Yes we were shaken and stirred

Well it has been a while since I put anything on my blog. Pathetic I know. 10 days ago we were shaken by a 7.1 earthquake that has demolished our town.
We spent days after clearing out the liquifaction muck, getting people out of houses, getting water to people. We got water and power on at about 4pm that evening. Our local people have done an amazing job. After that we were priviledged to have my brother-in-law, his wife and their teeny tiny baby stay with us due to concern about the continuous aftershocks and the effect it was having on their house. Unfortuneately for use they have gone back home. But that is also good as there house is ok to live in. We loved having them here.

The boys are now back at school and that is a relief for all, as it means there is some normalacy again. My parents-in-law house has not fared well. They are still without sewage and have a port-a-loo in their street for all to use. They do have power - they got that on Saturday - they got water late in the week. But with each aftershock more cracks appear.

I think there are enough images world wide for all to see the destruction. But here are some of the back yard of my parents in law.

But in the midst of it all was the perfect sign of spring, the most amazing bunch or beautiful daffodils.

It seems very strange to be going back to normal knowing that so many people will not be near normal for 12-18 months.

No photos

Oh my goodness. for the last three weeks I have been so busy that I have just been keeping my photos on my camera and keep meaning to get around to blogging them all. Well finally went to download them all and the memory card is corrupt and I have lost the photos.
So you will have to imagine photos of the boys at QE11 swimming, the boys with the all-blacks at a special kids training day here, and us all at the All Blacks game here in CHCH.
Boo hoo.

My Orange Peel

Every year I wait for the NZ Orange season. They are amazing, delicious, sharp and tangy. I never buy imported ones. I have made peel a couple of times using a recipe from my sister Ruth. It has often been a bit sticky and need to be stored in the freezer. This year I put a bit more sugar in and have incredible results.

As you eat oranges save the peel (I think I had about 10 oranges) remove all pith and then thinly slice. Into a pot put the peel and enough water to cover. Use equal quantities of sugar to water. Heat on low temp until sugar all dissolved. Then bring to the simmer and simmer for 15 minutes, stir occaisionally. Turn it off and leave in the pot. Next day bring to simmer for 15 mins, turn it off and leave it in the pot. Next day the same, stiring occaisionally. Next day the same but stir frequently and when the sugar starts to cristalise (Sp?) keep stiring. Once looking like being set tip it onto baking paper on the bench. As it cools start separating the strands by banging it with a wooden spoon. You end up with beautiful transuculent peel and sugar that tastes amazing. Store in a jar. It will not be soft or soggy.

The Army Party

Eli wanted his party at the airforce museum. It was great. They learnt to salute, march, do PT, jump out of planes etc. Fantastic boys stuff. The person leading the party was not amused when the boys kept talking of the "army party" they were having. She kept having to say AIRFORCE!!!

He Turns Five

Yes Eli is now five. Pictures of the very cool bike that Gran and Pop gave him and the birthday cake that we made.

The school holidays

As usual the boys get up to interesting things. This school holidays it was all about pirates. They spent $2 and for that they got a gun, an eye patch and a pirate earring. Eli then discovered a wet suit in the cupboard and kept insisting that we go swimming in the sea. He gave great demo's of how he would dive into the water

My Quilting Day

Two weekends ago when Aaron was in the USA I got a chance to go on a course with two amazing ladies from Australia.

Rosalie Quinlan from Melly and Me fame and also her own designs.www.rosaliequinlandesigns.typepad.com and another lady that she works with heaps - Leanne.

These ladies are amazing. I had the most amazing day. Learnt lots, how to needleturn applique,how to balance a quilt that you are designing. Anyway it was thrilling. I will have pictures of my projects on here in the future.

But until then here are a couple

of pictures of their stuff.

Eli's school visit

Well Eli has been going to Kaiapoi North for school visits. But he will not wear his normal clothes and has to wear his uniform. Here is Mr independant - I had to deal with something for Jakob and Eli took his lunchbox off me and said"you go and deal with Jakob, I will go to my class". Off he went. When the bell went I got back to the classroom and there he was, on the mat ready to go.

Recession Busters - The big revamp

ell this month we all started with an object from home to redo or from an opshop.

Kylie had a duvet from Save Mart that she turned into a cover for her enormous floor cushions. Very canny it was too as she left the bottom with the domes to take it off and on the cushion for washing and just cut it down the other three sides. She was the first to finish - but yet again my camera went --------- and the finished article shot was corrupted. I think the card is corrupt at that point as it has happened before at the same number of photos.

Paula bought a gorgeous blind from the "free shop" took all the stitching out, washed it and turned it into a gorgeous floor cushion cover with lovely backing. As not having sewn for many many years it was great to see the finished article at the end of the night.

Steff started with a bit of left over curtain material from her bedroom and commenced her first ever Roman Blind - not something that you can finish in a night (unless you are some kind of wonder woman!!!)

Penny started with shirt/dress that she loved. Got rid of the shirt style bottom and made is straight. Made a cummerbund belt out of a different colour for the waist (looked almost japanese like) and was still doing bits as we left. So no finished photos.

I started with a table cloth I got for $3 at the local opshop and turned it into an apron in a style that I had seen last Xmas at a shop in Thames. the pocket had to be sewn on at home the next day - just pined in these photos.

I have missed one person's efforts altogether but she was knitting. We were all impressed and I will keep you in suspense until we get to see the finished article and try it ourselves.

 

recession busters - the slippers

Well a month later the slippers were either a hit or a flop. Well not literally. We all loved the slippers. Now there are small kids ones being made, ones for aunties, neices, sons, the list goes on............. Some of us are knitters and some are not but we all had a go.

Next up - watch this space for a gorgeous head warmer for girls, not quite a hat  - this was started being knitted by Kylie's mum when we were sewing this week and I am waiting with baited breath for the pattern.

the boys going to bed

I was in the middle of watching a programme on TV the other night so told the boys to get into bed and they could read a book until I came to tuck them in.

I went looking for Jakob and he was not in bed. About to get angry at him I went in to see Eli and look what I found. Now how can you get upset with that?

Gorgeous soup from the winter garden.

I love bacon, barley and bay soup. So picked all the veges from the garden and made a delicious soup. What a good haul from a garden in winter. The fejoas make a gorgeous after soup snack.

Foraging - Waikari - Northern Canterbury

While on the railway walkway in Waikari I found an apple tree and what could either be a pear or an apple - i will have to study up on what trees look like!! Often along railway lines there used to be fruit trees springing up. From passengers eating fruit and then throwing the cores out the window.

Hodgie Podgie day

2 years ago we created our own family tradition. When we set a Hodgie Podgie day we have a direction only that we go in. There is no destination set and no time set. Anyone has the right to yell "Hodgie Podgie" if there is something interesting they want to do or see or turn off to. The kids have as much right as an adult.

This has gotten us to see some amazing things in our areas and have some absolutely awesome days. Winter we always take the thermette and hot drink things and bread for toasting over the fire. Summer we always take togs etc.

We have headed to Hanmer and ended up staying a night, we have gone Akaroa way, we have headed into South and gotten as far as Ashburton, We have gone north and ended up at Gore Bay.

Today we headed towards Hawarden. We often drive pass the turn off and have never gone exploring. First Hodgie Podgie call out was Waipara as I had heard about a place that had railway carraiges to sleep in. What a find! http://www.waiparasleepers.co.nz/ . After a good look there we continued driving to the next little settlement. There we walked the old railway walk through the back of the town and then came back via the road, had an icecream and then went toward Hawarden. From there we went towards Lake Sumner but the gravel windy road that we thought would take 20 mins to half an hour was at least three times that long. So once we hit the south branch of the Hurunui we stopped for hot food. (it was meant to be lunch but it was 3pm).

We came back via a back road that came out near State Highway 7 and the Hurunui Pub and had a pub dinner $9.90 roast and came home. Excellent fun day out.

Places to stay

yesterday when out on a family Hodgie Podgie day we found the best, cheap, local accomodation for a getaway. http://www.waiparasleepers.co.nz/ A very cool backpackers that has onsite caravans, cabins but the coolest of all is that it is based around an old railway idea. There are four railway caraiges that are set up as either bunkrooms or doubles. They have four beds or a double but the guards area is turned into a mini lounge with the original train seats, fridge, toaster, jug and tv. So very cool. The boys and i are going to stay when Aaron is in USA so will update with photos etc later.
Some of the cabins are old railway items and the kitchen dining area is the station waiting room. There is fresh bread every morning from a breadmaker in the kitchen and in the summer there is veges from the garden or "free fresh eggs available at chickens convenience". We were quoted a price of $60 for the family in a carraige. Very cool!!!!

Charity Quilting

Once a month anyone who is interested comes to my house for an evening and we do quilting. At the moment we are doing quilts for Hope Homes International. Hope Homes International This is a orphanage in El Dorat in Kenya, which is set up for the children to live and learn life skills they would have learnt if being brought up in their own house. They go to a private school as public schools have up to 60 children in a classroom, then they live in houses on a five acre block. They have house cows for calf raising, a chicken raising area which gives them eggs and extra money selling adult eating chickens to the community. They have goats for milking, huge maize growing and are currently filling a pond with fish for eating and selling. Eventually it should have five houses, housing 10 kids each with a mum and dad employed in each house. Currently there are two houses.
The quilting current aim to give a quilt to each child. We have nearly finished two quilt tops.

This is Jeanette and Karen G hard at work last night.

Recreate - What a find

Well, yesterday on the way home from Rugby at Mandeville, I finally stopped at a shop that I had meant to go and look at ever since it opened about one and a half years ago. The Barn on Giles, which is on Giles Road, just out of Kaiapoi. The Barn on Giles

My goodness the things I have missed out on. It was so me. Button necklaces, pieces of material, retro feather duvets and blankets, mosaics, re-upholstered chairs like mine. A veritable treasure trove of ideas.
I am going back when I get some time to myself and I am taking everyone who comes to visit me.
They also are so into reusing and recycling that they sell rolls of wallpaper. but it is what they do with it in the shop. If you buy something it gets packaged into a lovely bag with string handle and cut out picture (mine was a dove). The bag is the width of a wall paper roll, folded over and sewn down the two sides, then with holes punched in the top. The cut it is old paint swatches that are from colours the paint shop is no longer doing. How cool is that!!!!

Recession busting ladies - here we go - idea city!!

What we do on a Saturday night.

Like many people we watch some TV or a movie, not always, just sometimes. Only at the moment we are watching more. We have just gotten an HDMI system and as you can get it to record things you like (the whole series not just the day) we now have far far far tooooooo much TV to watch. Before I would miss 3/4 of the programmes I wanted to watch. Now I have to sit down for two hours every other night ( slight exageration, but it wouldn't be so good a story) to see all the veiwing we have recorded.

I looked over and what did I see???? But this. Who could resist taking photos of a blissed out Morris?

Jakob - player of the day

On Saturday Jakob got "player of the day" at rugby. He was thrilled. More thrilled I think with all the goodies they gave him, than with anything else!

Recreate - yet another stool

Well this rainy Sunday afternoon I have spent remaking a bar stool. I purchasesd it from the Salvation Army store for $4. I nearly didn't buy it as the chrome was just pinpricks of rust and the condition of the seat was gastly. Isn't it funny what you umm and ahh about. Don't even think about filling the car with 65litres of petrol but I stew over whether to spend $4 or not!!!!

but it has been a hit. Eli absolutely loves sitting on it at the kitchen bench and doing things with me or helping to cook or just keeping me company and reading a book while I am doing dinner.

Because the chrome was not that flash I was not prepared to spend any money on it. I used the left overs from my previous stools and had enought floral, chrome tacks to complete the task. I scrubbed the chrome twice. Once with a kitchen scrub and once with a steelo. It has improved it beyond what I thought it would. Aaron is not thrilled. He wanted something funky and cool. So if anyone has any stools like this I would love to get another one so that there is no fighting for the boys as to who gets the seat.

I am very pleased with the result. Before photo is the red one.