A play day and a sunny trip North

After  returning from palmerston north I decided it was a good time to do a bit of playing with creativity.. this required tidying up the house a bit first, and doing a few errands and visits with friends but then my inner child let loose a bit and I spent a few hours painting fabric with my friend MArgaret. The flood of posts on FB regarding the bushfires continued to bother me, so I took the opportunity of following up one suggestion - the Wollongong Modern Quilt group are going to put together quilts from blocks sent to them - each block to have a tree on it.. so i tried out a couple of things and made two.

some of our painted fabric - 

My tree blocks for the bushfire quilts.

My next task is to make the denim bib front pinafores for the girls.. I need to make a pattern first.

I dragged myself away from the design table and headed up to Mangawhai via Kaukapakapa and the home of one of my former engineering students - great talking to someone who is making a real difference as a teacher and mother. Then up to the good company of Gil and Dorothy - we sat in the sun and just watched the scenery, boats and people - gorgeous afternoon, then had the buffet dinner at the Golf Club.

While they headed off to play golf on Saturday I enjoyed the idyllic windless sunny day with several walks, a little reading, a trip tot he local market and more walks and even a bit of sunbathing. It was the best day so far in January apparently and lots of people out to enjoy what for many must have been the end of their holidays.

Sunday dawned gorgeous again so I took the canoe out with Gil on his stand up paddle board - I went right up the estuary, past the farm - looking at all the new houses and bringing back some memories of earlier walks, paddles and pipi gathering. Back for morning tea and then Dorothy and i went out again - another gorgeous paddle - the arms remember how to do it, even if it had been months or even a year since they held a paddle. The tide was helpful and really relished the clean air, seeing all the families and people out enjoying themselves.  So hot by early afternoon there was lots of lying around reading, sketching, little walks with lots of ball throwing and cold cider.... and watching Serena Williams win the ASB tennis tournament in Auckland. her first major win in three years apparently so she was pretty excited about it.

Bye bye Mangawhai!

Monday morning was again glorious but decided my arms might not appreciate pushing them again, so took a leisurely time packing up, another walk and then headed home. Took a bit of a detour when I found myself nearly into Warkworth - the Tomarata road must have taken me out further down than I thought, so I headed over on the Kaipara Flats Tauhoa road to get back to SH16 - but didnt realise it got narrow and metalled - bit of a giggle but I pulled over well in time when a really big truck with a huge water tank was sighted coming the other way. easy trip home, no problems and not too tired. Traffic was easy!

Catherine had another birthday ! and sent some photos of the family - gosh how they have grown -
All looking good!

They take this shot every year - Havent they shot up!

All taller than Mum now! and Josh is taller than Dad? Well done Brett and Catherine.

 So home again, pick the beans, water the garden - not quite Australia brown but definitely needs watering!

Christmas and New Year

 I got back from  my Christmas trip to Palmerston North yesterday and the topic on everyone in Auckland's minds today is the weird colour of the sky as we are covered by a smoke cloud from the Aussie bushfires,. It is overcast but from 2pm it has been a weird yellow grey.  It is good that my family are safe but I am aware that they are vulnerable. The images we are seeing are horrific and I think everyone fears fire. What will be, will be,  and I am not sure that prayers or rain dances will bring on the rain, but I do hope they get some relief soon.

One of my ex students Kirstine and her lovely family who live round the corner.

Before Christmas I had a few lovely visits with friends, family and Christmas gatherings. I had made some self imposed deadlines like deciding to make dresses for the girls and home made fabric Christmas cards for some local friends which kept me rather busy, but I did get the fruit cakes made for essential people like brother Gilbert and the local motorhome company who look after me when i have queries or little problems with the campervan.

Walk at the Botanic Gardens with Sculpture in the Park exhibition with friend Karen and her mum

Dorothy and Alfie

I left in the afternoon of 22nd and my trip down to Palmerston North was in beautiful weather. The time spent down there was busy as usual. Nana duty is 24/7.
We all camped out at the farm for Christmas Eve and although it was very basic camping, no fancy amenities, at least I had the campervan to sleep in and a toilet. The kids thought it was great fun which was the best present Jonathan and Amy could have. Presents on Christmas Day were a success and so was our fairly straight forward Christmas Dinner ( Jonathan did get his Turkey).

Amy on her new favourite toy - a borrowed bulldozer/digger - she made good use of it for the week!

Camping with the bare necessities at Bush Lane on Christmas Eve

The Team! Jonathan, Annabelle, Cordelia, Callum, Amy and her son Marcus

Marshmallows always go down well

Callum decorated the pavlova for Christmas night

Cordelia in her new skirt and top( I made)

Annabelle chasing her new drone in the dress I made.

Other activities included me taking the kids down to Waikawa Beach to Boat Day where the hit of the day was friend Kurt's blow up water slide followed by a dip in the spa pool.

I took Cordelia for her promised overnight adventure in the campervan and we went to the Woodville Ferry Reserve by the Manawatu river - spacious, lovely camping and surprisingly empty for the "busy" season.

In true Godfrey tradition they rebuilt a dam on the river.

Donkey rides through the bush track adjoining the farm

We made several batches of muffins and biscuits, as I took fresh bread rolls, muffins and made hot coffee for the workers out at the farm each day. They rode the donkeys a couple of days including on the community walking track through the bush reserve adjoining Jonathan's property at Bush Lane,Mt Taylor - about 5 minutes out of Feilding. The kids enjoyed cooling off in the little river that runs through Timona Park in Feilding, in all their clothes ( but I had a change of clothes and towels in the car)

Everybody helping fill in the hole
with little stones and the dirt.

Digging out the residual soil in the hole

When possible Jonathan had Callum helping although Daddy proved very capable and was hanging gates, fixing worn out valves on water tanks and in this case putting in a fence post - using a powered post hole borer.. I guess I shouldnt have been surprised when the fence post proved to be perfectly  vertical!

I did fit in a couple of visits to friends, and was amazed as usual by the talent of my friend Griet - she is so creative and talented with her "textile art"

The Rangitikei River - if it had been warmer
I might have gone in for a swim.

When the kids had returned to their mum's I packed up and started the trip home. I overnighted at Vinegar Hill Domain on the banks of the Rangitikei River - one of my favourite spots. Then an easy trip home the next day although lots of wind. All well when I returned, and my garden is not very tidy but it had beans and courgettes in abundance.

Our spot beside the river