Central Plateau, North Island

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

Thursday 21 May 2015

The “AYES” are in the blue corner

 

Yes, to the wee fellow living with us forever. He has doubled his  weight, is toilet trained, and has a purr like a train engine. Cuddly, affectionate, spunky, and at night, if we let him stay  there,  ( which we don’t as he is way too small yet) …goes to sleep snuggled up on Hugh’s chest. Boris , where did you come from, the biggest mystery of all.

Yes,  we had a trip to Wellington yesterday.  A  328 km round trip.

Some views from the window, farmland near our home.

Morning sky on Wellington Day visit

Kapiti Island, almost covered in mist and cloud

Kapiti Island

Wellington waterfront and buildings. Westpac Stadium, affectionately known locally as “ The Cake Tin” where major sports events are held , coming soon  are  the FIFA U20 World Cup matches, Elton John,  AC/DC,  and next year
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo” and for me, the last one is what I would really like to see.
 

Along the Wellington streets #1

Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand

Currently showing Air New Zealand, 75 years of it’s history. Outside is  the  cockpit of a Boeing 737, you can climb inside , and  sit in the pilot’s seat .

On  30th April, 1940,  a flight from Auckland to Sydney marked the first scheduled air link between New Zealand and the rest of the world. I was born 3 months later.

Te Papa, Wellington

 

Waiting at traffic lights

Wellington streets #2

 

Next stop, Wellington Hospital, help desk in a prominent place, Hooray for that.

Capital and Coast Hospital, Wellington

We were given a map, follow the “ Orange Line”, but there on the wall was an “ Orange Lion”, was this for the children, as the ward for them was along the same corridor? I think the link was totally lost on so many people!!

Follow the Orange Line to the lifts

We duly arrived at the Orthopaedic  Clinic, waited, and had an assessment, well Hugh did. The oversized wheelchair took my eyes, and I couldn’t resist a final photo, as we made our way outside. All went well, and Hugh will be back there for the much needed, long time waited for, and so gratefully accepted spinal surgery in 4 months or so.

And all the boxes were ticked  correctly, so another “ Big Fat Yes”, I could cry!!

Thank you all so much from my heart for your words,prayers, thoughts and more, another friend has sent messages to the Universe regularly, and friends here in NZ are happy all have been answered.

Our daughters are overjoyed to think the end is in sight, at least the first part in being on the surgery waiting list.

A long day, left home at 8.15.am and home again  at  6. 05 p.m.

 

The extra wide wheelchair

But the best of all, a wonderful contraption called a’”Knee Walker” , a patient had just had a leg cast taken off, and whizzed down past us to radiology.NO, I didn’t get a photo, Kaz and Hugh were way ahead and almost ready to go without me. But this is what it looks like. A whizz for fast mobility, I am sure he could go a mile a minute!!!

Photo courtesy of the internet

knee_walker

Quotation of the day, from Thomas Goodwin

Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.”

Greetings from Jean

Monday 18 May 2015

Plunket Update on “Boris”


The little ginger chap is thriving, Hugh has named him “Boris” but I have always associated this with a burly, maybe Russian giant of a man. In Slavic, the meaning of this name is “Warrior” and maybe it  does suit him, as he must be the ultimate survivor, arriving late at night, from somewhere??   Nevertheless, he is doing well. He sits in the plastic bowl on the scales, waiting for a feed, when he gets his daily “weigh-in” ….
See below, did I say Sleep Deprivation rules my life??
Weight Chart for Boris, May 2015
Monday 11thMay 670gm
Tuesday 12thMay 730gm
Wednesday 13thMay 820gm
Thursday 14thMay 850gm
Friday 15thMay 875gm
Saturday 16thMay 905gm
Sunday 17th May 975gm
Monday 18thMay 980gm
Waiting for a game
Little ginger in bed #1
Lip licking in anticipation for breakfast, second sitting, as he has already had one meal at 4.15 a.m.
( Did I mention BROKEN SLEEP???)
Little ginger  licking his lips


Playing #4
The bobbles on Joyce’s pink slippers were passed by in favour of the little box.
Playing  #1                       I really like to have first go at the crosswords?
Playing #3
He is almost toilet trained!!! Hooray!!!
Now all we have to do is wait for the vet clinic to find his new home, even though Hugh really, really, wants to keep him. I have too much else going on to keep him,much as I would like to as well.
Now all we need to do to finish his story is find where he came from, no-one nearby has a cat with kittens, no-one has listed him as missing, a mystery of huge proportions!!!
Quotation of the day, from Boris Pasternak
“ Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us”
Greetings from Jean

Tuesday 12 May 2015

The Tiniest Gift, arriving from where???

 

Little Ginger Boy #2

First of all, so many heartfelt thanks for all your caring loving words and messages. The final opinion, when I looked at the typed discharge form, was “ Muscular-skeletal” , so maybe a strain of some kind. No more moving furniture for some time!!! A warning to all who might be in the “senior-age” category, take life slowly, savour every day that is good, and be so thankful for friends and family who love, and care so much.

Mother’s Day, a quiet day at home, a beautiful pot of scented hyacinth from Joyce, as she said “ You are the Mum in this home”. A gift to be enjoyed for many years, as they will bloom again and again.

Dinner was finished, I was updating some paper work, and heard this tiny “MEOW”, thinking it was  on TV, ignored it. There it was again. I turned on the outdoor light, and right on the step, the tiniest ginger kitten, walking round in circles, tail wagging. Picked him up, showed Hugh, and went to take him into Joyce.

“Close your eyes”, she did, I placed him in her hands. “Oh MY, where did he come from?”  He is a mystery, no other cats round, no other little kittens, no lost ones reported locally on Monday a.m. He is feisty, hungry, and the ultimate in purring.

So affectionate, and maybe 6 weeks old!!! What do we do, Hugh would like to keep him, Joyce too, I would, but am practical, maybe a little sad,( amended to hugely so)  but we already have Felicity ( who  growled and spat at the sight of him) and Ginger Boy, and the local Vet Clinic think they have a home for him. After 2 days, how much of your heart can this wee fellow take over??

Quotation of the day from Leonardo da Vinci

“The smallest feline is a masterpiece”

Greetings from Jean

Saturday 9 May 2015

Autumn Colours Galore

 

We have autumn here, not really cold in the mornings, but cooler than several weeks ago.The leaves are falling, summer flowers are still blooming, and Ginger Boy has a thick winter coat and sleeps inside most nights.

Brunsvigia Josephinae, glorious, with so many flower heads on one tall stem. I have 4 bulbs, and treasure them so much, given to  me from a very dear friend some years ago.Brunsvigia Josephinae

The Red, and the pink Alstromerias have had a second spurt of blooming.

Red Alstromeria flowers in Autumn

Down the driveway, the Cherry trees are losing their leaves fast, and glorious colours, I could see a quilt design right there somewhere.

Cherry Tree Leaves for a quilt pattern

 

Autumn Leaves from the Cherry Trees

Cherry Tree in Autumn

 

Ginger Boy in the late afternoon sunshine

Life continues …each day, slowly and steadily, as surely as sunrise and sunset… we are off to Wellington on 20th May for Hugh’s appointment with the specialist at the Spinal Clinic. After waiting so long, I hope for a miracle, they do happen, maybe it will be his turn.

This week, I needed a short holiday. A  private room, with full room service, warm blankets on arrival, and everything a girl needed. PUO, and BIBA, the usual acronyms for “pain of unknown origin” and “Brought in by Ambulance”. Severe pain, unable to walk, even with Hugh’s spare crutches, so a few hours rest , ( I was in the plaster room , were they already thinking of something serious?!!!)..pain meds, an X-Ray to rule out a pelvic fracture!!! They could not  diagnose any particular thing that contributed, so if I could totter to the bathroom, and get on and off  the bed when I tottered back, I could go home, Well, I did say to myself, very quietly… 4 hours rest is better than none at all. the pain has almost gone, and I am taking each day VERY slowly. Friends have phoned, and offered any and every help imaginable , Joyce and  Hugh have taken up the reins for a few days.       All is well.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“It’s the friends we meet along life’s road who help us appreciate the journey”

Greetings from Jean