Sweet Mary

Last night I ran a Sweet Mary stall along with a dozen or so other stall holders as part of a fundraiser for a local kindy. All the stalls looked great and the people visiting were lovely but it wasn't the greatest night in the way of sales. What was great was talking to people who stopped by my stall and getting myself in the mood and fired up for the fairs to come over the spring and summer. The next one for me is The Central Hawkes Bay Festival. I will be one of many stalls at the Pukeora Estate from Sept. 3-6. It promises to be fabulous! Click here for details. Annie balancing effortlessly on a fence post watching the sheep... The sheep watching us watching them. Not sure what the lambs are nibbling on but it must have been something delicious. We are surrounded by apple orchards and each spring a few sheep and their lambs are left in the paddock and feijoa orchard to eat grass and generally tidy up and feed the vegetation. This is the view from my kitchen window - not bad.

Last Saturday we drove over the Gentle Annie to stay a couple of nights at my godson's holiday home in Ohakune . We drove past the beautiful Mount Ruapehu at about six in the evening and stopped to take this photo. The first of many that we took over our two days of rest and relaxation and one slightly challenging walk. Its not far, my husband said, and very easy! Last Monday, we drove home again to be welcomed, late afternoon, by this gorgeous autumn scene on the driveway leading to the house. Last Wednesday, I finished the quilt for baby Isabelle and posted it off on Friday. Last Friday, yesterday, Nic and I had a drive out to The Paper Mulberry Cafe for a fix of their excellent date scones. Their coffee is very good too. We sat outside, at a table that was once an old blue door, the sun shining on a perfect autumn day with views across the countryside. At that point, life seemed pretty good. Last week sometime, I started to pick up and eat the feijoas from the orchard - ...