Daylight savings has left with Summer and gone North.

Confession:  I did not clean the house I went out.  TOF decided on Saturday morning that he would whip the old vac round the essential rooms and I cleaned the bog.  Enough for the pending visit we figured, and then I went out, shops and visiting and then a rugby game. 

Remember my bulbs that I planted last weekend, well the Freesias have decided to pop up amongst the pumice.  Pretty exciting stuff really.  Ok maybe not for you, but for me, Woohoo!!

Of course now I keep checking the other pots for signs of growth amongst the pumice stones.

Our boys were supposed to be doing the dinner with the Irish with us but Max was stuck in Taranaki working and not happy at all, and Jak blew us all off for a mates 18th, as you do when you are that age.  Me and TOF parked miles away from the Restaurant and walked, so we had a good old look at the goings on down town Saturday night.  Pretty tame actually at 7:30pm but we knew it would be oh so different on our walk back to the car.

TOF and me!!  We met the Irish at Iguanas and the evening was pleasant.  There were old photos taken from back when they all lived in Ireland, the boat trip out to NZ and some other milestones from the last 50years (none of me as I am obviously not one of the milestones).  The food was enjoyable and the night passed away nicely.  I get on really well with TOFs sister and her husband, both have a good sense of humour so we laughed quite a bit.

Top photo is TOF with his sister and their mother (just turned 79 the day before).

Middle photo is TOFs sister, mother and our brother in law.

Last photo is us of course.

Desert was interesting.  TOF had some Lemon Meringue pie which I can guarantee wouldn't be any where as nice as what he can make.  I had a cuppa with some baby eclairs.  Pauline had these doughnuts that came with syringes with different toppings in, like fruit, chocolate, and custard. Loads of fun!!

We left the Restaurant and wandered down town, with a stop off to see Rif Raf.  We ended up in the Casino where the brother in law had a wee play on one of the tables and walked out with a nice bundle of notes.  We left the Irish as they were staying the night in a hotel in the main street.  As we walked back to our car we sighted our Jak.  So I did what only a mother can do, ran over and wrapped my arms around him IN PUBLIC!!!  He was actually stoked to see us as he needed a ride home!

This morning I awoke to a familiar sound, no not wind, but balloons of the hot air variety.  Every year they are in HamilTron for a few days.  But the weather has been decidedly shite so none had come our way, until this morning.  Up changing the time on clocks and watches (due to Day Light Saving leaving us overnight, and taking Summer with him), I grabbed my camera and flew out the door.  Only normal balloons were flying over, no novelty ones, but hey, they still are amazing things and I wish I had the balls to go for a ride in one.

After lunch TOF and I went for a drive to a friends life style block to pick up some fish he had caught yesterday up the Coromandel.  So fresh fish for our dinner tonight thank you very much.  He has lots of lovely friendly sheep and I didn't have the heart to say to the ones in the photo on the right that one of them will be in our freezer soon.

This is my favourite bridge in Hamilton, we have 5 that cross the mighty Waikato River in town but this is my all time fav.  I love the arches and many a crazy teen has ridden their bike or walked them  in the small hours of the morning when filled up on dutch courage.  I also love the HUGE house that is being built, well it has been being built for a couple of years so far because it is so huge.  Rumour has it that Kevin Mc Cloud from Grand Designs has been filming the build.  My eldest sister knows the people building it so I want to sneak in a visit when she goes to see them.  It makes my relatives house next to it look like the guest house now!!

So Daylight Savings ended last night and shot through in the wee hours of the morning taking Ms Summer with him.  Plans are to head North for 6 months and then return and hopefully together.  Couple of years back Daylight Savings left Summer behind so we didn't have such a good time.  But this year they obviously held hands firmly and didn't stray. True love ♥

♥ Toodles ♥

catching up before I dissapear to do housework....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

The Irish are coming on Saturday!!  That is TOFs mother, sister, brother in law and one of the nephews.  We are going out for a family diner, celebrating the MILs (mother in law) birthday and them all being in NZ for 50 years.  So tomorrow I will have to do the mother of all clean ups around here, because I am not big on housework.  So before I glove up and get stuck in I shall recap what I have been up to of late.

Last Saturday was my mothers 75th birthday so my eldest sister and I took her out for lunch.  It was reasonably pleasant until she did her usual Maori bashing amongst other things.  So I was glad to drop her off and head out that night with Dawn to the movies.  We upgraded to some flash seats with foot rests, recline and a table, which hosted our complimentary drinks from the bar and some popcorn.  Didn't dare go into recline for fear of nodding off and snoring.  Not that  it would happen because the Movie was really good.  I am shit with titles but it was the Oz one, the pre to Wizard of Oz and quite magical.

Sunday morning I went out to Dawns to photograph the finished letterbox, now installed out at the Gallery that it is being Exhibited ready for sale.  Ended up bringing her and her man (both slightly hungover) back into town to pick up their car that they had left in a carpark from the night before due to a little indulging in some drinkies!!

This clock is going to be wicked when it has the ticking part installed.  Don't you love the Queen Bee??!! The other things are some of my bits, they are ready to be strung and hung.  More to come tho so going to wait til I have them all before I display them in the garden and around my neck!!

Also on Sunday I striped out my Koru garden and re soiled it and planted succulents.  So easy as I have zillions of these in pots and stuff around the garden.  Trick now is not to walk on this as it is all low.  Quite pleased with the result.

Easter Monday I worked in the shop.  Well work  is an exaggeration to say the least.  I opened at 10am and closed at 4pm, after having only 5 paying customers and a few browsers.  Didn't think it would be busy but I went to work anyway.  So I faffed about at the back and this is what I wore.  The Lace jacket is really nice and I will have to get a photo of the back to show how it is all ruched up and appliqued.

Tuesday turned up on time again so I popped round to visit an old friends beautiful eldest daughter (my hairdresser) who has just given birth to her second little boy, Maddox.  I took loads of photos for her with her older boy Ashdyn and she is going to cut my hair in exchange.  I like bartering, it is a good thing!

Wednesday was a blur of doing stuff round home and escaping out for part of the day.  Today I have been out and about the op shops and found that the Red Cross in Frankton is half price on all its clothing.  Actually makes it affordable!!  Sorry but everything is in the wash so will share at a later date.   Hopefully tomorrow when I put on my domestic goddess hat and do housework I will work up enough sweat to get rid of the Easter Eggs I managed to find in my mouth over the long weekend.  Good luck with that I say!!

♥♥♥ Toodles ♥♥♥

Down and dirty with the bulbs.

Yesterday I got all prepared to plant my bulbs, so armed with a few essentials I got to and DID IT!

Fabulous gloves on, time to get stuck in.

Preparation is of course essential as is making sure you are hydrated!!

A few simple steps and I was on my way!

 Ta-fricken-da and Hallelujah because it is Easter, JOB DONE!!

Tex provided the essential company, good advise and help out the front.

Sheba and Oscar were on back up duty behind the screen door, and Tex finished the session with a well deserved drink.

Roll on Spring, even though we still have Autumn and Winter to get through first.  But I am prepared!!

♥♥♥

My blog went tits up for a day or so therefore I haven't been able to post anything so hopefully it will now work. If it does this is from Tuesday when I went and played with the clay at Dawns.

Dawn busy under glazing the letter box, and tree necklaces

Cupcakes and cake stands now join in with the teapots for an up and coming exhibition

Dawns cute as they get grand daughter

It's now Thursday and you have to love a short week that will evolve into an extra long weekend.  Good on ya Easter!!!  Happy chocolate over dosing to yo all.

I wore Flip Flops (jandels) to the BeachHop!!!

TOF and I were invited to stay with our good friends Leonie and Ayden over at Whangamata this weekend.  They were coming up from Wellington so it seemed like such a good idea to head over them there hills and play catch up!!!

I made a bacon and egg pie on Friday afternoon so we ate pie, (yes I know that sounds bad on so many levels) on our trip over to the coast.  I think my dad was in that beam of light heading down on us as he always enjoyed the annual Beach Hop.  The drive through the gorge between Paeroa and Waihi is one of my favourite parts of the entire road trip.  Like wise is seeing the row of Palms when just about at Waihi.  But I never get tired of the first sighting of the ocean as you get to the top of the first hill out of Waihi.  If you have driven this road as many times as I, then you will understand where I am coming from.

Friday night is Cruise by night and a great way to see the huge variety of cars that are at this event.  I slept so well that night, I think I was just petrol fumed out!!!

Saturday is a full on day of parades and parking up of both vehicles and people.  The main street is closed off for the day and there was music and food the entire length.  I took a mere 274 photos but have condensed them hugely so I can share this fabulous weekend.  So here goes.

Some Bikes

Lots of fabulously attired people enjoying the sunshine

The ladies were rockin' the spots and crinoline for sure

Ayden and TOF having a quick coffee and muffin break.  And my sweet life long  friend Leonie.

Plenty of Chrome

Just a couple of the bands on offer

Groovy old planes flew over

Leonie and I looked Frockin gorgeous on the old tandem bike we used to ride to school over 30 odd years ago!!

TOF found his dream car, a Valiant Charger

We went back to the bach and had a delightful lunch and then me and TOF tootled off.  First to the harbor as I had a strong desire to walk on the sand and dip my toes in the ocean.  He sat in the car and listened to the CRICKET on the radio. I KNOW!! The CRICKET!!

 After a quick cupper with our brother in law we took a back road back into town to avoid the traffic blockage and went and looked at all the retro caravans parked up.

Totally to die for!!!

This lady was hilarious and she owned the camp sight in these pics, check out the laundry.

Then it was time to say goodbye to Whangamata and head on home.  It was a grand time catching up with good friends and family that live over there.

♥♥♥

OMG!!! It's Friday already!!!

Who stole my week???  Anybody??
Well who ever took it, I hope you had a good old time with it, because I obviously did and I cannot remember where it went and if it even took my along for the ride!!

I do know I had lunch at Lake Rotoroa which is smack bang in the middle of my City Hamilton.  Me and Sue W had a bit of a crack at the op shops on Tuesday and then she suggested we DO LUNCH, as you do, at the Lake.  Mighty fine it was too.  Lovely day but the wind was blowing like a bugger causing white caps on the lake so we sat indoors.  And yes we did manage to find plenty of lovely things and we filled up the car.  The B car that is, as TOF was away with work so we took his little car for a trip out.

On Wednesday I went to Tirau, but before I could even do that I had to take the B car for a warrant and register her.  Thanks very much lets kiss good bye to $110.  Never mind, she passed her warrant and has rego for another 3 months.  Took the A car, my big red wagon to Tirau tho as I was picking up a floor lamp that I had bought off Trade Me.  Thinking it was in Hamilton and a bargin at $15, and then finding out the silly old girl didn't mention that she lived in Tirau.  Just a wee drive out of town but requiring more petrol than was in the tank.  The seller of the lamp lives in the old local Fire Station and it was amazing!!  She wanted me to stay (lonely chatty old girl) but I really didn't have the time so maybe next time I am that way I will call in.  Anyway, the local Tavern is up for sale, maybe me and TOF should become pub owners?  But what about my boots???  These little beauties were originally $380!!!  Like I would part with that amount for one pair of anything.  Scored them for $70 and they are wickedly comfy.  Bring on Winter!!!!!  A friend of mine has already called them my Cougar boots!!

On my drive back home I stopped off at a rest stop on the side of our Mighty Waikato River to take in the sight and take photos.   The river is pretty wide at this part and the water was flowing rapidly.  This river flows through our city and heads up north to supply water to those that live up that way, like Aucklanders.  Anyway, just along from where I took these photos is Lake Karipiro, which is home for Rowing.

At the moment the New Zealand High School Rowing Champs called the Mardi Cup are being held.  With my big zoom on my camera I think I managed to see the beginning of where they race.  Jak has headed out this afternoon and will be going again tomorrow as mates from his old high school are racing.  They have a very good chance of taking out the cup which the school has had many times before.  I even remember going when I was at high school as some of my girlfriends rowed.  This is also where the World Rowing Champs were last year?  Amazing venue and great use of the river/lake.

A lot of farms are along the bank of the river and I spotted this farmer busy doing farmy type stuff.  You can see how brown the paddocks still are up here.  We did get a couple of days rain which has filled tanks and helped my garden, but I don't think it was enough for the farmers.

Well I have bottled more Beetroot, made some Capsicum Jelly and have a bacon and egg pie in the oven.  There is a strong possibility that me and TOF are heading off to Whangamata tonight to catch up with my gorgeous friend Leonie and her hubby.  Oh and also the Beach Hop is on.  Shall take my camera.  Hope you all have survived the week and are getting all ready to embrace the weekend.

♥♥♥

If you Stew about Bottling things up you will end up in a Pickle

I am still alive!!!  Just been busy faffing about doing stuff so here is a very quick over view of some of the stuff I have been up to.

TOF put the new BBQ together and we have been cooking on her.  This is his moment in the spotlight posing with his beloved new BBQ!!

Our shelves are full of lovely pickles and preserves from produce out of our garden.  And there is still more to come.

I went to an Italian festival in the Hamilton Gardens last weekend.  Fabulous music, delish smelling food being cooked and sold, but it was incredibly hot and very crowded, and I just don't do crowds.  But this bridge was reflecting in the murky water and begged to be photographed!!

Of course there has been shopping of the op shop and new variety.  There is clothing to show off that will happen when I get a-round-to-it!!  Lovely Jak took me shopping and bought me the bits in the RHS photo.  Bit of a role reversal thing was going down, me asking for stuff and him saying, OK put it on the counter!!

Visiting took place and even a couple of job interviews!!  The visiting was far more fun!!  Dawn has been sculpting huge garden art to go in her kiln and her man has been making lovely braziers.

And yesterday there was a 12 hour lunch with a bunch of old friends so today I am in recovery mode.

Will catch you all later in the week, hoping you are all well, happy and enjoying life!!