It did get Finished.

 

 What a time waster that puzzle was. I got there in the end. 1500 pieces is too much for me to cope with on my own. ( The new mat worked well for working on ) 

 Meanwhile I did have a short walk on a different beach one day when we met up with R's brother and wife for lunch at a halfway point for us both.

 Waihi beach was very low and had so many small shells.

 this has just finished flowering. Its very old now.

 I have been out to a birthday lunch and had coffee with a cousin but didn't take any photos.

 Quite a heavy frost here today and yesterday. Lovely sunshine now though.

 I just made mayonnaise but now my 'To Do'  List says vacuuming and get on with your knitting so nothing exciting happening here. Thanks for those who replied by email to me or left a comment.

Lemon Curd ( honey ) and More About Puzzles.

 So many beautiful lemons all getting ripe. So  my favourite thing to do with some is make Lemon Curd / Honey.

 One of my favourite flavours is lemon.

 ******

 After seeing neither of my usual pieces of hardboard were big enough even together ( and of different height/thicknesses )I decided to purchase one of these fold away mats. I had seen a smaller one at a friends recently. Hers was a thousand piece size. Mine is a 2000 piece size.  My current puzzle is 1500.pieces. Opened out it is the entire length of the dining table.

 The whole opened length.

 

 The main area in the middle.

  2 ends with lift out mats.

 It makes room for several people to be working on a puzzle together and at once.

 When not in use or to move, the 2 ends fold into the middle with the mats inside.

 This one shuts with Velcro.

 

 

Jigsaw Puzzles.

 

 Do any of you do Jigsaw Puzzles. I do from time to time. At the weekend I had a Birthday and received among other things 2 puzzles. The one Grandsons selected has 1500 pieces. I never did one larger than a 1000.

 It needs a lots of space.

 Any helpful hints as to how you go about a Jigsaw. I always start by sorting out all the outside pieces, then doing the easy bits like words. I will show you how I am getting on. Unfortunately I find having a puzzle to do quite addictive.

Vireya Rhododendrons.

 It's raining! My Vireya rhododendrons will be loving a good deep drink. I grew Vireyas in my previous garden and they did well and as we are in the same area  still,  they were an obvious choice to plant in this garden too. One small variety  (Saxon Blush ) my son gave me travelled here in its terracotta pot and is still flowering of and on under one of the cherry trees. ( it has to be 15 years old ).

  Most others are at the front road entrance in partial shade under 2 large Magnolia trees. here are some current photos.

Red Mountain

 Popcorn

Tickety Boo

 Dawn Chorus  its near the front door on the shady side of the house.

 It has very shiny healthy green leaves.

 Around the side of the house I have a lovely yellow one Scented Sun but its not flowering at the moment.  Another white Aravir is scented too.

  I get 2 or 3 flowerings per year out of them.

They pick quite well and that's a good way to give them a light prune.  I try to chose the more compact medium sized ones. I have 16 altogether I think.

Autumn Leaves in June.

Autumn leaves have been falling for some weeks now. Lots of trees are already bare.  

 This flowering cherry is always the best of our cherries. From upstairs the sun catches the top of the tree and the colour is amazing.

 Light wind spreads them all around.

 Some land in the birdbath.

The other bright trees are the persimmons. All the fruit have been picked.

A Very Windy Day at the Mt.

 Yesterday we were at the Mt. and it was blowing a gale. Never the less I rugged up, pulled my new green velvet  Vera hat down firmly and went for a very long walk by the sea.

 Quite a lot of surfies were enjoying the waves that the wind threw up.

 Closer towards the mt. the sun was a dazzling spectre on the sea.

 I walked along the street at the base of the Mount but the landslide area is all sheltered off behind double cloth fencing so one can't see in. the street more or less deserted. So sad.

******

 A few weeks ago at club we had a "destash" day. Everyone brought along quilting gear  ( fabric, cottons, books, patterns, tools etc. ) they no longer required and donated it. Tickets were cheaply sold and an auction ( using ticket stubs in saucers ) began.  Luckily I only won one draw. One of my friends got 5! Such a lot of stuff to lug home. Anything you got that you really didn't want was given to a lady who takes it to the women's prison in Auckland where they are learning to quilt. ( nice idea ).

 In the process of cleaning out my cupboard to find stuff to take I found I still had lots of felt left so decided I would once again make a felt embroidered ball.

 Anyone who has read my blog for a long time will remember I have made lots of these. This one now started will be # 32. I started in the year 2000.

 These are the parts on my bench today. Showing the rattle inside  2 bottle tops; masking tape to secure those; then strips of batting to wind the ball inner. 12 different coloured felt pentagons to make the outer.  I last made one according to my notebook record of Balls Made  in 2023.

 Ill post photos as I progress.

 Tomorrow morning my sewing group friends meet here so I have also been baking,

Pink.

 I purchased this ( new to me )  lovely frilly double petaled cyclamen as a gift.

 My Christmas ( in the Northern hemisphere ) Cactus is flowering but has a few spotty leaves.

 The Queen Protea has another splendid display of flowers which I pick and give away. It needs heavy pruning so picking when in flower is a good way to do it.

 Just one head of flower on my very, very, very  old ( from my Mum's garden )  Spider Lily.