Anzac Day and Callum's visit

Mostly the last few weeks have been quiet, home based trying to complete lots of little tasks on my to do list, like planting spring bulbs, preparing material for the little magazine I edit and trying to do some painting practice.

Breakfast at Kirita Bay April 2018

A highlight was Anzac Day - taking Peter to the Manurewa service. He does like getting dressed up and taking part. The Manurewa service is always well attended and it seems sad that the local RSA  building is likely to be sold very shortly - not sure what that will mean for next year's service. They also had a service at the Rest home and again I took up his blazer and good clothes. The kids all went in the Palmerston North parade with the Cubs and Keas.

Callum arrived on his first solo flight on Anzac afternoon and after a quick visit to Grandad we did some painting at home, and had a relatively quiet evening.

The next day we had a very full day - met up with Brenda and her children Zane and Maia. The skate park at Waterview is a really good activity centre for children - Callum enjoyed himself and after a quick lunch at Brenda's Callum and I went up to the Museum to look at the big Wonders of the World Lego exhibition with Colin - a friend of mine who is himself a Lego exhibitor. It was great and had lots and lots of Lego bits for kids to have a go with. Some of the exhibits were fantastic and so detailed and realistic.

Then back to Brendas for home made burgers - note the boys are playing a game together - each on a tablet! Then I took the boys to the Stardome -  the Autumn Night Sky - great graphics but the talk went on a bit too long for the young ones.

Then on Friday before his flight went Callum and I popped in to Butterfly Creek, where the butterflies were great, the crocodile was sound asleep and the otters were cute. The robotic dinosaurs were well done also but it was a very! quick visit.

It was a lovely visit - I think Callum enjoyed having the individual attention and I enjoyed his company.

A wet weekend so I stayed in and took Peter out for a drive to his daughters this afternoon.

So a quick trip down to visit the kids and then I will be off on my trip to Europe!

A quiet fortnight

I decided after my two trips in the camper in March that I needed to stick close to home and do some necessary chores and make sure Pete was back on an even keel and probably sensible not to be on the road at Easter when the traffic seems to go crazy..

It wasnt completely boring -far from it. I have got stuck in and finished one or two projects and made good progress on others including having a go at some painting and sewing badges on cub blankets.Oh, and I binge watched the Outlander series on Lightbox  - I loved the books and the costuming and scenery were almost as gorgeous as the chap who plays Jamie Fraser ( although the sex scenes were a bit steamy).

Easter Sunday I took Peter for a drive to Morrinsville to visit our long time friends Peter and Su who have recently moved to a retirement village there - lovely 2 bedroom place, and close to their son and grandchildren.

Peter and Sue at their new home in Morrinsville

They will find it a big change and I will try and keep in touch with them so they dont feel too isolated. Peter really enjoyed his day out - especially the lovely creamy blue vein cheese I had brought along - he ate the whole wedge ( without the crackers!)

Both my passengers enjoyed their road trip!

On Easter Monday went visiting to Ros and Colin - took the details of the work I had done for Ros.

My painting class finished with a wet on wet painting entirely in black - not sure if it was a mess or whether some parts of it are getting better - hard to tell!! But I am still enjoying looking at everything with different eyes and watching lots of youtube videos about how to paint - looks so easy when the experts do it!

My tutor demonstrating that the wet on wet technique is not an exact science

Well, some bits of mine were improving...

Took Peter out another couple of times and he seems to have stabilised again - although he got chest pains at least once more but no drama. He has been very perky the last week or so.

So April is galloping past!