This Old House... Clearing the Way... Spring Forward!

This Old house indeed...
It is full of cracks and this week, it seems to have developed a squeak - it now has an identifying squeak when theres a truck going past or theres an aftershock. Its been quite audible overnight and it sounds like we have mice. Better than Bats in the Belfry, I say :)
We are all concerned about the excessive speeds down our street of late, and I see one of the neighbours has sprayed big *30* signs on the road in spray paint,  to encourage people to slow down, but it doesnt seem to have worked. We have more traffic than ever before, given our main thoroughfare is blocked off and down to one way so crossing over our street, is like playing Chicken.
It isnt surprising, about the squeaky house, everywhere you look we have road works, diggers, noise, dust etc - on all sides at the moment, even our side road is blocked off with people rearranging road cones, leaning on shovels with their bright orange vests and hard hats on.
They may be filling in the crater that appeared after last weeks eq. Its quite an impressive size. With all this rain, it has filled with water, and I do wonder when we will get our own water feature. You know, you want what the neighbours have, right?... not so much, in this case :)
Its a familiar site around Christchurch though, those deep holes in the road, surrounded by road cones... theres no forgetting where you are, especially when you drive into one!

Things to be grateful for, there are a few - AWESOME WEATHER - it has taken on good form the past couple of days, and it is glorious to see the sun! We have got out and about, and taken advantage of the heat. It wont be long and it will be seed planting time again, how quickly it comes about.
I have started PLANNING THE GARDEN for this season. And clearing out the weeds that have grown over the cold snap. Im sure there will be other cold bits, but I might as well get ahead while I can.

Its nice to see some of the SEEDS COMING UP already. (self sown ones) We have a fine crop of 3 kinds of lettuce, some kind of onion and beans, and the silverbeet has survived well. I cant say the kids are keen about that :) but I am.
The berry plants have buds and are growing away quickly. Black currants, red currants, raspberries... We also have lots of self-sown plants, I love discovering them all. Strawberry, Borage, calendula and chamomile, marigold and some native trees. Ive also found some bits  I plucked off trees and bushes have grown, so  Ive got myself a fine start on a forest :)

We have been FEEDING THE BIRDS, and love watching them out the window. The bird feeders we made have been great, the birds come back again and again - carefully dodging our clumsy cats and their efforts to catch either a tasty bird treat, or climbing the tree to see if they can reach the fat with seeds in it... No luck, thank goodness theyre all far too well fed.  We have wax eyes, starlings and sparrows as usual, but also a family of three magpies, which have ventured over from the park. Theyre very polite, and wait up on the lines until Ive put the bread out before they come down.

Back to the Garden... Let is Spring, I say!
Thanks to some kind friends, I swapped some lavender for some vege seedlings, and I have a good bunch of seedlings and some mint to put in. Im going to isolate this mint, given it grows here like crazy, and we have some already that just takes over... it doesnt even mind the concrete, it just pops up through the cracks, but I have found that boiling water takes care of that. I also have an eau-de-cologne mint, which is lovely. I really like the smell of it, and have just recently been shown how to make a tea with lemon balm, the mint and honey. Very nice!

On My List of Must-haves this year - more carrots, more onions (more than I planted last year!) more potatoes in several varieties. Oh and Yams... Parsley, Basil and Coriander in successive plantings... and Im sure there will be other things later :)

Everyone is KEEPING WELL, despite the Winter chills. Its been a really crazy SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, but we are managing to use our time together wisely... Baking carrot cake, doing some art classes with Miss B, Reading, visiting, walking, taking some cool sea photos, packing some seeds, going to Kaikoura, going fishing (and catching a SALMON! wahoo!) and catching crabs on a handline. Lots of neat stuff. Making up for the time we spent last holidays in the hospital or at home, waiting for news.

Lots to get on with, and it looks like today might be another day outside, around in the garden.
Yes, thats why Im up early.
Roll on July!
Hope you are all safe and well,
Keep Warm
E Butterfly
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Winter? Not here!

Another Full Moon, Another Prediction about TEOTWAWKI

Of course, now that I write about our glorious Indian Summer days here in Christchurch, it will likely turn to custard and pour like a bugger for the next few weeks. Such is Murphys Law!
We have been *done Proud* with the beautiful Summery days and high skies we have had this week and last. It makes getting out of bed such a pleasure in the morning. Ok, well kind of a pleasure... Im a bit of a slouch, I like my bed.
Porridge is for Winter breakfast here, hot coffee and a check up on the news in the morning, and away we go, wrapped up warm. Such a treat to still be able to go for walks and get washing in and out, and its almost June. Yes, it IS almost June. How time flies...

HATS! Ive been knitting here and there, for the small people, and for the bigger ones too - hats mostly. I cant get motivated though, and Im settling in on a small baby blanket to keep me interested. Its not keeping me interested yet, but I will keep at it.

We have had a few small shakes this week, but barely noticeable to us.

What HAS been noticeable though, is the house shaking as the DIGGERS and rollers fix our street.

Finally, we will have smooth roads!! It has been interesting to watch, obviously every little person is fixated on the big diggers and the men in orange vests, and the *Dance of the Road Cones* that seems to be viral across town... and now we have them in our own front yard... almost.



Dance of the Road Cone...

 I think it is fair to say that we have loose piles - our front lounge seems to shudder when the diggers go down, it was worse when they were actually outside digging, I could feel the shaking in the kitchen at the back of the house... The things you get used to, now I barely turn a hair. Turn up the music, you dont hear the diggers, and the vibration becomes part of the dance lol.

Have had a lousy few weeks. Sometimes Life kicks you like a cow. Well, my cow kicked me, gave birth, chewed its cud and then kicked me again..... Just Life Stuff, but meh. Who needs it? The stress levels are pretty toxic, and Ive taken to yelling a bit... not at the kids mind, just at one cat in particular. Poor Moggy

Still Beautiful, even if its Winter, I love my Greens!! BrightLights You Rock!

Miaow

I never was a cat person, and I do believe we have another cat in the wings who seems to have just *turned up* ... I am not having much luck with not feeding him, and I will endeavour to find his People. I simply cannot afford five cats, especially when one of them (Zander The Black Vaccuum) will eat anything that is not nailed down... as long as it is handed to him on a plate... or has fallen off a plate... or it is in the green recycling bin, or smells funny... He likes to rub himself over anything funny smelling, such a delight ;) Full of personality. This wee chap (above) lives in the next street, but I find him often sitting with my lot. They look as if they totally accept him, noone fights him. He wanders around and he talks constantly (which gets my goat, I HATE talking cats!! - its always a demand for more food, better sleeping conditions etc --- DEMANDING!!!)

South Brighton Pumice

We went for a wander down the beach at South Brighton, near the Spit. It was a beautiful day, the birds were all out, of course guess who forgot her camera? Doh!
We did happen upon a wonderful selection of pumice. The children and I collected it, and I have some in my garden, it looks great. Love the texture and the soft lines... Will be creating something with some of it, and passing some along...
Soon all the extended family will appear with soft callus-free heels :)










We celebrated The Lads 11th Birthday this month, he had a very low-key birthday. It was family family family. Just as he had asked, and he got Books... games, books... He was happy.  I felt very uncreative when it came to making his birthday cake, but it didnt really matter.

Anything tastes good when it looks like Pav, tastes good like Pav and is smothered in sweet cream and has Sparklers for candles...

Happy Birthday Blaise! :)
See how much Miss 4 loves your balloons!!
We love you!!


Enough of this, Im off to finish the School baking...
Hope youre keeping things Upbeat.
Love to you

E Butterfly
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