It is only madness and mayhem if you subscribe to it.

This time of the year can bring out the worst in some people.  Just go for a drive and see how many times you nearly get cut off and/or hit!!  Unfortunately Christmas isn't always about giving and being kind to those around you.  A few years back this household opted out of the 'family' get together where you all get together and exchange gifts that you pretend you like from people you pretend to enjoy being with.  I am glad our Christmas is simple, with no expectations, hassles or pressures.  We chill out before, during and after Christmas, we just revel in being on holiday.

Today was TOFs birthday so after giving him his birthday parcel I cooked him Bacon and Eggs.  We faffed about most of the day at home in the garden.  The lads were here with dad when I went for my last Physio.  Yes I have been given the all clear and good to go, just keep up with my foot exercises and basically I am tickety boo and jogger foot free.

Down the back in our plum tree is a nest high up in the branches.  One baby was in the nest while the other was being ever so brave and sitting in a branch near the nest.

Mum bird was hovering about with food for her babies,

making noises to let them know she was near.

I keep finding new places the girls lay their eggs.  Yesterdays surprise was the tiny egg that had been laid.  I bet who ever laid it put as much effort into it as any other egg.  Does size really matter?  I still appreciated this tiny egg.

I called in on Dawn this morning as I was out her way.  The paddock next to their house was full of cows and two bulls.  They had a job to do, that is all I will say.

Such beautiful girls.

There is a pair of Swallows that have nested under the eaves but trying to get a good photo of them is difficult, they move about constantly.  Aggies are out in full bloom adding colour to the countryside.

Tonight TOF and I went for a drive in a neighborhood that goes all out with Christmas lights each year.  We parked the truck and went for a wander with every other Hamiltonian.

Some people go all out, some have smaller displays and then others do nothing.  We were laughing at the amount of houses up for sale, and decided they probably had to sell as they hadn't 'subscribed to the madness'.  Light up your house or leave!!

Fairy lights in their trillions all glittering away.

Inflatables seem to be all the rage.

It was lovely walking in the cool evening air.

Pimped up our selfie as we had no lights behind us.

Good advice!!

The best job and nicest boss ever.

So yesterday was my last day working at the Sign writers, and what a day, it was long.  I did 9 hours but everything is done for the year, their pays are all set up for the next four weeks, all the IRD things have been sorted, bills have been paid and set up to be paid, and all the invoices and statements went out.  I left knowing that things were indeed tidy and they can all go on holiday and not have to worry about any office thing at work.  It wasn't sad saying good bye as I know I have made some new friends and who knows I could end up back there if things change.

They gave me this lovely bunch of flowers and a thank you card.  As if I needed thanking, I loved working there.  I never once got up in the morning and thought, crap I have to go to work.  This was the best place I have ever worked  with a bunch of guys that just all got on, we had so many laughs.  In fact the night before the entire staff, partners and children went out for dinner, there was 17 of us and it was lovely.  So nice to meet the ladies that partner these guys.  They welcomed TOF and we had an enjoyable evening out with them all.

Before I left my lovely boss handed me an envelope and told me to open it at home.  Hugs all round and I was off.  When I got home this is what he had put in the envelope, $200!!!  How amazing is that?  I am employed by an agency who they have been paying so I didn't think I would get anything.  The flowers were more than enough.  So I phoned him and thanked him and said it was very generous and was he sure it wasn't too much.  He told me they had had a good year, it is Christmas and thanked me again.

This just proves that there are great jobs out there and awesome, generous and appreciative bosses.  So now it is time for me to kick back and enjoy the summer holidays (summer has yet to truly arrive but she will eventually) and think about getting another job in a few weeks.

Now just for a good laugh...

There are a lot of hilarious photos doing the rounds at the moment of people re in-acting a childhood photo so here is my attempt!!  

You should give it a go!!

Mid week antics, and all in the RAIN!!!

Yep it rained and it was not nice.

Mainly because it was so warm making it wet and muggy. 

Not Impressed!!

This morning I drove out to Dawns place.

The surrounding hills were all dark blue

and the sky was brewing something!

Later in the day thunder rolled into town.

Millie wanted in

but she had to stay out!!

These four caravans are seconds

the glaze on them is not shiny

so all are up for sale

$65 each.

Half the normal price so a good buy

for a glorious bit of Art.

On my way home I went to check out

the new playground being built at the Lake.

I want to be 4 ft again!

It is going to be wicked when completed.

This multi coloured dress arrived in the morning mail.

(purchased off Trade ME)

So I wore it!!

To the Supermarket

in the rain!

To my Physio appointment

in the rain!!

Then I met my sister who was in town for the day

in the rain!!! 

We had a great time doing the retail shops in a couple of Malls, something I don't often do, but she loves it as she lives at the beach where the shops are limited.  Xmas shopping got done, and we had a fab old time together, as we always do. She is  another member of my family that I choose to be around and she is now staying the night at our mothers.

Imagine how cool it would be if it was

as easy as blowing on one of these and making

a wish for the rest of the family

to get on, play by the rules, and be nice.

They say you can choose your friends but you cannot choose your relations.

Well I must be incredibly lucky as I have some cousins, well second cousins if you want to get picky, and we get together every so often and do lunch or dinner.  We gals all share the same Great Grandmother, Minnie Kerby.

My Nana is sitting on her mothers knee, my Great Grandmother.  This photo I have shared before, taken in 1901 when my Nana was only 9 months old and they were still mourning the death of their father/husband.  Minnie managed to keep that family of six kids together, and there wasn't any Domestic Purposes Benefit back then!!  

Hats off to her.

So back to those cousins of mine.  We were joined by Lorraine tonight (far right) who is the sister of Annette (far left)  and that is Jan on the other side of me.  We had a fabulous evening at the Good George pub where we dined on delicious food, chatted, and laughed an awful lot.  From there we decided to go and check out the Christmas Trees at the Meteor in town which is all about Compassion not Consumption.  OMG I was amazed and blown away with the talent on show, so much that I am going to share some of them with you all.

72 creations to buzz over, all made from recycled and reclaimed things.

 Annette checking out  one made of shells filled with glitter.

This is so bad that it was Brilliant!!  A rather dead cat dressed in a santa suit a top of a tree that spun around and sang.  From the OMG what were you thinking and what are you on file!!

Made by individuals, families, pre schools or groups.

I want this giant Pohutukawa moving sculpture in my garden!!

A living garden tree, one made of old badminton shuttlecocks, and Lorraine checking out the most amazingly colourful one made out of plastic lids of various sizes.

These three were all made from Books!!

 A wall of wreaths.

 My favourite three, knitted, buttons and crocheted.

 These ones were all yarn, knitted and or crocheted, seriously fabulous.

TeePee Christmas tree

seriously cool.

 So Kiwi, driftwood, shells,  Kete and Pohutukawa.

White left and right, and Jars in the middle.  My bosses wife entered the jar one and her blurb about it goes like this: 'December a time JAM packed with Christmas stuff.  Sometimes we get so flustered and find ourselves in a PICKLE. But, Christmas is so worth PRESERVING'.

 YAY for colour!!!!

A walk way of white led on to an entertaining story where you collected two stars. A couple of young men then hot glued them together and you could light a white candle in remembrance of someone passed on and place it in a table of sand. 

After voting for our favourite tree we ended up in a make shift lounge where we got a free hot drink.  I say $5 to get in was money well spent and I left feeling pretty good about us Hamiltonians, what a creative bunch we are.  I am also inspired to think outside the box when it comes to a Christmas Tree now.

 Love the Christmas lights down the main street lighting my way home.

Nothing says Christmas is near more than Ham on the bone

and Scorched Almonds!!

That was my lunch.

 

I wore this.

Such a productive Monday

For starters, I bottled all the Beetroot that I had pulled from the garden.  Some people say "but it is so much cheaper to buy it in a tin at the Supermarket, why bother?".  Well I bother because (1) I grow it, (2) I enjoy doing it, (3) I know exactly what has gone on it and in it when growing and  bottling, and (4) it tastes divine, oh and (5) it looks bloody marvelous in jars!!

TOF and I have decided we will plant another crop now that we have a vacant position in the garden!  I can feed the leaves and the ends to the girls so there is no wastage and I re use jars. How GREEN am I?

I hunted for eggs as the girls are playing hide and seek with their eggs at the moment.  I found one under little Coral, she is so pretty.  Another basket of Strawberries was picked and there are more ripening up.  We are getting a bumper crop this season.  I have bagged and frozen quite a few so jam making will be happening later on sometime.

After lunch I rang Country Sue.  We used to refer to ourselves as City Sue and Country Sue for a while, now we call each other an assortment of names!!  Anyway, as I said I rang Sue to see what she was up to and did she want a visitor, of course she said yes so off I went.

Paddocks are full of these bales at the moment, some are scattered about awaiting collection while others are neatly stacked.  Being a towny through and through, I would say this is feed for the stock.

Sue has her Christmas Mojo happening, and has gorgeous decorations dotted about her home, she even has Two Trees!!  I have told her she must do a Christmas blog to share all her decorating. Little Max was hanging with us girls waiting for the usual walk around the property.

 Meet the rather lovely Cara.

 And dear old Isabelle lying down

Donald is sneaking past her.

The calves above are nameless as they will make their way into the freezer one day and we all know you shouldn't name your food.  Donald in the bottom photo had a partner called Mac but he wasn't well so has gone to cow heaven (the offal hole).  How glorious are the huge sunflowers and the Lavender hedge is really doing it's thing down the driveway.

Sues garden is thriving with all the warm weather and, the odd days of rain we have had  has certainly promoted growth. Bees were in abundance busily filling up on pollen.

         Barns and implement shed look so cool in black and white.

Max leaped over the hedge bordering the Roses like a super dog, I must make him a cape and a mask!!  SUPER DOG MAXIMUS!!

Apparently the Sunflowers were self sown, how glorious they are too.

I got home after TOF and we decided on Fridge surprise for dinner tonight.  So while we pondered what we construct from all the leftovers we got stuck into to barking part of the garden.

 

We have continued on with using black bark and edging the area with branches we have had cut from our big trees.  TOF makes me these metal pin things that get hammered into the ground over the branches so they don't move.  I am pretty happy with how it looks.

Before I go!!

Last week I got a parcel in the mail all the way from Omaha, Nebraska, USA.  Yes the seriously lovely Goody sent me the amazing hand made colourful card, some candy cane life savers, which I might add a delicious, and a very handy light that goes in your hand bag that is activated when you shake your bag to aid in finding things.  Genius!!  So huge thanks goes out to you Goody for sparkling up my day and FYI the card isn't in the sunshine so it shall not melt!!

Just in case you wanted to know

we dined on

Chicken and Cheese Toasted sandwiches.

TOF also had steak

and left over Nacho Mince!!

Fridge Surprises are the BEST!!