No snow but we do have this.

I think spring is just around the corner. I mustn't get to excited as we all know that it snows in August. I took Aj to a friends place yesterday afternoon, and I yelled"  wow look at that, isn't it beautiful.". It was a beautiful rhoddo in bloom with large red flowers, then 2 camellias, of course Aj gave me a pitying smile and said,  "Your nuts".  Nuts I maybe, sitting here at the computer with my laundry to do piling up to the ceiling, the hot water cupboard, the clothes horse and the dryer trying desperately to catch up to the washing machine, the wind whistling around the house but it beginning to look a lot like winter is coming to an end. Love Aunt Bee.

Photos of the last post's goodies.

Yellow tupperware container, which has a still visible mark of "Plain Flour" which someone tried to rub out, never a good thing on plastic. I know it's so retro and retro in my lifetime, yikes. I remember the endless Tuppperware parties you were invited to by your friends and feeling you had to buy something, although it was so expensive, I got some satisfaction in paying $4.oo for this and ironically it is for :plain flour".Lovely Italian bowl, which instantly made me think of salads in the summer, I could see a pasta, chicken and walnut salad in here, which is why I bought it on a particularly cold Saturday morning.Here's the plate for "June", it's so pretty. I will probably never see the rest of the year in plates and in truth she should be wearing a warm coat and have a stout umbrella for a NZ June but it's lovely.My new car, I love Alto's I have had one before and they are economical and great for around town, not so good for the "Beastie Brothers", althought they have been driving in it and find it easy to drive although their legs meet the steering wheel. A colleague, Shiraz started calling it "Rachel",  she stopped when she saw my look of horror on my face, I don't tend to name cars, we did when the boys were young but not now.  Although I have started calling her Robin in my head ,I'm not advertising the fact, "Rachel " !, I had an instant picture of Rachel Hunter in my head enough said don't you think. Love Aunt Bee, snow down to low levels tomorrow, that snow day is looking good.

lost camera, bowl and plate oh and a new car, not much happening really.

A very quick blog, did one the other day, it's lost in cyber space so maddening. Can't find the camera..........yikes it's going form bad to worse.............bought a new car and a italian bowl and a plate....and a new car did I mention that not new new but nice and economical, and it will all have to wait till I find the camera or indeed the lost post...........Above photo from party, after party actually, I did put up the Christmas lights and they looked lovely, note roll of paper towel clean-up in action. Think I need to find camera and get myself organised, went to the market after beach walk and bought said large bowl I am imagining summer salads in it already, 19c today but snow and bad weather on the horizon, and a nice place which I presume is June of a year set of 12 if you know what I mean, old and made by J&G Meakin I think. To lazy to go check in cupboard. Angus played rugby on the weekend very sore today not as bad as one of the opposition who broke a leg, ouch, but in true NZ style we left in the field and moved to another field to finish the game he stayed on the other field to an ambulance came and picked him up, there were people with him throughout, but we bred them tough in Christchurch.

A rave at Aunt Bee''s House, well not quite.

We had a wonderful mid winter christmas party on Saturday night. I was caught having a glass of wine in the kitchen. The  men of the family watch the rugby  Aussies vs Springboks after everyone had gone. Clean-up was a long slow process on Sunday with timeouts for cups of tea and coffee. As usual to much food but as we noted it  all got consumed well nearly all the birds got some nice mid winter treats on Sunday morning.If any out there reads this, we have just had the final Dr Who episode, I have been disappointed this series the Dr I can live with but Amy Pond and Ryan are awful, and the sooner Riversong is lost in cyber space, any thoughts from anyone would be welcome we are very divided in our house so let me know. Washing machine went on the blink yesterday, $69.00 call out fee today and I came home and have fixed it myself , I hope it lasts . Love all Aunt Bee. Off to watch New Trickslove that show.

A quick post it's 7.16am and I must go make my lunch for work. I'm going to say sorry for being a grumpy old blogger last post, I am in my happy place now , yes really and am not nearly as miserable as on the weekend. I don't know if Basil and the men think that's so, but I'm more cheerful. Yuck ! don't I sound revolting, I see by other people's blogs that we all seem to have the old run out of steam, blah times so I don't feel so bad. It's raining but not cold so that's a positive, but it's said to rain now till the weekend when it's meant to snow,oh joy.The drinks and nibbles night is still on, so I'm very nearly organised, how surprising for me, I'm thinking of getting some Christmas decorations out, to but up, but that would mean asking the men to help, will have to ask nicely. Aj has a mid winter work "do" the same night at a local pub it will be his first pub visit since he turned 18, it'll be interesting to see how he goes, he's not much of a party animal or drinker. The photo is to remind me that spring is coming and maybe I had a touch of mid winteritis, alas more of winter to come, but the birds were singing this morning at 6.30 and that surely is a good sign. Love from the Grinch.

Misery loves company which is why I'm on my own.

Oh, how I love these 2 mags, although I some take issue with Country Living rather xenophobic attitude to food from overseas, particularly NZ, but I'll forgive them on the basis that the rest of the magazine is beautifully styled.

I have had a depressing sort of week, so have not been my usual self. Never one for wallowing to long in misery I have given myself a good pull your socks up, pull yourself together, stop moping lecture and feel that I'm back on track. This morning though the sea was so large and high that it  did indeed feel like it was trying to get me, I kid you not, it was not frightening in a dangerous way but I was keenly aware of the power of the sea as I was forced numerous times on my walk to run to the sand hills to escape the tide.  Did cheer myself up this week with my usual once a month magazine buy, only 2 this week as I'm trying to economise again. The drinks and nibbles for our work party is next week and I have been getting some early prep done, I had some old fashioned nibbles at a morning tea a few weeks ago which I'm doing for our "do", I say old fashioned but I was the height of fashion then (possibly) when 1/2 an orange with toothpicks holding pickled onion, pineapple and cheese was essential at any party. Well everyone loved them and they disappeared with much laughter and rememberances of party food and drinks of the 60's and 70's. I believe that retro food is back in so asparagus rolls, and cheerios are on the menu as well. Tom has just told me I shouldn't be left in charge of a computer, which I think means get off please. So that's it for me sorry to be so boring and grumpy but I shall perk up and battle on. Love Aunt Bee.

Jack F. has been visiting.

It seems that the frost just stays on the ground and never melts. Love this plate.Another find, I am obviously going through a rose phase at the moment.I bought the nutcracker tin and the little one in the background and now they sit on the window sill in front of the sink.Went to watch Aj play rugby last weekend and by the time I found a park and walked to where the game was been played, I had lost sight of him. I had to ask a man on the sideline which teams were playing, as he was supporting the opposition he was evasive, and I thought I was at the wrong game. I hasten to add there were 2 of our school teams playing 2 of their teams. It took me 10 minutes to identify that I was at the right place and that Aj was on the field playing, but was so covered in mud I couldn't tell it was him.  Of course in a fit of the Raleighs I threw my jacket down on the car seat so he didn't get my car all muddy, we mothers are really stupid sometimes aren't we. Aj worked this first week of the school holidays, this means he needed to be at work at 7.30am so I dropped him off and went on to work although I got there 1 hour before I needed to be. Some of the staff start at 8 so I only waited for 30 minutes in the freezing cold. I am glad he's not working this week as he wants a holiday and has some work to do for NCEA.