Weekend at Waiheke

Had a nice weekend on the island - went over Friday afternoon for a change, saved a lot of toing and froing as I went straight from work on the 2pm boat. It will be our last weekend there for a few weeks as the woman who is renting it for a few weeks moves in next weekend. Did quite a lot of clearing things away, not that we have too much there anymore. It was the morning after the rugby so the church was not very full. This weekend coming up will be the reopening of the cathedral. It was closed for renovations for a couple of years. We will be up in Orewa. Going there on Thursday after work as we are going on a Historical Society tour of the Kumeu area on Friday morning. Wednesday we are celebrating E's 24th birthday with cousin Ph and wife, which will be nice - here at home. Have some chicken thighs to bake with a special salt which I am making up with rosemary, garlic, zest and baked on a bed of lemon slices - the recipe was in the Listener. Lemon delicious and peaches for dessert and carrot cake for her birthday cake. Am taking the afternoon off to prepare it all. We are giving her some money for her birthday to buy some artwork she has her eye on. She is going to shift to Mum's old house after Labour weekend, with her present flatmates. Their other house is being sold.
Spring is in the air along with the inevitable spring cleaning. The blossom is out in Pompallier Terrace where the photo is from and the irises are blooming in our garden. It is good to be alive.