Saturday, November 30, 2013

Lots of Changes.

 Let's start with something I really love. Carnations. My Otaki Pink with a beautiful perfume is flowering.
 It has been a mixed week, weather wise. The pollination is finished - just a mass of tiny fruit there now. So we were lucky with that. We are not advised to work with the kiwifruit vines when they are damp( psa spread ) so that has kept us away from the vines on some days this week. That's good, I get lots else done.
 I have replanted a small patch of lawn that had a curve, but is now straight - so much easier for me mowing. In an attempt to keep the birds from taking all the seed or scratching it around I have covered it with netting.


 The garden on the left is full of purple sparaxias  bulbs which mass flower  in the Spring and early Summer. I removed all the dead tops, before starting this little job The rocks are just to hold the netting down and will be removed when the grass comes up.
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 The next change is with this computer. We had been advised Windows XP would no longer be supported by microsoft early next year and we should up date. We have been happily using it since 2006. So we got a Nerd in who was very friendly and helpful.....
 The short version is on Monday morning he will install a whole new bare bones hard drive with 5 terabytes of space - that will make Windows 8.1 work rapidly we hope.
 So we have been backing up everything we want kept - quite time consuming.
 So come next week we have to get used to a whole new way of doing things......
 On my lap top I have windows 7 so I will use that as a backup if we have problems.
 Fingers crossed.
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 Yesterday I took the opportunity to make my Christmas cake( s). They turned out well.
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 Yesterday I got some sad and disturbing news. One of our quilting group ladies who recently moved from here to Waiheke Is. is now in hospital in Auckland on life support after having a massive stroke. She is 69, and not expected to live. I last saw her and talked to her at the Auckland Festival of Quilts one month ago.That will be a huge shock for all the ladies in our group especially the ones who are older than that.

6 comments:

Jennifer said...

Ali, so sorry to hear about your friend. When I was a young teen my grandmother's cousin visited from NZ, and she lived on Waiheke Island - it sounded very exotic to me!

Mary said...

Sad news such as that really hurts - I'm so sorry. We lost a neighbor this week - she was diagnosed with cancer in Oct. when having a gallstone removed - she only lasted about 5 weeks after that - a shock to all of us on our street!

Hope your new grass sprouts and that the kiwi fruits do well despite the damp - farming is not easy I'm sure but we are grateful to you for bringing foods to our table.

Yum, homemade Christmas cake sounds good - I've left it a bit late with all our Thanksgiving cooking taking so much time, but still hope to make one soon!

Happy weekend - hugs - Mary

Leanne said...

That is not good news about your friend.

Otaki pinks were Brent's mum favourite flower. Oh I can smell them now.Love Leanne

Bubble said...

Hugs to you Ali love the Wolfy's xxxx

Pam said...

Sorry about your friend. So sad. I love your garden. You're so lucky to have such a big one (unlike ours).

Lovely quilts at the show.

Nancy J said...

Ali, news like yours is so sad, all my thoughts are with you, we lost a very dear friend last week, sadness and memories go hand in hand. Take care, Greetings from Jean