Working out my green fingers.

I try to grow most of my plants from seeds saved or exchanged, seedlings from mine and friends gardens, and cuttings, but when there is a good deal to be had I am in.  On Friday I managed to get some plants to start my salad garden, punnets of six for $2.50 each, and the plan was to get them into the soil over the weekend.  I started on Saturday in between the showers of rain and finished this morning.  Now all they need is some Sunshine, so if you are listening Sunshine, you are welcome in my garden NOW!!

I have planted Coriander, Parsley, Lettuces and Spring Onions in between the Fennel and the Chives and covered them with a chicken netting cloche.  The box garden now has Capsicums under old bottles with Spring Onions for company, and Sweet Peas hopefully will be popping up behind them all.  Last plot to be planted has a row of Celery, with a row of Silver-beet in front of it and then Beetroot in front, this now is protected from the girls with a chicken netting cloche, so they can still have there much loved wander and scratch around in the back yard.  The Tomatoes, Corn and Sugar Snap Peas that I am growing from seeds will end up in TOFs  garden along with his usual crop of spuds and other greenery!!

Red Tulip

Yellow Tulip

With my Tulips starting to bloom it reminds me that I should head to the Hamilton Gardens as they always have an amazing display of Tulips this time of the year which also means the Dutch Festival should be on, hopefully I haven't missed it.

At least the flowers are enjoying the rain, and we have had plenty of it over night, with a side serving of Thunder!!

Well it is Sunday and there are no plans around here, it has been a lovely quiet weekend and TOF is busy baking up a storm in the kitchen.  When he has finished I need to bake Oscar some dog biscuits and that is it.  

Hope your weekend has been an enjoyable one.

Seven signs of aging

It fascinates me the amount of beauty products that are available that claim to help with the seven signs of aging.  My seven signs, (and believe me there are plenty more I could have added to my list) cannot all be helped by something in one pot.  I need a lot more help!!

ONE: My eyes!  They are still blue, and that is about it.  I now have to lubricate them with eye drops and require ready readers which are stashed all around the house, in my handbag, and glove box of my car.  My arms are no longer long enough and the small print seems to have got smaller, how is this possible??  But I am glad to say, I can still see and I don't miss much!!

TWO:  My ears!! My once cute girlish ears seem to be getting longer, I no longer hear everything and now use the words "pardon" and "what" more than swear words!!  Hard to believe but almost true.  My piercings are no longer sweet little holes but small slits, and I have a constant ringing.  But I can still hear and probably shouldn't have owned a walkman with headphones jammed in my ears (but what did my parents know)!!

THREE:  My skin!! I do not mind my wrinkles to me they are my rings of life just like a tree has but I wear them on the outside instead and proudly.  I have laughter lines not frown lines.  I have hand creams like my ready readers, everywhere!!!  I have lip balms and moisturises.  I bruise easily and bleed faster when I knock my skin.  But my skin is still managing to hold all my insides inside!!

FOUR:  Maintenance!!  My mother never told me about the facial hair that appears (Epic fail there mum!!).  So it is plucking, and waxing and shaving to contain this new stage of hair growth.  All I hope is that if  I am ever  in a coma some nice nurse will rid me of my pending beard and mustache!!

FIVE:  My Joints!!  I no longer roll and smoke but ache!!  I have knackered knees that click and grind and arthritis in my hands.  But I can still walk and use my hands even tho TOF is on jar opening duties now.  I massage fragrant oils into said parts of my body to help and it makes me smell good too!!

SIX:  Sensible stuff!!  Like shoes, for height I now do wedges not heels.  I trip over enough on the flat!!  No longer do I own push up or half cup bras, bikini or candy floss type underwear.  My bits  need support now, so full briefs (how can a brief be full?) and big girls bras, full cup and wired!!  My handbags are of a size to house all the essentials I seem to take with me, as shown above.  I couldn't possibly tuck all this into my bra when out like the younger girls do today!!

SEVEN:  My super powers!!  I no longer have eyes in the back of my head!!  I cannot hear around corners and into other rooms.  I cannot jump or run without feeling the need to have a nature stop. I cannot fool my lads anymore with my fabulous stories!!  But......

... I have and use technology which to me proves I still have a brain and an active mind!!  I also know my wit is as sharp as a tack, that my attitude to life is so much calmer and relaxed (that could be the meds from my Doctor, thanks Dr V), and that I am very very comfortable in my aging body that has served me well for 51 years.  I intend to be around to see in the ton, and then I shall haunt my family, it only seems fare!!

Re-living my miss spent youth

...well not really but it made you look!!!

Tonight the lads decided we should go to our local pub, that has recently moved to a brand new venue but still close to our home.  Must admit the atmosphere in the old Te Rapa Tavern was something you cannot replicate.  The lease was up on the building so they have re built a brand spanking new pub, but with all the rugby, cricket, fishing, horse racing etc memorabilia all over the walls.  I think it is rather nice, same old bar leaners and stools, same old pool tables with new blue felt tops, and the same old faithful crowd have followed the pub.  There aren't many of the older style pubs about in Hamilton any more, it is all bars and restaurants these days and mainly central city.  The relaxed feel of a good old Tav is great for the working man heading home but in need of a quiet beer or three!!  This one has a really nice outdoor area so I am sure we will go back for some pub grub when our weather is settled into a better pattern of continual sunshine.  So the lads decided to have a game of pool, then had a doubles game with some locals.  Jak had a completely shit shot as in missed it altogether and because I laughed so much that I cried I was given the cue to replace him.  I did ok, we didn't win but we only had one ball left on the table.  Back in the early days of dating TOF would take me to the Hilly (Hillcrest Tavern) to play pool in the public bar with some pretty hard core types.  Such a romantic!!! Maybe that was why we click, we are pretty laid back people and enjoy the simple things in life.

 Mean while back in my garden, the Tulips are starting to pop up in the pots.

And a tiny spider had built a fabulous web amongst my plants.

After Jack Frost SuesDay was back on!!

During the night Jack Frost paid a visit and dusted the ground with icing!!  His calling card.  Which usually signifies a beautiful day in the Waikato, and beautiful it was!!

And look who is back from swanning around in England, and she is just as bad as she was before she left, woohoo!!!  We had a Suesday and knocked off a big chunk of our favourite op shops in the glorious sunshine.  We had an extra with us for the day, the very lovely Stephanie from England who is out in NZ until next year.  We had lunch at Palmers Garden Centre and found the apron on the right which us Sue think looks like us, of course the other Sue is the one wearing a knife and has a grappling hook on board!!

 Why would you have an assembly point in a tree??

Just a couple of crazy English sheilas having fun in the Salvo shop!!!

Not much of a haul for me today but the dress was in the window of the Salvo and it is very bright, brighter than the photo shows.

Layers even in the sunshine as the wind had a bite to it today!

Of course the fluffies were enjoying the great weather too!

You are my Sunshine....

Don't you love it when a beautiful sunny day turns up to visit!!  I don't mind the breeze that came along for the ride either.

It's enough to make you want to kick up your heels and grab on to something and give it a hug!

Even Tex took sometime out of his busy schedule to chill out on the lawn amongst the daisies.

Oscar joined in for a group hug.

Of course there was time for some op shopping.

But there is always time to pop into my local op shops. 

This lot is from today's outing.

And this little haul is from yesterday  morning on my way to work.  I rather like that I pass a couple of good op shops on my way to work on a Monday.

Tomorrow I am getting together with Sue who is finally over her Jet Lag!!!  

So look out Hamilton, it is going to be a SuesDay!!!

Photos for sure.

I was almost glad it was Monday...

..what a weekend!  No such thing as a quiet one around here, and I thought as my lads grew up  got older, things would quieten down.  How wrong was I!  Started on Friday night when I ignored my mobile knowing it would be Jak wanting a ride home, but then the land line rang.  I answered it with "I am in bed", only to find it was  one of Max's mates saying Jak is trashed, trollied, totaled, call it what you want, he was straight up pissed!!  Apparently he was trying to match the older guys drink for drink and they were doing Tequila.  Needless to say he had a bucket in between his legs for the drive home, and I gave him a bumpy old ride!!

Saturday morning TOF and I went off to our lads old High school to watch the final of the Secondary schools rugby championship.  Hamilton Boys High was playing St Kentigans from Auckland who hadn't lost a game for a few years, they had a run of 52 wins under their belt.  Jak has mates in the team that we know, number 10 and 7 to be exact and a few on the reserve and injured bench.  Unbelievable crowd support and a very well matched game. 

As luck would have it our boys won and only just, but a win is a win!!  Talk about a crowd pleaser and it was so good to see a good old fashioned pitch invasion at the end.  I loved the banner on the right, a spin on an advert for not drinking on the tv at the moment, as in, No more beerzies for you mate!

Sunday morning I was up at 4am picking up a pissed older son and dropping him back home at his flat.  He was going to walk home to his from town, but I'm not keen on anyone walking alone at the time, so off I went in my jammies!!

I got another 4 hours sleep before embracing the beautiful day that Sunday was.  I planted up 3 trays of seeds, Corn, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and marigolds, all destined for TOFs vege plot.  I have a small green house that I have put on the deck behind the BBQ, so it is a good height and position for catching the sun and for me to tend my crop.  Spent most of the day faffing about in the garden and filling my clothes line with washing as we had a good breeze.

In the afternoon I went over to Max's flat to drop some things off and one of his mates arrived with his gorgeous dog called Brown.  The biggest softy ever.  These types of dogs can and usually are quite intimidating but it just goes to show that it is how you treat the animal as to how it will turn out.  This big boy just loves to have his belly scratched, I so could have brought him home.

Meanwhile back at home all the pets were making the most of the sunshine and the back yard.

Our fruit trees are all in blossom, my Tulips will be flowering soon, and the Daphne is having a last burst.

The girls had a fabulous time in the garden, even sharing the water dish with a cheeky sparrow.

 The colour show continues.

 Bloomin' gorgeous!!

 The sparrows are all getting ready to nest, little fatties that they are.

 Scarecrow and daisies, lavender and pansies, absolute bliss in the garden.

And to finish the weekend off I spent several hours up at A & E with one of Max's flat mates.  Needless to say alcohol was involved, but all that was required was a pressure bandage on a badly sprained ankle.

Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain.....

...I didn't see old Incey Wincey Spider, but pretty sure he is outside somewhere!!

My task for the morning was to move the mulch I got to the chickens area.  I think I filled my wheel barrow about 9-10 times, but the girls are more than happy with their new edible floor.  They have a huge area right at the back of our section, all fenced, full of trees, and we incorporated the boys old play hut/sand pit as part of their accommodation. No wonder they are a bunch of happy layers!!  Plus they get to faff about on the lawn most afternoons.

On my way to return the trailer I stopped off at the house where I got the mulch and left a jar of my home made plum jam as a thank you.  Then at my friends place I left an assortment of produce as a thanks for the use of their trailer, which I might add was all hosed down and sparkling clean and now far to clean to be used as a trailer! 

Texy boy was very happy today, relaxing out the front of our place in the sunshine.  I love how far forward his whiskers were, as he enjoyed a scratch on the head and was purring hard out!!

Late last night I went Nordic Blonde!!

I am a natural blonde and haven't been this shade since I was a teenager, so time to get a little help from those Nordic folk!!  Thanks Schwarzkopf!!

Have a jolly awesome weekend all, I have seeds to put into seed raising mix, what are you going to be up to?