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.