is that I am glad that I have done all I needed to do as it is getting mad out there with people driving like idiots already and people rushing and getting grumpy in shops.  I want to yell out "Slow down and be happy, it's not the end of the world".  But instead I shall retreat to my garden and avoid the nonsense people cause themselves which is so unnecessary.

So remember: Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all men,

                                       except Garry, Garry is a  prick!!!