Central Plateau, North Island

Central Plateau, North Island
View from a friend's farm

Saturday 8 December 2012

Busy days, maybe should be “Busy in a Daze”

 

The days pass in a blur these last few weeks, with little time for photos or the blog. Hugh, the garden, (housework when I fit it in), in no particular order, or maybe in that very order!!!

Hugh is well, and we are, have been, and will  continue to be so very thankful for the expert medical care  he received. Each Sunday evening we line up all the bottles and packets and arrange the Monday to Sunday medication for another week.Thank goodness for those pill organisers, for want of a better or correct name. There are slots for A.M. and P.M. and it makes for a foolproof system, if you forget, they are there for someone/ME, to see and give a gentle reminder. Each one is necessary,  the one to stop clots around the stent is necessary for 12 months, Wait till next November, “ Hip,Hip,Hooray” will be the shout from the man.

And many thanks for emails, comments and caring messages and thoughts.They have meant so much, and thanks seem hardly enough to say how important the words have been.

However the garden, specially the vegetable part, is thriving. we have planted almost all the veges from seed, and I am quite/ pretty much/ very proud of what I have achieved. The small glass house has had a water blast, windows mended,trays scrubbed, and seeds planted.

Dwarf Golden Beans

Golden dwarf beans 

Potatoes are in a new plot this year, and are thriving.I hope that under the ground, they are as productive as on top.

Potatoes in all their green glorious leaves

Beetroot and carrots, almost ready for thinning.

Carrots & Beetroot

Yellow Submarine Tomatoes,small golden shaped pear shaped, and tasty. 

Tomatoes in a row

Snapdragons, and the Bumblebees manage to open the flower and burrow inside. Not as easy as getting inside a foxglove.

Pink Snapdragon

 Lemon Snapdragon

This beautiful flower is a Iris Sibirica, and the flowers are on stems at least 30 inches tall. They are in a shady part of the garden, and shine in the dim light.

Iris Sibirica

We have one Mother duck and her babies in the Tutaenui Stream, right on our boundary. She ushered them into the bank where they were almost hidden from above. I could see their little feet paddling as they tried so hard to keep up with her when she went further downstream.

Mother and baby ducklings

Quotation of the day, from Tennessee Williams

“Time is the longest distance between two places”

Greetings from Jean

30 comments:

Georgia said...

Honestly Jean, I'm 65 and your list of activities and picures of your accomplishments leave me breathless! Good on ya!

MandaBurms FarmStay for Cats. said...

Your photos show just how busy you have been, but also the rewards for the efforts you will be getting soon.
Love Leanne

Nancy J said...

Thanks Georgia, It doesn't seem to be really hard work, just a LOT. Leanne, we are already eating so much out of those boxes, and today more tomatoes will be planted.Hugh thinks I have way too many tom.plants, but I can see sauce and chutney on the menu next year!!.Greetings from Jean

Lindsjö taxar said...

HI! How nice it looks in your garden. We hade a lot of it when I was little so I do know all that and also to take care of the vegetables.
Today we went for some shopping on an outlet with good prices on designer clothing.
My man bought a jacket from New Zealand :-) NZA New Zealand Auckland. Very nice for half the ordinary price :-)

Nancy J said...

Wow, do you have a photo of the jacket?? I see you have cold!! and snow!!! so good to get a good bargain. Greetings from Jean

Eggs In My Pocket said...

So glad that Hugh is feeling well. Your garden is just so lovely!

Here I Am Carrie said...

So glad to hear Hugh is doing well and you also. I am so inspired by how hard you both work. Your garden is looking just lovely. I love all your raised beds. What a great idea putting you tomatoes on top of black paper. Probably helps attract more heat. The glimpses of wildlife around you must be such a joy. I know how busy life will be for you now with the garden getting into full swing. I had about a month break in between gardening and snow shoveling. Now as the snow is falling a little most days I have my little trails to all the building I keep cleared while hubby takes our new plow out to keep our driveway cleared. My body is starting to have its near Christmas aches and pains, but people like you always keep me inspired to keep going. Wishing you a wonderful.
Hug Carrie

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

It's good to see a post from you today! I'm glad that things are going well, and your garden is lovely and nice to see on a cold, rainy dreary day here in Virginia.

KB said...

I'm so happy to hear that Hugh is doing well. That is most important.

And, your gardens are incredibly impressive! All those veggies! I use raised beds like yours... but my garden is never as fruitful as yours!

Beautiful flowers. I hope that their beauty helps keep a busy life in balance.

Nancy J said...

Thank you for all your lovely words, I find it hard to get blog time lately, and am hoping next year will be better. Yes, flowers, veges, nature never ceases to amaze me, plant the dry seeds, water, and up grow the seedlings!! In another part of the garden I threw some poppy seeds, thinking maybe some would grow. Watch for the pics, there are "thousands", multi coloured and pink ruffled. Take care, all of you in your wintertime. Fond greetings from Jean

Janet said...

So glad to hear things are going well and your garden looks FABULOUS!

Jim said...

Jean, good to see that you are keeping very busy!! As you know this will get you both through this 'new' chapter of yours. Your garden looks stupendous!(is that a word, must be!lol)
And the pills!! And the organizers! I have it down to a 'T' now. I don't take that many (3 prescribed ones) and have had a couple stopped and all 3 reduced in half! Now I know who I am!! lol
I put my PM meds on my bed table so as to see them when I need to TAKE THEM. My AM ones on the kitchen table.
Good to hear Hugh is getting back to himself again.....it does take time and thank the gods you have time.
ALl the best from the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia.
Jim

Nancy J said...

Thanks Jim, I just need to watch and make sure none get dropped , as with cats roving the kitchen floor, a pill might be mistaken for a goodie biscuit.Yes, the garden with its produce and coloured beauty is very healing, and encouraging in its own way.Hugh's "bucket list" includes some daring trips, and if I get to visit everyone of my wonderful friends in blogland, he wants to come too!!! Airflight tickets just doubled! Fond greetings from Jean

Lyn said...

Your gardens are certainly flourishing..a result of a lot of hard work no doubt..lovely photos..sounds like quite a task getting the medication ready each week, but reassuring to have it

Nancy J said...

Yes, Sunday night after dinner is "Pill Night",but at Wgn hospital they hand out, when you leave, a large yelllow card, about A4 size, with all the medications listed in LARGE letters, and very clear writing, so Hugh does the a.m. ones first,then p.m. and has it down to a fine art now. Yes, some hard work,in the gardens, but nature really does the job at the end. I have poppies galore, seed nearly 4 years old, so I threw so many, thinking not many would germinate, but they did. Cheers from Jean

Susan Heather said...

Pleased to hear Hugh is feeling better. Your garden looks wonderful but it sounds a lot of work.

Nicky said...

Lovely photos of your gardening progress Jean. It is all looking good! Hmmmm, looking at the above comments I see I am not the only one visited by spammers...... not my favourite kind of people.......

Nancy J said...

Yes Nicky, I delete any that come from someone who is not prepared to list their real name, blog name or other,. Usually they do go straight to my email(deleted immediately) and are not put here. So to all " Anonymous" bloggers who leave me a comment, I do not want to read your words, I do not want to reply to you, please do not leave a comment or take any of my blog and use it for yourselves!!! Strong words, I know, but they come from all of us who get these comments left. Greetings Nicky, from Jean

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Nancy J said...

Anonymous, all comments that do not give a proper blog name are deleted. USA team jerseys, out of my league right now.

Susan Heather said...

Jean - I met Olive but think it is her "friend" that you know - his name escapes me at present.

Nancy J said...

Yes Susan, Olive we know too, and Ross is our friend from so many years ago.Small world, Cheers from Jean

Lori Skoog said...

Happy to read that Hugh is doing well. Your gardens look gorgeous! You take good care of them. Thank you so much for your visits and kind comments!

Nancy J said...

Thanks Lori, I need to do some words on my blog, as he is doing well, we have so much to be so very thankful for.The gardens, both flower and vege, are thriving, but need watering EVERY day now. Greetings from Jean. p.s. I "met" a friend of yours on my blog,Stan, small world, and we are literally a world apart.Close in our blogs, words and thoughts.

Chicken Wrangler said...

Hello Jean - I was curious about your remark concerning Sprout n Wings Farm's meal timer and you mentioned Prednisone. It seems that you have a pill regime similar to my mom's - she has an organizer that has days of the week, plus morning, noon, dinner, and bedtime compartments. We fill on Sunday for the week. She, too, is on Prednisone - does not eat all the time, but she is diabetic, so it really makes a mess of her blood glucose numbers and it is difficult to manage. Bless you and Hugh with all you are going through - it is amazing all you listed in the day's accomplishments! Monica

Nancy J said...

Hi Monica, yes, I loved that timer!!! and.. Yes, Hugh has PMR, and will be on prednisone for years, we have tried reducing the dose,but it is slow work.And the side effects are numerous, and difficult to accept, weight gain, thin skin, pigmentation on his arms,but we know how necessary it is.And thankyou for your lovely words, they help so much. Greetings from Jean

Anonymous said...


Hello!

I'm Lina, I'm Portuguese and I "discovered" you through Saidos da Concha.

I loved your flowers and your thoughts. :)

Nancy J said...

Hi Lina, Constanca, Tiego and Rodrigo stayed with us last weekend, do you have an email, I can send you photos.I love someone who "finds" me through another blog, that is the way friendships are made.My email is on
My Profile,and do you have a blog?Thank you for your kindest words. Greetings from Jean.

Barb said...

Hi Jean, Stopped by to see how you and Hugh are doing. Sounds like plans are being made re: bucket list! Your gardens are fabulous. We've had 2' of snow here in Breckenridge in the last few days. Yippee - it's finally winter. Two of my youngest Grands are visiting for the week - keeping us busy! Take Care.

Nancy J said...

Barb, today, 20th, we are sweltering in 33Celsius. Are you skiing yet? Yes, plans, I have to re-do mine, it has only TWO items, and I forgot the most important, visit all my blog friends who are overseas.Take care in that cold, no extracting yourself from deep snow drifts, and enjoy the grandies. Fond greetings, Jean.p.s.all OK here.