...goodbye dad

...dad left us this past week,

and although we knew he didn't have long
it still shocks,
it thumps your heart out,
there are so many tears,
and the sadness is hard to express...

...you worked so hard,

it was not an easy life,

but you gave us values to live by,

work ethics,

simple "common decency" rules of life,

but also times of great fun and laughter,

holidays the memories of which

will never ever fade...

...you were a wonderful grandfather

to our children,

each holding a special place in your heart,

always having time to play with them

when they were younger,

and asking after them as they got older,

wanting to know what they were doing,

how they were going...

...it is hard to comprehend

that i will not see you again,

that you are no longer here,

your body is gone,

but your spirit lives on,

it's just that i can't see that

and i would like to see you again

like i did that morning...

...even though there were times when you were

a hard man to love,

i love you now as i have always loved you,

you will be forever remembered with love...

...goodbye dad 

Jen xxx

...i hope the sun is shining, he said...

...started the day with a run,

down to the beach,

along the promenade with a short stop to silently admire

a few brave surfers taking part in a

surf carnival,

then home for coffee and a read..

the 20 arrondissements of paris...

...i started running in the mornings again

at the beginning of the year,

always used to run in the morning,

then i got lazy,

and opted for afternoons,

and then just some afternoons,

until it became only once or maybe twice a week...

...had forgotten how amazing i feel when i run in the mornings,

how the day goes better,

the mind and body work better,

and even though it's starting to get chilly, 

like 4 degrees chilly this morning,

i'm still going to run in the mornings

because then the day will always start

with the sun shining...

...it's shining through the window now as i write,

sitting at my beautiful new kitchen bench,

my favourite place to sit...

...i look out across the valley from this place,

i see the seasons slowly slip from summer to autumn

as the trees change their colours,

shed their leaves,

becoming eventually bare wintery branches,

until the first glimpse again of spring buds...

...my kitchen,

it's done and it brings me joy,

which is kind of weird

because i'm not what you would call a foodie,

but the room is light,

it's simple and quite beautiful in my eyes,

and it just feels so perfectly right...

...at the start of the kitchen journey it  looked like this,

and trust me

it took all my willpower to remain positive

and sunshiney bright throughout...

...but this is what i got,

so it was worth every uncomfortable minute...

 

...made crab apple jelly last week,

first time for everything,

and it looks so pretty i'm not sure i want to eat it,

but actually i did,

well, one jar i've opened,

and it is absolutely delicious...

...this year i've been stitching a page each month,

inspired by what i see in my garden,

and when out and about on my walks...

...january page was all about my flower garden...

...february was the garden again...

...and march was all about a day trip to the catlins...

...inspired by a very dear friend,

i took to the walls of my stairwell,

pasted and cut,

collaged to my hearts content,

and now i see provence

every time i go up or down

and that is another way the sun shines for me every day...

...when the sun is fully shining,

like it was on friday,

it's a day for walking and exploring...

...boulder beach was calling,

i needed to revisit it after being thwarted last time,

being that it was pengie breading season

and the beach was off limits...

...am always astounded at the beauty of our peninsular,

it's always a sunshiney sort of day

when you're out there,

whether or not the sun is in fact shining...

...look for the sunshine,

make your own sunshine...

jen xx

 

...keep smiling...

...what is it that makes you smile?

for some it's new things, going shopping,
eating beautiful food,
spending time with family and friends,
a good coffee,
good music...
for me, it's also really simple things like
walks in the bush or up into the hills, 
along the beach,
it's spending time in the garden with the sun on my back,
and it's stitching...

...currently i'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation...

it's turning into a much bigger job
than first imagined...

...i've a feeling this might often happen with building jobs...
but i told myself right from the start
that no matter what happened,
i wouldn't get stressed...i would just keep smiling,
and it's working!

...find myself enjoying the process,
not worrying about how long its taking...

...what i'm really enjoying

is seeing it take shape little by little each week,
and it makes me realise that it's not so much about
it being worth it in the end 

(which of course it will be)...

...but rather,
that i will appreciate it all the more
because it's taken a little longer!

last month was my birthday,
it was one of those "significant" ones
and i wanted to do something that i'd recall 
in years to come...
sadly my original plans got scuppered  by covid...
they involved a trip to france and walking the
mont blanc trail
but that will have to keep for another year...
so i decided that i'd celebrate the last day
of my fifties
by running a half marathon
and the first day of my sixties
with a beautiful bush walk...
still not sure why i ever thought the half marathon was a good idea,
but at the time it seemed fitting...
haha!
i confess i wasn't smiling so much when i completed it,

and wasn't smiling again properly
until much later than afternoon...
but i was most definitely smiling
the whole way round the bush walk the next day...
the bush, and the hills, are my happy places,
 go to places for peace,
for exercise,
for happiness
and sometimes for sorting out sad things...

the trail took me along the banks of the taieri river,

up the hillside,
then back down again to the water
to john bull gully,
and it was amazing!

..celebrated that night with pizza

and a chocolate muffin for dessert...

what's not to smile about that :) 

...stitching...
my most favourite "smiley" occupation
and so enjoying the weekly challenge set by anne brooke...

#52hannemadetags...

...and i'm working on a slow stitch piece,

of which i have absolutely no idea what it will end up being,

it's just something i pick up every now and then

and add a few more stitches...

...its a wintery sunday afternoon as i write this,

and stitching awaits,

as it's a little bleak to go walking today!

...happy stitching,

or whatever it is that makes you smile...

jen xx

 make a wish...take a chance!

i was thinking about these words again today,  
they're my words for the year...
it was a thing a few years back,
to chose a word or words
to guide you through the coming year...
i know a few people who still do this,
i do,
it helps me focus on what needs
to be important for me...
there's a little blackboard on my kitchen wall
and these words are written across the top,
to remind,
to inspire,
to encourage...

...the tag challenge for this week is "words"...
something of significance
perhaps,
or just words you like
or even a single word...
so i thought i would use my chosen
words for the year...

i,ve not started the tag yet,
these are the ones from last month

...the brief for this one was a pocket and a treasure...

...the treasure is a tiny little note

that jake wrote to me,

i think when he was maybe 4,
and i've carried it ever since in my purse...
i know,
i'm a sentimental being
but it's sooo special....

...the next week we had to stitch a mini landscape,
and i chose a poppy field in france,

from a photo I took on my last visit...

...had planned to be there roughly about now,
but this is one wish that won't come true,
atleast not this year!

...the brief for the next tag was
"seed stitch",
and as i was stitching it on Anzac Day...
well...

...and the last tag for the month
was mini hexies...

...i do love stitching hexies,
and in fact had forgotten just how much
i enjoy them...
however in all honesty i did wonder
whether i had the patience to stitch 
these teeny tiny things...
turns out i enjoyed it way more than i first thought..

...when did you last make a wish
and take a chance...
sure, it doesn't always work out...
i've taken chances on things and people
and sometimes they haven't panned out,
but i wouldn't change a thing!
...because when it does work out,
well,
that's actually all that matters...

...last month i took a few days off,
which in all honesty was well overdue,
and i returned to my most favourite lake,

te anau!

...blissed out for 4 days of bush walks,

magnificent scenery,

new places,

old haunts,

early morning lakefront runs,

peace and quiet...

me time!

...lake mavora,

new to me,

and utterly beautiful,

deserving of a whole day on my next visit...

...i can't tell you how long it's been

since i've been to milford sound,

this one from on the way there...

...this one on the way back,

another new place,

lovely wee bush walk to get there,

the very pretty lake mistletoe...

...am endlessly happy

roaming through our native bush,

and also so happy to see these...

...honestly i did get some curious looks

from other hikers,

me down on all fours,

bum in the air,

to get the shot,

and i truly believe some of these little beauties

were coming through the dirt as i watched,

they were brand spanking new...

...had to cross a couple of these,

unfortunately,

because they scare the pants off me...

...i stood at the end,

told myself not to be a sook,

that it was perfectly safe,

then gingerly stepped onto it and without breathing,

(or atleast that's how it felt)

stared at my feet the whole way across,

tried to act brave,

and eventually after half an hour

(well, thats what it felt like!)

i got to the other side...

...why they can't make them so that they don't shake

is beyond me!

...so the bridge is at rainbow reach,

and i kid you not,

this was what i saw immediately before setting foot

on it...

...serendipitous,

maybe,

but I definitely made a wish!

...on the way to wanaka i stopped off 

along the shores of

lake wakatipu...

...and on the way home, 

stopped off at mitchells cottage,

another new place,

and well worth the time...

...lots of neat new places,

and just beyond wonderful to spend time

back in te anau.

...got a bit of secret stitching going on

at the moment...

...can't reveal too much yet,

but it is fun :-)

...we get the most jaw dropping

amazing

sunrises in dunedin

at this time of the year...

...make a wish on that,

you just never know

whether your wish will come true or not

unless

you take a chance...

jen

xxx

 

 RoseMary said...

...she said, it's been over four years since your last blog post...

and it made me think...

I miss those writings,
and maybe it's time to start again?
To be honest, its a little scary in some respects,
that it's been that long
because it doesn't feel like that,
and yet it is.

...the prompt was perfectly timed,
it had been on my mind for a little while,
but I needed the prod.
Don't we all?

Now I just need the self discipline to carry it through :-)

...I'm still stitching,
always,
it's my soul food
and at times
my means to escape,
to leave behind the things that worry,
the things that confuse and frustrate me,
to find a simple place of joy,
corny as that may sound.

Appreciation...

it means a lot to most people,

I imagine.

The last twelve months have been challenging,

for everyone,

but one thing I've learned, amongst others,

is to appreciate what you have,

and just recently,

the value of being appreciated.

There have been many many trips north this past year,

and one thing that I came to appreciate very quickly

was that at the end of a long day

I could enjoy the beauty of Hagley Park...

over and over it became a place to run,

or walk,

to clear the cobwebs,

make plans,

and get into the right head space.

...it's a phenomenally beautiful park,

especially at the end of day,

and now

as we glide into Autumn

the colours are stunning...

...a few weeks back I found the rose gardens...

...got lost there for an hour or so...

...and despite the fact that I now truly believe

I can drive from Dunedin to Christchurch,

with my eyes closed

(not kidding -  I stopped counting

after trip #60)

there was always something pretty amazing to see

along the way...

...what's not to love about this fabulous field of

sunflowers,

easily banished the driving blues

for a few weeks,

and so interesting to watch the life cycle,

from a sea of yellow

to a blanket of dying seed heads

but still beautiful in their decay.

...stitching, walking,

and the occasional little run,

some of the things I appreciate...

granted, they are simple things,

but isn't that what they say,

the simple things are often the best...

...I live by some of the most beautiful beaches in the world...

...they are my go to place for chill out time,

and how flipping lucky does that make me.

...and then there are friends...

...I appreciate you!

Am constantly humbled by the lovely lovely comments

that you guys leave on my facebook

and insta...

I appreciate every single one of them,

that you take the time to write,

they always make me smile.

Thankyou!

...it's been blowing an absolute hooley of a gale out there today,

the trees will be stripped of their autumnal glory,

not to mention some of them might lose a branch or  too.

...I love the way

the hydrangea changes and mellows

with autumn,

soft, slightly flawed,

but perfectly beautiful...

...unfortunately my poor hollyhocks are not coping so well

with the wind,

although they are nearly past their best anyway...

Have always wanted to grow them,

but never been successful

until this year...

was so excited to see them bloom,

and not a speck of rust, 

so I think I may have found the perfect spot...

...it wouldn't be Easter without the annual tradition,

a new Easter bunnie (or two)...

...I'm taking part in a stitching challenge this year,

where we get to make a little tag each week,

based on a theme given to us each Friday

by the lovely Anne Brooke...

it's ridiculously good fun,

the tag I'm using is 8 x 5cm...

not very big, but that's part of the appeal,

I can actually start and finish something

within a couple of hours,

and not add anything more to the great unfinished pile!

...that one was a bevy of buttons...

...this one was for buttonhole stitch,

which was a joy,

it's one of my favourite stitches...

...this was a new technique,

folded hexies,

so much fun...

...and this one was bullion stitch

and french knots,

the knots being a favourite,

and a good chance to practice my bullion stitch.

We are up to week 14,

38 to go,

and looking forward to each of them :-)

Have just finished this wee stitchy,

have absolutely no idea what it will end up being,

if in fact it has to be anything.

Sometimes its good to just stitch,

no plans,

no expectations,

no reason even,

just stitching because we can,

and because it feels good :-)

...so there it is,

the first blog in many years.

I'll leave you with  this thought...

...in appreciation

of all the good things

around us...

Jen xx