Sunday 31 October 2021

Wants and needs

I thought I'd sorted out years ago the difference between wants and needs and when my children were teenagers I mastered the art of explaining the difference quite succinctly.

Yet during the week I found myself totally convincing myself that my want, my desire, my craving to see my son and his little daughter had become a need.  And for a brief few hours I wasn't functioning as normal, I behaved like a teenager denied a Saturday night party.  Luckily there was no-one around to witness my mini hissy fit, my angry ranting about our bloody government and their 'need' to keep our borders locked so tightly, denying their citizens who live elsewhere the right to come home.  I really did let my frustration get the better of me.  My admonition to myself to 'let it go' made no difference, the very thought that I have no control over the situation just riled me more.

To distract myself I decided to go for a drive to the nearest cafe and have coffee and cake.  And take photos of the countryside to remind myself I have so much for which I should be thankful.  However, it seemed even Zeus was on my side, I drove into a storm.  Although it did me good to stop on the roadside and take in the rural scenes, the rainy day photos aren't the best.

 

Even the spring flowers seemed to be having a bad day.

It really wasn't my best day.  The absolutely decadent looking cake I chose for myself, giving the fingers to healthy eating and anything else that could be associated with what I should or should not do or feel, was horrible.

And that nearly sent me to the point of hysteria, I thought it was so funny. 

I felt better immediately.

Monday 18 October 2021

Harbourside

I've been saved from dwelling on the demise of the English language by a weekend at the beach.  I was first told I had antiquated views of the use of English over thirty years ago, so it's unlikely to be the last time it occupies my thoughts seeing as my views haven't changed.

My daughter has been the other member of my bubble during our Covid lockdown and this weekend instead of her visiting me to see if I'm OK, I went to stay with her.  Her current house-sit is my favourite of all the places she's stayed.  It's right on the harbour beachfront, not the flashest of houses, its design is a bit higgly-piggly but it has a feeling of home for me.  

Thanks to a lovely friend who offered to call in to feed my two cats, I stayed two nights and now feel like I've had two week's holiday. 

And because of very changeable weather the view out the front of the house was constantly changing.   I could probably claim to have seen the four seasons in two days.  No, not really, although the wind was extremely fresh from time to time it was never cold.

When I arrived on Saturday white caps were racing across the harbour.

The little boats out front were bobbing around and I spent most of the day on Sunday, when rain came along to accompany the wind, worrying about that little boat on the right.  I thought it was sitting too low on the water. 

 

It was fine.

  

Last night the wind and rain really strengthened but it was all blown over by this morning when the harbour was as calm as usual, sun shining and the little boat added to the charm of the place.


 

A boat came down the channel and looked to be heading out to sea but it just did a quick tour around the anchored boats before returning to the marina.  Some sort of harbour watch I guess.


I had a quick stroll along the beachfront before returning home.  Correction, a short, slow stroll.  There were a few people out enjoying the sunshine. 





Lately I've had a hankering to feel the wind of a west coast beach on my face.  That would not have been acceptable under the current Covid level but that changes from tomorrow night, so that's where I'll be heading in the next few days. 

Monday 11 October 2021

Pegs and pins

I can't remember the details of the chit chat but somewhere along the line I promised to make a bed for little Lexis' doll.  She's just turned five and has a plethora of toys at home but only one doll (a mermaid) at my house.  I didn't stop to think that I no longer have a bottomless supply of craft materials, I gave it all away when I downsized with the move into town last year.  Couldn't even find an old shoebox.  (Shoe boxes have endless potential!)

Thanks to pegs and a glue gun (thank heavens I didn't part with that) I managed something resembling a bed. 


Then using an old sheet, part of which had already been used for something else, and the stuffing from outdoor chair covers which I never use - and lots of pins - wallah, I had a mattress.  A bit lumpy, perhaps.  Surely she won't notice that.  You'll be relieved to hear I did sew it together.  The old fashioned way with needle and thread, hand sewn with love.

 

I must remember to ring my friend, Chris and tell her I misappropriated some of the material she gave me to make beeswax food wraps to make a bed cover and cover a bit more of the chair cover stuffing for the pillow.   

Happiness if enjoying the simple thing in life.  Yes, indeed.

Gee, I hope she likes it because I made two of them.  One for her home and one for here.  The other one had to be a double bed because that was the only other box I could find.  It has a warm blanket, too.


Both beds need some sheets. I think I might have to splash out and buy some material for that.

Hold on, I've just had a thought.  A cotton handerchief should do the trick.  She won't know what it is.  She belongs to the tissue generation.

Thursday 7 October 2021

Low tide, Whangarei Harbour

It seems like a long time ago although it was just 7 years ago.  When I was a working girl and had something resembling a social life, I often had an hour or two to fill between knock off time and social engagements.  If I just wanted to sit quietly by myself, my favourite go to place was down the harbour towards the port.  Yesterday, when I saw it was low tide, I had an urge to re-visit, I always liked this spot best when the tide was out.  Back then rarely was there anyone around, now I couldn't even gain access, the area is chained off.

So I went a bit further along the road and then had a short walk to get these shots.

 

My new camera and I were travelling to Taranaki back in July when my trip was cut short by a health scare and I returned unexpectedly home.  Yesterday I finally remembered to get a new memory card for my old camera.  Now, I've just got to remember to take it with me when I leave the house.


Sunday 3 October 2021

Hooray for the older persons

The International Day of Older Persons was yesterday.  I think.  I'm one of that number now and have the bad memory to prove it.  It’s meant to raise the awareness of the issues and challenges of ageing in today’s world.  But I'm not here to moan about all that.

This year’s theme ‘Digital Equity for All Ages’ reinforces the need for access and meaningful participation in the digital world by older people.  It's aim is to increase older persons trust and confidence in carrying out online activities.  So here I am doing my bit, doing it while I remember how.

And I'm never averse to sharing one of the great the joys of my advanced years, in this case my little great-grand-daughter, Lexis.  Here she is with a little surprise I had waiting for her, a pretty little mermaid who she named Alexander.  I suggested it might be Alexandra but she poo pooed that idea. And she didn't much like the idea of Alexander being a mermaid so her tail had to be removed and Lexis and I undertook our first joint venture of designing and making her a new skirt "that she could walk in'.  She's a practical child, could see no sense in having a tail. 

Lexis and her mother were at my place for haircuts from my daughter.  More of a trim than a cut but she didn't appreciate the difference and was more than a little concerned.  But she trusts her "Aunty Lone" and was a model client.

This was her second haircut, the first was also in my dining room, same hairdresser. 

She's losing her babyish look, growing so fast.  Off to school in the new year.  Ah, well.

I'm a bit late to the party for Mental Health Awareness Week which finishes today.  As I said in my previous post, I was feeling a bit unhinged last week but having that lovely connected feeling with my daughter, grand-daughter and g-g-daughter has put all that to rest.  Finding happiness in the simple things.

Friday 1 October 2021

The seasons

 “It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” ~Mark Twain 

I feel slightly unhinged. I blame spring.

  

My memory travels down seasonal paths.

What’s that?  What restaurant?  Oh, yeah!  When were we last there?  I remember it was cold, windy, too.  Was it September?  I remember wearing the green coat, the one with the fabulous collar.  And Di wore a short sleeved dress and sandals, impatient for summer to arrive. How did she stay warm?  Oooh, and around the same time, do you remember that farewell do at the restaurant by the harbour before it changed hands?  Lisa was there.  She wore those really high heels, the red pair; she came to regret that choice around the end of her third drink.

'People' has become a season.  I remember hanging out with people, sometimes in large groups.  We sat next to each other, laughing out  loud into each other’s faces.  Sometimes we hugged and kissed each other's cheeks.

Now it's spring.  The sun rises, falls.  Little changes.  When did I last take time with my hair?  Was it yesterday?  Was it last week?   Does it matter?  

hear people.  Sometimes I even see people. There are people just over that fence, walking to and from the sports-grounds, exercising their dogs, sometimes even in pairs talking to each other.   

But are they present?  They don't seem so to me while so much of them is hidden.  I seem to have to get up close to see what the eyes are saying behind the masks.  And that makes so many uncomfortable that I must desist.
 
People on TV.  I can see all their faces  but they annoy me with the ease with which they remove their masks so elegantly.  I want at least one to get their hair twisted in the elastic.