30 Tuesday Nov 2010
Posted in How does my garden grow?
My gran’s garden was full of geraniums. Well, in actual fact, they were “pelargoniums”, not geraniums, if you were to get all David Bellamy-ish about it.
Granny’s flowers were never this dark, exotic shade of dark pink. They were either pale pink, candy pink or that apricot orange colour, and I can always remember the minty, cucumbery scent of them…
28 Sunday Nov 2010
Posted in Uncategorized
We’ve not long arrived home from our special “anniversary” weekend away – a night staying at the gorgeous Carrington Resort on the Karikari peninsula, about two hours drive north of where we live.
The resort is gorgeous, and way, way, way out of our price range normally, but I recently signed up with grabone.co.nz, and when I saw the deal for a night’s accommodation here, I snapped it up – almost a third off the regular tariff! Result!
And while we were north we had to take in some of my/our favourite places: Flying Fish Design Store and Hansen’s Cafe (the Other Harf is a Big Fan of their Big Breakfasts) in Paihia, Mangonui Fish Shop (World Famous), Matai Bay (I camped there as a teenager) and of course the usual swing past Kerikeri Bakehouse (Apple Turnovers, bursting with fresh cream!) and Kwan’s Garden Creations (hanging baskets full of petunias for $20, swan plants, a gorgeous dark purple geranium…)
It was lovely to spend some time with my beloved Other Harf, and in an absolutely gorgeous part of New Zealand. Life is sweet, lucky me 
25 Thursday Nov 2010
Posted in Domestic Bliss, Famdamily
nce upon a time there was a nice young Kiwi girl called Fiona. She had a dream: to travel the world and see exciting places and do exciting things.
So Fiona saved up lots and lots of money, sacrificing spiral perms and nights out with her mates drinking wine cooler, and bought herself a backpack and a one-way ticket to the UK.
After a long flight, and a long drive through the Essex countryside, she arrived at a little seaside town where she was to stay with friends, and it was here she met a very nice Englishman, who took her backpack up to her room and then made her the first of many, many cups of tea, because he was exceptionally good at making cups of tea, as she would soon learn.
The Englishman was also a very good tour guide, and showed her around London, and when it got a little bit chilly, he took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders to keep her warm, and took her to an Angus Steak House, which was very posh, and paid for her meal.
Before long Fiona realised that this Englishman was by quite far the loveliest, kindest man she had ever met, and as a bonus he was bloody good looking, and that she had fallen in love with him.
And fortunately for Fiona, the Englishman felt the same way, and they were both very happy, and very much in love.
Six months later, Fiona realised that in just over one year’s time it would be time for her to go home, as she was only allowed to stay for two years on her Working Holiday Visa, and this made her very sad, so she had an idea; a very impulsive idea, but she could not think of any other way around her predicament.
So Fiona proposed to her lovely Englishman, on the southbound platform of the Northern Line at Embankment Station, in rush hour, and the Englishman said he would make his mind up by the time they arrived home.
He said yes, and there was much rejoicing, and telephone calls to disbelieving friends and parents, and a month later Fiona and her Englishman were married in York Registry Office, and the Englishman become Fiona’s Other Harf, and they smiled the whole day, and were very happy.
And fifteen years later, Fiona and her Other Harf don’t smile the whole day, but they still smile a lot, and they are still very happy and still very much in love.
Happy Anniversary, my darling!
(Our wedding day – this is only the second time the OH’s photo has appeared on Kiwifruit!
The last time was for our 10th wedding anniversary.
He is still petrified of web stalkers and other deviants, just like he was in 2005…)
24 Wednesday Nov 2010
Posted in Uncategorized
24 Wednesday Nov 2010
Posted in All very rural
A few birds on patrol in our front yard over the last couple of days. Interestingly the natives (tui, kereru) aren’t around at the moment….instead we have lorikeets rosellas (a Australian ditch jumper ), thrushes (imported from Dear Old Blighty) and the ubiquitous blackbird (also imported from Dear Old Blighty) – this character is Thee King Blackbird round these parts and loves hopping up onto the picnic table to show all the other blackbirds who’s da boss….
22 Monday Nov 2010
Posted in Famdamily
It’s the splendiferous occasion of my 41st year of existence today, so duly I took the day off work (I mean, Mondays suck at the best of times, why spoil your birthday?) and spent the morning lolling in bed reading lots of new books.
Mid morning my sister and nephews arrived with vouchers (destined to be spent on vegetable seedlings) and (above) this very groovy camera, an early 60′s Kodak Colorsnap 35 Model 1 which is officially the start of my new collection of old cameras. Because I don’t collect enough stuff already.
To add to the present extravaganza, Miss 10.2 bought me a lovely Clarins giftset (well, her daddy bought it; she blued her last round of pocket money on a $2 Christmas Tree and the latest “Total Girl” magazine…) and the OH kindly let me have a nice sum of credit on the credit card, with which I purchased one of these beauties online this afternoon: a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II -which is a “prime” lens – photography jargon for “fixed focal length but big aperture” – a must have for photography boffins! So excited!
All this excitement continues with lunch at a local cafe with the Other Harf, followed by more reading and (truth be told) a short yet delicious nana nap.
And behold, (as per left) there was CAKE, which was chocolate with strawberries on top, accompanied by lots of cream; all at the earlier than usual cake-time of 5.30 so Miss 10.2 and Niece G could have some before going off to Guides at 6 o’clock.
Then Mum and Dad arrived with four gorgeous hanging baskets – talk about mind-reading; I had been thinking about making some from scratch, but no need now. And look how pretty they are!
Next? The OH is cooking dinner: Mozzarella and Tomato Salad, Beef Wellington with new potatoes, green beans and baby carrots, and pouring me lots and lots wine.
Perfect birthday with lovely prezzies from my wonderful family! I am so lucky
21 Sunday Nov 2010
Posted in Animal Antics
Miss 10.2 is quite taken with our neighbours’ newest boarders, a pair of ponies called Titch and Poppet, whose owners are hoping to introduce them to “new people and new experiences” just like a couple of 18 year-olds on their gap year.
Our animal-mad daughter took some Granny Smiths down to them this morning and although the ponies came running excitedly over at the sight of us, at first they were quite shy and hovered a few metres away from the fence before wandering over. After a sniff and a taste they soon demolished the lot, so it was back up to the house to stock up with the remainders of the fruit bowl.
Ah well, there goes the main ingredient for tonight’s apple crumble…
20 Saturday Nov 2010
Posted in Animal Crackers
Here Pippa channels her Border Collier genes (her mum was a purebred red Border Collie would you believe. I guess Pip mostly got her “fencejumping-possibly-staffy-cross mongrel” dad’s looks) and attempts to round up one of our chooks who dares to encroach on all my new vegetable garden bed that the Other Harf is making for me.
We should really encourage it as guaranteed, soon as our backs are turned, stealth chicken seedling raiders will be up and over the edge before you can say Cockafreakin’doodledoo.
19 Friday Nov 2010
Posted in All very rural
Mist or rain? Rain or mist? Much as I love the fact that we’re actually on the receiving end of a bit of water after a long patch of dry weather, I’m really wishing it would stop with all this namby-pamby mistiness and just dump it down with rain and fill up our tank good and proper.
It’s only November and already we are resorting to bore water, which fortunately is drinkable (if not ever so slightly “soapy” tasting) but not a patch on the fresh, clean, pure stuff out of the sky.
In other news, it is also very humid. Blurgh.
Sub-tropical Northland, yes indeed.
17 Wednesday Nov 2010
Posted in Everydayness
Just outside the french doors that lead out onto the verandah from the kitchen a pair of sparrows have decided to make their nest for the second Spring in a row in an extremely narrow space between the verandah roof and the side of the house.
They weren’t supposed to nest there, again, as they make a lot of mess, but the Other Harf’s attempts at blocking up the gap with a thin strip of wood were complete rubbish fairly unsuccessful.
But I’m glad they decided to use this nest again; in the evenings I love to watch Mr and Mrs Sparrow come and go, first perching on the barbecue, then up on top of the door frame, psyching themselves up to fly up, twist sideways and insert themselves into the tiny gap (it takes them at least two or three attempts each time before they nail it) where their nestlings lie in wait, peep-peep-peeping eagerly for their next meal.
You have to admire their dedication…
