Blah and double Blah

Or as Dottie Angel would say ,"Pants and double pants". Yes dear friends that is the state of today.

See what I mean?

To use another Dottie Angel saying, today is "cappitty crap"! 

Casper is not impressed and indeed heartily endorsed my sentiments.

Emmy has retreated to the cosines of our bed which is where I retreated to yesterday. After a whole month of Mr Lurgy I was thoroughly fed up. My fragile chemical balance took a dive. Add to that a minor hangover after we spent Sat night celebrating a friends mid O birthday and wammo! There I hid for most of the day.

Today I am up but just, so I have decided to look back to a week ago and a much brighter Monday.

Yes, here we are with Emmylou. She was due for her COF, so here she is in the checking bay being scrutinized most thoroughly. We were becoming nervous, but eventually we were told the big Boss was there checking up on them. We were very pleased when we got the all clear after such a rigorous going over and celebrated with a coffee, then bought some lunch to take with us on an outing.

Yes, we wern't going to pass up the opportunity on this fine day to take to the road and see where it would take us.

It is surely Winter now with bare trees and a nip in the air.

Lovely green pastures compared to a couple of months ago.

Wow! Now that's a site to behold. The sea, the sparkling sea of the firth of Thames with the Coromandel range rising above the other shore.

When you come to the end of the road you have two choices and today we turned right.

Past the baches and along the sea front.

Till we find just the right spot to stop for our lunch. This is Rays Rest on the Miranda coast where self contained campers can stay a few days, and as you can see there a few there taking in the peace and tranquility of this wonderful place.

The beach is deserted as far as the eye can see.

The water is calm, the sun is warm

We enjoy our lunch, boil the jug, soak up some sunshine, and I fossick among the shells for some special souvenirs.

Gulls circle around

I just love watching them sour so gracefully.

Now I don't know if you can see the little white dot in the water. One of the campers launched himself in such a tiny blow up dingy and is rowing out to a buoy. Maybe he has a net out there and hoping for some fresh fish for tea.

Well, we have somewhere else to go, so say goodbye to the sea,

Head down the road a few kilometers. You wouldn't believe what is already in our vision here.

And down this drive. Behind the trees on the left are some camping grounds, but we're not going there.

Just next door is something magical.

These are the Miranda Hot Springs and on a Monday they are usually very quiet like this. The weekends and school holidays are very different, but today it is almost all ours to enjoy.

There are steps along each side ideal for lounging back and just soaking up that thermal goodness. There is an even hotter spa pool at the end with bubbles added but this is just right for us today. I revel in it and will it to clear away the lingering lurgy. Such luxury, just an hour from home, we will come several times over Winter.

I wished I had a camera on my head as I lay there contemplating the rainbow patterns flowing across my legs with each ripple, and then we were entranced by a flock of about a hundred herons. In the Spring there are usually a few nesting in the surrounding trees. Ther is a large picnic area and a shop for refreshments including the essential ice cream to cap the outing.

The sun was getting lower as we left and headed for Kerry's brothers place at Island Block. This is where Kerry grew up on the family farm.

The farm has been sold now but one niece still lives in the old homestead. Me rv and Frae live down the road a way on a small block in their new house.

After a catchup and afternoon tea it was time to head off into the setting sun,

As it sunk lower

Going, going, and all but gone as we arrived home.

To a light supper and some hooky time in front of tele, savouring the memories of another great day with Emmylou. The garden beckons for tomorrow. 

This little trip has perked me up. I hope you enjoyed it.

Blessings and love, Trills.xx

Oops!

I don't know what happened but the quilt show post belongs three weeks ago and indeed was there till I touched a wrong button and it jumped out and up to the top so I have republished it ahead of my latest post which should follow this. " bear with, bear with" !!

Under the influence

Yes indeed! This is the nastiest of winter lurgies. Not the flue, but a very bad chesty cough which went to my sinuses and got worse and worse. I have finished the antibiotics, the cough has all but gone but the sinus still plagues me. It's now over 2 weeks, ENOUGH! ENOUGH!

I banished myself to the spare room so as not to disturb Kerry during the nights and it's a very cosy single bed with a dofferent view looking westward through the shelter trees. This was actually a very pretty reflection of a sunrise.

As you can see from the front room. But that was all I enjoyed of that day.

There was a super sunny day before I got too bad so I thought the sun would do me good and set myself up for some stitching.

I am doilifying a very big linen shirt destined to be my studio smock. Such fun! Wanting to spread the drag of this large heavy doily I am stitching several circles in variegated thread.

Isn't it delicious ? It's actually a sashiko thread that doesn't split into six but served my purpose well.

This more or less the back. What else would you do with these odd doilies.

This was a tray doily that was edged in a very tacky nylon lace so I ripped it off and crocheted a new edge. I was very pleased with it. I cut off one end and slipped it up behind the big doily then decided it needed some words of encouragement so. " JUST DO IT". And that's what I am trying to do.

For a change of direction I rummaged in the little blue suitcase for some bright fabrics.

This is another project. Another op shop denim jacket. Oh! I forgot you have already seen the first step here. Well the titivating continues as the mood grabs me.

So a few hours of sun and stitch therapy passed with much pleasure.

Them the rains came the lurgy got nastier and nastier.

I lingered and languished and felt very sorry for myself. 

But yeah! Today there is hope! Still dosing myself with steam inhalations, heat packs, etc. but when Kerry was having a fight with his standard lamp and shade I was up and out to the studio. Switched on the heater and began a long planned project to doilify said lampshade. I have several to do, but what's my new motto. " JUST DO IT".

So I did. Well I made a start. Here is the old cover and tassels discarded without ceremony onto the floor. No time for clearing up now, we're DOING IT.

Move over sewing machine. Yes I know there are the patchwork blocks I'm supposed to be getting on with. But I have doilifying to do right now, Thankyou.

I have seen these creations but not instructions so I am winging it. Using a crochet thread and starting with a common type doily to set the starting point I'm just stitching around the wires catching the doily as I go. 

Well. One doily down and many more to go and much fun to be had, but I became quite exhausted from this spurt of activity so made my way back inside

To another little sofa project. I have been inspired by Dottie Angel to take up my knitting needles. She has started a little club, " Little knits for little ones" or something like that. Dottie Angel is aiming for a hope chest of little knits for future grandchildren. Well my grandchildren are adults now so I thought I would make little knits for charity starting with a fish and chips baby jumper for the aids babies in Africa. Hence the bright colours. It is sooo long since I last knitted but I have now set myself the task of making at least one item for these charities a month or maybe I should make it a fortnight. 

JUST DO IT TRILLS!!! 

Praise The Lord! I think I am almost better! Yeah!! 

Hope you are all well, love and blessings, Trills.xx

Ginger Wine and sunshine.

Hi there folks near and far. Yes as you can see from the photo I am in the grips of a nasty winter lurgy. I'm trying to do all the right things but I must say my favourite treatment has to be Stones Original Green Ginger Wine. By far the most effective and enjoyable cure all for the winter ills.

But let's get away from this scene and go back to a much better day on Saturday.

It dawned so lovely and sunny. A day for bringing out the veranda comforts, but not this time.

Oh no! It was just the ticket for getting Emmylou out of the barn and taking her for a run.

She does look huge next to the cottage doesn't she.

Well a big lady she is at 9.3 mtrs long she is longer than our cottage is wide and I think higher also than the eaves at the sides but the cottage does win, just.

Now with my gammy knees I just have to haul myself up the steep steps. Lucky there is the walls there for leverage.

We were soon on our way. It is so great to see the farmland so rich and green after the dry summer.

My acorn oaks are still green, but not these favourites of mine along the way towards Pukekohe.

There she is. Pukekohe hill. One of the Auckland regions many volcanoes tho this is really just a pimple isn't it. For out of region followers the soil in this area is rich volcanic loam and so good for growing the onions, spuds, brassicas etc that we are famous for. 

So many vegies to keep us healthy. I love these scenes. Unfortunately many of these fields are being taken for housing. Such a crime!

Heading towards Tuakau the scene is the same, with some dairying in between.

Aha! Now do you know where we're heading. This bridge is not wide enough for two Emmylou's but a car might get passed so let's go.

Rocky out crops and a tiny forgotten cottage.

Another volcanic pimple.

Now this is the hall where our #1 first went to play centre. Too many years ago.

You see, way back then, about 1969 we used to live in a tiny cottage up this hill where Kerry worked on the farm. Yes we were farmers. Shifting every 1st June to the next farm job. We were in our early twenties and #2 was on the way, born just before we shifted on. Those were the days.

Now here we are on our occasional pilgrimage down these roads again. Roads that lead...

To the Port, or to be exact, Port Waikato. Yes we crossed the mighty Waikato River via that humpty bridge and now were almost there. 

So many wonderful iconic kiwi baches. Any buyers?

And more baches.

There is the river wharf. There used to be a fab fish n chip shop here but alas not any more, so we have brought our own lunch today.

Tadah! The west coast beach. Quite calm on this beautiful day.

Looking northward along the coast past the Waikato heads and way in the distance our own beach. See where the stormy weather recently has gouged out part of the car park. 

Having paid homage to the coast we are heading back through the streets of baches

To this awesome peaceful spot at the river beach. The tide has just changed and on its way out. Following the Sandhills around and through the gap one comes to the surf beach again. Across the way is the forestry and somewhere in amongst it is where they take the iron sand to make steel at Glenbrook where Kerry worked for 25yrs.

Here we are enjoying peace, sun and simple fare.

Looking up River you can just see Pukekohe Hill, so we've travelled in a big loop to get here taking about an hour but such a lovely drive and such a special spot. Emmylou thought so too. She bounced along very happily. So glad to get out of the barn for the day.

Thankyou Emmylou for all the joy you give us.

I hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Love and blessings, Trills.xxx