Cat-astrophes and doodle-bugging Hair-Raisers

Pre-Loved Art
We have some pre-loved art hanging on our walls, like this beautiful wooden platter with inlaid shell and bone in intricate patterns.  I picked up 3, all very different patterns, for $2 each, at an Opp shop.  I am guessing they are Moroccan or African.  Perhaps someone can put me right here.  They invoke the sense of rich ethnic time-honoured  crafts passed down from generation to generation.

Inlaid shell and bone platters

Cat-astrophes

Lately our cat has been scratching and preening more than normal.  After a while, I become concerned with her over-grooming habits and tried to stop her.  I became aware that she had developed little bumps all over where she was biting the fur.  Knowing that it was not fleas (for the first time in 5 years, I applied a horrible conventional flea treatment, delivered over 2 consecutive months.  Was it nervous habit or was she just nibbling the irritated bits as they were bugging her?  Not sure.

One night, I was sitting by the fireside when I had a eureka moment.  A cat collar!  I remembered how she had had a cat cuff after surgery to stop her from pulling at the stitches, so I hastily reached for the plastic sheet that I had collected from a lamination shop, cut a big circle, with a smaller one on the inside and then cutting down from the outside to connect the middle one.  I overlapped the two pieces till it formed a cone around her head and taped it in place.

I expected her to freak out and scratch it off but it made her calm down and she simply went and laid in her box (my cat loves boxes!).  I left it on for 3 nights but then took it off as it seemed a little cruel.  She would bump into things a lot.  And not be able to get passed an object in her way.  It was a little tragic-comic and we had a few belly laughs watching her bump, reverse, forward march, bump, reverse etc.  She seems to have stopped that excessive grooming now, and the fur hasn't regrown yet.  But a great, cheap solution to incessant cat grooming.  

"Not sure about this............"

"May as well just sleep it away......"

Doodling:

I have the Doodle-bug.  My friend Sue in Fiji, gave me a book entitled: "Art.  Doodle.  Love."  It is like an adult's activity book, with provocations on each page.  I am having SUCH fun!  The inner child is smiling - I have a newly purchased pack of metallic gel pens which are such a blast to play around with!  I forgot how I love to colour in!  I have been dedicated to being true to myself and giving myself a half hour creative time every now and then.  I am sure I will become more creative as the book progresses - right now it is all about words and symbols.  It slows me down.  A lot.  Allows me to think and just be.

I highly recommend a little inner-child time for all!

Love.  Peace. Travel.

Sunshine.  Family.  Grow.

Hair-Raising:

My daughter came home one day with her hair on fire!  Her friend is practising to be a hairdresser and needed a hair model for a competition.  So with her Flame Girl look, she headed off in her little Jellybean car for the Hamilton Hair Comp.  Only thing is, she didn't quite make it.  It was raining, and she negotiated the treacherous Kaimai pass only to take a bend on the flat, sliding out in the wet conditions and colliding side-on with a one day old brand-spanking new Jeep Cherokee!  We got the call from Matatmata police.  The car needed extensive work and they weren't about to let her drive it.  We picked her up and after taking a photo of her between the two policemen (she was taller than both), we drove back to Tauranga and celebrated her being alive, with a meal at a Mexican restaurant!  Luckily she is a good little saver (best parental advice) and was able to pay for her car to be fixed. The driver's door and front is a nice contrasting green to the little red Jellybean body. Quite an eye-catching revamp!  Like her hair.

Below is what we were doing when the call from the police came in:  swapping our weekly reflexology sessions.  At least we were calm and relaxed on the ride over to Matamata!  She commented on how calm we had taken the news!

Reflexology room with Infra-red lamp

Tragedy:

My favourite orange tree has died!  Sob!  Not sure why.  This is the last of the harvest which dropped prematurely as the leaves just shriveled up and died.  Odd.  But that's gardening for you - some things can't be explained.  They just are.  Accept and move on!

Last orange harvest

Our orange tree that was, now a  garden sculpture.

Success:

The rest of the garden is coming up daffodils (still - the late ones).  I have been harvesting yacon.  A beautiful sweet apple/nut/potato tasting root vegetable that is a great addition to salads or cooked in stews and soups.  It has a high sugar content, but because the sugars are complex, the body can't process them properly, making them ideal for diabetics.  Sweet without the nasty after-effects.

Our peas have sprung into urgent fruiting action.  What a treat to grab a few fat pods on the way past, and gobble down the delicate orbs of sweet goodness!  Like a lolly from the lolly shop! Guilt-free!

Pea trellis

Small pods can be eaten like snowpeas.

Peas make the perfect vegetable lolly for the kids garden

Fond Farewells:

So much has happened in the last couple of weeks!  The biggest change is that we have given up our chooks.  Lux and Blackboy had only just begun to lay eggs (2 a day) but they had also just begun to make a hellava racket!  We had swapped them for our old bantam hens who we thought were noisy.  We had hoped these girls would be the quiet sort - but not!  Mike and I were becoming really paranoid that the neighbours would complain!  So it was decided that a new home need be sought - did not take long!  One of my kindy kid's mums took them the day I asked.  They have a couple of hectares and they say they have not noticed them being noisy at all!  They also promised they wouldn't end up in the pot.  It was with mixed feelings we parted - I loved the idea of having chooks to help in the garden but hated the noise!  "Paaaaaak!  Paaaa-aaak!"

It's been much quieter here the last week.

Good bye Blackboy!

 Blackboy Beauty

Spring!!

And where would Spring be, without the characteristic daffies?  Such a lovely sight.  We have had daffodils flowering from mid-winter, it's been a mild winter.  There are already blossoms on our peach and plum tree!  I declare, I do feel a spring in my step!  Happy Spring New Zealand!

Sock it to me!

Reality hits hard!  All holidays must end.  Good-bye tropical island and balmy weather (even when it's stormy).  Hello New Zealand.  Hello Winter.  Hello cold-chapped lips.  It's no surprise then, when I returned home from Fiji, I immediately took up the challenge to learn a new skill - sock knitting.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.

An upside down fire; a girl's best friend.
Begin by putting your fat wood logs down below, pile smaller ones on top,
add fire-lighters and light.  Then....Walk away....!

An upside down fire within 5 minutes!

Our local Resource Centre runs adult education classes, amongst other great services.  I spied a knitting and crochet course being advertised.  Mmmmn, now my knitting skills stretch to humble scarves and beanies.  The latter item being one that I have flogged to death!  Made several for family members, friends and even to sell in our shop at kindergarten.  But finally one must concede to raise the bar in skill sets, so hence the sock class.

Well now, what was not evident in the advertising blurb, was that a certain level of skill is required to knit socks!  And there is of course, the cost!  Take the class cost (2 evenings @ $20) plus the cost of the needles and wool (merino+possum fur wool = $50 - I kid you not!), and these will be the most expensive socks I ever wore (if I manage to complete them!).  Soon after enrollment  last weekend, we passed a wool shop advertising 2 pairs of merino/possum socks for $35!!  Bloody hell!  Would've saved my purse and sanity had I just gone for that deal!  Anyway, I must try and complete this little project, even if I never knit another pair in my life!

3 week old project

Knitting socks on 4 x size 2.5 needles, using 2 ply wool, is an exercise in utmost dexterity and skill.  Both seem to be lacking, in my case.  The tutor explained that knitting is purely maths. 
I hunched over my toothpick-sized needles and groaned inwardly.  Maths has never been my strong forte'.  In fact, we were told to cast on 60 stitches, then to knit 20 onto each of the 3 needles (get the point - it is all maths!!).  Then we had to knit a row and continue - well, after knitting the first row, I realised I only had 19 stitches on one needle, so I simply sneaked one off the next needle and happily proceeded to knit the next needle of 20 stitches - hang on!  I counted only 19!  So again, I sneaked a stitch off the next needle - it seemed I kept on stealing a stitch to make up 20!  Really frustrating!  Recounted all the stitches - blast!  Only 59 stitches!!

Sock-knitting requires the patience of Buddha himself!!

I did not want to unpick my first 3 rows, where I had sneaked a stitch each time, so I boldly declared I would cast on the missing stitch and solve the dilemma I was facing.  The tutor rushed to my aid, and said it was perhaps not a good idea, as I might create a hole in the top of the sock.  Undaunted, I said, "that will be my sock air-vent!".  She saw I meant business, shrugged and said: "Okay."  But I guess in her books, it is definitely not okay.  So, here I am, with knitting homework I have to complete by Wednesday night (our second class).  I phoned another sock mate to get the next set of instructions last night - her homework is already finished!  So, once I have knitted the required number of rows, I suggested I swing by her place and she can show me the part labelled as "forming the heel flap".  There's a whole lot of instructions, with numbers and my eyes and brain can't be trusted to follow through.   Hopefully, I shall present on Wednesday night, half-sock in hand!

Back to the garden, we have been clearing weeds and preparing beds for the Spring planting.  I sowed some seeds on the weekend, keeping them indoors to survive the cold early morning and evening temperature drops and within 3-5 days, they had all raised their little green heads - so exciting!

Little Mibuna seedlings emerging

P.S

I have never, ever learned such a difficult task as sock knitting before!  I hate to be beaten and I am desperately clinging to my sanity, and sock knitting is definitely NEVER going to be my thang!  I'd much rather try multiple facial piercing than take up sock knitting as a hobby.  Stick me in the eye with the knitting needles!  It is driving me balmy! 3 weeks later and I am still on the first sock. I just can't seem to follow the instructions and ALWAYS have more or less stitches than I am supposed to have!  Bugger!

The painting masterpiece painted by all 4 members of our family,
simultaneously, about 6 years ago.  Such fun!

I think I am going to finish this sock, whatever it takes........ and then I'm going to frame it!!  Just like the family masterpiece above.  

Perhaps I'll enjoy the crochet class more, that I've signed up for in 2 weeks time.  At least there is only one crochet hook vs these 4 little toothpick-sized needles!  Do the maths!


Post Update 6.10.13:
Finally!  I have finished the little buggers!  Took a long time to make and for a nano-second when I had finished, I thought, maybe I should make another pair - then "Nah!".

The finished product

One of the most difficult projects I have gotten my brain around!
Never again!

Nature Watching in Fiji

Amazing jewelesque colours of the waters and reefs around the islands

This is less a blog and more of a photo album sharing.  I just had to share some of our images from Fiji.  We did a lot of nature-watching on Taveuni Island.  The following are images to remind us of the beauty of tropical fauna and flora.

My all-time favourite:  frangipani

The large variety of hibiscus (or is that hibisci?  Nope, Google tells me it's hibiscus or hibiscuses) on the islands is mind-blowing.  I love these beautiful short-lived flowers and grow a few hardier types at home.  After losing all 8 of mine to frost 1 year ago, I have planted my replacements in big pots, all ensconced in the warm inside solarium this winter.

A tiny little hibiscus with a long stamen

Bigger hibiscus

A stunning big flamboyant pink hibiscus
Reminds me of a flamingo

A pink hibiscus with brightly coloured stigma and stamens

I have a similiar coloured hibiscus at home

A stunning lotus flower, with fly.

A lot of the flora is very similiar to that we saw on Rarotonga.  Given that Fiji is a little further away from the equator than Raro, I guess the weather patterns are  still similiar enough to makes sense that the flora would be similiar. 

Amazing protea-like flower

(Please forgive my lack of botanical knowledge.  I welcome botany expertise.)  

The beautiful flowering pineapple!

Looks like a flower that Dr Seuss would have drawn!
Reminds me of seeing eyes peeping on the other flowers.

Another stunning flower.  There is also another deeper, darker cerise cousin to this one.

Another variety similiar to Dr Seuss's one above

Beautiful variations on the Bird of Paradise type of flower
which reminds me of gymnasts balancing on top of one another.

  

Great colourful red-toned leafy blooms contrast with all the greenery

 There was time to also spy on some fauna - some sadly, I wasn't quick enough to capture on camera.

Fat little crabby guy

A favourite bird for both Mike and I, is the stunningly colourful kingfisher.  We always get such a thrill seeing these gorgeous characters of Greek mythological fame, found almost everywhere we have ever visited.  There are always one or two on the bird walk here in our village but I have never been able to photograph the camera-shy birds till purchasing my pre-Fiji, new, super-smart Nikon camera! I used to have a great Minolta camera back when I was a student.  I loved nothing better than to sit quietly working out the best option for capturing the essence of the moment.  When it died a technical death, I was devastated, purchasing my momo aim-and-shoot digital which served me well up until now.  I am super-stoked over my new powerful-zoom shooting-eye!  It allowed me to preserve the moment in minute detail - kingfishers unaware of my spying eyes!

Beautiful Kingfisher

Capturing some of the coral on Natadola beach

Beautiful butterfly flutters by - so many different varieties flitting by faster than reaching for the camera could possibly allow!

Zooming in to spy on this little guy at Lavena

The teeniest gecko I've seen, on a banana

The ugly sisters... cane toads imported from Australia
They unfortunately eat the indigenous guys!

The fruit and veg selection in Fiji boggles the mind!  And it is all very, very affordable.  Some haggling may be necessary but mostly, we were more than happy to pay the asking price!  Shopping at one of the fruit and veg markets is such a pleasure - buying as "nature intended".  There is so much variety, a vegetarian paradise!  We had to limit ourselves, we felt like kids in a candy store!    Some stall-holders were slightly amused by our ooohs and aaaahs. Just wholesome, sun-ripened food.

Bananas of every size...lovely and sweet.  Lettuce and beans in the background.

Pineapples and watermelons - the more pricier items, given it was the Fiji winter!

Chillis - a small bowlful for F$1!

Sun-ripened eggplants were plentiful and very very cheap!  F$1 per plate!  

Green coconuts (not shown) and brown coconuts

It was quite thrilling to buy sugar in Fiji, grown and processed in Fiji!  Such wonderful stuff - there was no "white death" around (highly processed stuff), only lovely golden sugar.  As nature intended.

Sugarcane!  Trucks laden with the freshly cut canes.

Right, back to reality!  Got to get started on Spring seed planting and preparing the ground for growing some of these lovely foods we found in Fiji, right here in our own backyard.  There are 2 bunches of bananas out back, they should ripen up nicely in time for Summer!  Bring on the sunshine!!