You can never have enough...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Seymour loved them. Might indicate his diet which might explain his politics, lol.

A well fed man is rarely mean spirited. Hang on, is that sexist of me?

[SueDonim]

... two minnows and any Endler escapees ...

The minnows are fine outside all year - they are cold water fish. the endlers might be a different story though. They are so closely related to guppies that I would expect the same temperature tolerance, which is that 15deg is OK but by 12deg they are dead. So nights might be a bit borderline unless you can run a heater. They are small enough though that a few in 4 litre jar inside would probably be fine.

[Jan]

Morning all 
Misty moisture in air enough to deter DH from taking k9 for a walk.

Good things progressing for MrK you will be sorted by Xmas 

Got quilting done and stitched binding on at knitting last night couple of group didn't realise that the binding was hand stitched. I know some quilters do it all by  machine  but I like the process of hand stitching.

Been to gym my goodness she worked me hard today . Not much planned for today probably will do pattern alterations and cut out the light weight jacket . I just hope it turns out as good as I  see it in my minds eye.

Those school lunches  didn't appeal to me visually  hope that they taste OK. Do they provide any fruit?

Enjoy your day

Yes there were apples and yoghurt on the table which went with the meal - when he first announced the scheme was going to be restructured so more kids received meals with cost savings -his original plan was using the Kids Can sandwiches and filled rolls etc  all hell broke loose from the teachers and nutritionists the children need hot food according to them - so using all the donations from the large companies they have been able to meet the demands of the teachers - our local headmaster once again sent his video off to TV1 showing the pig swill that is being sent to his school - a spoon of cold spaghetti with two pieces of grated cheese on a pikelet or a fish finger on shredded cabbage that has been frozen - for some reason TV1 are not interested in showing both sides of the story .The new scheme provides food to low decile preschool establishments which is good - overall only One third of kiwi kids were getting free lunches - it was a lottery - one school here in Napier in a very affluent area received free lunches but another low decile school received a big fat zero - from someone who visited a school on a regular basis the scheme seriously needed fixing - Sanitarium pay no tax as they are supposedly a charity at least now they are fronting up in a big way

[Oh_hunnihunni]

... two minnows and any Endler escapees ...

The minnows are fine outside all year - they are cold water fish. the endlers might be a different story though. They are so closely related to guppies that I would expect the same temperature tolerance, which is that 15deg is OK but by 12deg they are dead. So nights might be a bit borderline unless you can run a heater. They are small enough though that a few in 4 litre jar inside would probably be fine.

They'll be fine. They've spent a full year in my cool water tank which got down to 9 degrees over the winter, just not for long. The just slow their metabolism right back to survive the odd short periods, and being heavily planted with a lot of rock and wood to act as a heat sink helps as well. I have found the Endlers much more resilient to various environmental changes than guppies, especially the overbred hybrids. Being a pure strain might just work in their favour. If my 'tropical' ramshorns can survive outside over winter, I think the fish have a good chance. 

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies It's overcast, bring on the rain, the garden needs it.

I have to have a chest x ray today, the doctor thinks I have a clot on my lung. Which explains the heart palpitations and arterial flutters. No wonder I was gasping for air when mowing the lawn the other day. I have meds and will hear from cardiology at some stage. The doctor thinks they will want to shock my heart back into its normal rhythm. I thought it was high blood pressure, so this came as a real surprise. Anyhoo, the meds seem to be doing the trick and slowing my heart beat down. I just have to learn to pace myself for a bit for now. MrK is worried but knows it is under control.

The Fluffy One arrives tomorrow for 10 days. My sister-in-law has decided not to bring her big dogs on Saturday as the Fluffy One gets quite jealous of them being here.

I'm off outside to do a bit more weeding and plant some plants we bought the other day at Mitre 10. A gorgeous buttery yellow daisy, white Vibranium and a little ground cover need to be in the ground. MrK will no doubt be hovering lol. Slowly, slowly, we are replacing the plants smashed by the tree.

happy crafting

[Roma]

Good morning. 

Cloudy and calm.

A health surprise for you KM, hopefully the testing answers a few questions. Meanwhile pace yourself!

School run today. Later I'll plant the lettuces out, better now there's cloud cover ... too hot for them the past few days. A few places had 28deg yesterday ... what will the summer bring!

Time to move. 

Enjoy the day all.

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Grey here, but hopefully it will fine up.

Do take care Kiwimade.. I haven't been shocked back into rhythm, but had the drug induced way. And when they say you feel like its impending doom they are right. But either way hopefully either way will work. or the meds, or maybe even a pace maker.

I had a dizzy spell at the home yesterday. I think I turned around too fast. but there was a chair handy so I sat until it was over. With Dianne and Mums hands on my shoulders.. Dianne asked did I want a nurse, I said noo it will ease off which it did. So I drank plenty, thinking it could have also been low BP.

Just a small group yesterday cos there was a bus trip but we always have fun. They gave us some terracotta Diwali candle dishes to paint. They really suck up the paint. I started on mine but brought it home to have a tutu with. I put a full layer on the inside, will do the outside when I get home from shopping.

A big list today, my money came in thank goodness. All I can get now helps makes the weeks ahead easier and a small back up as well.
Baking for a school friend on the weekend.. Shes easy to bake for, no feijoas or coconut lol. So many take things in for them, she will be able to give back. With the nursery she doesn't get time to bake..

Have a fab day all..

[Mica]

Morning all 
Fine day but brisk wind

Take care KM

Quiet day yesterday cut out and started sewing my light weight jean style jacket. Its white probably foolish colour choice cause I just have to see dirt and it just jumps out and attaches to me.

Warehouse this morning and off to Nz Watercolour art exhibition  Splash 2024. Will do grocery run on way home after I drop off DH home he annoyed me last week couldnt/wouldn't contribute to any decision making argh.....!  So may as well go alone and not get frustrated.

Enjoy your day

[kiwimade64]

popeye, you may need to put a sealant on the terracotta first so the paint isn't absorbed so quickly.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

That is the beauty of terracotta, makes it a great surface to grow mosses and orchids on, because water permeates it to feed the plants. Not so good to grow plants in, because of the same process, unless they like a bit of dry.

Take care km, my breathing never really came back after the PE, but so long as I take things gently it doesn't get in the way. And keep on with the rivaroxiban. I do not want another of those things!

Vegie mix delivered yesterday, so I am all set for weekend planting. The local vegie shop had a tray of heritage tomatoes - very expensive - but I picked up three, a huge red, a green, and a yellow, and as I cut them for eating the seed is going onto a paper towel. The lovely man at the shop said he grew these last year and the harvest was wonderful, so I am optimistic, though I might need another bag of potting mix. And I was gifted another well grown tomato plant by a neighbour, that one I think I will put into the ground as a back up in case my potted ones are a bit mean with their fruiting. Sometimes the vines dislike having their roots restrained, so we shall see.

The arborist came yesterday to take off another layer of the feijoas, and he skirted them beautifully for me, so now I can reach underneath with my hoe to pull out the beastly cape ivy and the tradescantia, which had been reveling in the dark. When that is done I am pondering a couple of pots with pumpkin seedlings to run riot in that new space, they would do rather well, and I do eat a lot of pumpkin these days! I'd rather like a couple of those orange wrinkly ones we used to grow in my Blenheim garden...

[Jan]

Good morning - absolutely beautiful day today in the bay - going to be high twenties so intend to be in and out of the office by 1pm - really enjoyed my first day - eight years since I retired - there has been so much progress - what used to take the computer a couple of hours to digest the data I fed it and turn it into a building supplies shopping list now takes 10 mins .Great working with young clever kiwis who are staying put in NZ .Not happy with the corruption we are exposing - the roading contractors who robbed the tax payers charging for jobs they never did are in court so we are hoping the same will happen with these school jobs - but the payments were authorised by the Ministry so I have my doubts - at least moving forward the slate will be clean

Kiwimade if you still have Netflix and need a dose of feel good bittersweet semi comedy watch St Vincent - it stars a fantastic boy about 11 and Bill Murray and Naomi Watts - not a new story line but superb

My Mum grew beautiful tomatoes in buckets at the rest home - her secret she reckoned was milk powder and epsom salts adding to the potting mix - have no idea if that was responsible for her bumper crop

[SueDonim]

The minnows are fine outside all year - they are cold water fish. the endlers might be a different story though. They are so closely related to guppies that I would expect the same temperature tolerance, which is that 15deg is OK but by 12deg they are dead. So nights might be a bit borderline unless you can run a heater. They are small enough though that a few in 4 litre jar inside would probably be fine.

They'll be fine. They've spent a full year in my cool water tank which got down to 9 degrees over the winter, just not for long. The just slow their metabolism right back to survive the odd short periods, and being heavily planted with a lot of rock and wood to act as a heat sink helps as well. I have found the Endlers much more resilient to various environmental changes than guppies, especially the overbred hybrids. Being a pure strain might just work in their favour. If my 'tropical' ramshorns can survive outside over winter, I think the fish have a good chance. 

Thanks for that. It's good to know.

[Lilith7]

Hope all goes well KM.

The joys of getting older...

Dug out a few more buttercups; they've attempted a takeover bid among the mint & violets & were getting too numerous so had to dig out as many as i could, but will need to have another go at the damned things.
Madame le Cat very kindly 'helped' me until she spotted a bird on next doors roof, when she sat on the fence & swore loudly at it.


Im starting to believe that school lunches should also be provided to every MP, with precisely the same content, tested frequently to ensure the same content - & obligatory.

[zqwerty]

The big hoo-ha about the feeding of children, something we must have done for thousands of years, shows the dismal state of the leadership in this country.

No wonder we can't deal with any of the more demanding complex challenges, like sharing the wealth, running the hospitals competently, building affordable houses, being citizens with common goals.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Good morning - absolutely beautiful day today in the bay - going to be high twenties so intend to be in and out of the office by 1pm - really enjoyed my first day - eight years since I retired - there has been so much progress - what used to take the computer a couple of hours to digest the data I fed it and turn it into a building supplies shopping list now takes 10 mins .Great working with young clever kiwis who are staying put in NZ .Not happy with the corruption we are exposing - the roading contractors who robbed the tax payers charging for jobs they never did are in court so we are hoping the same will happen with these school jobs - but the payments were authorised by the Ministry so I have my doubts - at least moving forward the slate will be clean

Kiwimade if you still have Netflix and need a dose of feel good bittersweet semi comedy watch St Vincent - it stars a fantastic boy about 11 and Bill Murray and Naomi Watts - not a new story line but superb

My Mum grew beautiful tomatoes in buckets at the rest home - her secret she reckoned was milk powder and epsom salts adding to the potting mix - have no idea if that was responsible for her bumper crop

Delighted to hear someone else used milk powder. It certainly helps fight blossom end rot. I shall add a dollop of epsom salts and see how that goes! Thanks Jan! 

[Lilith7]

The big hoo-ha about the feeding of children, something we must have done for thousands of years, shows the dismal state of the leadership in this country.

No wonder we can't deal with any of the more demanding complex challenges, like sharing the wealth, running the hospitals competently, building affordable houses, being citizens with common goals.

Indeed, & it rankles when we've managed to do far better in the past at housing, educating & treating those in need of medical care.

And of course since eveything costs more now we may need to pay higher taxes but if so, then lets do that fairly & make it impossible to avoid paying your fair share.

[popeye333]

Yes that's what I thought re the terra cotta pots.

I put a coat on the inside while still at the home yesterday. Im going to try and decorate that now. Then ill do a coat on the outside. And sit it in the sun and decorate that later.

I have shopped till I nearly dropped lol.. Only thing I didn't get was the wood pellets but I can get them tomorrow, then Im stocked up again, and have meat in the freezer too. I May go back to new World for cat food tho. its super cheap.

Only extra thing I got was a couple of Turkish delight bars for my friends birthday. Will pack that up and finally send it. probably Monday now.

Made the most of the sales happening. but Pak n Save Was Packed.. Just like Christmas.. and I thought the shops wont be closed lol. But everyone has cheap petrol too.

If I knew for sure I wasn't going to move Id love to plant another passionfruit.. But Im just not sure what my future holds yet.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

My passionfruit is in a pot, and it produced fruit last year! I am careful though, treat it mean to keep it lean till I find the right spot for it...

[popeye333]

My passionfruit is in a pot, and it produced fruit last year! I am careful though, treat it mean to keep it lean till I find the right spot for it...

They too Love Epsom Salts. We had heaps on our vines once treated. pour from the top down.

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Someone around here must be working the "Shut" at the steel Mill. It usually lasts a month or so, but Im being woken at 6am. So maybe its a different sounding car. Its when they do a Super clean of the whole Mill.

Well painted the Diwali cup. Im not a fan of it, but its looks sort of OK.. I will take it back today and suggest that they undercoat them all. Which Im happy to do if they want it done.

A busy weekend for me, the Lawns need doing and Im doing a massive bake for Gayle at the Nursery. Ill make me my fave Chocolate chip peanut brownies as well.

So Hopefully Ill be able to paint to rest the legs. Oh its been nasty overnight, but I am using my stick less and less. Yay

Will get the wood pellets today, and Ill be stocked up for the next 6 months.. Soo pleased you mentioned them Hunni. I wouldn't have got through the last year or so with having to spend roughly $15 a week versus $13-50 for 3 or so months for Madams Butt. lol

Have a Wonderful day everyone