inky

It is now behind me, but definitely still within me.

2011-10-20T15:37:00.003+13:00

Had a great time in Paris and London with Helen. My birthday celebrated in two places: Lyme Regis, and Paris on the Seine at night.
Best of all, meeting these delicious folks from USA, Holland, Bournemouth. It would be wonderful to go again when they hold another conference next year.

Bournemouth, London and Paris, here we come!

2011-09-22T15:41:00.002+12:00

Helen and I about to head off on our adventure to Bournemouth/London/Paris for three weeks.
Can't wait. . . photos to follow.

Bunting

2011-07-20T10:47:00.002+12:00

Getting the bunting started for Jem and Ian's wedding reception in October. A ways to go yet. . .

2011-07-11T13:44:00.008+12:00

Enjoyed a family dinner around at Helen's last night - celebrating Phil being over here. Got a rare photo of us all together.
Helen's boys helped serve up.
The 'bigger' boys all waiting to be served.
At the table after dinner, having a shot taken on self timer.
Fitting into the little silver car afterwards.

Younger brother visits

2011-07-09T09:14:00.006+12:00

Phil is over for three weeks from CA, and the four of us visited the movies at Westgate and enjoyed realigning ourselves so we ended up chronologically seated.

Had my colours done recently, and adjusted hair colour accordingly.

Jeanette comes to stay

2011-06-18T15:52:00.003+12:00

Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips came to stay for a couple of nights this week. Haven't seen Nettie for years, so we had a good catch up.
This was taken on the last night on my cellphone, which is why the quality is so bad.

Wellington Weekend April 29 - Royal wedding as well

2011-05-02T20:57:00.004+12:00

I popped down to Wellington to visit Catherine Gardner.
This was a trip I made on Sunday afternoon, just checking
out where I used to live and the stations along the way.

The church goes camping over Easter

2011-04-27T12:29:00.005+12:00

We are so few, that it is an easy matter to plan a camping trip for a few days over the long Easter weekend. We went to Muriwai, and found a sheltered valley, and gathered there in our tents and a caravan from Thursday to Monday.
It remained greyish throughout the days we were there, and only Helen and I, who stayed through to Monday, got wet and had to pack in showers.

A rich time had by all.

Pre-Easter Dinner party for four

2011-04-27T12:19:00.004+12:00

April 16 was a dinner party here for John, and the Duncans. Hearing about the Hastings region cycle trip that Duncans took recently.

Checking out the Grandparent's homestead

2011-04-27T12:11:00.006+12:00

I drove Mum, Dad and Helen down to Opaheke, outside Drury, for Dad to show Helen and I where the old homestead that we used to visit our grandparents was. This is Mum and I on Clark's beach afterwards, having a snack.

Above: Pre-wasps - still enjoying lunch on the side of a country road.
Below: Outside the homestead at the end of Opaheke Road.
Barely recognisable as the old house, which used to have a deep verandah around this corner.

To Clark's Beach, Pukekohe and back

2011-03-20T17:12:00.003+13:00

Took a lovely long drive down South Auckland today, to the bottom of the Manukau harbour, and had lunch at Pukekohe. Then Helen and I found the sea - but the tide was out.
You could just see the Sky Tower in the distance - EVEN way down here.

Church camps at Piha

2011-02-13T21:48:00.003+13:00

Sitting in front of Helen's and my tent upon arrival at lunchtime on Saturday.
On the road in front of the Boyd's caravan, taking this shot of where the tents were.
Lots of time just sitting chatting, but then plenty spent on the beach and swimming or walking too.

Summer holidays over January

2011-01-17T07:55:00.015+13:00

Lovely holiday at Waihi with Helen and then Rotoiti with Duncans and Peter.

New Year 2011

2011-01-05T16:47:00.004+13:00

Saw the New Year in from my tent at Piha, where I spent three days in company with the Cowans in their caravan. This is the view from my tent, facing Lion Rock.
An evening stroll with Matt the dog and John, chatting to others on the beach.
Mum, Dad, Catherine Gardner and her Aunt Breda came out for a visit on the 30th Dec.
Did a long two-hour walk along the ridge line to Karekare beach.
Helen and Liam came out and had bbq with us on New Year's Eve before watching the Sound of Music in the caravan.

The aftermath. . .

2010-12-28T15:09:00.003+13:00

A bit of deconstruction of dresses bought on TradeMe that were too small. . .
. . . a bit of construction of new tents in preparation for camping at Piha.

Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-28T15:04:00.012+13:00

Arriving with present at 8am over the road at Helen's place.

Present opening begins.

Then off to the North Shore and my cousins place, where we had a family lunch.

Mmmmmm

Friend's Christmas BBQ

2010-12-20T10:49:00.005+13:00

AND a GOOD TIME was had BY ALL!

Christmas baking underway

2010-12-17T10:58:00.005+13:00

GOT to have Christmas mince pies. . .
maybe a few raspberry tarts. . .
. . . and definitely Gingerbread Men!

Christmas occasions

2010-12-17T10:54:00.007+13:00

There have been so many of these celebrations - and this is the lunch we who work in the Office of the University Librarian enjoyed to celebrate Christmas and the end of the year. The pink drink - my BOO BOO - a non alcoholic delight of shaved ice and pineapple and other juices.
I matched my drink. . .
Bridget, Larraine and Gill
Rene', Shari and Eamon. . .

Queen of Hearts/Tarts tonight at Library Christmas Party

2010-12-09T13:36:00.002+13:00

Pool perfection

2010-12-02T21:59:00.007+13:00

HOT days in late Spring required a trip to the Warehouse for the acquisition of this necessity.

Oh yes, now I have everything! Bike, hammock, and pool. What else does anyone need?

The Last Cornish Pasty

2010-12-02T21:51:00.007+13:00

And there it is - the last pasty made by Mum, and offered to me to take home for dinner last week. She says the mincer has finally died, and anyway, it's a big job scraping off those bits of stuck pastry from the oven tray afterwards, but a pang went through me. . .
These little beauties have been a family favorite ever since Grandma Jeffries OR Attwater popped them on our plates way back when. Cornish roots coming out in the recipe - which I discovered to be pretty close to the authentic one when I visited Cornwall myself.
Dripping is always the method of holding the pastry together, and the filling has to have swede and maybe turnip in it, along with onion and minced meat. NO carrots, peas, potato or that palaver.
A dash of tomato sauce and Bob's your uncle.
And now they're all gone. Mum says she'll be using pita pockets from now on - oh well. I guess I could take up the gauntlet.

The wheels are spinning

2010-11-18T11:09:00.004+13:00

There's been an awful lot of this happening of late. So much, that nothing else has really been getting done. Oh well - it's only housework! After such a long wet winter, we just can't get enough of the sunny weekends.

Setting up new area at work

2010-10-14T15:04:00.003+13:00

I enjoy my role as marketing and communications coordinator for the AUT library. We've just moved from one end of the floor to the other - a small move you might think, but no, it took masses of paperwork and meetings, and organising different departments to set up computers or powerpoints, and finally, voila, I find myself in new home.

Birthday celebrations

2010-10-09T15:02:00.004+13:00

Love this one of Mum's eager face. I'm blowing the candles out on the lemon syrup cake my sister made me for my birthday at the humble family afternoon tea.
Helen presented me with these wonderful floral panniers for my bike that she had made herself.
Dinner out with friends at Gusto on Ponsonby Road.

Spring deconstructions. . .

2010-10-02T17:31:00.003+13:00

This was a 'workshop' we ladies from BE group envisaged for ourselves and organised. We met at a second hand clothing warehouse and spent an hour or two gathering items to cut and paste (so to speak) then arrived with sewing machines and lunch at Bev's beautiful home in Titirangi. This is us about to start sewing.
I made this 'America's Cup' outfit out of a man's shirt with that on it, and a frilly little ladies top. Love the length.
And the one below is from a long hippie dress that touched the floor. I've taken the middle out, and attached the bottom to the top part with some addition of gold shiny fabric and buttons.
Good fun.

Healthy liver

2010-09-29T12:24:00.003+13:00

Oh how I love my early morning vegie and fruit juice, straight out of my new juicer. So delish.

Dad's 83rd

2010-09-01T16:04:00.001+12:00

Helen hosted this occasion at her place.

Spring is popping up everywhere

2010-09-01T15:59:00.003+12:00

The early morning walk is so much more pleasant when it's sunny! It has been a while. . .

Blossoms and buds popping up everywhere.

Artwork in the Te Atatu Abundance Gallery

2010-08-22T21:19:00.002+12:00

Two of my paintings now in the gallery in Te Atatu. We're all hoping the lovely little gallery does well. . .

Church lunch at Titirangi

2010-07-26T09:49:00.004+12:00

Kohe and Rawiri shouted us all lunch at a wonderful Indian Restaurant in Titirangi yesterday. We enjoyed lots of toasts, and read out some of the uplifting texts that had been sent in the last couple of years, that Kohe had copied over to strips of paper and handed around in a glasses case, to read.

Nothing much happening these days

2010-07-15T09:52:00.004+12:00

. . . apart from the acquisition of these rather lovely button necklaces, purchased off TradeMe for $20.
and the glorious crunchy deliciousness of frost on the grass on my walks in the morning. I especially walked across the soccer field which was pristine in its whiteness - and enjoyed the footsteps I left behind.

(Sigh) but that's about it for winter really. Bitterly cold inside the house and jolly hard to knuckle down and work in such a temperature.

Mid winter food

2010-07-03T13:33:00.003+12:00

I love baking in the wintertime - the top Pear Frangipani Pie ready for tonight's Midwinter Christmas party, and the chocolate brownie with blackberries (below) last night's dessert. Unfortunately, I had also just found out from the doctor that my cholesterol was way up (8.5) so that put paid to total enjoyment of the food baked.

Endings and beginnings

2010-06-28T09:28:00.003+12:00

The church got together at my place last night for a soup pot luck, a roaring fire, and a meeting to follow. After the kids were settled down in Steve's room to see a DVD, we spent some time just singing. Then Mark read out an email he'd received from Nick earlier in the day. . .

Playing with filters on morning walk

2010-06-24T10:56:00.008+12:00

Nothing like playing with filters to make the winter scenery on my walk so much more inviting.

Shortest day now behind us. . .

2010-06-23T17:31:00.003+12:00

These are the demolished windows from our house, still lying on the lawn weeks later.
Nothing much happening for me but hibernation - lots of reading, lots of lolling in bed recovering from the winter cold, lots of baking/cooking (sigh). Just been over to help Helen dig out her weeds, and it's already dark now at 5.30. No cycling except up to the shops and back. Still, there's something to be said for laying low for a month or so.

Christchurch to see Meg and the boys

2010-05-30T20:01:00.013+12:00

Bit of a cold trip down to Christchurch to catch up with Meg. Dropped about 10 degrees, and rain and greyness pervading all.
We managed to get to the movies twice, though, and ate chocolate beforehand.
In the morning, caught up with Jane at Caffe Roma for breakfast in front of fire.
One of a few great paintings Meg is working on.
Jack and Louis bored at Caffe Roma today.
Meg and I NOT bored.
Rather gorgeous view of the ridge of the alps shrouded in cloud as I came further north tonight.

Helen's birthday and other family things

2010-05-23T14:24:00.012+12:00

Random photos from the big roast dinner we had last night in celebration of Helen's birthday

The golden season

2010-05-19T08:57:00.010+12:00

A lovely thick mist softened all the hard edges on my walk around Te Atatu this morning.
making of a rubbish bin, a hallowed object
setting a small galleon sailing in dewy splendour through the teatree bush
enchanting the eye with this spider's craft

erasing the city completely
and making an oil painting of the inner harbour.

Next deconstruction item. . .

2010-05-13T17:38:00.005+12:00

Now the difficulty is finding items to wear UNDER the tops I'm making. Not happy with either of the possibilities below, but I do like the tunic. So easy to put together when someone else has done buttons and collar.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-10T08:46:00.014+12:00

This Mother's Day, we had High Tea at Woodglen Road, bringing all the little savouries and sweets and setting it all up on Mum and Dad's table.
Steve came on his motorbike with yummy bakery items, we had gluten free items for Jemma, and overall, more food than we could handle.
Lovely little celebration around the kidney-shaped table. (How appropriate)
Helen and Jem (who came up from Rotorua)
Once we finished the savoury items we loaded the tiered cake stand up with the sweet.

Ashley came in a bit later, after being at the bach mowing the lawn, and Phil called from California - Helen is holding phone so the speaker phone can be heard.

High tea for Mother's Day coming. . .

2010-05-06T21:52:00.003+12:00

Sunday is Mother's Day, and we're doing a high tea for it - this is my start - some of my favourite Belgium Biscuits. I hope they make it to the weekend.

Deconstructing clothing

2010-05-02T21:06:00.009+12:00

What I'm into at the moment - sewingwise - is deconstruction. It has opened up a whole vista of new possibilities that suit a creative but lazy person like me. Oh, and did I mention cheap as well. That's me - cheap. Anyway, what you do is go to your local op shop - and instead of coming away with very little because you are fussyish about what you'll wear ready-made, you can grab a heap of stuff that you see potential in, by just removing a collar or cutting shorter, or adding another garment to it. See my four items below. . .
No 1 is a nice blouse, which I've cut shorter and added a length of my favourite material to. Then a panel section which I've sewn paua beads on.

No. 2 is a man's sturdy 'lumberjack' shirt, which I cut the sleeves off, used the cuffs to add some definition to the waistline, and voila - a waistcoat.
No.3 is a stretch jersey/sweater, that I've cut back to 3/4 length sleeves, and used just the sleeves and bottom half, and amazingly they fitted perfectly into a stretchy cotton shirt, with eyelets, once I took those sleeves out. Now I have a nice long tunic top. And look (below) the little eyecatchers on this one are watch faces sewn onto the collar.

Finally, no. 4 is this one made today out of another jersey/sweater, which I've used for the top half, and a hank of material I bought for the strip and the longer half at the bottom. This one took a bit of getting right because I made it too slim, but with some extra gussets in the back, it's now working. Phew.

. . . don't look too close.
And the detail is the different coloured buttons from Mum's button tin, which have been around most of my lifetime.

Foggy Mornings and friends

2010-04-28T07:39:00.007+12:00

Outside my studio window the tree has changed colour at last, and this morning there is a dense mist shrouding all the familiar objects (this photo taken a couple of days ago). Winter well and truly on its way.
Last Saturday night we relived the Otago Rail Trail, and John brought his projector to beam the photos up against the wall of the lounge. BBQ beforehand and plenty of laughs.
The Boyds came for most of it - here's Jan and I on the small seater.
And Sunday morning we skyped Nick, who shared more from Gene's book with us.
. . .in the afternoon, Jan, Helen and I went for a wander around Herne Bay while my bike was fixed.

Toadstool Time Again. . .

2010-04-23T19:52:00.012+12:00

What's happening these days? Glass budgies, deconstructed clothing, and 'shrooms. Check it all out. . .
Deeeeelicious glass budgies all over the wall of the newest cafe in the Peninsula - 'Luscious'. And these birds are just that.
Jan and I did a bit of catching up over coffee recently, which was all good. I wore my latest deconstructed garment - what once had been a men's shirt, and now is a (stylish?) waistcoat. Well, I think so anyway.
And all over the ground outside our house, is my favourite item of this particular time of the year, yes, you have it - 'shrooms. Or to be more precise: toadstools. These little beauties sprang up a week ago and were gone again overnight, and the red ones have started appearing on the front lawn. So very 'Alice in Wonderland' of them.

Cathy and I get a weekend away at Warkworth

2010-04-18T17:17:00.021+12:00

Cathy and I got a rare weekend away together, just to enjoy some girlie time - DVDs, lots of chatting, coffee, movies, markets. If only it had been a week! Cathy found this cute self-contained cottage 15 mins north of Warkworth - up a long dirt road, and down a steep rutted track, but so worth it. Had to find out how to turn on the power - solar heating panels in foreground there, and some gas help to build up necessary voltage and be stored in container inside.
Worm farm attached to the flush toilet - water in tank - gas stove top. Once we'd worked it all out it was easy and fun.
Couldn't get over how utterly dark it was at night - couldn't see my hand in front of my face in bed - and in the morning, the birdsong was glorious.
View from our bedroom (below).

The little bridge had solar powered fairy lights on it that lit up in the evening.
Cup of tea and toast in bed in the morning.
My bed. . .
Matakana market was great - the crowds not too bad, and now I know where all the English go in the weekend.
Still in our pyjamas in the front of the cottage.
Yes, we did do a bit of paddling around the lake.

Fresh smoked salmon on toast - from the Matakana market.
Movie at the Matakana cinema.
And to round it all off - High Tea at Brookfields Tea House - delicious. A brew of 'Girly Grey' suited us perfectly.

A trip to town by bus for great nephews and their Mum

2010-04-15T21:14:00.008+12:00

Nicola texted me at work yesterday, and I just had time to come and get her and the boys outside Borders and take them for the first time to the Auckland Public Library.
They dove straight into the books, and crayons.
Dion LOVES books!
and Cohen just loves anything he can zip around, and throw himself on to, or play with.

Birthdays this last week

2010-04-11T13:42:00.002+12:00

It has been a week for birthdays. Here's Catherine, on Friday, enjoying a meal with me in Elliot Stables, at the French Creperie before we went to IMAX to see Alice.
On Monday night, I'd had Robin and Rob Hannah out for dinner, which was a roast chicken followed by croissant and cream pudding.
And Megan is up from Christchurch at the moment, and her birthday is TODAY. It was great to catch up with her last night.

Autumnal Amblings

2010-04-08T20:34:00.007+12:00

The air is crisp and clean, the path darker until the dazzling sun hits you in the eye as you round the curve of path by the harbour. Yes, it's that season again. For the first time I wore long sleeves and needed to.

. . .and over Easter, Jemma came up from Rotorua, and we all shared a few of these treats around. I still have some turning up unexpectedly in bags in my wardrobe.

HAPPY EASTER!

2010-03-31T13:21:00.004+13:00

Now I KNOW it's got NOTHING to do with chocolate OR rabbits - nothing. But these little beauties came my way yesterday, for no deserving reason, and they are simply the finest chocolates I've had in maybe almost a lifetime. Colestown Chocolates hand made in Queenstown, NZ.

We did it - the Rail Trail!

2010-03-25T10:18:00.002+13:00

I didn't want to put it up twice, but you can see the photos on the blogsite here,
or go to my kodak gallery to view them here.

Enjoy

Central Otago Rail Trail

2010-03-11T15:26:00.002+13:00

. . . is about to happen. Tomorrow. I can't wait. The wee handlebar bag is waiting on my bed with map attached under top plastic flap. Two bags packed with clothes to suit all eventuality. Nervous eyeing of the weather report every couple of hours.

Meglamania in the Library

2010-02-19T16:06:00.002+13:00

Found this old movie taken a couple of years ago, and the review that John wrote of it. Still very funny today.

Film Review: “Executive Vacuum”An initially disarming and then gripping portrayal of power and passion in the sterile, academic setting of a university library. A coup during the absence of the executive staff leads to the dizzying rise through the ranks of two women who, in a Thelma-and-Louise-esque feminist adventure, find themselves out of their depth, trapped in roles they grabbed for themselves and then cannot relinquish. The central drama is furnished by the interplay between the powerfully-portrayed personalities of the leading characters. Tension builds as the acquiescent receptionist pleads, “What are we supposed to be doing?” This plaintive cry for purpose, dignity and identity is pungent, as she senses she is being dragged along by a stronger, more forceful personality who is pursuing her own fantasy of unattainable goals and unsustainable follies. The receptionist’s horror and then compliance with Jenny is evocative of 1940s Germany, aware of the madness of her dream-merchant dictator, aware of the hideous fate that her choice to follow is dooming her to, and yet willing to embrace the leader’s Quixotic foolishness with glee. An ever darker theme that threads through the film, underlying the apparent capriciousness of the Jenny character, is the evolution of her power-mad megalomania. She relishes the opportunities that fate has delivered to her: a power vacuum and a coercible accomplice. The viewer can see her pathology gestating from initial assertion of control over her colleague to the chilling climax where she gives ululating voice to her Messianic delusion: “We are the library!” “We make all the decisions!”««« ½ JC

Jemma gets a new bike

2010-02-18T22:01:00.004+13:00

Helen gave Jemma a bike for her birthday, which has since been taken down to Rotorua where Jem lives now. Perfect present for her I would judge from her expression.

New summer top

2010-01-27T12:04:00.005+13:00

Not such successful sewing so far. Got this gold material from Geoff's Emporium and had to stitch and fix, and stitch and fix, to get it to this point. Got to stop now. Sheesh.

Can't get enough of Tagines

2010-01-20T09:43:00.006+13:00

I bought this little beauty in Rotorua when I was there last week, and have already 'seasoned' it and had a delish meal (over two days) out of it. Wish I'd got the larger one now, but this will be fine for just me. A whole host of wonderful Moroccan food is now at my fingertips.
Chicken tagine (above) - at least the other half of it after eating one plateful. More ideas and recipes here: http://www.tagines.com/
And breakfast these days, is muesli with wonderful watermelons and plums, the seasonal fruit du jour.

Rotoiti and Waihi Beach

2010-01-17T09:31:00.025+13:00

Helen and I spent some time down at the family bach at Waihi beach, and this is us heading off for dinner on Saturday night to Flat White.

. . . and we did a bike trip to the other end of the beach - Bowentown - where we had a coffee at the local cafe there.
This is such a typical sight for a Jeffries - the walkway up and over on to the beach. Mair Island in the distance.

A balmy evening on the beach by myself.

I headed to Lake Rotoiti on Wednesday and joined friends Cathy and Gordon for the rest of the week. Took my bike this time and got a wee bit of cycling in.

Summer Daze

2010-01-04T12:43:00.007+13:00

. . .bike rides. . .
. . . all my own salad vegies. . .
. . . catching up with friends. . .
. . . two favourite summer items. . .
FAMILY.

Dinner at Duncans

2009-12-29T14:41:00.008+13:00

Enjoyed a good catch up and bbq tea with Gordon and Cathy last night, seeing their renovations more complete and the carpet down throughout the house.
AND my friend's recently shaved head (for child cancer). We sat in the late afternoon sun on the front deck and then moved in to the table inside.
It's all looking very nice now - wooden surfaces, a dishwasher, and lots of open light space.

Fruit salad and icecream sundaes for dessert.

Christmas

2009-12-26T10:55:00.023+13:00

Christmas Party for friends in gypsy theme

2009-12-20T11:33:00.023+13:00

Scenes from the bbq last night, for friends. Great night - lots of salads and tapas, and live music provided by guests and myself - 2 cellos, 1 violin, 1 flute.

Chchchanges. . . garden, gingerbread men

2009-12-17T08:43:00.012+13:00

Truffles for Christmas

2009-12-13T17:50:00.005+13:00

Feeling a little bit ill - someone has to clean out the bowls after cooking these fiddly wee things. I just CAN'T let it go down the drain. These have a pudding base, rather than cake, and taste rather rich and brandified, which is all good.
and the left over choc/kremelta mix I just added rice bubbles and coconut to, and put them in these paper cups. Then left over white choc mix and half a marshmallow. Nice.

Christmas lights along Franklin Road

2009-12-10T08:13:00.017+13:00

Jan and I did a wander down Franklin Rd on a lovely balmy evening last night. All the lights were wonderful and quite magical as the sky lost its pastel glow and descended into reflex blue.

Mandolins, Mum and Magpies

2009-12-06T15:41:00.009+13:00

Went to a Gallery opening yesterday, called The Magpies, in honour of the women all exhibiting who termed themselves Magpies, after those cocky black birds from Aussie that love collecting. Bought a bag from Barbara, the woman third from the right.
And Friday night was all about my Mum and her Mandolinata Orchestra - celebrating 40 years of playing. I think it was the last time Mum intended to get her Mandolin out and play with a group so a bit of a special event. That's her in the purple blouse surrounded by friends.
Helen and I, above, and Dad, Helen and Liam below, all came as support.
Lovely night and I think they all enjoyed themselves.

Gardens and potmitts

2009-11-30T16:53:00.008+13:00

There IS a certain wildness to my homemade gifts AND my garden. This was going to be a table runner, but it didn't work out, so I made the padded flowers into pot mitts instead. If I apply my favourite word 'quirky' to them, they are okay.
. . . and down below is the back porch scrubbed down, but needing some more I think, to rid it of the slippery surface inevitable in any house in Auckland.
Meanwhile, by the back wall, my garden is blooming. Those are the tomatoes, and the spinach plants.
and the lettuces and baby carrots, with a hint of radish in front.
And nearer the weed end, are the yellow beans and silverbeet. Grow garden, grow.

Christmas a month away

2009-11-21T09:03:00.009+13:00

You can tell it's nearing Christmas - strawberries with muesli/flakes for breakfast.
A frantic bout of sewing last Thursday, cutting out without a pattern and experimenting, resulting in these little makeup bags that only Dr Seuss could have made.
I had fun, and I'm hoping they won't be too disappointing if I put some useful items inside them!

My vegie garden now. . .

2009-11-21T09:00:00.004+13:00

Something seems to be eating the yellow beans, but haven't found what yet. . .
everything else coming along nicely. I think the lettuces should be ready for Christmas Day lunch.

Twinemoon

2009-11-19T17:08:00.005+13:00

Yes, I can't believe it myself, but I was sitting with my two oldest nieces last night between 9:30pm and 2:30am enjoying opening night of New Moon, and a double feature including the first film Twilight. I think some of the excitement has rubbed off in these photos.
Four theatres in this cinema complex booked out.

Sweat, zoodoo, plants and a few days later

2009-11-12T12:29:00.008+13:00

Ah, the windowsill in Springtime. Those were buds taken from the rose bushes I fearlessly pruned (belatedly) in preparing the back garden for vegies. Still, quite lovely to see them unfold in from of my nose as I prepare my breakfast.
These pots have now to be dug out and replenished with fresh potting mix and flowers (see below).
But at least amongst all the newly acquired plants, there were vegetables, and now the vegies are in the ground, through a succession of steps that take very little time to type about but took a bit to actually DO.
1) Clearing
2) Zoodoo arrived today, lovely compost of exotic animal droppings.
Spread over garden and then planted.
What a splendid difference to a week ago - and how we live in hope that the snails and slugs can't find the garden now, or confuse it for the zoo.

Well beyond time to get into the garden. . .

2009-11-09T10:38:00.004+13:00

Look at it - NOVEMBER already and I've only just taken time out from cycling and reading and baking and sewing (the list goes on) to approach the small jungle outside. My newly moved in neighbour has put me to shame with her potted plants and shrubs, so I rolled up the sleeves, donned the gloves and pulled and pulled on Saturday. It's not much of a garden, but it could be so much MORE.
I've ordered ZOODOO to top up the soil, and then the exotic thought that my vegetables have a little bit of giraffe or elephant in them might just add that essential je ne sais quois to my salads.
Hopefully, in a few weeks time, my 'after' photos will be impressive.

Planning the Rail Trail

2009-11-02T20:57:00.005+13:00

This may not look like it, but this is planning the Rail Trail Part Two. John and Naomi having just returned from Otago, and checking out accommodation on the Trail and transport to and from. So just as soon as we finished this meal, we opened up maps, and got out passports (purchased already by Naomi) that will get stamped at all the spots around the Trail, and found pens and paper and stuck in to getting in some more detail and confirmations. Well on the way now.

Patty cakes, smatty cakes, fatty cakes. . .

2009-10-22T14:05:00.002+13:00

These are now in the freezer - yep - I don't know what came over me last weekend. Too many birthdays in a row? Cupcake day to raise money for the SPCA recently? An ancient deeply buried childhood memory of not getting one myself at a kid's party? Whatever, my (un)svelte form can no longer take the constant input of these little beauties and they are banned for the time being.

Birthday month continues with Ashley

2009-10-19T08:28:00.004+13:00

Ashley's 20th birthday celebration at Helen's on Sunday night, with Ian and Jem there to pick up her stuff and return to Rotorua on Monday.

Birthday month

2009-10-17T15:25:00.009+13:00

It is that month - FOUR birthdays no less - mine and nephew and niece: William, Magda, and Ashley. The only one I get to capture is Magda's, and we did it today, with cupcakes at Grandma and Granddad's.

A day of weirdness and wackiness

2009-10-13T20:06:00.005+13:00

I have to write down yesterday's events, or I'll lose them. And it WAS one of those days. We have a bus strike on at the moment, so I took it into my head to cycle the not inconsiderable distance to work in the city. Particularly as it was my half day, which meant I would have time to carefully prepare for my journey and arrive in good time. I envisaged a slightly flushed but impressive figure making her way up the stairs to Level 5 triumphantly carrying my helmet. That sort of happened. . .
Things started to go wrong when I loaded the bag onto my back and set off into the garage to prepare my bike for the trip, 5 mins before I needed to leave. It should be no surprise, since I don't actually make a practice of checking my tyres for glass, that the front one was flat. In all the months of riding this bike I have grown careless and take for granted that flatties happen to other people. Oh well. I grubbied up nicely getting the wheel off, and pulling inner tube out, and then attempting to put my new 'puncture proof' tyre on. It was jolly hard. Flatmate kindly came out from basking on the couch on his 'annual leave' to help me insert and inflate the rubber bits. After a BRIEF spin around the cul-de-sac, I headed confidently off toward the city. What a mistake. Hadn't even made it out of the Peninsula when a strange scuffing sound occured NOT in keeping with the gaps in the concrete path. I stopped and investigated and after a thorough check found that the brake pads needed alignment. Whoopee. Out came the toolkit and soon I was heading toward the motorway.
Things were going QUITE well - not as easily moving as I remember, when a strange lurch started affecting the forward movement. As before, I kept riding thinking it was the path, but finally had to stop again and investigate. Ah, could it be the nearly 15 cms of tyre hanging outside the rim? 1) Deflation of tube 2) Pushing tyre behind rim with special tool 3) fiddling with small pump attempting to get it to work 4) Looking helpless and having cyclist stop proving more effective. He pumped up tyre and I was once again on my way.
The hills grew progressively more 'bouncy'. Lovely from the car whilst traveling along the motorway, not so easy on a bike with shaky legs and just past a bout of bronchitis. I was not the vision of glory as I rounded the driveway into the AUT carpark and shuffled up to Level 5. I'm sure that's why they all looked askance at me.
Off to the shower on the same floor, and carefully depositing makeup and nice clothes and towel and soup in various places, I 'locked' the door, and proceeded to shower and try to get makeup to stick to my red and shiny face. It didn't. And the face got even shinier and redder when I realised the door hadn't in fact been locked and any number of men from the IT dept could have wandered in.
I finally sat at my desk and viewed the work I should be doing. AH, a pile of books on dance had been left for pick up on the desk behind the main entrance to the library, ready for me to put into a display case. I headed down to that level and carefully opened the tall glass case with my key, and placed all the books in tasteful array within. The halogen lamps beamed down upon their glossy covers.
Back at my desk I set to on other projects and was as annoyed and irritated as the rest when the fire alarm went off an hour later, and only two week since our last drill. I trundled down the stairway with all the others from our building, and stood outside with 7 floors of people while wardens counted heads and the two fire trucks were heard arriving. Imagine my dismay when I heard this local conversation:
"This isn't a drill, you know. There IS a fire in the building".
"Oh, how on earth did it start?"
"Apparently a librarian saw the smoke coming out and set off the alarm"
"Why? Where was it?"
"In some display cabinet - a book I think".
Yes, I realised that it was all about my display and that I had unwittingly caused this horrible scene. Slightly hysterical now, I saw the Vice Chancellor nearby talking with a colleague, and since I knew him (friend's brother) I approached rather jollily and admitted my involvement in the affair. He LOOKED amused but I'm not sure.

When the all clear was given, I went up the stairs with other librarians and scanned the damage. 8 firemen had put out the blaze having smashed open the cabinet with their axes, and doused the flames. Amazingly only one book was badly damaged and had sent clouds of smoke out into the floor. Much has been made of my involvement in the fire - my manager keeps playing 'Fire Starter' music loudly in his office and ducking his head up to see if I've noticed.
I was rather glad to get out on my bike and shamble home - hoping nothing more could happen to me in the remainder of the day.

The birthday weekend

2009-10-05T09:23:00.010+13:00

Lovely weekend spent with friends and family. Starting on Friday lunchtime with lunch with Robin at Revive on Lorne St, and then off to movies that night with Naomi and Helen. Saturday I had lunch and a long catch up with Megan, who was up from Christchurch, before heading over to the Cowans for dinner with friends there.
Naomi serving up the roast lamb while Matt hovers nearby.
The two delicious choc cakes that Helen made for Gene and I. They toppled a bit in transit from West Auckland, but still looked fab when they were readjusted at the venue.
Serving up - the great wire sculpture of cyclist on the wall behind was given by the Duncans and on temporary show.
The next evening was the family gathering at Helen's place, with lasagne and the usual patter of conversation and silliness.
Helen did so well in making an occasion of it, and Mum made a fruit cake - yay.
We took the opportunity to photograph Jem in her gown ready for graduation this week.

This last month of wet, windy weather - SPRING

2009-10-03T10:49:00.006+13:00

Yeah, it's the birthday today, and I'm wearing the new blouse sent by Marcie in Jacksonville, FL to me. A good fit. Nice to have something that speaks of summer when the weather is STILL grey and wet.
For a brief moment it DID clear, and I was in Rotorua at the time, and John, Naomi and I went cycling around the thermal areas and up to the Redwood Forest. A delicious memory now.
And earlier this month, cousin Douglas from Perth arrived and we had a family get together at Steve's house. Douglas is with his brother Gordon bottom right.

Various Spring Things

2009-09-14T10:02:00.005+12:00

Ah, these lovely brisk Spring days - it seemed a very sudden change this year - from hibernation mode, reading books in bed, sleeping in late listening to the rain on the window, watching movies. . . to suddenly feeling the need to s-p-r-i-n-g out of bed and get on the bike and simply go somewhere. The last two weekends have been all about that - rain or shine.
I love this photo of Helen and Dad hard at it on the ukeleles last night. I wasn't there, but I heard all about it. Dad's face may not show much emotion, but believe me, he'll be feeling THRILLED.
Er, and this is what I SHOULD be doing now that it's Spring. Sigh. Way - I mean WAY - down on the list. Well after biking, sewing, entertaining, houseworking, reading. . . watch this space. I'll put another pic up when this changes.

Dad's 82nd birthday

2009-08-31T21:14:00.011+12:00

T'was Dad's 82nd birthday today but we celebrated it in typical Jeffries' fashion yesterday, by having a casual meal together - at Helen's place. Steve and Christine, Darryl, Nicola and Justin and the two great grandkids came along with Jemma, Ashley and Liam, and Ian up from Rotorua.
Nice shot of Darryl and his Aunty Helen.
Mum with Jemma and Ian.
No cake, but a great berry trifle with candles stuck in the top.
Like Mother like Daughter. . .
Mmmmmm, doughnut.
Dad with Jemma's cat Pixie.
My great nephew, Dion and his brother Cohen below.

Crisp fresh early Spring walk

2009-08-29T09:48:00.011+12:00

Okay, so come on this early morning amble along toward the path by the harbour with me. All sorts of signs of Spring on the rise.
Gotta love the yellow blooms of the kowhai and the red lush bunches of red berries.
. . . and the profusion of pansies.
and then there's the restful spot to stop and contemplate the sunrise.
and almost my favourite - the tiny white flowers of manuka by the edge of the wild area.

and the coffee and fresh date scone as you read the Saturday Herald, at Fuse cafe.
and I'll finish with these magnificent magnolias all pastel against the pale blue sky.

Receive surprise packages from the States

2009-08-26T07:40:00.003+12:00

This was a little earlier in August - got a package from the church in Jacksonville, which we've since opened and had a meeting out of. O how great is organic church life. Lots more to delve into in this lot.

Spring from my studio

2009-08-24T08:53:00.006+12:00

Wonderful to see closely what the space of a month will achieve on the leaves outside my studio window. ROLL ON SUMMER.

Melbourne and back

2009-07-27T21:05:00.012+12:00

Been here - done the trams!
Done the cycling around the Yarra river. . .
Had the gelato on the way. . .
Cycled cycled everywhere. . .
Eaten all we could handle - Greek et al. . .
Seen where Ned Kelly met his end. . .
Salivated and sampled. . .

Waited for trams
Plate after plate . . . coffee after coffee. . .
grapefruit infused beer after grapefruit infused beer. . .
Never got tired of anything. . . just got tired. LOVED every well spent moment.

The dying swans. . .

2009-07-20T20:43:00.004+12:00

It was quite touching really - the demise of the ugliest piece of paper knick knack I've seen in years. Left behind without a pang by the owner of it, after the Pauper party - (see last post). I expected these little beauties to fire up quite fast, but instead I could have played the entire music from Saint Saens' 'Dying Swan' and still it wouldn't have caught properly. VERY satisfying watching the flames transform a piece of tackyness into this flaming winged apparition.
Finally reaching their more gorgeous state. Sans pink, sans baby blue, sans red roses, sans everything. Watch the video below and weep.

Pauper's midwinter Christmas Party

2009-07-12T16:30:00.011+12:00

This was held last night at my house - and indeed, everyone turned up in rags with smudges of ash and patches to enjoy a feast of slow-cooked pork and trifle.
My first trifle - from out of Annabelle Langbein's book.
The party group
Enjoying first course.
And then we opened our mystery one dollar gifts - Cathy with her false eyelashes
Gordon and his Thai meal in a cup
Helen with her Sudoku cube
Dave and his elephant mug
John with his Bamboo King of world place mats
Me with my sole massagers
Naomi with her folded paper vase with swans.

Cirque de Soleil last night

2009-07-09T11:09:00.005+12:00

A good evening had by all at the dress rehearsal for Dralion last night. Bought my souvenir mug in happy remembrance of the contortions and twistings of those tiny bodies on stage last night. Amazing.
Front of the paper full of some of the spectacle. Wasn't I a lucky girl to get a free ticket?

One of those quirky days

2009-07-02T21:22:00.007+12:00

Work has been pouring in - what a thrill! Just when you think the recession is taking a big bite of your own business, three jobs came in today. The local council love my little drawings of neighbourhood scenarios and have asked for more. Yay! Love doing them too, so it's a win/win.
And though this may seem a small thing, we finally got a new loo today - pristine white one, to replace the old original stained pink. Thrilling. Nuff said.
This bag of old spuds found by me and belonging to flatmate wandered down the hall and waited outside his door for his return. Yes, those truly are root systems.
And I must trim back the bleak and window tapping vegetation outside my studio before it becomes impossible to see people going past and wave at them.

A long week

2009-06-30T20:01:00.006+12:00

. . . it started on Monday June 22, when my old flatmate from 1986 on the left of this photo chose to end her life here. My thoughts have been filled with Linda and what might have driven her to such drastic action. She's with the Lord now - uninvited but welcomed home I'm sure.
I did a spot more sewing on Saturday, which was a rainy, foggy sort of day. Made the top you see me wearing, which has four buttons from my mother's button jar of olden times on it.

And the fog made for some interesting shots of our front lawn late at night with the flash off.

Working from home

2009-06-18T08:58:00.005+12:00

Okay, it's REALLY winter now! See how black it is behind Jan and I on our early morning walk this morning! Yep, that's after 7am, around 7.15, down by the harbour side, along the walkway there. Who'd know it.
And this is my quick click of the view toward Auckland. . . just glimpsable through the bushes. You can tell I didn't want to stand too long in the cold to take the shot.
And a record of the seasonal fruit can be seen in my daily breakfast. This is my homemade muesli, covered in kiwifruit and golden kiwifruit, mandarins, and homemade yoghurt, with blueberries from a can sprinkled on top. Mmmmmm.

Button garment continued

2009-06-10T17:44:00.007+12:00

Great big dead leaves filling the pavement at GreyLynn when Jan, Helen and I went there this morning. Had a wonderful coffee at Jafa's cafe further down the road, and then checked out Moa for the latest in Kiwi fashion. Mouth watering, we left and wandered across to the bookshop, where we had to navigate past this huge river of dried leaves.
Winter has thrown off her garments indeed!
And I have thrown some on. . .
This is my latest creation - out of musky pink velvet and a pile of buttons I got from Spotlight.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2009-06-10T16:16:00.001+12:00

I saw this at a bookshop in GreyLynn this morning and fell about the place laughing - it was so unexpected! The catchlines in it are very funny, and all the more so if you've read the book.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains"

"So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read."

"A few of the guests, who had the misfortune of being too near the windows, were seized and feasted on at once".

"The classic regency romance - now with ultraviolent zombie mayhem"

Frosty fascination

2009-06-04T09:59:00.011+12:00

This is what greeted me this morning when I looked out my bedroom window. Needless to say I dragged my walking shoes on and camera and headed out.
Mmmmmm
Poor sods heading in to the city in the fog on the Nth Western Motorway in the distance
A delightful patch up icy grass on top of the other grass
Golden light - almost like candlelight for softening the features.
Auckland can just be seen through the fog - the Sky Tower particularly

Wreck this journal continues. . .

2009-05-23T13:39:00.002+12:00

No, this isn't snow. This is the remains of my 'compost this page' page. What a veritable gourmand of critters and rot must exist in this patch.

Helen's 50th birthday

2009-05-23T13:33:00.009+12:00

Beloved sister Helen's 50th yesterday, and she's been showered with gifts ranging from a trip to Melbourne in July, through to bike gear, i-pods, flowers, and a lovely handmade pottery island paradise (Liam).
This is the birthday girl with Jem and Liam, and niece Magda last night.
I got in with my nieces and nephew. The older nephew was there, but harder to pin down.
Jem cooked us a meal of pizza and salad and a delicious gluten free choc cake.

Aw, and here's the cake pre candle blowing.
And post. Make a wish.

Decay and doughnuts

2009-05-18T14:03:00.008+12:00

Great Scott! Remember that 'compost this page' blog I put up a YESTERDAY. I must have some pretty ferocious bugs in my garden. . . evidenced by the barely recognisable page I thought I'd check out in the planter outside. Here it is!
No wonder my lettuces don't do well in the same spot. Maybe once the slugs have made themselves sick on paper, they'll move on - yeah?
Hyacinths are starting to droop, but still in FULL BLOOM. Gorgeous.
And I merely talked about doughnuts with a friend at the library where I work, and the thought of them has stayed with me all week, and somehow worked its way onto the must do list. I don't recall putting them there. Anyway, I had to go past an excellent doughnut place today and sure enough, soon after, find myself at home with this in front of me. . .
maybe now the doughnuts can be wiped off the unseen list for a while. Surely. The plan was to take the doughnut in to work tomorrow and share it with fellow librarian. Then I thought, well maybe I'll just have one side of it, then she can see how it looks inside. But once cut open, heck, there's a lot of empty space above the cherry jam - see. Look closely - that's AIR. So I ate one side just to see, and felt like it was hardly anything, and so I ate the other side, and sent a picture of the doughnut to friend. A MUCH better solution all round. No sticky sugar in my bag etc etc.

She Stoops to Conquer

2009-05-17T20:26:00.004+12:00

Lest we forget that I still own a 'Wreck this Journal' - I tore the page which said 'compost this page' out and tucked it neatly into the trough outside the kitchen window. It is already looking like it grew there.
And it is the week that starts my sister's 50th birthday celebrations, and to kick it off we headed off to see 'She Stoops to Conquer' at the Maidment Theatre. First time in a LOOONNNNNGGG time that I have opened my purse for live theatre, and it was a wonderful occasion. I'm wearing my latest creation, and Helen has on the knitted vest that she finished earlier in the day. We ate at Elliott Stables, a wonderful lane of restaurants that open out onto cobbled courtyard in the heart of the city.

Meeting of the writing group

2009-05-13T17:29:00.003+12:00

Yep, amazingly enough four of us managed to get together on Monday to discuss our various lacks in the way of writing. It has been nearly two years since we last got together - and the others have all done better than I at keeping up the verbiage. On the strength of that, I came home last night and sweated it out over my children's story of Jasper. Will it ever be finished??

Hyacinths . . . mmmmmm

2009-05-13T11:19:00.005+12:00

It may be AUTUMN/WINTER here, but look what I found at the garden centre when I took Mum for Mothers Day - yep Hyacinths! What is it about blue flowers? These are scented as well - a bonus. I've watched them unfold gradually on my kitchen table and now thought I'd preserve the glorious spectacle for all time on the blog.
(Deep sigh)

Chinese banquets and silky tunics

2009-05-10T10:00:00.019+12:00

11am Preparation for new garment to wear to Chinese night at Duncans - this style perhaps??

1pm Rain still coming down sporadically outside, so I sewing it is!
3pm A brief break to check out the toadstool on front lawn
6:30pm Finished garment.
7pm At Duncans, for nibbles and then this assortment of Chinese food. That's Cathy the perfect hostess
8pm Girls helping themselves
8:10pm Ditto lads
9:30pm Chinese tea ceremony expertly done by Cathy and Gordon. This was between slides of China - their recent trip
All of us in a distant shot.

The amazing tea 'flower' that emerged and opened up with hot water poured on it. Then we drank the tea.

10:30 John still telling stories
10:31 Lycees and icecream and/or berries
Mmmmmm