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.

 

What a Difference a Day Makes.

Chilly start but a fine sunny day! R was going to Omokoroa for a haircut so I went that far then walked to the wharf at the end of the peninsula.  The sun shone. A large truck and trailer passed me and I wondered where it was going. When I got to the wharf it was waiting for the ferry across to Matakana Island.

 An orchard sprayer on the back of a truck came off. That gave me a clue. They are probably picking early kiwifruit out on the island.

 The truck is probably delivering empty picking bins and bring back fall kiwifruit bins.

 Another large truck and trailer pulled in beside this one, then up with the ramp and off. Less than 5 minute turnaround!

 Meanwhile other hopefuls fished off the jetty and  some preschool kids splashed in the water.

 Loads of folk, many elderly like me walked and chatted in the SUNSHINE.

Too Early to be SO Cold.

  I think the weather here has gone straight to Winter its so cold. But...the deciduous trees still have leaves so maybe Autumn will be back next week.

 So homemade roasted pumkpin soup with homemade Focaccia Bread it is then.

Some Things Change But Many Stay the Same.

 Hello Everyone. 

I've been looking back because it is now 20 years since I first started Blogging. The Benefits I have had from Blogging are making contact (friends ) with ladies all over the world. A few I have met in person but not many. Some who post frequently ( I don't ) I feel I know quite well after reading their posts for many years. Perhaps the greatest benefit I have found is using my own posts as a type of diary where I can go and check out when things happened. Sometimes I have have sent  a copy of my " own'' photos back to my computer as it is the quickest way of locating them ( especially ones that were lost when Nerds upgraded the computer ! Blah ! )

 I used to be able to blog about orchard ( kiwifruit and avocado ) happenings because folk didn't really know about that but now I am no longer an orchardist ( so the name of my blog is wrong now ...but I'm not changing it )  so have to stick to quilting / sewing / knitting; gardening/ growing of all sorts of flowers trees, fruit and vegetables. )  reading, walking,  cooking  and some times family. When I started out I decided not to include recognizable photos of family and when I became a Grandmother ( Nanny )  I really didn't want to be responsible for putting photos of my 2 grandsons on the net where they could be used for the wrong purpose.  That of course has changed with the use of mobile phones.

 Something I do think is important is all who blog should leave  instructions for a family member on how to close down a blog if the writer ( me ) is for no longer able to do it ( could be for various reasons...or the big one )  Till that happens I will keep posting when I can think of anything interesting.

 I have picked  and eaten the first 3 persimmons for this season and the mandarins are ripening. Thankfully its stopped raining.    Today I have been cooking. I've made pikelets and ginger biscuits and Focaccia Bread.

 I hope to see you all here again soon.

My Donation Quilt is Finished.

 Friday was such a wet day ( 215 mls of rain from late Thursday till early Saturday ) I sewed at home because for the first time ever that I can remember Patchwork and Quilting in town was cancelled. ( for our safety - keep off the roads as minor flooding everywhere )

 Putting my time to good use I choose this purple spot fabric for the

 backing and binding  of my donation quilt. I quilted it  using diagonal lines through the hearts blocks. ( straight lines so fairly easy.) it is small 33 x 30) inches.

 Here  it is with just the last part of the binding to hand sew down and a label added.

 I am pleased with it and everyone who sees it says ...love the colours you used.

 It is called Mended Hearts and is being donated to the Heart foundation for hospital use when patients have had a heart op ( any age ) ( they let us know they had run out of quilts to give to patients to keep. ) 

Autumn Seems Early this Year.

 March arrived and so did cooler night  temps . Autumn is a very busy harvesting time for us. Feijoas suddenly started dropping and walnuts and all the pears were being destroyed by wasps.

So I have been collecting walnuts from the very big tree at the end of the middle lawn. Some I am able to take straight from the tree if they are low down...they are the best cleanest nuts.

The walnut is the big tree in the middle of the middle lawn. Its huge.

 Both pear trees are getting far too tall and thick so over 2 days I slowly managed to prune one back using just a hand saw and loppers .I like to keep the steps down to the bottom level open and clear to walk down without dodging any branches. ( R trims the row of ball corokia bushes. ) There is also a drivable sloping grass track to the bottom...on the big mower or 4 wheel drive little truck.

 Inside I have been making heart blocks for a donation quilt for the Heart Foundation. ( they said they had run out of little quilts )

 I have made 25 blocks using greens purples mauves and whites.

A little Giving.

 It feels good to give . A friend and I both responded to The Love Grace Handbag Appeal 2026.

 

 You donate a ( used clean ) Handbag filled with essentials ( toiletries and optional extras )for a woman to use. Our area's bags go to the Women's Refuge. 

 Now in its 5th year the appeal was started to honour the memory of Grace Millane a young British Traveller who was murdered in NZ in 2018.

****

 I have also spent time at my Grandson's School Fair which was well attended on a bright sunny day. Lots of fun.

A Donation Quilt.

 Yesterday I was able to hand in the small quilt I am donating to someone in need.

Although it was a wet day quite a few ladies turned out to our first day back at Patchwork and Quilting for 2026.

 In the quilt I was able to use up what was left of a blue jelly roll and lots of paper backed hand pieced squares and shapes.

***

 I picked these roses to save them getting trashed in the heavy rain we are having ( again ) . The rose is called Attention Seeker and its doing really well in it's first year.

 On Wednesday afternoon we picked lots of Luisa plums .... (many of which get rots) to save them splitting in the forecast rain.

Yesterday  I shared them with my sewing buddies and passionfruit too.

 

The Darkest Red.

 

 I am thrilled with my newest Dahlia. It is so dark red its almost black. The stems are a dark red wine colour. ( The top photo makes it look pink which it isn't ) 

 It doesn't have a name just XXL ( which sounds like a clothing size ) 

 It seems sturdy too and holds its heads up.

***

 We are back to hot muggy weather so I have spent the hottest hours of the afternoons working on my little quilt. I haven't quite finished quilting it but am putting the blue binding on anyway. That has almost used up all the 2.5" stripes from a jelly roll.

 Aren't the little pegs / clips so much nicer than pins when doing hand stitching like a binding.

Severe Weather caused so much Havoc and Tragedy.

 My row of rain flowers ( zephyranthes candida ) are out.

 The last 4 or 5 days in New Zealand have been very stressful for all Kiwis. Extremely heavy rain caused slips and wash outs in many, many places. The worst loss you may have read is at Mt. Maunganui camp ground when the side of the mount ( Mauao ) slipped down and enveloped the shower and toilet block and moved caravans and tents. At least 6 people have been killed and another 2 died in a landslide at Welcome Bay ( Papamoa end ).  Most bodies at the Mt. site are yet to be recovered.  the site is large and  the ground sodden and there are worries of more landslides.     There are slips on hills  everywhere.

 Our own young ones lost the bottom  end of their property and along with their 11 neighbours were blocked in and without power and water for a day. There is a huge scar in the landscape.

 Over here on that same day ( Thursday ) the tide was very high at the bottom of our property. Here are photos .

 here is a comparison of a low tide 

 We are fortunate and have only minor garden damage...which happens quite frequently.

  I have been sewing and quilting.

 Its only small., but I am making good progress these last few days.

A Small Finish.

 Finally I finished knitting and sewing up this sleeveless reversable vest for 10 year old grandson. I thought it would be long on him but he has grown so much and I was so slow making it, it is none too big. I am now totally sick of this pattern but the boys like the sleeveless warmth as it doesn't restrict movement as much as a regular jersey or sweater. Its a beautiful blue with a fleck ( which doesn't show up when its knitted as much as it did in the ball.) I hope it still fits by Winter or 7 year old will claim it.

Early This Morning.

 After heavy rain in the night I thought the high tide  ( 2.1 m ) might be up on our bottom lawn.( that's quite a distance from the house )I took my phone and went walking down there and back. It was high but not the highest tide I've seen here.

 The water is right to the top boards on our jetty.

 Up on the lawn a bit here.

 Then back up one set of steps towards the house.

 Past Grandson's bunch of bananas that are nearly ready.

 Then between the pears.

 2 pear trees with fruit getting larger.

 Up onto the middle lawn and from here  You can see the new area of garden I have changed. ( pulled more agapanthus and made a space for 2 new roses and a dahlia and annuals.)

 Hope you didn't get your feet wet.