A Full Day

IT WAS QUITE STORMY OVERNIGHT, AND A LOT OF TREES TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO DROP THEIR LEAVES.

TUESDAY IS NORMALLY MY GROCERY SHOPPING DAY. 

I SPENT QUITE SOME TIME BROWSING DIFFERENT SHOPS,

AND BOUGHT A NEW CAST IRON FRYING PAN. 

I EVEN VISITED THE LIBRARY AND FOUND A BOOK I CAN WANDER THROUGH IN FRONT OF THE FIRE TONIGHT. 

ALL IN ALL, IT HAS BEEN QUITE A FULL DAY.

I SHOULD SLEEP WELL TONIGHT 😴 

MARGARET xx

Out For Lunch

I HAD THE PLEASURE TODAY OF MEETING A FRIEND FOR LUNCH, AFTER NOT SEEING HER SINCE EARLIER IN THE YEAR. 

WE WENT TO THEOBROMA CAFE AT CHARTWELL, HERE IN HAMILTON. 

I RESISTED THEIR DELICIOUS LOOKING DISPLAY OF CHOCOLATES AND ORDERED A SLICE OF FRITTATA FOR MY LUNCH.

WITH IT, I HAD A LEMON GINGER & HONEY TEA, MADE WITH REAL GINGER (THE BITS WERE STILL IN THE CUP).

FOR A MONDAY, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW SHOPPERS OUT AND ABOUT.

HAMILTON IS NOW THE FASTEST GROWING CITY IN NEW ZEALAND, SO I GUESS I NEED TO GET USED TO MORE PEOPLE BEING AROUND. 

CHEERS,

MARGARET xx

One Of Those Days

DO YOU EVER HAVE DAYS WHEN NOTHING SEEMS TO GO RIGHT?

I SLEPT IN AND THEN KEPT MAKING SILLY LITTLE MISTAKES WITH WHAT I WAS DOING.

NOTHING MAJOR, BUT STILL ANNOYING.  BEFORE I KNEW IT, IT WAS MIDDAY.

I DECIDED TO WRITE THE REST OF THE DAY OFF.

I WAS MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE JUST TALKING TO MY PLANTS.

TOMORROW WILL BE ANOTHER DAY. 

MARGARET  xx

Early Morning

THE LOCAL SPIDERS WERE BUSY OVERNIGHT. 

I WENT OUTSIDE TO WATCH THE SUN RISING THROUGH THE AUTUMN MIST. 

THE TEMPERATURE WAS 5 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, ALMOST LOW ENOUGH FOR A FROST. 

THERE WAS A SOLITARY BLACKBIRD SINGING IN A TREE.

IT WAS A GOOD MORNING FOR A BOWL OF HOT PORRIDGE

(COOKED WITH SULTANAS SO I DON'T NEED SUGAR).

IT WAS A LOVELY WAY TO START MY WEEKEND.  

I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND TOO 😊 

MARGARET  xx

Busy In The Kitchen

I WAS BUSY IN THE KITCHEN TODAY.

MADE VEGETABLE SOUP AND MAYONNAISE, CLARIFIED SOME DRIPPING,

 

STEWED UP SOME APPLES AND MADE APPLE SAUCE FOR THE FREEZER,

AND CHOPPED UP THIS MAGNIFICENT CELERY.

I KEEP THE OUTSIDE STALKS FOR SOUPS AND JUICING, THE INNER ONES GET USED IN SALADS AND FOR COOKING WITH, AND THE TENDER ONES AT THE HEART ARE FOR SNACKING ON.

I FELT QUITE PRODUCTIVE!

MARGARET  xx

A $450 Ouch

THANKFULLY MY COLD NEVER DEVELOPED, AND I WAS ABLE TO GO OUT THIS AFTERNOON AND PAY MY BILL FOR SOME DENTAL WORK I'D HAD DONE.

I PAID IN CASH, TO AVOID THEIR 2% SURCHARGE ON CARD PAYMENTS. 

SADLY, MY FAVOURITE BOOKSHOP (PAPERPLUS ROTOTUNA) PERMANENTLY CLOSES ITS DOORS TOMORROW (THEY COULDN'T GET A RENEWAL ON THEIR LEASE).

I BOUGHT A LAST PUZZLE BOOK AND TOLD THEM THEY'D BE MISSED.

SOMETIMES IT SEEMS EVERYTHING IS CHANGING, AND USUALLY NOT FOR THE BETTER - MAYBE I'M GETTING OLD 😁

MARGARET xx

A Lazy Day

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO STEADY RAIN.  

MITTENS WAS NOT IMPRESSED. 

THE DAY, AS USUAL, BEGAN WITH HOT WATER AND SOME FRESH FRUIT BEFORE HAVING MY BREAKFAST CEREAL.

I COUGHED ALL NIGHT AND FELT LIKE I WAS COMING DOWN WITH A COLD, SO DECIDED ON HAVING A LAZY, QUIET DAY SMOOCHING AROUND HOME AND NOT DOING MUCH.

I ENDED UP WATCHING LOTS OF YOU-TUBES ON MY LITTLE TV.

A LAZY DAY CAN BE QUITE RELAXING SOMETIMES 😌 

MARGARET xx

Beside The Lake

IT WAS FOGGY AND A LITTLE FRESH (COLD!) DOWN BY THE LAKE THIS MORNING, BUT STILL A LOT OF WALKERS OUT AND ABOUT. 

THE DUCKS KEPT DOING WHAT DUCKS DO.

THE PUKEKO CHICKS ARE GROWING BUT NOT FULLY INDEPENDENT YET. 

SHOPPING WAS NEXT ON THE LIST.

I TREATED MYSELF TO SOME SUSHI FOR LUNCH.

THE SUN SHONE BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN THE BLEAK CLOUDS ROLLED IN AGAIN.

KEEP SMILING!

MARGARET xx

Fly Agarics

 I HAVE BEEN BUSY ALL DAY AND QUITE FORGOT TO TAKE ANY PHOTOS.

BUT THIS ONE POPPED UP ON MY COMPUTER.  TWELVE YEARS AGO TODAY MY HUSBAND AND I SAW THESE TOADSTOOLS IN AN APPLE ORCHARD IN NELSON.

VERY PRETTY AND VERY DEADLY!

I HOPE EVERYONE HAS HAD AN AWESOME DAY,

MARGARET xx

It's The Weekend

WE HAD A HEAVIER FROST THIS MORNING, WITH A BIT OF FOG AS WELL.

THIS WEEKEND, LIKE MOST WEEKENDS LATELY, I'VE WATCHED QUITE A FEW "SUPER RUGBY" GAMES. 

MY DAPHNE IS STRUGGLING A BIT, SO I MOVED HER TODAY TO A SUNNIER SPOT TO SEE IF SHE WILL LIKE THAT BETTER.

I HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING A GREAT WEEKEND. 

MARGARET  xx

It's Official

IT'S OFFICIAL - IN MY BOOK ANYWAY!

THIS MORNING WE HAD OUR FIRST PROPER FROST FOR THE SEASON.

I LOVE HOW CRUNCHY THE GRASS GETS.

AN EARLY MORNING FIRE WAS MOST WELCOME

THANKFULLY, THE COLD MORNING WAS FOLLOWED BY A GORGEOUS DAY. 

ISN'T THIS LITTLE HEARTSEASE PANSY SWEET?

CHEERS,

MARGARET xx

A Chilly Day

IT WAS A LITTLE CHILLY THIS MORNING SO I MADE SOME PORRIDGE FOR BREAKFAST  - THE FIRST FOR THIS WINTER SEASON

THE DAY WAS SUNNY BUT THE WIND WAS ICY COLD, SO ONE HAD TO FIND A SHELTERED SPOT TO ENJOY IT.

MY NORMALLY WARM GARDEN WAS TOO COLD FOR SITTING OUTSIDE

IN THE END, I RETREATED INTO MY SUNNY BEDROOM 

MITTENS SOON JOINED ME

AND TOGETHER WE SOAKED UP THE SUN 🌞 

I HOPE YOUR DAY HAS BEEN A SUNNY ONE

MARGARET xx

Car Wash

THE BIG EVENT TODAY WAS ME WASHING MY CAR.

NOT PERFECT, BUT RESPECTABLE, AND I WAS THRILLED BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN OVER TWO YEARS SINCE I WAS PHYSICALLY ABLE TO DO IT MYSELF.

OVERALL, IT HAS BEEN A SUNNY DAY WITH ONLY A FEW WISPY CLOUDS IN THE BLUE SKY

I DISTURBED A PRAYING MANTIS IN THE GARDEN

THE REMAINING RED KIWIFRUIT HAVE BEEN STEWED UP FOR TONIGHT'S DESSERT

STAY HAPPY 😊 

MARGARET xx

Visiting Family

I WAS ABLE TO VISIT WITH A DEAR FAMILY MEMBER TODAY

I LOVED THIS AFRICAN PARROT GLADIOLI IN THE GARDEN 

GOT CAUGHT IN A TRAFFIC JAM ON MY WAY HOME, SO HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO ADMIRE THE COLOUR IN THESE TREES

HOPE EVERYONE HAS HAD A GREAT DAY 💗 

MARGARET xx