Let's give this a go it has been quite sometime.

 Well HELLO!!!

Is anyone even out there anymore.

I'm still down here at the bottom of the world in New Zealand, happily just getting on with life.

Look, it's me, in one of my happy places.  I go for a walk on the beach at Raglan pretty much every Monday, weather permitting and all that.

Toebee is still very beautiful, and my constant companion, providing me with daily entertainment and love.

Dear old Sheba is still with us and 14 years old now.  She is the only dog in the house as wee Oscar (and Big cat) passed over the Rainbow back a couple of years ago now.

Oh and there are more Tattoos!!

I turned 60 in May, I know right, how the hell did that happen.

I celebrated with the best bunch of women in the only way I know how, lots of laughs, plenty of good chat, great food and fabulous bubbles.  I want to make memories from now on, it is the best gift you can give and receive.

I have taken up Pottery and thoroughly enjoying throwing pots on a wheel, I usually go to the Pottery Society Studio a couple of times a week.  I attended a course and on completion I joined up! You know what everyone will be getting for Christmas this year, hahahaha!!!

My inspiration in life is still being provided by our Mother Nature. Focus on the GOOD in our world it helps drown out alot of the BAD stuff going on.

I can't promise this will be regular, but I will try to give it a nudge if anyone is still out there.  

Bye for now

xxx

Lockdown Life

Well hello all, after a month of being on Level 4 and self isolating at home with just TOF and the pets, I am pleased to say we are both well and still talking.  Imagine being stuck with someone you didn't get on with!!  Anyway stuck at home is not really what it has been for me, HOME is my happy place so not a big ask, and I can still go for walks so all has been great really.

On sunshine filled days lunch has been outside under the sun umbrella and I am never alone.

I have been out walking but most times Sheba comes with me.  I can still walk the Riverbank path but so many people are doing the same thing. It seems like everyone, their dog and their bike is down on the River making the 2m social distancing not any easy task.

So walking the empty streets in my neighbourhood have become my norm.

TOF and I have also been using the park across the road from our house as an escape from being indoors.  Funnily enough most times we go over it is empty, perfect when you have a couple of dogs, especially Sheba who always finds a stick to be thrown for her.

Of course there are pretty things in my garden to keep my happiness levels in tact.  As we gently slip into Autumn and then onto Winter my garden will slowly but surely put itself to sleep.  So I shall enjoy the joyful colours while they are around.

I have had a couple of sponge painting projects which have filled in a little bit of time. I like everyone else have also been sorting crap collections into three piles, keep, dump and donate. This too has kept me entertained.

I have been able to put my newly painted desk to good use with office work from home and my study.  Next week with a bit of luck I will be able to put in a few hours at work as we go to Level 3 instead of doing it at home and my study is going to be online, so classes return.

I have also been enjoying reading, this was book 2, I have just started my 5th book today.  My crochet from last year has been reintroduced to me and we are moving along nicely. I am patiently waiting for Spotlight to open so I can get some more yarn so I can complete this project.

One day while out collecting mail from my Works Post Office Box I took a drive around our very quiet central City and discovered Art down alleyways that normally would have cars parked in front of them.

This one was so beautiful, very local with my favourite Fairfield Bridge, Monarch Butterflies, and Native Birds and trees. I would say a commisioned piece.

But this Lockdown art on a residents property fence was nothing short of amazing.  I love how people were inspired enough to do something like this for anyone passing by their house to enjoy.

Anyway, from me to you, I hope you are well, happy and safe during this worldwide pandemic.  All I hope is that we all learn from this experience.  I would love to see people kinder, more compassionate to their fellow man, less materialistic and generally more humbled by the experience.

A years break from blogging and now look what is going on in the world!!

Surprise!!!

Well hello, I may or may not take up blogging again, but howdiddydo to you all that is if you are still out there in BLOGLAND!!!

COVID-19, what a bitch right!  Hope you are staying in your bubble and behaving yourselves, if I can do it anyone can.

My Bubble is me and TOF, the pets, and the garden. I am missing our sons but we keep in touch so all good there. I go for walks but keep it local and make sure I keep my required 2mt distance from anyone else out walking.  Sheba is loving these WALKIES, Oscar on the other hand is quite content to stay snoozing somewhere (nearly 14 now).  The only time I use the car is to go to the Supermarket for the weekly shop, I stand patiently in line with every other law abiding citizen. My petrol consumption is amazing!!

Autumn is knocking on our door and I am ever grateful for the gorgeous sunny weather we are continuing to get, making this self isolation gig easier to endure.

My garden continues to bring daily joy to me.

The other joy is my beautiful Toebee.

Mother Nature is still my Queen.

I am missing the beach very much.

And the Arboratum.

Sweet little old dude Oscar who is 14 this year.

Biggles Mc Big Cat aka Big, still guarding the front of our property

but getting skinnier and aging.

And my ever faithful female Ms Sheba

woman's best friend in lockdown.

My wish to you all is that we all manage to stay well and stay put until this World wide virus is under control or banished.

Might see you all around soon!

Week 52/52 - We Made It!!!!

Another year gone, well nearly it is the very last day of 2018 and me and TOF are heading out to Raglan to celebrate with friends so here is the last week of what happened in my world.

Christmas Day was brunch with Jak and Alex and her family.

Followed by Dinner at ours later that evening with Max and Toni joining us.  We had a fabulous time together, nice and relaxing, just how it should be.

On Boxing Day I went out to Raglan and went with my friend Diane to a Gypsy Fair.  Not how I remember them but that is how things are these days.  Always nice to be out at Raglan tho.

 Mind you, I did rather like Frank the 14 week old Kuni Kuni pig!

Thursday TOF and I armed with the above map/guide took off on a day trip to another beautiful part of our little country.  We could have joined the hordes of tourists lined up to go to the Waitomo Caves.  But neither are us are huge on crowds so we went to...............

A short walk took us into our beautiful Native Bush and the most amazing Limestone Bridge called Mangapohue Natural Bridge.

Another short walk had lead us into Piripiri caves.

 

Then a 10 minute walk in the bush resulted in the spectacular Marokopa Falls.  Each time we were only with about half a dozen or so other people, and all of this was FREE!!

Marokopa was our next stop, beautiful but so isolated.  No shops and couldn't even find a public loo!!

Then to Kiritehere, where rock fossils lay on the beach and interesting driftwood. And thankfully a public toilet, well a long drop actually!! 

The drive to our next stop was often on gravel winding roads but so worth while.

At the very end of a gravel road that was only one land width and slightly crazy at times is the Waikawau Tunnel. Back in 1911 three men using pick axes and shovels dug this tunnel through the hill to the beach, for easier access of their stock to their farm lands. High enough for a man on a horse and wide enough for the stock.

This was amazing and the view at the beach end was magnificent.  Another lovely West Coast beach and we only had 4 other people to share it with, and 1 dog!!

Our drive home took us through the tunnel in the Awakino Gorge and past numerous rock formations and Native Bush.

We had a couple of days just mooching around home before we set of on another adventure. Oh and I added some colours to my hair, some pretty unicorn/my little pony-esk ones!!

As we drove out of Hamilton on Sunday morning at 7am we had low mist.  But it wasn't long before it lifted and a beautiful day unfolded.  We were heading to Mangaweka just under 4 hours away.  TOF decided to take some back roads that took us past Lake Arapuni and another Fancy long drop toilet that again I needed.  Its an age thing!!

Crossing the Desert Road in the middle of the North Island I was happy to see Mt Ruapehu still had Snow on it.  The scenery was for ever changing, no wonder tourists love NZ so much.  I had not been this way for quite some years so it was good to be back.

Finally we arrived at Mangaweka Camp on the bank of the Rangitiki River.  Max and Toni and the dogs were camping there, hence the road trip.

A very relaxing spot indeed and dog friendly.

Homeward bound back through the Desert Road with better views of Ruapehu.  Then into Taupo, well around Lake Taupo first before finding a cafe for a coffee stop.

And on our way out of Taupo we stopped off at the Huka Falls, a bit of a tourist attraction.  OMG so many people!!!  A very fast moving river where you can have a jet boat or helicopter experience but for a pretty penny I would say.

So the last week of 2018 was an adventurous one. 

Farewell 2018

it has been great.

Another 12 months of ups and downs.  We lost some people and welcomed some new babies.  There were health scares, but mostly we all enjoyed a year of happiness and that is a good thing.

As we all welcome in a new year, this is my last post.  I am debating whether or not I will continue to blog in 2019.  I may just blog once a month, who knows, but I know it won't be weekly anymore. So if I go missing you will know why.  But you can find me on Instagram or Facebook.  Just message me if you want to know how.

All the very best to you all for a very happy and healthy year ahead of you.

It's been a blast!!!