I am worried about me !!

I made some grapefruit marmalade a couple of weeks ago ... ( always make my own)  I had a few fruits left over plus some lemons from the garden...   so decided to make some more, simple did the necessary things and boiled the fruit  hey presto  ready for sugar ..umphhhh ! not enough sugar.

So today I went for my normal daily swim at 8.30am  ( yes I know you are thinking .... how highly commendable) after the swim I had full intentions of going to the supermarket for the sugar ... I know you are thinking the right things now!! YES! you can believe it I came back home minus the sugar, and this was the main reason for going to the market I could have managed with out all the other items for a few days ....   I just don't seem to retain details in my brain any more, I can be doing something and half way through  I get sidetracked , I  can even start up the computer to search for something on Google and when I have finished on the computer I have not even searched  for the original item .....
I used to remember phone numbers but now the mobile remembers them for me ..... Names they just elude me in fact I now just apologise if I can't remember anyones name and say so ... OH!! dear this must be age ... They say you are as old as you feel and at present my brain is making me feel in my dotage.

New Year Idea Number 1

I recieved this by email  and I'm passing on this idea because it is simple, cheap, effective and ingenious.

I hope it is of use to you .....  great for the freezer, sealing all those mishaped items.
Who ever thought of this should get a GREEN medal. or  be given an award for originality!!!
What a great idea... no more twists and ties or rubberbands.

 THIS METHOD IS WATER PROOF AND AIR TIGHT.  GREAT! 

Seal Plastic Bags with Old Bottle Caps  

Cut up a disposable water bottle and keep the neck and top, as in photo.

Insert the plastic bag through the neck and screw the top to seal.

The bag is made air-tight, water will not leak,

it is easy to open and the top and screw cap can be used over again!

Retail therapy

On yesterdays outing we had a fair bit of retail therapy ... a lot of it was just looking .
The couch in the family room is a  red salmon colour and I have had difficulty picking the right colour for the cushions   ( only had the couch 12 yrs ) I put my  red work girls quilt  on the back of it a bit ago,  I had never thought of trying red on it  so decided may be try red cushions but then as you all know there are at least 50 different reds ... but "Voila" yesterday there was the right colour red cushions in Whakatane .. so had to buy them.

I think another natural coloured "Corn Pad" embroidered one is called for as well ... oh well !!  another to do to add to the list ...  a thought !!  may be a good  project  to take to South Island with me
Another thought may be need to change the curtains ... time to turn off the thoughts this is getting expensive these  cushions and who has ever heard of changing the curtains to match the cushions......

Lovely Day and update.....

Red rose is the emblem of Inner Wheel

Yesterday was International Inner Wheel Day  ... for the uninitiated Inner Wheel is the original ladies section of Rotary, Rotarian's at one point in history could only be men and the wives and daughters of these men formed the Inner Wheel.  The Logo will show you that all wheels have spokes ( the inner wheel) and the ladies are the spokes that keep the wheel from collapsing  ( my theory)

My club here in Rotorua were invited by Opotiki  Club to attend a celebration of the day at the home of  the incoming International Inner Wheel Vice Chairman  Carole Young.
Just two of us were able to go, so we took a lovely leisurely drive via Whakatane and Ohope stopping for lunch at the Berry Farm ...ummmmm delicious. and doing a little retail therapy  in Whakatane .. then on to spend a lovely couple of hours at Carole and Ken's fruit farm.
One of the high lights were the wild turkey's  a photo here but not to clear as taken from inside the house did try to get one outside but as soon as you approached they moved away.

They have to cull them every now and then,  this was a first for me to see them in the wild ... it was also great to see them with their tails fanned.

UPDATE on stitching still on the laborious one strand over one thread very tedious so I do not do to much at a time but it is growing, 2 pictures could not decide which one to use so you get a double bonus view .....

Sorry no sign off for some reason ... I can not explain why it keeps disappearing on me. Will most likely appear again on the next post ??

Okay enough is enough

Rain and gale force winds are lashing much of the country, as New Zealand's miserable summer continues. 
MetService has issued heavy rain warnings for eastern Bay of Plenty ( this is where I live),  and severe gale warning for parts of the lower North Island.    I definitely did not need to know this at all ...  I only have to open the door to see it for myself.. ugh !!

Photo from NZ Daily Herald I think it is so neat and just sums up the weather.

I believe enough is enough, we are floating here in Rotorua ... my large lawn has at least 4 inches of water on it and it is beginning to stay, normally it drains after a few hours but not now the water is laying  and has been for a few days now.  They have now told us not to hold our breath for a summer this year ....

View of Mt Ngongotaha  from Lounge window.

All that water up there  is going to land on us in a few minutes.

I bet the neighbours though I had lost the plot this morning ....  I took the hose and cleaned the outside of the house ... I thought well!  I will get wet any how and  it was falling from the  heavens "cats and dogs"  and everything was wet / damp and loose .....  so easy to hose off, so all the spider webs have gone,   all I need to do now is spray the outside to keep the little beggers away for 4 months. But of course can not do that in the rain, bet the beggers  will all climb up again before it is dry enough to spray.
By the way I got soaked but after a lovely warm shower I was warm and cosy and  I felt great to have not let  the elements get the better of me.

Update .... stitching

I have at last managed a few stitches on my "sweet bag" well ! in fact more than a few as most of it is done in 1 strand over 1 thread ... and gee it is taking it's time in growing. So how have I managed to do some more.....
With the awful TV programmes .. which is normal for summer holidays ....  so I have been watching old videos to name a few ...
Hello Dolly , Paint your Wagon, Sound of Music, Sense and Sensibility and  Emma by Jane Austin,
Little Women ( 1949) version and any thing I have with Julia Roberts in it  .... which is quite a few.

Tonight I am going to re run Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth .... BBC version  ooooh! he can visit me any time that Mr Darcy .... so that will be about 3 evenings worth of viewing.

As I have seen them all at various times during the last few decades of my life, I don't actually have to watch them just listen and look up on occasions ... so I can stitch.

A Small Dilemma .....

If anyone can tell me how to keep the cat off my lap while I sit in comfort and stitch I would be pleased to hear it ... he is getting a little fed up with getting put outside each time I pick up my needlework.  He is attacking my sewing box and really pulling at the fabric when I have hold of it .. all for attention I guess, may be he is an adolescent cat.

New Year ..... Healthy Snack

Yes a fairly healthy snack ....
Now it is not often that this happens ... a healthy snack that is not carrot sticks or veggy stick of any sorts.....  Now they can be boring especially when you are trying hard to loose weight,
but here is a snack that I picked up from goodness knows where on one of my searchings and surfings ages ago ...  and have tried it a couple of times with different flavours.

Spice Roasted Crunchy Chickpeas

2 cans chickpeas
2 Table spoons olive oil
Dry spice seasoning

Pre heat oven 220

Rinse and pat dry the peas, place in a large bowl and drizzle on the oil and coat with seasoning  toss together well.
 I used Greggs Southern Style seasoning ... but you could use a taco seasoning or thai  or any curry powder  or Chinese five spice ... what ever flavour you or your family like.

Lay in single layer on a backing sheet and bake for 40 mins checking after 30 mins in case any are burning. They are almost done when they begin to shrivel and are half their size.
 Use all 40 mins as they have to dry out.  leave to cool

Store in a airtight container.


  

Wish I was Camping again.....

Since I have been back from Christmas camping I have to honestly say I have not stitched a stitch ... not even picked up a needle  ... I am getting with draw symptoms.
So I should be away in the van again, there I get so much stitching done.
So the purpose of this post is to say  ... I am off again  really this time to South Island.
Some may remember a back post,  even two posts where I was planning a South Island Trips ... last year and the year before, I wanted to see the snow, a glimpse of Mt Cook ( on previous trips it seemed to have disappeared) and Lake Tekapo.  A few  life changing things stopped me going but that is all sorted now .  
This return trip has been in my brain for 3 years now, I have had to put it off twice ... But hey!! not this time come floods or high water ...... what ever the elements wants to throw at me.  The van has had a few  jobs done on it and is all ready to go.

 I want to visit the Otago area,  I also want to see Christchurch again  which I know will be heart wrenching after only just being there the year before seeing it in all it's glory.
Need to visit Nelson area and down the coast to Wanaka ,   then thorough  the central area ( not been this way before)

So I am finally going to make it in February leaving around 8th ... just a few more bits of the plan to get into place, like seeing a house sitter, and final planning of the route.

So here is a glimpse of some of the scenery ... around Queens town I should add not taken by me.

 I would also like to catch up with any  bloggers who live down there so if you are from the South let me know and I will try and call, say hello and drink a cup of tea ....  I will have all month to fill and I know it will be done easily