Anzac Day remembered in 2021

           

I saw this on Jocelyn's blog this morning,  you will find her here      ,     and wondered how I had missed seeing it here in new Zealand. Newfoundlanders were the only North Americans to fight with our New Zealanders and the Australians at Gallipoli. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment marks this event each year, and in 2021, the bands of both forces, one in Newfoundland , and one here in new Zealand, linked up together to make an outstanding  video. The piece is " Invercargill", a march composed by Alex Lithgow, and named after his home town , the most southern city here in NZ.

Here is the link to watch and listen to the combined bands perform. Modern  internet miracles transform our lives across the oceans. 

I had to swipe, then open the link,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7qXd_izbyw .

Photo courtesy of the Internet,  The New Zealand Army Band, taken at  forecourt of Parliament, Wellington, at the swearing  in ceremony of the Governor General Sir Jerry  Mateparae, 31st August 2011. 

And an image of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Band. Courtesy of the Internet.

Life continues slowly, no visitors, no going out, a walk to the mailbox is getting easier. and friends and family  continue to phone, and do a grocery shop for us. Day 6 yesterday, symptoms still lingering, but this morning I am hoping for a better day.  Hugh has been the main chef, and excelled himself each night with dinner served, pots rinsed, I am so thankful, grateful, and relieved that he has been able to do this, if left to me it might be a banana and yoghurt!!!!

And this morning, after 8 days ,  coffee actually tasted like it should, even though that delicious aroma was absent .

Quotation of the day, from Herbert Hoover ,

" Freedom is the open window through which pours 

the sunlight of the human spirit and  human dignity "

Greetings from Jean.

 

Saying Thank You never seems to be enough

 Thank you all for the loving and caring comments.

Day 5, still not feeling any better, hoping each day  there will be some improvement.

However, on Monday 25th our Anzac Day, Hugh tested Positive. So he has to isolate for 7 days,

In New Zealand we have an online site, that you fill in with your own personal details, called " My Health Account"  .Then enter the test results, this gives those who collect all the data the numbers for Covid Positive people, and the area they live in. I can now understand how so many families struggled to do this, those not familiar with online or internet , those with families not living close by who could help.

To brighten this post, here is the deep yellow Day Lily, that seems to flower almost all year long. A friend who lived near us at Katikati said they were indestructible.  Kathy grew so many colours there, all in organised rows, so many to choose from,   and I remember watching Murray machete the roots to divide the plants after flowering was done. " Ming Porcelain" was my favourite, a delicate almost translucent pale apricot.I hope it continues to flower at our previous home. 

Quotation of the day, author unknown

 "Flowers are friends in the Garden of Life"

Greetings from Jean

25th April 2022

Anzac Day, 25th April, 2022, New Zealand.

They shall not grow old,  as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

How Did This Happen????

 We have all been so careful,  wearing masks, hand washing, avoiding crowded places. Scanning in, checking our phones to see if a Covid alert has been entered. 

This morning at 4 a.m. I woke, and thought " Oh No ", dragged myself to the bathroom and found the box of Covid Rapid Tests. I didn't need to wait long before the first red line, then the second, showed.

I am a Positive Covid Case, so I went online to My Health Account and followed all the details. We all need to isolate until 1st May,  7 days from yesterday when I had one symptom, but didn't link the tiredness to Covid,  and no visitors, or doing anything energetic. I am so thankful our friends visited before this . The website told me to consider myself infectious from 21st April.

As soon as I had entered my result, was given  instructions, and had to enter more information.I can now understand how some people struggled with this side of Covid.

I am so thankful for a wonderful friend who collected the grocery list and shopped for some essentials.

So I might not be doing anything much at all, other than resting.Any quilting will have to wait, Henry, consider yourself lucky to be strutting earlier!!!

Quotation of the day , original words...

"When you wish to be a hermit, beware,  it might happen all by itself".

Greetings from Jean

The day has arrived for Henry to make his debut

  As I wrote a few days ago, I answered a post, and was accepted to be a pattern tester. The design had to stay a secret until Friday, and now Lesley over at berry_birdy has shown the pattern Henry can make his appearance.

Dresden Points, something totally new to me, I had to Google them to make sure I would be able to do this. There are a few of us who were testers, we shared suggestions, helpful ideas, and progress photos. I needed help to add my photo to the group, and was given the " How to do this"  so promptly, in spite of the time difference, as we are in various locations, Netherlands, USA, Washington, and more, 

 and as soon as the last one is posted, there will be a parade of the whole flock.

 Interesting facts I found as I  searched for rooster photos, Roosters are territorial,  and look at their hens as " Theirs" . Also the comb and wattle are large and bright to attract the ladies.And the men don't have a specific name for their group, just a flock, like hens and chickens. 

He was going to be a wall hanging, but now will be the front of either a VERY large bag or a square fabric, also large, box, for anything to be stored in.

Keep watching for the final parade.

Here is a photo from long ago, Calf Club Day at TeHihi Primary School. I had a huge black rooster, my Dad built a little cart and the doll sat there, towed round.  This might have been in 1947 or 1948, summer time, no shoes, I still had short hair, and in the background other pupils, I recently phoned one classmate and we shared many memories of the farming families and more. Lambs, calves, decorated vehicles, usually a bike with crepe paper wound round the spokes,. The calves were judged, and those who won a top ribbon went on to be entered

 in the Franklin A&P show at Pukekohe. 

This was a large event with cows,  all breeds, bulls,  with a ring in their nose,  a rope attached either side, and two men leading them into the judging ring , horses including  Clydesdales  . then the sheep, ewes and rams , all competing for top place.

Meantime, Easter Greetings to you all, I hope your days are sunny, rainy if needed, and health and happiness prevail.

Quotation of the day, from  J.M.Barrie,

" Not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do is the secret of happiness"

Greetings from Jean

Nothing Much Happening down here

 Hello all blog friends near and far,

Nothing exciting has been happening, I had what I thought were Covid symptoms, almost EVERY one, stayed home for ages, did the RAT tests, and each one was negative.

Finally after much phoning and getting frustrated, Hugh drove me to the next town, the drive-in clinic out at the racecourse  no hesitation to give me the PCR test, results back next day and it was negative.

However my Doctor tells me all that does is to verify I was not infectious at that time.

So today I go and have my Cataract pre -surgery anaesthetic appointment, check weight?? ( OK)  Height??  ( shrinking!!) and blood pressure  ( Okay too) and all medications, ( all blood pressure meds have been discontinued, Hooray )  and then say " You are fit and well " and hopefully the surgery will be within 3 weeks.

I saw on a website a few weeks ago someone was asking for  pattern testers. Well, I haven't ventured into this before so thought " Let's give it a go" .It was different to anything I have done before, a group of 5 of us from all over the world quickly became friends and offered suggestions, help, and lots more. It is still a secret until Friday Northern time!!!

Meantime our Daylight Saving has ended, the mornings are already so dark, and a lot cooler, so the firewood box is full and kindling ready.

Quotation of the day from Khalil Gibran

 " If you reveal your secrets to the wind,

 you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees"

Greetings from Jean