Motivated Like Never Before

 

The batik fabric was chosen, cut into strips, joined to the background blue, sewn together, then the rows all sewn in sequence!!! Wow, I do not think I have EVER completed something/anything, even part of  anything… in such a short time. I didn’t even need that “ Round Tuit” that my Dad gave me so many years ago.

I struggled to find a flat place large enough for a photo, so it is on a slant, as I had to stand on the settee. I still need to add a border, or maybe 2 borders, so the voting is open for all suggestions.  I do not have enough of the original blue, so need to bring in another fabric. Please see the “maybe”choices below, but a friend on the Wiggle Me group has suggested a dark navy, then using the left overs from the colours, strips of them, then a chosen edging at the very outside. This would make it the perfect size for our bed, as Hugh already has his eye on it.

He suggested we have it on our bed tonight!!!

Choice #1…Left hand side, variegated green with wavy gold lines, Choice #2…right hand side purple, with cats outlined in another shade.

Choice #3…Cats, with a narrow inset of blue the same as the quilt blocks.

Choice #4…Left hand side, the pale green, and Choice #5… right hand side, a NZ fabric with dark green ferns

 

Choice #6…This one has another blue that has white patterns on it.

And naturally, as happens up at Linda’s place in Taupo, no quilt is complete without a CAT scan.

I will be happy with all and any suggestions to finish this, but meantime it is hanging in the wardrobe, for further attention after our Wellington visit.

To those who have asked, we  drive down on Sunday, Hugh’s spinal surgery is Monday afternoon, I will be at a motel across the street,  only 2 minutes walk. Norman will be here at our home, so the fires will be burning, cats will be fed, ( Joyce’s dept.) maybe even the lawn will get mown.I am so thankful for all  your wishes and caring thoughts. Our younger daughter is flying up from Dunedin on the Monday, so I will not be there by myself. , and older daughter is phoning every night. I am so thankful for them both, always, but specially right now. Family love is like no other. And when we live a fair distance away from each one, phone calls and emails, and comments on my blog or Facebook page are special. There is  Wifi where we are staying, so I hope to be able to post news as it happens.

And maybe some photos of Wellington,Mt Victoria, Te Papa, ( Museum of New Zealand), and naturally a quilt  fabric shop at least once!! And I am hoping to catch up with an old friend, from days at Lake Tarawera,  and June, from Junezscrapz  as well.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“Good things come to those who believe,

better things come to those who are patient,

and the best things come to those who don’t give up”

Greetings from Jean

Counting the days

 

The “ Wiggle me sew-a –long” is coming on well, all strips  pinned, then sewn , waiting to be ironed and joined  in their rows. The table is not wide  enough and way too short, but I am happy with how it looks. These are only pinned in each row.

I will have to ask for suggestions for the border, as there isn’t blue to go round each edge. Maybe a darker blue to offset the brightness, and show up the other colours. Naturally Boris had to supervise.    He needs to have reading lessons, last week went to the vet for his castration. Came home with an A4 page of details, and instructions for his first few nights after surgery.

“Keep him warm and quiet, and inside.” No excitement or exertion , does that mean no running at top speed up the hall, into every room,looking  out of every window longingly at the outdoors??? The next day, cat door was opened early and out he went. One more visit in 4 weeks for the final vaccination.

He is turning out to be a very expensive adoptee, as the week before  we had an emergency vet visit, he was “FLAT” and looked so poorly.  PUO, or fever of unknown origin, 40.1 and climbing, so 2 injections, home with a syringe to drip feed fluids. Not eating, not drinking, not doing anything at all.

Next morning better, so we were very  thankful.

Weight now 2.25 kg, so he has come a long way from the tiny 670gm arrival on 6th May.

Wellington is getting closer, apprehension slipping into my mind unasked. City clothes are sorted, haircut done,  and all I need to do is fill the suitcase, pack laptop and camera, and make sure the check list is all checked.

My dear blog friend  KB in Colorado had a huge scare with her beloved dog R, an emergency vet visit, then by animal ambulance to  Colorado State Vet School, where he was treated, for a possible toxin poisoning. This seemed doubtful, as he had not been off-leash outside for a few days.  An overnight stay, now home, and daily checks for any on-going symptoms. KB acknowledged the huge support from her blog friends, and all of us in Blogland know so well when we share our joy, sorrow, successes and failures, you are there to send love, prayers, help, support, and caring words.

So my quote reflects on how valued all our friendships are .

Quotation of the day from  Marcus  Tullius  Cicero

“ Friendship improves happiness

and abates  misery,

by the doubling of our joy

and the dividing of our grief”

Greetings from Jean

A Day Out, and another project???

 

Do I not have enough to do in the next 10 days, without taking on a challenge?? There is an online Sew-a-long, called Wiggle Me Colourful, you can visit it here.  Click to follow the link.

Wiggle me colourful

I have joined, chosen the batiks, ironed, cut, and sorted. This is a huge project for me, as we have 10 days before going to Wellington!!! But I always do best under pressure, so here  is the first step .

5 sets of strips, colour graded, in green, blue, lemon/orange/pink/ then teal and purple/mauve.  The background fabric is a rich deep blue.

Here is the  finished quilt  from Sandy W ( courtesy of the internet) but as I am using fabric in my stash, and not a jelly roll, mine will be  slightly different.

The other day Hugh suggested a day out, to find some snow. We drove and drove, 2 hours, and it was always round that next elusive corner. Farmland on the way, and some patches of where  a heavy frost lingered on the banks by the roadsides.

 

If you look very hard, there is a small patch of snow, centre back, a long way away.

 

Hay bales on the roadside, wrapped in plastic. What was wrong with the older oblong bales, a one-man lift weight, using an ordinary farm trailer? No need for something fancy, that unrolls them, and the plastic to dispose of? Deer fence netting all in this area, but they were a long way back.

At home we had a  New Zealand native pigeon . or Kereru, staying a while in the Elm Tree.

Quotation of the day, from C S Lewis

“ You are never too old to set another goal

or to dream a new dream”

Greetings from Jean

Can I wear these in Wellington?? NO..NO..NO..

 

We will be in Wellington on 26th July, and already I am realising I need to be dressed in something smarter than ‘ CASUAL”,  comfortable, or working gear. Goodbye to the gumboots, swandri, and homemade hat!!!

Many thanks for all birthday wishes, compliments and good wishes,  but it isn’t until 25th July. I needed to have my new driving license at least 3 weeks before then, in case of any hold-ups with the processing. It arrived in 4 days!!!  So no celebrations until we return home, then maybe a party with Joyce, ( her day is 20th) and other friends who also are  Leos.

 

I have started to adjust already with a wonderful haircut, and good clothes have been sorted.

Hannah    ……        this is what we have to water a huge area. Drag the hose out, have a gentle curve at the  start, put the front narrow wheels over the hose, and the force of the spray propels it back to the tap end. A huge saver in time and  effort. We originally had a Pope model, but this seems to be fool proof, and very sturdy. Photo and data off the internet.

 

The Solid Metal Travelling Sprinkler is ideal for extra large lawns. Durable construction with a heavy duty cast iron body. Self – propelled 2 speed gearbox. The Front wheels travels the path of the garden hose. Weave hose to follow any pattern you need. Superior water distribution for use with 12mm & 18mm garden hose. Can travel up to 60m and will water an area up to 1,100m2. Full circle coverage from 4.5m to 13.5m diameter.

Quotation of the day, from Mark Twain

 

“Clothes make the man.

Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

Greetings from Jean

Procrastination has been abolished !!!

 

I am the original “ Black Belt” in putting things off until the very last minute.However, now Hugh has been given a date for his surgery, I am motivated like never before to finish sewing, tidy cupboards, clean windows, and have all paperwork done to the last full stop.

 

How do all things happen at the same time?

I passed my medical for license renewal, this is compulsory when you reach 75!!! ; the new license will arrive any day, I have been issued with a temporary one meantime.  Several friends  also have their birthdays  in July, one party invitation already, a lunch for another, phone calls and a card or two for those further away. Then  we travel to Wellington, and surgery is on Monday 27th July. Suddenly, it is all systems go!!!

Apprehensive, worried, relieved, and thankful the wait is not longer. We have already had one phone call, with the time to be there on that morning. Motel is booked, travel plans arranged,  and lots of little things here are in the diary…. to be finished,tidied, cleaned, organised , and all done by then. At home, everything is planned  for smooth sailing, Norman will take over the day-to-day duties of firewood,and more, Joyce will be on cat feeding  duties,  and combined they will be a great team.

My Dad would be so proud of me, as many years ago he gave me  one of these. He knew me so well.

 

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“Procrastination is the enemy of time.

Delay and that time is gone, do it today

and you will have more time tomorrow to

procrastinate all over again”

Greetings from Jean

Too Much or None at All

 

We have had flooding in our area, and all round, our home was safe, huge amounts of water on the lawn, 187mm , or just over 7.25 inches, according to the rain  gauge.  and the Tutaenui Stream at our boundary was a raging torrent. In some areas, people are stranded,  families  will not be able to return home for a month or so, only by helicopter now, and many homes are uninhabitable, and have to be demolished.  Fences, trees, roads and bridges are so badly damaged in many places.The power stayed on, but no Internet for days, and then I had to reset the modem router. So a lot of catching up to do, probable no comments until I am back to  normal .We have so much to be  thankful for .

Here is the track to the stream, January 2014, when Ginger Boy first came to our place

This was  last Saturday, the water came up to where Ginger was standing

When the water drained away, we were left with a wonderful sand bank.

Latest update, this week I had a visit to the Ophthalmology  Clinic, cataracts are starting, but the glaucoma is not a worry at the moment. Huge relief.

Wednesday, a long trip to Wellington Hospital, a lengthy and so thorough, Anaesthetic pre-assessment. This was 2.5 hours long, and it is all go from now on, and hopefully not too long to wait. Hugh is relieved, maybe a little,  maybe quite a bit…apprehensive. Several days stay down there, and recuperation, they didn’t suggest any time-frame at all.

We have sunshine today, after some cold mornings, but in  the South Island, record low temperatures,   photo and data from the internet.

Minus 20 Celsius at Pukaki, near Mt Cook, on Tuesday  22nd June. Aucklanders complained, needing puffer jackets and thermal underwear, as they had a 3Celsius morning. A bright spark on TV told them to harden up!!!

Here is frost at Tekapo, inland South Island

COLDEST RECORDED NZ TEMPERATURES

-25.6C, 1903, Ranfurly, Central Otago
-21.6C, 1995, Ophir, Central Otago
-21C, 2015, Omarama
-19.8C, 2015, Pukaki Aerodrome
-19.7C, 1943, Ophir, Central Otago
-18.9C, 1878, Bealey, Canterbury
-18.6, 1939, Manorburn Dam, Central Otago
-18.3C, 1918, Ranfurly, Central Otago
-17.9C, 1968, Omarama
-17.5C, 1930, Manorburn Dam, Central Otago

These temperatures are all taken in habitable areas, so  it would be a lot colder in the peaks of the Southern Alps.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“ You will miss the water, only when the well runs dry”

Greetings from Jean

Are You My Dad?????

Today Boris and Ginger Boy met, and I think they both wanted to be friends.  A  few meows from each one, no fighting or even a cuff/pat or hiss.   However Ginger  Boy walked off, after a minute or so,  Boris waited on the step, then finally ran down the path.
Now, can he look any more astonished than this ???

The morning routine is, get out of bed, have a snack,visit the bathroom, and curl up on Hugh’s side of the bed for another hour or so.He is a very affectionate kitten, growing fast, loves the outdoors, his first visit to the garden was  last Tuesday, and he looks longingly at the leaves blowing, and tall trees!!! He has already climbed the Silver Pear, and the  Wintersweet. The cat door is not a problem, he leaps in and jumps out as if he has done that for  years.

Ginger Boy has the thickest winter coat I have ever seen, and the ruff round his neck is as large as when he first arrived, in December 2013. The first photo was taken in January 2014, when I saw him stay still long enough  .He was still very shy then, and ran at the slightest noise.  It has taken all this time for him to become tame enough so I can pat him, but this is on his terms, and only when he is eating. Under the table, forget that, he backs away, and when he is asleep on the settee, he opens one eye and stares, as I put wood on the fire. No wonder he sleeps inside every night!!! Warm, cosy, a fleece bed waiting/

Here he is in January 2014, maybe after a year or so of living totally outdoors. Guess he needed that thick  coat even on summer evenings.


We have had gale winds all day, and by the morning I think more glass panes from the glasshouse will be blown out.

Quotation of the day, from Tennessee Williams

“ For time is the longest distance between two places”

Greetings from Jean