Poppies and Daisies

Back to school tomorrow

2012-01-29T19:28:00.000+13:00

Today was the last day of the holidays, and I made the most of it. We had some serious work to do in the greenhouse, as my tomatoes had taken over. Johnny built a frame so that I could tie them up more securely, and I was pleased to be able to winch them up off each other. I've got cucumbers and chilies in there as well, so needed to re-establish my authority to give them a chance. We've been harvesting tomatoes for almost a month now. My outdoor ones have a while to go before they ripen. Unfortunately there were quite a few lost fruit in the tie-up process, but I'll do something with those next Sunday, hopefully. Green tomato pickle? I planted some spring onions, rainbow chard, spinach, carrot and basil seeds today, in the raised beds. Plus I re-organised some lettuce seedlings so that they have more room to grow into spectacular salad greens.

I've decided to make the most of the slow cooker by making up big batches of freezable concoctions for meals during the week. Today I made chili con carne. It will make good nachos, cottage pie, canneloni filling, lasagne layers, spicy bolognaise or a topping for mashed spuds, rice or pasta. I'm feeling like a domestic goddess with that effort!

Actually, I think this is my favourite time of year. Autumn is approaching, which I love. The beautiful days and cooler nights suit me. Plus the harvest season is exciting. Corn, new season's apples, stonefruit, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, beans, carrots, greens- I could go on and on. I love seeking nut and fruit trees on the side of the road. I've got an apple tree earmarked for a visit by bike shortly to see how things are progressing. I can use my new apple peeling/coring/slicing machine (thanks Pyro-Jim).

I'm determined not to run out of steam enjoying life during term time this year. I've got to work on my fitness most days, so I think I'll try to sneak in some digging after school, or a walk or bike ride. I'll be horse riding each weekend. Johnny has been working on my bike, but I might get a new one if my old one continues to hurt my wrists. He is having a very happy time doing bike things.

On my schedule this week:
Monday: Teacher Only Day- professional development about something. I'll find out when I get there. Criminal Minds at 8.30pm.
Tuesday: Teacher Only Day- Jill Connell - child development expert - professional development.
Wednesday: Staff Only Day- Marae Visit and meetings. 5.30pm Twilight Eventing at National Equestrian Centre (showjumping judging).
Thursday: Students arrive at school for first day. Riding lesson 4.30pm. Stormchasers at 9.30pm.
Friday: Teaching. Probably a bit tired by now.
Saturday: Showing and Dressage day at Scarlett Oak (me and Bay Sam). Feeding Viv and Em's horses at 5.30pm.
Sunday: Gardening and cooking etc etc. Yay!
Monday: Waitangi Day holiday Yay!

On a sad note- dear Katie Dog, Mr and Mrs CT's German Shepherd, had to be put down this morning. It was time, but still a sad time for everyone who loved her. She was a breeding lady-dog until she was about 7, and Mr and Mrs CT adopted her and gave her a lovely life. Goodbye darling Katie.

Busy weekend

2012-01-22T20:42:00.002+13:00

The last four days have been really busy. I've enjoyed myself hugely, mainly because of the horsey activities. Last Thursday was my fun riding lesson. On Friday I went out to Viv and Emily's place for a horse day. I did everything from holding the scanner when Zanny was having her pregnancy scan (things are looking good at this stage, finger's crossed), to watching lessons, preparing horses for competition and cleaning tack. Four horses were getting ready for the ESNZ showjumping competition in Ashburton on Saturday. I went down with Emily in the horse truck, which was a very comfortable ride. I did my usual grooming job, and got to watch my horse friends compete. Evie, Chippie, William and Lewis did a wonderful job and I got to bring some ribbons home as Emily has no interest in them (she has won so many they are just a nuisance to her). She got more today, but I decided that I would just do one day, as Ashburton isn't close to home. I couldn't help being sad that I wasn't there to see William compete in the Grand Prix round, which he got fourth in, against a select group of amazing jumpers. It did rain all day down there though.

Today John went out and played golf with some of our man friends. I went with the ladies and had brunch at the Tai Tapu Store. The food was gorgeous and they had interesting gift items too. Surprisingly I was ready for a good feed at tea time and headed out to the garden. These tomatoes are from the greenhouse, and I picked some beans, a lovely onion and a wee garlic bulb from the collection drying on the deck.

Unfortunately there was a casualty. I chopped my poor finger with a very sharp knife and spent the next hour with a flannel wrapped around it. The cut is one of those tiny ones that bleed like mad and restart with a bump. How annoying! Never mind, homegrown veges are the best.

This week I have to get myself sorted for school.

Whoooo hoooo

2012-01-19T18:11:00.001+13:00

Today I met my riding goal of the year- to canter confidently, steer and go in different directions. I had a lesson on Bay Sam, and despite the awful wind, he was super good and co-operated beautifully with me when we practised our dressage test for the upcoming Scarlett Oak Dressage and Showing Day. We have a long way to go, but it was so exciting to canter 20 metre circles then down the side of the arena, trot, change the rein then canter along the side, around another circle - wheee! Great fun! Next lesson next week.

Isabella de la Tour

2012-01-17T19:22:00.003+13:00

Meet Bella. Today I was supposed to ride Grey Sam, as Bay Sam had already had a busy day. I got Sam all ready, mounted up, but as soon as we headed off at trot it became apparent that he was lame. When I groomed him he had a stick jammed in one of his hooves. It may have left a sore spot that hurt when the sandy surface of the arena pressed on it. So I had to take him back to his pen and untack him. Not long after he was seen cantering around his paddock like he didn't have a care in the world. That's horses for you. So I rode Bella for the first time today. She is quite young, has a few tricks up her sleeve, but was a delight to ride. I did lots of cantering, which was a bit tricky because as soon as I asked her to canter she pressed her ears back hard and did a racing trot. That is Grey Sam's trick too, so I had no problem riding through that little issue.

NOT the best photo of Bella, who is a very pretty lady. I had just given her a carrot, which she struggled with as she had to keep her bridle on because there was a beginner coming for a wee introductory ride. I've got her reins through the throatlash, and I took off her flash strap so that she could eat, and wrapped it around the reins so that it wouldn't get lost. Seems mean, but the flash goes from the noseband around and in front of the bit, then under her chin, and stops her from opening her mouth wide. I take it off if a horse is just chilling out, but they can get lost easily.

This is a bit prettier, but she wouldn't smile (too much carrot in her teeth!).

Bella is a bit of minx on the ground, and I had to get my growly voice out. Once we had that power struggle sorted, and a brief challenge once I got on, we had a brilliant time, and she was a very good girl. So now I've got another horse buddy. Celine is looking into getting another appaloosa which is currently for sale. She sounds lovely too, and is another spotty coated creature. I'm excited!

I had a wee chance to play with my printer and hope to do some more soon. I also went into school for the first time this year, and am remarkably relaxed about the whole affair. Time to start some serious planning.

PS. I was so disappointed that I had to get off Sam today because I felt really confident on him for the first time since my fall. Luckily Bella made up for it.

In the Red Zone

2012-01-16T21:06:00.002+13:00

I must confess, these aren't my photos. In fact I wasn't even there. Johnny and his mum got a tour of the Red Zone in the centre of Christchurch today. I stayed at home because only two people could go. Never mind, I harvested the garlic, finished my book and spent time with Jacqui.

It is tricky to get into the central city. You have to be on an arranged tour and basically sign your life away to get access. The army are still supervising. The Cathedral is not the splendid building it once was.

The spire is gone.

The beautiful rose window is gone.

Hundreds of buildings have been demolished, with hundreds more to go.

This is the view down Manchester Street.

John and his mum found it very interesting.

More exciting for me- I got a printer today! I've wanted one for a while, and today Johnny and I got this one. I can print, scan and copy on this, and it does a lovely job of photos. I did need Johnny to set it up, but I did some of it myself. Not sure how people manage when they don't have a technical whiz to help them.

Needless to say, I'm extremely pleased to be able to print out my writing and photos at long last. My new printer is installed on my enlarged work table in my workroom. I hope to get some scrapbooking done tomorrow. Plus I've been working on your quilt, Mum. I'm also going into school tomorrow morning, and I have a riding lesson in the afternoon. I hope it will be a great day!

Introducing My Lovely Sam

2012-01-14T19:06:00.001+13:00

As promised, here is a photo of Bay Sam, aka My Lovely Sam. He and I are working together at the moment, and he seems to be enjoying all of the special attention I give him. I guess he isn't the prettiest horse in the world, as he has a nasty scar on his face, possibly from a kick. It is curved like a hoof, giving him a rather piratical look. But he is very sweet, and has a contented air about him. He isn't a beginner's horse, as he is quite a spooker, but we only had one funny moment today, and I think that was because I put too much leg on to encourage him to extend his trot across the arena. We zipped forward, but he has good brakes. Bay Sam is naturally a lazy boy, but goes when required. We managed to produce some lovely transitions today, and I did two 20m circles in a row at canter, enjoying every stride. Sam sneaks back to trot if I don't keep at him, so now I've got better balance at canter I can concentrate on steering and keeping him moving forward. So much fun! As you can see, I wore a very cool top today, under my big safety vest, so I felt better riding in the hot conditions. I know my vest is a bit cumbersome, but I feel much more confident wearing it. I feel like it is the safety belt I was missing before.

This is the only photo in which we both look sane. I've got my really fun flowery glasses on, but somehow they make me look like a mad chipmunk. Sam didn't really want to pose with his head nicely positioned. In one photo he has his mouth wide open. After our wee photoshoot, Sam and I headed out to the cross country course and I felt really confident going up and down the little banks. Great fun!

After our wonderful ride Sam was totally happy when I gave him a big shower and cooled his legs with the hose. Better than the last shower I gave him when he spooked and took off like a rampant stallion. Then I hung out with him up under the trees while he had a big grassy snack and I watched the action in the arena. I am in love (again).

Today we also went to the Riccarton House Farmer's Market and bought everything from a lovely lettuce, to spicy sausage, fudge, blueberries, chocolate, walnuts and various baked items. It really is a wonderful market with beautiful produce. I must remember to take the little camera everywhere I go.

40

2012-01-13T20:50:00.001+13:00

It was my darling boy's birthday yesterday. Now he has caught up with me in age. His mum and her friend are staying. We took a trip out to Sumner for a prowl along the beach. We haven't been there in over 18 months. The cliffs are precariously holding together, and you can see the vacant, damaged houses all over the place. Strange to think how long they have been tucked safely up high on the volcanic rock, until one fateful day. What a privilege it would have been to have had the stunning view out over the bay. Now the crumbling cliffs are worthless. The esplanade and beach are the same as always, and less populated.

Johnny got some cool presents, including a rather remarkable skull bike light. We had brunch at the local cafe, and had absolutely delicious Mexican food at The Flying Burrito Brothers. Today we went out to Oxford to Seagar's Cafe, which was lovely, and worth a drive out. We popped into Femme de Brocante to look at the gorgeous fabrics. I didn't buy any oilcloth as I decided that I prefer the Cath Kidston stuff. Some of the furnishing fabrics were absolutely divine, and priced at around $35 a metre, not a bad price.

Look at the goodies from my garden. This is the first carrot out of the spring planting and it is a beauty. Or, was a beauty. It went into tonight's salad.

Tomorrow we are going to the Riccarton House Farmer's Market with the visitors. Then I've got a riding lesson. Celine and Erika are planning a wee dressage/show day at Scarlett Oak in about three weeks, and I am probably riding My Lovely Sam (not grey Sam, the bay one- I'll take a photo tomorrow). I am working hard on my dressage skills, especially my cantering. Celine says I'm not a beginner anymore, so I can enter the dressage test with the canter. Bay Sam is probably a better mount for the competition than Navarro because he is more supple and experienced, although he spooks at things like passing butterflies. Luckily he just shoots forward a bit when he gets a fright, unlike Grey Sam, who does a full on sideways thrash, leaving me quivering in terror. Navarro is doing lots of work with beginners at the moment, and Celine says Bay Sam is much better utilised for her more experienced riders like me (!!!!). I think I'll always consider myself a beginner! I will be getting together with Navarro for jump lessons sometime, I should think. I saw him trundling merrily over some jumps the other day, and he looked really cute and safe. I never thought I would learn to jump, but I think it would be great for my balance.

We are watching a Harry Potter movie, and Johnny has decided that Dumbledore's memory keeping cupboard would be no good in an earthquake. I'm sure Dumbledore has some magical protection against such things. Shame we can't do the same thing here.

70

2012-01-10T19:02:00.004+13:00

Happy Birthday to my darling Dad! 70 today. I hope you had a fun day and we wish we had been there to have lunch out with the family. Hope you like your present. We thought a scroll saw would be very useful for your toy making enterprises. Hmm. Could come in very handy for making items I need too!

I bet Dad could make me some lovely letters like these ones using a scroll saw. I love love love the way these turned out!!! The paper is utterly gorgeous. I painted the edges of the letters using a Karen Walker testpot in Powder Blue, then carefully glued the paper on before cutting around the letters with a craft knife. Apparently papercraft like this is called "off the page" scrapbooking. This is about as minimalist as it gets.

I whipped up this little fabric corsage too. I set a wee crafty challenge - this had to be made of fabric and use lace or a doily. Since I only have a huge doily in my possession currently, I used some vintage lace. Sorry this photo only shows it from the top. Johnny found my little camera- yay! I was sure it was lost for good. Anyway, for some reason, this corsage is like the Bermuda Triangle of photographic subjects, and the little camera just refused to behave. Half the trouble is that there are buttons on the camera, but I have no idea what they do. When I start pushing them I seem to get into more and more trouble.

I created my first "layout" for my scrapbook. It is really simple, and I'm sure the next one will be more elaborate. The photos are from January 1991 during the time when Johnny came up to stay with me in the holidays. We look so happy in the photos.

Our new fridge arrived this morning. We are very pleased with it, and I'm sure that the size will make things easier. It is quieter than the old one too.

Two exciting things happen tomorrow. John's mum and her friend are coming to stay. I've also got my first riding lesson for the year. I think I'll be riding my friend Mr Spotty Bottom, Navarro. I'll take the little camera along. Navarro seems to smile when his photo is taken. Jasper does too, but Miss Dog usually looks embarrassed.

Happy birthday Dadsy! Don't chop anything important off with your new saw!!!!

Headachy

2012-01-09T17:49:00.002+13:00

I got a headache yesterday that hung around overnight and lurked until I had a sleep this afternoon. I think it might still be waiting in the wings. Now I'm left feeling sort of anxious and restless, which sometimes happens after a headache. We had Caroline and Shaun to stay on Saturday night, which was fun. We did a bit of a tour of the city, then had delicious Thai food for tea. We also had a good laugh watching movies. We've had a busy time with visitors. Miss Dog has been very pleased, and Jasper has been more sociable than he usually is with new people.

I'm having a bit of a dabble at scrapbooking. The Crafty Neighbour and I visiting a scrapbook shop in Rolleston, which was fascinating. I found a really pretty range that I love and got a few bits to get started. Today I picked up some more paper and some pens at Warehouse Stationery. I did one page with two photos from our youth. I got some wooden letters- P and B - a while ago, and I painted the edge of them today and once thoroughly dry I will glue some pretty paper onto them. I've had a look through some scrapbooking magazines and a lot of if doesn't appeal, but I guess other people's grinning children peering out of the pages are bound to put me off. I do love lots of the vintage styled bits and pieces. No surprises there!

We're getting a new fridge tomorrow. It will be bigger than the old one.

Gardening

2012-01-05T20:14:00.005+13:00

I had a lovely day today working in the garden and doing jobs around the house. I thought I'd show you a few things I've been given or acquired recently. These treasures came from Alison at So Tread Softly, given to me by Mrs. CT. Al is so clever making gorgeous things from fabric. I love bird imagery, and this wee purse is too sweet to use! The three flower roses make a brooch that I'm sure will get many outings.

Look at this very cool footstool that we found at a wee vintage shop in Nelson. Meg and I decided to Cath Kidston up our houses this year. Although not original Cath Kidston, the cowboy fabric has a fun vintage feel.

My brother, Former Fisherman Jim, gave me this fantastic bag for my 40th birthday present. His friend Bronwyn made it. It is so beautifully made, and was perfect on my outing to Viv's place yesterday as it holds just the right amount. For me that includes wallet, keys, little bag of toiletries/headache pills, hanky, tin of Rawleigh's Medicated Ointment (for lipbalm etc), hanky and a cardy. Funny how men just seem to jam their utilitarian wallet into their pocket and off they go.

I got this great cookbook from Johnny.

Jim said he managed to sell his artichokes for a good price. Most of mine have started fluffing up into giant landing pads for bumblebees. I do have plans to eat this one though.

The feijoas are flowering liberally. I might have to make some into chutney or something like that as I think there will be too many to eat.

Today I bought three sturdy pepper plants, an Anaheim, a habanero and a wildfire chilli, and put them in the glasshouse. I've got some outside, but I think the glasshouse will be a great place to produce plenty of chillis for cooking.

Look- corn tassles forming! Hope the earwigs stay away. Last year I was too soft on the wee critters and let them have the corn. This year I'll be a heartless corn farmer.

I love the way the purple bean stems are winding their way up the corn.

Now this corner took a lot of my time today. Miss Dog considered herself a critical part of the operation, and was within arm's reach of me the whole time I was gardening. Johnny resorted to spraying before we went away because this corner is filled with nasty types of weeds. I had plants lurking in half of the area, so we couldn't use spray. I got in and weeded all around my precious plants.

We watched The Princess Bride last night. Well worth a watch as it is a lot of fun.

Horses and more horses

2012-01-04T19:22:00.002+13:00

Ahhh- great relief as I've had my horse fix. It feels like ages since my last horsey cuddle so today I went out to horse heaven at the Butcher farm. It was a typical afternoon for Emily. She was schooling horses so I helped to get them ready and watched some action. She was working with some challenging horses. Lucy, for example, was wearing a flash strap on her bridle for the first time, and was not at all amused. She tries to lie down when things don't go her way. She's just a baby really, and is learning how to be a real horse. I'm very fond of her because she loves scratches and cuddles. Lucy belongs to Emily's mum. One of the other horses Em rode today was a real handful. I was rather scared for her, but she was totally calm until he reared. She sprang off and gave him a darn good telling off. I thought it was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. He stood perfectly while she got back on and was good as gold after that. Another one was a bucker. She schools people's tricky horses to get them back on track. I had lots of time with my horsey friend Ben. He is such a sweetheart and we are very good friends now. Oscar let me give him a wee scratch and stroke too. I helped with feeding time too. Every horse gets a bucket of hard feed and chaff except for the poor fatties, who are on a diet (like me, so I felt sorry for them). There are over 20 horses in individual paddocks, so it is quite a big job.

Oh- Zanny news. I told you previously that she wasn't pregnant at her last scan, so was whisked off for a hot date with her husband again. In spite of her scan, which showed it was time to make a foal, she was having none of the man in her life and told him to bugger off. So now she is waiting for another couple of weeks until her next "in season" time and hopefully he'll look a lot more attractive then. No riding for me then, but I'd rather she had a chance to have another foal, as it may be her last. It would be so lovely to be involved with her right through her pregnancy, birth and as a mummy.

Other little snippets of news:
-Johnny got some super tough shorts like Jim's brown pants and loves them.
-Jasper is settled and happy after his big holiday.
-Miss Dog is still shedding like crazy.
-I harvested my second tomato today.
-Baz, Johnny's four wheel drive, needs a new tow bar after his little accident.
-Johnny is playing golf tomorrow.

Taming the jungle

2012-01-03T19:18:00.004+13:00

As usual, upon our return from our Christmas holiday, the garden has gone wild. Today we spent quite a bit of time taming it. There were lots of treasures to discover, and I ate the first tomato. The lavender plants were not looking their best, so I gave all eight of them a good trim. Not a job I relish, I have to say, as it is rather hard on my hands. I always feel a little concerned that the lavenders will be past their best and will need replacing. You never want to cut into old wood as it won't bush up again, but sometimes the old wood takes up a whole side if conditions haven't been the best, and a light trim turns into an execution. I'm trying to remain optimistic about a couple of them. We'll see in about a month, I guess.

We went and picked up Mr Ginger Jasper this morning. He was very pleased to see us! He is quite slim and has eaten like mad since he got home. He had a bowl of food in his pen, but I'm guessing he was a rather anxious pussycat, which always ruins his appetite. He is very purry, but also a little grouchy.

Take a look at these photos around the garden. The corn is shooting up, with beans scrambling and pumpkins sprawling in the Three Sisters garden. The tomatoes required a bit of a firm hand today so that I could go into the glasshouse. My globe artichokes are bursting into gorgeous fluffy blooms, which the bumblebees love. The weeds are at their best, and I must evict them very promptly because they are starting to set seed. Today I filled a huge wool sack with weeds, lettuce towers and prunings. Sadly I can't manage all of the garden waste I produce in my compost heaps, but fortunately it goes into the green waste department at the dump where it is made into compost for the city.

Nigella is making a ridiculously decadent chocolate peanut butter cheesecake on our television currently. I made absolutely delicious spaghetti with a fresh tomato and red onion sauce with periperi (chilli) shrimps. It was super simple. For one serving (Johnny had his own concoction as he doesn't like shrimps) I thawed one serve of cooked shrimp and sprinkled them with some Nandos hot periperi sauce and some smoked garlic salt. I softened some sliced red onion in olive oil and added some garlic. Then I popped in two lovely plump chopped up tomatoes and cooked until softened. In went the shrimp and some fresh basil, plus some smoked garlic salt and pepper to make it delicious. I just heated the shrimp through then poured the whole lot over some cooked spaghetti. Yum. Super yum. Probably nicer than Nigella's cheesecake.

I'm back!

2012-01-02T19:15:00.002+13:00

Well, our big Christmas family holiday to the north of the island is over. We had quite an eventful trip home. Baz, our four wheel drive, got rear ended by a sedan just out of Spring's Junction (at that big, long one lane bridge). Let's just say Baz is in one piece, and the car that tried to violate him from behind won't be going anywhere for quite some time. Baz made a big crunch in the front and a hole in the radiator with his sturdy tow bar. Miss Dog got a bit of a surprise being flung around, but luckily she was wearing her safety harness and didn't come to any harm. All of the young holiday-makers in the other car were fine.

We had a lovely holiday with the family. I got some cool presents which I'll show you soon, and we ate lots of delicious food. Seeing wee Henry was just brilliant. He loves animals like I do, and has quirky interests. He and I had a bit of fun chatting about sheep poo. Maybe he will grow up to be a vet. His cat handling skills need a bit of work, but he is a firm dog handler already. Two year olds are wee sponges and it was fascinating to hear Henry's language developing each day.

Poor Christchurch has been rattling again. The day we left was the start of a new series of earthquakes. We've already had a 4.8 one this evening. They don't bother me because, having experienced literally thousands since September 2010, I'm used to them. I guess the fear is really of the potential for another highly destructive one. Our habits have changed significantly and we now identify hazards wherever we go. While shopping in Motueka, I noticed myself jumping and going on alert when a truck rumbled on the main street. That happens constantly.

Miss Dog is fast asleep on her blanket. I've assumed my usual spot on the couch with a quilt on my lap. Johnny is pottering around. Life is good. Love to all. I miss the family already! XXX

Very Horsey Day

2011-12-21T19:45:00.007+13:00

Something weird is going on with Blogger, but I'll battle on. Sorry if this post ends up looking disorganised.

I had a super day today. I went out to the Butcher horse paradise and today was farrier day. There were three farriers working for several hours trimming hooves and hot shoeing. Johnny has decided that horses have stinky feet. I'm not so sure about that! I guess they do walk in some pretty nasty stuff, including their own poo, and the hot shoeing does involve lots of singed hoof and smoke. I know most people wouldn't think much of ferrying horses back and forward, and filling troughs, but it was my idea of heaven. I was sent off to use my horse whispering skills on Dolly, who belongs to the neighbour, and is apparently a real "bitch" of a mare and hates being caught. Armed with a bucket of food and a halter I was sent forth by Emily. I used my usual strategy, which always seems to work, and had her caught within about a minute. I think it was mostly the bucket of food, but she was so good for me and even snickered at me later on when I appeared. Dolly had her hooves trimmed and was then taken to the diet paddock because she is obese. She never gets ridden and was bought as a pet, but her nature is apparently not pet-like at all. I thought she was quite sweet once I got her settled. I guess she needs lots of cuddles and handling. Unfortunately she runs away from her owner.

The most exciting part of my day was my first Zanny ride. Viv took her for a spin first because she hadn't been ridden for ages. She does have a head flapping habit that is a bit disconcerting for someone who was thrown off by Sam (who was doing the same thing first). But we got along just fine. Viv took me on the lead rein first, then the lunge, and then, once I'd got trotting, on my own. It was great fun, even though it was a bit scary because of the head. She is very responsive, requiring the softest aids (instructions given with the body)and very gentle hands. I loved her trot which was very smooth, although I had to watch her speed and slow my rising to slow her. Viv didn't have any advice about my position, and said I looked great. Emily was pleased too. Yay! A bit of sad news though. Zanny was thought to be pregnant, but we took her over for a scan after my ride, and she unfortunately isn't now. Maybe she was and reabsorbed the foal. We'll never know. Anyway, she is being raced over to the West Coast for another date with her husband because apparently her follicles indicate that tomorrow is the day for action. Hopefully I'll get lots of rides in over the holidays. Viv says a few more rides and I can come and ride her independently.
The vegetable garden is busy growing well, although my lettuces look positively puny compared to the huge iceberg lettuces growing in pure rotted horse poo that I saw today. I seem to grow great onions here. These are my biggest yet.

The Three Sisters (plus weeds and single spud) garden is racing skyward, and there's already a pumpkin forming. I have to remind some of the beans where they should be going.

The tomatoes in the greenhouse are merrily forming fruit. They should be ripe soon.

Raspberries! It is worth having a jungle of raspberry bushes in the corner to be able to pick bowls like this.

Miss Dog! Stop eating my raspberries!

My dear Monty, I miss you so much. Gertrude Jekyll is planted on your grave. She is utterly beautiful and a fitting tribute to the sweetest boy ever.

I've only got one delphinium and it looks gorgeous at the moment. New Year's resolution- get more delphiniums.

And finally, Johnny found these very cool snowflake cutouts. Starwars snowflakes!

Poor Johnny just fell of his bike and has a grazed knee. He is having a great time with his bike and now he has the wound to prove it. I think I'll be getting a new bike soon so that we can go on adventures together. Shame it isn't a horse, but Zanny seems to like me, and lucky for me Viv and Emily are very happy to share her with me.

Very frustrating blogging today, but I think this post is ok. I hope the changes to the blog post writing template are not permanent because I will not be pleased.

Two wheels to Hell

2011-12-18T19:51:00.002+13:00

Today we biked 14km. Yes, 14km. All the way to Lincoln, then a wee explore, then home again. I thought about horses all the way. I need to be fit to keep progressing with my riding. I actually didn't find it too hard, but had a bit of trouble afterwards because I had a massive mood swing down, which reminded me of the bad old times before my new medication. It took a long time, and rather a lot of tea and a decent feed to recover. In fact it took several hours before I was back to normal. Weird, so I guess I overdid it for the first bike ride of the holidays. Luckily I'm bright eyed and bushy tailed now. Usually I feel all alive and joyous after exercise. Not half dead.

Johnny extended the desk in my workroom today. I'm very pleased indeed because I've got a bigger surface to do my sewing on. I must take a photo to show you. I'm going to get some pretty oilcloth to go on the top. I'd love some Cath Kidston oilcloth! Floral or spots, of course. I'm working on a project that I can't show you. Jasper is helping. Well, supervising in between snacks.

We've still got presents to buy. Sigh. I feel like I've been working on Christmas for months. Maybe everyone will get a voucher next year.

Made it!

2011-12-17T18:27:00.005+13:00

School broke up yesterday. It has been a long, long school year. We've been through so much. Earthquakes, snow, a very sick principal, exhaustion etc etc. My class has come so far. I'm so proud of them, particularly those that have learned so much about managing their own behaviour. Today, apart from my date with the gorgeous Navarro, I basically blobbed.
As you can see, Navarro was in a good mood. Me too.

I was a bit nervous because I hadn't ridden in two weeks. Navarro is a youngster and has a few tricks up his sleeve. He has been trying it on with the beginners by taking them where he wants to go, including rubbing them up against the fence. We had a bit of a steering negotiation initially, and once he realised that I was in fact in control, he settled into his work. I still had to stay vigilant and really ride him well. These holidays are going to be a time for me to work on my fitness, because I really need to have much more stamina when riding. It is not particularly helpful getting all floppy and weak once cantering work begins. Today he shied a little at canter and I tipped forward, which was a bit mad at speed. It made me laugh, actually. Thank goodness for the body protector.

Tomorrow I've got plenty of work to do in my craft room, plus we plan to bike to Lincoln for our exercise. My arse is challenging Navarro's in size - thank goodness it isn't spotty like his!

Nearly there

2011-12-11T19:05:00.002+13:00

We are so close to the end of the school year. As you can probably tell by my lack of posts, I've been very tired, so thank you for bearing with me. We finish at lunchtime on Friday, then have a yummy lunch and Secret Santa etc. Looking forward to driving out of the school gate for the last time this year after that.

I rode last weekend, and had a brilliant time on Mr Spotty Bum, Navarro. I worked on getting him to flex correctly, and did lots of steering practise, because he hasn't done much arena schooling or dressage work, and is rather stiff. Most of our work was at a trot, but we did one brilliant big canter circle, which Celine was very pleased with because I got him to go on the correct leg on the first try, which is tricky for him. I couldn't ride this week because the Christmas Cracker Showjumping Competition was on, and the Scarlett Oak team was competing. No trot pole event, so I was excluded.

Actually it was probably for the best that I didn't ride because it has been horribly windy. Yesterday I managed a good ransack in the garden. It has got a bit out of control, partly due to busyness and partly because of my back. No excuse now, as my back is better. Today I had to triple-peg the washing. We had brunch at Thyme Cafe and in the afternoon I worked on a Christmas present in my workroom. It was lovely to get back in there, and now I'm even more excited about the holidays.

Wish me luck for the last week of term. I hope our Christmas concert item goes to plan, and we don't have a shamefully embarrassing display in front of the parents. Anything is possible.

Apologies

2011-11-27T20:30:00.003+13:00

I'm so sorry. I meant to take lots of photos this weekend. I've had a lovely horsey weekend, plus I got loose in the garden. My roses are beautiful. Miss Dog had her friend Molly over to visit, while we had coffee with her parents. Molly yapped like a lunatic and the two of them darted all around the living rooms until I sent them outside to play. Miss Dog loves her, even though Molly is about 1/20th of her size.

Yesterday I had my riding lesson. I rode My Lovely Sam, the bay fellow. Navarro had been shod on Friday and was a bit sensitive around his hooves, so I couldn't ride him. I gave him a big massage, which he thoroughly enjoyed. MLSam was a fun ride. I practised my cantering. He has quite a bouncy canter, but was easy to get into canter, so that made my job easier than when riding grey Sam. I felt a bit unbalanced, but managed to get a few canters in around the circle. I also did trot poles, working on getting into the correct jumping position. I missed the fabric topped saddle I usually ride in, because leather saddles are much more slippery!

Today we went to do a little bit of shopping, then this afternoon I got to visit Zanny. I couldn't ride her as she hasn't been shod, but I helped to bring her into the yard then groomed her. She was pleased. Zanny got good news today- she is pregnant! All that tarty behaviour around her stallion husband has paid off. She doesn't look like a brazen hussy, but the mare she went over with has come back foal-less because Zanny did her best to keep the stallion away from her.

I ransacked part of the vegetable garden today. The ground is getting very dry already. Weeds seem to have superpowers to overcome terrible conditions. I should start eating them. Vegetables are feeble in comparison. I got Johnny to put the grass clippings into one of the raised beds and topped it off with horse poo and spare soil. The two garden beds with nothing but bought-in compost are now hopelessly lacking in nutrients, so I'm working on building them up again. One of the glasshouse tomatoes is nearly as tall as me now. I'm impressed!

We've only got three weeks to go at school. I'm feeling a bit panicked about Christmas. Time is rushing by.

Sorry for the dull blog post. I'll do better next time.

Summer is coming

2011-11-20T19:57:00.006+13:00

We had a hot day today. So hot, in fact, that I couldn't spend any time outside during the middle part of the day. My skin is exceedingly displeased by heat. My weird red cheeks are super red today.

This morning I decided that it is now time to work towards my first one day event, so Miss Dog and I got out for a brisk walk. Naturally, there was something very tempting at the other end- foals and their plump mummies at the Standardbred farm down the road. I had another spooky horse whispering experience - they are adding up, so I'm starting to think there might be something going on. There were two mares in a paddock close to the fence. When they saw us coming they tore around their paddock. I stopped and talked very quietly to them from a distance. They came over towards the fence. Miss Dog and I wandered on past them and admired the babies for a while. Then we went back to the other mares, who made a very determined effort to get close to me. I stood as close to them as I could and they were fixated on me, totally ignoring Miss Dog. I felt sad to leave them behind without being able to touch them. There was an electric fence and I didn't want to entice them too close to it.

The roses are magnificent.

I want some more bearded irises. Mine are rather common types. I want spectacular!

I love foxgloves. They are a mainstay of the cottage garden, in my opinion.

Lettuces are a large part of my one-day-event fitness regime.

I've never grown yams before, so these are keeping me entertained.

And look at this exquisite artichoke. Too pretty to eat.

The Three Sisters Garden is growing well (apart from the poor corn I squashed when I fell over backwards pulling out a huge parsley plant that had gone to seed). Can you spot the pumpkin, corn and bean plants?

In the glasshouse the tomatoes are getting very busy flowering and starting to fruit.

I do have one worry at home. Mr Jasper doesn't seem 100%. I think he will need to visit our friendly vet.

Here's my body protector vest. Miss Dog thinks it is rather interesting. I guess it smells horsey already.

Johnny says it looks like an anti-stab vest. I'm thinking that your average horse doesn't have the intent to stab me, although I guess one could kick the crap out of me, to put it crudely. It says the vest will not protect against "severe torsion or crush injuries." Not very encouraging.

Here's my larger collage. Not finished. It needs a binding.

Must go. We are popping in on the neighbours for a beer. Well, it wont be a beer for me.

Meet my new boyfriend!

2011-11-19T20:04:00.005+13:00

Oh my goodness, I'm in love! Meet Navarro, my newest horse friend. This photo is of my riding instructor, Celine, riding him at Scarlett Oak Equestrian Centre.

He is an appaloosa quarter horse cross, and has the classic tail and mane of an appy- very thin. Appaloosas were bred by American Indians to be easy care, apparently, and a nice thin mane and tail causes less tangles and requires little grooming. In fact his mane is like a hogged mane but soft and wispy. His tail looks much thicker in this photo than in real life. It is his "blanket" that made me so excited - he has a spotty bottom. His spots are mostly brown, but some are black, and he is roan everywhere else. I have a passion for spotty horses. So when I saw Navarro it was love at first sight.

This story gets even better. I got to ride Navarro for my lesson today, and by the time I finished I was even more in love. He was fun to get ready. He just drifted off to sleep when I groomed him, although was a bit tense when I did his hooves. I forgot to say I got my new body protector vest this morning, so, feeling a little like I was wearing a stiff life jacket, I mounted up. Navarro was an absolute pleasure to ride. He was super laid back and lazy. Fantastic. We worked on circling in and out (using the leg yield technique) which was a bit dodgy because Navarro's steering is a bit of a challenge. We trotted and trotted and I got mad with myself because I kept rolling my hands inwards. I think we used to ride like that all the time- palms down - as my hands naturally return to that position every time I think of another body part. The vest made it tricky too. I'll get used to it. Then we cantered and cantered. It was so easy because he was sooooo smooth, both at trot and canter. My bottom didn't leave the seat at canter. I also did some trot poles, which I loved with my new vest on. It really made a huge difference to my confidence, and so did Navarro. I hope I get to ride him lots and lots. Celine even said now we've got the horse for me to do pre-pre-pre baby eventing on. Now there's a goal!

Zanny arrives back from visiting her randy lothario tomorrow, so I hope to have my first ride on her very soon. I hope she likes me!

Garden and crafty news tomorrow.

Popping in

2011-11-14T19:32:00.003+13:00

Just a quick visit to let you know I'm still alive and kicking. Well, sort of. I had such a busy weekend that I'm about ready for bed, and its only 7.30pm. On Friday we had a holiday as it was Show Weekend. We were planning to go to the A and P show, but it was so windy and horrible that we decided to stay home. I wrote reports. We had a party to go to in the evening. Then on Saturday it was wet. Apparently Celine still took lessons, but Sam was in a foul mood as a rider came for the first time and was all rough and kicky on him, which he did NOT LIKE at all, and tried to throw him. So then he tried out one of the other horses and got bucked off. Serves him right. I can't stand rough people around horses. Celine said to come on Sunday so I was pleased not to have to get wet.

We had Indian food for tea with the Crafty Neighbour and family. Mr Crafty Neighbour gave Miss Dog a horrible leg to munch on (wallaby, if you must know). Miss Dog loved it, but we weren't so keen when she piddled and vomited heaps in the garage overnight. Johnny was a treasure and cleaned it up, thank goodness, as I was making hideous gagging noises when I smelled the aftermath. He was trying to keep me sweet because he wanted me to go with him to a pot luck dinner with strangers (to me, not to him). I zipped off to my riding lesson. Poor Celine was ill in bed, but Erika did a wonderful job with my lesson. I started out quite anxiously, as I'm still working on rebuilding my relationship with Sam. After a fair bit of coaching, I realised that I needed to really get bolshy with him, so I pretended he was my most frustrating student, and got very growly. The nerves slipped away and I did some amazing serpentines. Well done Sam!

After my lesson Johnny turned up too late to take some photos of me in action as he had been cycling and it took longer than expected due to the company he was keeping. No problem because he then came with me out to the Butcher residence to visit Ben, who had been colicky during the week. He was exceedingly grateful to receive lots and lots of scratches and brushes. He moves himself around so that you can get to his favourite scratchy spots. He shoves his ample bottom in your face, which is hilarious. Oscar came over to have a look. He only ever allows Emily and Viv near him in the paddock. I put my hand out and he snuffled it and let me stroke him. I slipped under the electric fence and he let me give him a good stroke and brush on one side. Fantastic. I also gave Johnny (horse) a good scratch on the neck - it is his last week of box rest and he is desperate for love- and he poked his head way up high and poked his flobbly lips out with enjoyment. Frazer is looking even more grown up. It won't be long before the vet will be paying him a visit and he will be a colt no longer. Zanny is coming home soon as she has been a real tart and the stallion is tired. Hopefully she has been knocked up, and if not, it won't be for lack of trying, apparently. I'll be having my first ride on her soon, I think. Viv seems to think so. Exciting. Plus Celine almost has two new horses, one of which is quiet and free moving, and the other who is quiet and super lazy. Sounds excellent. Also, the Twilight Eventing starts this Wednesday, and we are helping again.

This post has been longer than I expected. I didn't even get onto the pot luck dinner. James May is blowing things up on Man Lab, which is a brilliant programme, and has Johnny gripped. Bye for now.

More horses

2011-11-06T20:25:00.004+13:00

It wasn't quite like this:

But I had my first jump lesson yesterday! I couldn't ride Sam because he had lost a shoe, so I rode Celine's other Sam (aka My Lovely Sam). He is a homely looking bay fellow with a (usually) quiet nature. He has one quirk- he spooks and shoots forward when he gets a fright. He did a tiny one while we were having our lesson. I spent time during my lesson just getting used to him as he felt quite different than Sam. He has a bouncier trot, and carries his head high. I didn't canter this week, but instead did trot poles. We went bounce bounce bounce over three poles. He just steps a little higher, but it took a bit of getting used to. I can't do that on Sam because he takes poles like they are a flaming pit from the bowels of Hell.

Back to the professionals. Emily probably did her first trot poles before she was out of nappies. She has come a long ways since then. I went and groomed for her at the one day event at McLean's Island today. She had a happy day with all of her horses doing a good job. She got some placings. Lewis looked very happy and powerful on the cross country course.

Introducing Evie. She is being schooled by Emily at the moment. Em doesn't usually speak highly of mares as they can be moody creatures, but she thinks Evie is something special.

She is a stunning lady.

This was her first big outing and she took everything in her stride.

She was a pleasure to work with today, and I'm looking forward to following her in the future.

Another new friend- Molly came for a visit yesterday. She reminds me of a bumblebee.

She looked so funny zipping along the windowsill.

We had to move Jasper's bed as on her last visit she ran across it and he was so offended that he wouldn't sleep on it until it had been thoroughly washed. He was rather septic for a few days too. I'd hate to see what would happen if they met face to face. Jasper would probably take her down.

It is bearded iris time. Divine.

Rose Time!

2011-10-30T18:19:00.004+13:00

Oh how I love roses! This year's first rose is this sweet yellow climber - part of my English Rose collection, but its name is long lost. Could it be Teasing Georgia? I bought several roses at the same time about five years ago, and planted them in my old garden. I bought them here with me, and I am very glad I did, given the state of my former garden now. This lovely rose is just outside the dining room window, in the same garden bed as last year's winner, Kathryn Morley.

The good news is that I'm sure there's lots more room around here for more roses in my collection. This garden seems to be very encouraging and kind to my roses. The aphids are rather too welcoming, but I intend to have some strong words with them asap!

A little friend bought me a bunch of flowers from her grandmother's garden. Strangely, I gave another friend a bunch of flowers today, then received my own gift. I love giving bunches of my own flowers. In fact I'd love a cutting garden just for that purpose.

Look, the bearded iris' are coming out. My first yellow one is out, but I couldn't get through the thicket of rose bushes to take a photo. There are some spots in my garden (not many) that require a certain element of "suck it up and take the pain" when I want to weed. Some of my rose bushes are a unhappy about intruders in their territory.

I've had a couple of people say these are their favourite flowers in my garden at the moment. Ranunculas. Does anyone know if they have a pretty common name?

The Dutch iris' are spectacular. My favourite ones are the blues. I have clumps of mixed ones, and they go through a succession of colours- white, yellow then blue.

Blue is my favourite colour in the garden. These corydalis make me very happy. My lovely friend, Lulu, gave me another clump on Friday.

Not the best of photos, but the artichokes are tall and fabulous, surrounded by a rampant forest of flat-leafed parsley.

Today I had my ride. I'm a bit sad that I am now more frightened when riding my big boy. He didn't do anything alarming today, but Celine had to push me to challenge myself. I did work on cantering today, and did get some lovely transitions, but I had trouble getting him working for me today, and when he isn't paying attention, I worry about what he might do. I did have a lovely time, but I hate being frightened because it makes me feel weak, and reminds me of the anxiety disorder I have under control. On the very happy side, I spent some time grooming Jake. Poor Jake has a huge, ugly scar under his mane, and currently has a healing wound on his back leg, which is making progress, but is still covered in a large, protruding scab. He obviously has a less than happy past, but is a smoochy, cuddly big boy. He is an unpredictable ride, and will be going along nicely, then suddenly shoot backwards until he hits something. Alarming even for Celine. He is going to see the horsey chiropractor as the farrier thinks his hips are not aligned. Anyway, he and I had some lovely time together, and he enjoyed a good brush and stroke. He even let me do his hooves. I might make time to give him some extra attention when I visit.

The roses will be very happy with my huge bags of horse poo that I brought home today. There's plenty more where that came from.

The Three Sisters

2011-10-29T19:09:00.002+13:00

Today I planted a "Three Sisters" garden. Sorry no photo, as the light is going and I've just come inside. I went to the doctor this week and I have a diagnosis of a lumbar sprain. Ouch! The best medicine for my injury is to keep moving, so I've been doing the right thing trying to carry on. I've managed OK with bursts of increasing activity, interspersed by sedentary activities. Today I biked with Johnny for about five kms. I was ready to stop on the approach to home, but did better than I thought.

Anyway, back to "The Three Sisters" garden. In Native American traditional gardens, some tribes relied heavily on maize, beans and squash as the basis of their diets. These three vegetable friends (or sisters) can be planted together in a very clever way. Traditionally a mound was made and planted with a group of maize or corn. When this was about 15cm high, corn and squash were planted around the corn. The beans scrambled up the corn, feeding the soil with nitrogen, and the squash plants crept along the ground, limiting weed growth, and helping to shade the soil, keeping moisture in. Of course the Native Americans had some sweet legends about "The Three Sisters" explaining that although different, the sisters loved each other dearly, and worked together to the benefit of all.

To make my "Three Sisters" garden I used one of my small raised beds, popped two baby bear pumpkins in, planted the corn I grew earlier from seed, and surrounded these with assorted climbing bean seeds (some a bit out of date, so I'm crossing my fingers for action). Plenty of moisture, and some upcoming liquid feeds, and my "Three Sisters" garden is hopefully going to be a successful experiment. Actually, I've got a fourth sister, a rogue potato has come up in the raised bed as well, and I'm sure that shouldn't present too many problems.

I've got a riding lesson tomorrow, plus LOTS more gardening, and some more work on my bigger fabric collage. I'd better take some photos too!

Visitors

2011-10-24T18:02:00.004+13:00

We've had a fantastic weekend! Meg, Ryan and Henry came to stay. I love to spend time with my sister and her family and we made the most of our time together. Before they arrived, I spent the morning horsing. First I went to visit Southern Ben to spend some time grooming him and giving him a good scratch. He was so pleased, and I laughed so much at his facial expressions when I hit the good spots as I scratched him. He poked his top lip out and quivered it. I took Johnny Horse out to eat some grass too, as he is restricted to his loose box while his stifle fracture gets better. He was thrilled to be out, and while he was munching I found a four leafed clover, so I gave it to him to eat to help give him luck to get better.

After visiting Ben, I went and had my riding lesson. This week I had Erika as my coach for the first time, and she was fantastic. She took me through all of the things Celine usually does, and we worked hard on getting Sam into a good outline (body shape) and to ride around the dressage arena correctly. I got a big fright when he got spooked by a naughty horse in the jumping arena, and it took a bit of time for my heart to stop beating like mad. He is a drama queen and always makes the most of a fright. He shot forward with a huge scrabble and his head flailing. Anyway, I took a moment to walk around, then carried on. Erika was so sweet and called me a "good girl" several times, which was lovely considering I am at least 15 years older than her. Celine had Kate Cavanagh training two of her young horses in the jumping arena. Kate is another of Canterbury's top riders. She was really friendly.

It is great fun hanging out with our little nephew Henry. He is just two, and is chatty and busy, mostly super well behaved and really interested in everything. It was amazing to see how pleased he was to see us. Huge smiles. On Saturday we went shopping. I got a tunic with horses on it (yes, you can roll your eyes, everyone else did), a skirt and spotty leggings. Henry got some little cars to add to his collection, plus a bike helmet now he is a daring speedster on his trike. Johnny and Ryan both got sneakers, and poor Meg got nothing. We watched two movies, which resulted in my vivid imagination giving me nightmares.

On Sunday the weather was perfect, and as Henry loves animals, we visited Orana Park. His favourite animals were in the farmyard. He was running around everywhere. The adults loved the tigers, especially seeing one of them being fed. He had to jump up onto big upright logs to get his chunk of rather sinister looking hairy meat. The giraffes were divine, as always, but the huge line of families waiting to feed them caused us to walk on past. We had a great day. Then we watched the All Blacks battling with the French rugby team. Thank goodness we won! I was in bed as I was so tired, plus my nerves couldn't take the trauma of the second half. Yay for the All Blacks, world champions!!!!! It feels a bit like all New Zealanders are world champions.

It was so sad when the visitors left this morning. They left a little gift behind- Johnny is miserably coughing and sinking into a mire of misery with a cold. Thanks Henry. We still love you! Hope I don't catch it.

I did a bit of weeding today, but am incapacitated again by my riding injury. I've got pain in my hip, backside, and thigh when I weight bear, and the more moving and bending I do, the worse it gets. So I gave up on the moving and tried something new in my workroom. I am inspired by Bari J. Ackerman's fabric collage techniques, so had a little go today. Firstly I got into some scraps (thanks Fenella :) ).

Then I cut and put together some pieces. I layered it like a quilt, although I don't think Bari does for all of her work. She doesn't always add a batting layer. I like the puffy effect. Hmm, not particularly promising.

Meandering with my embroidery foot. I used cerise and leaf green threads.

I zipped around the outside with satin stitch then trimmed.

I think it looks better in real life. I'm not sure what it is. Possibly a coaster. Mostly an experiment. Anyway, as soon as I had made this one I got stuck into making a much bigger creation. You'll have to wait to see that one.

School starts again tomorrow. I have to go to the doctor so I'll see what she thinks about my pelvis. Annoying. Have a lovely week!

Loving life

2011-10-20T20:50:00.005+13:00

Today I headed out to do one of my most favourite things. I visited Stitch Playroom. Check out the Stitch website by linking from the shopping sidebar. But just visiting the website is not enough. You HAVE to go and see all of the fabulous fabrics, yarns, haberdashery items and creative books, plus the inspirational class samples. I absolutely love Fenella, who owns Stitch with her mum. I'm sure I've told you many times before how much fun I have when I visit her in the shop. Before I knew it today I had a cup of tea and was thinking of a million possible projects. I can't show all of the goodies I got because some may or may not end up appearing as Christmas presents. Henry won't mind if I show you this absolutely awesome wild animal panel that I am currently cutting out to make him his own zoo. He hasn't got a present from us yet and when I saw this I thought if I did a bit of frantic sewing, he would have a little set of animals to play with. They have a bit of a vintage toy feel to them. I'll show you when I'm done. So far I've only cut out Mr. Cobra.

I have plans to make an advent calender this year, and I found this wee bundle of modern, but pretty, Christmas fabrics. There are lots of gorgeous Christmas fabrics to choose from. I love the divine owl fat quarter, which will become this year's Christmas cushion. I think I will make it a tradition to make one new one each year. I made a sweet one last year that I never put away because I loved it so much.

I could spend hours at Stitch as I have so much fun chatting with Fenella, planning new projects, trying to keep breathing when I'm looking at all of the glorious fabrics. I've decided that next year I will focus hard on learning lots of new quilting skills. Right now I've got to get the Christmas present projects finished.

This afternoon my lovely teacher assistants came over for afternoon tea. That was fun and I was pleased that my front garden is looking so pretty at the moment. When they left The Crafty Neighbour came over and bought me a new friend:

Meet Molly! The newest Crafty Neighbour family member.

Actually, she is weeing in this picture (just continuing the theme from yesterday). Good little lady! She fell asleep wrapped around the back of my neck. She has a lovely gentle feel about her, and hopefully she will be a super sweet dog when she grows up. She has the most gorgeous tiny wee nose and bright little eyes, with whiskery eyebrows.

Johnny has been very busy building spaceships. He found this fab (yes - just the right word) cardboard spaceship kit at another great shop The Toy Tree over in Papanui. A fair bit of fiddly but fun gluing and he had five brilliant creations to hang in his office.

Space robot 1.

Space robot 2.

I think they are a great project and I know Johnny had fun making them. He has had them outside to take portraits.

Tomorrow is another exciting day because Meg, Ryan and Henry are coming to stay! Apart from some minor child-proofing, we don't have much to do to get ready for their arrival. That means I've planned a busy morning. First thing I'll be going to visit my dear horsey friend, Ben, to give him a good groom and lots to cuddles and scratches. Then I've got a date with Sam for a riding lesson. I'll be cantering tomorrow, I think. Once I have sorted him out after our ride I'll head home to work on the zoo for Henry. It won't be long before I head for bed. XXX

Horrid weather

2011-10-19T13:42:00.004+13:00

Rain, rain and wind. Lots of wind. In fact my only foray outside today has been to fix a panel on my greenhouse. The wind seems to have turned southerly, which will hopefully put an end to panels popping out. Most of them are glued in, apart from the end ones. Johnny has headed into school to do some statistical stuff, so I'm hoping nothing blows apart while he is out. It is blowing so hard. I do feel snug inside, and so do my darling companions, Miss Dog and Mr Ginger Jasper. Poor Miss Dog has an ear infection again. She hates having it attended to, and as soon as she hears me getting the baby wipes out, or medicine ready, she tries to skulk away. Fortunately she is extremely compliant and cannot resist co-operating once I've called her firmly. Her right ear is hairy inside, which causes it to trap gunk and get infections every now and then. I clean out the yucky stuff (very satisfying) and apply antibiotic drops. She has already stopped shaking her head and scratching so much.

It was supposed to be a lovely horsey day today, but I'm sure Sam will prefer to be left in his paddock with his best mate, wearing his nice warm "dressing gown" and munching hay. I was also going to visit Ben to give him a good grooming, and hopefully Zanny would be delivered home today, and I was planning to have a good girly chat to her about how to attract her handsome suitor, so that she can get down to business and come home again soon. She is travelling to the West Coast to meet her husband. He is the father of Lucy and Frazer. I'm hoping to be able to have regular rides once she returns, until her tummy gets too round.

Exciting news on the book front. I love my books so much, and yesterday got two new ones. I've been waiting for Cath Kidston's Patch from the Book Depository for a wee while. Much cheaper to import it than buy it here. I also found Jamie's new book Jamie's Great Britain and I couldn't resist, when it was on special. It is awesome. I love reading his recipe books because they are very interesting and conversational in style. I've got almost all of his books, although I haven't seen Jamie's Italy since moving here, and I can't think what happened to it. Did I lend it to someone?

Oooh, I think my crocheted turtle is lifting his leg to wee on Jamie! Oops!

Today I have been working hard on a top-secret Christmas present. When I got bored with that I chopped out some squares from the off-cuts of my blue quilt-as-you-go quilt. I have an idea how to join them, although all of the seams will need to be covered. On the blue quilt I used wide rik-rak, but these squares are much smaller, so I am going to have to have a think about it.

The Crafty Neighbour has just called and says she is putting the jug on for a cup of tea. Hope I don't get too wet running over. XXX

Not much

2011-10-17T22:10:00.003+13:00

Today was a not much happening day. Actually I did plant dill, mixed basil, delphinium, lemongrass, lobelia, radish, spring onion, spinach and bush bean seeds. After that my sore upper backside wasn't too pleased about all of the bending, so I did something very lazy. I read a James Herriot book, then skulked back to bed and napped, getting up in time to get ready to go into town for my 'cello lesson. These holidays have not quite gone as I hoped due to the unforeseen parting of ways from Sam's saddle. I had virtuous plans to ride my bike every day, to sort out the unsorted areas of the garden, to complete several quilt projects and to get the house spring-cleaned. Guess what? I am sure my groaning sacrum will soon be hunky dory, so I won't be subjecting you to updates on the state of my nether regions for much longer! Then I hope to have full days with much achieved.

By the way, my 'cello lesson went surprisingly well.

Back in the saddle

2011-10-16T18:11:00.003+13:00

Today I'm awarding myself a whole lot of rosettes!

Today was just perfect for riding, and Sam was in a lovely chilled out mood. He had just heard the news that he is now going to be kept as a dressage horse and for beginners, rather than as a jumping horse. Celine has realised that the behaviour he has been showing has been a reaction to being forced to do things he is not comfortable with, and he gets really stiff and sore after jumping. He won't have the racy riders on him, and I'm so relieved. He felt like my boy again. It took a bit of time for me to build up my trust in him, and when his head came up, I was initially anxious. But he really looked after me, and we did some work on sitting trot, leg yields (I realised that I haven't been using my inside leg to hold him in line) and I did my first extended trot. Yay! We had lots of cuddles and kisses. I'm so happy!!!!

The strange thing about my fall injury is that the only time when moving that I don't have any pain in my pelvis is when I'm riding. I thought it would be terrible with the rising trot, sitting correctly, and sitting trot, but I was super comfortable. Johnny thought it was probably because I was focusing so hard on riding, but I think that position didn't put pressure on the damaged bits. I haven't been to the doctor, as I think I just need time to heal up. While I was getting ready poor Erika had a horrible fall off one of the young horses, who, in protest at going slowly, reared super high and she went whump down on her back like I did. We didn't see the rear, but looked over as the horse headed back to the yards, and she was flat on her back over in the dressage arena. She is such a sweetie. She looked as stiff as me after she got up.

Johnny is looking forward to the rugby, with some trepidation. For those not at all interested in New Zealand's national sport, our All Blacks are coming up against the Australian Wallabies (one of our most hated opponents) in the semifinals of the Rugby World Cup. I have to say it- GO ALL BLACKS!!!!!!

Visiting

2011-10-15T17:40:00.004+13:00

Today we went for a drive out to visit my horsey friends at the Butcher farm. It was so lovely to see dear Johnny (horse) feeling a bit better and looking a little fed up with box rest. Frazer, the 1 year old colt was keeping him company, and he is still fuzzy and baby-like, but getting solider and taller. I think he has the Z in Frazer because his mum is Zanny. I'm hoping to be able to ride Zanny when she comes back from visiting her handsome beau over on the West Coast. I had big cuddles with Lucy, another of Zanny's babies, now in training, but built like a cob due to her voracious appetite (I can relate to that). She is super cuddly and has a lovely warm air about her. I'm always careful to gauge mood and level of dominance or stress a horse is feeling when having pats, and never completely trust that something won't upset them. After all, horses are hugely strong and heavy and could do serious damage. Today my friend Ben was desperate for scratches due to his heavily molting coat. Here he is competing in dressage at Hororata a few months ago.

I think he is doing a rein-back. He can do a wonderful dressage test because he was a 4**** eventer (Badminton) before he retired due to illness. He is such a personality and loves lots of attention, so Viv suggested that I come out as much as I like to fuss over him and groom him. I guess you know my feelings about that idea! Today he has a very sore stone bruise on one of his front hooves. The hoof is all enclosed and if something causes a bit of bacteria to get in, then it heals over, infection builds up causing and abscess and intense pain. Emily got a hoof knife and I scratched Ben while she tried to open it up a bit. It looked like it had already burst so not much came out. She will put a poultice on. I'll go and spend some time helping Em with grooming etc and give Johnny some attention, and Ben lots of grooming and cuddles. Fantastic.

I'm having try number two to get back on Sam for a whirl around the arena tomorrow. We are going up the hill to watch rugby (or whatever) tonight. Mrs CT wants more Curly Wurly bars - I must try one as she knows a good chocolate bar when she sees one. And sad thoughts about dear Andi cat who was dearly loved by Mr and Mrs CT and family. No one hissed like her, yet was so tolerant and gentle. Goodbye Miss White Whisker. XXX

Love

2011-10-14T19:39:00.002+13:00

Last night I played with my camera, trying out taking black and white photos. The light was very low and Miss Dog was impossible to focus on. Mr Ginger Jasper was gorgeous as usual. I love him with a passion.

He is curled up on our bed at the moment. He has to ask to be lifted up. He has a dear little expressive voice and loves to have conversations with me.

He is perfection.

I didn't ride today, but I was all geared up to (literally). I went over to Celine's and Sam and I got ready. Then the hay truck arrived. With big loader following. Then a man came over from next door and said he was about to start chopping a tree down near the boundary and didn't want to alarm the horses. He got his chainsaw out. Sam and I were all ready, and while Celine moved the horses away from chainsaw man, I walked him around the arena for about 5 minutes on foot. When Celine came over we both looked at each other and said "not a good idea" because Sam was fizzing again and the noise was horrible from everywhere. So we undressed Sam and put him in his paddock. I said to myself that at least I got to spend ages grooming him. I am feeling pretty frustrated. Celine is hoping everything will be perfect for my lesson on Sunday. Johnny says I have to be patient. I'm a bit scared that Sam is developing some bad habits because being a riding school horse doesn't suit him. Then I won't be able to ride him anymore.

I heard that darling Johnny (horse), who hurt his stifle at the event last weekend has actually chipped the bone in his stifle. Apparently it is like a knee on a human. He has to be on box rest for a while. It is not good news, but he can recover fully, all going well. Poor man. I am dying to visit him. Plus I want to see some of my other horsey friends that live with him.

Lots of colour!

2011-10-13T17:13:00.005+13:00

I stuck to life on the ground today- no adventures. Fortunately my body is repairing itself rapidly, although there are still some groans when I go from sitting to standing, and I've discovered that there are unhappy muscles in my upper back and neck as well as my backside. Johnny has stopped sniggering, so that is good. I'm determined to mount up again tomorrow, so am really hoping the weather will co-operate.

We planned to visit Mrs CT today, so I had to get her bag finished. Not a very good photo, but here it is posing as a knitting bag, with my favourite magazine peeping out of the top. I'm imagining it will make a great companion for expeditions into the garden, filled with activities and tasty treats. Not that Mrs CT is heading down the stairs into her pretty garden at the moment, with a recently replaced knee. We got a couple of her favourite Curly Wurly bars to put inside, and judging by the enthusiastic munching, I'm thinking they have some magical joint repair qualities. They seem to be caramel covered in milk chocolate, although I was reluctant to get too close in case Mrs CT accidentally ate me as well. Damn hard being stuck at home recovering from a major surgical procedure with no access to chocolate. Anyway, the bag is made from two patched then machine quilted panels, lined with a matching cotton print, and has a rather large pocket inside.

I had a prowl around the garden today, and as usual, was thrilled with all of the gorgeous colours. The first soldier poppies are out.

And the first miniature irises.

I love these divine bluey purple ones.

The tulips are looking their best at the moment.

There is a sea of pansies under all of the plants. They come in masses of different colours and sizes.

Bluebells are just appearing too. These are the Spanish bluebells that were present in big clumps in my old garden. I bought some with me to add to my new garden.

Our beautiful flowering cherry is out too. It is later than the ones along the road, and is eagerly anticipated each year. The buds are like pretty pink rosebuds, and they open to pink tinged white tutus, hanging in huge clusters. It gives me the best of both worlds- white and pink!

There are still plenty of daffodils around the garden. Little narcissi- these are so sweet.

Also some big ones. This one is one of Mum's seedlings. I love the rings of colour in the cup, which are more beautiful in real life.

What are you up to, Miss Dog? Hmm- caught eating dirt. Yuck.

Ahh, a lovely sunny spot.

It is now 5.38pm and I'm not sure what we are having for tea. Maybe FYO- Find Your Own. Mr Ginger Jasper is peeping around the door hoping for some movement towards the kitchen. He knows what he is having for tea! Wish me luck for getting back in the saddle tomorrow. XXX

One down, six to go

2011-10-12T19:08:00.002+13:00

Did you know that it takes seven falls to make a horse rider? Well, I can count one down today. This was the view, but I wasn't on top, I was lying on my back on the ground. I probably had a much more pained expression on my face (although this one isn't too good either!).

I went out to McLean's Island to the National Equestrian Centre for a hack with Celine and Erica. Another two riders joined us. Sam was "hot" right from the start. He was jig jogging around, throwing his head all around, and generally being scary. I was really scared and when he threw himself to the side at one point, with me clinging on desperately by his mane, I started to think that this riding lark was not such a good idea after all. He has done that before with me. I was quietly cursing myself for being such a wimp and trying hard to relax. We were just walking along quietly, and the other riders were being careful not to do anything alarming. He has been to McLean's Island lots of times with no problems, so Celine wasn't worried about him doing anything unexpected. Suddenly he did a mega head thrash down and up, then threw himself sideways, dropping his back end until he almost sat, then jerking upwards to throw me off. It happened so quickly I didn't have a chance to grab on, and I was thrown over the side landing hard on my upper pelvis, (below back, above backside). Everyone said "Don't get up!" so I lay there having a damn good cry, as I'm inclined to do under stress. Actually it did hurt a bit, but I got up and tried to ride one of the other horses back, but she was stressed by Sam's antics, so I got off and walked. I blubbed for quite a while, mainly out of frustration at being scared before I fell off. Everyone was so lovely and said there was no way they could have stayed on as Sam was determined to throw me. They were scared he was going to fall on me. Celine was really upset because Sam is supposed to be her safest horse, and it was pretty obviously a deliberately nasty action.

I have to admit that the 40 year old body does not appreciate a fall from the height of a large horse onto hard ground. My pelvis is very unhappy, but I'm sure it is just bruising and muscular pain because it came on about half an hour after the fall, rather than straight away like bone damage would do. I am hobbling around at the moment, but am determined to ride again on Friday as I'm not letting today's crash stop me. After all, real horse riders fall off lots.

Apart from the dramas of the day, I've been having a very quiet day. Basically because I'm not able to bend over, move quickly or do much at all. Luckily the latest Country Living came in today. And some chocolate. Essential healing food.

Absolutely filthy

2011-10-11T15:59:00.002+13:00

The wind raged overnight. Poor Mr Jasper was frightened because the cat flap kept banging, so he didn't want to go out. I woke to the sounds of furious grumbling and frantic spraying as Johnny cleaned up a huge wee on some of his clothing in the bathroom. Jasper will be thankful the wind has settled, although it is still quite breezy. I am supposed to be riding at McLean's Island tomorrow - hacking out around the cross country course. If it is horribly windy I won't be keen, and I'm sure Sam with be in a skittish mood.

This afternoon I got outside for some gardening in what remains of dirt mountain. It has been Miss Dog's domain, rampant with weeds, too stubborn to pull. We've had plenty of rain so I got stuck in today. My hands are so dirty I don't think they'll ever be clean again. I needed to clear some space for some sweet wee plum coloured poppies, some sky blue corydalis, a rose bush, some tiny wee woodland anemones and some delightful sky blue miniature iris, most of which were given to me by friends. I also found room for a rosemary bush that I grew from a cutting, and Mr Ginger Jasper's catnip plant (he now has two). I had thrown a few things in among the weeds previously, but it all got away on me, so I did some shifting around. Once everything looks settled I'll take a photo. I've only cleared about 1/3 of the dog domain. I was thinking of having a tiny wee path half way along which takes you to a bench under the cherry tree, tucked in among the fragrant plants. I was considering a hammock, but a bench would look pretty all year round. Useful too, as I love to sit out in my garden and just contemplate all of my territory. I just told Johnny and he likes the idea. Excellent.

Johnny has been working on a project for his university studies. I declare myself an exam and assignment free zone. I no longer wish to participate in academic study, preferring to dedicate myself to learning new creative and interesting skills. Let's be honest, Johnny's studies into linguistics and relationships are going to have very little bearing on his ability to teach English as a Second Language (which is what the scholarship he has is funding). I can't even figure out what the point of his latest assignment is in the context of the human race. He has just been out for a bike ride on his lovely new bike to get some fresh air. I can't remember if I told you that he has a new bike as his old one was declared to be dangerous by a bike mechanic. Anyway, it is a flash black shiny specimen which he seems to riding with great enthusiasm. He will be a svelte shadow of his former self before we know it.

Oh and a huge Happy Birthday to our dearest wee man Henry!!!!! It is quite perfect having a nephew and a niece. Just one of each at this stage. Lucy is our darling wee poppet of a niece who looks more and more beautiful every time I see a photo of her. She is a sharp wee cookie who knows her own mind. Henry is so cute, and is super funny and sociable. When we first saw him his head was the size of an orange as he was 7 weeks early. Scary times, but he hasn't looked back. I loved holding him when he was just a tiny wee thing. So precious. Lucy had a considerably less dramatic start to life (although her mummy, Mandy, might disagree). Henry came out of the sunroof, but Lucy headed out the regular way after considerable effort. Birth is an amazing thing. I won't be having children so I can just imagine any babies of mine would have slipped merrily out after a bit of grunting and effortless pushing, and there would be smiles all round. Anyway, into the Terrible Twos goes Henry, and I bet there will be lots of boundary testing, mischief, tantrums and enthusiastic explorations over the next year. Hopefully he'll be coming to visit at Labour Weekend. Exciting!!!!

Windy wind

2011-10-10T18:05:00.004+13:00

Today is very windy. It is an awful easterly wind, cold and strong. Apart from a short time outside helping Johnny repair a panel on my greenhouse, which blew out in the wind, I lurked inside all day. I spotted this wee poppet a few days ago.

I'm glad it wasn't windy yesterday because it was a horse day. The Eventing Canterbury ODE at McLean's Island, and I was doing grooming for the Butcher team again. I wasn't sure which horses Emily would be riding, or if Frank would be there with Viv, as he hasn't been 100%. It turned out that all of the same boys were there as last time- Johnny, Frank, Chippie, Storm and Lewis. I didn't want to let my cold hold me back, and I did pretty well.

Lewis looked gorgeous anticipating his dressage.

I was studying Emily intently. See how she sits with her body tilted back so far. Apparently she rode for one of the American Olympic eventers for a year and came back with this position. It shifts her weight back and means she supports herself more, plus encourages impulsion from the hind-quarters. Complicated business, riding.

In the jumping she has her body tilted more forward, but shifts her weight back to slow her horse between jumps. This is Storm in action. He is quite little, and just right for lovely cuddles. He is absolutely sweet to handle.

He got a pat for doing a good round. Emily always stops her horses after each round and leaves the arena with dignity, unlike some.

This is Chippie jumping. He's rather an anxious creature. He apparently didn't have the most auspicious arrival as an unbroken youngster. The truck driver parked too close to the hedge and opened up the side of the truck. Chippie didn't know what to do and tried to launch himself off the side of the truck and over the hedge. He knocked out the truck driver in the process and headed off down the road at high speed. I haven't had any problems handling him, which Emily says is because I move slowly and quietly around him. Apparently he goes berserk if he gets a fright, and does a full-on bucking bronco routine when he gets upset with Emily when she is riding him. She says it is terrifying, which is amazing coming from her!

Finally, here's Lewis jumping. Gosh he is such a big boy, but lovely to handle.

The jumps looked really big to me, but I haven't been to a showjumping event where they jump much higher yet. Must look into that. I am so pleased that I have discovered the world of horse events because I absolutely love going, even when Johnny doesn't want to go. Yesterday, when I wasn't grooming, I decided to take Em's dog, Mack, for a walk so he could watch his mummy ride. She was so pleased to see him out and about as he was waiting in the truck. I took all of the jumping photos with him watching at my feet.

The only sad note of the day was darling Johnny (horse, not husband) caught his stifle on a cross country jump and was injured. The stifle is at the front of what you could say is the horse's thigh. He skinned it and was very lame. Poor man. I gave him lots of cuddles. Emily was very upset but didn't cry like I would have done because she is pretty tough in the face of adversity. He got vet treatment immediately and is expected to be back in action in a couple of weeks.

As I said, I lay low today, just trying to get rid of my cold. Don't worry Nanny- no sign of a nasty cough. I did a bit of work on this project, which is a present for someone. I'll show you the finished article before long, I hope.

I've got masses of things to go on with, but I hope this wind stops soon.

Holidays

2011-10-08T17:34:00.002+13:00

Holidays, and guess what? Yes, I'm sick again. Just a bit of a cold, but believe me, I was cursing on Thursday when it became apparent that I would have another miserable few days at the start of the holidays. Tomorrow I'm supposed to go and groom for Emily Butcher again, which I was super excited about, but now am not so sure if I'll have the energy I had last time I went. She is competing in another ODE at McLean's Island. Poor Celine had a crash last weekend on Dresden doing showjumping. I haven't had a good chat with her to hear the details, but Dresden went right down apparently. She won't be competing tomorrow, which is a shame. Sam and I are getting together on Wednesday for a trip to McLean's Island hopefully, although Celine has plans to take two of the new horses and leave Dresden at home. Sam is totally in love with Dresden and he gets the serious lip quiver on if he can't see his boyfriend, then starts throwing himself around and whinnying madly. I don't fancy being on board a lovesick thoroughbred. Of all the things he could do I'm most scared of him bolting as an out-of-control horse cornering would no doubt launch me into space. I remember flying off Toby when he took off down the paddock across the creek and cornered at the bottom by the creek- well, I think it was Toby, although that seems a little hard to believe given his aptitude for plodding. I do remember landing on my back and skidding along. Mum rushed over with her usual question after a fall "Can you move your legs?" which I could, although I'm not sure I could breathe. Knowing my riding skill, he was probably slowly cantering, and I was probably having a mad panic.

It was pouring on and off this morning. Good for my garden. I am absolutely enthralled with a little daffodil called Tripartite - I think that is how you spell it. It is a wee jonquil split corona in a pretty lemon shade. Gorgeous! The small division daffodils I have in the garden have really lengthened the season. The ranunculas are coming out now. They are so pretty and bright. I'd love to get some of the florist's ones with the interesting colourings.

Well, I'm very very excited about the holidays and intend to make the most of them, cold bugs or not. Mmmm- sewing, horses, gardening, riding my bike, taking photos and doing embroidery. And a few other things thrown in. Keep checking in as I'll be blogging a bit more too.

The hottest day this spring

2011-10-02T18:41:00.005+13:00

Short sleeves and sunblock out today. We exceeded 20 degrees C. and I did a bit of weed control after going out for brunch with Mrs CT and family. We went to Sevantis, which I can recommend for good quality food and a typical cafe environment. The courtyard outside was lovely as you could hear people along the table. Apparently it can be noisy inside. I dislike noisy restaurants. I had eggs benedict with salmon, on corn fritters. Very tasty.

My front garden is getting plenty of positive comments currently. I've got the roses trained on wires, and they are looking great.

The blossoms have actually just finished along our street, but they were gorgeous clouds of white while they lasted.

The daffodils have been flowering for a long time, and more are coming all the time. The first poets are out, and these seedlings that Mum bred have just appeared. Yesterday I looked at the label and was filled with doubt about the 2WR (Division 2 white petals, red cup) classification as they were so pale and yellow. As you can see, they are darkening up.

It is tulip season. Lovely. They are quite uniform and reliable in form compared to daffodils.

I like these pink ones with the yellow background.

Double primulas. So pretty. A bargain bin find.

Flowering currant- exquisite flowers in a divine pink shade. I think this cost about $3. I love a bargain.

What do we have here? A very relaxed pussycat with no bad language. Miss Dog has made constant friendly overtures to Mr Jasper, and he has now decided that she is harmless as long as she doesn't try to sniff him.

They hang out together in the garden.

The greenhouse - my pride and joy!

Look who's here! Mr Ginger Jasper following up on a catnip sighting in the greenhouse. He found some evidence, which required thorough investigation- a dry leaf.

Ahh yes. Life is good.

Much better

2011-10-01T19:14:00.002+13:00

Well, Mr Horse and I had a date today, and it was so much better than my ride last weekend. Sam had a couple of good rides during the week, and was all mellow and happy today. I was in a much better state too- headache free and painkiller free. Miss Dog and I had a lovely walk to start the day. She was thrilled because she found a mud hole, but thankfully she refrained from doing her crocodile dog act. I got busy and did some tidying and washing. Then I planted the seeds Mum got last weekend- some pumpkins and tomatoes. I studied the activity in the trays planted last weekend and the brassicas were just appearing. Fantastic! I am loving the greenhouse. It has revolutionized plant growing in the Poppy Black Vegetable Empire.

After zipping around home merrily, I was relaxed and ready for my horsey appointment. I place a great deal of importance on being relaxed before a lesson because if I am stiff I don't have a good ride. My hips are too rigid with tension to sit back correctly, and I battle with myself for the whole lesson.

When I arrived at Scarlett Oak there were children everywhere. Well, actually only three, but apart from family and close friends, I don't want to cast my eyes over a single child all weekend. Celine was super excited because she has made the decision that her crazy mare has to go and she is leasing a beautiful warmblood gelding who will be a much steadier addition to the stable. She rushed me into the office to see her new internet and phone, plus to show me the video of the new horse. She was practically squeaking with joy. I had most of my mind on that, and a bit on the children. Ooooh yuck- keep away from me, thank-you very much. They were having lead rein lessons one at a time with Celine's assistant.

Mr Sam was looking so pleased to see me. His coat is silky, grey, white and brown all mixed up. He will be dappled grey in summer. I got started with the grooming and a voice piped up. Small boy wanting to help me. No thanks, I said firmly. Sam and I do not entertain 9 year olds. I got Sam ready in record time as I was determined not to make Celine late. She had a full board of lessons (yay). Everything was easier today. Getting on, trotting and trotting and trotting without stopping. Even cantering. I did have a few problems with the space I was working in as I had to negotiate jumps (around, not over). I even managed to give Celine a fright when I took a line she wasn't expecting and she thought we were about to go over one of the jumps. No way, we're not that stupid! There was a flashback to my previous instructor when I did a particularly shambolic maneuver and Celine said "That was shit" which made me laugh and even more determined. It was great fun.

I gave Sam a lovely shower, but I knew he didn't really enjoy it because his bottom lip was flobbling and quivering. He does that when he is anxious. Cold water. The larger of the two boys was apparently "working as a stable boy" for Celine. He was doing a few little jobs. The smaller one was sitting on the quadbike trying to get my attention by saying he wanted to turn it on. I told him in no uncertain terms that that was not going to happen. Then he was busy plundering Celine's biscuit jar. I hope never to see him again. He clearly isn't brother of the other children as he is quite a different skin colour and demeanor.

I felt like having a good cry and clinging onto Sam when I left. He looked unconcerned at my departure as I had filled up his hay bag. I love him dearly.

Well, this has been a bit of a prattle about my day, and even if it isn't interesting to anyone else, I've discovered that reading back over my blog entries is fun. We've been in our new house for three years now, which is amazing, and the changes in the garden have been documented right here. Readers or not, blogs are a lovely record of the writer's life.

Forelocks and Flowers

2011-09-25T10:47:00.005+13:00

I'm feeling rather grim today. I've had a headache all weekend, and am feeling all sluggish from the painkillers. You know you're in for trouble when you dream about the pain in your head. I'm trying to carry on merrily, with some minor changes to my usual routine, like wearing sunglasses when sewing.

Yesterday I had a date with my big boy, Sam. I got a bit spooked last time I rode as he was a naughty boy. I hate the way I feel less confident than I did a month ago. I was all stiff and when I was trying to do sitting trot I was bouncing like a jackhammer.

Sam did enjoy a brush as he still has plenty of winter woolies on.

He was hanging out with his mates, who were all having turns being schooled. After our ride I gave him a quick wash on his legs and tummy where the sweaty girth line was, then put his "dressing gown" on so that he could relax with a snack. As you can see, he looks pretty happy.

Then we had kisses!

In the afternoon we attended the South Island National Daffodil Show (combined with a spring show). Look who was there, giving out free seeds to Christchurch residents. Well, I know who it it- Jo McCarroll, the editor of the New Zealand Gardener magazine. She was lovely. We had a chat to her afterwards, when I was getting a few free plants off the free plant table outside. We are going to grow sunflowers for the New Zealand Gardener sunflower competition. Johnny is a very enthusiastic sunflower grower. I wonder if my wee darlings, Henry and Lucy, would like to grow sunflowers?

I had a good prowl around the hall checking everything out. Johnny was taking photos of the premier and champion blooms. I have to admit I took plenty of shockingly awful photos with my fancy lens. I got a few pretty ones. Look- fritillarias. Sorry can't spell with this head. I'd love to grow some!

Even Mum was impressed with these bulbicodiums on the Alpine Society table. Also known as hoop petticoats. So sweet.

There were some floral art displays. Not really my thing. I like a big, lavish, natural bunch of garden flowers myself.

There were hundreds, possibly thousands of daffodils of all kinds.

Hotly contested are the collections classes. This one is Mum and Dad's entry in a 12 bloom class. Aren't they lovely!

Here's the table for the top winning blooms. I wasn't so sure about the Champion, which I thought was all size and little class. Maybe I'm biased because it wasn't one of Mum and Dad's lovely flowers.

I guess the best bit about the show was seeing Mum and Dad and chatting to some of their friends. Their dear friend Kevin, who is very ill with a brain tumor, made the trip down from Nelson. He had some entries, including a collection of very lovely white blooms. The organiser of the bulb raffle, who always sends me a book of tickets, and then has to remind me every year to send the butts back, teased me and said I should have been blonde. I prefer to think of myself as creative! He finds it highly amusing that I buy tickets for all of my animals. One year Miss Dog won a collection of pink blooms. I think Sam will enter this year. Hopefully he brings me luck! If he wins I'll swap the bulbs for some carrots and he'll be happy.

Oh, the sun is shining, and I hope to root John out of his lair shortly. He watched rugby until late and is still fast asleep. I'm hoping to plant some of my free seeds and plants today!

Lovely project

2011-09-21T20:21:00.004+12:00

A wee midweek update. It has been a shaky couple of days here. Our little village has been rattled by a barrage of earthquakes. Apparently we've got some kind of fault structure in the earth beneath us and it is having a wee outburst at the moment. Hopefully it won't throw in a big one as I am in heaven in my house and garden, and I'd hate to have that destroyed. Scary to feel like a sitting duck in your own home. I don't mind the smaller quakes at all. Anything up to a 5 on the Richter scale doesn't get my heart racing now. Once we get up there though, the house really shakes, and the sound of the structure rattling and groaning is unnerving. We've got the EQC people (the earthquake insurance people) coming to inspect our house tomorrow. We've got nail pops, where nail heads have lifted out of the plasterboard under the paint, all over the house. Johnny says he thinks EQC are going to be buggers about paying for nail pops. Well they weren't there last time they visited, and we didn't suck them out of the walls ourselves. Makes me stressed thinking about it.

On a much happier note, this little project has been hugely enjoyable.

This is the small wall quilt make out of a Moda charm pack (Scarborough Fair). I adore the fabrics. I pieced the pre-cut squares then made a quilt sandwich with a fairly thin batting, and quilted it using loopy stippling with my embroidery foot. The effect is gorgeous. I was really happy with my ability to keep my quilting neat and controlled. I like the way the light on the lines of stitching shows the texture of the quilt.

I was contemplating adding some buttons at the intersections of the squares. I got some of my button collection out. I've got quite a few, but would love thousands more. I love rummaging through the piles of buttons and other assorted bits and pieces in the containers. When I get some more shelving I might store them in pretty jars.

I thought the mother-of-pearl or creamy toned buttons would work, but they just looked clumsy and distracting. Well, it was fun to play. Any excuse to get into the button collection!

We're having our usual busy week at school. We started a wee fundraiser for our class today. We are baking biscuits and other goodies for staff to purchase so that we can raise money for a trip to Orana Park, the big animal park in Christchurch. Any excess money we raise will be donated to animal charities. I was pretty happy because we made $6 within half an hour of putting the basket in the staffroom. I'm counting on everyone being greedy and buying heaps of our goods.

I'm expecting plenty of time with Mum and Dad this weekend as they should be coming down for the South Island Daffodil Show. I haven't really got time to think about entering any flowers myself, unfortunately. I've barely got time to check the garden briefly when I get home from school. I'm extremely fussy when it comes to the quality of flowers. Mum and I were saying I could probably judge daffodils myself, having been exposed to the world of daffodils for exhibition for most of my life. I know a good flower when I see one. At this time of year we kind of become orphans because Mum and Dad are so busy with daffodil activities. I remember as children Mum would be up in the daffodil patch for hours on end, head down, lifting thousands of flower's faces up to find the goodies. Then she would cover the potential show quality ones, and pick others at the perfect time. There would also be the careful cross pollination of fine flowers to breed new beauties. I still love the heady aroma of thousands of daffodils all grouped together. It is a very special fragrance that brings back a lot of memories.

Well, I'm thoroughly exhausted, so should be off to bed very soon. Check in at the weekend for flower show action, and hopefully some gardening, craft and horsey news. XXX

Ps. I hope there are some interesting stalls at the daffodil show. I must take some cash, just in case.

Another busy weekend

2011-09-18T17:35:00.012+12:00

I am really, really tired after a fantastic, but very busy weekend. On Friday I had my riding lesson at 4.00pm. Sam was not impressed about starting work when everyone else was packing up for the day, and made sure I knew it. There was lots of fussing around, waggling his head, throwing himself around, jig jogging and general naughty behaviour. Of course I am not at my best after a day at school, and it wasn't fun. I did work on some important skills, in spite of the unco-operative steed. Celine and I decided that Sam just wanted to put his slippers on and relax with a large whiskey. I must admit, I felt like doing something similar, but forget the whiskey, chocolate for me.

The blossoms are out down our street. So pretty.

I am now using the prime lens that Johnny got me ages ago to replace the zoom lens that broke when I accidentally dropped my camera bag when I was carrying too much stuff. I couldn't get used to the prime lens because it doesn't zoom. The little silver camera has vanished, so I am determined to get the prime lens to work for me. It is a tiny thing, so doesn't make by big camera heavy and cumbersome to use. Johnny says war photographers use prime lenses. I said what about zooming, and Johnny told me the war photographers just get in close. Hmmm- no chance of an unexpected enemy assault in the front garden, I hope.

Peach blossom on my wee peach tree. Fruit this year? Maybe.

The daffodils are lovely. I love the beautiful lemon and cream of these ones. They are like a lemon meringue pie.

New this year.

This is Party Girl. She is divine, although not tall in stature. I wonder if the doubles decided that the snow was scary and are just peeping out of the soil, just in case.

A pansy paradise. I adore them.

More little treasures, new this year.

On Saturday I visited a craft fair. Sorry, no photos, but I did enjoy myself. It wasn't as good as the one last year, which was such a shame. Apparently the Australian organisers of last year's show couldn't get insurance due to, you guessed it, the risk of earthquakes. One of the local craft shop owners got this year's one organised, and did a great job, given the circumstances. Sadly the fabric available was quite limited, but I did manage to find some beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabrics, plus a charm pack. The Crafty Neighbour, who was my partner in craft, was so disappointed not to find anything she wanted. She is dreaming of a lemon and white quilt, but clearly lemon is not currently in vogue.

We went out for dinner with friends to Morgan's Winery which I can recommend for a lovely dinner. I couldn't fit in pudding, so the servings were generous. I did get to try Mrs CT's creme brule, which was utterly delicious.

Today was an amazing day. I'll never be a great horse rider, but today I realized that I can learn to be a great groom. I was helping look after the Butcher team at the Eventing Canterbury One Day Event and the National Equestrian Centre. It was so much fun caring for the horses, and making sure everything was done for Emily and Viv, so they had a trouble-free day. Today I got to tack up, clean up, wash, brush, cuddle, feed, water and give pep-talks to the five horses in the Butcher team.

I think this is my favourite part of a horse.

This is Lewis. He is ENORMOUS. Over 17 hands high. He is an absolute pleasure to handle on the ground, although is a challenging ride.

Hello Storm. He is very early in his career. Emily has got him going beautifully already. He's a real sweetie too. I had a bit of trouble washing him because he didn't want me to hose his bottom. Cold water. I couldn't blame him.

Storm looked lovely and glossy preparing for his dressage test.

Look how far down Emily's legs come on Lewis, compared to Storm. She does have her stirrups a bit shorter as she is about to jump, but Lewis is huge compared to Storm. I find it cute how Lewis has a pony face - very sweet and innocent.

This is Johnny (horse - not husband). He was a bit of a naughty boy today. When I asked Em what she needed me to do with him, she said she had a few good ideas, but didn't think I would oblige. She loves him really.

Oh, and my riding instructor, Celine, was there too, so I felt right at home with more horsey friends than ever at the event. In this photo Celine is riding Dresden, Sam's best mate, on the cross country. He had a great round, but wiped out a flag taking the wrong line, so Celine thought he would be eliminated.

He looks great here in the showjumping, but John said he knocked down almost every jump. Lazy boy just couldn't be bothered lifting his back legs high enough. He's a big boy too. About 16.3 hands. Celine is tiny.

I guess you can see why I'm tired now.

I've been up to some creative stuff in the workroom too. I'll save that for another day. Have a great week! XXX

Growth

2011-09-14T20:23:00.005+12:00

Exciting things are happening in the Vegetable Empire. Tiny seedlings are emerging.

Bok Choi (can't remember how to spell it), caged.

Spinach, also caged. No, not too keep birds away. To keep Jasper from using the garden as his personal bathroom, which then encourages Miss Dog to climb onto the raised beds, hunting for disgusting things to snack on. Foul dog. No wonder her breath would make these wee plants shrivel.

Look- teeny, tiny radish seedlings. Sometimes my radishes go straight to seed. That's what happens when you don't water regularly.

On Sunday I could just see the first signs of these rainbow chard appearing, and look at them today. Three days growth. I'm planning to plant a forest of these under the red maple. I'm imaging a sea of glossy, crinkled leaves with colourful stems. Hopefully the weeds won't be able to compete.

I've been wanting to grow these for a long, long time. They are blue morning glories. I'm impressed with their enthusiasm!

Now, can you tell me what this is?

I think it looks remarkably like some anatomical specimen. This is a rhubarb plant, just starting to come back to life after winter. I'm trying to decide where to plant it as it had to be dug out to make room for the greenhouse. It looks happy enough, waiting for a new home.

This weekend is going to be rather exciting. I'm riding after school on Friday, then on Saturday the Crafty Neighbour and I are off to a craft show thing, which will have lots of quilting retailer's stalls. On Sunday I am grooming for Emily Cammock (nee. Butcher) at the big one day event at the National Equestrian Centre. I'm not sure which of my horsey friends she will be riding, but I'll enjoy looking after any of them. I'm pleased because Johnny is coming along to do some filming and photography for Emily. I really miss him when we have too much time apart. He went to camp on Monday night, and that was enough time missing him for one week.

School is going really well this week. I've won a few battles, had lots of laughs, and enjoyed the little family we have in our classroom. For some reason this week seems to be dragging on a bit, but I guess that is because I am looking forward to the weekend so much.

Glorious colour

2011-09-11T18:57:00.016+12:00

Oh dear, I'm having some frustrating photo uploading problems. I pressed on, adding one photo at a time, with several refusals along the way. It did the same thing yesterday.

The weather was windy, cloudy and chilly today. I felt the benefits of the greenhouse because I really enjoyed being outside, but under cover. I despise the wind, but today I could watch the wind merrily flapping my fleet of colourful jerseys around on the washing line, happily tucked away in the warmth. I planted four tomatoes, a beefsteak, moneymaker, sweet 100 and taupo. Two are grafted and are planted in their very own large mineral block tubs from the horse farm. The others, along with a telegraph cucumber, are planted directly into well fertilized soil. I prepared a tray of lavender seeds, and one of corn, buoyed on by the morning glory and rainbow chard seeds that are already popping up after only a week in the seed raising mix. Then I planted six assorted courgette seeds (well, I hope they are assorted), in their own individual pots. I had a wee tidy up outside, and made sure all of the new things growing were well watered. I love spending a bit of time in the garden at the weekend. I become very engrossed in what I'm doing, and I think it is a very healthy way to spend some time.

I had a bit of a fiddle with the camera today. Johnny helped me put it on a different setting to improve my flower photos. I don't think we are there yet. Yellow seems to be tricky to capture as it lacks definition. This is a lovely flower. Some of the miniatures are sweet and perfect, but so far the big ones are a bit rough.

Mr. Lawn is preening his territory. He put some lawn mix down to smooth out a hollow. I said it is poo (probably pig - super stinky) to scare away the visitors to the open home next door. We like our current neighbour as she is fabulously quiet and unobtrusive. I can't bear the idea of a horrid noisy family moving in.

Told you my big daffys are a bit rough. The colour is lovely and bright though.

A few doubles are appearing. They always get the most comments from visitors to the garden as most people aren't very familiar with them. I love them.

I love these wee fellows too. Happy pansy faces.

A sea of anemones.

The snow damaged the petals on these, but they battled on through. I must remember to split up the clumps of polyanthus later in the year as they are getting quite large and crowded.

I've got a sea of grape hyacinths too.

Pretty poppets.

Look what we've got here. The first globe artichoke. Last year I didn't eat a single one because it seemed like murder cutting them. This year I will be ruthless and have a go. I've only ever eaten the preserved ones. If I don't like them I will have lovely blue tufty flowers, and if I do - look out artichokes! They grow into a lovely big leafy plants and surprisingly, coped very well with heavy snow and frosts.

Since it wasn't exactly a day for spending every minute outside, I got on with the Scarborough Fair charm pack quilt. It is going to be a wall hanging for our bedroom. I put the saucer on it so that you could see the scale.

The Crafty Neighbour and Miss B. came over and they worked on some quilling while I sewed. Miss B. wanted to know if I did quilling and I told her I had so many crafty interests that I dare not try anything new. Thank goodness I haven't been drawn into scrapbooking (I find fabric more interesting than paper), because that is an expensive hobby. I've had to limit myself to cursory glances at scrapbooking bits and pieces, because there are some very pretty things to work with.

Guess what? There's a rugby game on shortly, so I'll be retiring to my craft room to start quilting the wee quilt mentioned above. I pinned it and am ready to go.

Ps. Does anyone know what has happened to my little silver camera? It has vanished. The big cameras are great, but not exactly portable or discreet when attending events or upon a grey horse.

Introducing...

2011-09-10T18:42:00.009+12:00

First up- Scarlett Oak Equestrian. My lovely riding school is finally officially open today. I was very excited to go there today for my lesson. My darling big boy Sam was very pleased to see me. He had a lovely warm, happy expression. I am allowed to groom him and get his gear out and tack him up by myself. After our lesson I untack him and wash him down, then get him ready to go back to his paddock. My instructor, Celine, knows how much I love him, and she lets me pretend he's mine and spoil him. I gave him a lovely massaging rub to get some more of his winter coat out, as he is shedding like mad. He was almost groaning with pleasure. Today most of the horses were down in the yards, so I enjoyed chatting to them all. Tonto was a wee monster and didn't want to be caught and brought down to the yards. He is a little skewbald (brown and white patchy) Shetland pony. Celine and her two staff had been trying to catch him for 1/2 an hour when I got there. I gave them a hand, and a good idea, and he was soon in custody, with a belligerent expression on his face.

Today I worked on a dressage move called "shoulder in" which is a tricky business. Not as tricky as getting cantering right. I'm learning some challenging moves as Sam is quite a talented dressage boy, even though he isn't what is called a "push button horse." That means you have to actually ride him properly and intelligently to get the best out of him, which makes him great to learn on. I get all excited when we do clever things. I think Celine is a real inspiration because she has achieved so much so far. I really hope Scarlett Oak Equestrian is a huge success, and that I get to be a part of that with my darling Sam.

For my second introduction of the day, please meet Mrs. S.D. Sherriff. I've decided to experiment with a bit of old fashioned cookery and thought that Mrs. Sherriff would be a trusty guide. After all, her qualifications and experience (the women's division of the Federated Farmers, no less) speak for themselves.

This is her cookbook. I think it was among either Grandma or Aunt Beth's belongings. Who wouldn't be impressed by that collection of colourful food items on the cover? This wee gem comes with a first aid guide, complete with a paragraph on rescue breathing, and advice on how to deal with a black eye (cold compress or ice) and lightning strike (dash cold water over victim). On the recipe front, there are many classics, perfect for experimenting with. There are a few I wouldn't touch with a lunging whip- liver loaf, brain fritters, mutton broth and kidney soup.

Today I decided some cheesy, herby scones might be yummy pre and post horse riding. Mrs. Sherriff has a simple cheese scone recipe, and I have a herb garden and some parmesan and vintage cheddar cheese.

I picked some Italian flat leafed parsley, red spring onion leaves, thyme, and a tiny amount of sage, marjoram and rosemary. Plus a clove of garlic.

I cup of flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder sifted with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

I rubbed in a big tablespoon (serving spoon sized) of butter.

Butter rubbed in.

In went the herbs, some cheese and pepper. Mrs. Sherriff said 1/4 cup of grated cheese. I took a few liberties with her instructions at this point.

I poured in enough milk to make a soft dough.

Then I lightly kneaded and patted the dough out, and cut it. The scones went on a floured tray and into a "hot" oven.

Yum. Out they came after about 13 minutes. I think 10 would have been enough.

Hot scones with butter. The perfect brunch. Thank you Mrs. Sherriff. I wonder what we shall do together next time?

My darling Johnny had an awful headache today. He was seeing lights and felt sick. A migraine, I think. Poor sweetie had to spend most of the day in bed. I think he has been exposed to too much Rugby World Cup and needs to lay off watching it. Since last night was the opening ceremony and we've got about 7 weeks to go, it is going to be hard for him to take my advice. I find it terribly traumatic watching the games because I find them very dull, but want our team to win so badly that I get stressed when they don't. I've got the perfect solution- crafting!

Tomorrow I hope to get outside for some close inspection of my daffodils, and to plant the first tomatoes and cucumbers in my greenhouse. I love weekends so much!

Pretty Piles

2011-09-04T20:10:00.004+12:00

Dear Mr. Jasper. He looks his age today. We've had lots of cuddles and I popped a piece of fabric I usually sling over my sewing machine onto his blanket in my workroom. He is pleased.

Today I haven't felt my best. I didn't get to ride because Celine wasn't feeling her best either. She is working like mad to get her riding school ready for opening day on the 10th. Wow, that's next weekend! I wonder if I'll get a lesson next week?

Today I planted morning glory and rainbow chard seeds before I ran out of seed raising mix. I also put in some Japanese radish seeds, straight into the garden. Johnny and I took a heap of garden rubbish to the greenwaste department at the dump. It will be made into compost. I can't keep up with all of the garden waste we produce as I have a very slow composting system. There is usually a fair bit of irritated cursing getting the garden rubbish into the back of John's vehicle. There was a rather undignified shriek of pain when a rose branch hooked me in the backside. Johnny put some vege mix into my greenhouse beds, plus filled my big tomato planters with tomato mix. Only the best for my veges! The greenhouse gets all steamed up and beautifully warm. It will probably be roasting in summer.

The Crafty Neighbour and I did some plant swapping, plus some crafting this afternoon. Actually I tidied up my workroom while she knitted and chatted. I didn't get around to tidying my desk.

When I visited Cottonfields last week I had a rummage in their bargain bin and found some real treasures. They get samples in and bundle them up. The pieces are smaller than fat quarters but together work out to be about 1/2 a metre, for only about $3. I popped this gorgeous strip of velvet ric-rac over these.

These are Cabbages and Roses designs. I found the lace in a scrap bag at school.

These look prettier in real life than on my screen. The colours are richer.

I've got some other pretty piles around. These are in my big craft cupboard. Vintage and modern boxes with interesting vintage beads, buttons and haberdashery. The vintage checked bag has old lace and bits and pieces in it.

I found these rolls of ribbon at an incredibly cheap price. Not sure which is my favourite.

I had a wee sort out on top of the piano, and put a pile of books that I look at regularly up there. I guess they will get airborne if we have a decent quake, but shouldn't make it as far as Jasper's nest. Sigh. We had another good shake not long ago. It was a 4.4 on the Richter scale, and located not far from here. Creepy as it went on for quite a while.

I hope you all have a lovely week. XXX

Little Treasures

2011-09-03T18:59:00.005+12:00

Tonight when we go to sleep I guess we will think back to a year ago when we went to bed and were shockingly awoken in the early hours of the morning by a severe earthquake. It was the first of literally thousands of earthquakes we have experienced over the past year. Our house suffered very minor damage and I lost a few treasures, but our city will never be the same again. Even worse, in February many families lost loved ones when our city centre was destroyed. We have learnt a lot about earthquakes and the aftershocks and damage that comes with them. Sadly our sense of security in the world has been eroded. We now look with suspicion at brick buildings, shop awnings and tall structures. Rumbles of any kind - truck, bus, weather and earth related - cause us to go on alert. On the other hand, we ride out most small to moderate earthquakes with good humor and little reaction. I feel like a stronger, more resilient person as a result of the experiences of the past year. But if it had never happened, I'd be immensely grateful.

This morning I was a "writer" for a dressage judge at the Canterbury schools teams eventing competition. I was invited by Emily Butcher's mum Viv to write for her so that I could learn about what dressage judges are looking for. She is an awesome teacher and I learnt so much, both about judging, and about the finer points of riding dressage. Mr Sam and I have an appointment tomorrow and I'll have to put some of what I've learnt into practice. Well, I could try.

When I got home I was delighted to find a little parcel with the charm pack I bought on Trade Me. As you can see it is Scarborough Fair by Robyn Pandolph.

The squares are 5 inches and I think there are 35, all different. They are so yummy I have to show you several views.

Pretty pinks and blues.

Soft oatmeal and green.

And soft mauve.

I know it is a bit predictable, but I'm just going to enjoy them as they are, in squares, popped together as carefully as I can to make a little wall display quilt. I noticed that Cottonfields has some divine new Robyn Pandolph floral fabrics in, and I'm sure one will make a very pretty binding. Or maybe spots. Mmmmm delicious!

Meanwhile, I've been working on another top secret Christmas present.

Since I can't show you that I thought you'd like to see a few treasures from my early spring garden. The anemones have been in flower since autumn. Snow, rain and hail, they bloom on.

This one has the most velvety red petals. Actually I think it looks rather surprised.

I had to include my hand with this hellebore. They are such shy, retiring flowers, but so, so beautiful. The Crafty Neighbour thinks I'm very naughty taking the opportunity to gather tiny hellebore seedlings from all sorts of places. I regard it as rather enterprising myself.

It is now officially daffodil season at Chez Poppy Black. I thought I'd show you some of my littlest treasures.

These are all dear wee characters that I now have in clumps all over the garden, thanks to my darling mummy. There are lots of very plump and promising buds everywhere, both full sized and miniature. So exciting.

Well, I planted carrots, radishes and lettuces today. The greenhouse will be ready for some serious action shortly. Tomorrow, I hope.

Efficiency

2011-08-28T19:10:00.005+12:00

Don't you love it when you have a fun day and achieve lots? I certainly do. This weekend has been fabulous. I've managed to do some tidying up, gardening, quilting, baking, 'cello practise, socialising, horse riding, reading and blogging. What could be better?

We love little birdies visiting our garden (except when they poo on the washing). I felt awful about Jasper's indiscretion recently with the bird he caught/found. We decided that we would do our bit to help the local birds after the snowy weather, so we got a big, fat, seedy bird feeder from the supermarket. We're onto the second one in a week. Waxeyes are the main visitors to the nectarine tree feeding station. We see sparrows, various finches and starlings (or possibly blackbirds-they're speedy and shy). Mrs CT assures me that she makes her own bird feeders that cost less than the very economical $2.95 we pay, so that may be a project coming up. I've designed a bird feeding platform for Johnny to make too.

I was reading on the couch, spying on the birds and having a cup of tea when I took this photo of the gorgeous gerbera on the coffee table. So pretty. I decided that we needed a touch more colour (you can never have too much), and until the garden is filled with flowers again, potted plants would be perfect. I'm wondering how long I can keep this alive for, as my record has been less than exemplary with indoor plants, but so far, so good. I've got some polyanthus on the dining table too.

I'm very pleased that our entrance hall is so spacious because it is perfect for laying out and pinning my quilts. I tape the backing fabric flat onto the floor with masking tape, then lay the batting and top on. Then I pin with quilters safety pins every few inches. It takes a while, but I do like to see the lovely smooth pinned quilt all ready for machine quilting. I'm going to challenge myself with a loopy stitch all over the surface of this quilt, which I decided is called "Forty Wishes" because I'm giving it to myself for my birthday.

Yay- I used my greenhouse for the first time today! Well actually I just popped my gardening tool bucket in there when I finished a huge weeding effort along the back fence. The big yellow buckets are mineral horse feed buckets. They are going to house the best tomatoes in the land.

This was the view from inside my new greenhouse before my gardening onslaught. We are going to redesign the vegetable beds around the greenhouse. It is a shambles around there at the moment.

I'm off to ice the banana cake I made for lunches, then I need to practise my 'cello some more for my lesson tomorrow. I hope I'll get a chance to write again during the week. XXX

Giddy-up!

2011-08-27T18:29:00.002+12:00

Today has been beautiful! It is our wedding anniversary and I feel very lucky to have spent lots of time with my bestest friend Johnny. We've changed so much over the 17 years we've been married. It hasn't been easy for Johnny being married to me as I battled and struggled with my anxiety disorder issues for so long. Being well at long last makes me realise just how unwell I was and what a half life it was. Nevertheless, we managed to create this amazing life together. We're both plumper. One of us is balder, and the other has developed a rare skin condition resulting in blotchy red cheeks. But we love each other dearly no matter what.

Today Johnny spent some time in the back garden, and mowed the lawn. I had a little bit of time outside and discovered that Mr. Jasper is also a keen gardener. He not only enjoys digging holes in the garlic patch and fertilizing the wee garlic cloves that are trying so hard to sprout, but he likes to supervise when I'm working too. So I had two loyal companions assisting me today. Miss Dog is a keen assistant too. I bought some lettuce plants to grow in my greenhouse. I discovered that the lettuce seeds planted in a raised bed pre-snow have come up - I'm very impressed with their determination. We saw tomato plants but decided to resist for a little longer.

I had a very successful riding lesson today. Mr Sam was a delight and a character. He is looking better and I had lots of fun grooming the long winter hair from his coat, and smoothing his beautiful silky summer coat. I love the way he seems to smile when he looks at me. I have never seen him with his ears back in a nasty way. I worked hard on my canter today. It was hard work because Sam decided to try throwing his head around then pulling it down when cantering so that he could transition back to trot when he wanted to. Lazy boy. I stuck with it and worked on being the boss. We managed to end with a lovely controlled transition from canter to trot to walk when I wanted to (not Mr Bossy Britches). I was really pleased because I got Sam to happily go into the wash bay area for his hose down. Celine warned me that he didn't like the new wash bay at all, but I took it very gently and he went in and stood for me twice. I wondered if the clip clop of his hooves on the concrete reminded him of his days as a race horse. When Celine does jobs and I get Sam to myself I just love quietly pottering with him. I am totally in love with him.

Tomorrow I'll get the camera out. I can't believe it is two weeks since my birthday. Time is racing by.

Disaster? ... No!

2011-08-23T19:26:00.003+12:00

On Sunday I decided that Mr Ginger Jasper needed a lovely quilt all of his own. I wanted to create a very vintage looking creation, but didn't have the right things in the mini-stash. I'm all inspired by the amazing Hen at Henhouse (check out her divine blog in the sidebar). I LOVE the things she creates and does. Vintage all the way! Being the experimental creature that I tend to be, I decided that a selection of gingery fabrics might work, given a lack of other options. Mmmm, sounds foul to me too. I despise ochre and pooey brown colours. Yuck Yuck Yuck. However Kaffe and Phillip Jacobs seem to like them, and I did get them from a samples bin in the hope of finding a use for them.

I have to say I did have fun using the stack and slash method (known as hack and slash around here as my rotary cutter was as blunt as a butter knife). I loved all of the mixing and joining, seeing what would emerge with each cut. Unfortunately I hated the result. Poo and pink. Emerald and ochre. Orange and brown. Blerk. I decided that MY delicious pussycat would hate it as much as me. Fortunately I decided just to whip it together with a thick layer of batting (no fancy quilting) and I popped it under the table to see what would happen. I couldn't face the idea of folding it up after all of that work.

He found it within minutes. Mmmmm. Luxury. He's still there, fast asleep.

Now I can't wait to make him a pretty one to relax on when he supervises in my workroom.

Sun at last!

2011-08-20T16:01:00.005+12:00

A few treats to show you today! I headed outside with the Happy Holidays quilt for a wee photo shoot. At this time of year the background is a bit rough, but the sun shone on the glorious colours of the quilt. The fabrics are all Kaffe Fassett or Phillip Jacobs apart from the cerise striped sashing and binding.

I found this big piece of fabric in the bargain bin at Stitch to use for the back of the quilt. It is lovely having a bright reverse.

I love the Big Blooms design and would like to lay my hands on some more. The pansy with the pink and blue back ground is one small piece of Big Blooms.

Look - the gold lace primulas stand out. This quilt has so much to look at.

The outer sashing is a bright orange vase design. I haven't used orange before because it reminds me of foul orange, brown and yellow combos of the 70's. This fabric is a whole different thing altogether.

Take a look at this! My new "going out" purse. Many years of use and inspiration in one fabulous creation. The flowers are felt and are embroidered onto the bag. The bag has leather handles and a gorgeous ditsy floral cotton inside. Very yummy! Thanks to my darling sister and her family.XXX. Can you see my current favourite pink jersey too? Raspberry and pink are currently interesting me very much.

Look- my very own Red Band gumboots! Thanks to Mrs CT. and family for these fabulous gummies. My old gumboots were driving me mad because they were losing structural integrity. Red Bands are the BEST farm gumboots in New Zealand. I like the shorter boot because I usually wear 3/4 length jeans and skirts at the weekend and like to just slip my feet into my gummies without messing around tucking trousers in or getting my skirt hooked up on the top of the boot. I can have my hands fully laden and still get my boots on in a flash.

Calendulas are beginning to appear in the herb garden. I scattered seeds that I collected.

This dear wee treasure fought its way through the snow to bloom. This is one of Mum's seedlings. Such a sweetie.

Grape hyacinths make me very happy indeed. They remind me of childhood because we always had them around in spring. I love their glorious blue. I bought masses of these from my old garden and have lots of lovely clumps of them.

My hero! Johnny, with me as his intrepid assistant, worked on putting together my greenhouse. As yet unnamed, and rather drafty at this stage, my greenhouse is a glorious structure, full of possibilities. I even mentioned the possibility of installing a couch, wee stove and a table, but Johnny said the instructions expressly forbid living in the greenhouse (in rather amusing and dodgy English).

The greenhouse really does look like it belongs in my vege patch. Some serious consideration will now go into reconfiguring my vegetable empire to make it all very functional and also aesthetically thrilling. More to come, I'm sure. Crossing fingers for fine weather tomorrow because we will be glazing the greenhouse if we can work outside. XXX.

Ps. My dressage competition has been postponed. No riding this weekend because Sam needs a rest after being stuck outside in snow for days. Poor darling boy. At least he had his "dressing gown" on under his waterproof cover, to help to keep him warm.

Sniffles and snuffles

2011-08-19T19:29:00.006+12:00

We've had revolting weather this week. I rather liked the snow, but then it was rained away. It was pretty deep in the back yard.

I was at home sick again, feeling hot and clammy this morning, then all snuffly this afternoon. The weather was very grey, with intermittent rain. Yuck. I'm desperate for a bit of sunshine. All I wanted to do was work on my workroom. I made a list of possible Christmas present ideas earlier this week, and made a start today. I can't show you the finished article, or even tell you what it is going to be, but a few photos will show you the patching and quilting.

I started by making strips out of various bits and pieces from my little stash. I actually do have a very small stash of fabrics, which is a nuisance when I get inspired and have nothing that goes together.

With lots of cutting, sewing and ironing I created this. Working with bigger pieces is actually much less time consuming and fiddly than working with these wee ones. The wonky effect is quite typical of how I always operate- very shabby chic!

I had to do a bit of fiddling around to find the right bits to make quilted panels. I needed to join some bits of batting, plus I used some positively prehistoric calico to back the quilt sandwich. Someone else decided to do a bit of fiddling around of his own.

For some reason my creation was like catnip to Mr. Jasper.

One last rub before I went to give him a tickle and he sunk his teeth into my cardigan and jersey clad forearm, whilst raking me vigorously with his back paddy-paws. He then tore off through the house. No damage done, and he returned shortly afterwards, trying to pretend he was actually a very dignified gentleman.

I decided to practise the "loopy" machine quilting design, which I found surprisingly easy.

Of course I can't show you the finished article since it is a Christmas present, but it looks fabulous. I discovered that little squares (well, let's be honest, they are rectangles), take a lot of work. I've decided to try to learn a new skill, or to practise a tricky one, each time I create a new project. Apart from "loopy" quilting, I did my first lot of chain piecing, which was fun and quick.

I'm still sniffling and snuffling like mad but the weather forecast is good, so I might get some fresh air tomorrow. I want to show off the Happy Holidays quilt off in the sunshine, so hopefully I'll get a chance to take some photos of it tomorrow, now that it is complete. And you are in for a treat when I show you my delectable new bag! XXX

Sleep

2011-08-18T17:47:00.002+12:00

I had the most wonderful birthday! Only problem is that Johnny (unwillingly) gifted me his cold germs and I decided to stay at home today rather than face my bunch of boisterous teenage preschoolers at school. I'm not sure if I'll go tomorrow as this particular cold comes with a nasty headache. Enough about that stuff!

When I got home on Friday I got a big surprise as Dad's ute was in the garage. My lovely Mummy and Daddy came for the weekend. Yay!!!! I really miss living close to my family, but I guess life has been like that for such a long time that I am used to it. I know how much fun I would have if I lived close to my siblings or parents.

I was thrilled to be able to share present opening with my wee nephew Henry, using the I-pads to communicate, who said "uh oh" when I ripped the paper. Sadly, due to ill lethargy, I haven't taken any photos of my gorgeous presents. I got the most beautiful bag from my lovely sister and family- a special limited edition Cath Kidston medicine bag. Amazing!!!! I got Visa prezzy cards so that I could go shopping. Great idea - better than a voucher because you can use them anywhere. I got a pretty green spotty scarf and fabulous blue spotted bowls. You know I love spots. Well, not the face kind, which still threaten at my advanced age. Johnny got me my greenhouse and Dad helped him to start putting it together. Unfortunately the weather has been shocking - snow, wind, rain and freezing temperatures. My dear wee greenhouse will have to wait for life outside.

On my birthday Celine and I took Sam and Dresden out to Maclean's Island and I was very pleased to be able to show my skills to Mum, Dad and Johnny. He seemed very excited when we got there and I was a bit concerned that he might think back to his racehorse days and give me a bit of trouble. No need to worry, he got down to business and was a delight to ride. We did a bit of cantering so I was pleased with both Sam and myself. This weekend is my first competition, although the ground is really wet and it may be postponed. Given how I feel (a bit grim) I hope that is the case. Tomorrow I will have to go over to Celine's and get him groomed and plaited after school if it is on. Brrr the polar blast is still sweeping through.

On Sunday Johnny and Dad worked on the greenhouse, and Mum and I went shopping. It was heaps of fun and we visited Stitch which always makes me happy. Poor Mum and Dad got trapped here (not that I minded) on Monday and Tuesday because of the snow. I had fun baking bread and cooking soup and casserole to keep everyone well fed. They were supposed to travel up to Whangamata in the North Island to see Cam and his family (from now on he will be Farmer Cam as he and Mandy bought a wee lifestyle property and they have chooks and two pet lambs). Now they will go later in the year.

I had a brief play in my workroom today but spent most of the day sleeping. Photos next time! XXX

Ps. Jasper "caught" a poor wee finch and bought it inside to play with. I think it was very cold and had crashed as he can't jump up on the bed, let alone hunt prey. I warmed it up until it could fly then released it. Hope it is ok. Jasper felt the glare of my disapproval.

One week in

2011-08-06T16:29:00.003+12:00

I've had one week back at school, and apart from one or two dramas, it was lots of fun. I was annoyed at being too tired to do anything but blob from Wednesday to Friday nights. Monday and Tuesday I managed a little more activity. I finished stitching the binding on this quilt, which is called The Primroses Quilt. I purchased the fabrics from Primroses before it closed. It was a really pretty wee shop with fabrics, a few vintage goodies and haberdashery. Really shabby chic.

I fell in love with the pretty rose fabrics and can't resist spots. It is machine quilted - stitch in the ditch for the main panel, and free quilted in a cross pattern on the border.

I sewed a variety of pretty cream and mother-of-pearl vintage buttons at each intersection.

I really love it and if I had a baby girl she would be getting one of these for her cot. I've got it on the back of a chair to snuggle under on cold nights.

Last weekend Johnny put up flower pot holders on the fence and I potted up pansies and Sweet Williams. We bought three fence pot holders to try out from the Mapua Trading Company, and hopefully I can order some more as I'd like them all the way along the back fence. I helped Johnny to install some wires today. He has been steadily working his way along the back fence putting up wires so that I can grow climbing plants like roses and sweet peas. I would love some of those glorious large-flowered clematis to scramble up the rose bushes. One day.

On my screen the fence looks super blue. It is a more subtle blue-grey in reality.

Today I went for a riding lesson. Sam is still quite stiff and got upset when I started to try cantering, so Celine got on, and he was just as upset for her. She thinks he is stiff in his stifle area and may need some investigations. He is fine for walking and trotting, and I got him into a beautiful outline for much of my lesson. He is the kind of horse that will only go into the correct shape (neck curved elegantly and working from the hind legs) if you ride him correctly. Today I managed to co-ordinate legs and hands and so he relaxed and worked really well. I only had two reminders to keep my wrists in the correct position. I tend to roll my hands in so my palms face down, which alters the position of the bit. Exciting news though- in two weeks Sam and I are attending our first competition. It is a combined jumping/dressage competition, so Celine might jump him (or just canter around the arena area if he is sore) and I will do the dressage. We can't officially get prizes as I'm not doing both parts. Next weekend I'm supposed to have two rides as training, including one at McLean's Island at the National Equestrian Centre, but as it is my birthday, and Johnny won't tell me what he has planned, I'm not entirely sure about that. I won't be getting a horse for my birthday, but Sam is going to pretend he is mine for the day!

Multiple Personalities

2011-07-30T18:54:00.004+12:00

What a great day! Yesterday I had a crazy anxious day because I had to go for the second IPL zapping treatment on my face. I have an unusual form of rosacea on my cheeks which has been slowly developing over the past few years. It has got to the point in one big patch where it is beginning to be difficult to cover with makeup, and as it seems to be progressive, it was time for action. Action means Intense Pulse Light treatment which, unfortunately in my case, really really hurts. Fortunately for the second treatment I had local anaesthetic, which reduced the pain to a tolerable level (i.e. I didn't cry and shake in terror whenever the nurse came near me). I would be quite happy to go for another round, should it be required. The dermatologist said I would probably need maintenance zap sessions every now and again due to the progressive nature of my condition. This morning my face looked and felt puffy. Not pretty at all. A good excuse for crafting all day!

Look what arrived!!!!! The Book Depository is the best place I've seen on the net for buying books at a great price. You get free postage all the way from England. The exchange rate at the moment works out well for us.

I've got to the stage where I want to try a few tricky things, and since my other two Stitch 'n Bitch books are my knitting information bibles, I thought this would have great instructions for cool fancy stuff. And it does! There are some gorgeous patterns too.

I have to say I can't work myself out when it comes to my tastes in fabrics. Multiple personalities may be the diagnosis. On Thursday I was invited by Fenella from Stitch to come and learn how to create a stack and slash quilt. I had the BEST time hanging out in the shop classroom, checking out what everyone was buying, sewing and generally having fun with Fenella, her wee girl and other crafty people. This was the completely insane result- the Jeweled Rainforest quilt.

It was all based around this Kaffe Fassett fabric that I have had for years and treasured. I've used another colourway in the Happy Holidays quilt border. Fenella loves to choose collections of fabrics and we had lots of fun putting these together. Believe it or not a great deal of consideration went into this group of fabrics.

I wasn't shy with the border on this one either - Glory Rose is glorious indeed! I put this on today.

I always feel I must apologize for my taste in what I consider to be gloriously bright fabrics. I am totally aware that many people wouldn't understand the attraction or the combinations. Well I'm not going to apologize. If you're not keen, try personality number two.

Tanya Whelan's Delilah collection jelly roll which I turned into this quilt panel this afternoon.

Not a very good photo, but you'll see it again once I've decided what to do about the border. It is about the size of a single bed quilt. The Jeweled Rainforest quilt is also that size as I find it easier to handle for machine quilting, and more affordable to create, than bigger quilts. Of course if someone wanted to purchase one for an extraordinary amount of money I would have to oblige.

I've been thinking about that- selling my craft creations. Like lots of blogging ladies, I've been thinking forward and backwards because I'll be reaching the somewhat terrifying age of 40 in a couple of weeks. It seems to be a big step for many of us. Suddenly it seems like I have to be all mature and grown up. I haven't had children and it seems like the door on that phase of life is closing. That's not really a problem because I came to terms with that a while ago (apart from the occasional teary outburst when I see my darling niece or nephew). Actually thinking back, I can do a lot of stuff I couldn't do at 30:

Make quilts.
Embroider.
Ride a horse with an element of style.
Knit and crochet.
Drive my car wherever I want (I had a driving phobia).
Play the 'cello.
Blog.
Not worry too much about what people think.

I'm sure there's plenty of other stuff. What would I like to be able to do at 50 that I can't do now? Something to think about. Actually I'd love to be crafting full time and selling my creations. I had no idea I'd be doing all of those things I listed above, so who knows what I'll be up to in another 10 years.

Oh so pretty!

2011-07-27T20:40:00.003+12:00

The snow has been melting away today. Miss Dog enjoyed a romp on the front lawn.

I love the way her ears flap when she runs.

Yesterday I made this drawstring bag for my darling wee niece, Lucy. She will be two years old shortly.

I used giant ric-rac and a very cute fabric with wee raccoons and birdies. I was pleased because I very neatly zigzagged around the appliqued letters without going off course at all.

I've been working on this little vest for my nephew Henry. It is made of fabulously soft wool- a merino blend.

Today I went for a visit to my favourite quilt shop, Stitch. I LOVE visiting Stitch. There are beautiful fabrics, yarns, books and bits and pieces, plus they run great classes. While I was there I mentioned to Fenella, who owns the business, that I never got a chance to do the stack and slash class because of school, so she suggested I could go in tomorrow and she would tutor me through making a stack and slash quilt top. Now that's an opportunity I couldn't pass up! Last week I saw the divine new Tanya Whelan Delilah range and decided that I had to make a quilt out of these. Today I decided to get a jelly roll as I've never used one before.

I've never seen a jelly roll that I loved with a passion before. I started working on joining the strips this afternoon. I'm using Jane Brocket's Candy/Ice-cream quilt as the inspiration. More in my next post.

Today I had two helpers. Mr Ginger Jasper under my sewing desk. Note the fixed stare...

Miss Dog looking back from her quilt, her expression slightly worried. Mr Jasper is a powerful force, with a very foul mouth and sharp, sharp claws.

He doesn't have to use them, she knows.

Snow Day

2011-07-25T13:27:00.004+12:00

It hardly ever snows here, so when it does we get rather excited!

Snow dog.

Miss Dog loved playing in the snow. When I felt her paws once we came inside they were still warm. Mine were not.

Very chilly.

I had to dig for celery so that I could make soup.

Meet Raoul, the local snowman. He happens to be the tallest snowman I have ever seen. Johnny can take a large amount of credit for his existence.

No need for a carrot nose.

While all that was going on I made lunch. Soup and sun dried tomato, rosemary and garlic foccacia bread.

To make this all you need is some warm water, oil (preferably olive), a dessertspoon of granulated yeast, a dessertspoon of sugar, flavourings (optional), salt and some flour. Put your yeast, sugar and about 2 cups of warm water in a big bowl. Put in a warm spot, covered with a tea towel. Go and do something. I tried to work out why my sewing machine keeps snapping the top thread. Once your yeast is frothy in the water, add enough high grade flour to make a dough. Add a good slosh of olive oil, and your flavourings. In my case 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary and the remains of a jar of sundried tomatoes (about 4, well chopped). Oh, and about a dessertspoon of salt - don't be shy about adding salt to your bread dough, it is horrid without. Knead. Get the heel of your hand and push into the dough sort of smearing it away from you. I'll have to write a tutorial on kneading technique as I've learned some new tricks. Keep working the dough, pushing into it and folding it onto itself repeatedly until the dough feels elastic and smooth, and bounces back. Make into a ball and pop back into your bowl and rest, covered, in a warm place until double the size. Then flip it out onto the work surface and squash it, then shape and put onto a tray. Press your fingers into it to make little dips. Sprinkle lightly with salt and oil, and I put little sprigs of rosemary into the top. Very pretty. Wait until it is nice and fat again than put into a preheated oven at about 220 degrees C. until golden and makes a hollow sound when you tap it.

I must say, I am very relaxed about quantities when making bread and just follow the basic principles and ingredients provided in a Jamie Oliver recipe that I used to follow years ago. It always turns out great. You can get very fancy and develop the flavour of your bread by working with it over a longer period, but I have The River Cottage Bread Book to follow for anything beyond the basics. Johnny was exceedingly pleased to munch on this after all of his hard work bringing Raoul to life.

I've had a big play with the format of my blog. It is tricky getting everything as you want them, and some things just don't work as I hope at all. Never mind. I hope you will enjoy some of my projects and garden treasures appearing down the sides, plus my gorgeous animal family. XXX

Holiday update

2011-07-21T18:27:00.002+12:00

Just a note to let you know what I've been up to. Yesterday I had a brilliant day out and about with Kim. We found some lovely things and I have got some ideas for my next quilt project. I'm working on the border of my very bright quilt and won't start anything new until I've got that sorted. I got some wool from Stitch to do Henry's second (bigger) vest. I must send him the first one. Lucy's little green hat is finished. The top turned out really good, but the border flips up. Not sure if it will fit, but I followed the pattern. I cast on for the ribbing of the vest last night. It didn't say to use smaller needles for the ribbing, but I did because I've had nothing but trouble with flip-ups.

Today I had my riding lesson. Sam was in a very lazy mood, but as usual, he had an element of the drama queen about him and did a massive shy. Celine's back was turned and she didn't see. He did it again a bit later and she saw that. We worked on "haunches in" and "haunches out" which I was not too good at. He didn't want to canter for me but we struggled on and did a bit, while he waved his head about and kept doing his mega fast trot in protest. In the end Celine had a go because I didn't want to end the lesson without him having a good canter. He was just being naughty but I had reached the wobbly leg stage and felt that I wasn't giving him clear enough instructions. I got a bit frustrated with myself, but when I think that I was really scared of trotting earlier in the year, I'm doing ok getting a bit of cantering going. It does feel lovely when he finally canters. Much smoother than trotting. I'm supposed to have a lesson again on Saturday and Celine is going to e-mail me a dressage test to learn. She is going to leave me to tack up, mount up, warm up, then I will do my test and she will judge it. I hope the weather is good, and that Mr Sam is in a good mood too. He'd rather blob in the paddock with intermittent grooming sessions and forehead rubs.

Helping

2011-07-19T17:27:00.002+12:00

Today I decided to pop out to Celine's to do some gardening for her. The Scarlett Oak Equestrian Centre opens in August so I'm keen to make sure the gardens look pretty and bright by then. Actually it opens just after my birthday. I told Johnny and Celine that I want to have a horsey birthday this year. I can't quite believe that I am going to be 40. 40 is apparently the new 30. Who cares anyway, I'm having more fun in life than I've had my entire adult life.

Now I'm grownup I'm determined to master this knitting lark. Poor wee Lucy and Henry, my little guinea piglets. I should have a better idea whether this hat is only fit for Gollum after some shaping tonight. If all goes well, Lucy should be getting a pretty green hat for her birthday. I guess we could call it an egg collection bag if it all goes horribly wrong.

I love this book of patterns. I couldn't resist buying it after getting it out of the library. It has some really cute toy patterns too.

Johnny spent the day at school sorting out computer issues. I was glad that I decided to head out to Celine's. Oh I forgot to say that I helped Celine move her new horse jumps down into the derby arena. We slung some across the back of the quad bike and moved them down from the main house area into the riding school area. I held them on with my sturdy backside (I knew it would come in useful one day). She has some gorgeous pink and white striped jump poles. My steering is going to have to be spot on if I'm in the big arena otherwise Sam and I are going to be unexpectedly learning to showjump.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to be helping my friend Kim to go shopping for fabric for a baby quilt she wants to make. Not sure how that will go because she isn't sure what she wants and doesn't sew or have a machine. I could whip one up for her, but she wants to do it for her baby. She is due in September and looks so lovely pregnant, as some people manage to do. I'm taking her to Stitch. Of course I'm very pleased about that.

Keeping busy

2011-07-18T18:33:00.005+12:00

The morning started rather dreary, but the sun eventually overcame the misty cloud and we had a beautiful day. Miss Dog and I started with a bit of exercise. I need to strengthen my legs so that mounting up on a very large horse is less of an effort, and so that I have lots more stamina when doing rising trot. We visited the nature reserve and Miss Dog hovered around while I did step-ups (grunting and straining) onto the picnic bench seat, and threw in some sort of press up things and squats. Then we jogged around in the lake area (currently dry). My happy companion was delighted to weave and prance along beside me. No one was there to see us enjoying the morning, thankfully, as I'm a bit self-conscious about my efforts to get fitter.

Don't you hate it when you are keen to get outside into the garden, but some part of the house needs urgent attention! The kitchen needed a good going over, which I did with a high degree of impatience. Then I headed outside to do some gardening.

I planted some mixed blue polyanthus plants in the pair of pots by the front door. We've had these pots for years and years and I still love them. Before placing the pots back in their rightful place I decided that the front door needed a good clean because it was covered in liquifaction dust. When the big earthquakes struck silt was forced upwards out of the earth by the tonne into the worst damaged areas of Christchurch. It was over a metre deep in some areas, completely surrounding people's houses. As it has dried it has formed a fine dust that has spread around in strong winds. Massive amounts have been dumped in piles and I'm sure that is still becoming airborne. Anyway, it gets everywhere. I could even see it on the leaves of plants in the garden.

We are right in the middle of winter here. We really do have lovely mild winters compared to many parts of the world. The garden keeps providing me with entertainment. I'm looking forward to seeing this seedling hellebore flower for the first time.

They are so dainty and elegant.

Strangely there are a few brave roses appearing from time to time. This is Grace which I would highly recommend as it is always flowering.

White daphnes are much easier to come by now. My one flowers before the pink one. It has the same divine fragrance.

Oooh look- another brave rose, Pat Austin. Such a disappointing, floppy bush which I can't seem to shape into a vigorous specimen, but a beautiful colour. The winter version is not the rich apricot shade of the summer flowers.

Yesterday when we had lunch at Celine's house, her lovely mummy was chatting to me about French food. She finds it so disappointing that we seem to export the best of New Zealand produce. I would agree with that. She also says that it seems that we don't make the most of simple, wonderful ingredients, making too much use of foods with additives and preservatives. We certainly have moved away from simple cooking from scratch as life has become busier. I believe that we do have wonderful ingredients here, and we just need to take the time to make the most of them. Madame Falletta told me how she makes her super simple potato gratin, and her eyes sparkled as she talked about how delicious it is. I decided to give it a go.

Rub a cut garlic clove around the base of your dish to begin with. This imparts a very subtle garlic flavour. Layer thinly sliced potatoes, adding a fine sprinkle of salt and pepper between the layers. Pour over fresh cream. I used a small bottle and it bubbled up vigorously (actually right over the top causing billows of smoke from burning cream in the bottom of the oven - so make sure that your dish is deeper than my flan dish).

After about 30 mins I saw the top was browning so I turned the heat down from 180 degrees C to 160 (fanbake) and popped some foil over the dish. I put the dish onto the baking tray to stop any more puffs of smoke coming from the oven.

It looked like this after about 45 mins. The potatoes were soft.

Then I sprinkled some parmesan on the top (freshly grated- don't use that powdery stuff) and cooked it for about 10 minutes more with the foil off.

Oh so good! Super simple and absolutely delicious. The potatoes go all melty and soft with the cream baked right into them. Now my eyes are sparkling when I write about it. Admittedly not an every day dish, but compare what you are eating to premade potato bake sauces and powdered bases. Give it a try.

I was chatting to the Crafty Neighbour about my knitting. She thinks I should keep on going even though it looks big because when she made hats for her daughter they ended up too small. I shall keep on going shortly.

Knitting Update

2011-07-17T21:37:00.002+12:00

Well, I cast on the 80 stitches, then moss stitched 2 rows, and I'm up to row 8 of the stocking stitch. The moss stitch edge is merrily flicking up (merde again), and with each row the hat looks wider and wider. I really should knit a swatch, but who can be bothered when making a small hat. Or maybe a large hat.

Beautiful Sunday

2011-07-17T17:47:00.002+12:00

We had the most beautiful, sunny day today. Even better because I got to ride my darling boy Sam and I don't have to go to school tomorrow. Unfortunately I don't have any photos because the camera needed charging. Grrr! Sam hurt his leg recently so he is just getting back into work and is a bit stiff on the right rein still. I did a bit of cantering today, but then some cross country jumps were delivered, and Sam loves to look at unusual happenings with a suspicious eye. I didn't want a spook at high speed. Johnny got to see me canter, which was cool. We had lunch with Celine, her friend and her gorgeous mummy, then did some painting to help out. The arena is looking stunning with white rail fences. The jumps have arrived too, and some are already painted in the classic striped pattern. Celine is super excited about her new three-berth horse float. It is so flash you could live in it! I'm going to have several rides over the holidays because I really want to get my cantering under control. I'm going to give Celine a hand in the garden too. I've got a few jobs I want to do for her. She isn't a gardener. She has a long strip that used to be a vege patch, and I'd love to make an allotment there.

Last night we watched Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part One, in preparation for viewing Part Two over the holidays. I was busy working on a cute little hat for our niece, Lucy, in a pretty green. It has a fancy scalloped edge and I did my best to follow the instructions while I watched the movie. I started with 97 stitches, and was supposed to end up with 80 by the end of row 4, but curses, I only had about 65. Merde (as we would say at Celine's place). I have another idea. I might knit the hat from row 4 up with a couple of moss stitch rows to get the edge to sit down, then crochet a contrasting edging in pink. Most of the hat is stocking stitch, but it is the fancy lace edging that has me beaten with its yo, tbl, rep, etc etc. I do love to knit little people clothes! Lucy's birthday is coming up and I'd like to have something I made to send her. I'll have another go today.

Don't worry Ryan, we haven't forgotten your birthday. You won't be getting a slightly wonky knitted sweater either. We started sketching out some ideas for our Garage Band music competition this morning. I nearly cried with laughter over some of the stuff we came up with. Very naughty. I love a good laugh.

Holidays

2011-07-16T17:04:00.003+12:00

Yay! It is the first day of the holidays. I guess non-teachers think we have hoards of holidays, and we do compared to other people. I would justify having holidays by the sheer exhaustion we feel week after week. I was trying to work out why teaching is so exhausting. For me, as a special needs teacher, it is kind of like acting without a script all day long, reacting to a whole lot of unpredictable characters. We have a bit of a guide to how the day will go (our planning), but the moods and reactions of the students and other staff determines the decisions I make throughout the day. If you aren't on form for the day things can be a real struggle. We do play a game and spend lots of time manipulating the behaviour of our students with difficult behaviours to get the best out of them. Fortunately the more experienced you are the more easily you can do this.

I'm quite pleased I have resisted the urge to have a nap today. I got out for a lovely walk with Miss Dog this morning. Johnny lit the fire so we will be cosy tonight.

Here is Henry's little vest ready to be blocked. I have to wet it with a mild soap then rinse it out. Then I roll it in a towel and finally lay it out and pull it gently into the optimal shape flat on another towel. Apparently it will magically stay in the shape once it dries. As I didn't have a pattern, or any skill beyond knit and purl, I learnt a bit on the way. One thing I realized is that the ribbed band at the bottom should have been done on smaller needles to stop it folding up. I also discovered that I love the puzzle of knitting on double pointed needles.

Did you know I absolutely love primrose patterned china? I have a wee collection and am keen to add to it. Unfortunately there seem to be very few different patterns, and some of them are horrid colours. I like the pretty primrose yellow ones. We got some museum wax to stick the china to the shelves so that I can think about displaying some of it. Right now we are still experiencing earthquakes and there is still the chance of another big one. Pause for a sigh...

Onto a couple of Johnny's latest favourite things. Oddfellows made like the old fashioned smokers lollies.

And his I-Pad. Very cool.

Tomorrow we are going out to Scarlett Oak Equestian for my riding lesson, then we are going to help out with some jobs around the place. I really admire Celine for her independence and determination to get her riding school and bed and breakfast going, but it is a lot of work for one young woman. I'm sure it will be fun helping out. Johnny is coming too. I want him to get some photos of me riding, so that I can study them and work on my position. I hope it will be fine because it is quite a while since Sam and I had a date because of the weather and other stuff. He'll be getting lots of carrots tomorrow. Horse kisses XXXX

Sunday

2011-07-10T20:46:00.004+12:00

Sad, sad, sad that I haven't had any horsey contact this weekend. But I dressed Ruby up in the ribbon I was given because Frank, who I helped to groom last weekend, won his dressage event. His mum sent it home with Johnny for me. My first dressage ribbon, and I didn't even have to ride a horse.

Johnny hasn't been well today, so I was flying solo most of the day. I got out into the garden and planted the baby onions that I bought last weekend. I did heaps of washing and a bit of tidying up. There was time for a look at my favourite magazine.

The cover is so pretty this month. It is a little odd reading all about summer in the middle of winter, but it makes me think of glorious roses and lush vege patches. There is a lovely article about a farm which is set up for visits by people with special needs. They spend days there mixing with animals and gardening. I'd love run a farm like that I can't see how that would ever happen. Any ideas?

I spent a bit of time working on my Happy Holidays quilt.

I've been plodding back and forward with my meandering lines of stitches. You can't race with the walking foot on my machine. It says so in the book.

I can't wait to snuggle under it in the evenings.

Speaking of snuggling, Henry will soon be proudly wearing his new vest. Look! Double pointed needles, no patterns, and no instructions! Guess what? I actually managed to create a presentable neck band!!!!! We can only hope his noggin will fit through the neck hole, and that the body is long enough to reach down to his waist. If not, it'll be vest number 2 for Henry.

Hopefully by the time we get Ryan's birthday present organised, Henry's vest will be ready to post too. Happy birthday Ryan!

I'm so looking forward to the holidays. Crafting every day. Hopefully plenty of horse time. Late nights and sleep-ins. Gardening and planning. Walks in the sun. Curling up by the fire. Only five days of school to get through.

Saturday

2011-07-09T19:06:00.002+12:00

We hunted and gathered this morning. Well, we went to City Firewood and got a small load of wood. I've been cold for the last week, even with the heat pumps going. The fire is cheerful and toasty. I have to say I'm a little anxious about earthquakes and the fire, but we can't live our lives waiting for another big one. There have been a few rumbles today, but it has generally been ominously quiet over the past week. After September last year I just started feeling like life was moving on when the February one struck. It feels the same now.

We haven't got a woodshed yet, so we get wood in small quantities that we can stack in a corner of the garage. Satisfyingly simple to do, and only takes a little bit of time, unlike huge loads delivered by truck.

This afternoon I got to work on the gaudy and extremely jolly Happy Holidays quilt. I'm quilting it in long wavy lines, like wandering through the flowers. Very simple to do as time is of the essence- I really want to snuggle up under this one to keep warm. The colours just make me feel warm. I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it is an experiment in colour.

I am sad because I can't ride this weekend again. Celine is really busy with setting up the riding school and bed and breakfast. I'm a bit lucky because she hasn't officially opened, so I get her to myself when she is available. Hopefully I'll get several rides over the holidays. Celine is going to start the landscaping next week, so I could give her a hand. The holidays start the week after next. Not before time either. So much crafting and gardening to do.

Right, I'm off to work on Henry's little vest. It is a bit of a learning curve because I'm doing it entirely without a pattern, and haven't made anything more challenging than hats and scarves. I've had a few muck ups and I really have no idea how to do the wee ribbed edges on the neck and armholes. Trial and error. I have to say, when it comes to crafting I usually assume I can do something until I have tried and discovered that, in fact, I suck. That might explain the unfinished projects lurking all over the place around here. Actually I feel the same way about cooking. I haven't even tried to do fancy cooking, because I'm not really interested in it (too much cleaning up), but in my own mind I could cook anything I set my mind to, providing I had a good, clear recipe. Hmmm, this theory has not been tested. It won't be tonight anyway, I've got a lovely warm fire to sit next to.

Sorry...

2011-07-03T16:00:00.004+12:00

I've had a bit of a blog break for a while. We had visitors on and off over almost a month, then the long school term and cold weather got to me. Luckily we are past the shortest day and I'm looking forward to spring.

Jasper is loving life around here, and even slipped past Miss Dog when she was in my workroom, to come inside. It took him two goes. The first try he chickened out and slunk away, but then the lure of inside drew him in, and he braved the short dash past her. Miss Dog knows he is not to be toyed with, and leaves him alone. He hasn't realized that she is actually frightened of his talons.

I am so delighted with his slow and steady attitude to life, his loud purr and his funny little voice, which is a surprise considering his size. I've had Siamese cats for so long, and they have loud, expressive voices. It seems a little sad, but I am so pleased to be able to give an elderly cat a wonderful life in his last years, that I'm wondering if adopting a succession of large elderly gentlemen would be the way to go. The Cat's Protection League often have elderly cats that are hard to rehome. Jasper prefers to be part of a one cat family. He would be highly offended if I was to bring another feline into the family, and in spite of his advanced age, would probably beat the crap out of it. Then he would pull all of the fur out of his sides and start pissing inside again in protest. I would feel terribly guilty and Johnny would be furious with cat piddle stink.

It has been a beautiful day today. I started doing some winter clean up jobs in the back yard. The ground was crunchy with frost and Miss Dog's turds were frozen so were pleasingly easy to pick up in my pooper scooper.

Miss Dog found a disgusting piece of one of her rawhide chews and was happy to show me.

Then she invited me to chase her. Our hearts weren't really in it, so the game didn't last long.

Some of the vege beds are empty. My celery has some disgusting disease, which does not please me at all. Apparently celery is one of the most highly sprayed vegetables, and I can see why. I'm still getting enough off my plants for soup. My bargain bin leeks are sooooo slooooow. The slugs have got almost all of the cabbages I've tried to grow. Slimy bastards. Yes they do deserve that title. Slugs are no good for anything. I can't even harvest them to eat. I'm sure they'd be like eating dirt flavoured bogeys. Oh my stomach churns at the thought. Bogeys are one thing that gross me out.

Pretty garlic chive seed heads.

I got these onion seedlings to have a head start on spring plantings. They were sitting on the bench and all I could think of was that song "Islands in the sun" but I was singing "Onions in the Sun." Yes I'm a dork.

On the table currently I have my prettiest tablecloth. I LOVE it! Anemone damask. It is a little too small for the table, but I'd never hold that against it.

I've been knitting up a storm. Well, attempting to make a little vest for dear wee Henry. Look out Lucy, you might be next! I have no pattern, and have never shaped anything complicated or created a cuff or neck band. I am frustrated that I get too tired to knit in the evenings after school.

Today I made Johnny's new I-Pad (a late birthday present) a pouch so he can hang it next to the bed. It is like teddy bear- he can't be away from it at night. I'm very fond of I-Pads because I use them at school for communication. Today I was trying to be a bit naughty when Johnny was asleep on the couch. I set it up to record and snuck up to record him snoring, but when I pushed the record button a loud tick tock sound of a metronome came out of it and woke him up. All I recorded was him mumbling as he woke up and me cackling and saying "damn it."

Cute fabric, don't you think? I let him choose it from my Kaffe Fassett stash.

I must finish off these wee vintage hearts.

I've got a casserole simmering quietly in the slow cooker. I am determined to use the slow cooker more.

I haven't had a horse ride this weekend because Sam is lame. We went out to Emily Butcher's place yesterday and helped her mum get some horses ready for an event today. I learned about plaiting and shampooing plus brushed out tails until they were lovely and smooth. I don't even mind picking up horse poo when they drop one in the stable yard. I especially enjoyed spending time with Frank, who has a wonderful gentle air about him (even though he has his moments). Some horses give off very peaceful vibes, and others have an anxious air about them that I find less easy to be around. Sometimes some gentle strokes and conversation will calm a stressed horse, and that is lovely to see too. Hopefully Sam will be back in action next weekend. I think he has been doing a bit much jumping than he is used to, and has probably strained something. He is being rested for a few days.

Well, I hope that makes up for a bit of an absence. I am sad that the weekend is almost over because it has been lovely to see the sun and to get outside for a decent length of time. You'll hear from me again soon. XXX

Drama and beauty

2011-05-29T16:07:00.003+12:00

It was like this...

Actually, not really. Sam and I went for a hack with my riding instructor and her big horse yesterday. Sam got a fright and reared - only a little. Celine said his front hooves were about 2-3 feet off the ground. My face was brushed by mane. Scary! I hardly shifted in the saddle though, which was very fortunate. Sam is a bit of a drama queen when he gets a fright. Fortunately he has a really soft mouth, which means he responds well to the bit. Celine bought a new saddle which is going to be his one because it fits him perfectly. Great for me too because it is a dressage saddle. It is a fabric one rather than leather, so is really grippy. I'd stick Velcro on my bum and the saddle if I could. I feel exposed up so high without a harness or seat belt.

I would like to announce the best ever mandarin season is right now. Yum. They are like sweet bombs.

Today I got stuck into planting the last of my daffodils. It was exciting finding places for them, and there will be room for more next year. I labelled them with 2 different pens so am hoping I wont have a labeling fiasco like last year when the daffodil names, carefully written, disappeared in the first rain. Curses to Vivid markers. This year I used a Sharpie marker on one side, and a Procky marker on the other. There's a bit of colour in the garden. The polyanthus are always so pretty.

I'm not sure why I love them so much, but I just do.

Apple Blossom, a sasanqua camellia is out. The bush has doubled in size in a year, so I am very pleased with it. The blush of pink on white is so pretty.

And the anemones are going to be great this winter. I wonder if I should plant some more as they are gorgeous.

Now this little iris is very special because it was given to me by my friend Helen. Why is it out now? I think it is a special wee flower for Helen, who has been diagnosed with a melanoma and will be having surgery very soon.

Johnny's brother and his partner are staying this week. Then we've got my sister and her family for Queen's Birthday. A busy couple of weeks.

Over, so quickly

2011-05-22T19:16:00.002+12:00

This weekend has just shot by. I'm truly amazed at how quickly it has gone. No time for photos. No gardening. Just riding, shopping and visitors. I did have a great last week. I'm feeling great at the moment, which is odd for me coming into winter. My riding is going brilliantly, and my instructor said I've got the potential to be a very good dressage rider, so she wants to work really hard with me. It is lovely to be learning with a real focus. I learned how to do a "leg yield" on Sam (see You Tube for the experts doing it). Basically Sam's body and head stay straight, but he moves in from the 1/4 line to the outside track on a diagonal, crossing his legs daintily over each other. I could do it at walk and sitting trot. My 'cello lessons are also going well and I'm enjoying practising. I love highly expressive pieces, especially moody ones in a minor key.

I'm so tired. I really feel like it is bedtime now. Not a good omen on a Sunday night. Let's not be negative. I could just do the sensible thing and miss House by going to bed before 8.30pm.

The Appraisal Lesson

2011-05-17T18:32:00.002+12:00

I thought I'd share with you just a part of my day. As you probably know I teach teenagers with intellectual disabilities, a diverse bunch of characters who are prone to behave badly at times. A couple of times a year we have our senior teacher come in to observe our teaching to make sure we are meeting the standards of a competent teacher. My senior teacher was a little late, thank goodness, because my one incontinent student pooed her nappy, which required an emergency clean-up job. We got everyone gathered, but one of my students decided he'd had a very distressing lunch hour and began bellowing and throwing things around the room. I got on with the lesson, and my senior teacher arrived amidst intermittent bursts of "NOOOOOO!!!" and strange noises being bellowed from a 15 year old with his head buried in the couch cushions. Then one of my girls started saying "I-pod, I-pod, I-pod" over and over and over, and another young man kept getting up because he wanted it to be home time because another teacher said he could have a treat from her at home time if he was good. I carried on bravely. Thankfully, apart from the total meltdown from the couch, we moved on and got on with the work I'd set up. My senior teacher thankfully saw the funny side and said "that's life," then wrote some lovely positive feedback. Meltdown Boy sat quietly for 10 minutes gazing into space after frantically beating up the couch at high volume. Then came over to his desk and said "scissors, cutting" and got on with his work (well, sat at his desk and became fascinated with smearing glue all over his paper while I talked him through the activity). Try dealing with that in the mainstream! So that was the appraisal lesson- a complete shambles. Just another day in my job.

Success!

2011-05-15T19:10:00.003+12:00

Guess what I did... I cantered!!!! Sam didn't make it easy for me because he didn't want to canter so kept speeding up and up until his legs were flying as he trotted at high speed, and my backside bounced and bounced in the saddle. The problem with that is that it isn't easy to sit when trotting- that's why you "rise to the trot" - lifting yourself up and forward with the horse's strides. You have to sit to tell your horse to canter, but Sam decided that being a bugger was a better idea. I finally did one wonderful circuit - and had another wee burst as well. So I am very proud of myself. Onwards and upwards (well hopefully not upwards- that could be a bad idea). I celebrated by a visit to the Shetland paddock. They are delightful furry creatures. I adore them. I actually need a whole body transplant today- I've got sore muscles everywhere. Cantering is a tough business. Sorry no photos because Johnny was busy at home making the cutest little dog proof fence to give Mr Jasper his own private garden area around the back of the house. He used wee pickets.

Miss Dog doesn't care about the minor restriction to her movements. She loves her mummy.

And her blankets - note the slightly strained expression in her eyes- she seems a little uncomfortable under the glare of the camera lens.

Mr Jasper, however, is a pro when it comes to modelling.

Isn't he just lovely.

I'm a bit sad because he has licked a bald patch on one side. He had another one before he came here and the fur is growing back there, but he has started on the other side. He seems happy enough but I guess he's under a bit of stress with the change of lifestyle.

I've got my cauldron out and have been creating my most valuable medicine for good health- soup. My soup. Kind of a minestrone, but with some modifications. This year's brew has a few minor modifications. I've added chopped garlic cloves - 5 today, 4 long dried red chillies (not to be eaten) and some crushed coriander seeds- about a teaspoon. I love intense flavours and am working on finding an excellent way to push up the deliciousness of the brew.

Feijoas. Love them or hate them they are ripe in my garden. I fortunately love them, and have enjoyed finding them among the petunia foliage after they drop off the little trees at perfect ripeness.

I haven't even planted a new lot of anemones and last year's ones are starting to appear. Fabulous.

And a lovely autumn treat- raspberries. My raspberry canes are double fruiting. Actually I think the autumn crop is better than the summer one.

I wish tomorrow was another horse riding day, but I'll be back at school. We had a few unfortunate moments last week but you never know what will happen from day to day in my job. You've got to laugh and carry on.

My special thought of the week: If I can canter, you can do anything! Get out there and do something interesting.

Wet

2011-05-07T19:01:00.003+12:00

It has been horribly wet today. So no exciting photos or activities. We took a quick trip to do a couple of jobs and I got a cardigan, a dress and two tops from Ezibuy and Postie Plus. Good for school. I was supposed to have a riding lesson but it was too slippery underfoot and as Celine wanted me to start cantering it was too dangerous. Her all-weather arena is going in in three weeks time. She is really excited. I am hoping she decides a foam pit for stunts would be a good addition before next week when my next lesson is scheduled.

Mr Jasper piddles a lot. And he poos every night. It is very smelly. We're hoping to get him using the outdoor facilities as soon as possible. Johnny poked him out the catdoor today, amidst a selection of hisses and foul cat language. He then went for a little walk in the garden before coming back indoors for a civilised nap. We're getting another cat door put into the garage so that he can have a safe area away from Miss Dog down the back of the house. He hates her with a passion, and at 17 I'm not imaging changing his mind is going to be a simple affair. We'll allow him the run of the garage and garden along the back of the house during work days, and he can have the run of the house and his catdoor from my craft room into the rest of the back garden when we are home. We don't want his cat toilet tray to be the smelly curse of our lives. He gets so many loves and cuddles that we can't feel guilty about his time in the garage. I love standing in front of the mirror with him in my arms so that I can marvel at his ginger hugeness.

School was great. We've got a lovely rhythm going that suits us all. We have a few dramas but nothing nasty.

Hopefully I'll get into the garden for a wee while tomorrow, if the weather permits.

The New Addition

2011-04-30T16:47:00.004+12:00

Ooh- what's out here?

Let's take a little look...

Hmmm- back inside I think.

Introducing Jasper. He is about 17 years old, but doesn't he look great! He keeps gentleman's hours- sleeping most of the day, and wandering a bit at night. He moves at a sedate pace and is very cuddly and friendly, except when he sees Miss Dog. Fortunately they haven't crossed paths all that much. He has an assortment of foul language and threatening faces in his arsenal. Because he is rather self-sufficient it seems very natural to have him here and he has been no bother at all. Kittens are fun but they do need a lot of attention and training.

I started riding lessons again but have moved to Scarlett Oaks Equestrian. Celine, the owner and head instructor, bought Sam for her new riding school and I followed him. Celine is very experienced and has been taught by many top riders. Exciting to be learning off her, and she was very complementary about my position and transitions. She seems to have a real passion for horses and quite a gentle approach which I really like. Hopefully I'll be able to get some photos of her crew of Shetland ponies who are delightfully plump and furry. One of her Shetlands is a dappled palomino in summer and has grown a chocolate coloured winter coat with pale spots. Very unusual I thought. Celine will be doing lead rein lessons once the ponies have had some serious work.

Here I am on my darling Sam getting some instruction.

I was surprised how furry Sam has become with his winter coat since I saw him last. It is getting much colder at night, so I'm pleased that he has a good fur coat. Thoroughbreds have such fine, sleek coats in summer. I'm thrilled to be able to see Scarlett Oaks developing as an equestrian centre because Celine has some amazing plans including two arenas (dressage and jumping), plus cross country jumps, and riding holidays.

Congratulations to Catherine and William on their wonderful, beautiful wedding day. Kate looked so beautiful and the service was understated and elegant. We had a great time dressing up and celebrating the big day with our neighbours. We had corgis (doggy doorstoppers), royal family photos (from the newspaper), a delightful pizza wedding breakfast and wedding attire all around.

Today we did some vigorous outside work. Out came the tomato bushes and lots of weeds and Johnny did some gate painting. Left over sausage rolls and pizza for tea.

Showjumping

2011-04-25T16:47:00.004+12:00

Yesterday was the last day of the Three Day Event. Unfortunately we could only stay for part of the day but we did see Laura and Max compete. He did really well but did have a couple of rails down. I don't think he has quite developed a consistent jumping style yet, but he will with time. He doesn't flow over all of the jumps and sometimes kind of "pronks" over them- hard to describe. He does get good height but it must be a bit of a rough ride.

He's a beautiful boy who has a lovely nature. He is lovely to cuddle and has gorgeous silky fur.

I hope he gets an amazing new home where he can have lots of opportunities to meet his potential. He is on Trade-me at the moment. I can't think of any of my readers who have an interest in training a talented young eventing horse. He's a lot more challenging than I could ever take on.

I was sad that we didn't see our other special horse friends competing. William wasn't allowed to compete in the showjumping because he was retired from the cross country. As it turned out he went lame so that must have been bothering him. He is a talented jumper and would love a career in showjumping. Unfortunately he is not keen on dressage and even though he is a top level horse he needs to be talented in all 3 disciplines to go any further in eventing. I think he will be looking for a new home.

On the fantastic news front, both Oscar and Johnny won their classes. Yay! Johnny will be moving up to 2* events and Oscar is now qualified to enter 4* (international) events.

I'm resuming lessons later in the week on my special man Sam. I hope it goes well with a new tutor. I really hope she has got a great sense of humor and lots of patience. At least I know what Sam generally gets up to during a lesson and that I can handle him if he plays up a bit. He enjoys the drama of shying but if I keep him working on the bit he doesn't mess around.

We had the Crafty Neighbour and family around for afternoon tea. We made the mistake of going to the supermarket. It was a mad house with people milling around everywhere. We got stuck behind a couple that had a hideous stench emanating from one of them. I was already feeling a bit claustrophobic and wanted to shout at the idiots blocking my way. I know you know what I mean!

The weather is very chilly today and we haven't got as much done as I planned. Never mind, I blogged and Criminal Minds is on tonight.

Cross Country

2011-04-23T19:08:00.004+12:00

I had an amazing day. It was cross country day for the South Island Three Day Event and some of my horsey friends were being very clever and competing.

Here's Max with his rider and owner Laura. He's for sale, in case you are after a lovely up and coming eventing horse. Laura wasn't pleased because he had two refusals but I was just glad they finished in one piece.

Oscar had a clear round. Isn't he divine. There are only two 3* horses competing. His rider is Emily.

Oscar has the prettiest face when he pricks his ears and looks hard at things.

Here's William in the 2* class (Emily riding). Unfortunately he wasn't settled, the had a refusal and the final straw came when his breastplate broke. Emily retired him. When we left he didn't seem himself so I'm really hoping he wasn't unwell.

And finally, Emily riding Johnny in the 1* class. He is so cuddly and sweet on the ground, but is a spirited character to ride. Emily seems to be made of superglue, thank goodness. Not such a good photo but there was a car in a bad place on the water jump where I was standing.

I had a great time taking photos and have lots of great ones that will look super with a bit of tweaking. I haven't got a photo editor on my laptop so have to get one. Tomorrow we'll be checking out the show jumping. Fantastic!

Super Special

2011-04-22T20:50:00.004+12:00

Excuse my absence. We've been on a wee holiday to visit my family. We wanted to meet the newest babies in the family, and catch up with our dear little nephew now that he can walk.

Here's Rupert.

He is such a busy boy it is hard to capture his beauty. He has a gleaming chocolate coat, and is super nosy and loving. He likes to be picked up for cuddles. He isn't so keen on being a photographic model, and does his best to look huffy about the whole business. I love his dark, slender body prowling around in everyone else's business.

His brother Percy is a natural show-off and loves the camera. I've got hundreds of photos of him posing inside and outside. He has a more independent personality, and has a worrying tendency to go exploring.

He has a lovely soft, wistful face, which doesn't really reflect his mischievous character. Percy's feet have long toes that gleam silver in the light. He will probably be a bigger adult than Rupert as the difference between them is very noticeable already. Percy prefers not to be picked up, but tolerates it with good humor.

Unfortunately I didn't win Lotto so was unable to purchase this beautiful gentleman, who is competing in the South Island Three Day Event this weekend. You've met him before- Oscar (Dambala). He is competing in the top class. He looked so gorgeous doing his dressage. He has had his coat clipped for the event and doesn't feel as silky as usual. It is exciting watching horses you know well competing in the dressage. The tests seem so long when you are anxious that they won't make any errors.

I got to look after Southern Ben after his dressage. He is not allowed to jump as he has a heart condition, but was allowed to do 3 different dressage tests as the non-competitive trial ride. He went first and the judges compared notes to make sure they were all judging the same. Ben hasn't been clipped and got super sweaty (and deliciously horsey smelling) so had a big sponge down. He and I hung out together while he had his celebratory snack. We're getting to be good friends.

I told his mum that I wanted to adopt him, and she said she'd remember that the next time it is pouring and he wants his dinner. It is a shame he isn't a quiet ride.

I've been working on some new ideas for little projects and came up with this lavender heart.

I used vintage lace, buttons and beads, recycled fabric, ric-rac, and the fancy stitches on my sewing machine. I'm working on a big one with embroidered roses. These are much quicker to make than my usual embroidered hearts. I don't think the will be much time for sewing over the next couple of days as I'll be watching the jump phases of the 3 day event. Exciting.

My kind of weekend

2011-04-10T19:54:00.003+12:00

I was really looking forward to this weekend, and it was great. On Saturday we were invited out to the Eventing Canterbury training day at Hororata. I'm really finding the horsey world much friendlier than I expected, probably because of who we hang out with. The Eventing Canterbury organisers are lovely and we like to help out. I had a fun time watching and got to look after Southern Ben for a while. He is the horse that has been to Badminton. He frowns a lot, but yesterday, after doing his two dressage tests (the 2nd one was great- the first was marred by a couple of unseemly bucks and some directional errors) he and I grazed and watched the other horses. He loved lots of pats and strokes.

On the lesson front, my darling Sam has been sold, but that's not the end of our relationship. He has been sold to a girl who is starting a riding school and I am to be her first client. I really hope it goes as well as the lessons I've had so far. I'm a bit nervous about changing instructors. She has another horse that will be suitable for me to ride too. So until Zanny returns to the farm I'll be riding in Yaldhurst.

Today we went on our first shopping trip since the earthquake. We are looking for an upright freezer to store my produce and to make it possible for us to prepare food ahead and store it ready for easy weekday meals. I was out and about in the garden today. I planted leeks and cabbages for winter/spring eating. The garden is full of colour at the moment.

Feijoas. Just a few. I hope they ripen up nicely as the feijoa tree down the road has been cut back so hard I won't be able to get any on dog walks.

Rainbow chard. Beautiful.

I found this specimen lurking - delicious tonight in salad. I've been very pleased with the cucumber production off my single plant. I'll plant several early next summer.

Raspberry surprises - autumn raspberries.

Time to harvest the pumpkins. I made one into soup last weekend.

They mystery plant- actually a globe artichoke seedhead.

Outstanding celery crop. Celery can be such a menace to grow but I've been using this and it is perfect. Apparently shop-bought celery is highly sprayed.

And the piece de resistance of the weekend. Johnny's bacon and egg pie. Yes - free range eggs and NZ bacon. If you use imported bacon and battery eggs I want you to seriously consider the state of the poor creatures that produce them. Yes, free range eggs are lots more expensive, but the thought of chookies in horrible little cages makes me shudder. Don't get me started on the piggies.

We have one week of school left before the holidays. Five days of hard, hard work then freedom.

Autumn

2011-04-03T18:48:00.003+12:00

We had the daylight savings changeover today. It is now 6.49pm, but yesterday it was 7.49pm. We had a nice leisurely start this morning and still had plenty of day to go. We did a supermarket shop, and I did some gardening, plus I went for a bike ride with the crafty neighbour and the twinnies. I picked some pear shaped cherry tomatoes and froze them. Then I made some pumpkin and tomato soup for lunches. I put in some more celery today as the first lot I planted is doing so well in the fancy raised beds. I cleared out the brassicas as they were looking like some kind of mutant vege plants and were (actually still are) infested with those powdery grey aphidy things and white butterfly caterpillars. Yuck.

I'm doing my yearly read of The Lord of the Rings. Last night we watched The Fellowship of the Ring. The three films are masterpieces - the incredible detail in the production is absolutely amazing. Ever since I found out what a foley artist does I've wanted to be one. I love the idea of making all of the sounds in a movie and matching them to the visual effects. There isn't much call for foley artists in Prebbleton. I was thinking about my pledge to try to live life to the fullest and I said to Johnny one of the things I'd love to do is get to know Peter Jackson. I am so incredibly thankful that he is doing The Hobbit. I found the book of The Hobbit a little too simplistic and childish compared to the dark and dramatic tale of The Lord of the Rings, so I'm hoping that Peter will imbue to story with drama and adventure. I'm sure the attention to detail will be as impressive as his previous productions.

Hmmm, how does one go about getting to know one of the most incredible directors the world has ever known. I'm still considering that one. I did get to meet Te Radar through a burst of assertiveness and that was fun. Just meeting someone interesting is not really living life to the fullest though, is it?

What else have I got on my "bucket list"?

Visit Monet's garden.
Go to Britain and Europe.
Touch a snake.
Canter successfully.
Do a dressage test.
Lose two dress sizes and stay that way.
Design and make a fabulous dress.
Get fit.

Those are all do-able. A little more challenging:

Visit the pyramids and the museum of Cairo.
Learn how to scuba dive and explore a coral reef.
Own a horse.
Own a car with personality.
Own a little holiday cottage by the beach.
Be in a movie.
Enter a triathlon.

It could go on forever- I guess winning lotto should be number one so I can do what I want to do.

Tonight's list of stuff to do- sort out the soup for lunches, get my gear ready for tomorrow, watch House and go to bed.

I'm in love

2011-03-31T19:26:00.003+13:00

Sorry I haven't written for a bit, but I haven't been in the mood. I thought everyone would be bored with my latest passion- horses, but apparently not. So here's a wee entry for my darling sister.

Let me introduce you to Dambala a.k.a. Oscar. He is very, very special and I absolutely love him. He is for sale, but as he is not your average horse, he is priced for the international eventing market. So one day soon my dear Oscar may wing his way overseas, but while he is here I get to enjoy seeing him when he is out an about. He belongs to Emily Cammock (nee Butcher) and is competing at the advanced level. He is a bit of a sensitive creature, and likes to be approached with respect and caution, but now he has met me a few times, he seems very happy to let me give him lots of love. In these photos he was at the Amberly One Day Event, which we attended last weekend. A good time was had by most, except for the poor girl whose bit broke and her pony bolted. There was much alarm and screaming. She didn't fall off luckily.

After a pep talk from me (oh, and some input from Emily) Oscar got a clear round in the show jumping. He won the Advanced class in the event. He was rather relaxed about his success.

I wasn't as relaxed as either Oscar or Emily because some of the cross country jumps were hideous. Emily is one of the bravest people I have ever met.

Last night I had my riding lesson. Last week Sam gave me a bit of trouble as he was looking for trouble and decided to shy and carry on a few times. I hate the feeling when he pricks his ears and swings his backside around while reversing. This week I didn't give him a chance because I kept him "on the bit" for almost all of the lesson, including walking to and from the arena (past the chickens and the building site). I really got my trotting going well, keeping my reins the right length, managing steering with legs and hands, plus keeping my legs wrapped around his tummy sides much better than last week. Plus Sam was "on the bit" and working for me for quite a bit of the lesson. So much better. Next week I will do some work on diagonals. "On the bit" means he has contact with the bit in his mouth and he has a lovely curved, but comfortable neck. He likes the bit contact and really seems to be listening and paying attention when everything comes together. I really tried hard to get everything right because Southern Ben was having a bit of exercise in the arena, and it is a privilege to be near to him as he has been to Badminton. Silly, I know, he doesn't care, but I feel like it is a honour to know him.

On other fronts, school is going really well, even if we are having a really challenging week. Tired students, emotions, hormones and bickering between them makes everything harder. I think the earthquake has had a bit of impact on the class. I haven't felt an aftershock for a few days, even though they are still going on. I don't know whether I will ever feel like I can trust what is below again, no matter where I am. Every time I drive or walk past a building I am conscious of the possibility of collapse. I'm handling it really well compared to a lot of people.

Highlights of the week:

Peppermint chocolate marshmallow Easter eggs.
Thai food at Mrs CT's house with friends.
Riding (of course).
Going to the ODE with Johnny and not having a job so I could explore and enjoy everything (except the portaloo- OMG that small cabinet was like the bowels of Hell- those poor people who are still using portaloos all over Christchurch- you can actually see and smell lots of other people's poo!!!!!!!)
One of my boys did his best ever handwriting.
Another young man did a huge fart when being read a story- picture the line "Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's ---- faaaart." I laughed until I cried- immature I know, but sometimes windy bottoms are absolutely hilarious.

On that note, goodnight.

Memories and looking forward

2011-03-18T19:18:00.003+13:00

Today was the National Memorial Day for the Christchurch Earthquake. We had a holiday in Canterbury and there was a huge service in Hagley Park which thousands of people attended. We both decided not to go and took a drive on the main roads through to Brighton so that we could get some first hand feel for the damage. The roads were quiet, but as John said, he almost needed to go into four wheel drive mode. There was not an undamaged road and there was mess to some degree on every street. Some roads have massive dips and humps in them and there are ripples like big waves in some places. We chose not to go onto the residential streets out of respect for the people living there, but we certainly saw some awfully damaged buildings. It was amazing that there were not more people killed.

This photo was taken from the Port Hills just after the quake struck. The "fog" in the middle is the dust from the falling rubble in the central city.

We used to live in the hall in this church. There was a wee apartment upstairs.

I can't help but feel grateful that we moved out of the city. I love driving out through the little bit of countryside to get home.

On the looking forward note, something exciting has come my way. Last week at my lesson I was told about a horse that was being given away that might be perfect for me. Johnny didn't say no straight away so I got very excited. My instructor found out how much it would cost to keep a horse out at the farm, and for the farrier. My heart sunk. By the time we calculated how much it would cost to keep per year, we were talking thousands. Plus the farm isn't exactly handy. I would be very unhappy if my horse was stuck somewhere in a paddock where anyone could get in. So we decided not to go ahead with finding out if the horse would be suitable. There were understandably lots of tears. Right now I'm crying at the drop of a hat.

So onto the good news. This is Zanny. You've met her before when we went to visit her baby Fraser. By the way, Fraser is big, gorgeous and has a coat that feels like teddybear fur. Zanny has been at Horse Clubmed in Ashburton fattening up because Fraser sucked the life out of her. As soon as she gets back I am allowed to ride her and love her whenever I want! I'm so excited. She is very placid and safe, and I'll be able to continue my lessons plus have extra rides to practise on my own. She is a very, very special girl who is much loved by the family, so anytime I'm not with her she will be getting the very best of care. It is the best possible arrangement for me and so kind of Zanny's family.

Note the nice mane for holding on to. Sam's is so thin I've hardly got anything to grab onto in an emergency. Also see that velvet muzzle. Hope she likes kisses. Sam does.

My goal is to be able to ride a simple dressage course with style and accuracy and to feel confident at trot and canter. I've got a long way to go, and am looking forward to trying hard to make it happen.