Saturday 16 June, 2012

The title reminds of morning talks at primary school.

Living in a new area makes exploring compulsory and there are always things to learn about the locality like the whereabouts of the tip and the op shops.  Today we joined the local library and can borrow next week when our cards are ready.  I finally found the local bottle store (after asking my boss its whereabouts yesterday, local knowledge is always good) so I could get some brandy.

I had a quick visit to my LQS.  It is very cool, packed with so many fabrics. (and wool, and embroidery items, patterns and helpful ladies)  I needed some children prints as I am making toy cubes for a work gift for someone having a baby.

We then headed up Reikorangi Road where we found a nice view of the snow that is making outdoors so cold today. Mostly covered by clouds to the right of the picture.

Further up on the side road we stopped at this cafe and were greeted in the muddy and wet carpark by

By the way these are phone pictures but seem to be okay.

Reikorangi Cafe is fun if like me you love pottery and enjoy a blast from the past. It was like stepping back in time to the seventies. Lots of pottery, and fabulous macrame lampshades, one craft I never did master and a lovely garden area though in the rain not explorable today.  I had fabulous tomato soup, served in a beautiful pottery tureen, by the roaring fire, with an elderly cat sitting on a chair beside me.

We headed up Mangaone South Road and found the start of the Mangaone Walkway  Fascinating countryside as there is lots of regenerating native bush.  Further up Ngatiawa Road we found the start of the Kapapkapanui Track

On Terrace Road I filled the boot with pony poo, fifty cents a bag, a bargain as often it is one dollar per bag.  And I presume this friend watching as Chris loaded the bags in the boot is who provided us with this garden nutrition.

 Home via the super to this

We had been thinking Devonshire scones at lunch but decided to make them for afternoon tea

Time to feed the drier and perhaps sample the brandy.

I like this sort of a Saturday!

Long weekend

I seem to have lost my sewing and knitting mojo again:-(

Made a simple bookmark with and tried to stitch some ribbon with the words "New Zealand" on but it went wonky.  Perhaps I need to use the walking foot.  Trying to come up with cost effective little, light gifts for my daughter to take with her for your year in Japan.

Then opened a little scarf kit with wool and pattern.  Says use 3.5mm and 4.5mm knitting needles but in New Zealand we have 3.25mm and 3.75mm.  Which do I use?

Perhaps I will unpack a box of pottery and forget crafts for a bit.