Santa gave me a new MacBook. !!!

Hello to all my friends, and so many thanks for the wishes for our Dani. She is home, no surgery, inconclusive is the verdict. however a watch and wait for now.
This morning, Boxing Day down here, all the sales start. And as I had been looking at a new laptop for some time, Hugh suggested we go shopping this morning. The usual mad crowds everywhere, but I went in with the product number, and all the details.
So this is a totally new way for me, lots to learn, no photos loaded yet, and Facebook didn't want to know me in my original name or email.
However the plus's are many, and in time I will master/ conquer this new wonder.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

Make the most of today, plan for tomorrow, 

and be thankful for the sunrise every morning

Greetings from Jean

"Twas the Night Before Christmas

And all through the house, there was turmoil.
The  baking was done and packed up, the parcels were wrapped, the lawn was mown, Grandson called in to collect the gifts and baking to go North, then the phone rang.
Our grand-daughter is in hospital with suspected appendicitis.  Scans, blood tests, and admitted for observation!!! So we will all have a sleepless worrying night.
However, for many families, Santa will visit,  others will have tears as they have lost homes in Australia, loved ones in accidents,  and others not able to be together.
Down here I am so thankful for our  home, our friends, and all my wonderful blog friends so many miles away.

This blurry sunflower is bright and beautiful. 

I hope for you all, your day is also bright, full of love and happiness.

Season's Greetings to each one, with all Good Wishes for the New Year.

May 2020 be kind, may dreams come true, and friendships continue.

Quotation of the day ,from a friend

" Plan for tomorrow, live for today"

Greetings from Jean.

I can see "The End " is in sight

At last the walls are all painted, waiting for a sunny day to get some photos.We have had rain and cold mornings and nights.
The sewing is almost all done, 3 shrugs/ponchos/ or some other new name have been done in a huge hurry and sent off to the far south, as  our younger daughter  recovers from shoulder surgery.
The flowers continue to bloom, some  were getting wind blown and had to be saved from the outside weather. We planted about 40 Gladioli, and they are all starting to bloom.

The Hollyhocks are still growing taller, another white one is in flower, and a beautiful pink has these gorgeous colours.

This tall one has white flowers, difficult to see against the grey sky.

There is a bee feeding on the pink forget-me-not.

A friend who lives in the Bay of Plenty grows Day Lilies, and some years ago I had this one, thought it was lost, and yesterday it had a huge bud.That wonderful deep colour.Burgundy maybe?

Then, just look at this, the dust sheets are off, the motor is ready to be wired up again, and the " Red Snappers" are waiting. I am hoping the sparky can alter the handles and have them at the needle end. If all fails, I will try the Bernina there, knowing I will be able to do only very small items.

We will have  a very quiet Christmas, one daughter has been up and gone home, the other will come down after New Year. I am hoping Grandson will take all the northern  parcels with him  on the 24th. Baking still to do, and the library needs a visit, time to put my feet up with a good book handy.

Quotation of the day, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in 1877,

" The holiest of all holidays  are those

Kept by ourselves in silence and apart:

The secret anniversaries of the heart.

Greetings from Jean

I turned my back for a moment

And look what happened in the garden. Those tall Hollyhocks have bloomed
The most delicate white with a palest green centre in each petal, then the contrast as the deepest burgundy red showed its glory.

Nature shows the glorious shades, so beautiful.

These started off as tiny plants about 4 inches high, I had doubts that they would grow. Look at them now.

Inside  , a little more painting has been done, the long arm quilting frame is dusted off and ready for the electrician to come and tackle the handle wiring. I am excited to think I might actually get to try and use it soon.

Quotation of the day, from Charles  Stanley

" Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on what we're waiting for"

Greetings from Jean

The mess and the Garden

Life continues, Hugh's laptop is larger than mine so the keyboard is a challenge.

When we came here a year ago, there was NO garden at all , 2 maples, one lime tree, one lemonade tree, bare dirt at the front, and a cherry tree by a palm.
We

added loads of soil and compost and mix, put in an edging and now it is showing so much colour. The lily has multiple heads, and the hollyhocks at the back are about 8 foot tall.

Along the fence line there are Californian Poppy plants with tall Verbascum as well

The tall tree was there, but now has Dianthus at the front, Foxgloves, Lychnis, Gaura, and other small plants to fill it all in.

It was a  bit difficult to get the light  and shadow right,  but there are tall pink forgetmeot,Watsonia, more Lychnis, some lobelia, and gladioli just starting to bloom

This is the most beautiful flower right now, a Japanese Iris, a  plant gifted from a new friend, and has already had 3 stems with 5 blooms.

No post would be complete without the ginger Boris making an appearance. He has coped fairly well with the move, but does stray over the street.

I will not spoil the garden views with photos of all the  dust covers and paint pots, they can wait until tomorrow

Meantime, thank you all SO much for the lovely comments, it is so good to be back, I think the 

year of moving, adjusting, and having workmen doing alterations and more took its toll. 

There is one wall in the lounge to paint, it has been filled with whatever the painter slaps on then sands off, the primer coat is on, and next will be a lovely grey. Half Alabaster, a Resene colour, and we have used that in the other lounge and the hall

Quotation of the day, author unknown

" Look beyond the rain and see the rainbow"

Greetings from Jean,

Where have I been???

Hello friends across the world. 

I am still here, but life was busy, then my laptop ran into some  minor, then huge problems, the mess and  dust overwhelmed me, so I took a wee holiday.

I am now using Hugh's laptop so no photos today, I will  load some very soon.
The painter is almost all done, he has one room, walls and skirting boards, one last coat on skirting boards in the hall, and a lovely clean palish grey is wonderful after mustard wallpaper. White trims all through, and I need to pick some new curtains.
However!!!!! We looked at fabric and the one I really liked was so expensive, ending up over $2000 for the fabric, about $800 for the lining. So we are looking again, and maybe in March when the kitchen will be tackled, they can be finalised.
I have been reading all your news, snow, ice, cold days and nights, then here in NZ, flowers blooming, rivers flooding, and yesterday a tragedy as White Island had a massive eruption. Many there were tourists and the tour guides and operators,  so far  the outlook for those who survived is not good, I cannot  imagine the horror as it happened so quickly.

I have some sewing to finish before Christmas, 3 bags that will be going back to Australia for a friends daughter and his 2 sons. 

Thank you for all your enquiries, we are both well,  I will see how long I can cope with Hugh's bigger laptop. the keyboard is larger than mine, and a MacBook Air or Pro might be a late Christmas present,
Do many of you  use blogger on an iMac, or MacBook? I will need to consult the IT man in our family when he is on holiday.
Meantime.....

Quotation of the Day, author unknown

When you want a rainbow in your life, listen to the rainfall first

Greetings from Jean.