Monday 5 June 2017

State Highway 23 will take you to the sea, and, P.S: Happy Birthay Elizabeth!!

Who doesn't enjoy a long weekend?  I know every weekend is a long one for me, but it is nice to have other people off work on the same days as me sometimes, not always, just sometimes.  This weekend is Queens Birthday Weekend.  

So...

.. Happy Birthday Ma'am,
and thanks for the day off work!! 

So what else has been happening you may well ask, and what is it that keeps me away from blogging?  Work, lunching with friends, you know the sort of stuff.  It is all very good stuff to!!

On a sunny  day I visited Sue W and took out lunch for us.  We dined on a delicious Chicken, Cranberry, Brie and Spinach Pizza and drank Cranberry Juices, and we did this high up on her huge deck in the sky.  Max of course joined us there and on our walk around Webberville.  It was a beautiful day to be enjoyed outside.

Fantails are a plenty out here and they dance about you in the garden.

Such delightfully happy little birds.

The old barn down the road still stands, but how I do wonder.  Each year more of it has given way to the elements, but each year it provides a spot to stop and photograph in it's state of decay.

I have managed to poke my head in some op shops of late and discovered all sorts of goodies.  How could I leave behind such colour and handiwork?  Indian scarves are so vibrant, and I think I could some how turn them into something wearable for next Summer.  Always look forward I say!

Then the most beautiful old table clothes came into view, both need a gentle soak, both are so lovely and both only $4 each.

I love kids books and have quite a collection so one more didn't hurt and only 50 cents.  

A very tiny boat trapped in a very tiny bottle caught my eye, and a divine little colourful dish made in India, obviously a Country of colour.

Of course I found clothes, this little haul made me have a major sort out and I am pleased to say quite a lot of things have made there way to be sold and some have been given to Habitat.  What I sell pays for new to me things for this Winter.

Like a pair of Black boots to add to my ever growing collection.  The new ones are 2nd from the end in the last photo.  The only colour I want now is BLUE, so my hunt continues.

You all know how I love to layer my clothes, well with the weather we have been having, layers are the only way to go.  The black boots got an outing with the animal print dress.

The garden has been watered with rain and coated in the odd frost, some days it has been hidden in fog. At this time of the year not much happens except a lot of racking up of leaves!!  My Hibiscus is still flowering but maybe because it is sheltered on my deck.



My night class is going well.  Last week we worked on our wax castings for rings.  You start with a wax ring like the one on the left and you carve, saw, and file until you have the desired size, shape and form.  The one on the right I finished and it has now been sent away to be cast in silver.  Cannot wait for it's return to see if my carving comes out, of course either way I shall show you.  Next lesson is band rings using soldering irons, again I will choose to work in silver. 

Last weekend I went and visited the Heir and this is the greeting I got at the gate.  His dog Stella gets so excited and can not contain herself so her nose pops through the gap you open the gate with.  We went out for coffee and cake because that is what you do with your kids no matter how old they are or how often you see them.  Always nice to go out and catch up on life.

I met up with Sue W at a local book fair at the end of this week.  I was happy to find the two books on the left that I had wanted to read and happy to pay $3 each for them.  The Calligraphy ones were $1 each so time to have a play I think.  After the book fair we had some srumdiddleumpcious lunch and then visited a couple of op shops, it was a pleasant way to end the week.

Yesterday the weather was stunning so TOF and I took a drive out to Raglan.  Manu Bay was packed with people, any one would have thought it was a long weekend??  TOF reckoned he counted at least 50 dudes out in the water surfing, you could say it looked congested.  It was so nice and quiet, just the sound of those gorgeous big waves then a bloody Jet Ski came racing past!!!

Anyway it was so nice to sit and watch as the surfers leapt off the rocks at the perfect time to reach the waves that would then let them ride up to the shore line again.

We always park at a look up high on the cliff to look over the beautiful Manu Bay and the ocean beyond.  This is what Paradise looks like to me.

We ventured on down to the wharf where many people had the same idea.  The sky was so blue and the wispy clouds above the Silo Apartments on the Wharf looked magical.  

We sat in the sun on the Balcony at The Wharf Kitchen and Bar and enjoyed a cold beer and some piping hot chips (french fries).  I also went into Soul Shoes, if you check out their website www.soulshoes.co.nz you will understand my passion for visiting this iconic local business.

I purchase this pair of super comfortable hand made shoes and wore them for the rest of the day.  Years ago I had some of their shoes and they last for such a long time.  You should see some of the gorgeous colourful leather they use on their products, go on, check out their website.

After a quick visit to see our friends that have just got back from a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise, we started our drive home.  Past rolling farm land and the Te Uku Wind Farm, such a great drive on a sunny Winter day.
 
The sky was forever changing as the day slowly gave way to the evening.

I have never had such an entertaining and loving pet as I have with Toebee.  I am so glad he came into my life when visiting Julie at the beginning of the year.  With his extra toes came a large dose of Extra Personality.

He has discovered climbing and one of his very favourite places to climb is up on top of our freestanding cupboard.  Apart from sleeping up there he likes to knock things down for me to pick up so he can knock them down again, just like a toddler!

He likes WATER!  Every morning when I am trying to brush my teeth he joins me, trying to play with the water.
 
My empty rubbish basket became a great spot to sit in for a time.

Every time I need to use the airing rack for things like sheets, duvet inner or blankets, he thinks it is a Kitten Hut.  Seriously he has had me laughing a lot these last few weeks.

Then he thought the Water Cooler was a perfect step up to the top of the fridge.  Yeah Toebee you are sooooooo Funny!!!


Toebee and Sheba are still BFF (best friends forever) and the daily play fights continue.  
They play hard.......

....and then they sleep,
together most of the time. 

Other times I find him upside down like Big (right photo).

As for Big, he is still Top Cat in this house and Toebee knows it.  As long as Big is left alone life is fine, but if Toebee gets up in his grill there are words!!

Oscar couldn't give a rats you know what.  I gave him a haircut yesterday hence the Camo jersey, he was shivering this morning.  It's been raining all day!!

*********

So our long weekend is all but over,
it has been nice.  

I do hope the Queen has had a pleasant old time to. 

 Wisdom


 and

***Stay Happy and Well***

 

13 comments:

Nancy J said...

So you are off to Raglan for the long weekend. Maybe your name was in the Birthday Honours list and you have all gone to celebrate. Enjoy the last long w/end before Spring.

Leeanne said...

How did you capture the fantail? I tried sooooo many times over the weekend while tramping up at Cape Brett, in the end I think the fantails were just laughing at me! BOOT ENVY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leeanne said...

P.S I love Danielle Hawkins books............she's a fabulous writer.=, enjoy!

Bibi Maizoon said...

Wow! I love your boot collection!
Toebee is so adorable. And Stella the gate-noser too!
Oh I love your photos of the ocean, I so miss the blue Pacific of my native California.
I've never heard of souls shoes, thanks for he link!
It's absolutely scorching here in my little tropical valley in Nepal, I envy your cool, wintry days!
xox

Vix said...

Kittens!!! Captured beautifully!!
You've got me all excited to get cracking on my silver-smithing course Liz bought me for my 50th, I need to sort out some dates.
That's an epic shoe collection and some mighty fine layering. xxx

Polyester Princess said...

Those fantails are amazing, I've never seen one before. I'm quite envious of your fabulous selection of boots. I definitely need some more colours next winter. I love how Stella's been greeting you -- so cute! And so is Toebee, of course. Such an entertaining kitty! xxx

Goody said...

the bird enthusiast was quite impressed with the fantail photos, and the embroidered budgies on the table linen.

Ah Toebee-he's my sort of cat. If I were a cat I'd delight in mischief as well.

I might have let out a little joyous yelp at the sight of your boot collection. Yes, now you need blue. If anyone deserves a rainbow of boots, you do.

Nancy J said...

I just knew you would have had another fab weekend. Your photo of the toitoi ( or Prince of Wales ) feather, print, frame and sell, it is so beautiful. Boots, lovely, but for me the embroidered tablecloths are magic, and have me taking them home straight away. All that delicate precise stitching. I always wonder at their history. Have you ever tried to clean Toebee's teeth? We had a kitten and as she grew, she loved the water trickling into the basin, so each time she jumped up there, cleaned her teeth, with a baby toothbrush!!! Have a great shorter week. Sail on happily, as I surely hope our guys do in Bermuda.

Julie said...

Magic post Sue. I am glad you got the books you were after - I am sure you will enjoy her writing. I have her very latest one should you want to borrow it anytime. Its interesting that you write that about Toebee as two of the other ladies who took kittens from the same litter say the very same thing .. the rural delivery lady who took two, told me she has had lots of kittens before but never any as laid back, cruisey, funny & entertaining as the two she took from that litter!!! I guess he must get quite tired having extra toes to clean :-) Love your op shop purchases Sue. Have a great week xx

chris. said...

Hi Sue, her majesty sure has a lot of birthdays, here in Oz it is this weekend coming, so will enjoy it. Love your new shoes, they look comfy. Looking forward to seeing your rings you make. When I die and come back, I'm coming back as a cat lol great life they have. Great collection of boots you have. Chris xoxo

Mim said...

Toebee is so gorgeous, it's great that he brings you so much happiness - just as you have to him.

I've never seen fantails before. They're so pretty.

Good luck with your search for blue boots.

sallyhicks said...

Darling Sue you can always be relied upon to make me laugh. All the way through your blog I think of comments to make and then you get to Toebee. The kittie I am totally in love with. How funny he is without meaning to be. All I can say is I wish he was mine but he lives in the perfect home and you are all so lucky.xxx

Beth Waltz said...

We saw a DMG photo of HRM entering a restaurant for a sort of royal ladies night out that she appeared to relish with a twinkle in her eyes that matched the sparkle of her diamonds. She's proof that even a 90-year-old looks good in red lippy!

Fan tails are a new bird in my book. They resemble drawings I've seen in children's verse illustrations. Lovely creatures!

As always, Sue, I envy you your boots. Do you know your US size? It would be an honor to add the missing jewel to your collection!