Oh Oh!! not good.....

Ring of Fire

NZ is on the end of large purple patch, bottom of  picture

just south east of Australia with the 2 large rings over it.

Oh!!oh!!  we had a rather large Earth Quake yesterday 5.5. ... it was freaky !! to say the least .

I have experienced quite a few since living in NZ but this one did the trick, gave me quite the jitters inside.... the building we were in did a double flip flop and continued to shudder for a good 2 or 3 minutes .... I was at Embroidery Guild with quite a few other ladies ... the look of shock on our faces must have been one of horror and disbelief.

The main  movement took place just far to close for comfort ... 10 kms north of Taupo  at a depth of 108 kms ... the scary bit is Taupo is just 1 hour south of Rotorua. But I guess we  except most of them ... living on the Ring of Fire with 2 fault lines through the centre of our Islands what more can one expect.

Arriving home later there were a few signs of movement pictures askew, and the cat seemed a bit skittish and would not settle ... I wonder if they are affected by them and do they sense danger like dogs do ?

All is quiet today except for the thundering rain and wind.... but the new plants are happily settling in and look perky.

Things are getting on well !!

I found this on a facebook page ... loved it .

So my leg and ankle ...
All is going well and I am now allowed to walk unaided with out sticks or crutches and for a small while each day to walk with no boot on, progressing to longer periods each day as the next 2 weeks go by .. The hairline fracture will heal on it's own fairly quickly ...  the ankle will take a bit longer but the main thing is to keep it moving so it  does not wither  around the muscles and get weak .... still have to keep leg elevated  when sitting where possible to get rid of swelling ..... they reckon 2 weeks and boot should be a thing of the past ... as long as I am careful...... Wheeeee!!!!!
Hospital suggested good strong shoes are going to be the order of the day for awhile ... good  trainers were the best  ...that's good as I have some !!
Thank you everyone for the good wishes and emails and cards etc.

Grandma has broken her leg ....

Good morning from here, the sun is trying to shine and I am trying to smile ... I am achieving it okay
But on Thursday it was a slightly different matter, I had a lovely morning tea with a group of ladies from Inner Wheel then went off to tutor the Arthritis Hot Water exercise class..... all was going "swimmingly " no pun intended ....  when I slipped down the last 2 steps  of a short flight of steps ... amazingly in slow motion.  I landed at the bottom with my left leg  a bit crumpled under me ... yes it was an OUCH !! moment.

Upshot of it all .....    a bit of a mangled ankle and a hairline fracture of the lower leg just above the ankle ... luckily was not the ankle it's self.
 So after a hospital visit I returned home with a  cast on ... but had to return  next day when I had to see a Consultant and a new cast to be put on when hopefully some of the swelling would have subsided.
Saw a nice Orthopod man and he said " Not a bad fracture  one of those ones they can not see on xrays very well"  ...Phew !! relief flooded over me ... so a cast for 7 days then more xrays was the order of the day.
So off to the Plaster room.      The Plaster Man  "Mike"  said he thought a full cast on my leg was just a bit over the top in his mind  .... so he went off to talk to the Consultant again ... Whee !!  he convinced him a Moon Boot with the metal sides would work just as well.
 First time I had ever met Mike but love him to bits already........  But then I guess he is an expert on casts and boots etc. Probably more than the Orthopedic Consultant who really only knows about the bones side of things.

So here I am with this elegant black boot up to the knee, but at least I can remove it to shower and  take it off at night in bed ....  so much more comfortable.
Photo ... This not actually a picture of my legs .... but gee I wish they were  mine  they are obviously about 30 yrs younger than mine ... it is  just a picture to show the very elegant type of boot I have on.

My Grandsons have been my gardian angels for the last couple of days will tell you all about that tomorrow.

DVD instructions Ruskin Lace

Ruskin Lace

    NZ Embroidery Guild has a library of books and DVD"s that you may borrow.... our guild decided to  take out some DVDs and one of them is the above  ... 2 DVDs approx. 4 hours long... a couple of my stitching friends sat with me on Friday evening and we watched one DVD ...after it we felt as though we had done a whole evenings stitching just by watching Elizabeth giving her demonstrations.

I watched the other today  and the instruction DVD is amazingly  good with step by step or you could say stitch by stitch  or thread by thread ... my fingers are now itching to have a go ...
I have done some needle lace before but not this actual style ... so my next project ! may be....

Pincushion by Elizabeth Prickett

This weeks finish .....

I have finished my "door stop"   the embroidery has been finished for ages but getting around to assembly seems to take  for ever sometimes and when I did it took me approx. 15 minutes on the machine ..... yeap !! now I wonder why it took so long to start the completion....

The only draw back is it is made from calico and it is rather the wrong colour to go on the floor ... tried it and the cat thought it was fair game.... Oh well !!. now what to do with it " paper weight " was suggested but it is rather large 7 inch base by about 8 inches high  ???

A little Monday smile .....

1. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)    -You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10 -No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kristen, age 10 2. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED? Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camille, age 10 3. HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED? You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. -- Derrick, age 8 4. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MUM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON? Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8 5. WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE? -Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure) -On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. -- Martin , age 10 6. WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE? -When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7 -The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. - - Curt, age 7 -The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. - - Howard, age 8 7. IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED? It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9 (bless you child ) 8. HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED? There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8 And the #1 Favorite is....... 9. HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK? Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck. -- Ricky, age 10

In my life time I have gotten passionate about all sorts of things but one of my favourite ones is  Commonsense  ... I was always asking my children " where the heck was your common sense" after they had done something stupid,  just plain daft or dangerous.
You can often in fact more times that I like to admit find me talking to the  person on the TV or radio  after they have given an absurd answer to a question or daft reason for something or other ... telling them to get their brain into gear or use their commonsense .

Then low and behold my  Daughter in Law  Claire sent me this ... so I am passing it to you.

Obituary printed in the London Times.....Absolutely Brilliant !! Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense,who has been with us for many years. No one knows for surehow old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain; - Why the early bird gets the worm; - Life isn't always fair; - And maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, -by his parents, Truth and Trust, -by his wife, Discretion, -by his daughter, Responsibility, -and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers; - I Know My Rights - I Want It Now - Someone Else Is To Blame - I'm A Victim - Pay me for Doing Nothing Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him and appreciate his loss … condolences

Painting and Garden visit

We are lucky to have Jeanette Blackburn as  a resident here in Rotorua for 47 yrs now so she is classed as a "Rotorua girl" ... A group of ladies from Rotary group went to visit her this morning  at her home ....

Jeanette and her husband Graeme proudly invited us  to visit the Garden Art Gallery.

THE GARDEN
This is a superbly designed city garden featuring rose arbors, gazebo, fish pond, aviaries, dovecotes, old fashioned roses, rhododendrons and perennials. Step into a world of sweetly scented flowers, inviting pathways and cooing doves. A stroll through this delightful cottage garden is an unforgettable experience.

THE ART GALLERY
Set among the roses is a magnificent art gallery displaying Jeanette's work. Available are original paintings, limited edition prints, calendars, cards and placemats.

Jeanette's work is well sought after by collectors throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Renowned wildlife and landscape artist   …She has painted since childhood, and has been a professional artist for over 30 years. She paints mainly in acrylics because the minute detail she strives for (such as the fluffiness of birds’ feathers) is best captured in this medium. She then adds oils as a finishing touch to give the 3D effect often seen in her wildlife and landscapes. “Wildlife painting.” she says “must be accurate”. Following this philosophy, she captures realism in all her works of art. They remind us of our natural heritage and the beauty of nature in all its glory.

Through her art she tries to promote the appreciation of wildlife and conservation of all New Zealand’s natural resources. Jeanette’s paintings are held in private collections, not only in New Zealand but throughout the world. Her commission list runs into several months at a time, and she rarely has an exhibition as her art sells so quickly.

We had a glorious couple of hours with Jeanette and Graeme showing us all her little secretes and how she borrowed stuffed birds from museums  to paint from to make her pictures life like.

Jeanette has painted stamps for  NZ Post  and was commisioned to paint a picture as a gift for Queen Elizabeth ll   on her visit in 1952