Back in NZ - visiting new grandson!

Visiting the new grandson.
After a somewhat lengthy trip down to Palmerston North with a couple of side errands we arrived in time to cuddle Callum before he went to sleep. He was just as gorgeous as his early pictures showed and although he is not yet really smiling ( just under 6 weeks old) he was almost there! We parked the bus at my friend Christine's and were back again next morning for more cuddles, doing some bits and pieces around the house for J and O and in between marvelling at the wonderful confidence and skill with which they were looking after the little chap. He is starting to sleep for longer at night although I am told he doesnt necessarily want to settle for as long during the day, but he is feeding well and is already outgrowing his "newborn" clothes.

Olivia is a great mother and has even sorted out braille stick in translations on his first picture books! I love all the helpful technology for babies now - like these baby monitors and disposable nappies. And Oh! the toys they have now - I am going to have fun trying them all out!

Peter did lots of odd jobs and was great at patting Callum's back to settle him - it worked most times!

Looking forward to seeing them all again later in the year - hopefully in August when he will be 4 months old.

Reluctantly drove back to Auckland, but a pleasant easy drive on back roads with no incidents. Slept in the lee of Ruapehu - crispy cold but lovely view to wake up to.

Need to get my mind back on work - going tobe hard!

Lizzie - quiltmaker!

I spent last weekend up at Glanmire and desperately tried to get my first major patchwork effort ready for quilting - catherine was a great help - we had to spread it out on her floor to be able to stretch the backing and wadding and my job was to pin ( at intervals of 4in. ) the three layers together. I was quite tickled with it - and the photo is of it still unfinished. I then spent a very late night at my friend Betty's place doing the quilting - she has a big table which was most helpful. I can tell you it is not as simple to sew a straight line with that quantity of material as it sounded! It was only a jelly roll quilt and very simple butI learnt a lot over the 2 years it took me to get it actually done! I also did my 12in. square for the charity quilt Betty's group "Rainbow Connection" is making and that now makes me a member of the group! I am now a bit inspired, so will try and make some more - although i think I am going to go for something smaller than a double bed quilt! But the qult will look great in our motorhome.

Oh, and I have also knitted a little pink jacket for my flatmate's new grand daughter ( also her first, so we can share stories!).

BAck to NZ on Tuesday - major reason is for Peter and I to drive to Palmerston North and see Callum, play with him, do any jobs Jonny or Olivia want and just generally have lots of cuddles! Really looking forward to that! nothing like a brand new baby, smelling of mothers milk, babypowder and hopefully not smelling at the other end!

Photos will follow!

Up in Darwin

Well after a week of cooling weather in Sydney, I am up in darwin where it is hot and humid and how they lived without air conditioning and fans I do not know. My friend Terry has made me most welcome at his unit in Fannie Bay, only a short walk from the waterfront where every evening most people seem to gather to watch the sun go down and enjoy the slight sea breeze. It is lovely and green up here after the wet and coming in to the Dry season.

After working for 6 hours on Saturday we went for a drive to Litchfield NAtional Park yesterday to admire waterfalls, huge termite mounds, swim under a waterfall ( in the only place approved as crocodile free). It is really odd to see hundreds of people gathered on the beach and not one in the water! But apparently it is the stinging jellyfish which are more of a problem at the moment.

It is not easy to work in the heat and humidity but thankfully there is a bit of a breeze today. Iwill be visiting the local uni and engineering department to gather data and get feedback on the NT perspective.

Went to the local night market last night. It is only held in the "dry" season, right by the beach, and last night was the first Sunday night so it was full of people eating admiring crafts and listening to a variety of buskers. Quite fun! Didnt buy the crocodile belt ($150) or get the tattoo Terry was trying to convince me to get. He thought it might be fun to get me a temporary one and shock the socks off Peter!

Amazing mementoes of WWII here - most people dont realise that Darwin got more bombs on it than Pearl Harbour ! Airstrips everywhere beside the road where they parked fighter aircraft ready for faster simultaneous deployment than they could have from airport. Lots of stories up here that I had never heard before. Lots of interesting wildlife also - little (geckos, ants) and big ( dragon flies that look like mini helpcopters) etc...

Hope you like the selection of photos