Shopping and other goodies

While I was on holiday( as I usually do) I bought something to take home as a memory of my wonderful time.

The first was a silk scarf in my favourite colours of blue,green,mauve,purple. This happened because... I was so lucky to get a haircut on the spot without a prior appointment.The young man was very  capable and also very polite.He suggested that I  would benefit if he applied the product called " FAT HAIR".There was some discussion if in fact it was called that and maybe it was 'FAT HEAD" I preferred the first name, and it was duly used. The gentleman declined to have his name or photo posted here, but my haircut was superb, the product equally so, and I sallied forth into the cold southerly wind. Next door was :" Trade Aid" with all wonderful things to look at, dream about and finally buy.The scarf just said " Buy me now" so I did.
Later in the week I was at an emporium and after getting the required block out fabric for curtain linings I browsed. There were fancy buttons, fabric,cord,ribbon, and this.A tagging gun. WOW. I could  see all sorts of  possible uses for this, attaching curtain linings just like the professional ones, tacking cards to gifts, and tag  basting quilts. I was given a lesson in the use, the safety procedures, and told of the huge number of tags in the other box. I bought it!! I thought that it would surely fit in the already overloaded case. The gun is $5, and the box of plastic tags also $5,if you want one of these, please email me for the shop and address.
Now as if this wasn't enough,(there  were already some batik pieces hidden away)Grandson and I visited the Sunday Market by the Lake front.Music, singing, stalls galore, feast your eyes  and open your purse, it all said.

Then I saw the little bead dolls, different styles and colours, and this one pleaded ' Please take me home" so I did. G-son said " It's Cool' High praise indeed, so I hope to be able to add to the collection next time.

Finally the day came to return home. The wagon seats were put down, and cases, cartons, bags of fabric, spare curtains and machine were loaded. A short stop at Taupo, to find the fabric shop I really enjoyed visiting had closed. Off to  Turangi, the Desert Road and down a side road to the Rangipo Substation,with plenty of warnings. BEWARE.   ELECTRIC FENCE..DO NOT TOUCH OR CLIMB.  I did not touch or try to climb!!! The barbed wire was enough to put even a determined opossum off.

This was the next stop and Hugh was so sure I would like to see the Pillars of Hercules. The sign should have warned me.. viewing bridge.. what else do you do but view.  so I looked at the swing bridge, took a few steps, asked him " Please stop making it sway' He wasn't. Those 5 steps were enough, I froze and it took all my courage to  turn around and get back to terra firma.

It looked very safe, made with strong wire ropes to hold it to the ground either side, good planks for the feet, and netting sides to make sure said feet did not slip over the edge.even a good rail for  shaky hand to hold firmly onto.Sadly I didn't get a photo of the pillars, and will have to use one from the man's previous visit. look at a later blog this week to see just what I missed out on viewing.

Mt Ngauruhoe had a little snow at the top, a cold wind blowing the clouds over, so not the clearest view.

I arrived home to find my favourite Tibouchina still in flower, and just managed to get this  last photo, before  all the petals fell off. The shrub has had a colourful life,  it began as a small shrub in the garden that is the first one seen as you come down the drive. After one year it was thriving, then came the frosts. It fell prey to the minus 5 Celsius, and I though  it had had its short life. We dug it up, trimmed severely, and covered it with frost cloth for another 2 years. It is blooming quite late this year, normally the flowers are at their best in February.

I came home with more donated fabric for the " Bags for Japan", bags of bags had arrived in the post, bags had been collected from Dianne   Southey in Palmerston North, and today a parcel is waiting at Post Shop, too large for the letterbox.

More pics and tales from my holiday will get  posted later this week

Cheers from Jean.