Some photos of Wanganui, known as the River city, or town, not sure it is a city.

Art installations all along the river bank.

It's a river with Mana, and I don't say that lightly.

The riverboat sails up the river, looks like an interesting trip.

It's meant to be the river, but as I come from ChCh  I thought it looked like a earthquake crack

Large shiny sphere on the river bank

The bridge over the river Wanganui

After the funeral (yes I stole that from Agatha Christie)

Aj dreams of actually  driving the Yorkshire Terrier's Audi

Aj and I are back from the North Island. Mum's funeral was lovely and although Basil and Tom didn't go, they had the flu, some  of the South Island family (which is most of us) managed to get up to Wanganui, so we had a mini family reunion.

adorable great niece who kept us entertained  for the 3 days

Aj and my Dad

The 3 cousins, CB, JM and Aj,  yes they were on their laptops for hours

Aj and I stayed in a very faded 1970's motel, which had ants, the surprise was that we had to pay for them to stay as well. We ate at the Contessa's or I should say we ate too much at the Contessa's. I don't think it's terrible to say we had a great time, Mum would have loved having us all there 
I lost my voice of course, but after the Mass and the eulogy, and Aj who went to work this morning was sent home because he now has the headache and terrible throat.
 This morning it is raining and cold and indeed it's the opening day of duck shooting season, so at least the ducks have a fighting chance. I have decided to spend the day at home sewing, as I am feeling a little flat, thank you for your kind thoughts and virtual hugs, so very kind.Love to all   Barbara.

Just a catch up

a amazing autumn sky

dave attempts to steal food

This post and I hope you bear with me, is a bit of everything. I did go up North to see my mum, which was wonderful, sad and the best thing I could have done. I spent 5 days with my sister, and her daughter my niece Clare (who I wanted to adopt, not having any daughters I discovered the pleasure of the company of a 21year old girl.) My mum and I did speak, albeit mostly me, as she struggled to talk, but we understood each other. I spent time with my sister who has taken on the organizer for all the things one must do in the circumstances. Dad at 87 was exhausted and at times lost as he slowly realized his wife of 63 years was actually going to die. She's always been a bit of a Houdini, escaping cancer (twice) and heart disease, but alas not this time.
We thought about taking a photo, while we were in the Hospice, but in fits of laughter we thought it highly inappropriate, we did have lots of laughs, knowing mum could hear us although not able to respond. The last thing she said to me, as the Contessa and I were looking at her was "my two gorgeous girls" so we knew she hadn't lost her sense of humour.
I will be going up sometime this week for the funeral, the cost of inter island flights is so prohibitive, so many people who would wish to be there wont be able to be.

things for the grand-niece

the day after some night before

So here are the photos of things done, thrifted, seen etc. I hope they don't shoot of to the top of the post that would look trivial. There is a Aussie called Rove who always at the end of his show used to say "hug your mother for me". so I shall leave you with that. Love Aunt Bee.

Sorry about the absence.

I apologise for the absence as I haven't had the brain for blogging. I will be going up North tomorrow to see my mum, it's been a stressful 3 weeks. The Contessa has been carrying a load of responsibility for organising care for mum and dad. Tough old bird that she is she has kept on going but is now fading fast. The old bird is mum not the Contessa who is a tough younger bird. I have got things to show you, but not today as I'm sadly not organised. My mum was a very into op shops and thrifting, she loved old things, things that had use and a history. This legacy she handed to me, as it isn't the Contessa at all, so in my mum's spirit I went to the Bookarama on Saturday. For the measly amount of $23.00 I got heaps of books and mags,  some copies of Dish (NZ food mag), some "jolly hockey sticks" boarding school for girls, 50's and 60's books  and a AC which I probably have but I bought anyway, and some old crochet and knitting books and patterns. I have started another crochet blanket to use up my yarn, it started out as random piece but I have colour coded it, and I can't help but not look for more yarn to add to it. Whenever I try to be free and bold and let things go there own way I fail. So much for thinking I'm a free spirited, relaxed kinda of  person, I can't let go of my inner control freak. Oh it's my birthday, I have only one wish, and that is for mum not to die on my birthday, I think I would cry for a 100 years. I hope you get what I mean by that. Thanks for the support, hugs to you all, I'm still reading blogs, enjoying your creativity and thrifting finds and happy that thousands of miles away are like minded people just as odd as me, I mean that in the nicest possible way. Love Aunt Bee.

Having a break.

I am having a break for a while, as my darling mother is dying. We are ready to fly up at any moment, so it's all a bit stressful at the moment. My mother is a remarkable 95 years old, born in a tiny place called Coolacly, Co. Galway, Eire, in 1916. A amazing woman, who emigrated to New Zealand with Dad in 1955. She is a very lovely, elegant lady who after two major battles with cancer and also heart disease is losing her final fight with (bloody cancer, sorry but that's how I feel about it).
So I shall return when it a good time and will keep reading your wonderful blogs during the coming days, as she was loved cooking, gardening, and family, but not crafting alas, a brilliant knitter of socks only,   I still remember the mittens she made for the Contessa and me that had pointed thumbs, which when you could get your thumb into them  cut off your circulation. Love and hugs Aunt Bee.

A glorious spotty tin and bits and pieces.

Found this cake tin at the Warehouse, a spotty mug, and a

Miss Marple DVD (Julia McKenzie),while shopping for slippers, I shouldn't be let loose at night in the "big red shed". 

This was going to be a hot water bottle cover, till I learn't we no longer have a hot water bottle, so is now going to be a scarf.

Lovely mags, couldn't resist

Strawberry Bakewell, not as nice as the raspberry

Chocolate Cola Cake

Belly dancing is not my forte.

It is much harder than it looked  or that's my excuse

The bride to be and Kashmir (probably real name  Noeline)

Sadly this is all I've found this week.
It's been very hard to find anything at the op shops or indeed the market this week. I have noticed that people everywhere have found that op/charity shops are charging like wounded bulls. Yes I know there is a recession but that means less money not more, and as it is donated goods and they have volunteer labour, the prices they are asking are ridiculous. Aj dropped down to our local op shop some surplus linen and they said drop it there and carried on talking, he was shocked and said not even a thank-you. Tell bring up your children to use their manners and then they see older people not using any. Grump over.
The tin I did find in a op shop, I need it for the rolled oats which I buy in bulk for baking and muesli making, I love oats, cheap, nutritious and useful, having said that just watch them invent a worldwide excuse to raise prices, like they do for rice, coffee and flour.
I did go yesterday to a hen party, for a friend, so civilized it was held at her sister's house from 2-6pm, half afternoon tea (delicious), half belly dancing class. Not sure middle-aged female Kiwis have any natural ability in this dance form, but a lot of fun.
This of course was on St Patricks Day, a lot of green been worn, but because of the lack of pubs/bars the men didn't go out, the earthquakes have curtailed much of a social life for many. The local mall has a third of the shops closed as off last week, due to earthquake damage, my supermarket was closed as I reached the door a fortnight ago for repairs, this all happened suddenly in a few days. We did have 2 last night, both over 4 just a little reminder, too not say what I did on Thursday, "it starting to feel like the quakes have finished", not surprisingly Matt (a co-worker) threw a dish cloth at me. That's it, I'm sitting in the morning sun, thinking about the day in the kitchen I have planned, I have Granny Smith apples to turn into pie, Black Boy peaches and pears to stew and freeze, by popular request another Bakewell cake,(strawberry this time) and Brownie 's to bake. The garden tidy-up to supervisor, and the pulling out of the sweet peas and tomato plants to actually do myself, I can get my hands dirty sometimes, just not often. I love Autumn, the leaves are turning and dropping, the sun is definitely lower and setting earlier, there has been a hint of frost some mornings and the clothes have to be taken in off the line my 4pm. Enjoy your day. Love Aunt Bee.