It sure does, I can't believe it's THursday already! I have achieved a lot but there are still things I haven't done yet and not sure there will be time now. Things like making the jam I wanted to and more of the garden and more knitting. Oh well, today I had my hair cut and found the dressing gown I wanted for Christmas and the right size sheepskins I wanted for the girl's xmas presents. I have baked for I.'s lunches and made a curry for tea plus had a new outdorr tv aerial installed to improve our reception. Not bad I guess.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-14 16:12:00

Oh you are on a roll grizzly. So energized. Ha ha. I went off down the line for 2 days. Had some more stuff to do for you know who. Visited my Mum and Sis. I came home last night. I took M to dancing today and she was really dancing her little socks off. She looked so cute. They have a concert coming up and she is very excited about it all. Baby J is very colicky. He is breastfed and cuzzles away like a snuffley little puppy, Lol. Went to see my GP for my regular 3 month check. She said I had lost 5 kg. I reckon her scales are wrong. Ha ha. She asked me how I did it!!!!!! My daughter said she is right Mum. I am feeling very tired so maybe !!!!! I need to sleep.Catch you later.

makerealbany - 2010-10-14 22:13:00

Why would you be feeling tired if you have lost weight? Are you sure you are ok? Maybe you are overdoing it!! (I mean more than usual).
I have a couple of errands to do over the other side of town but think I will be parking up for the rest of the day with my needles. Crafty day is definitely required before going back to work on Monday. The things I haven't manged to fit in this week will just have to wait and we have a couple of long weekends coming up.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-15 08:55:00

It was just the driving all the way to Hamilton and back and then to Rotorua and back within a week grizzly. I am okay today. Back is coming right again thank heavens. Had a good day relaxing today. Saw a lovely pattern book in Spotlight in Rodo and then died when I asked the price $24. Was no bigger than the ones that used to be $12. Needless to say I did not buy it. HA HA. in fact everything in Spotlight seemed very expensive. I did not buy a thing. My grandson in Christchurch managed to get new digs that are a lot cheaper and he is getting on ok. My daughter is paying for him to come and visit for his Birthday present. He was 21 yesterday. I am sussing out my latest knitting project but cannot make up my mind. So many choices. Lol.

makerealbany - 2010-10-16 00:15:00

I checked out some new pattern books at Knitworld during the week. "Sublime" have brought out a range of lovely books BUT they are $43 each and only little books!!! No, I didn't buy them either.
I'm pleased your grandson has his accommodation sorted.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-16 09:47:00

OMGosh $43 grizzly. Wheew!!!! Just got back from babysitting my grandson at the beach. Mum was working a late shift. Had a great day with him. At 18 months he is learning how to demand things. Lol. I need to unwind before I fall into bed so thought I would check my emails and messages.

makerealbany - 2010-10-17 01:42:00

Only 2 boys visiting yesterday, so a bit quieter. I'm still working on dolls clothes from the book i bought last week. I had to go and buy a set of 2.25mm double pointed needles to finish a dress and a top I had done. The things we get ourselves into.Haha. I. is working again today (yep 7th day in a row) (yep and there are rules about that). I got out and dug the trenches for the spuds to go in myself yesterday afternoon and also planted the pumpkin and cucumber seedlings from the glass house. I sprayed the weeds as well down the drive, the barked and stone areas. Today I have to hem another 2 pairs of uniform pants for I. and do the accounts for shop meeting tomorrow night. And of course it's back to work tomorrow!

grizzly4 - 2010-10-17 09:40:00

It is obvious you just lazed around on your time off grizzly!!!! not. Lol. I sewed up another singlet(last one for awhile, thank heavens). I had Miss over for a visit so we made heaps of birthday and christmas cards. She is getting quite good at drawing and sticking stickers in the cards. She loves to glue things including herself, her clothes and anything that is handy. Ha ha. I have finished a cotton cardi for her for the summer and am sewing that up. It takes ages. I do not really enjoy sewing up knitted cotton items. Anyway the little boys are into knitted vests at the moment or so their Mum's say. It is the in thing. Ha ha. My daughter was given 3 by a lovely lady she works with at the hospital who was so amazed that someone actually liked them. It is a simple pattern but with the different colours looks great. Just the thing to keep the boys warm but not hinder their play. My other daughter was given one for our new boy as well. I thought some colourful cotton ones for the summer would be nice so will sort out the colours for them.

makerealbany - 2010-10-17 22:19:00

That will give you something to do in your spare time, good on you. But I do agree about the wee vests. I did them for the 3 boys 2 years ago and my daughter asked me to repeat her boys in a larger size last winter. The other thing from our past that has become popular again is leg warmers. I have a 4ply pattern in 3 baby sizes in bright colurs that I'm trying out for the shop. Amazing how things go round in circles, isn't it?

grizzly4 - 2010-10-18 07:17:00

Yes it sure is. One of my granddaughters is plaiting bracelets again. I spent about an hour searching thru button boxes for this cotton cardi and I have NOT got suitable buttons. I cannot believe that!!!! It is a very old fashioned long cardi with scalloped edging and the more modern buttons do not suit. All the pearly ones were the wrong size so I have to go shopping for some. Drat. M helped me and we had buttons spread all over the carpet. Lol. She thought it was great fun.

makerealbany - 2010-10-19 00:08:00

I have one grandson in particular that loves me bringing out the buttons. Funny, eh?
Yesterdays aftershocks had Suzy59nz and a scrambling to hold on in the shop yesterday morning! Everything was rocking and swinging. Can you believe 15 quakes in Canterbury yesterday?

grizzly4 - 2010-10-19 08:56:00

omg was in the supermarket when the 5.0 aftershock hit this morning, food was flying and the shelves were swaying thought they were going to fall on top of me, it was bad, think thats the worst one since the 7.1 i had one hell of a head ache when i got home , think it was cos i was trying so hard to hold it together, this is the first one that has really bothered me. Now i am officialy over this earth quake, enough is enough

suzy59nz - 2010-10-19 14:00:00

grizzly and suzy I really do feel for you both. I just had a look on the live earthquake map and it was a very big one this morning. It said on Sunday you only had 1 followed by 19 yesterday and 12 so far today. You must truly be sick and tied of it. it must have been scary in the supermarket. I would be like your world crashing down on top of you. Take care girls. I do think about you all the time, Jo

smartgirl - 2010-10-19 15:29:00

I was in a cafe with 2 work mates having an early lunch before a meeting. I though the building was coming down and there were a lot of heavy gardening type tools that had been turned into artistic wall hangings which made it even scarier. My DIL was terrified 7 stories up and they evacuated her building. She said the corridors were full of dust that was being shaken from the plaster walls and celings. She works at one of the older hospitals. It was hard for her not to rush to her wee boys either but they were fine and my son rang to check on them. Thank goodness I'm back at work and have no time to let the emotions get the better of me. It's really hard not knowing when it will end, if it will end or get worse still. You try not to listen to the stories people are telling but when you are at your lowest it all mounts up. It's great having you all thinking of us. (My house is creaking dreadfully at the moment because the southerly wind has just come up big time. But it sounds just the same as......)

grizzly4 - 2010-10-19 18:33:00

bummer found cracks in the outside walls of my house today, gonna go to the insurence tomorrow and see what i do from here.

suzy59nz - 2010-10-19 22:04:00

Oh hell girls. What a time you are having!!!! My grandson flew up yesterday and he said he was in the shower when you had that big one. He said the room was swaying and he was trying to get out of the shower and grab some clothes. He is relieved he is up for a few days and so am I. Yes we are thinking of you and your families going thru this darn trauma over and over again.

makerealbany - 2010-10-20 08:00:00

You have to register with EQC by ringing them on the 0800 number. Take photos of all the cracks and they will ask you to email them to them to support your claim. The insurance companies don't want to know till EQC let them know. They will send out an assessor.

How bad are they? And how was your wee dog when you got home yesterday? Flurry stays as close as she can when I'm home and sleeps curled up to me at night. Weird as it's always I. they usually go to. I think Fluz and I are having a 'connection' because we're scared of the same thing! Haha.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-20 08:02:00

Goodness, makerealbany, we are on at the same time!

grizzly4 - 2010-10-20 08:03:00

Yes I saw that. Just got back from babysitting at the beach. Daughter had another late shift. My 2 grandsons caught up with each other and spent the whole afternoon and night chatting away with both of them also having laptops on. Lol. Talk about strange. I could hear one talking to an American and the other one was talking to someone else and then they were conversing with each other all at the same time. Did my head in. Ha ha. All the accents that I heard today. Ah well my bed should be warm enough now. Lol.

makerealbany - 2010-10-21 01:35:00

I don't know how you cope up so late. I was woken at 4.30 this morning by I. thundering around trying to make the electric jug work for his cup of tea. I had problems with it a couple of days ago and then forgot about. Better replace it this morning so he has a better start to his day tomorrow. Hehe.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-21 08:54:00

Oh grizzly I can relate to that. The first thing I do is put the kettle on in the morning. Had to shoot down to Hamilton this arvo to drop off 1 grandson and pick another one up so they he can fly to Sydney with his Dad and StepMum for a wedding. I got home about 8 just in time to cuddle my wee grandson before he went to bed. He is a real little bundle of Joy unlike his big sister. Ha ha. I took her to dancing this morning and then we went shopping. I try to get her to do an activity in the mornings to give Mum and Dad time out. Ho Ho.

makerealbany - 2010-10-22 00:05:00

Boy, it's Friday already! And a long weekend ahead.... I hear the weeds in my glasshouse a-calling loud and clear so absolutely have to do that and some house work, I guess. Anyone doing anything exciting this weekend?

grizzly4 - 2010-10-22 08:47:00

a few people i know are going to the concert in the park, me, im going shopping, made myself a list as long as my arm lol, that will serve hubby right for working on my weekend off.

suzy59nz - 2010-10-22 13:39:00

He doesn't usually work weekends does he? Whats up with that? But more importantly what sort of stuff is on your list? hehe. I. is only working Sunday so not as bad as I expected, and the weather looks good so my get my vege garden finished as well as the glasshouse weeded. Maybe.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-22 18:21:00

This message was deleted.

wocat1 - 2010-10-22 18:30:00

Hi wocat1, count the number of holes in an inch, I think. I don't think it's a metric measurement for that. What are you going to be working, just out of interest?

grizzly4 - 2010-10-23 09:36:00

grizzly4 wrote:

He doesn't usually work weekends does he? Whats up with that? But more importantly what sort of stuff is on your list? hehe. I. is only working Sunday so not as bad as I expected, and the weather looks good so my get my vege garden finished as well as the glasshouse weeded. Maybe.

he quite often works Saturday, i only have every other weekend off and would be nice if he was off too, have to teach him how to say NOOOOOOOOOOOO.. Daughter and I went out anyway , bought some tomato plants,a suit case, a new cell phone,some wool and teddy joints from Spotlight, was going to get a few other bits but didn't have what i wanted.

suzy59nz - 2010-10-23 17:01:00

Hi there girls. Well I drove to Huia Bay today to pick up another grandson and took him and his brother up to Orewa for a Whanau lunch. Then I drove back to Albany dropped three grandsons at the movies at 6. After that I drove to Northcote and fed my son's cats, had a cuppa and relaxed until the movie finished, picked up the boys again, drove back to Orewa, dropped off C who is 16, stopped at the supermarket just before 10 and then drove home. 150 ks later!!!!! Now the boys are watching TV and I am maxing out. Tomorrow I have to be at the Airport by 11.30, then I will drive J home, fed the cats again at Northcote and tear home. Lol. No rest for the wicked. I think my son in law wants me to go up North with him to a Landscaping sale after that. Ah well I will be on my lonesome tomorrow night.

makerealbany - 2010-10-23 23:21:00

Whew!!!! I'm pleased to say that most of my taxiing around has decreased since my kids grew up and the littlies are still little. Looks like things might change, going by your last message, makerealbany.
Susy59nz, I thought Spotlight had closed indefinitely after the last 5! That mezzanine floor is shaky at the best of times! The wool and teddy joints - are they for another teddy like the pretty pink one?

grizzly4 - 2010-10-24 09:38:00

no Gizzly not like the pink one gonna make a panda out of fur, got some for a pink and white one and a black and white one, big ideas eh! have to finish the wizzard first lol. Rang spotlight, they onlu closed for the day.

We had a big after shock here today, it was centered just off the beach, felt and sounded just like a freight train had run in to the house, on a par with the big one but only short about 10 sec. we felt it more this side of the city this time as it was centered here. boy did it give me a fright. Have to check the house out tomorrow see if anymore cracks

suzy59nz - 2010-10-24 21:26:00

I'm dreading checking work tomorrow 'cos of the cracks we found after the last 5 and then yesterdays on top of it. The boss is away for a week so it will be up to me. EQC doesn't do commercial buildings so it's between us and the insurance company and you know the deal we got over the burglaries in January! This time they want $2500 excess to start engineering report. For goodness sake, we are non-profit and the insurance we have probably won't rebuild if it comes to the worst. Going to have to put in some serious funding time depending on the results.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-25 10:37:00

omg it just goes on and on with you girls in Christchurch. My grandson does not let me know about all the aftershocks and is surprised when I tell him. I told him I have spies everywhere Lol. Had another busy day today but achieved a lot so was very pleased. Just home again after babysitting at the beach. By the by the other night I had to drive the kids down to the beachfront after the movies because on the way into Orewa we saw the moon and it was huge. It was very orange and you could see the craters. I swear. There was a guy on he beach with his telescope. I have never seen it like that before and most likely will never see it again. It was totally awesome. My 3 grandsons and I went back to my daughters raving about it. She though we were nuts because when we looked at it from home it was just a normal yellow full moon.

makerealbany - 2010-10-26 01:26:00

Timing is everything sometimes, isn't it. And trying to describe it to others comes off second best. But what a great moment to share with your grandsons.
We had a great weekend with I. not working as many hours as he thought he was going to have to. The weather was the best for Labour Weekend in years. We've broken the ground for the next bit of vege garden but can't do it in one session as it's back breaking. However the weeds have gone from the glasshouse! Took I's plane and helicopter for a fly in the park but then spent the evening repairing them both!!! We did some more Xmas shopping and I bought some new decorations from the Christmas Shop in Northlands. One of my favourite shops, that one!

grizzly4 - 2010-10-26 08:38:00

The park at the back of my girls in Orewa is a great place to fly planes and hellis. My little graandson hears them and we race out to the porch so that he can watch. Some of them are really big. We have some of those little remote hellis and the boys(fathers) are always flying them into the trees, etc and then they spend ages fixing them to the frustrations of the little ones. Lol. All good fun. Yes it was a very sunny weekend. I washed and cleaned our 3 vehicles this afternoonand the garden got the water eventually. Ha ha. I have not planted any veges at all yet apart from the potatoes. I am so slack!!!!1 do so miss my glasshouse grizzly.

makerealbany - 2010-10-26 22:57:00

Yes makereal, you are so slack, NOT!!!! You do more that anyone else. I wish I had half your energy. I had a lovely weekend and my girlfriend and I have started going to the local pools and having a spa. What a difference it makes to my aches and pains. Long may it last. I cant wait till the hydrotherapy pools open and hope we can get to use them.

smartgirl - 2010-10-27 07:12:00

very nice to hear from you, Smartgirl! And it's great to hear you are feeling ok. Going to be another nice day today apparently but I'm watching the number of local quakes creeping up again and wondering what next?! What about those poor people in Indonesia!!!! We have been so lucky in contrast to the countries overseas who have had 7's. I'm off to the Women's Group this morning. The activity is decorative wine glasses, nothing like a little creativity before starting work. Haha. Poor suszy59nz has to work so can't join us this morning. And wouldn't you know it, no-one showed up from the insurance yesterday when they were supposed to! Ah well....

grizzly4 - 2010-10-27 09:05:00

Great to hear from you smartgirl. Yes it is Pool weather. We have had some lovely sunny days. Ye s I love a spa. When I am away for work in Rotorua the motel has a spa and I love it. Very economical motel and so clean too. I see you are still knitting like a machine. Ha ha.

makerealbany - 2010-10-28 00:31:00

My SIL's Mum and Dad are flying up here tomorrow night to stay in my cottage. I am away to the beach for the weekend. Why am I still up? 1, I am still packing my bag. 2 I had some work to get through. 3. I just paid my bills online.4. I need to iron something to wear tomorrow. So I had better go do it all.Lol

makerealbany - 2010-10-28 00:36:00

And I'll bet you frantically cleaned your lovely tidy cottage 'cos they were staying there as well!!! My sister is down from Wellington for the Jigsaw Conference this week so will be catching up with her on Saturday, haven't seen her since May, I think.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-28 09:00:00

Don't you just love these short weeks?! We are so short staffed this week that I am having to leave the cosy safety of my office and work on one of the programmes this afternoon. I always do the run to a different school and load 11 kids into a taxi van and my car each day. Yesterday by the time we did the 5 minute run back I had 2 of them on last chances before they went home instead. The behaviour of the kids today is way worse than I had to cope with when I was supervising 10 years ago!

grizzly4 - 2010-10-29 08:49:00

Grizzly do you think that the quakes have something to do with their behaviour. It seems funny that they are so bad.

smartgirl - 2010-10-29 22:15:00

Nope, absolutely not! In regards to the quakes 90% of the children are coping better than the adults. The behaviours I mentioned have been progressively worse over the last 5 years and it's about family and school cultures (and I don't mean ethnicity). There is an underlying lack of respect, lack of the teaching of manners and being polite that seriously results in ongoing negative responses from their peers, other family members etc. And so the cycle continues. It seems that parents are so caught up in fitting their own social life between their work hours that family socialisation is rushed, stressed, and full of expectations from all parties that don't have a hope of being met. Do you watch the latest Jo FRost programme on tv? We see those instances all the time, unfortunately. During the 7 years I did Family Support seeing working with 100 families per year, only 2 Mums during that time did NOT have a pile of washing sitting in their lounge. It was clean but was never folded and put away, they just took what they need each morning and added to it each time they washed more clothes. Even my DIL said that is the hardest job to find time for.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-30 09:01:00

I think young people have a sense of entitlement these days that is being passed on to their children twofold. There is less giving and loving with no expectation of getting something in return. Such a shame. That's why I love the stories that came out during the first weeks of the quakes about the University students that rallied to clear streets and properties and the people that rushed to offer water and laundry services to those without once they knew where the problem streets were.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-30 09:07:00

The trouble started when they took discapline out of schools, the children seem to be able to say and do what they want with no consequences, i never got the strap or anything like that at school as we respected our teachers, they were sir and miss, no first names like they do todayand we knew trouble meant bigger trouble for us. Not sure i would like to be a child these days

suzy59nz - 2010-10-30 18:09:00

i always find time for laundry , always have, even if it is done in the evening and taken in the next day, i have always ironed too, hate crumpled clothing, the sooner it is done the less there is to do.

suzy59nz - 2010-10-30 18:11:00

I agree, but have to admit ironing isn't my favourite task! I usually end up with a few items waiting on the end of my ironing board but at least it's in my laundry not my lounge! Haha. Not so much to do now I. isn't in shirts and good pants each day, although he always did his own anyway. Throwback from Airforce days. Hehe.

grizzly4 - 2010-10-31 09:38:00

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atilasgirl - 2010-10-31 10:47:00

Hi atilasgirl, welcome to our thread. I do more ironing in summer but only what I have to. I always use coathangers to dry all my shirts etc and most of the modern day fabrics dont need ironing.

smartgirl - 2010-10-31 11:35:00

Hi Girls. Yes I did leave the cottage spotless and it was the same when I returned home tonight. I love those kind of visitors. Had a really full on weekend. My Grandson was up there with his 4 month old baby who is a lovely baby. Between him and his Uncle who is 18 months we were run off our feet. The washing machine was working overtime. lol. Lovely sunny days so all the washing was dried quickly. then folded up and put away. My kids all do that. Too hell with washing piled up everywhere. Sometimes I fold it beforeI even put it in the washing baskets. Saves a lot of ironing. Lol.

makerealbany - 2010-10-31 21:08:00

Had a fab tea at A and S,s so we had to pack up the two babies and bring them down here for tea. M was a bit naughtie so had to spend a bit of time in Time Out. At one stage little J was crying(4 weeks) so then the other 2 cried in sympathy and then M ran over and wanted to know(What is the matter with J"? aH it was all on. After dinner we went back to the beach bathed the babies and collapsed in heaps. Yesterday my daughter had to start work at 2 so she left at 1 and my grandson and I had a good day with the babies. He is a brilliant Dad for a 22 year old. Very responsible and experienced too. He had C changed in the twinkle of an eye, bottle mixed and heated, fed his son, played with him, knew when he was tired, and it took him 10 minutes to get him settled to sleep. I was pleasantly delighted because I wondered how he would cope with fatherhood. Like a duck to water. Of course his 18 month old brother wanted playtime with his Ana and K just adores his little nephew " sssh bubba seep" as he heads for the door, shoes in hand to go to the Park.

makerealbany - 2010-10-31 21:20:00