A joy shared is a joy doubled!

I just love that curved line of foam left by the waves - somewhere along the Wairarapa coast - taken of course by Philip, who is loving his happy place after nearly one and a half years.

I looked at the web site of Capital Quilters this morning, and found they are still giving a link to this blog - oh dear - so I am inspired to post something to say thank you.

A friend on Facebook has put up a post, you know the sort of thing "so and so has challenged me to put up a book I recommend" - there's no way I can resist joining in - books have always been such a big part of my life, I can't remember when I couldn't read - how about you?  I used to read in bed to my sister, a couple of years older, and my brother, four years younger; sometimes with a torch under the covers in the mistaken belief that Mum wouldn't know!

Birthday presents were always books, and when I got a bit older my big brother - 11 years older, would take me on the bus into Chichester to
W.H.Smiths so I could exchange my book tokens - a task that took me hours!!

My first contribution on Facebook was "The five people you meet in heaven" by Mitch Albom - sad in a way but full of hope.  I scored it ten out of ten in my book diary.  I've kept one since 1970, least ways that's the earliest I can find now.

Remember the kumera in the mug? here's what it looks like now -

 Looks great, doesn't it?

I've had a big tidy up in the sewing room and now of course, can't find anything! well, just the little case with a see through top I thought I'd fill with fat quarters and take along to the next meeting, see if anyone will pay a modest price, and I can give the proceeds to the Foundation for Blind and Low Vision - what do you think?

I join a couple of friends most weeks for a chat and coffee, lately we've been going to Mitre10 in Petone which is on the flat and has lots of parking - they also have very tempting things to buy!

I thought I was buying a coleus plant, my late husband grew them in the glasshouse so there were always several round the house. 

I don't think this is one, but it just keeps growing!  I've taken cuttings for my friends which have produced roots so quickly. 

You know me, can't resist a spelling error - well, this was in the local supermarket and I'm sure the reference to the mis-print is about the price !

Or is it a new flower?

So it's time to go now for a late lunch, but leave you with another of Phil's amazing photographs, to mirror the lovely lines of the first one, and the question, "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of." Benjamin Franklin

Thanks for reading my blog.
June

I Think I've been here before...

What amazing colours!  Photograph courtesy of my son Phil, now a  resident in the Wairarapa for over a year - and while I'm mentioning time and dates, I was astonished to realise that it's been eight months since I last posted.  Time for the re-birth, perhaps?

It's been mainly various health issues that have been my reason for not posting more often, but hey, I'm fortunate, still above ground and managing to keep warm - I find layers work well.

Last week I attended my first Craft morning under the auspices of the Blind Foundation; my specialist eye doctor registered me with the association and they are just fantastic - not that I'm blind, maybe won't be, but definitely of lower vision than I was.  

My front garden looked just beautiful, check out all these plants -

I've enjoyed going to Capital Quilters Meetings, held on a Saturday afternoon in a local school hall means easy access and good parking - not to mention the coffee shop nearby where I can buy fruit cake, actual dried fruit in the cake - delicious!  

Recently a couple of quilts caught my eye, 

so much there to catch the eye of a child, and

I wish I had made notes because this fascinates me - I'll see if I can find out more and let you know.  Have you ever seen a design like this?

So much that is just awful seems to be happening all round the world, was it my generation that let things get to this state?  I'm not a millennial, was born just before the second world war; maybe we just left everything to the government without realising they were people like us and not the fount of all wisdom.  I find it quite odd that I'm once more doing fashionable things like mending, and re-using and taking my own shopping bags to the supermarket - heavens when my sons were small, there were no supermarkets locally.  I know, it's a different world...

Time for afternoon tea, the last piece of nutty bread baked by my granddaughters and a cup of herb tea.  I'll leave you with another of Phil's photographs, [not quite fifty shades of grey],

 

and the thought, "The artist finds a greater pleasure in painting than in having completed the picture." Seneca.

Here's to the next time,

June