New Hobbies

Have been a bit lax in updating this as I have 2 new hobbies which are giving me a lot of fun and taking up a lot of day and night time. First of all I am doing a decoupage course at Art Station which involves fossicking out old wooden containers , objects etc, painting them, then sticking pictures on and polyurethaning several coats of that over the top to make said object nice and shiny. I have done coathangers, picture frames, little dishes , round boards so far , giving things a new lease of life. Will add some images soon

The second one is online scrabble which is quite anonymous so it doesn't matter how bad I am! I have won a few games though and used to consider myself a good player until I started this lark. It is at www.scrabulous.com.

Spent the weekend at Waiheke where we tried to get the garden into shape - lawn, pruning shrubs and trees and letting a bit more light in. Had to buy a new washing machine which we also accomplished as the old one leaked badly all over the nice newly polished floor and made the most disconcerting noise.

Sylvia Park Megacentre

Went on a grey nomad safari today to the new megacentre in South Auckland. Got off to a shaky start after observing someone prowling round a neighbour's backyard. He got very aggressive and asked me what I was looking at when he emerged from their driveway , then he kicked their burmese cat which limped away. I called 111 from home and the police picked him up in a neighbouring street about 20 minutes later. In the meantime I had lost Dieter who had said to this guy that he better watch out or else... and this guy lunged towards him saying he was going to waste him or words to that effect. Thankfully he changed his mind as I know who would have come off second best. I envisaged him languishing in hospital somewhere but he turned up in the aforesaid neighbouring street and had given his side of the story to the police after which I met met up with him and we proceeded on our bus trip as planned, albeit half an hour later. All the usual shops and a very spacious Warehouse Extra store where we bought a few things, had some lunch then got another bus back via Glen Innes, Glendowie, St Heliers, Orakei and waterfront , places I hadn't seen for quite a while. On Sunday I bought myself a new book on the history of Crown Lynn china and have decided to collect it, if I see pieces in my travels. Have rescued a few pieces from under the house and underneath potplants on our front porch to start with. The image is off a fluted bowl probably used for floral arrangements in the 1950s. I found it up at our place in Orewa in the garden somewhere.

Visitors from Perth

Have enjoyed showing my goddaughter Marianne around Auckland and our usual haunts for the past week which has been fun - Up to Orewa, over to Waiheke, out to Titirangi, Parnell, Devonport, Takapuna, Westhaven, Albert Park, Uni to name a few places. Her fiance Dean arrived yesterday so Marianne was able to show him around herself. We all finished up at the Gables for a meal last night before they set off for Taupo for a couple of days. The house seems very quiet today especially as E has gone flatting again. Took in a fair and market at Aotea Square this morning of many of the Catholic parishes and organisations. Great ethnic food and bric a brac which I was able to resist.