Getting ready to kiss another year goodbye, but first let's deal with Christmas!!

I hope you have all enjoyed the festive season so far.  Before we even got to Christmas there was work to complete, and there were a couple of birthdays to deal to.  TOF had one on the 23rd of December and his older sister had hers on the 20th of December.  Those Irish must have had a breeding season by the looks of things!!  TOFs mum was down staying with his sister so we went over to Cambridge to have dinner with them all, the Friday before Christmas.

So here is my sister in law, my mother in law and TOF, the Irish Folk!!  My brother in law and I sat opposite this lot for dinner.  We had a nice evening catching up with them all.

Some of us embraced the silliness of the season!

While others protested!!

There was additional gifts bought last minute as they were too good to leave behind!!

TOF did his festive Baking,

Neenish Tarts, Sultana Cake and Russian Fudge. 

Things appeared under the tree signaling that we were indeed READY!!

The Christmas trend for an Elf on a Shelf

was taken over

by a Gnome in our Home!!

Some days he did misbehave

and on others

he was very cool calm and collected with life.

Late Christmas Eve I was outside with a torch searching for the kitten I could hear crying.  I found her on the engine under the bonnet to TOFs little truck. She bit me bad on one of my fingers which swelled up.  But all is good as I used an antibiotic cream and dosed myself on anti histamines all instructed to me by the 0800 nurse.  As this dear wee soul had to stay with us for a few days as everything was closed we called her Tiger Lily.  I delivered her to the SPCA the day after boxing day where she will be well looked after and re homes.  I think this earned me my Christmas Angel Status!!

Christmas morning after breakfast TOF and I took the dogs out to Raglan for a swim.  It was so lovely and it would seem quite a few other people are subscribing to our thinking. What a happy relaxing start to the day.

After a lite lunch Max and I took Stella and Sheba to the park across the road from our home where they ran like mad things after two festive themed tennis balls.

In the evening both our sons and their girlfriends arrived and we had Dinner together, all prepared by the cook in our house, TOF!!!  I love how simply and relaxing our Christmas day is, and hope that you all had similar happy experiences.  Low key works for me!! 

 

Meet Rodney Rooster the only sort I can have in town and just check out his colours.  He hasn't been outside to meet the girls yet, he has been enjoying indoors too much.

Even the Monarch Caterpillars are beautiful.

Summer so far has been very Summery!!

Cotton frocks and tops are a must,

lucky for me I have some!!

Large bowls of fresh cooling water are a must for the pets these days.

Watering my potted colour is daily.

I have been having a lovely time catching up with friends, napping, and mooching about home.  I love being home when everyone else has left to go on holiday, it is so lovely and quiet.  Day trips to both coasts are on the cards, and some reading and quite a bit more relaxing.

 

The Silly Season is nearly here, and there is still things to do!

I have one more week of work before getting three glorious weeks off.  But it will be a massive week, so much to do before I can hang up my work clothes!!  All my Christmas shopping is done so I have been out playing.

On one of my days off I drove the familiar roads to Whangamata.  I haven't been there since last Summer for one reason and another.  So it was so lovely to get back to the golden sands of the East Coast.

My very good friend Leonie was back in the country and having herself a week at her bach (beach house).  We have known each other since we were born and time spent with is always enjoyable and fun.  How many people have a life long friend these days?

As kids we spent many an evening playing in the dunes with her brothers and my sisters.   They are smaller now and not covered in Lupins that we would make huts and tunnels in.

I had to buy a sunhat when we were in town as it was so hot, hot enough to dip my toes in the water.  Which was surprisingly lovely!!  So many Star fish were washed up on the beach, we wondered if we should rescue them all, but there were too many.  Hopefully they were saved by the out going tide.

Prior to our beach walk we  wandered the main street checking out some of the shops.  We purchased these very cute glasses book marks!  We also had a lovely lunch outside in the sunshine.  All very grown up!

We drove to the surf club where we sat and ate an ice block each while enjoying the breeze and that consistently gorgeous view.  I love this time of the year, before little Whangamata grows into a Tourist destination for summer.  I prefer the quiet time now.  I spent many a Summer as a teenager having lots of FUN!! As teenagers do!!!

(images borrowed off the net)

The following day Sue W and I took a drive out to The Garden Art Studio for a look and a coffee at The Lily Pad Cafe.  This is out Kaipaki, between Hamilton and Cambridge, and super nice.  My friend Dawn has lots of her pottery here for sale.

We had a table indoors with a Picture Window, I was hoping the cows would sneak into this paddock.  As we were close to Cambridge we went there and checked out the op shops with no  purchases being made.

We decided to surprise Chris and drop in on her.  Oh and to check in on her beautiful puppies.

It was females all round as the puppies and her dog Coco are all girls!!!

I love this time of the year,

everything is flowering and so colourful.

The bees are busy and the promise of fruit to come is on all our fruit trees.  All the berries are ripening so we are enjoying Raspberries and Strawberries now, with the Black Currents and Blackberries to come.

 My Hoya is looking stunning.

I think Hydrangeas are my most favourite of all!!

All my potted colour is flourishing,

but I have to water daily.

 

Last year I was given this wicked Orange hanging seat from my youngest sons girlfriend.  FINALLY I found a branch to hang it in.  It happens to be in the walnut tree down in the chicken zone.  So Joan got to try it out first and she liked it.

I went to The Mandarin Tree a lovely gallery in Gordonton last weekend.  I bought another wind wand for the garden, this time a Red one.  I think I may need another one as I quite like sets of three.

That same day I picked up this bloody gorgeous Orange Pouffe that I found on Trade Me for $20.

Apparently it is the perfect place for a small cat to rest on at the end of a long day.

He has also found the boys old hut a perfect place to rest in and watch the world pass by.

He lives such a busy life as you all know, even donned his Cricket supporters hat although he slept through most of the game.  Sorry Lads!

I have been out to Dawns a few times lately as I have been having a play with the clay.  None of the above, that is all her work.  Mine is a Christmas present so cannot be shared until after the main event.  All of the above work was about to wing it's way off to numerous Galleries.

I sat under one of the large old Oak trees (over a 100 yrs old) in Hamilton East on a hot afternoon eating the most delicious Ice Cream from Duck Island.  I had a scoop of each of these flavours, Orange Blossom with Chocolate chips; Salted Caramel with something fancy that I cannot remember; and White Chocolate and Macadamia with Pomegranate. Oh yeah, DIVINE!!!

With it being so warm I decided to get the dogs a paddling pool.  I put a little bit of water in it and was off to get more when you know who decided he would investigate.

Today Sheba and my sons dog Stella

enjoyed the pool,

seriously funny stuff.

Last Friday I took a drive out to Sue Ws place, she has BABIES!!!

Her garden is thriving and we took a walk around it after I had checked out her new kitchen and curtains and things!  Mighty nice too I must say.

That old barn down the road is still standing, now in a paddock full of Maize that was waving about in the wind.

 

When finishing off my Christmas shopping I made a few purchases for myself.  Do you do that?  So the Diffuser is Vanilla and makes the lounge smell better than dog, almost heavenly!!  I could not resist the festive dude either, pretty cute little fella.

(Photos borrowed off the net)

We had two nights out last week with my work do at The Wayward Pigeon and then TOFs work do out at Villigrades.  Both super nice, and we didn't have to do the dishes!!!

Poor wee Oscar is feeling the heat and found the perfect place under the garden swing, away from Sheba and Stella today.  We were all busy in the garden and he escaped through the open gate which had TOF and the lads off to find him.  He was carried home and the gate was closed.  Rather a pain in the butt when you are moving gardening crap from the back to the front to a rubbish skip.  But they did!!

Do you like the Santa mask I found for TOF to model for you all with a seasonal message?  I am taking it to work for one of the lads to wear, he is mad and will do it.

**Well this may well be the last post until after the BIG DAY, so to all of you out there where ever you are and whatever you do on the 25th, have a wicked day.  We will be taking the dogs for a swim out at Raglan then having dinner with our lads and their partners at our place.  Enjoy the Festive Break and do what makes you happy**

 I think I need this sign!!