Breakfast On The Deck

 

We had a pretty sunset last night.  I sat outside on the deck (again!) and watched as the clouds changed through the oranges and red colours and finally became dark (the colours were more intense than what has shown up in my photo).

Mittens sat in the grass garden and watched me.

Breakfast this morning was taken on the deck at 7am, with the sun peeping above the neighbour’s roof and the temperature sitting at a very pleasant 17 degrees Celsius.

Today I had rolled oats (straight from the packet) with chia seeds, a fresh plum (it was meant to be two, but one had gone rotten), milky yoghurt, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

My tea was Lady Grey, with no milk or sugar.

Most mornings I have a chewable vitamin C tablet, as it seems to work well with my constitution. 

The other object on the tray contains the last remnants of my latest block of comb honey.  It is an expensive treat (this one cost me $28), so I have only been having 1 teaspoon of it each morning.  Delicious!

I hope your day will be a happy one 😊

Margaret.

 

  

A Little Bit Of What You Like

 

There is a shop in Hamilton that sells quality home-made chocolate fudge.  I met up with some family members there this morning, and before we went to morning tea together I bought myself half a dozen pieces.

With so much “healthy” advice floating around these days, and the current fashion for making sugar a major culprit in ill health, I had to think twice before I bought the fudge.

I mentioned to the sales lady that it was my Little Guilty Treat, and she said there was nothing wrong with enjoying something you loved.  Her husband had recently suffered a heart attack which had brought them to the realisation of how short life actually is. 

She told me that when it comes down to it, whether you enjoy an occasional little treat or not will make absolutely no difference to the final outcome of your life.

It put me in mind of my own grandfather.  He loved cake and enjoyed a slice most days.  One of his favourite sayings was “a little bit of what you like never did you any harm.”  

He must have known something because he lived a reasonably healthy life until he passed away at the age of 90 years.

I think the secret is to stick to the “little” – to be moderate in our indulgence and not overdo things.  I intend to limit my fudge to one piece a day and thoroughly enjoy it each time.

We should never feel guilty when taking pleasure in something we enjoy.  Don’t you agree?

Margaret 😊

 

Out For Lunch

 

I think if I was left to my own devices I could easily become a hermit, so it is just as well I have friends who occasionally invite me to join them for lunch.

I always enjoy it, so I’m not really sure why it takes so much effort to be more social.  Perhaps I am getting into a bit of a rut – and that is no good at all!

Today I joined an old friend at a quiet café and we happily passed an hour together chatting about this and that and nothing in particular.

I ordered Macaroni Cheese and it came with token salad and a decorative drizzle of sweet sauce.  It went well with my lemon and ginger tea.

The afternoon was quiet and I had a little snooze on my bed in the sun.  It made Mittens very happy – she loves having me in the bedroom and seems to think it is her Cat Duty to keep an eye on me when I am there.

Lately she has been developing a new habit – if she thinks I haven’t come to bed at a reasonable hour, she will come and butt her head against my leg and then sit and frown at me (yes, cats can frown) until I make a move.

How can you not love an adoring moggy?

Margaret 😊

 

Little Miracles

 

When something has been lost for a long time and then is discovered again, I always feel like a Little Miracle has occurred.

Only a Little Miracle because it has little or no importance to anyone else but the person involved.

Many years ago, I remember my widowed mother being devastated when she mislaid her wedding ring.  It was over two years before it was found tucked into a crevice in the floor of the pantry.  Who knows how it got there, but she was delighted to have it back again.

Several weeks ago, Son lost a prized dress ring and all searches proved fruitless.  Yesterday, he went to pick up a bag of potting mix and there was the ring sitting nestled into a fold of the plastic bag.  To say he was happy is an understatement!

This last week I have had my own Little Miracle happen.  Around forty years ago, one of my brothers (now deceased) gave me a pretty china lady. 

Nothing incredible in itself, but something I really loved.  Then, about fifteen years ago, she disappeared – presumably I had disposed of her during the muddle of down-sizing to live in a caravan.

But I missed her, and after my brother died I missed her even more.

As they say, it is no good crying over spilt milk and my life moved on without my lady.  So, imagine my surprise and elation when Son unearthed her from an old box stashed in the back of his garage. 

The box contained a few cooking utensils, a couple of books, and some table placemats – as well as a large nest of ants!

A good wash in soapy hot water and my lady is as good as new.  I am so thrilled to have her back 😊

Margaret.

 

Where North Meets South

 

Keeping in line with my new habit of having a “wee dram” before dinner each night, I ordered some Pedersen’s Aquavit from the world’s most southernmost aquavit distillery and it has now arrived by courier.

Aquavit is a traditional Nordic spirit, usually flavoured with carraway and other herbs and botanicals.  This New Zealand version is marketed as having “The best of northern tradition, the finest of southern flavours,” and is basically a traditional Norwegian recipe with the addition of a secret blend of local (New Zealand) herbs, spices and aromatics.

The flavour is described as “Complex caraway, fennel and dill profile, with a hint of liquorice melting on the palate.  Highlights of bitter-sweet citrus and New Zealand botanicals, a smooth afterglow of summer honey.  A long finish, with notes of pohutukawa, manuka, and the caramel vanilla of American oak bourbon barrels.”

I describe it as earthy and refreshing and very very drinkable!

The company distilling this spirit practices environmental sustainability and the bottle arrived packaged in biodegradable plant starch and cardboard.  The portion of chocolate it arrived with was a bonus!

An information pamphlet arrived with the bottle and ends with the words of “nyt den.”  I looked that up and it is Norwegian for “enjoy it” and that I fully intend to do!

Good health everyone 😊

Margaret.

 

Back Home Again

 

There is nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed!  As much as it is nice to have a break or go on holiday, it is always nice to come back home to the old familiar things and the bed that seems to have moulded itself into your particular shape.

Both granddaughter and myself have been away the last ten days (different places, different reasons), which left son at home alone with the two cats and four rats. 

I arrived home yesterday and granddaughter came back today – the rats were totally unimpressed, but Mittens and Millie were thrilled to see us.

It was fish and chips for dinner tonight, a bit of a treat.  Being a Monday night, the place we normally go to was shut, so we tried another shop and it was just as good if not better.  Guess where we will go next time!

Keep smiling 😊

Margaret.

Excellent Customer Service

 

My cracked windscreen was replaced this morning and I now have a lovely new (very clean) windscreen.

I approached Smith & Smith to do the work and have nothing but praise for their friendliness, helpfulness and professionalism. 

They took care of all the insurance claim side of things, and I didn’t even have to go to the workshop as they came round to the house to do the job.

We had our first frost this morning – and I know some of you will snigger at what we call frost!  It was barely visible on the grass, but there was definitely a tinge of the white stuff there.

NIWA (the National Institute of Weather and Atmospheric Research) are forecasting a dry and warmish winter ahead for most of the country, but, if we get the chance, we are actually looking forward to being able to light the fire again and snuggle up by its warmth.

Smile and be happy 😊

Margaret.

Making New Friends

 

I’ve had a really lovely day today.  First up I spent most of the morning with Chris from diet-coke-rocks.blogspot.com – pop over and visit her if you are not already a follower. 

I’m always a bit nervous when I meet a new person but she was so easy to talk to – we laughed and yakked and laughed some more.  It was great and I hope we can repeat it again soon.

A random picture from my archives

After leaving Chris I visited my brother and his wife.  He had an operation yesterday to remove a large cyst from his eyebrow and is now looking like he has been in a fight with someone!

Have a happy day 😊

Margaret.