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Sunday, September 16, 2018

I’ve been looking everywhere!

This weekend we are away at a caravan club rally, a chance to give my sore throat and head a change of scene.  I’m slowly coming right, and as often happens, my cough worsens at night.  While packing up for our three day weekend away, I was looking everywhere for my sewing pouch, where I keep my New Zealand Botanical stitchery blocks.  I looked here, and there, in all sorts of cubby holes, and then again in the places I’d already searched, just in case it’d missed it the first time!  Checked the caravan of course, but to no avail.  And once we had arrived at our destination, what did I see on my bedside cabinet?  You guessed it, my missing sewing pouch, tucked away on top of some books.

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That’s what I was looking for!

We left our kitten Gemma in the van while we caught up with our friends, and what a fright we got when we returned.  She had managed to wriggle herself out of her harness – how on earth did she do that, we wondered?  We had attached the lead which got caught up on something, and obviously that gave her something to pull against while she wriggled out.

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After all that excitement, she settled down in the sunshine on top of the couch and went to sleep, the picture of innocence.

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This is a pretty camp, nicely maintained with spotless ablution blocks.  Happy birds chirped and fluttered around in the aviary.  And what's this?  Someone had constructed a large moa out of left over branches – very well done, I thought.  Moas were large flightless birds (about as big as an ostrich) and were hunted to extinction over 500 years ago.

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I did some “slow stitching” sitting outside in the sunshine over the weekend.  This is my Alpine Buttercup block.  It’s been put aside for a while, and then I couldn't find it, but with a bit more dedicated stitching time this block will soon be finished. 

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We were very lucky with the weekend Spring weather, it was lovely and fine, and  warm enough to sit outside and enjoy.  Our group took a walk around nearby Virginia Lake and saw all sorts of water birds, elegant swans, noisy ducks, some with tiny ducklings paddling hard to keep up with their Mum, even  a terrapin sunning himself.  As we walked slowly along the path, enjoying the sights, we had to step aside smartly as a posse of mad joggers came racing by.

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Maori mythology tells a haunting story of how young maiden Tainui met up with a bird lover named Turere. They shared a passion and ability to talk with the birds, but jealous and angry Ranginui wanted Tainui to become his wife. He set off to kill Turere where the lake now lies. In her grief, Tainui cried tears adding to the water of the lake.

12 comments:

Allison said...

How lovely you take your kitten with you. We have seen a couple of happy campers with cats but far and few between. So annoying to lose something - I often find them where I left them and where I thought I had already looked LOL.

Maria said...

Pleased you are feeling a bit better. Also that you found the pouch.
Oh NO Gemma's a naughty kitten escaping from her harness....
Nice to sit and stitch while enjoying the nice scenery..

Karen S said...

We all know the feeling of looking for something and not being able to see what is in front of us. Glad you found your stitching in the end.
Looks like you had a lovely time away with the weather and location.

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

Good thing you are doing fine now Jenny. I spend quite a bit of time searching for things...I always did so I’m not too worried. Love your Adventures quilt top and I think I mentioned already, I am familiar with moa from doing my crossword puzzles.

The Cozy Quilter said...

I spent 30 minutes searching for my little container of thread heaven this week. It must have been hiding with your sewing pouch! I did find it eventually...

I hope you hav3 a good holiday at your caravan and get the rest of your block done. The cat seems very content now!

CathieJ said...

So glad that you found your stitching. I seem to be misplacing a whole bunch of things lately. I am too busy to be mindful of where I put them down. Gemma is adorable and obviously an escape artist. You will have to keep an eye on her. Your stitching is so pretty as are those great photos. I am glad that you are feeling somewhat better.

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

I hate when I can't find something I am looking for. It usually is right before my eyes. But, I do love the feeling when I finally found it. Your kitty is so sweet and what a sweet block!

Kathy S. said...

What a peaceful place to stitch. LOVE the pics of your fluffy cat "helping".

Karla (ThreadBndr) said...

What a lovely ramble you had! As always, I love your little 'travelogues'. And the flower blocks are coming right along.

Tired Teacher said...

What a delightful outing with all the birds you spotted. Glad you found your sewing pouch. I had a similar experience recently. After my move I couldn't find an item: I looked everywhere multiple times. It was frustrating, and I gave up the search. While packing for a trip, I found the item in my suitcase that I had searched numerous times with no luck. It was hidden in plain sight.

Julierose said...

Oh I hate that feeling when you've "lost" something !! I forget where I put things a lot!! (olde brain, I guess).Glad it found you hahaha.
I've only used the word MOA in crossword puzzles it is a favorite
it seems...Nice to see one...Hugs, Julierose

Janice said...

Don’t you hate it when something vanishes. At least it turned up in the van, so you could do some stitching. What a naughty kitty! That’s a trick for young players. Her name should be Houdini.