Paying homage to Mother Nature and Father Time

A week ago I found myself not able to go to work as I was unwell.  I figured I had a dose of MANFLU as I felt that bad!! In fact I stayed home for four days, which is not like me.  A phone call to the Doctors confirmed that it was indeed not MANFLU but a REAL VIRUS.  I had already come to that same conclusion as the only two remedies I have ever  heard for MANFLU were to 'Harden the $@%* up or take a Concrete Pill.  The doctor prescribed neither!! 

Close call though!!

The op shops are slowing improving, as the seasons change good stuff arrives.  I couldn't resist the brass candle holders, small Russian pot and the Willie the Waiter tray.  I have a good haul of clothes on the washing line today from visit to the SPCA shop yesterday.

Can you see what Toebee has?  He was so excited that he brought it inside at about 1:30am in the morning, you know, Silly o'clock!!!  He woke me up with his running around, and off course he let it got so they could play!!

I am currently having a go at raising seeds.  I think they will be ready to pot soon.  I could not buy Echinop plants anywhere so I purchased seed, so fingers crossed they grow into big lush plants.  Off course while ordering seed on line I ended up buying lots of other lovely things for the garden.

Everything in the garden is growing at a rate due to the warm but intermittent wet days we have still been getting. I put the egg next to Toebee and he looked at me as if to say "@%#* I've gone and laid me an egg".

 The potted colour I added to the bike basket is thriving.

It would be fare to say my garden has truly

woken up.

TOF had success on the sea last weekend.  The large Kingfish got smoked and the Snapper got filleted and devoured. Fresh fish and lemon from the garden was a perfect feed.

Who knew dressing up your pets could be so much fun!!  K-Mart has so many hilarious pet costumes at the moment and so cheap that buying lots is a must. 

 Note Big did not join in,

he is more of a Ba-humbug kinda pet!!

With our lawn smothered in Daisies there was only one thing to do, make a Daisy Chain. I had forgotten how long it took to make one but how enjoyable it was.

Yep, they too got Chained in Daisies!!

OMG!!

Then there was Halloween too.

Thanks K-Mart!!

Before someone calls the SPCA on me, it was all good clean fun, no one got hurt, slightly embarrassed, but not hurt!!

The other day while out in the garden I gathered some bits and bobs.  One thing lead to another, my stamps came out along with the macro lens for my camera.

I am thinking I might enlarge this photo for my wall.

Paying homage to the two things I believe in.

So blessed to have this crazy cat in my life. 

Dorothy is clucky and resident egg warmer at the moment, you risk life and limb removing eggs from beneath her!!

My beautiful Pooches, I have just pimped my EFTPOS card on line today, my new one will have this photo on it. 

 

Toebillicous!!!

Yesterday I went and visited Julie from Threadbear Cottage, just out of Kihikihi.

I got Toebee off Julie back in January and have been trying to catch up with her ever since.  But we keep missing each other.  Yesterday the planets lined up and a visit was arranged. 

A cuppa and cake with a good chat always happens first then I love to go into her delightful little Cottage shop set in her gorgeous garden.

The Cottage is full of beautifully hand crafted treats, and you have to look up, down and all around to take it all in.  So many delights to see.

Her garden is as delightful as the cottage and I came home with a couple of plants that have since been potted up. 

I met Julie from Blogging, yet I feel like I have known her for years.  We can chat for ages and both enjoy gardening, op shopping and many other similar things, like CATS!!  Blackie and Pippie were cruising around the garden, they have the best home ever.

If you have never been to Threadbear Cottage you should take the time to go and visit, believe me you will not be disappointed. Take your purse!!!

There are even residents in her bird house hanging on the deck.

From Julies I then drove to Karakariki to visit Sue W .

She may not have been blogging lately

but by golly she has been busy in her garden!!

 

Jinx the minx followed us on our garden walk about.

Family, friends, pets, and gardening,

all the things that make me happy.

What makes you joyful? 

Wisdom:

 and

 **Love to you all**

 

The return of some Sunshine with patches of Rain.

We have had some glorious days of late and of course we then get a run of rainy days just to gives us a good old shake up and let us know our Seasons are still trying to decide what they want to be.  On those glorious ones I am out and about or in my garden.  Instead of op shopping I have been plant and seed shopping, whatever spins your wheels I say.

First I need to apologise up front about the size of some of the photos.  The editing thing I was using is no longer free so I am experimenting with a new free one.  It will be trial and error I am afraid so be patient with me.  Technology is not one of my strong points.  

Bike baskets have had extra colour added to them all.

 The return of so much colour has had me in a spin.  Finally the garden is waking up, the birds, bees and insects are all on the return.  This stuff make me feel alive, nothing can bother me in my garden, no problem can not be overcome when I am surrounded by the things in the garden that deliver such pleasures. 

One of my regulars is back and very busy on the nest building part of life that continues each year.

Even dear old Big doesn't mind the activity of this bird.  I am pretty sure this is the one he lets eat his cat biscuits from his bowl out the front. Lucky bird, maybe they cut a deal, as old Tex was the very same.  By the way Big is well on the mend and so far has put his fighting on hold, for how long we do not know.  I guess when he decides to re claim his title in the street we will be off to the vet again!!

I found this hanging planter in a very good sale in a shop called Bed Bath and Beyond. I scored it for half price, my kind of shopping.  Then I went to Bunnings and got potted colour at .95c a plant.

I am pretty happy with the result and it is a welcome bit of colour at our front door.  With a bit of luck and some regular watering the Lobellia will cascade and the flowers will continue to bloom.

This Tui has been spending time in the garden but every time I grab for my camera is has flown over to the school next door.  Little did it know I have a ZOOM!!! 

BUBBLES!!!  You all need to set up a play date with your inner child and get some bubbles happening.  I love how these float around, land on plants and tempt the pets into playing. 

I have done this before but it never gets old.  Throwing treats at Sheba to catch while taking photos, making her look like she is flying, bahahahahaha!!!!

With glorious weather the lighter weight clothes get to come out.  There is nothing so pleasing as the warmth of sunshine on your bare arms. Note my little mate is always out with me, my constant companion.

Amazing insects!!

Be it a Daisy or Buttercup, a Granny Bonnet or a Gerberra, all are welcome at me place!!

 

If it is colourful, then I encourage it to grow!!

I puppy sat for a friend for an hour, well I went to her place and let the dogs out. You know the song, "Who let the dogs out.." well now you know, it was ME!!!

Such fun with three bundles of fluff.  Coco is the white one and the others two are Marley and Denim, they are the new babies. Tough gig I tell you!!

Not much can beat this beautiful boy tho.  He has stolen everyones heart that is for sure.  One crazy arsed cat he is.  Every day is another adventure and long may it continue.

I have just realised I have no photos of Oscar this time.  Never fear, my wee man is still about.  Living life in the slow lane these days which is all good with us.

There have been cakes baked and shared, and numerous outings to other towns on my days off.  I am enjoying driving little red to the small country towns near by and visiting their op shops.  I went out for dinner and a Cabaret Night with my Raglan ladies a couple of friday nights ago.  But alas no cameras were allowed, and it was such a great night out.  There have been visits and visitors, life has been busy, and of course there has been work.  I am so grateful that I love my job, maybe because my work mates are such a good bunch or maybe my whole attitude to life has a more relaxed and less stressed approach.

Books or people do what is right for you!

Routines and writing lists to Winging it!!!

I have always been a person with a routine in my life, I even write lists so I don't forget things, but lately I have been just winging it all.  Hence me not be a regular blogger of late.  I am still here, but for some reason or another blogging just has not been happening.  I have even been incredibly lazy on reading all your lovely blogs. 

 Let's just call it life and carry on then shall we.

Winter has been rather wet, and Spring has been a little the same so far.  We are rather saturated under foot here.  The garden is grateful but us humans are possibly at a point of 'over it'.  

BUT,

we cannot have Rainbows with out the Rain.

One Wednesday afternoon after work the sun did make an appearance so after work I went home and grabbed the dogs and we went for a wee journey out to Raglan.  They loved it, we pretty much had the beach to ourselves and it was bliss.  I made a couple of stops at my favourite shops and came home with the above. Win win all round, everyone was happy.

Always good for the mind, body and soul to put your toes on the sand and breathe in all the positive coastal air.  Thank you Raglan for being so close.

Toebee didn't get to come to the beach but he was well happy with the paper bags that my purchases came in.

Another afternoon saw me having to go post bail for Stella (the heirs dog) at the local pound as she had managed to escape her yard and got picked up going for a unaccompanied walk.  She was more than happy to see me and we drove home like this.

The Op shops have still been getting the odd visit.  This little score started a bit of a competition in our house, voting is still open on who really is the 'CUTIE PATOOTIE'.

Other finds, there are more but most are clothes, so when I wear them I may well share  them!!  We have a newly opened Hospice Shop in Claudelands, a suburb of Hamilton, and it is really lovely.  Hospice has a knack for setting things out super nice, clean and another one to add to the circuit.

I visited the Hamilton Gardens the day before the Tulip Festival, one because the weather was mint and two the weekend just gets manic.

The Glass houses were built back in the sixties and still gorgeous today.  One is a Tropical garden and the other is a Cactus house.  A wedding was happening inside but that did not deter me one bit from going on in.

Lovely and colourful, just how I like things in life.  The wedding guests had moved outdoors for photos, phew!!

TOF has been out on a couple of Fishing Trips of late with his Fishing club so we have been dining on the good stuff.  In fact he is out again today so more Brain food is coming my way!!

I planted a garden the other week with masses of potted colour.  At the very back against the wall a row of Sweet Pea seeds went in first.  Then 18 Statice plants and 6 Gypsophilia plants went in. In front when the colour bomb of plants and then netting had to go over the top to protect it all from the girls and the cats.  Toebee wasn't happy but sits on top of the netting.

Old Biggles McBig cat had ANOTHER visit to the vet.  ANOTHER rumble leaving him with a burst abscess. Kissed goodbye to ANOTHER $156 for an arm shave, antibiotic jab, a temp taking up the @#*, and some anti inflams  that was given daily for a week.  Lucky I love him!!!

Things are happening in the garden, new stuff is showing up all the time.  The dampness has made the fungi and weeds thrive tho.

I love this plant, I bought this and a white one to add to the garden and both are thriving.

Heavy rain saw me rescue some Bird of Paradise and Lilies from the garden, I rather like them in my old milk bottles too.

I made another visit to the Hamilton Gardens to see the Fesitval de la Primavera, also know as the Hispanic Spring Festival.  I was a couple of hours early so I made the most of the good weather and went wandering with a gazillion other people.

After my wanderings I ate lunch lakeside and then took in the sights and sound of the Festival.

The traditional clothes full of ruffles and spots made me swoon.  The dancing was beautiful, oh and so was the food outside at the food stalls.  I will return next year for sure.

This lady caught my eye when I was leaving, what an amazing costume and my god those stilts were tall.

Oscar and Sheba had Stella spend an afternoon here, the cats watched from perched positions high enough up that she could not find them.

Little Oscar is quite an old man now.  The slightest bang sends him into a quiver.  He is slowing down which could mean his time is nearing.  So I am keeping him close and making the most of the best little friend ever.  He may last a few more years but you never know.  A bit like people, none of us know how long we have, so you have to enjoy every day you wake up to.

WISDOM:

 Finally,

I found this in a magazine

what we all know has been put into print!!!

**See you all soon**

Maybe!