Weekend Away and Monday News.

Had a good Monday after a  lovely weekend on the island, which would have set me up for a wee while.  Seems we hadn't been for weeks what with Dieter and his feet not feeling up to it.

There was stormy weather in the night but fortunately by the time we wanted to go back it had disappeared and the sea was not at all rough.

Had a busy day Trademe-wise.  Dieter sold some coins and a long wooden pipe he got in Yugoslavia in the 1950s.  I sold 2 or 3 books, a recipe book, a big vintage leather suitcase, which has been gracing our front sitting room and latterly the front porch (on its scaled exodus from the house),  and a biography of my aunt's by Lady Fortescue  - for a bit more than I would have got at the book shop in Devonport and I only had to carry it up the road to the postbox.  Not that I don't like a jaunt to Devonport.  Especially when it is combined with a visit to the Stone Oven for a spinach and mushroom pie.

Last time I was in Devonport I heard the most beautiful young soprano I had heard for a while busking

on the corner.  And recently heard her again in Queen St.  This time she had some CDs for sale so gave myself a warm fuzzy and bought one which has been giving us a lot of pleasure as we listen to it while having our afternoon tea each day. Her name is Rebecca Nelson.

Talking of warm fuzzies.  I bought myself a beautiful new dress from Jean Jones for summer.  I was actually sheltering from the rain going into the shop, especially as I had it and the undivided attention of the nice saleswoman who was wearing the same coloured coat I bought there a couple of months ago too.  I can actually wear this dress over  black trousies as is my want these days and have yet to try it on without.  It is black, blue and white and goes nicely over my jeans too.  They had lots of other nice bright tops and things and I am sure I can be tempted again soon.

Anyway had an energetic session at the Y and caught up with friends while jigging up and down on the crosstrainer or striding it out on the treadmill. Our trainer Alison is back from a month away in California so was full of energy for us in the warm-up and cool-down routines, a bit like line dancing.

Toddled down the road to Britomart ( no I lie, waited for the bus to take me there )  and got the belated train out to Glen Innes to meet a friend for lunch at Nosh.  Had the most delicious spinach, fetta and pumpkin seed savoury with a strong cup of coffee, followed by a slice of a caramel and chocolate tart, half a slice I should say!

Then repaired to the choir at the Tamaki Campus for our session with Miona, one of our choir leaders.  She hails from Serbia and has us making all sorts of weird noises up and down the scale as well as more melodious ones I might add. We sang Kumbaya  and Dona  nobis pacem before afternoon tea and on that harmonious note,I snuck out early for the trek home on the buses, having woken and risen very early that morning.

Eli came for a deferred meal, a lovely chicken casserole with bacon, celery and carrot , followed by plum and apple crumble with plums brought back from the Waiheke freezer.

And so the day ended which also included doing copious amounts of washing and other mundane tasks, all of which I do with much more energy after a nice weekend away.

Road trip to Raglan

The four of us friends took off for a short midweek stay in Raglan last week, making good use of the balmy weather we have been enjoying recently.

Left the motorway a few kms before Pukekohe where we had morning tea at my kind of retro cafe,  Cafe Kaos, crammed full of quirky mementoes and furnishings of yesteryear. Out the back there was an amazing area with an eclectic collection of old 70s furniture suites and record covers where they show movies I presume. The cafe had the most delicious traditional home baking and stylish cafe food.  

Enjoyed an exceptional  cup of coffee and a buttery date and orange scone, quite the best I have tasted in the scone line for a long time.  

Browsed the op shops with Frances and although there were some good bargains to be had in the china line I resisted the temptation to add more to my stash .  I noticed a lovely Masons dessert set and a pastel Poole teaset being put out.

Onwards to Raglan on Road 22 arriving early afternoon.  It is a lovely little town with people enjoying the cafe culture and local shopkeepers very visitor- friendly.  Our Post Office cottage was comfortable and above the township, a 3 minute drive to town.

 Had a look at the local museum in Raglan which has a very early Wesleyan Maori mission history as well as the more recent surfing history.   There was an interesting display of a few moth-eaten men's black woollen bathing suits that we might remember from our own fathers.  I remember my own little red woollen bathing suit, anyway. Browsed the shops  which are mainly of the touristy type, some with new, others with old  knickknacks and bric-a-brac. Found an op shop and bought 3 vintage recipe books - a Fielder's one, a Cadbury's one and one entitled Granny's puddings: New Zealand's favourite puddings  which inspired me to make a Lemon Sponge pudding for dessert one evening on our return to Auckland. Used my Alison Holst recipe though which she has simplified  over the years.xx

The next day carried on the sightseeing by driving out to one of the beaches. There were quite a few surfers but otherwise a deserted beach.