You can never have enough...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

You just need to get used to the website popeye, it'll happen, don't let it get to you...

[Lilith7]

Good luck with it Popeye. I had to get eldest granddaughter to show me how to do it for lockdown, & it took me a while to get the hang of it, what with not being the most technically able person, but I did eventually manage it, so if a technoklutz like me can do it then just about anyone can. You'll get there.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies   Looks like we're in for rain... and the gutters didn't arrive yesterday.

Hang in there popeye, anything new takes a while to learn and get used to.

Our son phoned last evening just as we were about to phone him lol.  He had had his interview and was walking through a park when he had a call to say he had the job.  He had only left the interview 10 minutes prior.  There were two positions, and he took one.  The interviewer said the rest of the interviewees can 'fight over' the last spot.  He had only been applying for jobs for a week.  MrK and I both let out a big sigh of relief.  I knew our son would be ok but there was still that niggle in the back of my mind.  My cousin in Perth also phoned and we had a good hour and a half chat.  She asked why he didn't come to her for work lol as she works in HR.  He wanted to be independent, but she said if he is ever looking for another job to talk to her first.  Nice to know family is looking out for him.  My cousin is excited another family member is in Perth and not the usual family haunt of Brisbane

If the rain stays away the plan is to weed for a bit but if it doesn't, I'll be working on the runner and watching the rain pour off our roof   The plumber said next Friday now although if his Tues/Wed jobs don't pan out, he will come to us.

Happy crafting

Edited to add I watched the Great British Sewing Bee on demand last evening, Series 9 is on TVNZ Friday 8.30pm

[Mica]

Morning all
Overcast no rain expected.

Popeye like everyone says you will get it sorted.

Enjoyed catching up with friends yesterday  the husband has been unwell and not able to walk for any distance so he has taken up painting watercolours so my DH and him spent a good deal of the time comparing what they have been up to.

DH is keen to move into retirement village hence sleepless nights fo me processing all the stuff we will have to divest  and sort out other stuff  things like where put golf gear cat and dog collapsible cages  wine books etc don't say the garage because that would have to be  my sewing/quilting space. Not to mention the$$$$s argh.... he is bit older than me has Parkinsons  and wants to move while he is well. How will I manage without a freezer?
Mind is whirling. We have week to decide 
So off to vacuum to take my mind of things for a while.

Enjoy your day

[Oh_hunnihunni]

When I knew I was going to have to seriously downsize I started that massive decluttering by imagining what I absolutely couldn't get rid of, the most precious things. And they weren't small things - my camphorwood chest for example, my 21st b'day present, 200 years old and with huge history, and the big table lamp as old as me... Then the essentials, kitchen stuff, bed, chairs, etc. Once that list was made and measured and I knew it would fit, then the rest became easier. Moving day was still incredibly hard and I still had too much stuff, lol, but slowly it all got organised and a place was found. Over the years there have been lots of changes, and it is still happening. Our homes are extensions of ourselves, reflections sometimes, and ever changing.

It is a challenging process though, and while I continue to divest - scandi death clearing style - I am pretty happy with my little bit of paradise, despite all the little traumas of letting go.

Start making lists, Mica, you have time...

[Roma]

Good morning. 

Looking dull outside and the rain is getting underway.

You will be happy for your son KM ... we still worry and want the best for them even if "grown up" and long left home! Perth sounds to be a popular destination at present. Our son is in a gloomy environment at his work with no-one knowing the full extent of what's ahead with all the job cuts happening.

Mica you have a lot to think about/lose sleep over for sure. I've had those thoughts in recent months with the uncertainty of Mr R's surgery outcome ... the worst case scenario being paralysis. Minor paralysis in one leg a small price to pay in the grand sceme. Going small is tempting but a huge upheaval to do so! On the backburner .... for now.

Yes I watched the GBSB, not that I agreed with some of the choices! An enjoyable watch though. 

I hope you get that first delivery of groceries real soon Popeye.

Looking like an inside day.  I shall make a decision on who to knit for first out of 2 GD's.

Cuppa finished. 

Enjoy the day all.

ETA: Great advice OHH. If we put our minds to it, we can make the change with planning.

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Wet here.. not cold by any means..

Was talking to a friend last night. She will take me to the supermarket later today. They have a wheelchair trolley so we will use that. Ill stock up so I wont need to go again for a while. Thank goodness for the refund from the funeral home. Apparently the delivery fee is $15, for 1.5 kms.. or $5 for click and collect.

Had a total miserable last night. I wish they would stop. And even tho Im relieved MrP isn't alive, cos he would simply be adding to the problems, I wish he was so I could tell him all my woes. Not that he listened but its just weird that I cant.

When we moved from a 3 bedroom full house into a 40 foot bus we learnt about downsizing. The day we picked it up I was going to Waikato for an appointment when MrP drove the bus Home. I told him to start putting stuff into it.. Got home and his tools and fishing gear were in, and he was sitting doing nothing.. It was scary as heck to get rid of so much stuff.. but it felt quite liberating too.
I look forward to doing the same, well I've been getting rid of stuff for the last couple of years. But once Im better it will be a big push to get rid of more.

I've been considering going back to a caravan, will look later tho. No good making plans right now. the head is already messed up enough lol

I ordered our Sumo slicer grater things yesterday. That in itself is a downsize for me. I can get rid of the 2 kitchen whizzes I have, one brought for parts. Wont need to use power. and I wont be making soups and stuff that I used the whizz for .
My early birthday present for myself lol

Have a fab day everyone

[Oh_hunnihunni]

You are right popeye, it is liberating. Doesn't make it easier, but it is a kind of reward, lol.

I had a Kitchen Whizz, and then I found the little Sunbeam mini version, and that does me. Lots of things do come in the mini version I have discovered.

My current hunt is for a mini crossbody bag. I am useless at remembering to take my phone with me when I am out and about and a friend suggested I have one that is fun and easy to bring with me, so the hunt began. Interesting exercise, seems the smaller the bag gets the more pricey it becomes. Mind you, I do have champagne tastes, lol...

[popeye333]

You are right popeye, it is liberating. Doesn't make it easier, but it is a kind of reward, lol.

I had a Kitchen Whizz, and then I found the little Sunbeam mini version, and that does me. Lots of things do come in the mini version I have discovered.

My current hunt is for a mini crossbody bag. I am useless at remembering to take my phone with me when I am out and about and a friend suggested I have one that is fun and easy to bring with me, so the hunt began. Interesting exercise, seems the smaller the bag gets the more pricey it becomes. Mind you, I do have champagne tastes, lol...

Exactly Hunni. I got a smaller kitchen whizz, a Kenwood from the oppy a while back. Which is big enough to chop nuts and crush biscuits. Spacewise both machines will still take up less room. less power. 

You are right tho, smaller things aren't always cheaper.

[kiwimade64]

That's an awful lot to think about in a week, mica. Popeye and I both had/have husbands who are older, so we know where you are coming from. We're now at the stage where we are 'future proofing' the house and garden for when MrK falls off his perch. He's pretty practical in that way Making lists as OHH suggests, is a great way of organising your thoughts and belongings. My sister drew a scale model of her new home in the retirement village. She measured up the furniture she wanted to take and cut out bits of cardboard to scale to match the furniture. Then she juggled things around on the piece of cardboard to see what would fit and what wouldn't. We did the same for the spare bedroom when we did it up to make sure the furniture would fit.

[JanW]

Mica my kids and I have just started down that road of what is the next best move .I am staying put at the moment as I can cope but it niggles in the back of my mind if something drastic happens and I am not able to care for myself my options are lessened - but if I was in assisted care in a unit now the move to hospital type care is an easy step .There are elderly people stuck in hospital as there is nowhere for them to go - the kids I am sure would be happier if I made the move sooner or later - the units seemed so overpriced to me then there was ongoing weekly charges - the kids would cover any shortfall but it seemed a bit of a rip off for me .
We downsized when we moved to Oz - I got rid of a lot of stuff - stored quite a bit and took very little with us - when we came back my husband had been already diagnosed as terminal- we had lost a lot of money on the sale of our Taupo house so bought a two story house in Napier to come back to - turned out to be entirely unsuitable for my unwell husband and was two big for me - 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms so I sold up and moved into my 2 bedroom art deco dream cottage - by todays standards it’s really only 1.5 bedrooms - huge wide hall - dining room as big as the lounge - washing machine is in the bathroom and the dryer in the shed - the kitchen is tiny and inconvenient but I love it - has large windows and gets plenty of sun and I love it’s square chunky exterior - my grandchildren thought I was nuts moving from my lovely house in Taupo then in Napier into this - but I have always loved art deco .My neighbour had a heart attack the6 have been in their house 35 years but are moving into a unit as he worries about her - she doesn’t drive and they don’t have any family support.They are the immediate neighbours of the community house where the four mentally challenged adults live and have been responsible for the community house being the only one that survived in Napier so they are going to leave a huge hole - she was brilliant during Gabrielle when we had no power - she had a little gas cooker and was up and down the street gathering thermoses to fill with hot water - she arrived over one night with two sausages a slice of bacon and some mashed spud - had been four days since I had any hot food - I savoured every mouthful .Robie couldn’t get to me so I really appreciated her so did he - she will be missed in the neighbourhood
I went up this morning to check how the motel family are handling the pet/house sitting - the kids are having a ball - she said they have spent most of the time out on the lawn - hopefully if everything goes to plan next week she won’t go back into the motel - fingers crossed
I had a nice Bodum air fryer and a phillips multi cooker which slow cooked beautifully- my DIL decided that what I needed was a ninja 15 in 1 - it slow cooks ,bakes air fry’s and does everything else including yoghurt and bakes bread .I know it’s a fault of mine but I like to have input into my decisions big or small - anyway I used my new machine and stuffed up - stacked the contents wrong and the chicken attached itself to the element - instruction book says don’t use any abrasives so tried with a toothbrush and hot soapy water as book suggested - unsuccessful so new bloody heavy cooker has gone into the spare room for somebody else to deal with and my two old friends are back out - I know my grandaughter will be smirking that I did it intentionally but I didn’t - she spent $600 on the blimmin thing -back in the day I used to make yoghurt and dehydrate stuff - sound ungrateful

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I make my yoghurt in a 30+ year old electric maker the brand of which has completely worn off, but every week or so it churns out my big pot for eating and cheese making! I was tempted by those combo ovens and air fryers but after thinking about it I decided to invest in beautiful steel frying pans and baking trays instead, and love those to pieces. They suit my cooking habits and I have no desire to change those!

When my stove was replaced by the landlord I accidently turned the wrong element on and got melted plastic all over one of the rings. I confessed on farcebook and a fireman husband of a friend told me to turn the oven back on, all doors open and as the plastic remelted to remove it. Worked beautifully - maybe you need to take the offending beast outside and turn it on full blast and burn off the bits Jan! On a windless day, lol...

I have been naughty this morning on TM and scored myself some screaming orange shoes and a little Italian leather bag that should go with them. Not that I intend to go matchy matchy, I just love screaming colours, in small doses. I am now going to put this tablet away and read my book for the rest of the day so my budget takes no more hits...

[JanW]

I make my yoghurt in a 30+ year old electric maker the brand of which has completely worn off, but every week or so it churns out my big pot for eating and cheese making! I was tempted by those combo ovens and air fryers but after thinking about it I decided to invest in beautiful steel frying pans and baking trays instead, and love those to pieces. They suit my cooking habits and I have no desire to change those!

When my stove was replaced by the landlord I accidently turned the wrong element on and got melted plastic all over one of the rings. I confessed on farcebook and a fireman husband of a friend told me to turn the oven back on, all doors open and as the plastic remelted to remove it. Worked beautifully - maybe you need to take the offending beast outside and turn it on full blast and burn off the bits Jan! On a windless day, lol...

I have been naughty this morning on TM and scored myself some screaming orange shoes and a little Italian leather bag that should go with them. Not that I intend to go matchy matchy, I just love screaming colours, in small doses. I am now going to put this tablet away and read my book for the rest of the day so my budget takes no more hits...

Sound so ungrateful complaining about the new cooker as she thought she was doing great turning 2 appliances into 1 - I am just a plonk it in switch it on and go - I have emailed the Ninja help desk - might have to get a new lid - will show Robie what I have done when he gets home from his holiday - he always seems to fix things

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies Cloudy start to the day, perfect to get the last of the weeding done.

lol Jan, don't you love it when family have the best of intentions. Sometimes though, these 'gifts' aren't what we want or need.

The Furry One is on antibiotics and you would think after eight years of bribing him to take his epilepsy meds twice a day, we would be able to do the same with these. But it is also eight years of learned cunning by the Furry One and this has turned into a battle of wits. Only a week to go

It bucketed down last night and boy, did we miss the gutters. Fingers crossed for next week. And the plumber will not be bringing his van onto the back lawn.

I stitched for a while yesterday and things are starting to come together. I need to enlarge the leaves on the branches a bit, but I can turn the small leaves into pohutukawa buds. An easy fix.

Happy crafting

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I got my knitting bag out last night because my hands were bored. It has lots of weird and wonderful odd balls of yarn in it, and I decided to use them all up in a knee blanket, either for me or to pass on. I do want a proper knitting project for winter but until all these odd balls are gone it just wouldn't be sensible. So I started and got a good few rows done before bedtime.

This morning I am reminded that the osteo is now in my hands lol, but the exercise will be good for them, it is slightly different to the stitching movements, so combining the two crafts, one for daylight one for evenings will be a benefit even if the mornings are a bit of a pain.

And I do love a bit of mindless zen knitting...

[Roma]

Good morning.

A lot of rain last night so it's looking nice and fresh outside. 

KM does your boy like cheese? I find that a good way to disguise pet meds!

I am keeping my fingers busy in the evening using up some 4ply merino yarn to start on a vest for 18mo GD, while I wait for a pattern to arrive to knit some jackets for the 8ply yarn I have. Oops, I may have pressed buy on a gorgeous pattern while cooped up inside yesterday!

Will take the day as it comes.  Expect family later. 

Enjoy the day all.

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Wet again. But I dont mind. Not going out in it today.

Went grocery shopping yesterday. Couldn't find the wheelchair part of the chair trolley combo, so Yep I walked it. Missed two isles I didn't need to go in. and only needed to sit while waiting for the checkouts.. it was super busy at 3pm . Got home totally knackered but I did enjoy it. Long time since I've shopped with someone else too. So we had fun.

I only put away what needed to go in the fridge. Will do the rest this morning.. Im certainly learning just how much we need our legs.. My back is more painful at the mo. AND with my shoes on my whole foot was on the ground. Yay..!!

I got a 8 in 1 cooker thing a few years ago. Thought it would be great for replacing multiple items. Couldn't stand it lol.. I sold it a while ago.

I parted with another Old Fashioned Potato masher yesterday. The old wooden handle oval ones. When ever I see them I get them. And gave my friend one, we were looking at the new ones in new world and she said hers was just starting to part company with each other. I still have a couple left for me lol

I got some wraps.. Thanks to being in hospital I finally tasted them. Dunked one in gravy and mashed tatty lol. Going to try "frying" one too and see what its like. Im thinking kind of like a replacement for Yorkshire pudding. And a lot more convenient.
Also got a piece of Monk fish , which I haven't tried before. And two trays of cheap chicken thighs. Sooo I need to do my rubbish and get the food scraps out of the freezer so I can put the meat in. lol

David is coming today so Ill get him to leave the bag at the end of the drive on his way out.

Feeling soo much better since yesterdays trip. It was something normal and made me feel normal.

Have a fab day everyone

[kiwimade64]

nothing like feeling normal, popeye Although sometimes I wonder what that is

lol roma, omg yes, he loves cheese and I mush a bit up with his epilepsy meds but lately he has wised up with the antibiotics and eats the cheese and spits out the meds. We think the antibiotics may be bitter, drontel was a buggar for that and in the end we gave up on it.

A good chunk of weeding has been done and my gorgeous deep purple iris' lifted, weeded properly and replanted. I'll finish along the end of the garden tomorrow

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I had that problem with cat meds and so went onto the liquid form. It is a lot harder to spit out lol, though she didn't enjoy the dosing and gave me filthy looks.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies There is a chill in the air, winter is on its way. At least the sun is coming out.

More weeding for me today and MrK is having a blood test. Life seems to be calming down again after a busy few months. Fingers crossed this week the gutters go up.

I've read online a community garden at Middlemore has been vandalised by kids. A woman was seen directing the kids what to do. They damaged the vegie plants by uprooting and smashing them. The garden provided fresh vegies for the local food bank and the community. All they had to do was ask. Senseless vandalism. I wonder if there is a spark of jealousy by the adult when she sees something worthwhile or if she is just plain mean. The youngest kid looked to be around five years old and the oldest fourteen.

More stitching later this afternoon. I have the perfect spot in the late afternoon sun

Happy crafting