ANOTHER BIRTHDAY

 December 30th - another birthday and a big one this year.  I find it hard to believe that I am now 80 and have decided that I must, finally, be a "Grown Up".

As forecast it was HOT reaching 30 degrees C. with high humidity.  The fans were kept busy.

Having originally been going to have a quiet day with just the 2 of us we were expecting to have 6 around the table.  We planned an easy meal without using the oven.  As it turned out there were only four of us.  Doug's eldest daughter didn't come and Max' son, M, came on his own and didn't bring a passenger for company on the drive.  

It was a great day though.  I had several phone calls from the Welsh border, Australia and New Zealand with lots of texts and various other forms of message as well as several cards and well chosen gifts. My brother sent me a photo I had not seen before.

Doug and I prepared lunch between us and, as there were 2 fewer than we catered for we have plenty of leftovers for today.

We hadn't seen my stepson since before Covid so it was great to catch up with him and there was good banter around the table.  Doug's daughter left after the meal but M. stayed on until 5.30 when he set off back to Auckland.  He is going to return to stay at the end of January or beginning of February which will be great.

When he left we were both exhausted and I am still tired today.

Today is cooler (27 degrees) and, according to Metservice "Uncomfortably warm and muggy" but from tomorrow we are forecast to have 3 cooler dry days.

Last year on my birthday we walked the track at Taheke Falls and intend to go for a walk in the next few days.

One of my presents included this lovely dragonfly which is now on our kitchen window.

A lovely stem of roses from the garden

Doug made a colourful plate of cucumber and tomatoes. (Unfortunately our tomatoes are not ready yet but we have plenty of cucumbers.

A bouquet of lilies.

FRIDAY 29TH

 I started by doing some early gardening.  I had one lavender to plant so did some weeding, cutting back and planted the lavender.  Rain forecast so it should be fine.  

I then made a chocolate cake and caught up on various things on the computer.  We cooked lunch between us.  I cooked new potatoes, carrots and fresh picked beans and Doug cooked a little fillet steak in the Breville sandwich press. We don't eat a lot of meat and this suits us as it cooks a small piece of steak quickly.

I have made a trifle and a couple of chocolate cakes.  

We have a heavy rain watch until 5 a.m. tomorrow but only a light shower so far.  The humidity is high and temp of 28 C forecast for tomorrow.  I had planned a quiet day.  It will still be quiet but 3 of my stepchildren will be here (all except the one in Australia).  Lunch will be the roughly same as today.  My stepson wanted to take us out for a meal but neither of us fancy going out.  Apart from the heat it is a busy, holiday time of year.

THURSDAY 28TH

Yesterday, we headed to town.  Picked the right day for it as there were not a lot of people around.  First stop was to buy another fan.  The forecast of 29 degrees for tomorrow has now gone down to 28 but with the humidity that will be too hot for me.  

Doug then went to the library while I did some more shopping  then we went to the supermarket for a couple of items (and ended up with a lot more than that).

Home and I made a packet vanilla cake for another trifle as we left the Christmas Day one with family.  Had a panic as, when I put the mix in the tin it seemed very thick.  I looked up to make sure I had the right amount of milk and found the milk still sitting in the measuring cup.  Had to spoon the mix out of the paper lined tin and add the milk before re-lining the tin and starting again.  In spite of this it has come out well.  Half of my square tin and a mini loaf tin is just right for the mix.

Meanwhile, Doug has been cutting back the banana stems that he picked the fruit from and generally tidying them up.

After yesterday's clean up.

WEDNESDAY 27TH

Yesterday was forecast to be fine so we decided to stay home and get some jobs done.  I managed to get several loads of washing done and dried as well as cutting back the tomatoes.  It was a big job as they had got out of control with all the busyness of Christmas as well as the fact that I don't like to cut them back on wet days.  I think they look better although you can now see all the weeds.  At least the air can flow through them.  Still a way to go before we get to eat them.  Plenty of beans, courgettes and cucumbers though as well as the bananas.

BOXING DAY

Yesterday (Boxing Day) we picked another two bunches of bananas.  This means we now have four bunches hanging in the back porch, one nearly finished.  Family and neighbours  have all being given a supply.

We were both tired yesterday.  The humidity doesn't help.  Didn't do a lot apart from picking the bunches of bananas.  The rain kept threatening.  Finally went for a short walk in the afternoon then picked some courgettes and beans.  It suddenly went black and hosed down.  Lucky we were not still on our walk or we would have been soaked.

CHRISTMAS DAY

We were so lucky with the weather.  The rain held off until after our meal and present opening.  Doug's grand-daughter's husband had taken Doug off to move the cows and show him the farm when there was a heavy downpour.  Luckily they had gone in the Ute rather than the quadbike and stayed dry.  Shortly after the rain there was a very strong gust of wind that lifted up the gazebo.  Luckily no-one was hurt but everyone moved indoors.  Actually the rain was welcome as it helped to cool things down.

A popular toy

The last of the presents being opened.  There seemed to be a lot of presents for 4 children and they had already opened the family presents at home first.

The gazebo after the festivities.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Eve here already.  This is the card we sent out this year (very few) photo taken from our kitchen window of the lovely Tui.

FRIDAY 22ND

 Up at 6.30 a.m. and dug potatoes. Some for neighbours. I like to get outdoor jobs done before the sun gets too strong.

Some nice colours on the waterlilies.

The tomatoes still have a long way to go as they were late going in due to the weather.  These are some unknown ones from a neighbour

The Riesentraube tomatoes have lots of flowers on again.  We enjoyed them last year.

I made a gluten free vanilla cake to make a trifle with.  The recipe says to use a round tin but lining a rectangular one is so much easier.  We may well eat the smaller one with cream and fruit.

WEDNESDAY 20th

I thought it was going to be a quiet day.  First thing I phoned a cousin in Wrexham to thank him for his Christmas card and the card naming his late father as my godfather.  Now I am wondering who my other godparent is.

We have free parking in Whangarei for over 70's and it expires on your birthday every other year.  My drivers license also expires on my birthday.  I had my medical and last week we went to down to renew both but I needed an up-to-date photo license to renew the parking permit so had to wait for the new one to arrive which it did yesterday.

So this morning we went back to town and renewed the parking permit.  On the way we did a (hopefully) last supermarket shop before Christmas and went to Farmers for a couple of items.

I have been trying to get in touch with a lady I was best friends with at school.  We were last together in about 1963, yes 60 years ago and lost track of each other when we moved around.  She appeared on my school Facebook page but I had been unable to make direct contact.  Well, we finally made it today and had a good chat on the phone.  She now lives in Spain.

Doug got out the trellis to shade the back porch but it had come to the end of its life so he headed back to town to buy three new panels.

 It looks so much better as the old one was losing its "leaves" and will keep us cooler in summer.

I have also sent Merry Christmas emails out today but made a hash of it.  I did one for classmates and then changed it for everyone else but managed to send the wrong one, then managed to send one without the letter at all.  Must be getting tired.  That's my excuse anyway.

At least there are now less jobs on my "to do" list

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Another free day so we headed into town to shop for the great grand-daughters.  Books were the present of choice and we think (hope) we have a good selection.

They range in age from 8 years, 4 years, 19 months and14 months.

I got in touch with their mothers.  One suggested books in a series and mentioned the ones they already have so that made it easy.  The others were a bit more vague.

Apart from that we had a trip to the Library and a bought a new hose as one of ours burst yesterday.  It is a bit cooler today 

A DAY TO CATCH UP

Yesterday, Sunday, I finally had a chance to catch up.  Started at 6.30 a.m. cutting back in the garden, then did a couple of loads of washing and put a leg of lamb on to slow roast.

Still haven't had time to organise e-cards for Christmas and shopping for the great-granddaughters but at least I am getting there.

26 degrees today and yesterday and our Parkinson walk was in the shade of the bush to Whangarei Falls. The perfect walk for a hot day especially walking alongside the river.

BUSY WEEK

Life is always busy but has been more so this last week

Last Saturday E who I flatted with in the 1960's came to stay.  She now lives on the Gold Coast and was brought up here by our mutual friend A  whose daughter was taking her and her husband up to Waimate North.  The five of them came to lunch and it was great to catch up.

E's nephew has just come over from Adelaide to open the new Bunnings store in Waipapa so he and his family came down on Sunday to meet up with his Aunt.  Seven of us had lunch on the deck and had a pleasant afternoon.  

Us on Sunday afternoon

Monday was the Parkinson Walk and we did a lovely walk we had not done before.  Naturally, E came with us.

As usual we went to a cafe after the walk. On Tuesday E. came with us to a shared lunch for Doug's Art Class and in the evening we took her to see the lights at the Town Basin 

and in a nearby subdivision.  I have caught both cycles of lights on the blue phase.

On Wednesday she headed back to Auckland to catch a flight to Dunedin the following day to stay with her family down there.

Thursday saw us driving up to Waimate North to spend some time with A, her husband, daughter and partner.  

Friday was to be a day in the garden but we had a call from a friend of Doug's from the Air Force so we had a pleasant few hours catching up with them.

Today, Saturday, we went to the Market and Supermarket as usual then had a call from Doug's former son-in-law and he came for a few hours.

Hopefully, tomorrow, I will be able to get some gardening done and make a start on e-cards.

RAUMANGA FALLS

Yesterday's walk was to Raumanga Falls.  We were very lucky as it rained all day on Sunday (very welcome for the garden) but was fine but cloudy yesterday morning.  After the walk we had our Christmas get-together and everyone contributed a plate of food.  I had intended to take a photo of the table but forgot.  There were 16 of us.  

We had just started to eat when the heavens opened.  If it had happened on our walk we would have all got drenched.  

The Falls had plenty of water after Sunday's rain.  You can't get close for a photo.

I took these photos on the way back.  It was  a little cooler in the bush.

The Park before the bush 

LAKE WARO

With fine weather predicted last Monday the Parkinson's walking group went to Hikurangi to Lake Waro.  It is a pleasant walk around the lake with an extra walk for those that are able around the rocks.

There was a pair of black swans with their young although the cygnets are too small to be seen in my photo.  

SUMMER

Yesterday was the first day of  the Meteorological summer. The days are getting longer. Sunrise 6 a.m. Sunset 8.25 p.m. The temperature is in the early 20's centigrade which I am happy with.  Monday is forecast to be 25 degrees.

We had hoped that our early potatoes, Cliff's Kidney would be ready for Christmas. 

Noticing they were dying down I dug the first root yesterday. The potatoes aren't huge but there were plenty of them and they were delicious.

We are back to going to the Growers' Market on Saturday mornings.  Didn't need much as our garden is producing enough greens to keep us going (sugar snap peas, beans, courgettes and cucumbers will be ready in a day or so.  We just bought tomatoes, avocados, spring onions and a punnet of lettuce seedlings to keep the supply going.  We then went to the supermarket and were home at about 8 a.m.