Her we are, safely returned from our tripping around the South Island. Along the way we oohed and aahed over many places and said how nice it would be to live here and there and especially me as I was gahgah over so many lovely old homes and quaint dwellings in many wild or attractive settings. We'd pick up real estate info at every town out of interest over house prices and of course I drooled over many mainly old places, especially one old villa in Oamaru where there was an open home sign out. I just had to go in, and gasped at the originality of it all. Old, old wallpaper over scrim , old, old Lino on floors, a wonderful carved arch halfway down the huge hallway. The lounge had been papered in keeping with the age and the kitchen had been redone in English country style, but the bathroom was a revelation in emerald tiles, emerald pedestal basin, claw bath and shower with gold glass windows. What a sight. I was in love and we were already very impressed with the town. Oh, it was only $199.000. Yeah! Anyway come back to earth Trills. We travelled on and I continued to ooh and aah. Then we finally arrived home. On driving in the gateway and up to our little cottage my heart skipped a beat. Home sweet home looked very good to me, to us. This was our little piece of this wonderful paradise, and it was very good.
Yes this is home. Small but felling big after 6 weeks in the bus, and we are established here with all we have and are.
What's that in the corner. We haven't watched a TV for 6 weeks and haven't missed it so we intend to be more choosy about what we watch.
Our movies were glad to see us. Roseanne had done a great job of looking after them and our home. Her being here was a great reassurance as this was the longest we have ever been away together, and yes we are still friends.
Emmy was soon back into her evening rituals of coming to Kerry for a brush
Then the head but of thanks and "I love you Dad"
I was keen to get into my studio again after so long away.
Unfortunately no little elves had been and created order out of my chaos, so it looks like it's up to me to prioritize this situation but not before I unload the bus of my booty from nature and the odd op shop or few.
There's the pretty plates I gathered. The larger ones for a display on the kitchen wall and the small ones for the bathroom wall.
The doilies to be laundered and added to my stash for those various projects crowding my mind.
Colourful scarves for yet more projects.
A pile of magazines bought along the way. Well one has to keep up with the crafting world and other interests.
I was so thrilled to find this pair of vintage sheets. A rare find in NZ, I now have five. These are hanging on the line. Yes everyday has been washing day this past week.
The ironing pile grows daily.
The doilies had their day after a soak in nappy wash. They look so scrumptious. I must set to with some projects for them as the hoard has mushroomed.
There are several vintage tablecloths that found their way home too and I'm so pleased the stain remover has workred on these beauties.
This was a brights day. The tea towels are destined for picnic blankets on my to do list for Christmas presses this year.
The garden also needed immediate attention. These wonderful Petunias had appeared on their own accord and they can stay awhile.
But this is one of the many Cosmos that I planted and it has taken on a life of its own. It has taken over half of the garden swamping many other plants including roses. It has not produced many flowers but is like a big shrub.
So out it came without ceremony, just hacking with choppers and spade. I could sense the relief of the surrounding plants and even had to fetch a couple of buckets of soil to fill the hole. Yes the lawn this mess lies on is very scorched. The dryness of the land at the moment distresses me, especially the farmland and there has been a lot of it in our travels especially as we came back up the North Island.
Our back paddock has not been chewed out so is long and dry and a bit of a fire hazard which is a worry, so we're hoping for all the country that the rain comes soon.
Kerry has already started his next project. He is building a large carport behind the garage to house some of his stash of tractors and trailers etc. so these trees have to go and this bank taken away. Do I hear "I'm glad I'm not a man".
I'm happy clearing my little garden and getting it ready for planting some fresh plants among the perennials and roses and some bulbs for spring. I like to plant them at Easter, connecting with the Northern Hemisphere who are enjoying the flowers at that time. I will have to be earlier this year as I also have to get ready for my trip to UK. I set off on 1st May which is very exciting.
Meanwhile I will leave you with this wee rosebud of endurance with the lovely purple sage(I think) that remain in the garden to my delight. I have so many pictures and stories of our trip to sort through and will dribble them out over the coming weeks. I also have to sort my stone, rock and driftwood stash from the trip. Yeah to Emmy Lou for getting us safely around on our trip, and Yeah to Kerry for his awesome driving over 4,000 kilometers( the gearbox is too tricky for me). It's a one man bus. Such an awesome trip and it's so awesome to be home here again. Blessings, Trills. Xx
The day started with my walk around the block via Janet's place for a coffee and to meet her friend from Canada. As you can see there is goings ons along the drive. As we get our water from the barn roof we are culling back the trees that shed their leaves in that direction. Several have gone already and today we are on the job again.
When I arrived home Kerry had made a big start. Time to roll my sleeves up and get in there with him. Yes it's not just man stuff. As I am often reminded, I planted most of these trees. This great pile of sycamore branches, once a large tree and once upon a time a wee seedling among a dozen or so that I dug out of the bush at a camp site and faithfully planted on our bare land and they in turn have faithfully grown tall and strong and shed their seeds which have faithfully sprouted throughout the garden. I have continued to weed these seedlings out but there is always some that survive so this tree will soon be replaced.
As you can see, hundreds of seeds where the tree fell on the drive. These at least will not sprout.
Now we have had to make a sad decision to bring this tree down. It is in danger of falling over the neighbours drive in a big wind. It is one of the very first trees I planted here. A variegated Tulip Tree. I had also planted one of those Poplar sticks which quickly grew and overshadowed the Tulip tree so that it grew thin and straggly . We took the Poplar out last year but the damage was done. Kerry is very safety conscious and we spend a lot of time with ropes etc to make sure the tree falls right. There is one rope going to an old stump.
Cranking up the tension.
And just to make sure another steel rope goes around another stump and held in tension by the tractor.
T I M B E R !!!
Just like that. I really did feel so sad to see it lying there. 
I am hoping that the stump will sprout as another such tree has done elsewhere in the garden.
Half an hour later It was cut up and there was another heap of branches ready for shredding.
Now my part in helping was over and I left Kerry to the shredding, firing the shreds around the tanks.
We had had a break for an alfresco lunch. 
And now I needed a coffee and I think I've earned a choc bikkie, resting behind closed doors away from the noise in my studio.
But I'm keeping an eye on him.
While enjoying a peaceful read of my book. Now I have also been busy inside, as in my studio behind me here. Do you want to see. Are you still there or have I bored you silly.
Coming through the door I can now see some floor
And I hope a sense of some sort of order. The little skimpy denim skirt, already embroidered, is destined to be a bag. I have also been interviewing other op shop finds for upcycling.
This is my present upcycling project to be revealed later.
I've been busy with the sorting and tidying and titivating. This op shop sarong has become a curtain hiding the batting and lampshades in the corner. As you can see I love the sunset colours. A lovely silky scarf draped at the window, the beginnings of sorting the old shop counter so I can craft there.
Above I have temporarily hung my garage sale gypsy chandelier until I get a better hanger for it. I don't intend to wire it in, I just love it's colourfulness. I'm finding all sorts of things to hang on the mesh at the windows. Things to inspire.
It may not look like it, but believe me this is so much more organised than it was.
Fabric on shelves, scarves destined to be curtains overflowing the old hat case, doilies in a basket, ties in a basket, and underneath are the overflow from the baskets in bins but leaving some out in view feeds the inspiration.
Here are my few vintage sheets and some old duvet covers.
Some of my collection of op shop shirts and jeans for quilts, picnic rugs and bags.
On the tables another glad find is this picnic basket with handy dandy compartments for rulers, scissors, and other bits and bobs. As you can see I like baskets for display and storage and have collected a few.
Baskets and tins galore to delight and encourage delving.
And this little corner looking very orderly. The curtain samples you see hanging there were given me by a friend who has a furnishing business. When a line becomes obsolete the samples are useless except for crafts of course. Until I return from my UK trip they will hang around delighting me with their rainbows of colours and textures.
So along with my quiet corner this is my studio, now up to working order. One day I will again have a retreat in the garden to separate these passions of mine. 
After a long day the drive is now clear and more open.
And we close the door on Trills patch for another day. Good night, sleep tight, and many blessings to you all, Trills. Xx