Less Not More.

 5 days into a new year already and not a great deal to show for it.

 I did complete this new jigsaw in about a week after Christmas. A rectangular shape is quite unusual.

 My eyes are okay. I am still putting drops in 3 times a day. I am finding the constant changing of reading glasses and dark glasses a trial - not used to it. My previous glasses which I put on in the morning and took off at night did everything for me. I didn't appreciate how convenient they were. Maybe when I go back to my optician we can work out something more convenient for me.

 The Billington plums are ready and the tree is loaded. The Grandsons helped pick some by climbing the tree.

 R has pickled 2 large jars ( In vodka )

 

 My friend Jan gave me this beautiful wool. She got it on her recent travels in Europe.100% merino and so so soft.

 I've started knitting it but will need to find  similar to have enough for a  simple scarf I have started knitting.

I have decided to try and do less....of some things. Record keeping. I didn't buy a diary to write up each night for this year.(I have previously done that for years and years )

 I have plenty of other lists and records. Books Read. Plants planted.  Sewing projects work notes.

 And of course the occasional blog post.

Busy Time of Year.

 Yesterday was our 57th Wedding Anniversary. It is a busy time of year and it's all to easy to just overlook the date, so we went out to lunch.

 Realizing traffic into the city would be so, so busy we went the opposite way. We went to Omokoroa and had lunch upstairs at Alma.

 While we waited for our meals to be cooked we had a great view of the surrounds.

 The water here is calm and shallow, so ideal for little people to play and splash about and learn to swim. There are 2 jetties. One seen here where boats can tie up or folk can fish and the other where the ferry to Matakana Island  loads and unloads. It was really busy.  Vehicles waited patiently in a queue, some lucky ones under trees. 

 The ferry seen loading here.

Side on as it takes off the number of vehicles on board parked two by two can be seen, 16 plus I think. If the tide is right it can return in 20 minutes. There is also a kids playground mostly under trees or sail and plenty of space for picnics. Also adequate parking.

 We enjoyed our time there.

Seasons Greetings Dear Readers.

 Relax and enjoy .

Happy Christmas Everyone.

 

🎅🎄

Things are Looking a Bit Different.

Things are looking a bit different because on Monday morning this week ( 18th ) I had cataract surgery on both eyes. The right one first and the second one 5 minutes later. The actual procedure under the microscope was surprisingly quick. No pain or discomfort just strange noises and bright lights. Such a nice surgeon and nurses.

 The drive home( as a passenger )  was rather scary as it was pouring with rain and the  traffic was heavy. At that stage I was seeing double and there seemed to be cars and lights everywhere. I was glad when we got home as I was feeling nauseous. As soon as I got out of the car I was fine.

 I have recovered very quickly and am remembering to put my drops in 3 times a day. I can see very clearly mid and long distance but am wearing hobby glasses to read, text and use the computer. Not sure if this will change. I may still require reading glasses. Driving should be so much easier. I can see clearly across the estuary and use binoculars again. Looking in the mirror is a bit of a shock - all those wrinkles!

 What am I finding difficult. Not gardening! Feeling naked without glasses. ( wearing provided sunglasses outside or in bright light )

 I can see a bee in this pohutukawa flower ( click to enlarge ) and I can see the first bananas forming on our plant. We have the first 2 bunches forming rapidly - very exciting.

 

Baking and Sewing Today.

Much needed rain and drizzle here today.

 So fruit mince pies it is. Everyone  in this family seems to like them better than Christmas cake so I'm making heaps of these instead. They freeze well.

 ( click to enlarge )

 My Quirky Garden wall hanging is 99 % finished. I just need to stitch the hanging sleeve at the top, take out the pins and give it a press. It has a wooden rod through the top. Hope it hangs straight. I've measured and remeasured.

 Here you can see the top stitching around the edge .

 This is the bright bold backing fabric. I had nothing grey to match so decided to go bold. If I get tired of the front I can flip it and look at this amazing fabric.

 *****

 Brightness in the garden outside too.

 There are lots of these dotted along the big border. Yesterday Today and Tomorrow (or Brunsfelsia I think.)

 A new red pompom Dahlia is just about  out.( the round pompom will form more.)

 Hydrangeas of all colours except pink. Blues, purples , lace cap and regular. Here the white is flowering way  down in the  fruit tree area . It's always best before any flowers fade and brown. It will be liking the rain. It will plump the plums up too.

 The vege garden is doing well. It has been hosed every second day.

In the Pink.

 

The final and largest flowering cherry has been out for weeks but is now getting its leaves and carpeting the ground with pink. As the wind blows pink snow wafts thru the air and into every corner.

 The white alstromeria below it is thriving and very pickable.

 The big gardening project at the moment is removing more agapanthus from this very long curving garden bed.

 The new edging and lawn looks established now and so much neater and easier to care for.

 As with any big garden there is still lots to do. ( like pick asparagus and blueberries! )

*****

 Last weekend we had our bonfire ( of garden rubbish ) down on our bottom lawn beside the estuary. Son was able to get some fireworks still ( but maybe not in the future ) and the boys and some friends enjoyed it all. 

*****

Now for a book recommendation. I have just finished reading"The Frozen River, " by Ariel Lawhon.

Its a gripping historical novel based on the life of Martha Ballard , set in Maine USA  in the late 1700s.

 This amazing woman and midwife delivered over a thousand babies in her 35 years and kept a diary of it all. She never lost a baby or a mother. She traveled on horseback through mud and snow , day or night.

 Such an amazing story.

  ***

Quirky Flowers .

 

 I decided to try trianglar buttons as the centres of these mauve flowers. That's  anatomically incorrrect but they are imaginary flowers not specific species. I think lime green and mauve work well together.

What a Slack Blogger I am.

 Quite a few times I have meant to put something up here and haven't. Maybe I getting old and lazy or worse slow!

 We have had family birthdays. R turned 80! ( seems just the same! )

 Elder Grandson turned 9 and is achieving so well in all areas .

 Lots happening in the Spring Garden. Colour and perfume everywhere.

 Rhododendron Unique in flower. On the property there are 8 bushes in different areas all flowering. All the same variety so that is rather nice. It's a small compact delicate looking rhodo that is at its best when just coming into flower. It fades off to soft pink almost white.

 The areas where we pulled out a box hedge is now looking good out the dining-room window. Both the black flax and the green Libertia are New Zealand native plants -  the libertia flowers are quite pickable on long stems.

 My blue Dutch Iris are well finished but these later white ones are stunning.

 Inside on the couple of rainy days we have finally had ( much needed ) I have been working on attaching flowers and here long legged birds to my wall hanging.

 Lots still to do on it. This is just the bottom right hand corner.

Annual Repeat Walk.

Our bright early cherries are now finished and in leaf. The next to flower called Awanui are  coming out nicely. They are in properties all around the area so I knew the 50 in a row on the Cycleway between Te Puna and Omokora would be out. In Sept last year I showed you my walk.

 So here we go again. Much of the walkway / cycleway is on railway land

 I meet lots of cyclist these ones young, and runners and electric bikes and the fastest an electric scooter.

 There are native planting suitable for wetlands and with them lots of weeds. This not Queen Anne's Lace but could be was the best example I looked at.

 I stood under one of the cherries and gazed straight up.

 When I got back I was suitably hot and felt I had had some worthwhile exercise for a Sunday afternoon.

 

My Happy Place.

I know for many of you your sewing room is your happy place. For me its my garden ( you would never have guessed ).  I still like to sew but can't see so well these days but soon I am having my cataracts fixed so that will help.

 

 This is the first flower out on some new plants. Its small and a NZ native called Libertia formosa A very unusual shape for a flower - each part in 3s. I have 6 planted between little black flax where we pulled out a box hedge right beside a window. Lots of buds appearing.

 Janice showed her little plum tree in flower. Your plums will be easier to pick than mine. Look how big this Billington tree has got.

 That's taken today. I tried to get some closeups of the bees working the flowers ( with not much luck I kept frightening them )

 See in the bottom left corner.

 I hope you find bees visiting your tree Janice.

Some sewing happening on my wall hanging.

The New Edge .

This is the new edging R has put in where we dug out the agapanthus.

 It needs more soil fill on both sides.

 Along the piece of garden there is now far more space for the plants already there. I added a new red pompom dahlia corm today( you can just see the support stakes on the extreme left).

 The unsightly sandpit is staying just a little longer till 6 year old grandson tells us it can go.

 This edging is along the top of the garden with the cherry on the left in it.

 The same trees from upstairs.

 I have started feeding cut wind fall oranges to the birds. 

 In a saucer on the old stump. In less than 24 hours they look like this

 Mainly wax eyes and sparrows but some blackbirds and Tui as well.

 Fabulous sunny day again today following a frost this morning.

 

Lots of Gardening.

Since we left the orchard ( 6 years ago now ) I haven't had a bird bath in the garden only water dishes. Now I have. Purchased at a closing down sale It was a good buy. I mainly have blue or terracotta pots in the garden so it fits in well. Notice behind the first flowering cherries called Pink Cloud are out We have 3 that flower early.

 The first freesias will be out tomorrow,

 There is quite a lot of colour for August.

 This afternoon it had turned dull and chilly so that will stop the progress.

 We have spent days digging out a whole row of agapanthus and disposing of them which is jolly hard work but looks oh so much better. ( we have more we will do in time. )

 We have had a run of bright sunny days following frosty mornings so some photos like this one at the weekend have bright bue sky. 

 Here Grandsons and little friends are having fun in the water at the hotpools for littler grandson's 6th Birthday.

So Many Lemons.

 When we have so so many  lovely clean skinned lemons sometimes it is best to make them into Lemon Honey ( lemon Spread, Lemon Curd - they are all just different names for the same thing  )

 Its one of my personal favourites. ( sour/ sweet )

On Tuesday I managed to finish this next little sleeveless vest for smaller Grandson. My sewing up is not the greatest but tidy enough that it can be worn inside out. ( but not back to front! ) 

 8 ply pure NZ wool should help to keep his little body warm outside.

 

A Worthwhile Read.

 The Librarians of Rue de Picadie by Janet Skeslien Charles.

A novel based on the true story of Jesse Carson who joins CARD ( The American Committee for Devastated France )  during and after WW1.

 I like to learn about brilliant strong women who never got the credit they deserved for the wonderful work they did. I enjoyed it and learnt quite a bit. ( just recently Published ) Recommend.