A normal Saturday, if there is a "normal" anything.

The beach this morning, beautiful but oh, so cold.I knew as I walked down the beach the "maori war canoe" had gone, it wasn't till I got to that end of the beach I saw it had been washed up in the sand dunes, it must have been a mighty big tide to push it that far or perhaps some humans have been mucking around on the beach ?I don't think that this just ended up on the beach exactly like this.Found this at the market, I wasn't sure I liked it, but I bought it. Think I have been influenced by my lastest copy of this.I'm beginning to love green.Big pyrex type bowl for baking, my big bowl has gone missing which usually means someone broke it and has hidden the evidence.A pretty flan dish and some books, the Noddies from the market and the rest from my favourite secondhand book shop.The last flowers in my garden, and the jug, excuse dead leaf, I think the hydrangas compliment the colour of the jug.

Winter is here, at last.

This photo is show the holly in the vase more than anything, the holly tree is in full bloom and looks beautiful, I risked life and limb to cut that small piece, so I hope your impressed.Date and walnut loaf I made Sunday, note lovely fresh walnuts and baked loaf, the walnuts are there only for decoration, I forgot to put them in the loaf while making it.

A quick post, I have a cold, unusually for she who dosen't get these things, but a cold non the less. We all have had colds and flu and it is appropriate as the weather has changed. Its been raining and cold since the weekend and we have had the most amazing cloud formations roll over for the last 3 days, a hint of snow down to 300 metres on Friday, wow, everyone at work is thinking maybe "snow day" this year. We are sad people obviously, hoping for a day off week because of snow.

Happy Birthday Aj and op shopping bargains.

Happy Birthday Aj, 18 today, legally able to drink but to sick with the flu to even think about alcohol. He spent the day in bed and said he felt so bad he couldn't even play his PS3. Wow he must be sick.Aj and Tom, brothers and best friends.A little op shopping today.Oriental tray, I love them.Two Christmas plates for the Midwinter Christmas nibbles coming up in July.Pretty Old Foley dish.oops , not curtains as they were priced at, not sure what they are but gorgeous fabric, they will be used for something.oops I did it again, lovely oil cloth, I bought what they had, it just fits the table, love it, has seal of approval from "the men" but Basil hasn't seen it yet. It might be a girly" bridge to far" will have to wait and see. I will have to have a more special dinner for Aj on the weekend as he isn't feeling well enough to enjoy his birthday, I can't believe my baby is 18, he would deny it but he is the loviest of men, loyal, kind and funny, he is popular with his mates( even if he never has his phone switched on) and adults as he talks to everyone. We are proud of him, even if he is eating us out of house and home. Love Aunt Bee.

I don't believe it!

No Dave it's my chair get off, off I say, obey Dave, oh why are cats not dogs.

The dinner, the car and the saint.

You can just see my beloved Suzuki Vitara in the drive, may she come home safely.

I don't know why I was so apprenhensive last night, Little Red and Lofty were great guests and the meal was no big deal. We haven't entertained in yonks and though I consider  myself to be a confident and competent cook (say that fast 7 times) I really freaked out yesterday. I found a leg of lamb, $32.00!  hell's teeth, thats expensive, haven't had lamb for at least 2 years, it's so dear, so the menu with a few sides from Matt's Sunday Lunch from Febuary's GoodFood 2010. I did lamb with balsamic/raspberry/oil/ salt and pepper rub/baste (so good), Welsh onion cake but I did it in the oven, and cabbage and bacon and whole carrots. Dessert was a  real easy treat,  mini pavs, raspbery coulis, dreamy vanilla yogurt ice cream, and a delicate stream of cream with hot chocolate sauce. I did this on large white dinner plates, very MasterChef and this all served with a lovely Nelson Pinot Gris. I realised how much I love cooking and with all the lovely feedback I've decided Sunday night will be a night for a decent dinner. I say decent because tonight we are having  franks and hash browns. So too the car, it's not good and it has just got worse the final bill will be 3,600 , I can barely bare to write it, but we are spreading the work over 3-4 months to help pay for it, SORRY Contessa I think the trip to England has started to fall into the" land of maybe not". I am saying a few prays to St Jude, he owes me, I often pray to him for other people and he has come through, he now has to see what he can do for me.  I shall stop moaning now, it is only a car and I've a courtsy car till my girl is ready, about Friday I hope.

My chair, bought for $20.00 off Trademe, it's mine, at last, I have placed it front of the sliding door which is used as the main entrance  to our house. It is for me to sit in and sew, listen to the radio, crochet , drink tea and read. Why have  I done this?, there is only one lounge in the house its large and has the stereo and TV,  2 couches and with the "men"and Basil watching TV or DVD's which I have no interest in, I can't spread out with my crafty stuff. So I put the chair in tha ample kitchen/dining/living room and claimed it as my own. Yesterday afternoon I sat down with a talking book, some sewing and a late lunch and had a wonderful few hours of enjoying myself. Strangely enough everyone wants the chair but know it's off limits. The fabric is Sanderson I think and it's a very well made chair, there were 2 more but I didn't want to push my luck getting them as Basil who picked this one up said they weren't in as good condition.Mothers Day, and on a cold and frosty morning I received these goodies, the slippers are my usual gift, a box of fudge, my favourite, two mags, foodie one and the English House Beautiful, a difficult mag to find in ChCh, very hit and miss as to who stocks it, and Chris told me her local shop where she buys her mags is not stocking many of the English ones we both love, I digress. But that's all for me this Mother's Day as Basil has informed me the beautiful bag and 61 Hours the lastest Lee Child book, he bought a week ago were also Mother's Day gifts............... Mustn't grumble as my car went in for a warrent and is in massive trouble, can't even tell you the quote for repairs, as it is so terrible.The talking book I got out of the library, funnily enough it had Julia McKenzie as Ariadne Oliver. I love talking books, but this has to be the worst Hercule Poirot ever, I'll not name the actor but his accent veered from" Hello Hello " to a bit Irish, in fact Aj a Poirot fan came and listened and couldn't work out which was the "little French man".Talking of Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple, she was o.k., closer in appearence to AC's description, not wholly satisying but the clothes, the cars, houses and general "look" of the films always delight me. It's Sunday morning and I'm off to buy some lamb for dinner tonight, not having dinner cooked for you Aunt Bee, well no Basil who is at work as I write, kindly invited some friends( over from Oz for a funeral ) for dinner tonight.  Gee I bet your happy about that Aunt Bee..............yes I am...........That is all for now, as I have much dinner preparation to do.