Saturday 7 October 2017

Routines and writing lists to Winging it!!!

I have always been a person with a routine in my life, I even write lists so I don't forget things, but lately I have been just winging it all.  Hence me not be a regular blogger of late.  I am still here, but for some reason or another blogging just has not been happening.  I have even been incredibly lazy on reading all your lovely blogs. 

 Let's just call it life and carry on then shall we.


Winter has been rather wet, and Spring has been a little the same so far.  We are rather saturated under foot here.  The garden is grateful but us humans are possibly at a point of 'over it'.  

BUT,
we cannot have Rainbows with out the Rain.

One Wednesday afternoon after work the sun did make an appearance so after work I went home and grabbed the dogs and we went for a wee journey out to Raglan.  They loved it, we pretty much had the beach to ourselves and it was bliss.  I made a couple of stops at my favourite shops and came home with the above. Win win all round, everyone was happy.

Always good for the mind, body and soul to put your toes on the sand and breathe in all the positive coastal air.  Thank you Raglan for being so close.

Toebee didn't get to come to the beach but he was well happy with the paper bags that my purchases came in.

Another afternoon saw me having to go post bail for Stella (the heirs dog) at the local pound as she had managed to escape her yard and got picked up going for a unaccompanied walk.  She was more than happy to see me and we drove home like this.

The Op shops have still been getting the odd visit.  This little score started a bit of a competition in our house, voting is still open on who really is the 'CUTIE PATOOTIE'.


Other finds, there are more but most are clothes, so when I wear them I may well share  them!!  We have a newly opened Hospice Shop in Claudelands, a suburb of Hamilton, and it is really lovely.  Hospice has a knack for setting things out super nice, clean and another one to add to the circuit.

I visited the Hamilton Gardens the day before the Tulip Festival, one because the weather was mint and two the weekend just gets manic.

The Glass houses were built back in the sixties and still gorgeous today.  One is a Tropical garden and the other is a Cactus house.  A wedding was happening inside but that did not deter me one bit from going on in.

Lovely and colourful, just how I like things in life.  The wedding guests had moved outdoors for photos, phew!!

TOF has been out on a couple of Fishing Trips of late with his Fishing club so we have been dining on the good stuff.  In fact he is out again today so more Brain food is coming my way!!

I planted a garden the other week with masses of potted colour.  At the very back against the wall a row of Sweet Pea seeds went in first.  Then 18 Statice plants and 6 Gypsophilia plants went in. In front when the colour bomb of plants and then netting had to go over the top to protect it all from the girls and the cats.  Toebee wasn't happy but sits on top of the netting.


Old Biggles McBig cat had ANOTHER visit to the vet.  ANOTHER rumble leaving him with a burst abscess. Kissed goodbye to ANOTHER $156 for an arm shave, antibiotic jab, a temp taking up the @#*, and some anti inflams  that was given daily for a week.  Lucky I love him!!!

Things are happening in the garden, new stuff is showing up all the time.  The dampness has made the fungi and weeds thrive tho.

I love this plant, I bought this and a white one to add to the garden and both are thriving.

Heavy rain saw me rescue some Bird of Paradise and Lilies from the garden, I rather like them in my old milk bottles too.

I made another visit to the Hamilton Gardens to see the Fesitval de la Primavera, also know as the Hispanic Spring Festival.  I was a couple of hours early so I made the most of the good weather and went wandering with a gazillion other people.

After my wanderings I ate lunch lakeside and then took in the sights and sound of the Festival.

The traditional clothes full of ruffles and spots made me swoon.  The dancing was beautiful, oh and so was the food outside at the food stalls.  I will return next year for sure.

This lady caught my eye when I was leaving, what an amazing costume and my god those stilts were tall.

Oscar and Sheba had Stella spend an afternoon here, the cats watched from perched positions high enough up that she could not find them.


Little Oscar is quite an old man now.  The slightest bang sends him into a quiver.  He is slowing down which could mean his time is nearing.  So I am keeping him close and making the most of the best little friend ever.  He may last a few more years but you never know.  A bit like people, none of us know how long we have, so you have to enjoy every day you wake up to.

WISDOM:


 Finally,
I found this in a magazine
what we all know has been put into print!!!

**See you all soon**
Maybe!


 

13 comments:

Nancy J said...

Oh My!! So good to read your words, see your photos. Hugh's uncle was one of the people who planted the Hamilton Rose gardens. They are a delightful place for a wedding. Love those new shoes!!! Enjoy spring, surely our summer should be drier, after all the winter and continuing rain.

Leeanne said...

WOW soooo much to see at your little spotlight on the world! great you can zip over to the beach in a dash and then bring home paper bags for Toebee.....MR Big the fighter aye? Jake the Muss of the street is he? One of our cats had $1200 spent on him on vet bills then he decided he didn't want to live with us anymore!! I love Hamilton gardens such a great layout and a nice vibe to it. Love the milk bottles & crate displaying the blooms, they always make me think of my Dad as he was the milk man........true he was!

Kiwionholidays said...

Sue , just seen that we can add a comment to the blog.. It is always an inspiring read and pics of the animals and gardens and trips to various places is amazing

Love the variety,, and it was so long between drinks (oops between post lol) thought you had all gone on an overseas holiday!!!and left all that's Kiwi and Kiwiana behind for a while,

Good to see you are a purpose retro buyer as well as we are here on our OE at the mo.. but home is still NZ .

sallyhicks said...

What a treasure of visual sites. So much to take in so tomorrow I will do it slowly. Sweet little Oscar...I hope he has a long journey ahead on earth. As for Toby.. lucky I live down here I could so kidnap him. Give him heaps of kisses from me. Just know dear Sue I will be taking your pics. one by one tomorrow but couldn't resist a browse even at this time of night .Xxx

Fiona said...

Great catch up. I bet that wedding greenhouse smelled wonderful with all the flowers and foliage. Sorry to hear about Big and hope he is doing well now? Your plant looks like Osteospermum Whirlygig.
Hope your weekend's going well.

Goody said...

Wedding crasher!
I'm glad spring is springing in your part of the world-I feel better knowing there's flowers blooming somewhere.

Give good old Oscar a gentle hug and belly rub for me. Getting older and slowing down isn't fun for pups or humans.

kiwikid said...

So nice to follow your outings,great for the dogs to have a run on the beach. Love the photo of you and Stella on the way home, almost expect her to give you directions!!! So many beautiful garden photos, that park in Hamilton looks amazing. Hope Big has recovered ok.

Julie said...

Love all your "new" op shop treasures Sue. Poor Big - hope he is okay now & stays away from other fights. Could definately NOT choose a favourite Cutie Patootie from that line up!!!

Beth Waltz said...

Delighted -- and a tiny bit relieved -- to see your gorgeous photos updating us on what's happening in your life, Sue. The planet has indeed been spinning rather fast lately. I've also found the best cure for the resulting whoozies is to sit out a rotation or two...

Vix said...

Lovely to see you and the animals! Hope Big's abscess is healing, I remember having one a few years ago and it was agony. Poor boy! xxx

Polyester Princess said...

It was good to see your post pop up in my reading list. Although I am following you (and Toebee) on Facebook, it's still nice to read a round up of what you and the gang have been getting up to. It's good to see that it's spring in your part of the world and see all those lovely plants emerge! xxx

Mim said...

Oh, naughty Stella, going AWOL.

*All* the animals are the cutest. Though perhaps Big should have the award, as a sympathy vote because he is poorly.

Bibi Maizoon said...

Awww..love seeing all your furbabies! Special prayers for Mr Big & Oscar.
And your garden is beautiful!
Just got back from a trip to visit the inlaws so I've not been keeping up with my blog either.