Yesterday,Today and Tomorrow part 2

Here I am again . Its tomorrow and I am managing to get down to blogging again. As you can see I have been trying to create a personal header but didnt get very far. Well for now I will get back to yesterdays wander around the gardenAdd caption

Our new home is going to take a while to get to where I'd like it as the bus is coming first these days as we work to improve the facilities ready for our trip to the south Island next Feb/March. But as you can see our classic cars are snug in their garage now that we have a garage sale to downsize our furniture etc as this house is only half the size of the old home. I also found a lovely outdoor setting to start the developement of my little French courtyard outside my studio.Add caption

There is a couple of extra chairs that we think fit in so they were rescued from the garage sale and the bench has followed us from Manurewa over 20yrs ago. The Wisteria is lovely even after a harsh pruning. And I have started repotting the pots but still lots to do.Add caption

A closer look at these beautiful bloomsAdd caption

I was sitting inside my studio in a little corner I have set aside for  contemplation and the sentence I was contemplating from a recent sermon was " What stirs your spirit". Well I looked out the window and this is what I saw and my spirit was stirred.

Yes almost as much as Cherry trees. Isn't the wonderful. Cherries have always been my favourite trees and I had quite a few more varieties in my old garden and my gardens before. These two Awanui Cherries have been beautiful this year.Add caption

This one is right in the garden and I have great plans for clearing around it and planting lovely shrubs that like dappled shade like azaleas and more abutilons. I will have to be careful digging though as there are graves of cats and rabbits that have blessed our lives and moved on.Add caption

Now if you can put up with the funny light in these 2 pics I had to take a drive down this little road on the way to Waiau Pa a couple of weeks ago just to drink in this wonder.Add caption

The whole road os boardered on both sides with Awaniu Cherries and I had seen it before and now it is a yearly pilgrimage. Unfortunately I didn't realise my phone camera was on incandescent but hope you can capture some of what I delighted in.Add caption

Another favourite tree is the Tulip Tree and I had a big one in my old garden that had just started flowering last year and Dad had also olanted one here but unfortunately the wind did too much damage and we lost it but I do have this little upright variety that I planted back in the beginning but it hasn't grown much. These are its tiny new leaves. Arn't they darling and I love the shape. The floweres of these trees are a wonder to behold. Almost iridescent as they glow a creamy yellow and are tulip shaped standing up on the branches.Add caption

This line of alders will soon be a very lush  and abundant greenness for the Summer and will grow outwards so vigourously they will need a heavy pruning again.Add caption

This little group comprises 3 common Cherries and an Oak that have selfseeded and they will have to go along with the Ash tree at the centre as you can just see the boxing around the vege garden that willbe after I weed it and plant some goodness. I would also like another bed for small soft fruits like berries so something has to give.Add caption

Add captionThis pretty Japanese Maple will get a reprieve for now as it is so pretty

This is the beginnings of my cottage garden with cosmos, phlox, something pretty I've forgotten the name of  and a Scabiosa. I love these pretty floweres and nabbed this plant from a roadside stall along with a few other things. I paid of course. I just thought about that word nabbed. Add caption

Heres a closeup. can't wait till its a big clump. The plan is to plant several Austin roses in the middle of this bed and some more cottage garden plants in between .Add caption

I will have to be thoughtfull about plantings though as this is now our water supply. They are huge tanks and at present full of water since last nights rain collected from the barn roof. We will probably set up some other sources of water for the garden too. DH plans to build another shed so that will have a small tank to catch the water.
Being on tank water takes us back to the early days of our marriage when we were farm workers and shifted every June 1st to the next farm job with another old farm cottage with dubious water supply. DH always cleaned out the small tanks and we survived along with our babies. One wonders at the fuss made today about such things.Add caption

Today the wind has been blowing a gale so I spent the morning in my studio, just fluffing around really. I made a long list of tings to do for the bus like new cushion covers out of Kiwiana teatowels, finish the seat coushions for the seats by the table, decoupage the walls of the bedroom area and new curtains for there too. Not to mention the list for our new home. The page is full with no cross offs yet so I better get myself into gear.
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Add captionI love that I only have to pop across the sheltered porch way to my studio and I love that we have a porch. I've never had one before. You can see through the other door that the clothesline is also nice and handy with a pathway so my feet don't get wet. There are so many things that are just so great about our new home. All thanks to my Mum and Dad. My heart is full

Lets have one more look at the Wisteria and drink in its loveliness as these winds today are doing their best to blow all the blossoms away. What a blessing photos are for recording the beauty of this world.
I wonder where I'll be next post as I have a few exciting things on the calendar.
Till then, thankyou for dropping by and blessings, TrillsAdd caption

Yesterday,Today and Tomorrow

 Well yesterday morning I was a bit like Casper and didn't want to get out of bed. The previous few days had left me exhausted and I had preclaimed this day for recovery

Then my swing seat beckoned. I just love my swing seat and the morning was lovely and sunny with just a light breeze so I  reclined and thought about the days just gone

 Friday our classic Triumph cars were part of a wedding fleet. After days of cleaning, polishing, and a new clutch for DH's we were proud to play our part in the bride and grooms big day. Mine is the one on the right

 and this is DH's . If you are an Aucklander you may recognise the building. Yes it is the old elephant house at Auck zoo which is now an events venue.

 The whole fleet.
Saturday we went to an 80th birthday lunch but I'm sorry I didnt take any photos of the lovely gardens at the venue. My phone said no.

 Sunday we were up very early but I dont think I can say bright. DH left 6.45 on his tractor towing his big trailer and embarked on the 2hr journey to Ambury park at Mangere for their yearly festival where he and his vintage tractor club would give rides all day. I left and hour later to join him and spend the day in the ticket booth. Wow what a busy day. The queues were endless but it was so good to see so many families out enjoying the day. I just managed to take these pics near the end when the crowds dwindled.

 This is my DH coming round for the last time, then it was packup time and the long journey back home. I beat him of course and he rolled up nearly 7pm. So hence were in recovery mode today.

 Now as ai recline here I am looking out at the surrounding trees and gardens. Its hard to believe that 20yrs ago this was all a bare paddock. It was my dream to plant a park and there it is. Mostly now in the new neighbours place but if I look behind me

 there are the trees and garden my Dad planted. Trees are my passion and I especially love deciduous trees and their new leaves when they are so fresh and tender. This bare looking scarlet oak I'm sure must be sprouting new leaves. Lets go and look

 Yes ! Just look at these beautiful delicate leaves and even some catkins

 This is one of 3 common acorn oaks which I love and were grown from acorns by friends of mine.

 and in its shade these lovely cinerarias

 Lets look more closely at that oak. Such a lovely fresh green. I love it.

 All about the gardens there are baby trees that have self seeded with the help of the birds and this Cherry will be allowed to stay. I'm not sure what sort it is yet

 Maybe its another one of these Awanui Cherries. We have 2 like this one at the gate.

 This is the gateway to our new home

 with a Copper Beech just coming into leaf. This was one of the first trees I planted nearly 20yrs ago but they are so slow growing that most other trees have overtaken it

 This was DH's dream, his large barn and luckily it is on the right side of the new fence and closed to our new home

 there it is. Our little cottage that my parents had built and enjoyed 7 happy years there. Then it became our daughters home for some years until she moved to the city. We also had a patchwork supplies shop in my Dads garage called Wisteria Cottage. That is now my studio, yeah!

 Just looking left over the fence and drinking in the beauty of these Abutilons. I'm planting some more in my new garden. I love their jewel like lantern flowers.

 I still have my Ginko tree and here are its baby leaves. I'm looking forward to keeping track of the trees through the seasons and spent a good while doing the rounds of the garden which was very restorative but I think this will do for today

I will be back tomorrow with the rest of them. It was time for a second large mug of frothy coffee of my favourite kind and more reclining . See you tomorrow,
blessings, Trills

New beginnings

 We all have days that start like this. "I'm not getting up today, you hear me" My one eyed boy has had enough of all this shifting lark and has taken to his safe place, our bed.

 Yes that is my big throw that became a blanket plus one of the bus rugs on the bed. I'l take the bright one off and show you the finished lighter one supposed to be just a throw to go with an unmade patchwork quilt.

 Tadah! here it  is and at the moment I'm glad its big enough to cover the whole bed as I dont know when I'l get around to making the quilt. Shifting is such a big business even when its only  to next door and I dont do upheaval very well but now we are here I am very happy.

 I have really enjoyed putting things in place like our big dresser filled with my pretty chinas and collection of green glass. Can you just see the lamp bases on the top. Purchased from my favourite local secondhand shop Alley Way. I have learned that they would have originally come from an old ship. Pity the glasses wernt still with them. I saw one in a mag and the glass was green too.

 This smaller dresser was my parents. This used to be their home and the dresser has been there since they moved in back in 1996. I have happily made it the drinks department with all that is needed for the occasional tipple.

 It has been fun making little gatherings of like things and mixtures. This is a little rustic gathering with yes some green glass.

 I like these artificial fruit jars up here and where the patchwork elephant is I have something special on lay-by to go there that is equally bright.

 Now this I am so excited about. The jug was a recent find at a garage sale for $3 and the glasses were my mothers so I was so thrilled when I finally found the glasses packed away and found they matched.

 This is the top 2 shelves of the whatnot. The other 2 shelves are yet to be organised as are many other corners and larger areas of the house.

 There are still many pictures to be hung .

 Oops, another view over the kitchen divider where you can see my green glass containers that my friend Janet kindly gave me as she is changing her kitchen to red and knew I had my eye on these.

 These frames came from Ally Way and were just what I wanted. The white one is destined to be a notice board on the wall just above where they now stand and the other one will probably be painted and also used for a notice board in my studio.

 The tidy corner of my dressing table.

 And a clossup of this very pretty lace china basket found at a garage sale and cleaned up.

 Now the studio was used as a dumping place during the move and I could hardly move for all the boxes that needed unpacking and things needing a place to be put, but finally I managed to clear enough space for a table and spot to put my machine. It was so long since I had sewn I had to think long over every move like where is reverse.

 Looking over the top of my machine you can see a great gathering of stuff. Precious stuff it is though, and I hope to be producing either useful or beautiful things from this stuff from now on.

 My first project  was to line this large basket from AW so I could use it for my wool.

 Tadah! Now to fill it.

 Will it all fit. Which ones shall I put on top.

 Such happy decision making.

 I am very happy with this outcome and now I can get on with this

hexi rug that has been languishing untouched during the move. Were away laughing.
Its so good to be back in blogland and to feel life starting again.
Blessings to you all, Trills