Paris Olympics 2024

It was foggy again this morning and perfect for sitting and watching a delayed live broadcast of the Olympic opening ceremony. 

I was able to do this as son maintains a subscription to Sky Sport.

I thought the ceremony had been well thought out and was quite spectacular at times. 

It was a novel idea having the athletes all arrive by boat. 

This was our New Zealand team.

Mittens, as usual, was not impressed with me watching TV.

There were speeches and awards and the usual entertainment shows.

The grande finale was, of course, the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. It was based on a hot air balloon, Paris being the first city in the world to ever launch one.

I wish all the athletes a safe and happy time, and look forward to seeing some of the competitions on Sky over the next couple of weeks.

Margaret xx 

Salt Lamp Warning

A thick blanket of fog covered everything as we headed for the supermarket this morning (I was a passenger).

On the way, we called in at The Herbal Shop & Clinic, and the lovely ladies there helped me find what was needed.

I was going to purchase a small salt lamp at the same time, but was warned that cats often lick them and have then been known to suffer kidney damage.

Knowing Mittens loves leaping up on furniture and would be sure to be a licker, I wasn't prepared to run the risk and never bought one.

The wintery sun broke through after lunch, so I moved the maidenhair fern and the African violet to a sunny spot to enjoy its warmth. 

Stay happy and keep smiling. 

Margaret xx 

Sweet Pea

It was fine enough today for me to be able to sit in the garden for a while. 

That's when I discovered the first flower had opened on my dwarf sweet peas.

The 'Drunken Woman' lettuces have grown enough that we can start harvesting leaves from them.

My garden may be tiny, but it gives me much pleasure. 

Margaret xx 

Some Winter Joy

July is our main month of winter.

I was reading we should consciously look for the beauty that can be found in each season, so I went looking.

I discovered the intricate tangle of branches on this mature leafless silver birch.

Daphne odora, my favourite July flower, is now in full bloom.

There is joy in seeing the sun shine again, as the fog bank rolls away.

Some mornings there are dramatic sunrises.

Then there are days when the sun never shines and it rains and rains and rains, and I can curl up inside with a good book.

On some days though, winter gives us clear blue skies and mellow sunshine. 

Appreciating each season is great, but let us also remember to search each day to find something beautiful in our life.

Margaret xx 

Oh No

Mittens may be an adorable moggy, but she has one very bad habit that sometimes has negative results. 

She loves to zoom into a room at full speed and take a flying leap up onto the furniture. 

Most of the time she is fine, but last night she managed to send herself, a vase, and a glass decanter full of pot pourri onto the floor. 

The decanter shattered and the vase lost its handle. 

I was afraid Mittens had cut herself but she seems to have escaped with just a few bruises. 

With a bit of luck and a few spots of super glue, hopefully the handle can be reattached. 

It won't be the same though 😕 

Margaret xx 

A Perfect Pie Day

Today was great for umbrellas! Light rain, a bit heavier at times, with no wind.

At 10am we had 100% humidity and the temperature was sitting at 9 degrees Celsius. 

Son helped me put up the new curtains in the spare room.

Mittens decided to photo-bomb my curtain shoot.

We needed to go to the shops afterwards, so I bought us each a mince and cheese pie for lunch.

It was a perfect day for a hot pie!

It has kept raining all afternoon, so I've just been pottering around indoors.

I think we will have nice and simple poached eggs on toast for dinner.

Margaret xx 

What Fun

This morning, son and I scooted off to the Lions Club annual book fair.

This was the stash I came home with. 

I know my bookcases are already full, but the lure of some new books was irresistible!

I'm sure I'll be able to make some room - I have to LOL.

This was the view out the spare room window when I rose this morning. 

But the fog lifted, and this is how the day turned out. 

Browsing through my new books this afternoon, I found these pages in "The Housewives Handybook."

But the one that really made me laugh was tucked away on the back page.

The book, containing mostly recipes, was printed in 1964 by the Whangarei Young Wives' Group to help raise funds for the building of a new Anglican church.

I love these old recipe books and this will now be added to my collection. 

Margaret xx 

A Winter's Day

It was very bleak, but thankfully not raining, when I went to the supermarket this morning. 

My treat for today was this very decadent cream do-nut.

It was surprisingly filling, so lunch was a single small sandwich of beetroot and cheese, followed by a mandarin. 

The sun broke through the clouds early afternoon.

The dark clouds stayed around, but I've been able to enjoy having some winter sunshine in my room. 

I think Mittens enjoyed it too.

Have a great day!

Margaret xx 

Square Eyes

The expected rain sort of arrived. It was nothing heavy, just enough to make things wet.

Mittens was not impressed (she hates rain) and spent the day on my bed.

I did some needed housework, then proceeded to give myself square eyes watching YouTube on my TV for the rest of the day. 

I gave myself vertigo driving with Glenn down the Shafer Trail in Utah, USA.

Then joined Ryu to go camping in Korea,

Before exploring a remote area of Australian wilderness with Scotty.

I helped Ayako make dinner in Japan,

And cooked up some fresh fish over a beach fire with Hori in Gisborne, NZ. 

Ivan in Lincolnshire, England, explained to me how I should feed container plants. 

While Mark in Scotland revealed how many potatoes he could grow in a bucket.

Becky gave me a great demonstration of her watercolor skills in Vancouver, Canada. 

These were just some of the places I visited and things I did on this dreary day.

It really was a great way to travel around the world from the comfort of my own living room!

Margaret xx 

A Change In The Weather

Yesterday our recent blue skies began clouding over.

This morning our sunrise was looking rather murky,

And this afternoon the skies have turned completely grey and dreary.

A sure indication that rain is on its way.

I have been coughing a bit today, and am hoping I haven't caught my granddaughter's influenza off her.

My action plan is Kurols, vitamin C, lots of fluids, and plenty of rest - and fingers crossed for luck!

Rugby last night was in Auckland, with England playing the All Blacks again.

It was a good game (we won), and a couple of the English tries were impressive and great to watch.

The rain is due to arrive overnight and then continue on and off for most of the week.

A good time for indoor activities!

Margaret xx 

Steamed Beetroot

I bought a few beetroot from the supermarket. 

Usually I boil them, but this time I thought I'd try steaming them.

Wash well and trim the ends.

Steam until cooked, usually about 45 to 60 minutes depending on their size.

When they are cool enough to handle, rub off the skin (this needs to be done before they get cold).

Wearing gloves prevents the fingers from being stained. 

Prepare the beetroot as desired, ready for eating. 

This time I chopped two roots into cubes and sprinkled them with a little balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and some finely chopped parsley and chives.  Toss and refrigerate. 

I ate them for my lunch, on a bed of lettuce. 

The remaining two were sliced, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar, then left to marinate in the fridge in some apple cider vinegar.

That will make a nice side dish for a couple of meals. 

Home cooked beetroot is so different to the canned stuff.

Margaret xx