Walkies, walkies time for mine and yours constitutional.

What a lovely morning, for a walk I might do this more often.

The school grounds, only 2 more weeks left for  Aj the schoolboy.

Lots of Rules, this is the only top class field left without damage, lucky that, because it was only opened a few months ago.

One of the oldest buildings at the School, the Chapel.

St Bedes, oops I forgot the School Fair, everyone but me is setting up.

I'll linger and admire the clock. Christmas present maybe.

My favourite shop Prescense, time for a spot of window shopping before  continuing the walk.

Beautiful blooms outside the Motel.

The first rose of Summer. How did that get in here.

The house on the corner has a very nice flowering tree.

The Main North road, I'm turning left but right is the road North out of the city.

Prestons Road to the right rural land and market gardens.But we go left.

The park across the road. Almost home.

 I couldn't sleep in, always seem to get up at 6.30am even when it is the weekend, so thought I would go for a walk. Nobody around much at that time, so I took my camera, not my most interesting post, but it's a look at New Zealand on a beautiful Spring morning, we are going to have an early Summer and it's meant to be long and hot summer, o.k we have heard it before but fingers and toes crossed that 2010 will be great.

A treat.

I dropped into my favourite Post Office/Magazine shop on the way home and was greeted by the owner as a long lost friend. I had been good for so long at least 2 months, not buying mags in a attempt to save money. How sad it never works so here are my compulsive buys, oh bliss I am so happy. Sad really.

I'm not a millionaire, or even close but it been an interesting week.

First I didn't win the big Lotto prize, a pig hunter from up North did. Yes a pig hunter only in NZ, I bet he'll buy a new dog, what a waste, think of all the fabric and pretty stuff, and vaguely odd things I could buy, plus Christmas shopping in England. I was only going to go to England to shop, to help their economy, but there you have it, it wasn't to be.It was really decent of me to think of going all that way to help them out, of course I would have put a decent amount into our own economy as well................... Right I'll say this now and get it out of the way,there was a big shake at about 11.30am on Tuesday, we at work had done drills with our clients, but when it came to the real thing, you guessed it,  although I yelled everyone under the tables nobody went, there were some upset people but no diving for cover, except for our colleague in the Candlemaking room, she dived under the table. I consoled myself with the thought that if the building had collapsed,  she at least could have acted as first responder and given us First Aid. It was a  5 but felt like a 6 because it was so close to the City and only 9kms down. It's been very quiet since then, there's a big Concert in the Park today for 9 hours to bring everyone together and thank God we all got through relatively safely, shaken but not stirred as one billboard says in town. Big news I have a new cellphone, as you can see I bought a pink one in case the "men" want to borrow it........good thinking don't you think, it's working so far, but it is early days. Aj got a " pocket " for Chess so I have to sew it on to his blazer this weekend as he has only 4 weeks of school left to walk proudly around with it..........his Saturday job is getting busy and they have asked him what days he can work in the summer holidays but it'll depend on the Army as he has a fitness test to do for them this coming week. He hasn't been well for weeks and the Nurse from the Practise rang him last Monday to say he needed to "pee " into containers twice a day for 3 days, of course they talked too him as he is 18, but he is 18 and a male and he never asked why, so we have no idea what he was doing it for................yikes you think that your boys will be different because you as their mother will make them different from the rest of the male population, but forget it, the male gene is to strong for us women to  change, they revert to type no matter what we do..........to be honest I say "Via la difference," excuses to all French speakers if I have my verbs etc in a tangle. One Christmas stocking nearly finished, enjoyed making this I'm going to make more for pressies. I got out of bed to get ready for work, Basil had day off, came back had only been gone a few minutes and Dave had taken my place. Sorry to say Basil hadn't even noticed I gone. Ok last photo is the "men", wearing T.Shirts sent to them from my sister the Contessa, she who has been in Japan visiting the Clarebear, who told the T.Shirt man what to put on the shirts, Aj said (now remember they are 18 and 19,)  Tom's probably says c*** and his b******s, and that when Japanese people see them they will fall over laughing at them, but I have it on good authority that they say Older Brother and Younger Brother. The silly pose is how Japanese cartoons portray characters I am told, they weren't happy with the photos till it was right so I have lots of photos of them in mad poses. That's it for now Love Aunt Bee.

Four mugs and a catalogue and a mirror and a issue thingy, a CK collection.

My market buys from last week. Two Blue Willow cups and saucers, a pretty tin originally from Scotland with lovely birds on it, some freesias, body butter and shower gel etc all Avon products, and a hand mixer and Pyrex dish only $10.00 for both and something for the Men, a tribute as Tom would say. He's gone oh! so Roman this year......that's Classics for you. The Contessa and the Yorkshire Terrier have been in Japan visiting  Clarebear, who has  a year at a Japanese Uni, she emailed me, would Cath Kidson do as a mag from Japan, yes I said not wishing to appear to eager, be still my beating heart. It's the CK catalogue for Spring, so their Spring 2010 in Japanese, but who cares I always wanted to look at a CK catalogue and it came with a bag. Yes a bag, small but ever so lovely. A bag with a mirror and tissue holder ? I think that's what it is, not sure as it's in Japanese, never was very good at languages, I have been poring over the mag as it has addresses for CK shops including a Cloth Shop. There is a $27 million lottery draw tonight and I so want to win it, not all of it, just some, so I can go to England and do my Christmas shopping (for myself). Lastly Dave watching the rugby, we won.........then straight to the Football to see our striker hit the crossbar from a penalty,( would show Aj's face when this happened but he threatened me not to put it on the blog, I might need him in the near future so I won't. Next morning a newsreader on the radio said the striker had hit the crossbra..........fancy that, you don't see that everyday at a Football game do you. Love Aunt Bee.

Bric a Brac.

Some of the things I got from the book sale, had to download or upload, never know which, in a strange way, but got them, the old crochet and knitting patterns are 1963 and 1964, I was very young, not saying how young although I was at primary school. Old Country Living mags which I think never date and the pheasant jug which was only a $1, which Barry claimed was far to much for it. Men. The camellia from the garden, very pretty, I hate how they don't last, but  the Rhodo's are following and the rest of the garden is coming on. Basil and Aj are watching the  rugby, I hope we thrash Southland and take back the Shield, Basil is from Invercargill, and as he pointed out to Aj he is half Southland and half Canterbury, Aj is having none of this. Good boy, I was born in Darfield which has been the centre of our Earthquake and resulting after shocks( over 1,500 so far) and you can't get any more Cantab than that. I might say my parents are Irish but they cheer for the Red and Blacks, even though they live in the North Island. Everyone says we need the Shield back to cheer us up, but that's silly we just need the shakes to stop, everywhere you go people are still talking about the Earthquake. If this is our once in a lifetime big event, then I'm glad it's going to be over in another 2 years, (said very tongue in cheek), that's how long it will be before life for everyone will be back to normal. One of the ladies at the Exercise group I go to with" my men" on a Friday morning has spent 2 weeks at one daughters and 2 weeks at another daughters and this week will move to a "bach" at a beach North of the city for at least 1 year or more.  I thought you might be interested how she got her car out of her garage, her section and house were unlivable, and her car was stuck in the garage with no hope of getting out over the huge cracks that had appeared, so the car removal people came in and laid steel girders up the drive into the garage and gently took the car out over them. I was very impressed and she was very grateful without a car she would have been so isolated, she did manage to get her belongings out of the house and they are in storage till she can rebuild there or somewhere else. Sorry to be a bore about the Earthquake but it has dominated our life for 5 weeks and will do so for a long time in the future, Tom's Uni exams have all been altered, essays cancelled, topics  not finished etc just more pressure on the students and their parents. Only a few weeks to exams for both Tom and Aj I don't relish the thought of two exam stressed teenagers.   . That's it for now I have more photos to down load which I'll do soon...........Aunt Bee.

Things I have found and other such stuff..

One of my finds at a local church book sale. Love John Sandford books. The troublesome Lower Fifth, truly jolly hockey sticks. The book sale was excellent and I would have bought more if I had known that they were asking so little for everything. I can't upload any more photos for some strange reason, so that's very strange. I also went to the market and got a jug and some more Blue Willow patterned cup and saucers, I went back to  the same lady this morning and bought more. I have been busy making blocks for a quilt for a friend who is not very well, it was a big shock for everyone that she is so ill as she looks great, the quilt is being organised by her church friends and I have 3 blocks to make to represent our work place, a couple who don't sew and myself and my family it is to be done by the 16th so I will spend the whole of Sunday crafting away.I am going to leave the post till later as it still wont let me post any more photos. Love Aunt Bee.