The power of positive thinking

You ask, you receive!

Last night we had our eldest sons 21st Party in our back garden.  He isn't actually 21 until the 24th of this month but with loads of his mates turning 21 this month we went early.  The weather forecast wasn't looking promising but I kept telling myself it would hold off until Saturday (plus I put my wish for fine weather out into the universe), and it did.

I spent the afternoon getting chairs set up, placing candles for lighting in the garden and putting the booze on ice.  I was pretty happy with my photo bunting that I strung up on the deck and I had solar lights on the driveway gate so the guests new where to come.  Balloons tied to the letterbox wouldn't have gone down well at all. It was tempting!!

TOF manned the BBQ and drove me nuts on how slow he was cooking the sausages, all lined up perfectly they were!! But we got there in the end!  Basic man food of sausages, bread, onions and coleslaw and it went down well.

It was a good night with lots of Max's mates arriving to help celebrate.  In fact it was one of his good mates actual 21st last night.  He and Max and another friend who is 21 next week did the yard glass.  Not sure if this is a world wide must do but it is bog standard in kiwi land to skull a yard glass of beer, and usually throw the whole lot up.

 Note my strategically placed buckets!

Must say I was glad when that was over with not to much drama or puking!

We never got around to speeches so I didn't have to come up with anything clever and witty to say.  Most of his friends already know all the childhood stories anyway.  But we did get a family photo, thank you Sue Webber!!  Look even Sheba made it into the left bottom corner.

It was a late one, and I cleaned up last night once everyone had gone.  I prefer to do it on the night rather than waking up to a huge mess.  Luck I did because the stormy weather has arrived and it is quite windy, grey and wet.  Fabulous day to stay indoors and do very little.  Recovery I think for the young ones!!

You should brighten up the dull mornings

The last two mornings we have had FOG!!!

Not a thick one but fog all the same.

So to avoid getting lost in the fog

when walking to the post office

I dressed in glorious

C O L O U R

It was a bit nippy around the pippies this morning

so a lightweight but fabulously bright

Pink coat was required.

One of the new frocks got outed this morning

with a petti skirt underneath,

gorgeous embroidered bag,

 and

colourful shoes and jewels of course!!

I love this tassel and bead necklace, I waited for it to go on sale before pouncing on it!!  No need to pay full retail when it all goes on sale eventually!!

Smug as because my weekend has

STARTED!!!!

Oh yeah,

three days on and four days off!!

As excited as I am at the prospect of the tropical storm that is heading our way to water the very dry Waikato pastures and our little backyard and garden, I would like to put in a request with the powers to be that it holds off until Saturday as we will have a houseful of young folk here tomorrow night for Max's 21st Birthday Party.  Don't have a plan B so hopefully it will not start raining and blowing like a.......like a......big stormy wind thingy until Saturday.  Please all now go ahead and cross your fingers for me. 

Thanks in advance!!!

You are all the best.

I went shopping for a fry pan

And came home with....

.....this colourful dress!

(I blame all the summer sales that are on)

AND....

..this floaty dress.

(Tex gave his approval so I blame him)

AND...

..some black with white spot pants,

a mint coloured fringed jersey,

(must remember to hold tummy in when wearing)

and a fabulous pair of sandals!!

(I totally blame my friend that I went to visit that works at the Base shops who was away sick!)

(yeah you know who you are!!)

Oh also, the type of fry pan TOF wants is no longer available!

So I can blame him too!!

Pretty as mint fringed jersey tho'.

Too gorgeous to leave behind when such a good sale price,

and soooooooo very comfy!!!

Oh and super nice colour!

I probably spent as much as a cheap fry pan but this little lot will be much much better, can't cook in any of it but can give it a dam good nudge at looking good in it!!  Maybe next pay I can take TOF fry pan shopping, in my new sandals.

PS:  There are gazillions of these suckers around at the moment. 

I don't particularly like these!

Still hot in the city

Tuesday = work day.

(I love this new job)

I wore this fabulous dress

that arrived in the post yesterday.

(another trade me purchase)

Work was good, apart from a poxy old head ache that I just cannot seem to shift.  I think it is the heat and humidity we are experiencing at the moment.  What ever it is it needs to bugger off!!  I have no time for illness of any sort right now.

Small dog, small brain? Why he lay in the sun and panted is beyond me.  Now as for Tex, black cat, seeks shade and finds it!!

Sheba has un stuffed Grover

who now is

feeling a bit flat!!

Delivered my vacuum cleaner around to my big boys flat this afternoon.  Seems only fare to let him borrow it as he and the flat mates went fishing on Sunday and provided us with some lovely Snapper for our dinner.  Took the dogs around for a play date.

Sheba and Brown had a run while Oscar stayed up high safely in my sons arms.  Typical small dog, far to much to say for himself so he missed out on the fun.

Well off to drop a couple more panadol and hopefully poxy head ache will get the message.

It is just a little drive

Well that is what I told TOF!!

I needed to go and pick up some out door chairs I had purchased off trade me and it turned out they were in the country just out of Cambridge, which isn't that far from here.  But to lure TOF into being my driver/navigator as I am crap at rural driving and reading maps, I said it was just a little drive.

Just before Cambridge is the newly completed Velodrome, home of cycling in the Waikato.  Pretty impressive building and I am keen to go watch a bit of cycling one day or just have a sneaky purve at some dudes in cycling gear.  I like Cambridge as it is quite a pretty place, loads of trees and gorgeous old style houses.  Oh and of course the fabulous old church on a major intersection.  But there is lots of new homes being built and a massive express way is under construction at the moment that will by pass this gorgeous town.

Out of Cambridge we headed and into the county side we went.  Up hills and down dales, past Pine tree fields full of sheep and a herd of cows a top a hill that TOF suggested were having a summit!!

It is very dry out in the farmlands of the Waikato and out this way was no exception.  After only one   wrong turn and a bit of back tracking we made it to the farm where we were to collect the chairs.  Easy peasy!!

Heading back home the views back to Cambridge were stunning.  Even tho' it is all dry as a bit of stale bread, the scenery is still beautiful. 

It's Horsey land out this way.  Another thing Cambridge is well known for, that and Rowing and now Cycling is being added to the list. 

So these are the chairs.  The ones with arm rest.  Four chairs with cushions for $50, so a mere $12.50 each, bloody good buying!!  Yeah yeah I know, need to weed the paving stones.  We have a trailer that we have loaded with garden waste at the moment to go off to the dump tomorrow, but it looks like we will be doing two loads so maybe the weeding could get done.

In the post today were these to gorgeous things!!  Both bought off Trade Me and will be worn next week as they are so bright and colourful. Yummo!!!

I have spent the afternoon making bunting for Max's 21st, using around 150 photos of his life over the last 21 years, all laminated and now made into bunting to be hung up outside.

He said to me, No embarrassing photos aye mum?

Of course not, none of them are embarrassing to me!!  I took most of them.

Jak has told him just to relax and enjoy. The whole purpose of celebrating his birthday is to have photos and speeches.

Speeches???

What will I say??

Should I make notes, or just make it all up on the night?  Think I will just wing it, best way for me to do this, totally unprepared, unrehearsed and uncensored.  Should be interesting to say the least, maybe I won't have to say anything, but I should, shouldn't I?  Anyway I have a week so no worries.

Frolocking good Friday!!

Now I could have spent the morning at home being all domestic and fabulous, but NO!!  I thought to hell with that I am off out!!  I had a few hours to kill before a lunch date, so it seemed I was destined to do the rounds of the op shops and see what was on offer today.

First stop was Red Cross and Hospice in town which just happen to be next door neighbours so I fill up the parking meter or is that the one arm bandit?  Even though all clothes are only $2 in the Red Cross at the moment there was not a thing that beckoned me to buy it.   But in Hospice I found this gorgeous pair of new red shoes for $5 and the floral top and long line pure wool cardigan at $2.50 each.

Further down the road and another parking meter to deal with is the Salvation Army.  Well stocked and oober busy this morning and all I walked out with was this scrummy David  Pond jacket top.  Oh look it has spots and stripes!!

Round the corner and down to Frankton where there are NO PARKING METERS, I went to Red Cross, Vinnies two stores and Save Mart.  I only found the fur scarf for $3 at Save Mart. I do like a bit of fur round my chops when the cold weather sets in I do!!  I am getting picky now and very price orientated so I do not mind coming out of a shop with little or nothing.  I want bargains or incredibly good scores!!

Back into town I headed where I went to The Presbyterian Op shop and Gateway.  Not a lot to tickle my fancy apart from two pretty cotton sheets for $8, (Presby opppie) to add to the draw of other lovely old sheets.  I have another sheet dress cut out ready to throw together, so maybe this weekend??? Get back to you on that!!  Oh the Ambulance outside was attending to an old dear that had taken a turn, as the other old girls behind the counter put it.

Next thing it was time for lunch so I went and got my lovely cousin Annette and we wandered around the corner to Momento to wait for our other cousin to arrive.  We grabbed a table outside in the sunshine and fresh air (and the odd car/bus fumes and KFC wafting past).  Opposite the cafe is my favourite sculpture in Hamilton that depicts a farming family as Waikato is known for the farming that goes on.  Many a condom has ended up on parts of this during O Week over the years. (O week = Orientation Week for University and Poly Tech, a week of booze fueled activities that look incredibly good fun.)

Cousin Jan arrived and we all had a jolly good catch up.  I haven't seen Jan for quite a few years so it was lovely to reconnect.  The three of us all have the same Great Grandmother, Minnie Kerby, which will mean absolutely nothing to any of you out in blog land reading this but that is our connection.

After a pleasant lunch and catch up we went our separate ways.  But before I went home I still had one more op shop to visit.

Habitat for Humanity Re Store.  This one is huge and had quite a few temptations for me but I showed great restraint and only came out with the farking amazeball lime green and pink lace jacket, and an old tin, and the rectangular china pot that says Made in Italy on it's botty!!

I arrived home to a couple of dogs that welcomed me as though I had been away for at least four months instead of four hours.  Made a cuppa and am presently sitting relaxing in the lounge after my frolocking good time out.

Have a fantastic weekend!!!

Successful afternoon out with the heir

If I were Queen or a humble Princess I would have done my duty by providing the Heir and the Spare.  While my Spare was at work this morning, the Heir and I went shopping.  Then after lunch I took the Heir for a job interview at the Spare's work place!!  I parked in the shade of a huge Camellia tree, (yes tree because it was far to big to be called a shrub or a bush) while he was being interviewed.

My company was the radio and these two!

The votes were counted and it turns out that this was the favourite patch on my patchwork dress!

The Spares place of work is slightly rural, so paddocks full of maize, rural mail boxes and wooden fencing.

The look of success!!

Yes that is a contract and he starts tomorrow!

 

So we went shopping and got him a couple of pairs of shorts and a couple of singlets, and some sunglasses for work.  I dropped him back at his flat, (he has moved again) and then I came home and BAKED!!!

 

Banana Bread.

(And yes it is Yum!!)

Guilty!!!

(off all of them)