Texture Texture and the end of March

 When I got back to Wellington on my trip - I took my magic suitcase and opened it for a couple of groups who loved the special goodies inside - I visited my elderly 3rd cousin - someone who actually knew my grannie and was able to tell me a few more tiny titbits. Then I went round the bays - I love seeing the wild sea and went for a walk and a potter. I found these wonderful rocks and have posted them to inspire me. They remind me of some of the work I did a few years ago on stones and old churches etc.

 Love the colours - that little touch of blue is rather special. I also love the patterns and couldhave taken heaps of pics.

 And this one - if you look in at all the patterning,

 And this one - texture is brilliant.

 When I got home our Christmas present from Grant and Hannah was nearly underway - lots of cleaning and clearing and deciding where it would go and filling half up with bricks as we seem to have a lot lying around. this was day one of planting. Love the chillie plants and we have a few.

This is it a few weeks later - things are taking over. I think that at last I might get tomatoes to grow after years of failing. Let's see.

Marching through March

 In March I went to NZ for a week or so - I flew to Auckland and then to Wellington and then drove up the coast - I love this coast line - it is usually wild and I pull on and enjoy it.

 the coast is just north of Pukerua Bay

always mostly grey and mysterious. Then I stopped at Levin for a coffee and my hire car which hadn't been exciting me, had a little light come on - 2 and half hours later a replacement car arrived. Hardly my idea of having fun.

 I popped down to Foxton Beach - this is where I spent a lot of my time when I was young - we used to be able to drive onto the beach then. I remember my father driving to Himitangi Beach along the sand and running out of petrol. My mother was not so excited I can tell you. Anyway I thought about getting out of the car - it was so windy and the sand was sure moving - I did to take this photo and got myself totally covered in sand. I guess you don't remember those things.

Foxton has a river running round the back - the Manawatu River - it used to be important - shipping and all of that - but that was a long time ago.  I checked out our house too but you shouldn't do that - my mother loved her garden. Ooh.... Not a lot to get excited about.

 I also checked out the graveyard once again visiting the ancients - my my great great grandparents still enjoying that spot on their own. Someone else had brought them white roses recently - they were fresh. I guess i have plenty of cousins I know nothing about, still living around the place. Shame I didn't know about them when I was young.

Bev and I went through to Woodville and had one of these yummy fruit icecreams which are popping up. Totally delicious it was.

 We drove over the saddle and checked out the wind mills. Some of them were off duty.

We went over to Wanganui and visited a couple of cousins and I took Bev to visit the dead. These are our grandparents and their very own rose bush was in bloom.  I also took her to the old cemetery in town to check out the older deads. I forgot to show her the Death family. Next time....

We called on Diana in her new home. Very nice.

Diana has always been shorter than us

And I am shorter than Bev - I think.

I seem to have a few for March so I will return.

February in a rush

February was actually a busy month - it is the Fringe Festival in Perth and hot weather as well. We really try to go to a few things but the programme is so huge you never know where to start. We went to La Soiree becasue we enjoyed it so much last year. this year they were in air con which was almost cold! Can't win. La Soiree had many artists who performed last year but some new ones as well.

 

The son of a famous Norse magician, this wunderkind has graced the stage since he was four. Possessed of an utterly beguiling charm, and famed the world over for bending, contorting and manipulating his body into shapes that are as astonishing as they are unnatural, Frodo is one of a kind. You will never look at a tennis racquet, much less a baked-bean tin, the same way again.

Return

- See more at: http://www.la-soiree.com/staff/captain-frodo/#sthash.rKcuNxg0.dpuf

The son of a famous Norse magician, this wunderkind has graced the stage since he was four. Possessed of an utterly beguiling charm, and famed the world over for bending, contorting and manipulating his body into shapes that are as astonishing as they are unnatural, Frodo is one of a kind. You will never look at a tennis racquet, much less a baked-bean tin, the same way again.

Return

- See more at: http://www.la-soiree.com/staff/captain-frodo/#sthash.rKcuNxg0.dpuf

Captain Frodo manipulates himself into all sorts of shapes - crazy.

 

and the highlight was still The English Gents 

Then we also went to European Cotton Club - Cathrine Summers and her band  - fabulous - we must go see her again. 

The third event we went to was Limbo down on the new Elizabeth Jetty - it was the best event - slick - and fast moving and delightful.

And in February we also went to the Rooftop Movies - been wanting to go for ages but there never seems to be on what we would like to see.  So this was Suffragette - it's a good vneue.

And sort of at the same time - well it overlaps - was the Perth International Festival - we went to Monteverdi Vespers which was really fantastic.

And finally Meow Meow's Little Mermaid 

Another great night out.

So we had a very varied cultural month in February and well as all the other things one does every day.

Denis Lock and Hamish McCann are two delightfully devilish and cordial “English” gentlemen who perform inconceivable feats of acrobatic skill, strength and balance, whilst casually puffing a pipe, reading the newspaper and sporting the stiffest of British upper lips. The act mixes their highly skilled feats with a dry English wit, unexpectedly climaxing with the two hilariously baring near-all for Queen and country and in the process displaying more pure sex appeal than ever before seen under a bowler hat. - See more at: http://www.la-soiree.com/staff/english-gents/#sthash.tvj94ACu.dpuf

The son of a famous Norse magician, this wunderkind has graced the stage since he was four. Possessed of an utterly beguiling charm, and famed the world over for bending, contorting and manipulating his body into shapes that are as astonishing as they are unnatural, Frodo is one of a kind. You will never look at a tennis racquet, much less a baked-bean tin, the same way again.

Return

- See more at: http://www.la-soiree.com/staff/captain-frodo/#sthash.rKcuNxg0.dpuf

Mea Culpa AWOL

I have been blogging since 2006 which means 10 years and I have never had a gap like this - no excuses but I guess I could say busy busy and all of that - I was not good last year but started this year with good intentions - maybe it's because I am making changes business wise and personal work and I also have far too much going on . I have given away a couple of big commitments and making time for other big commitments so not sure if that means anything at all.

BUT - I am going to so an all in one of Feb and an all lin one of March in the next couple of days so watch this space. Maybe I need to be like Harley and just lounge around all day. Actually the year has been exciting so far and plenty more coming up.......