After returning from my East Cape holiday, one of my first priorities was to get the air conditioning on the campervan looked at - as well as its annual service. The Mercedes Benz Truck and Trailer company said I didnt need a full service but a safety check was the appropriate term, but Oh dear.. it wasnt just the air conditioning that they found needed major fix, apparently the steering column was a bit out of whack and that had meant even more wear on the tyres and I was going to need four new tyres - so a few deep breaths and a check on the bank balance and I was all fixed up - they were extremely helpful and got me a discount on the tyres for which I was grateful.
I decided to advertise my lovely sea kayak which had been hanging up in Karens garage for 9 years - and since she has bought a gorgeous new fibreglass kayak she will not need mine - I was tickled pink when I got a buyer within four days, and he knew what he was buying - happy to do the bit of touching up it needed - but I was a bit sad to say a final farewell to that last remnant of a part of my life I loved.
Then it was back into all my regular "retirement" life activities...
I took the opportunity to work on finishing some of my quilting projects and continuing on the Re-assemble challenges - enjoyed the quiet days sewing either on my own but particularly when my friend and I had a quiet "play" day
I went in to an Awards committee meeting - I love serving on the Kate Edger Education Trust - ti is fun giving money away to deserving women seeking to further their education.
It was suggested by one of the Guild members that the Quilting Guild might like to put in a proposal for an exhibition in one of the Auckland Council exhibition spaces - and I "volunteered" to put the proposal together - ti was a bit of a challenge, particularly meeting their very low word limit, and trying to ensure it was going to be more than just an ordinary show of members work but truly an exhibition of what could be achieved with fabric - textile art... ( I have been tickled pink to hear yesterday that we were approved for a six week exhibition next March!!!) This is one example of the work some people are doing!
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| "Flight" by one of our members Gloria Scanlen |
I had a lovely day at a friend's gorgeous home in the Hunua Ranges - celebrating his attaining the age to receive his Seniors Gold Card...
Peter had another "chest pains" episode - on a Saturday night when I had bedded down in my campervan at a philosophy residential weekend - but I drove back and found it was another minor angina that was resolved with the under the tongue spray. He is apparently complaining of "chest pains" "having a heart attack" fairly regularly - but they check thoroughly every time and he has no other symptoms, so it seems most times it is possibly not really a heart attack... But my heart thumps every time this happens!
I always get a bit of a "what now" feeling when the phone rings and it says "Wattle Downs Care Home" - yesterday he apparently went for a walk before dinner and they couldnt find him - only 100m down the road but gave them all a scare. Someone brought him home - he hasnt down that for a long time, but I dont think I can go away today - might need to take him out for a drive and ensure he is settled and head tomorrow in the campervan - probably go to Mangawhai via who knows where?
Trying to get more walking in so that I am as fit as possible for my trip away..
My tomatoes are producing a veritable red feast - they have done supremely well this year! My beans didnt - apparently I may have given them too much fertiliser and the growth all went into the leaves not flowers! The birds round here are voracious eaters of anything moist- it has been so hot they are grabbling everything they can find - my young lettuce plants rarely survive - I have got 2 out of 6 growing that I planted last week...
Philosophy classes have started up again and setting up to assist on the admin side has kept me busy - I am going to be handling the attendance and reporting from the database - once everything works on my computer - when volunteers set things up there is often qutie a unique individual way they do things and you have to work out what their way is! I am enjoying our material this term - it is looking closely at devotion and worship - what they might mean - devotion to what - and how they can be applied in the life -
Brian from Canada arrived early on 3 March and we had a very full few days. Took Peter up to Elvis in the Gardens - very hot day as a large number of Elvis impersonators, several from around the world, did their thing in a free all day concert up at the Botanic Gardens.
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| We found a shady tree to sit under - long way from stage but big loudspeakers! |
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| Huge numbers watching and listening to "Elvis" most back in the shade of surrounding trees or under gazebos |
Then on the Monday we used our Gold Cards to take the Train and then ferry to the Auckland Maritime Museum - Brian as an ex NZ merchant navy captain was interested to see many of the exhibits and then on to Waiheke Island where there was an outdoor sculpture exhibition around one of the headlands. The weather was almost too hot and we were grateful for a sea breeze in the afternoon. The scenery and views were spectacular - the sculptures were innovative, but sometimes I didnt quite get what the artists were aiming at despite explanations using words like "disintegrating" and "decomplexifying" ..... Had a quick meal of fish and chips after walking round the Art Gallery and then home on ferry and train to pick up Tui from her doggy play date. A long day - but a pleasing one! The legs were tired!
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| Brian at the Maritime Museum |
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| Some lovely old pohutukawas |
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| Thought this yukka should have been one of the sculptures |
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| I think this was called Caged |
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| Looking back to Matiatia |
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| Yep - this was one of the sculptures |
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| Gorgeous little bay down there - perfect for a kayaker to pull in out of sight to have a cuppa |
After a visit to Dress Smart - the outlet mall in Onehunga ( where I spent more than I should have - again!!!) we came home and picked up Peter - unfortunately Brian developed a tummy upset that afternoon and spent an uncomfortable evening and night. So we stayed close to home on wednesday before he went out to dinner with his cousin. Having a visitor and accomplice always inspires me to do more int he garden and we gave the blueberry bushes a good haircut after taking down the netting. More pruning later in the winter! Lovely to have him here on his annual visit.
Had a very busy weekend last weekend with an invitation to accompany my friend Emeritus Professor Dame Charmian O'Connor to an Alumni Awards Dinner ( black tie event) - fun to get dressed up - lots of my ex-colleagues were there - must say all the men seemed to have got much older!. Then Guild meeting on Saturday and Sunday I drove my friend Margaret in the campervan to Rotorua to a rather special national Quilting exhibition... we are a bit inspired to step a bit further out of our usual comfort zone and have a go at some more "arty" techniques!
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| This was one of my favourites - yes it is the Desert Road in the centre of the North island. |
I am getting fairly excited about my trip in April - paid the final payment, booked a morning tour of the Vatican in Rome and have starting thinking about weather, clothes etc...
Right, need to go up and check on Peter - take him for a drive or something and then come home and maybe take off tomorrow morning for a few days.
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