A sunny day in late summer.

we are still standing

Quince jelly if only I knew how to make it

my favourites

the neighbour's rose over the fence

the silk tree

lovely rose in the garden

clearing the liquifacton, silt and the dust

My darling car, with the gunk which is on everything

Went into work yesterday, took me 1hr and 20 mins, one way, normally takes me 15 mins, the traffic is horrendous as there are no direct way across town with the CBD closed. We cleaned up, while we were there 2 aftershocks  occurred, the 2 staff from out of town freaked but we kept cool, or coolish. We will be up and running soon,  not in the big room as it is a mess with the  floor cracked, but we hope to have some of our clients who we know have been badly affected by the quake. We can give them a sense of normality as many of them are living in different homes in fact some have gone to the North Island. so I'm worried but I'll go in and pray it's ok, I wish I could describe the roads, I haven't taken many photos because I just don't need them, we don't watch the news much, we are living here we don't need reminding. Everyone knows someone dead or missing, we are all exhausted, I was doing the washing on the deck in two buckets when the S&R team came to check on us, we said we were ok, they laughed and said that's what everyone says. Everyone we know is ok. the phone is going all the time as we check on our friends and family and they check on us. Post for the first time today, we are still getting bills though, live goes on, and that's as it should be. Love Barbara

People who I visit everyday, and I'm glad they are home.

People who help you get through a traumatic time
A Mermaids Purse..........Kazzy and her Sweetpea, how I love this blog, what a lovely young lady and talented artist Kazzy is.
Admanento...........Anne, crochet expert and cyclist, our bike rides together leave me puffing but always happy with the company.
Attic 24..............Everyone loves Lucy and it's true love this beautiful blog and especially Lucy way of giving confidence to everyone via her wonderful tutorials and gorgeous crochet.
Bobo Bun..............Lisa a world apart and a generation but we take pleasure in the same things
Cotton/Bluebell...............unbeknown to these two I imagine we belong to the same quilt group and they are actually taking me with them on then quilting and more importantly fabric shopping trips
Curlew Country...........Steph, lovely blog I think being a mother of 2 boys gives a connection, I say that knowing what she has to come LOL
Farm Girl Stitching......Nic a kiwi girl on a farm, I'm old enough to be her mother, but the blog world makes that irrelevant, a country woman at heart I can smell the sheep from my place
Frugal Queen..............she makes me laugh and cry sometimes in the same post, we share much unsaid
Handmade Home............Kelly what a delightful blog by a talented lady
Heart Shaped...............Diane loves "Jackie" and walking ..........what more do you need
Henhouse...............the Hen all power to the Hen, one of  the first blogs I visited love the Hen and her family, quilts, and even the husband is interested in their trips back in time to 1940's Britain
Life after Money...........Ilona my slightly eccentric friend I don't thing she would mind me saying that, another of the early blogs I found and what a treasure, ok some of her money saving ways make me laugh, but others I have used, we have traveled England together, her photos are wonderful but her writing is better, history, saving tips, animals, travel and interesting opinion, creativity and most of all fun, Ilona is a jewel
Material Obsession............Kathy an wonderfully creative talented American in Aussie, love the quilts and quilters in her wonderful shop, she has opened up my eyes to what you can do with patchwork, it's taking time for me to really let go with colour and fabric  but I will do it. After our lives have settled down and things are semi normal I have promised myself a trip to Aussie for a break, haven't I talked to my sister yet but hope we can go to Sydney, it's one place in Aussie I have never been and to Kathy's new shop I'll go just to sit and watch and learn from her ladies in the back room.
Mary Poppins..............Dear Mary is the very first blog I saw and after months of lurking I joined in, she is wonderful, and her blog still makes me smile and occasionally shed a tear, when I read it. I think of Mary P. as my mentor, such a good person on the other side of the world
That's it not the end of the blogs I love to read but the end for today, the sun is shining and I am in the mood to bake and sew, a cake for Basil's night shift crew and sewing the quilts made for my grand neice. I thought I would not bore you with comments from the zone, Basil is working, Tom has done 3 days in a shop with no  water, and Aj had a day's work yesterday and what was a 40 minute trip there and back in the morning took 2hours and 20 minutes home in the evening, only one bridge over the rivers can you imagine that, in a city with 2 rivers. Love Barbara

It's a beautiful day

It is a beautiful day, all  those I have talked to today have said this in a lovely weather way, everyone got a good nights sleep and that's makes such a difference. Things all though terrible, don't seem so bad and I think it's becos today we are doing something, Basil and Tom looking for a way to get my car, Aj's off clearing muck with his mates.........they will be with the Uni students tomorrow doing what they can. Big thank-you for stopping in, lovely to hear from you, thanks for the thoughts, hugs and love and prays so kind and it does help too know you care. My brother is well and safe, my cousin the fireman is in the CBD, my godson the policeman( who is not meant to start as a policeman till monday) is in the CBD...........we know what a hard and horrible job it is, we are proud of them doing what they are doing. Went to the local supermarket, great people that they were they opened, only letting a few in at a time, everything but bread and of course I want toast so I'm making some, I can't make good bread so it could be interesting. Rationed milk and water but we are ok , we have water and can boil it on the hob (gas),no water to be used, toileting is ok , for some people (men) glad I had a wide bucket is all I say...........you know when the green nuts got rid of plastic bags from supermarkets dumb, dumb, dumb not good thing, a supermarket bag is very useful for some toilet jobs so to speak...............say no more. Bathed in my large salad bowl, well you know what I mean, nothing attracting me to the" lets get back to the way our ancestors lived brigade" about this yet, but we have to do it, the water waste and sewage isn't getting to Bromley the huge Sewage plant which  also took a big hit in September.The
 power and internal structure people are amazing ,  although this earthquake was smaller it was so deadly and a millions more times more frightening. My work place is a huge warehouse type building in the city, we can see the Grand Chancellor from our place with a car park for 8 cars outside. My job is to work with people with an intellectual disability, working at Aj's and providing recreation access for them also.  We have a website www.ajs.org.nz which although the newsletter is old, enalbles you can see us at work and get an idea of our work space. This is our home away from home, we are a staff of ten and a client base of about 45. We have for the most part known each other for 30 odd years as many of the staff worked with the clients (friends) at Templeton Centre, a large residential unit outside of the city, for many years and the almost 14 years AJs has been in existence. the building was wrecked by the earthquake. Tuesday while under the table I saw the 2 large cracks coming down the floor of the building, the noise was horrendous as everything fell but the roof held, when it stopped we literally pushed everyone in the dining area, please note, the staff  were playing Scattergories when it hit, (I think I was comfortably ahead don't tell the others). 15 mins later the 5.7 hit, the floor beneath us just cracked, there was already water/gunk/liquidfaction coming up through the cracks in the main room. We again pushed everyone out ( Basil is home, got my car, have to walk back and pick up his car, he got as close as possible, they looked in to AJ' and were amazed at how we got out.) But we did get out and we sat for 5 1/2 hours outside ,offering water and biscuits to those walking past with the liquidfaction which dries to a powdery dust blowing down the street. When the last clients were picked up, we hugged each other tight and went our seperate  ways to our families. So we are alive, we are the lucky ones, it is such a huge thing to take in, so many people dead,  so many buildings gone. That's it for now, not much fun to read, but I feel better  writing  it down, it makes it feel less terrible somehow..........Love Barbara.....I've decide to use my real name, you might as well know my name, I feel much closer to you during this time out there somewhere................hugs and good thoughts to you all.

Brother found

Brother found had been in CBD walked home, had no phone power or money left, went home to no power no water so went to a friends. Idiot could have told someone but no one has power or water etc, we have interesting toileting facilities at the moment , ok for the men but not for me, you got  to laugh, and it's raining again. Our next door neighbour is to be buried Friday so I hope it will go ahead I know that's sounds funny but it would be terrible for Ada if it all delayed. My car was to be registered by today but a) I haven't got it, b)there's no PO open to do it and c) I don't really care anyway. What a rebel..........I am crocheting like crazy and watching Miss Marple and drinking tea so I'm ok, will be staying in the lounge as we are still having large aftershocks. Love Barbara

reporting in from the zone.

I'm leaving my car where it is till the weekend, hope it's still there. Cleaning up the house and keeping in touch with family as my oldest brother is missing, last seen in town centre yesterday, but we are trying to stay calm becos if he was it's like him to help, so just waiting for some contact. Haven't had a proper sleep but will go soon probably not sleep though, brain is in overdrive..............love Barbara

Message from the earthquake zone.

It's 3.49am I must have slept, becos I'm up and going to make a cuppa, the aftershocks have kept on coming. I can't believe this has happened, yesterday I got up and went for my usual walk, went to work and while sitting at the lunch table playing scattergories our world turned upside down. My boss is amazing and I know we will get back into a work place at sometime but our clients( who did really well under the circumstances) may never recover. I haven't watched too much TV, but I did hear we are going to this time accept help and Thank God for that, so that's it I off to have a cuppa. Love to you all Aunt Bee............real name Barbara.

the earthquake

Quick post to say we are ok, Basil and Aj were at home, tom at Uni, got out and walked home, me at work. Unusually for  me I have no words, so terrible our workplace is destroyed...........it is wrecked no jobs for us, no place for our clients to go..........outside in the cold for hours waiting for our clients to be picked up took the vans up to 4 hours to get to us, we are in the city. Left my car at work, Linds gave me a lift home via the rest of the city. I am exhausted...........I'm very emotional I love my city and this is a disaster of untold magnitude, yet as we drove home so areas look untouched and had power, its just come on here. Basil has gone to work he is an essential industry (a prison officer) of course he is out of the city and I know he'll worry. Sorry to be a pain, there is too much to tell, so many dead.........thank God we are ok, it is of course raining just what we need but not right now. Aunt Bee

When $40.00 means $80.00

Haven't had time to look at it yet

another quilt for Ava, more for everyday use

start of quilt for Ava

Trusty old machine with wonderful mat a chrissy swap present from Jeni

Stripy blanket a la Lucy at Attic 24

Miss Marple only No.1 to get now

This is a long story so I'll to be quick. Whitcoulls a large national book shop chain is going down the gurgler so to speak it's in receivership since Thursday and the news said if you have any vouchers to get in quick and use them . They also mentioned some shops will only honour them if you match them dollar for dollar. Of course Baz had $40.00 worth, I gave him as a Chrissy present, so we went to the mall on Saturday, as so did many other people to spend them, and yes we did have to spend another $40.00, I find this morally wrong akin to theft as I told the girl behind the counter, which I said I realised wasn't her fault, but I felt I had to say something. They the Aussie owners are in the poo in Aussie and have blamed electronic books and the internet book shops for this situation but truthfully they have been putting up there prices continually for years and of course you are going to go for the best deal, but a shop is always more appealing to people than the internet, no worries about internet security, instant gratification not having to wait for a book and the price shouldn't be a problem in NZ, we buy more books per head of population by far than any country in the world, but being a captive market, book shops have always charged through the nose. A few metaphors and colloquial sayings in there, but you get my meaning, it is criminal to hold vouchers for ransom in this way. But of  course we paid up, as did the older couple with a $100.00 voucher. So we got 2 DVD's one for Baz after all it was his voucher, Dad's Army, one for me, Miss Marple, the Country Living mag and a Veggy cookbook.
I spent Sunday sewing, two quilts for Ava a "good" one and one to put down on the floor when she's having a stretch or in her buggy. I'm quite pleased, had to work on them, then have a cuppa, do some more work and then another cuppa as it was so hot and windy.
The "men" are off to Uni today, TG am over having to large brutes lying about the house, bring on the assignments and study I say, that'll keep them out of trouble............sure that will work they are students. Love Aunt Bee. Stripy blanket coming along nicely.

What idiot gives way to a pedestrian crossing that isn't one ?

A full moon, so beautiful but bringer of oddness.
What a day, first I gave way to a pedestrian crossing, when it was no longer a pedestrian crossing and it had now  got traffic lights. Did this cause problems Aunt Bee ? Only an inconvenience to the cars behind me waiting for me to move as the lights were green. Then I went to a local craft shop to buy thread for work and they didn't have any, passed me form pillar to post, I maintained that we had always bought it there, but they couldn't find and when I returned to work, haha, wouldn't you know it, we had orderedfrom our usual suppliers from up north. We have never ever bought our thread from Spotlight, no always bought it from from a wholesaler in Wellington.  I will say the noise level at work was manic and we had tears and the odd yelling and swearing outbursts and that was only the staff..........no, no joking it was our clients we do that stuff behing closed doors. Managed to drop the ham I had bought for Basil's  dinner as I went up the deck to the door. Dave just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and probably doesn't need his seafood delight tonight for his dinner. I think I'll have an early night, found two books at the library, by a author unknown to me Rebecca Tope, they look good. 

A mish, mash and a motorway.

 A few things I found, well bought , the felt, fabric and pattern I picked up when I went to the bank and popped into the fabric shop which was having a sale, only to look, haha. It was a 25% off everything sale and it would have been rude to leave empty handed. The market had some new stallholders there and when I saw the Cadbury funnel measure I was sure I couldn't afford it as I was down to my last $5.00, when he said $1 and then $2 for the lemon squeezer I was was delighted, but felt a bit mean because he could have sold them for a lot more. He had an old baby's bath which I thought look good with plants in and an old mixing bowl/jug thingy which of course I had to look lovingly at and leave behind, with my luck he'll never be seen at the that market again. Dinner out last night pot luck BBQ out in the country, I got lost, but it was a good night, very warm, the kids (not mine) were in the pool till 9.30pm and then I made the long trip home, well it took me 1 hour to get there and 35mins to get home, the roads were very quiet, it made me realise I would like to live in the country again, but the fuel bill for coming into work would be huge. Basil actually works further out than MM,s place and its so expensive each week just to run his car. You probably tell I'm over summer, it has been a long hot summer and it would be nice if the weather started to get cooler, I love Autumn and Winter and I am ready for the change of seasons, even if no-one else is..........I am a little worried not just for us but for all those with damage to their homes what the approaching bad weather  will do, we can't do anything like thousands of others because someone else control's the timetable for repairs and in some cases complete rebuilding. Life is always interesting isn't it, and that makes it never dull............Love Aunt Bee.........and I haven't told  you yet about the motorway........yes let's build a motorway when the city needs billions of dollars worth of repairs. The motorway that'll will mean we will be hemmed in by two motorways and unable to turn right into our feeder road oh bliss...........I shall be going to the public meeting, God help them if I get the microphone.

Now get away from the computer and feed me.

I have coveted these from afar, nearly died when he said it was S1.00.

glass lemon squeezer, old $2.00

market shopping 

Oh God I am turning into my mum, but I love the EWW, and GF is  the best.

Latest mag, remember it takes time to get to NZ, when I was young mags took 6 months by boat.

when I impulsively bought the felts I also bought this, cute for  winter I think.

gorgeous felt squares and pretty fabric, impulse buy

Tartan throw on couch ready for the inclement weather, ok it's 31c today

It hasn't all been a walk in the Park.

This is one of the nicest places in Christchurch.

Our prevailing summer wind the norwester at work

Basil surveying the duck pond, it had been drained and cleaned.

Sorry I haven't been around the "dear computer" would not let me write anything let alone publish and so much has happened. First Aj's hand, is out of plaster and unwired, swollen and puffy it is at least attached to his arm, the day he got that done a letter from Canterbury Uni arrived offering him a place there which would be in his preferred degree and is the same Uni as his brother. It would mean he could bus and be with his friends, of course he had accepted a place at Lincoln..........aargh! set in motion his loan application and all the tedious enrollment stuff. I tried to jolly him along with Lincoln is a good fit for you etc but I know he wanted UC, so he has changed everything over to UC and said sorry to Lincoln, what a parlavar but it's done. He also starts back at work on the 19th Feb, in the shop, so his hand doesn't get hurt or overused. So that is all fixed, throw in the quake we had just 30 minutes ago, my  health issues, yes I to am on a low fat diet due to my cholesterol which oddly enough is lower than 3 years ago but the Dr. has made me go on a low fat diet now..........he must have missed the higher reading in 2008, I'm on a waiting list (semi urgent ) for a specialist, so that's a 4 month wait, not that I care as it's one of those things I would prefer to put off .I blame Aj he was a massive baby.........which explains the baby weight I am still carrying. Ha, he's 19 in May, but that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Have done some market shopping , some nice skirts, it's so hot here Sunday was 36c, hell's teeth that's hot and so hot at night no one is sleeping well and I actually wore one of the skirts which made me look like a large hippy with a attitude, no peace, love and beads for me when it's hot, I just get grumpy. I had a load of young men here, 15 of them watching TV, in the heat in one room, oh the aroma, they stayed for 3 1/2 hours and I has strict instructions to make myself invisible so I went for a haircut in the mall, very cool and not busy and then a iced chocolate in a cafe, still to early so I sat in the garage reading the paper............I must have been out of my mind.

Hagley Park, a beautiful day for a walk.