Lets have a big shout out to the fabulous weather

Crikey, the weekend came and went and now it is Monday!  The weather has been rather summery today and I think we may have even hit the expected 26*.  But before we can even discuss today there is the weekend.

Saturday morning after having a chat on face book with the lovely Linda (Op Shop Mama) I headed off to 3 garage sale/car boot sale that she had told me about.  She aught to get a laugh now, the garage sale she mentioned wasn't actually on until Sunday so I was there a whole day early wondering what the hell she was on about!!  A small drive into the country I discovered the School Car Boot sale wasn't at the school but at another address also in the country and luckily I knew the road.  My final destination was closer to my neck of the woods and another car boot sale, but most of the sellers were over it, too hot and starting to pack up there stuff.  But I did get me a couple of books at 50c each and the colourful wee jug for $1, yes I am by far the last of the big spenders!!  In fact it is a wonder the stall holders didn't stand up, gather around me  and start singing "Hey Big Spender"!!

I will try another Saturday morning out and about and maybe even try to meet up with the Queen of such events herself!!

The rest of the day was spent mooching about and basically goofing off.  I am quite good at both mooching and goofing.

Saturday night however I was asked to go to my eldest sons flat as one of his flat mates mum was out from the land of Oz, ok, Australia.  We have met once before and keep in touch via social media as you do these days.  Anyway Jenny is such a good stick and needless to say we had a little bit of fun.  Her son took these photos and a few of his nostrils, these aren't too bad for someone that was drinking Jagermeifter.  I had a lovely catch up with Jenny and took some photos of her and her two off spring, really good fun family!!  I laugh at the last photo, I call it the NO MORE PAPARAZZI shot!!   I headed home to my jimmies and a hot drink while the younguns I think headed off to town.

Sunday arrived and we watched our National rugby  team the All Blacks play against the French team while tucking into a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked by TOF.  After copious loads of washing being done I got back into the swing of mooching and goofing off again, with my animals in the garden.

 The girls.

 More of the girls.

 Oscar slow cooking himself in the sunshine.

 Sheba competing with The Bird of Paradise flower in the beauty stakes.

Tex doing what Tex does best and gorgeous flowers.

Then Monday rocked up and it was time to get organised to go to work.  Our predicted temp for the day was 26* and it was warm as first thing, so I dressed accordingly and accessorised. 

My accessories included pink glitter jelly shoes, my Frida necklace that in a previous life was a bracelet, and a small cute dog!!  Work was so so, I had one of those days where I was slightly over the general public, especially the lady that came into the shop at 5 minutes to closing.  HATE!

But in the shop we have this super talented up cycling lady that sells her stuff in one of the corners, and I thought one of her jackets and a cushion deserved to be shared with you all.

This is some of the stock that caught my eye today.  The poodles made me think of the beautiful English Vix.  The dress I loved and wanted, fitted everywhere perfectly except for the boobs!!  Dam those boobs!!  It is not like you can walk around with the side zip undone.  The pink bag is a dog carry bag, OMG and WTF!  Oh and the fabric hippo is too beautiful to be a toy but it is.

When I got home TOF was outside tending to the garden and the back yard was lit with sunlight everything looked so peaceful and pretty. I do love the moon during the day just letting the sun know that time is about to be called on the day.

The animals are loving having Jak home all day, especially Tex who hitched a ride to his favourite chair to continue with his hectic time schedule of eating and sleeping!!  Oh to be a moggy.

Now remember that Corrugated Iron exhibition I went to a couple of weekends ago, well I found this photo in one of our papers of the Morris Minor.  Super cool and had to be shared.  With flowers of course, and I didn't even know I grew roses, just fabulous!!

I love this wee gem:

REMEMBER: as far as everyone knows we are a nice normal family

Both my lads were at home this afternoon and my simple request to have a photo taken with them both was met with major amounts of protests and a lot of hamming it up. Thank goodness for a tripod and a wireless timer.

Even Tex decided to join the lads in a pose with mum session on the deck, it took a few shots to get a reasonable normal one in the end!  Oh and I had my Neon Green shoes on.

The best thing is that we can all have a pretty good time together mainly just taking the proverbial out of each other and having a bit of fun.  So that is the lads, Jak 18+ and Max nearly 21.

Happy weekend everybody!!

No matter what I will always be a mum

No matter what age my lads are I guess they will always need me and sometimes that is nice, and sometimes it is a pain in the @%*#!!!  But mostly I like it.  When Jak my youngest was little and broke something he would yell out "accident" because I always said it was better to tell the truth and get in a small bit of trouble than lie and get found out later and be in BIG trouble with the mumma.  Because the mumma knows everything, sees everything, and hears everything, well that is what they believed when they were small and under my complete power!!

He has been bitching for a couple of weeks about having a sore wrist (result of smashing off his skateboard) and finally decided I should book him an appointment with our doctor.  Off he went yesterday at 4:30pm and finally returned at 7.00pm with a soft cast on his left hand/arm, his writing hand, his hammer hand, his everything hand.  He has what they think is a fractured bone so for two weeks he will be sporting this season latest accessory in white!!

He loves his mum because I drove him to his work this morning with his ACC form to let his boss in on his predicament.  He shouldn't drive you see, not that that will stop him.  Then he took me out for coffee at Graces a lovely little cafe not far from home.  We have done the grocery shopping as he is still capable of pushing a trolley and that job needed to be dealt to.  Hope it is a fracture and not a break or that means a hard cast and another 4-6 weeks off work, and he will get so frustrated as he likes to be doing things, like skating and surfing and generally being outside.  We told TOF he will have to wipe his bum when he goes twosies, TOF not signing up tho".

Lucky we are a family with a sense of humour!

According to the box I'm a Dark Blonde now.

Last night I put a Dark Blonde dye through my hair and this is the result.  My new colour is still slightly lighter than my youngest son, and it isn't nearly as dark as I expected it would be.  I still don't see how you can call this colour Blonde, dark or not, Blonde is White!!  This will do nicely for now and possibly I will go even dark next year for Winter.  TOF got up this morning and said, "hey, someone shit on your hair, it's gone brown!!"  He is precious.

Today I went and had lunch with my lovely friend Karen who works at Wintec.  After our catch up we had a little wander around Campus.  The gorgeous white Wisteria is in full bloom and looking so fabulous, but it stands a good chance of being removed due to buildings going on and up.  We both think that would be criminal and I have said I shall chain myself to it in protest if she wants.  I am sure I could phone "Rent a Protest Group" to help save it.  I had to take a photo of the car in the car park that had been post-it note padded.  I love a good prank!  The end wall of the Cafeteria was photo worthy.  Wintec Campus is such a lovely place and while lunching I saw and spoke to three people I knew who were wondering what the hell I was doing at a place of Education!!  They all probably thought trying to educate or re educate me would most definitely be a lost cause!!  This is what I love about living in this city, sometimes I can bump into loads of people I know and other days I see no one.  Not too big and not too small, I would say just right.  Your rock Hamilton!!

The day turned into quite a warm one for this time of the year so all plans of doing some housework went out the window as it was far too nice to waste on such a job indoors!!  Hey at least I gave it consideration.

Arty Farty and time for a change

On Sunday TOF agreed to come with me to view an exhibition that is on at our Waikato Museum.  After all only the day before I had played at being "the good wife" going to man shops!!  I get emails from the Museum letting me know what is on and when, otherwise I would be none the wiser as I usually miss the advertisements in the locals papers.  I need colourful pictures to entice my interest!!

Unfortunately takings photos in the Museum is a big no no, so I have borrowed some from the artists website of a few of the things that I saw.  The tank on the left is actually an aquarium and full of gold fish, so amazing, and on loan from a private collection.  The small Giraffe was there but believe me it wasn't small.  My favourite was the Morris Minor that has been completely corrugated!!  I did ask how the hell they got it inside the building, and there is a lift that was obviously is big enough, but only just.  Such a cool car close up.  There was a flock of chickens in all sorts of colours,  fabulous letter boxes, laser cut things to hang on your wall, and some very very amazing sculptures, like a huge poodle sitting.  I think I could go for a second look.

When I was getting dressed this morning for work it look suspiciously like summer, as in the sun was SHINING!!  By the time I got home after lunch it was greying over so I whizzed outside in the slightest drizzle to show off my outfit, minus my shoes, and the long red coat that I had worn.

Before coming home tho I did make a stop off at the Hospice shop in town, as all clothes are only $2.50 and you just never know what you will find.  And today I found this gorgeous Desigual skirt, and yes, only $2.50!!!  At the supermarket while getting essentials I decided I would dye my hair, so by tomorrow blonde will be gone and for the very first time in my entire life I will be dark.  I am quite excited and either way if it looks good or I look like a complete arse I will share.   Oh and the Hugh Fernleaf-grow-it-all book was in my letter box, I bought it off trade me for $10, and tonight I will have my nose buried in it.  I always watch any program with good old Hugh boy in, so now I have a book.

Just in case my hair is an epic fail, remember this:

And now for a relaxing weekend

The weather forecast for the weekend was not pretty.  TOF had a fishing trip cancelled as bad weather was expected, so yesterday when it wasn't that bad he wasn't that happy!!  So I accompanied him on a trip to a couple of bloke shops (fishing sort of places) because I was being the good wife.  Of course sinker molds and fishing lures really float my boat!! But I now know what to get the man for his birthday.  That done it was back home to "relax", well it was Saturday after all.

 There was so much activity in the trees with loads of fat sparrows and other birds flitting about and feasting on berries and the chicken pellets.

 In a couple of the trees there are nests with mother birds busily sitting on eggs.

 My Nasturtiums are so bright and colourful and in the wheelbarrow I planted there was this row of four standing to attention.

 Even a lone dandy lion on the lawn looked in place.

Leaves, we forget to acknowledge how lovely they are, such variety, fabulous textures and shapes.

Oscar took time out to sniff the daisies on the lawn and walk the edge of TOFs new garden, totally ignoring the instruction to "Get Off"!

Lots of lovely Green, the plant on the left I always thought was a weed and kept removing it!!

 Another natural beauty is Bark!

 Succulents and Cascading Lobelia, two plants I do like.

 My beautiful Sheba ever present when I am outside with one of her many balls.

As for Tex, he has totally mastered the art of "Relaxing" and the "Do not disturb" look.  We could learn alot from cats on this subject.

Now Sunday has arrived and so far so good, the sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze.  So I shall be spending some quality time in the laundry catching up on some washing.  I expect today to be as lovely and relaxing as yesterday.  

Bring it on I say!!

Oh and we should all remember to do this:

The country came to town

The A & P Show is in town for three days starting with today, and seen as I wasn't going to attend work until closer to the middle of the day I decided to go check it all out.  Last time I went to one of these the boys were toddlers.  Armed with my camera I headed of for my mornings entertainment.

The Claudelands Event Centre is smack bang in the middle of Hamilton City surrounded by parks, housing and businesses.  I have no idea what the A & P stands for but guessing Agricultural for the A and sod knows what for the P!  Today was free to get in and I now know why, there were massive amounts of pre school and school aged children everywhere!!!!  Not that this bothered me one bit, I was just glad my days of being parent help are well over.

Inside there was stalls set up for sheep and alpacas, with an arena for showing them, which I think would have happened later on today.  Good old fashioned show ribbons for winning fleece from both types of animals were on display and there was a group from Creative Fibre and Felting doing a spinning display with beautiful things on show, like all the woven scarves.

There were a few stands inside with people selling their wares, and outside there was the usual food and drink vendors with a few entertainment things for children.  I was looking for the preserves and giant veges, but apparently there were none.  Such a shame but people just don't seem to do it anymore.  Maybe at the rural shows this still happens.

Beautiful large cows were being judged, I wonder if it is like a beauty pageant?

The cutest little 5 day old chickens were so funny to watch, likewise the pre school children trying to pick them up and squeeze them.  Who new there were so many different eggs??  Ducks, so gorgeous but I just know TOF would say NO to a pond and some ducks.

Holy crap the roosters were huge, note they are called "Heavy Breeds"!!  Top right photo if you look really hard you will see two little chicks under all mums fluff.

My favourite part was the Farm Yard where it is all mums and bubs of the farming world.  The sweetest little girl befriended me near the donkeys.  I am sure I have enough room in the back yard for a miniature horse!!

I so could have run off with the baby pigs!!  How cool would they be living down the back with all my girls.

The Turkey was incredibly loud, but the baby goat stole my heart.  Look at those ears? Awwwwe!

This little horse was the size of a dog, and so dam gorgeous.

I guess everything as a baby is cute and gorgeous.  The mother cow in the middle was a roudy old thing.

So many horses in so many colours and sizes.

 There is always someone that has to be a clown!

I love how the horsey folk are impeccably dressed. The lovely young girl told me all about her 1 year old horse and obliged me with letting me photograph her.

I remember watching dog trials on TV with my dad when I was a kid so this was great to watch live.  Super clever the relationship between man and dog, and such control over the wayward sheep.

 Kids leading their animals was lovely to watch.

The Heritage show and commentary was possibly wasted and I think went over the heads of the young audience tucking into their morning tea.  I fancied the old mans walking stick!!

This is the first time I have been to Claudelands since the new events Centre has been built.  Quite a building and I like the sculpture outside.  Hamilton has a substantial amount of sculptural work which could lead to a mighty fine post to share with you all.  What a fabulous way to spend the morning before toddling off to work for a few hours.  When I got home I had a parcel to open.

Neon green shoes that I bought off trade me for $10!!

The weekend is so close I can smell it!!  Hope you all have a fabulous one.