What made me happy this week - 17/52

Autumn

It is here, although we are experiencing some very mild weather.  I love Autumn and Spring the most out of the Seasons that we have.  So much Autumnal colour is around us in abundance too.  

Today  TOF and I went for a walk along one of the many pathways that are next to our Might Waikato River which runs smack bang in the middle of Hamilton.

Part of TOFs road to recovery is walking daily.  Now that he is able to walk  more than a few power poles down the road I have started to join him. We walked around part of Lake Rotoroa in town the other day.  I tell him to go as far as he is comfortable and then we rest and return to our starting point.

The River Cruiser boat went past and I love getting glimpses of my favourite old bridge, the Fairfield Bridge.

Even tho you are walking in the city it is so peaceful riverside.  Lots of native trees and birds, ducks on the river, and the odd bike bell ringing to alert you to cyclists coming along the shared pathway.  Someone had carved a face into the old tree trunk, some residents have stairs that lead up to their properties, and we just got to enjoy it all. 

Fairfield Bridge through the trees.

Yep, 

Autumn Colour!

Makes me happy.

What made me happy this week - 16/52

Some weeks it is hard to narrow down what it is that made me happy as so much in life does.  So here are my two favourites for the week.

I got the opportunity to 'play with clay' a week ago and play I did.  Such a satisfying thing to do, getting a block of clay and pounding it on the bench to soften it before creating.  I had an idea, quite a fishy one at that.

Once my fish were made they had to take a few days to dry naturally.  Then I went back to choose colours before they were put into one of Dawns kilns to cook. Once they were done cooking at incredibly high temps, I went back to do a black wash over my colours and then put the final glaze, the one that makes them shiny!! 

I am so stoked with how they all turned out

and of course some of them

have made it to that

Wall of Whimsy. 

Then today TOF and I (who by the way is doing really well) went for a drive to see some friends of ours in the country whose beautiful cat gave birth to 7 adorable kittens a few weeks back. 

OMG SOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!

Why does anything in it's baby state makes you just go all smooshy and silly.  I could have quite easily run off with at least 3 or 4 of these adorable bundles of fluff, but with great restraint and that certain look from TOF, photos were enough.

JUST A THOUGHT

worth sharing

 

What made me happy this week - 15/52

A day late?

What's that all about?

Sometimes it is the littlest things that bring me the greatest joy!!

A Caterpillar that I gave a ride to higher ground.

 

The last of the colourful garden produce.

Bees  enjoying my Cosmos as much as me.

Fungi that is taking over the Peach Tree.

And a young cat that LOVES Superman!!!

What made me happy this week - 14/52

Colour!! 

All things colourful actually,

and so much of it surrounds my world. 

Again this year the 'Toe Toe colourists' have been back.  Who ever it is that adds bright colour to the normally White tops of the Toe Toe that grow wildly down by the railway yard, I say THANK YOU!!!  This sort of thing can only brighten up a day.

Back in my garden

I have such a selection of Dahlia growing in abundance

so I picked a bunch

with the assistance of a young male cat!

Tonight in the garden

the colour was still on show

Preying Mantis hitching ride
and Cosmos dancing in the dark.

And life goes on.....

Well the last month has been busy!!  With TOF in hospital for two and a half weeks my life carried on but it was way busier than normal.  With daily treks up to the hospital and sorting all sorts of things out for his return.  I was grateful to have work and so many lovely friends, and my two beautiful sons to keep my mind occupied and support me emotionally.  Then there was Oscar, Sheba, Big, Toebee and the girls.  They were the best companions when I was alone.  I was also blessed with a couple of my friends coming and staying with me, that was FUN!!!!

These two gave up waiting and looking out the window

for Dad after a few days.

My companions all lined up together every evening.

My gorgeous friend Lulu-belle (Louise) came to visit in the first week and stopped a night with me armed with delicious snacks for our dinner and French Champagne!!  I put flowers in her room from my garden and burned Vanilla Incense as my welcome.  We had a fabulous night filled with laughter, just what I needed.

The second week my darling friend Denise came and stayed.  We had booked to go to an evening with the very beautiful Rachel Hunter a while back so this was very well timed.  We had a quick walk in the Hamilton Gardens, followed by a nibble style dinner and then off to two hours with Rachel. It was an amazing evening which ended with us visiting our friend Vicki afterwards and getting home eventually at 1:30am the following morning.

The next day we spent the morning out at Raglan.  TOF was having his surgery so it was the perfect distraction from clock and phone watching.  We had Fish n Chips on the wharf and I took Denise to my favourite shops.  I want the two tea towels we found and laughed at in Zinnias.

The following week was busy with my youngest sons girlfriends Graduation lunch and with TOF being able to come home.  The balloon was accompanied with a bowl of fruit from my life long buddy Leonie who was back in the country and came to visit TOF in Hospital.  She also came and spent the evening with me bringing dinner with her.

I am so very grateful for the lovely friends that kept in touch during this time, that popped in to see how I was and you lovelies that sent your thought to me.  In times like this you really find out how much you mean to others.  My mother and both of my sisters not once contacted me which has saddened me but also made me realised that I obviously do not rank very highly in their thoughts or hearts.  I accept this and will just carry on, life is all about choices at the end of the day.

My new garden flourished and I added the wrought iron bed head I got ages ago, so I really do have a 'Flower Bed' now and I love it.  This is the garden Bumble was in.

I was given three new girls to add to the flock.  Mrs Black (was Blackie) and Kara and Kariki (previously nameless).  They came from Karakariki via a friend of a friend that I just happened to go to High School with all those years ago.  Pleased to say they have settled in well and laying eggs daily. 

Sheba took up modelling necklaces for me.

Toebee made a new friend

that stopped playing with him!

And these two blamed each other for

the mysterious exploding toy found on my bed!!

I had the odd window of opportunity to call into local op shops. The Fantail picture came from a Hospice and the small case came from Remains to be Scene.  The Frida Mermaid and colourful Bark cloth came from Trade Me. We all know a little bit of second hand retail therapy is good for the soul!!

These two continue to be BFF's and with the cooler weather on it's way the snuggling at night is now a happening thing!!

A visit to Dawn's place resulted in me purchasing

the best Angel candle/incense holder

with the cutest little boobs!!

A lone Monarch Caterpillar is

chomping it's way through the last of my Swan plant.

How beautiful are flowers?

Mother Nature rules.

Even the bugs in the garden are colourful.

New fabulous dress/tops.

The one on the left is my FAVOURITE!!

I have Amethyst on a bag of Nag Champa in my car,

protection and scent! 

 

And I have Toebee!

Nothing can be better than that.

 

What made me happy this week - 13/52

With things slowly returning to normal round here now that TOF is out of hospital, my garden is once again the source of happiness for me.  This time in the form of a rather lovely Bumble Bee that I rescued off the ground away from inquisitive dogs and a young cat!!

Bumble was a little under the weather

so I went inside to make some

sweet water to help revive the poor thing. 

Amazing how this Bee was happy to just rest on my hand

before and after the sweet drink.

Someone else decided the sweet water was pretty tasty too.

Hopefully Bumble will survive to see another day!!

PS:  Thank you for all your lovely words of support, I promise to get my shit together and do a proper blog soon.  TOF is beginning his slow recovery back to full health, one day at a time round here.  But so far so good.