You can never have enough...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Trivial but fun discovery this morning... Before covid I bought a plant from a TM seller listed as an Adanson's monstera, which duly arrived as a cutting, and thrived in one of my tropical aquariums, putting on a few leaves quite quickly. But none of them had holes the way a monstera usually does and I wondered kind of jokingly on the TM gardening forum if in fact I had been sent a heart leafed philodendron instead, by mistake. LV aka lakeview assured me I had been conned and we had quite a robust conversation about whether TM plant sellers were scam artists, lol. I often had those kinds of conversations with her, she just rubbed me the wrong way most days whatever she said...

Anyway, when I broke down the aquariums I took new cuttings to save some of the jungles I had growing out of them, and replanted them after months in water jars on the window sills, and this morning I noticed one of the sus plants has produced a leaf - with a single window in it! Success! Proof positive it is a monstera. I win, LV!


See? Trivial but fun, lol... 
Only took three years...

[Roma]

Good morning.

Lovely day looming, even if we are back to watering thanks to sandy soil here!

Oh yes OHH, I nosed in on a few threads of LV's ... she would argue black was white .... regularly.  I wonder if she ever got Covid, one of her hot debating topics   You must SO wish you could prove your point regarding the monstera ... win to you!

No plan for the day ... will take it as it comes and perhaps later get the cross stitch out and divide it into sections for starters.

Enjoy the day all.

---

I looked up Adansons Monstera, you have a valuable plant there OHH    Fascinating with all those 'holes'!

[Venetian1]

Warm but overcast 

Have had a fun morning making feta cheese - first time I’ve tried feta and won’t know what it will be like as it has to be left in a brine for 2 weeks. I make halloumi and ricotta quite often both of which turn out well.  I had to buy a ‘live” yoghurt for the feta and only used a tablespoon out of the 500mls. I find natural yoghurt too tart on its own so I’ve experimented and am making passion fruit yoghurt ice cream and it promises to be rather yummy.

Now going outside to spray the citrus with my oil/garlic mixture it seems to be working well although I end up smelling rather garlicky after using it as tend to get quite a bit on myself whilst spraying under the leaves    Will then feed the other half of the garden that I didn’t do yesterday.

Have a good rest of today

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Warm but overcast 

Have had a fun morning making feta cheese - first time I’ve tried feta and won’t know what it will be like as it has to be left in a brine for 2 weeks. I make halloumi and ricotta quite often both of which turn out well.  I had to buy a ‘live” yoghurt for the feta and only used a tablespoon out of the 500mls. I find natural yoghurt too tart on its own so I’ve experimented and am making passion fruit yoghurt ice cream and it promises to be rather yummy.

Now going outside to spray the citrus with my oil/garlic mixture it seems to be working well although I end up smelling rather garlicky after using it as tend to get quite a bit on myself whilst spraying under the leaves    Will then feed the other half of the garden that I didn’t do yesterday.

Have a good rest of today

I am happy with my yoghurt based cheeses but have not yet found a good recipe for frozen yoghurt so I'd be interested to hear how you do yours Venetian. I much prefer it to ice cream, and so does my gut! I think the fermented aspect is kinder on aged linings! My pickled veges certainly seem to make those guts very happy, unlike the dark choc I indulged in last night, lol...

[Lilith7]

Too hot to do much today but nonetheless tried a bit of weeding; didn't last long so came in again & fiddled about with another illustration I'm not sure about. Might send it, might not.

Madame Le Dog seems to find the warmer days are best coped with by sleeping, & I wonder if she might be onto something.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I bought the Pud a leopardprint collar with two dingle bells on it. She hated it going on, but is quite happy now it is there.

And now, she tinkles as she walks...

[kiwimade64]

lol OHH, good things come to those who wait I wish you could tell LV about your plant. I remember her from TM and yep, she would argue, all right. I love the tinkle as Pud walks She can't sneak anywhere now. And leopard print, sooooo Pud!

I'd love that yogurt ice cream recipe too please I love natural yogurt as I don't have that much of a sweet tooth any more. Sometimes I put a splash of vanilla in it to zhush it up a bit.

We've been to the beach today It was a stunning day at Mt Maunganui and the water was so warm. Big waves though so we didn't go out far. Took a picnic lunch and mooched around. I walked around the Mt's base Am quite chuffed it took me an hour exactly. And that was stopping to take photos. The waves were pretty big on the ocean side, but it was a great walk. I had forgotten how good it is walking there. There are mad buggars that run to the top... why would you.... lol.

MrK is cooking some chicken legs on the BBQ for dinner and making some salads. I'm on clean up duty from the beach, towels etc in the wash, picnic stuff washed and put away. We have our routines lol.

[popeye333]

I remember Lakeview too.. And yes she would argue that Black was white and vice versa.

Been to Both Homes today. Bobbie was having a bad day. trying to join in with conversation but not talking about anything we were taking about.
She has put on some more weight now, up to 51 kilos.. I walked in when they were weighing her.

Seems they were all a bit snippy today, but you can hardly blame them. Their lunch smelt good. Was a beef casserole and the meat was even tender enough to chew.

They had a Pork Something the other day that no one ate.. probably the same pork and apple casserole that started all this fight .

MrP was fine but didn't take me for a walk he had already been down to the lounge and back 3 times. So he was a little worn out.

Have brought the picture home to reframe. Only about 6 diamonds to replace so thats easy enough.

My "Adopted" Sister, since her Mum adopted me asked if I make shortbread to sell. I said yep I can do that. So have to sort out a price on 2 dozen.. Thats the part Im not good at. Putting a fair price on. But If I get enough to cover the ingredients for a full mix , a whole pound of Butter, then that would be cool and MrP can have some too cos it makes about 60. It will be for her Hubby , he is turning 65 next month and retiring. the very one who stole her piece from Christmas lol.

Bet you had lovely views at the Mount Kiwimade.. I can't wait to go to our lighthouse, but have to wait till I have my new knee. There are stairs and thats something I havent done in years and certainly struggle with now.

[Venetian1]

Sorry I didn’t use a recipe for the ice cream and not sure if I would be able to reproduce it. 
The yoghurt was a rather runny one so I dissolved a bit of gelatine and threw that in - seem to remember that mum used a recipe that had a bit in.  Then added some home made passion fruit syrup that I had been given for Christmas and a splash or two of honey. I beat it to break up the crystals when semi frozen a couple of times.  

It’s still not fully frozen so not sure how hard it will become but I’ve tried some with freshly picked blueberries and strawberries and it’s good 

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies   Nice and overcast this morning, not so hot for some sunburn.

yummmmm venetian, that sounds so good.  Nice and summery.  Thanks for sharing.

I thought you might like some pics I took yesterday around Mt Maunganui   I had forgotten how lovely this walk is.  We really are lucky to live in such a beautiful country.


   

   

   

Happy crafting

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

It looks beautiful around there Kiwimade. Ill put it on my "One Day" list. but It would have to be dry and nothing slippery , Im the biggest scaredy cat on slippery ground.

MrP was back to his usual grumpy self last night. He was tired and sore but they made him walk to the toilet.. So he wasnt happy. Told him he needs to think himself lucky cos if he gets kicked out of there he will be homeless.

He used to always say, "Someone would be pissed off if their pants were on Fire and a Cat peed on them to put them out" I should have said that to him last night. ungrateful toad..

Have to do some shopping today. Not a lot thank goodness, sachets for Madam and Bananas and pepsi for me lol... I MIGHT have a look at the Stone fruit prices. Probably be cheaper at the fruit shop just down the road from home. One of each will be enough for a fix.

They never tastes as good as the ones we had as children, that's for sure.

Think Ill do some more colouring later, didnt get a lot done with the ladies.

Oh there is 10 residents where MrP is, and roughly the same amount of staff.. At the previous there are 60 and probably less than 20 staff on at one time, probably no more than 15 Id guess.

Have a fab day everyone

[Roma]

Good morning.

Lovely day out there. Pets are sunbathing in a warm spot before they get too hot!

I agree that the Mauao circuit is one you never tire of, during the week is better than weekends .... it can become a busy highway then! The track is well maintained with a good walking surface and there are often people pushing strollers   If you know where to look (he's quite camouflaged in his surroundings) there is often a big seal basking on the rocks.

Wow 10 residents plus staff .... Mr P doesn't know how lucky he is and I hope he 'does as he's asked' Popeye!

Hairdresser today and have son coming for dinner as his family are away ... he will join them in the weekend.

Venetian, I went to a cheese making course once, feta was one we made .... so much fun and yum to take home and eat.

Enjoy the day all.

[popeye333]

Your right Roma, apart from he knows he has it good.

Was still in a grump today..

But what it come down to is they wanted a urine sample and he needed help to do it but wouldn't ask. Stubborn fool.

He's Never been shy before.

I told him Id like to be able to sit and look at that million dollar view, not have to cook, clean or do any other housework and have people at my beck and call at the end of a cord.

A nurse came in and got the phone off him and I told her what he needed.

I think somehow when they were handing out Stubborn, he hopped in the same row far more than once.

[JanW]

Good afternoon - weird day weather wise here in the bay - the orchardists are flat out spraying - 70% of the apricots were lost - not looking good for the nectarines and peaches - the stone rot sets in so quickly - Leader brand have lost all their crops again in Gisborne - they moved their operation from HB because of the frequent droughts now they are coping with frequent floods
Kiwimade those photos bring back some lovely memories - my old boy used to run all over it while the dogs and I had a quiet stroll
Feeling very pleased with myself my kids are impossible to buy for but the other day Robie mentioned the lemonade tree we had when he was a kid - have ordered two dwarf ones - his birthday is in February but the trees won’t be available until April so they are going to do me a gift voucher - he can put them in pots or in the ground - am sure he can find a spot in his very orderly garden
Venetian you sound like my kind of cook - I made a beautiful soup using my cauli leaves - when asked for the recipe I probably sounded very vague but every time I made it was just throw in whatever - carrot tops - ginger garlic or onions etc etc
So pleased Mr P has ended up with such a lovely outlook - he will have his ups and downs but at least you know he is so much better off .Just a word of warning from past experience if you didn’t overpay the rest home don’t let the money go into your account - we didn’t know but somehow or other her rest home was overpaid and the money went into Mums account - it was during covid when we were not allowed to visit her she didn’t probably realise she had the money - after she passed there was some sort of audit and the mistake was picked up - my sister who dealt with all Mums staff was treated like a criminal - she had to pay a 10% penalty - it was awful - last thing you would want to have to cope with
Progressing well with my blanket actually the break from crafting has done me goid

[Lilith7]

Bit of a shock, with the PM resigning - interesting times ahead no doubt.
The new place sounds good Popeye with that staff/resident ratio, far better than where he was.

I managed to get both lawns done, one this morning & the smaller front one after the obligatory walk. Won't be doing much else today.

[popeye333]

I have to admit I was quite shocked re the Prime Minister and if anything I've realized I haven't been taking notice of the news lately.

I hope she can now sit back and plan her wedding and maybe add a sibling for Neave.

I remember now why I like to go out early. Its blimin hot out there.

I went to the recycle center shop for a gander. Came home with two small plastic baskets I needed, a cook book I probably didn't, but it was only $1, a packet of plastic plates that come in handy when taking food to the oppies and a duvet cover in white and a sheet in red.

Didn't look at the sizes of the latter but they were free. The duvet , the white one has a mark so I've put it in the machine. And I won't have lost anything other than some water and laundry powder if the mark doesn't come out. and the fabric will be useful, maybe as table runners or something like that.

Spent the grand sum of $4-50 lol..

The shopping list should have been a What I cant get today list. Got Madams food and munchies for MrP. And my Pepsi so Im set lol.

Neat when people actually tell you what they want at some stage and you are able to get it as a present eh Jan.

I ended up not looking at the fruit in NW, the fruit shop will be cheaper but Ill stop there tomorrow.

[Venetian1]

Been an off and on rain day.  
Yes Jan W I really feel for the orchardists this year, stone fruit has been badly hit by all the rain. I brought some nice peaches and nectarines from the place on Pakowhai road but it has not been open every day this year like it usually is over summer. 

Lemonades are one of my favourite fruit, I have a semi dwarf tree and it produces really well. 

Not all together surprised that the PM has resigned she has been given a terrible time by some and whether you agree with her politics or not she is still a person and shouldn't have to put up with that sort of treatment.  I hope she can get some family time and relax for a while.

I've made the most of the inside type weather and spring cleaned my last room - my "junk" room - it is small but was a real mess as so much stuff from the other rooms that i needed to time to sort out had ended up in there. I removed everything and only put back what needed to be in there.

[popeye333]

Been an off and on rain day.  
Yes Jan W I really feel for the orchardists this year, stone fruit has been badly hit by all the rain. I brought some nice peaches and nectarines from the place on Pakowhai road but it has not been open every day this year like it usually is over summer. 

Lemonades are one of my favourite fruit, I have a semi dwarf tree and it produces really well. 

Not all together surprised that the PM has resigned she has been given a terrible time by some and whether you agree with her politics or not she is still a person and shouldn't have to put up with that sort of treatment.  I hope she can get some family time and relax for a while.

I've made the most of the inside type weather and spring cleaned my last room - my "junk" room - it is small but was a real mess as so much stuff from the other rooms that i needed to time to sort out had ended up in there. I removed everything and only put back what needed to be in there.

I agree, some of the so called people in the world are nuts now. We seemed to have lost respect for each other. Whether we be normal home people or The PM or Royalty. The world and alot of its people ate Nuts.

Well done on getting the Junk room done. I need to sort my table again.. lol

[Mica]

Morning all
Fine here

We travelled too Taranaki yesterday  DD has a wedding to attend so we are all staying in Airbb and we will be babysitting today I am feeling tired already.

Summer fruit is my fav but due to recent weather I think what is available will be pricey.

Gotta move

Enjoy your day

[Roma]

Good morning.

It's going to be a sunny day again ... yay.

Up with the birds this morning as we are dogsitting ... the other grandparents have the baby ... we got the easy deal, lol! 

Big news for sure with the PM resigning. Can't say I blame her  ... all the mockers should be careful what they wish for!

Not sure what the day will bring, will start with hanging out the washing and go from there.

Enjoy the day all.