Anniversary Lunch

 It's our 41st anniversary so we decided to go out for lunch.  Thanks Dot for the lovely hand made card.

We decided on Speights Ale House in Palmerston North, setting off on a rather drizzly morning.  As the ads say, real men drink Speights.

Speights Ale House

We were soon seated, and checked out the menus.  What to have, that's always the question.  Although I love pork belly, I decided to go with something different, and chose  bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, and cherry sauce, very tasty indeed.  Robin couldn't go past the battered blue cod, and declared it perfect.  I had to forgo my usual small bottle of bubbly, due to my current medication, but enjoyed a glass of pineapple juice instead.  It was a small red wine for Robin, and we touched glasses and said "Cheers" for another  happy year together.  We reminisced about our 40th anniversary last year celebrated with a week in Rotorua.

Fish and chicken for lunch

The restaurant was quite busy so rather than bother the waiting staff, we took our own photos.

Happy 41st Anniversary to us

On the way back home we called in to Lewis Farms for another lovely big bunch of asparagus.  We have to make the most of this delicacy as the season usually finishes just prior to Christmas.  Just as well we didn't have dessert at the restaurant so there was room for a big strawberry ice-cream for him, and a nice hot coffee for me.

Lewis Farms shop

I always put my quilt "Hearts of Love", made to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2009, on the bed during November, our anniversary month, and again in February, to celebrate St Valentine.

Hearts of Love

My birthday socks finished, and gift

 I have finally finished this pair of socks for me.  This 4ply sock wool is branded Happy Feet, no colour named, just a number, and I received it as a birthday gift last year from Sew Wot friend Mary.    As most of you know, I knit my socks flat, two at a time, and packed the finished socks in my knitting bag on our recent caravan trip planning to get side seam stitched up.  That never happened, and I finally completed this task once we returned back home.  It's about time I finished them.

Although it is now Spring, we are having awful weather and no doubt I will be wearing socks for a little bit longer.  I'm really looking forward to the weather co-operating more and being able to wear lighter Summer clothes again.  The last couple of days of our trip home were cold and bleak.  Just look at this weather out of the caravan window!

Brr, it's chilly out there

Low clouds followed us as we drove along the Desert Road, and the traffic was quite heavy as it was the last day of a long holiday weekend.  There is no actual sandy desert as such, and the scenery changes dramatically, from sub alpine trees, to miles of tussock covered land which is used for military training, and then changes again to rolling farmland at the southern end. The rain and low clouds followed us, obscuring my view of Mt Ruapehu.

It was time to stop and catch our breath at Waiouru.  Robin attended to the fuel requirements while I went over to the coffee cart.  I had an interesting chat with the owner and another customer inside when I mentioned we were on our way home to Levin.  Both of these ladies had lived there in the past. 

Time for a coffee

The weather had cleared and it was sunny again by the time we reached the last stop on our trip, Marton.  Gemma was keen to get outside and smell the flowers, but that didn't last long.  Before too long, down came the rain and wind again, and we spent the last night of our trip tucked up cozily inside the caravan.

We returned home safely the next day, unpacked, and put the first load of washing on.  My friend Dot called around with birthday gift, isn't it lovely!

Thanks, Dot

Chookshed Challenge Check In

It's time for the final Chookshed Challenge Check In, to show  how we did the monthly challenges.  The idea was to list 10 items at the beginning of the year, UFOs or something new we wanted to start, and a number was drawn out each month.  Sadly, because of travel commitments, both September and October were a wipe out for me.  But I'm really pleased with what I had achieved during the other months.  So here is a quick run down of my progress.

August - Selvedge Bag.  All the pieces were sewn, it just needed assembly.

July - Unicorn Cushions.  These were quickly finished, and have been donated.

June - Train cot quilt.  This was a whole cloth quilt, needed layering, pinning and machine quilting.  I also completed a cushion to go with the quilt, using an embroidered train I had done some time ago.

May - Kiwi Place Mats.  The stitcheries had been completed, so it was just a matter of getting on and completing them.

April - House quilt top.  I had made lots of these blocks some years ago, my own design, using 2.5in strips.  I was pleased to finally assemble them into a top, if fact I had enough blocks for a single bed quilt size plus a baby quilt.

March - Horse Panel quilt.  I've got several panels tucked away, so it was great to get one finished.  

February - Elephants on Parade.  I wanted to use up a bag of pink and grey strips, which were originally cut for a piano key border - and didn't happen.  I loved the look of the elephants   There were enough strips left to make a second cot quilt too.

January - Navy Cardigan.  This was sitting in time out, just waiting for me to knit the collar.  It didn't really take too long to get this finished at all.

Overall, I'm very pleased with what I achieved this year,  UFOs finished, new projects started, I couldn't be happier.  And I'm so pleased that the Chookshed Challenge will be going ahead next year.  I'm sure I'll be able   to find ten more projects, including the two which didn't get looked at this year.  

Still traveling

I'm obviously much to busy to do too much knitting while we are on our road trip.  The only thing I've worked on is my pair of pink socks, mostly knitted while traveling in the car.  This pretty yarn was a gift from my daughter Nicky last Christmas, so I'd like to get them finished soon.  They are coming along, I think I'm just about up to the heels by now.   In case you don't know, I knit my socks flat, two at a time.

My pink socks

Not only have I packed my pink socks to work on this trip, I've also got two pairs of socks which need the side seam stitched up - no, not done yet.  Plus my blue cardigan which needs working one, not looked at either.  Guess I've been too busy getting out and about.

One of the interesting places we have been to while staying at Ohaupo while our caravan was getting its annual service was to check out the Peat Lakes, we had never been there before.

Ngaroto is the largest of the many peat lakes found between Hamilton and Te Awamutu.  These lakes were formed about 19,000 years ago when sand and gravel carried in the Waikato and Waipa river blocked up small valleys.  Water loving plants thrived and thick layers of peat eventually built up within the lake and around the margins.  There is a walkway around the lake, including stretches of boardwalk together with dirt and grass pathways, about a 6km flat walk.  Self contained camping is allowed at the lake side, and there were several motor homes staying the day we arrived.  

Lake Ngaroto

The next day we traveled out to The Mount (Mount Maunganui) while we were waiting for our caravan awning to be restitched,  so drove there and found a parking spot overlooking the beach.  What a busy bunch the locals were.  There were people climbing up the pathway on the Mount, tiny dots in the distance.  We watched as a never ending stream of people walked, jogged, ran and cycled along the pathway adjacent to the beach.  Fit youngsters  effortlessly ran by, older couples walked together, young Mums wheeled their babes in pushchairs, it was great to see many people out and about enjoying the morning.  Unfortunately when I got out of the car to take a photo I slipped and fell, and found myself on my back between the gutter and the adjacent car.  An unexpected fall is always quite frightening, and as I said to Robin as I clambered back up, it could have been so much worse.  I could have broken my ankle, or banged my head on the car, luckily all that was damaged was my pride.

  Mt Maunganui and beach

Another interesting find was the "Tree of Knowledge" at our next overnight stop, Welcome Bay, in Tauranga.  Perhaps I should have gone and hugged the tree, and asked it to impart some knowledge!

The Tree of Knowledge 

There is a large meeting room with books to swap, and several boxes of kiwi fruit had been donated for the members.  "Help yourselves", we were told, so we did.  What a bonus for the campers.

Help yourself to the kiwifruit

And just because we are on holiday, doesn't mean that the laundry doesn't get done.  There is always a trip or two to find a local laundromat while we travel.

Laundry time again

Gemma is stoic with car travel, she just puts up with it, but once out of the car and into the caravan she is completely relaxed.  Then she jumps up on the bed and spends time grooming herself, her way of calming down, I think.  She is always interested going outside on her lead to check things out.  And once she has finished sniffing the grass, she often likes to sit in the doorway.

I wonder what she is looking at, birds perhaps?

Caravan Trip and Another Birthday

 Last weekend we were getting ready to leave for a caravan rally.  Gemma decided to make life difficult for us, with all the hustle and bustle of packing the caravan going on.  "Why not give my people a hard time and hide for a while", she thought.  We were all ready to go and searched here, searched there, to no avail, then searched again.  Robin finally found her curled up and keeping low in a place I had already checked twice!  I don't know why she acts like this, after all she goes away in the caravan once a month at least so should be well used to the routine by now.  Finally she was secured in the car and we got on our way.

She can be rather naughty at times!

We were heading off to the Pohangina Domain, formerly the village school.  As we had a lunch date with my daughter, we were the first to arrive, put our van on site, and left before anyone else arrived.  The old school grounds are surrounded by lovely mature trees, and there are plenty of native birds everywhere.  And because it is a rural area, lambs were bleating, cattle were mooing, and the roosters were crowing!  The name Pohangina translates to "ulcerated night", suggesting that the valley had been a place of bloodshed between the local Rangitane people and their enemies.

It was a short 15 minute drive to The Herb Farm where we were meeting for lunch.  Nicky used to work here for several years in the laboratory, mixing up potions and creams. 

 We had a lovely lunch and then she had a couple of gifts for us.  One for Robin, for his birthday several weeks ago, and another for me.  I'm keeping mine to open on the actual day.  I had something for her too, several balls of crochet cotton which were looking for a new home at my last quilt club meeting, plus some extra  reels of thread I had.

The weather for our caravan weekend away was glorious, fine and sunny, such beautiful Spring weather.  The sunhats got their first outing of the season.  We took a trip to check out Totara Reserve, a rather nice camping spot.  Not yet open for the season, we left our cars at the locked gate and walked in.  

Enjoying the peaceful surroundings

On Sunday morning our caravan group packed up and headed away, most going home, but we were heading north, to Hamilton.  We stopped the night at Ohakune.  I know that towns in Australia are famous for the Big Pineapple or the Big Prawn, but here in New Zealand Ohakune is world famous for the Big Carrot!  Plenty of carrots are grown here, as well as potatoes and swedes.   In case you are wondering, the name Ohakune means "an opening to a new world" and refers to the descent from nearby Mount Ruapehu into the valley and swamps of the area.

The Big Carrot of Ohakune

We drove past Mt Ruapehu as we continued on our journey, it's always such a lovely sight to see.

Mt Ruapehu

The plan was to stay for two nights at Otorohanga, the name means "food for a journey".  There is a legend which tells of a Maori chief passing by, who chanted incantations that stretched out his meagre supply of food to last the full journey.  Otorohanga has a Kiwi House where visitors can go and see our elusive nocturnal national bird.  How about this colourful statue on the side of the road?

We arrived in Otorohanga

We decided to go out for a celebratory birthday dinner at the Otorohanga Club while we were here, a day early, as our next stop is in a very small settlement indeed and may not have somewhere to celebrate my birthday.  That wouldn't do at all, would it!  We both enjoyed roast pork and veggies, and bubbly for me, and a beer for him.

Our meals were delicious

After breakfast the next day (my actual birthday) I had cards and gifts to open, how exciting.  Such  a lovely time opening parcels and exclaiming over the contents.  First up was the parcel from my daughter Nicky.  She had buttonhole stitched around three new flannels (face clothes) and had included a bag of Russian Fudge.  

From my daughter Nicky

I had two exciting parcels from Sew Wot friends too.  Heather had wrapped up a pretty candle, a crochet dishcloth, a packet of pretty paper serviettes, and just look at that cute little pink pig!  

Thank you Heather

And lastly, the most lovely knitting bag from Mary.  At our last Sew Wots morning I had admired the knitting bag which Mary had made for Jude, and now she has stitched one for me as well.  This  bag is made with pussy cat fabric and the words say:

The Quilter's Cat.

Between layers of fabric stashes snuggles the Quilter's Cat

Sleeping by day, prowling by night

Shedding hair for all to wear

The Quilter and her Cat

A picture of contentment at that

Knitting bag from Mary

I had a lovely birthday with plenty of messages, and a phone call from my son.  "You are getting old, Mum", he commented.  "I'll be even older next year with my BIG birthday", I replied.  Where have all those years gone?

Town and Around

 We have been busy lately, tooing and froing all over the place.  Last week we met our caravan club friends for lunch down at Denny's in Porirua.    Denny's is a casual, family style restaurant, with quite an extensive menu, something for everyone's tastes.  Our group of 20 was spread out over three tables, and the restaurant was fairly full with other family groups too.  Our members are spread out geographically, some driving over the hill from the Wairarapa, some from the Horowhenua, Kapiti, and the Hutt Valley.  The serious business of checking out the the menus took place and we all made our choices.  It was roast pork for Robin and salmon for me.  It took a while for all the 20 meals to be delivered and the noise from our tables certainly decreased while we ate our lunches.  A few ordered dessert, some had coffees and we were all happy little campers indeed.  Robin can never pass by a chocolate sundae, and I finished my meal with a coffee.

Chocolate ice-cream sundae for Robin

With the meal finished, we said our goodbyes and went on  our way.  While we were down in Porirua I wanted to call into Pete's Emporium.

All sorts of goodies are sold here, and the haberdashery section is wonderful.  Aisle after aisle of delightful things on offer, buttons, buckles, lace, cord, ribbons, fringes, all sorts of things to tempt you.

Lots of wonderful goodies here

I was after some wide green ric rac for a project I'm working on.  Luckily I had taken some completed green blocks along to get an idea of the shade I wanted.  Once home, I washed it straight away, just in case there was shrinkage.

Just what I wanted

On Saturday our town hosted "Age on the Go", with various stalls offering services to the older people in the community.  Robin was helping at his Menz Shed stall.  Menz Shed is a country wide group, also found in Australia, I believe, which offers friendship and fellowship, and a place to do practical skills such as woodwork and metal work.  They also do community projects.

Menz Shed members with some of their work

While Robin was on duty I wandered around the hall I came across a couple of ladies selling quilts, bags, and other small items.  They call themselves M & M.

Lovely quilts for sale

I was looking for a particular stall, "Grandparents raising Grandchildren" and had a nice chat to these ladies.  I had previously donated a couple of children's quilts to this charity down in Kapiti so was pleased to see that there was now a local branch.  "Would you like some children's quilts?" I asked.  They certainly would, and were so grateful for my offer. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to have your retirement turned upside down when you find your grandchildren in need of your care.  Sadly, most of these children need care because of drug and alcohol use  by their parents.  I often make children's donation quilts so will be more than happy to pass some on to this wonderful group.

A wonderful charity

Another stall I was happy to stop and chat to was Age Concern.  I am a member of this group and go along to their rooms for a weekly gentle exercise class, aimed at helping with balance.

Age Concern for seniors

After walking around the hall I was ready to sit down at the pop up cafe for a coffee and a muffin.  This cafe was run  by young people training in hospitality, cooking and kitchen management skills at a local polytech just down the road from us.  A friend came to join me too, and we had a lovely time chatting away.

I was back at Age Concern today to attend the newly set up Arthritis Support Group.  Just a small group this time but hopefully the attendance will grow as the months go by.  

So that's what I have been getting up to lately.  I'm still doing some quilting, and knitting.  We are off for another short trip in the  caravan shortly so must make sure to take my knitting bag with me.