You can never have enough...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

It was lovely in Devonport today, clear blue skies, happy people, and the scoot traveled well. Lots of lovely interior design picture books at the library, a sweet tiny flowered paph orchid at the hardware shop, and a huge bag of vegies from the fruit shop, along with a big block of Whittakers latest extravagance, banana caramel - which I am not convonced works, I need to try a few more bits to see...

Caught up with the old owners of my favourite cafe while coffeeing and caking in there, which was great fun, it's been ten years... And came home the long way round past the beach, with happy dogs bouncing in the water and more smiley people.

Once home I located the hooks I bought years ago and put them up in the scooter bay to hold the dismountable metal bits that can hold flags or cat boxes or shopping baskets, to keep them off the wet ground, another to do list item ticked off. Oven cooked fish and chips for dinner, so nothing to do but read in the sun till it gets cold.

Life is good...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Out picking a stem of parsley this afternoon, and something caught my eye... My coffee bush has flowered at some stage, secretly and without song and dance, and now there is a green coffee bean perched on the stem. I won't be getting much of a wake up brew from that baby, but it is rather fun, nevertheless...

[popeye333]

Glad you had a nice day Hunni and surprise with the coffee plant.. I had never thought about growing them or if they even grew here.

I was soo good at keeping the heat on my back today that I never gave the pudding a thought.. So will make one tomorrow.

So Im finishing my ice cream, which would go great with the pudding but I have milk open if need be.

A repeat of my venison and mashed tatties was yummy.

Oh and I agree Kiwimade, wild venison is yummy, and is what this is. Dianne's hubby gave a guy some fish and he turned up with the venison, he's a hunter.. And then they shared with me. Not a grain of fat on it.

Very spoilt..

And Di told me today she is going to take Lorraine (Sister) , Caron ( daughter of colleen from the home) and myself to The Malt and Steel which is a restaurant / bar... I've never been there... The rugby player Ummm Donald is the surname the one who helped win the important game in the world cup used to own the place. OH Stephen

So that will be fun all being together. She said we are the only ones other than hubby and son who have helped get her through all this cancer stuff.

And we have decided to have a girlee day out shopping too once we know what is happening with her body. She certainly isnt a woe is me when it comes to illness and Life.. Neither am I although I do complain sometimes. But I learnt that the only one I hurt is myself if I dont do what Im told.

And thats why the Knee Dr telling me he was wrong made my day.. Yeah I could have sat their and been stupid, but the only one that would have affected was me.

I told David the other day and he agreed , it must have felt good. He on the other hand , who is still getting his feet and legs treated 7 months later said one of the district nurses told him he could still lose his leg. He did not appreciate it, but to be honest we had all said the same... But you cant sit on the couch with your feet up when you have a partner in a rest home or run a business and look after two dogs either.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies I love these frosts; they kill bugs and prepare us for spring and summer

I also didn't know you could grow coffee plants here; I've seen peanut plants though. They are interesting as they grow back into the ground and produce the nuts. And I've seen bananas growing in Tauranga while on a garden ramble with my sisters-in-law a few years ago. I guess as climate change kicks into another gear, we will become more tropical.

We were talking with our son last evening and he has a job interview today. Better money and closer to home. He's settling in well in Perth and we can't see him moving back home for quite some time, if ever.

Back into the weeding again once this frost lifts. Yesterday morning the ground was freezing so gave up until the afternoon. Did the recycling instead. Cost the princely sum of $6.50 to recycle the old microwave but better than being in the landfill. We still haven't replaced it and so far, don't miss it.

The sun is out, hopefully that frost will be gone shortly.

Time to face the day

[Mica]

Morning all 
Frosty start

My DS had a coffee plant started as a house plant and grew to the ceiling one year it flowered and he hand pollinated  got enough beans to roast for one cup of coffee lol
It was relegated out doors once children arrived and survived couple years 

Had lovely day out yesterday  with sewing friends. 
Meetings today and need to register our k9

Enjoy your day

[Roma]

Good morning.

A frosty walk to school, but nice to have sunshine which is meant to last all week 

Look forward to more outside time as the days warm up,  an (always) enjoyable walk around Mauao yesterday with seals dotted along the rocks and one swimming by. 

Who knew ... a coffee bean growing in your back yard ... lol, at the one cup of coffee's worth Mica! But it shows they can be grown here. 

My heavy sewing machine to lug out later to mend a winter pillow case ... the 2nd one with seams unpicking ... only 1 season old. Then to continue the weeding I've started. 

Enjoy the day all.

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Very chilly start to the day.

Amazing what we can grow here now. I think there is a place on the way to Pukekohe that grows pineapples. If Im right that is. they are lowish plants. I know they are grown up north too.

My old science teacher who now resides in Brisbane grows their own bananas etc. It was his birthday yesterday 74 .. younger than MrP and my first real crush lol. He hasn't changed a bit other than going from blonde to gray. But haven't we all lol

My pictures are dry, but do you think I can find the paint.. I thought I had unearthed them a while ago. So I guess that means I either duck up and buy some black, or they all go white and I pinch a bit out of the tin I got for furniture.

Will most likely use the white even to I wanted Gayes ones black.

My back is easing as is the chill. Thank goodness.

Once the painting is done Im going to set up the next diamond painting which is flowers, I think I got a stained glass flowers one out.

Have a fab day all

[kiwimade64]

lol mica, at least he had a cup of coffee out of it!

I've had a win! MrK has agreed the cabbage tree should go. It's only taken 15 years to convince him We (royal we being used here) will plant another small magnolia so will have three in a row eventually. They are slow growers too so easy to maintain. Now to work out a plan for the tree's removal. It also means the garden may just have to be extended. And while I was weeding, oh dear, what a shame that daisy was frosted and died. The perfect spot for the Austin rose Litchfield Angel I spotted last season.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

We have a group of banana palms nextdoor and they flower and fruit each year. I was given one from a bunch a couple of years ago, the taste was totally different to store bought, the fresh sugars were amazing. Most of our home grown things are like that, the flavours change between picking and sale, but we know no different, unless we grow our own...

[popeye333]

Well done on the WIN Kiwimade, men can be soo stubborn but eventually come around. but 15 years? That really shows how patient you are lol..

I prefer ripe bananas, MrP liked them quite green. the taste was soo different. so when I brought them he ate his in the first couple of days, I ate mine a couple of days before shopping day and time to buy more lol

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Haumaru is paying $121 towards my excess power bills tomorrow, for which I am grateful, but I do wish it hadn't taken weeks to resolve the matter. Three months...

It's a long time to have something playing in the back of your mind.

We learned today that the refurbed units are available for rent to anyone over 65, without real income or savings limits, at around $250 per week. Be interesting to see how any of these tenants react when they find out what we are paying as subsidised legacy tenants, for exactly the same kind of flats. I forsee 'interesting' times ahead.

[Praktica]

$250 sounds very reasonable. There's a newly built 1 bedroom unit just along the road from me, which was advertised for more than $500 a week - and this is in Dunedin!

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Yes, but these are 'affordable' flats - which I am informed is the new speak for social housing, since the Nats have done away with subsidies, and providers have to access the private market for new tenants. Sad about the homeless who cannot afford 'affordable', which is set at half the assessed market rent - $500 being the same here in this leafy suburb of Auckland. It will be interesting because I cannot help but think if I could pay that affordable rent, instead of the 30% of gross my rent is fixed at, I would be looking for bigger than a 30 sq m bedsit with shared and limited facilities. Which btw, is smaller than the UN mandated space for a single adult, lol. But for those of us on limited incomes it is absolutely a sanctuary, albeit a tiny, 60's built one.

One of the other interesting things that came out of yesterday's conversation, was the matter of the planned refurbing of legacy units like mine, that Haumaru inherited as part of the portfolio. Because I came in under the old council regime mine hasn't been updated, like others when tenants have died or moved on, allowing for stripping out and replacing kitchens and bathrooms, floor coverings and curtains etc. So we were told our somewhat tatty flats would be redone over the next year or so, which was both exciting and worrying, with us being moved out temporarily, then moved back in to the update space. The prospect of a new kitchen certainly appeals, but moving? Having my lovely polished floors carpeted? Commercial blinds in place of my home made curtains? Not so much... But now it seems those refurb plans are on hold, because the income stream without the government subsidies makes future planning for these bigger housing providers more challenging.

Heavy sigh of relief by this tenant, mixed with regret over that new kitchen thing, lol...

Life is such a fascinating process. Nothing stays the same, always something new to challenge us, even in the quietest corners of our world.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies Another frost this morning but at least the sun is making an appearance.

The house next to my sister-in-law in Rotorua is $850 a week. Yes, it's a house and back yard but who in their right mind could afford that. No wonder two families live there and split the rent. It makes it impossible for families to save.

As for being patient, popeye lol, the cabbage tree has been at the bottom of the gardening 'list' for some time. When we moved here, I knew it was going to take years to have the garden looking nice. Partially because of MrK's worry over the cost and stubbornness with removing trees, but mostly because of the work needed to build the soil up and get rid of invasive weeds. MrK is finally seeing my 'vision' for the garden

Better get cracking, it's my turn to see our GP this morning.