Walking, walking.

R had an appointment at Bay Audiology late this afternoon but also wanted to swap some mower blades at Barkes Corner and take some recycling to the R station. So we went in the truck. To prove that senior people can be fit I walked from Marleme St at Barkes Corner back up Cameron Road to 1st Ave. Judging by the time it took I think it was 7 or 7.5 kilometres. I was rugged up as it is cold today but was overdressed by the time I got there. I had my camera in my pocket. Theses are 3 of the 4 most interesting things I saw.

A maori gateway into the Gate Pa Church.

A crane lifting materials for renovations on the Tauranga Hospital.

Late afternoon sun on the Hoop Pine in Hillsdene ( Tauranga Boys College Grounds. )

The 4th thing I wasn't quick enough to snap. A man on a small wheeled bike arrangement being towed by 2 dogs ( huskies ? ) at high speed .

Celebrating.

( Not Mt. Ruapehu but my dessert - Lemon baked Alaska. I couldn't eat it all - too sweet and too big )

Yesterday we travelled down to Taupo as planned. The weather was as awful as fore casted.This was the only photo I took of the scenery as it was so dull and wet - Lake Taupo at it's dreariest.

Inside it didn't matter we had a lovely family lunch; they let us sit there for 3 hours which was most accommodating of them - they weren't busy!

It was a multiple Birthday celebration really. I showed you what I had got for my sister who is 3 years my senior  - her birthday is on June 18. Mine is today ( I get a National Holiday ) and my sister's partner D, was about 10 days  ago; he was the same age as me. My niece and her husband and 2 lovely girls 5 and 8 were there too.  So a good opportunity to exchange gift and produce. We took Avocados and Kiwifruit for their 2 families and were given some home grown Waygu beef and freshly caught Hapuka ( Groper )( fish ).

We travelled home via Hamilton and spent a couple of hours at elder son and his partner's place where he cooked us dinner. R drove all the way through wet conditions - we saw 10 traffic officers cars (one even guarding a boat on a trailer with a flat tyre for someone*  )and I am pleased to say we saw no dangerous driving.

I have been very spoilt with lots a lovely gifts and cards and a funny email message from a former school friend with whom I correspond from time to time he wrote this:

"Greetings and felicitations on your Birthday.A national holiday on which to celebrate. Not only a national holiday but a fortnightly payment deposited to your bank account by the rest of us appreciative taxpayers. I do wish you abundant Good health and Great joy. Kind Regards etc."
 I had a good laugh.    Today I smell of new perfume, have 4 new books to read; some fabric to admire and some assorted small items to use. It all certainly is helping easing my way into - well being a slightly older person. The sun is even trying to shine and dry up the 49 mls more rain we got. 
    

Cards and Gifts.

This is the necklace I bought for my sister. I liked it because it is quite understated when on; looks great over black and is not too long. For an older person not too flashy is nice. Hope she likes it.

While shopping in that particular shop I found some cards I really liked, so stocked up. They are by 2 artists living in NZ. One card is for my sister's partner who has just been on a fishing trip in the Sounds. The card shows a typical bloke with 2 big fish he has just caught, very simply drawn. It was by Nick Fedaeff. ( blog in Russian but art good )

The other cards are by Mike Mayhew and I love his stylized work, of NZ scenes.

The Colour Red.

I felt compelled to take this photo of my rubber plant. This bud covering will fall off shortly as the new top leaf emerges.

Now dear readers when I asked for helpful suggestions for a birthday gift you let me down...not one bit of advice.......well I shopped anyway...didn't really have an option. Usually I have to post gifts to my sister as we live 5 plus hours apart, so some things are not suitable. Well this time can be different as we are meeting up half way this year for lunch on Sunday at Taupo. My niece and her hubby and 2 little girls just happen to be staying the weekend there too so we will all have lunch together. ( the weather fiorecast is foul ). My sister always gives gifts that have multiple parts( she just can't help herself ) I really prefer one good item. I had got her a nice necklace ( photo tomorrow ) but when I saw this red potted begonia I just had to get it for her. I wish it was staying at my house.

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Kiwicarole , yes it was me having difficulty making scones to my satisfaction a while ago....I now suspect that batch of flour may have played a part. In my bread making book I read good advice about flour,how  temperature effects it etc when making bread ( which I do well ) and I think it probably applies to scones too. The scones made with  cream and lemonade do indeed freeze well - I just thawed one for my afternoon tea by zapping it for 40 seconds in the microwave and it was as good as freshly made.

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Thimbleanna, yes you read correctly. My Driver's Licence is for 10 years - cost NZ $44.30. So that works out at NZ $4.43 a year so that is fine by me. When I am really old the time it is issued for will be reduced and medical test may be needed....but not yet thank goodness.

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We have a 3 day weekend here in New Zealand starting tomorrow so Kiwis have a great Queen's Birthday weekend. (if you are out driving, be very careful - we have been warned that speed limits will have nil tolerance .

One Task Completed.

Today the Sunshine is back.

Compared with some other parts of the country we are lucky. No major rain/ flood damage ( this year! ).

My felt embroidered ball # 19 is finished.

Tonight I will start #20. So that is half my order done.

Some days not a lot seems to get accomplished, BUT today is not one of those. I have been to the city and renewed my drivers licence for another 10 years. I now need to wear my glasses when driving but I had decided that for myself some time ago. I've been to the supermarket and now I am off outside to soak up some Vitamin D.

Books and Answers.

Answers first. The scones had 4 cups of selfraising flour ; I  x 300 ml bottle of cream and enough lemonade to mix to the right consistency. ( a small can or bottle maybe, but as I don't keep those in the house, I poured out of an opened large bottle )  I put in several handfuls of sultanas but dates would be fine .( or plain )  I barely mixed the dough (  quite wet ) and just dropped spoonful lots onto the baking tray, and put into a very hot oven 220 degrees C. ( about 12 minutes ) ( don't over mix and stretch the gluten )
I watched and got scone baking tips from Camp Mother when we went at Retreat, a few weeks ago. She has lots of different recipes ( does catering ) but said if I wanted to freeze them this was the best recipe to use. She also said she soak dates before putting them in so they are not hard.

I have just finished reading this book. A kids' book really, but I enjoyed it. It is written by a local Tauranga ( NZ ), author. ( Phyllis Johnston ) I have met her and back when I had younger kids and was teaching I went to a couple of her book launches. She was good at coming to the classroom and telling and enthusing kids about reading and writing.  I found this copy of the book at the Used Book fair at Easter and as I didn't own it thought I needed to, as I have copies of her other 5 books ( some signed ) They are delightful stories of life in NZ in the last 100 years and are based on her own family. This was about her mother as a teenager living in Hamilton and Piopio. Some fictitious characters are added to make the story but her own family members have told the stories her books are based on. I would heartily recommend them to good readers of about 11 upwards. ( great for reading aloud to kids or classes too. )

******

We have had even  more rain. During fine spells I have weeded some of R's vege garden cause the weeds were almost knee high. A row of carrots I planted are sparce and struggling ( we don't grow carrots well here ). A row of Spring onions are looking bonny and we are using them. I pulled out the last row of beans and the last 2 courgettes - the rain did them in.The capsicums are still colouring up and the silverbeet is great - using lots of that. R pulled out the tomtoes last weekend and although they still had tomatoes on them disease was getting into them and to protect the soil below it was better to pull them out now. I am getting a spot prepared for a few garlic saved from my last small crop. R uses lots of it when cooking. I like just a hint. Apparently it takes about 3 years for the size of self saved garlic to be really large.

 I have weeded my small strawberry patch and have 4 replacemnets to add to the runners that rooted. Some of the older plants should probably go.

*****

 The machine quilting on the butterfly quilt is making progress. I am very pleased with it so far. I found a new trick. As I was having trouble seeing the small butterfly outline I had drawn on with chalk I cut the shape out of some sticky backed white paper, and stuck those on as a guide. If carefully removed they can be used again and again and are so easy to see. It's the same idea as using masking tape to do long straight rows of quilting.

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Sometime between now and the weekend I have to buy a Birthday gift for my only sister and don't know what to get as she has everything she needs but is very much into gifts....so I will have to try and be original...... not easy after all these years! ( any original or unusual suggestions gratefully accepted )

Sewing in the Sunshine.

As soon as I have posted this I am off outside to my red seat for some sewing in the sunshine. The day started cold and damp but now is nice in the right spot outside. I need to handsew a black cat onto a ball; my eyes wouldn't see it last night. Black is now hopeless for me unless I sit in natural light.

 Look at this; the scones this morning turned out fluffy and yummy. I used a recipe that freezes well apparently, using cream and lemonade. I also sat and finished the book I was reading this morning. ( not going to recommend it - probably might offend some people. )
At the moment R is off trying out his new mower. He traded the old one in which was similar but a bit smaller and older but the same type. It had done hours of work mowing parts of the orchard and surrounds.

Even after all that rain the Lucullia is bright and attracting bees.

 

Rightly or Wrongly....

Rightly or wrongly..... I decided to have a go at quilting the "Butterfly Enclosure, " quilt myself. The reason being, I need the practise and to pay someone else to do it when I am not that thrilled with it swung the decision. So,on Thursday, backing fabric all washed, I enlisted some help from R to straighten all the layers ( found a clean broom useful )and crawled around the carpet while I pinned the 3 layers ( cotton/ bamboo batting ) together.

 Here I have started stitching in the ditch around the straight lines working from the centre panel first then out to the borders from there. Surprisingly, so far, so good.

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Yesterday was so wet in the morning that it was surprising that 29 ladies came to P and Q group. I got there really early and had the heaters on, so we had a pleasant day which became fine by home time.

S one of our newer members, but already a good helper, has years of experience ( is / was a trained Elna technicion ) and has done commercial sewing for 20 years, gave a really informative talk on "Getting quilts to hang straight and how to straighten your fabrics."

R a quilter of only 4 years, but prolific, told us of her quilting journey so far. I asked her to pose with one of her many quilts. This cat one is such fun.

I just have to show you this quilt that N has finished the top for. It's for a friend who wanted a quilt with "The Lady of Shalott," on it. Wow!

******

 So far during May we have had 267 mls  or 10 . 5 inches of rain! ( that's what happens in BOP ( Bay of Plenty ) whatever we are getting ; sun; wind or rain we get plenty of it at one time )

Right now is a slack time for us on the orchard so apart from gardening ( leaves! ) and shelling nuts we have time for hobbies; R's  medical appointments; renewing drivers licences( mine ) and all those extra things.

 In R's case, buying a new big ride on mower ( Huslter ), that he will spend hours using over the next few years.

Have a happy weekend everyone and those in the Southern hemisphere I hope you stay dry and warm.

Mundane, but Beautiful..

Yesterday we had to go to a meeting in the local hall. So with my umbrella and camera I walked back for exercise and saw these.( a basket fungi )

Filtered sunlight through yellow leaves.( someone else has to clean those ones up! )

Back home I saw this - a Nursery web spider's web full of babies.

 

And what is this?

The Culprit! What culprit?

When we went out yesterday R noticed the back tyre on the car was slightly flat, so we went in the truck. Today he put some air in it and went down to have it checked at the garage. This is what was found. I simply can't remember how long it is since we had a flat or punctured tyre. ( glad about that and also that it didn't let me down somewhere when I was alone......cause although I used to know how to change the tyres it's been so long - could I still ?)

Something sweet to end with. The first sprig of Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox ) I found flowering out near the mail box. It is a seedling I planted there 2 years ago. ( Doing that enabled us to cut out the original 30 year old bush behind the clothes line that had got huge and messy and scruffy and dropped leaves everywhere.) The first whiff enhaled really takes me to a happy place in my mind...it's amazing that such an insignificant dull coloured waxy little flower can smell so good.

Rain and Leaves.

Most of today has been fine. Yesterday we got a 4"deluge. A really stormy day. So when it wasn't raining after breakfast I got out with my mower to mow up some of these leaves.
 A bit later from another angle it does look better. I had to pick the ones on the chip up by hand.( but see how many still have to fall - moan )

This afternoon we went to the garden centre to see what fruit trees they had. The ones we want weren't there yet but we have ordered a nashi and an elephant heart plum.

 While there I saw some bargins. All the bulbs were reduced. I got 20 daffs for $8; a few more muscari and some white anemone bulbs half price.

This white Chrysanthemum was also half price.

I also wanted some instant colour for the space by the back door .

so got this cyclamen and a wee pot of miniature daffodils. ( my others  are no where near flowering yet ).

The Butterfly Enclosure Quilt is Finished.

Finally " The Butterfly Enclosure, " quilt top is finished. Although it has been raining, in desperation to get a photo of the whole thing, I dried the clothesline wire and pegged the quilt up there.( it is a large single bed size )

Now I have a few decisions to make. Do I want to quilt it myself, ( by hand or by machine ) or shall I have it professionally done? Thinking; thinking.

The journey making this quilt has taught me quite a few things worth remembering.

* Sometimes just using up scraps or fabrics and cotton in my cupboard may not be the best solution.

*Don't buy pictorial or semi pictorial fabrics in charm packs or small sizes just cause you think they look nice.  ( Right from thre start with the squares used in the centres of the big styalised butterflies these fabrics did not play nicely together - they are still the part I don't like! - I should have cut them up! ) ( This was the 3rd time I tried to use them up. )

* Always put stabilizer under any single layer of fabric where you are trying to use a fancy stitch on the machine.

     * The adage measure twice ( or more  ) and cut once....or measure twice and sew once , is true.

        *        If you don't like how it is sitting now it won't get better - fix it straight away.

* I have a natural sense of colour, so if I don't really like certain colours together don't put them together - I'll wish I hadn't.

Thank goodness I'm a finisher or this could have lurked in the cupboard as a UFO forever more.( do you get the idea I am very pleased to say the word finished? )

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 Maybe that last one, has helped me decide about the quilting.

 

Laughing at Myself.

It's wet and drab. Don't go out there! It's okay I won't...cause I have been indulging myself...I have sat here reading blogs for nearly 2 hours, while sipping a coffee and snacking on some crackers with cheese.

Just outside the backdoor in the wet this zygo cactus -  Schlumbergera truncata ( aslo called Christmas cactus: lobster cactus; in the northern hemisphere)-  is flowering brightly, despite the dull damp day.( damp is good.....we need to catch up with rain we didn't get earlier;  and I may stay inside! )

If it had been fine I would have finished doing this.....

...walking the Kiwifruit rows to find the fruit the pickers missed. I park the tractor at the end of a block then walk both ways up and back each row with my gloves on and a big bag to pick them into. I have just half one big block and one small left to go. It always makes me sad that some really exportable fruit get left behind. Friends don't mind cause then I share them around.

Well ,why was I laughing at myself...well it was my own fault.  I sewed and then unsewed ( yes you know the one with the quick unpick )Okay that was cause I didn't get it right. But the really funny one was the night before last sitting watching TV as I hand sewed some of those d....d butterflies. I loooked in horror as I saw I had sewn 2 eyes and some antenna to the bottom of one butterfly! Yes I could see the funny side ( end ) . I wasn't concentrating properly.

Quilt Progress.

My butterfly quilt now has the 3 parts sewn together.I have tried all sorts of edgings and stitching on the big butterflies and the little ones. Here I have hand button hole  stitched the wing edge which makes it stand out.

 

Here I have machine stitched all the details onto a small butterfly.

Some have machine stitching in a darker colour. I quite like all the methods I have tried so will use all  varieties. This is taking lots of cotton but that's okay. Progress is being made! I had sewing time!!! 

Mixed Emotions.

The last week has flown by and not too much sewing or quilting was achieved. I did cut out more basic butterfly shapes for my quilt.
 In the evenings I have been adding to the felt embroidered ball ( not all successfully ) ( I did a couple of unpicks ) R said the hot air balloon was the wrong shape. He is right.  I just designed mine out of my head.....I should have had an elongated lower part above the ropes. I can't add that now but did enlarge the sides with another stripe each side.

So far this ball;  # 19 has : a capital A; a strawberry; some ducklings; a calf and a house on a hill.

******

Yesterday was our P and Q Group day. A good turn out again with lovely Show and Tell. We welcomed  3 visitors who all wish to join - that's good. 2 members,who for various reasons haven't been for ages, came; one with a beautiful small quilt using fabulous colours..... J said it has kept her sane while her husband has been having treatmnent and she has been sorting out their business. She just snatched an hour here and there. Things are looking better for them now.      Another young member arrived to tell us she had just been diagnosed with Breast Cancer but was being very positive about it. Yet another member had a hip replacement ( 2nd one ) on Wednesday and is doing well. Sadly at 2 pm a group of about 15 of us walked up the hill to the Catholic Church to the funeral of another club member's husband, then to her home afterwards.  

 At home; very much later ( did supermarket too )  there awaited a pleasant invitation  in the mail - Thanks Pam!

So certainly a time of mixed emotions!

 There are almost 90 ladies in our P and Q group and I know almost all of them quite well,( part of my job ) sometimes keeping up with the events of all their lives is a challenge, but I do care about them and want to support them, but it is no wonder some nights I don't get to sleep easily.

Lastily but not least... WE HAD RAIN! Much needed -  more than 2 inches over the last 2 days.Things are still damp and thundery today so maybe some sewing?

Things that Make it all Worthwhile.

I must have been more tired than I realised as when I reread yesterday's post, just now,  I had to edit out about 5 typos....a sure sign for me that I was not quite with it. After 2 nights good sleep in my own bed I think I have caught up.
Here is some of the progress on the latest ( # 19 ) felt embroidered ball.

I have never done a hot air balloon before so that is another motif I can add to my supply. I have also put a capital A and a rather strange looking freisian calf on the other side, also new. This is in an attempt to personalise the ball for the baby by putting on things that she sees. ( A for her name; lives in a house on a hill, on a dairy farm where the hot air balloons fly over. )

Things that make it all worthwhile are the lovely "Thank yous."  I recieved this card from the UK this morning from the parent- father actually;  of ball # 18. Her Dad said she can grasp the ball already - pretty good for nearly 4 months. ( and he is going to email photos of the baby and ball - I will enjoy seeing that )

 Other things that make the effort all worthwhile are the hugs I recieved from ladies before they left Retreat and the emails of thanks sent after they got home.( for 6 ladies it was a 1st Retreat ).

Perhaps the biggest relief for me yesterday, was the Treasurer adding up the all accounts, and giving 3 ladies who were unwell refunds and we still only went over budget by $51. ( they only get full refunds if it is unavoidable or medical reasons )( that was after having to pay an extra $230 for further accommodation. )  One more person being able to come would have made a profit.  A record number attended as it was.

*You lucky girls going to Turangi in July will have much more up market accommodation and should thoroughly enjoy it.

* Late yesterday I started finding and picking the kiwfruit the pickers missed, ( they always miss some )( I have only done a few rows so far )  so will keep you some Laurie and there is still avos, so I must try and arrange a visit or visa versa.

* It is really clouding over, maybe we are actually going to get some much, much needed forecast rain....that would be grand.

Quilters' Retreat.

Starting where I left off on Thursday. Picking started by 8.30 am Friday and went smoothly. I wrote out all the documentation for the rest of the day and walked off the job at midday. In my absence they finshed just after 3pm with a satisfactory number of bins ( more than last year );  but the fruit size is slightly smaller because of the dry season.

     The car was mostly packed so after a quick shower I set of for Quilter's Retreat about 34 kms away by the sea at Papamoa but had to go via the supermarket to get the food. Everyone going to stay at Retreat has to take a main meal dish and a sweet that can be used for dessert or afternoon tea. People make wonderful dishes. The food I was getting was all the breakfast things and enough  bread rolls and salad ingredients for lunch for 38. I bought brands I use so on Sunday when we packed up anything unopened I took off the docket thus saving unnessecary expense.( I still felt the need to explain at the supermarket checkout that it wasn't all for me! )
 AS always at these event we all ate far more than we needed.( you want to try a bit of everything! ) The only item in the catering,  I totally mis calculated was milk. I purchsed 4 x 2 litres plus some soya. On Saturday afternoon I had to go out for a  further 4 litres.

It could have been this....afternoon teas ; morning teas; supper etc....but they are lovely times for sitting and chatting and getting to know each other more closely .When you see ladies just out of bed walking around in their dressing gowns you do see them as they really are. But chats over a first morning cuppa are so enjoyable. Most of us took the oportunity for lovely walks on the beach.  I did early both mornings. Another friend, with the same name as me, slightly older who is a tramper, walks at just my speed so we team up happily.

  In our club it has sort of become a tradition that a certain lady prepares a group task for us all on the first night. It is usually fiddly, challenging and often ....ummm gross. She spends hours preparing little kits for us all with what we will need to make -  in this case tea cup ladies seen here at a later time on the piano in the lounge.

I ended up with a pack with red hair, so did 3 others and we decided maybe they were sisters, so I took a family photo.

Mine is the one in the mug ( as I didn't happen to have a nice china cup and saucer with me.( she is now sitting here by my computer) (R just rolled his eyes when he saw it! )

On Saturday we ( the committee ) had organised a tutor and a class of 8 went to another more modern  nicely lit building to make "Kimonos, " with Tutor Sheryl. They walked up the garden for lunch and tea breaks and we all went down to seethat  they were making progress. Here is our lovely tutor in red and D is showing us her kimono so far.

 Here is S squaring her fabrics on the floor.

Ladies had all chosen different japanese fabrics for their project. Strange how that always happens, but wonderful as they all turn out quite differently.

Back in the main building where we sleep, dine and lounge we also sew. Machines on the dining tables and hand sewers and quilters in the lounge or outside. You can see from this photo ( taken during a tea break ) that space was tight.( almost double the number of ladies who attended last year ) ( probably my fault for promoting it too well! ) The numbers threw up some other sleeping problems ( bunks ) which I won't air here but I was responsible to resolve...and did but we now will make a loss instead of breaking even ! I wanted ALL happy campers.

Saturday night  - a double bill of DVDs for those who wanted. The Topp Twins, followed by Dirty Dancing.  Some of us had to sit on the floor so we could all see.

Outside the BBQ wooden seats were a bit hard but great for getting some fresh air or tea breaks.

Just before we left to return home we had a Show and Tell session, which is always one of the best times.  Personally I didn't get a lot done, nor did Camp Mother ( who has to be one of the world's most competent scone makers - so I watched and listened )  but that is fine. I worked on my felt embroidered ball. My sewing machine and butterfly quilt never got taken out of the boot of the car!  

A final photo of the quilt I liked best. Here S is machine appliqueing the flowers .

So that is  that for another year. I am having a quiet day doing camp washing, catching up with all our tomatoes and feijoas that contiued to ripen while I turned my back.

Making a Start.

Kiwifruit picking time was revised yesterday. Start time 10am today ( Thursday ) - that time came and went. Eventually after a long wait for bins to arrive 2 trucks with 96 each arrived and some picking got done.( About 2 hours was wasted waiting for bins.) Picking started at 3 pm.
 22 pickers got 87 bins off before it got too dark at 5.30. Here are the bins arriving on a truck with a trailer.  Now I need to get to bed. Picking starting again 8 or 8.30 in the morning.

Hurry Up and Wait.

You guessed it. Kiwifruit Picking will now not be till Friday / Saturday. Did they let us know?  NO!  We rang this morning as no bins had arrived only to be told we were now delayed.
 R says I am to go to Retreat, as  this is beyond my control. He will pay to have someone else do my Documentation job.( I hope that person also cleans the toilet for the pickers and makes the coffee and all the others things I usually quietly do ) MURPHY was a B..... wasn't he! ( if it can happen -  it probably will! ) It may still rain and could be delayed even longer . I wonder if we will have to reapply the clean up spray?
     Yesterday I cooked all my food for retreat ( and for us for the next 2 days ) cause I thought I wouldn't have time today or tomorrow. So maybe I will show you the slice I made and give you the recipe.

Macadamia Nut and Cherry Slice.

* line a sponge roll tray with baking paper. Set oven to 200degrees C.

For the base: 2 cups flour; 1/2 cup icing sugar;

200 grams butter.   Rub butter into the other 2 ( or blend in food processor )

 When it's a crumbly mixture press into the lined tin. Bake 10 minutes or till just golden.

While it is cooking prepare the topping:

In a saucepan melt 25grams butter with 1/2 cup of caster sugar. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence and

1 tablespoon of milk. Cool slightly then stir in 125 grams of chopped macadamia nuts and 125 grams glace' cherries.

 Spread this mix evenly over the base and return it to the oven for 15 or 20 minutes. Watch it doesn't burn... the nuts should be lightly browned.  Cool and cut into small slices. Enjoy.

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Yesterday we also picked all these ripe guava and put them in the freezer to make into jelly when we get a chance. There are more to pick as they ripen. Here they are being washed in the sink.  Pretty eh. ( Lauri that's the little shrub you have outside your door - ours is now a quite big tree )

 Maybe I will go out to the shed and shell walnuts - the hammering may get rid of some of the frustration I am feeling. ( if I unpack the sewing machine I will probably muck something up )

Whatever will be , will be.

Plenty Happening.

A dull cool day ( by our standards ). The orchard sprayer is here putting the clean up spray  on the kiwifruit vines and fruit.( just takes off any waterstaining - but not sooty mould unfortunately ) That happens in the 24 hours prior to picking SO either later today or more likely tomorrow, weather permitting we will be flat out picking the Kiwifruit. 
 I do hope the weather holds and we get it done in the next 2 days as on Friday, Saturday and Sunday I am committed to being at P and Q Retreat. I am Camp Leader and doing all the shopping Friday for 25 ladies staying the weekend and catering for 47 on Saturday. I have had this awful feeling the picking was going to clash and I can't really get out of either - needed in 2 places at once; so fingers crossed it all fits in.( I didn't do the booking for retreat it is traditionally this time of year which means it always clashes with our picking -  blah! )  ( trying to stay calm and be very organised )

R found this tagged Monarch butterfly on the metal drivway this morning.  I have reported it's number to the site.http://www.mb.org.nz/ It may have been released from the Quarry Park behind us is my guess - in which case it didn't get far at all. It is still alive and resting in the herb garden.
   A friend has asked me to make 2 felt embroidered balls for her; for 2 grandaughters; one just born, one 9 months old.  ( a commission! hehe. ) So that has got me busy. I had run out of already cut out pentagons in some colours of felt so had to cut more. Already I have one ball put together and stuffed . I am half way through putting the chain stitch edgings in.  We have had a fire the last 2 nights so stitching after dinner in the warm means it will get made quite rapidly. ( still takes at least 50 hours work for one ball ! )
 I had packed the sewing machine away in it's bag ready for Retreat and to clear the bench. Elder son and partner were here for the weekend and he wanted some trousers shortened, so I got it out again.  What are Mums for;  but he needs them for work so more than happy to help.
Younger son and partner V are away ( from London ) down in Eastbourne ( E Sussex ) for the long May Day weekend - hope they have a lovely time. Happy Birthday Dear V.  Miss you both.