Settling In...and Happy Easter, Anzac Day and All!

A new hollyhock colour sprouted from seed! Already flowering too.

An Easter Hello! to you all out there who are waiting for the Easter Bunny...I hope he has a good map marked with a big X for your place...
Not us, the Easter Bunny forgot this year, but has been busy collecting knitting - gloves and legwarmers and hats, so maybe there will be some hidden chocolate goodies somewhere amongst the wool :)
So not like us, not to have chocolate at Easter, and we didnt even have Hot X buns this year... I dont know why we missed the usual traditions, perhaps it was budget related, more than likely it was because weve been busier this week than most. Or so it seems...

Flowering Basil plants, smell heavenly!

Dill, has rallied beautifully since planted

Dear little fluffy lettuce seed heads wait to be plucked...

Its rained ALOT. The kids have been cooped up and are obviously sick of it, and today it was gorgeous weather, and they still stayed inside - TV had all the kids movies on, and they moseyed between being in the Garden playing and lying out on the bed in my room, watching cartoons and movies, culminating in watching our favourite Forest Gump tonight. Love it. Coffee, Bikkies and Forest Gump.
This week Ive been knitting, and Im enjoying getting some practical use out of my creative ends. Arlais has some new Easter mittens, Im doing some leg warmers to match and the boys have put orders in for balaclavas each...

Still plenty of tomatoes tucked away, growing nicely, still colouring up for picking...

Not a lot to report, we ate Butter chicken tonight, inside I snuck our own veges - still lots growing out there, to my amazement... Some peas, silver beet, some basil and some parsley, and our own tomatoes too.


One Plane, Some Planks and our favourite PJs complete with Gummies = FUN!


Well I hope things settle down weatherwise. It is so nice to be able to go and stroll around the garden and enjoy the warmth of the sunshine... I love these last sunny stretches in between the lumps of rain and wind, soon to be snowy sleet...

Love them!

Thats all for now. Not alot of news to be had.
Easter is for Family here, so from my Family to Yours,
Happy Easter,
Thinking of you on ANZAC DAY too.

Love,
EButterfly
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All At Sea... Post Quakey Blues?... Lost my Lustre.

Ever made plans that, no matter what you do, just dont work out?
My week has been like that so far. Im not really *blue* about it, just kinda lavender, bordering on a blue.. :) but I do wonder how things will pan out.

I have my son still at home from school. A good opportunity, now that Ive caught up on bills and stocked up, to go somewhere for a short stay out of town... or so youd think...
So, I decided we would go out to the Farm. But no. Things just dont seem to go my way... so we are stuck at home. Pointless going out to spend time on the farm when it is raining as much as it is at present...
The kids are disappointed. Im the worst Mum in the world... and I feel a bit at Sea at the moment.
Enter the idea of Movies and Popcorn. Nope, fail.
Or perhaps a walk through the nearest mall - Northlands... Nope. Fail.
Not a lot on, its post-quake, its mid-week, and there isnt a lot to choose from...
Might be time to extend the crafts box and get some new paintings underway or something...Hehe we have plenty of broken crockery for Mosaics?

Still. We have all our pets home, our house is intact, our family is together, and we are complete.
Lots to be grateful for in the bigger picture. Im going to remind them of this.
Miss 4 is wearing my boots. Stomping... Survival boots Mum, she says.
She is also carrying a new little handbag, in the shape of a tiny corset, and her newest My Little Pony, who she has named Rockstar. All set for Survival, indeed.

Mr 10 has cleaned his room in the hope that he will earn some extra dosh this week. He has a new first aid kit that he bought with his own hard-earned money. And a solar shower, he is itching to try it out. However, now he wants to buy a bottle of arnica and some lavender oil. He has been reading up what might be useful in an emergency. Im so proud, he loves learning, loves reading... and has taken to the emergency preparation really well. He has some homework still to complete, but is loving being at home.

After the 5.1 the other night, yesterday around town was BUSY! There were EQC people in groups of three in their bright dayglo orange vests everywhere, rechecking buildings. The general idea was to have things checked before business commences, due to the Damage On Damage thing. No stories of any collapses, although the Linwood/Aldwins Rd corner is looking particular fragile, it needs to come down, rumour has it that will happen on Wednesday - Tomorrow! The roads are particularly bumpy, and the bumps are particularly difficult to see at any speed, so its a crawl, which is fine. The people in the houses on these badly affected streets just dont need speeding vehicles... so Im like a road-turtle if I have to travel at all.

Ahh well, thats me for today.

Lost my Lustre somewhere, but itll pick up.
Theres plenty of good to look for, and Im sure this is a temporary reshuffling feeling, this sea sick, post quake bluesy feeling... Bring on the better stuff. Im ready.
I know there are plenty of people feeling the same way...
Take time to enjoy your family, smell the flowers, smile, love and be at peace...
Love and Big Hugs

E Butterfly
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