Covid-19 Lockdown

Quote for the day:

“One of the tasks of true friendship is to listen compassionately and creatively to the hidden silences.  Often secrets are not revealed in words, they lie concealed in the silence between the words.”

By John O’Donohue

Welcome to day 24.  Oh my, only four days left of the original 28.  Where has the time gone?

As it was raining quite heavy this morning I decided it was a good opportunity to wash my house and windows.  It’s now looking bright and clean and the windows sparkling.  It’s such a rewarding job.  But there is also a down-side – I could see the areas that need some touch ups (sanding and repainting) so that is next on my to-do list.  House maintenance is never-ending and as it’s my biggest investment I like to look after it. What do you feel about doing house maintenance – do you delay it as long as possible or get on with it as soon as you see the need?

This afternoon I meet up with Denise at the Hamilton Gardens.  It was good to have a good catch-up (keeping our distance apart) and enjoy the environment. It was a shame we couldn’t enjoy a coffee at the Gardens Cafe – that will have a wait!  Must admit I’m looking forward to enjoying a coffee or prosecco with my friends in the not too distant future.  AND having a coffee on my longer bike rides – gee I’ve missed that!

A special congratulations to “I-Solution Wanaka” and his wife Dianne who are celebrating 39 years of marriage today.  Well done and have a fabulous day!

Click here if you missed out of day 23’s comments.

Feature image

Today’s image was taken at Hamilton Gardens.  There were many honey bees enjoying the rosemary flowers. It’s good to know the bees have a variety of flowers to choose from at this time of the year.

Signs of autumn

There were many signs of autumn to be seen at the Hamilton Gardens when Denise and I were this afternoon. It was lovely to see many families and couples out enjoying the gardens on their bikes or walking.

Bit short on content this evening, I don’t seem to have much to write about.  It’s interesting, some nights the ideas come flying into my head, other nights, like tonight it’s blank!!  Never mind at least I’m still posting each day, and every day is a new record for me.

Trust your day 24 has been memorable?  What did you get up to and what did you achieve?

Remember, to be patient and kind to yourself and everyone else in your bubble.  Take care – Goldcard Gal 🙂

Quote for the day:

“Life is about change.  Sometimes it is painful.  Sometimes it is beautiful.  But most of the time, it’s both.”
by Lana Lang

Welcome to day 23. As the four weeks of lockdown draws closer to the end, there is much debate about whether we’re going to move to level 3 or not next week.  I guess if you are a small business owner you’ll be thinking about how you can work “safe” and if so, what will that mean for you and your employees and what will the cost be to your business. Difficult times ahead.  I was chatting with one of my neighbours this morning (who had sold his electrical business late last year) and he was sooo relieved to not be a small business owner today.  Not much help but we are thinking of all you SMEs at this difficult time.  What are your thoughts regarding going to level 3?

To get up to speed with day 22’s readers comments, click here.

Feature image

Thank you “Carly of Tamahere” for today’s feature image.  Isn’t nature beautiful – how colours blend into each other?

Kim’s Rusks recipe

I spoke about this recipe last night.  It has been given to me by my elderly Zimbabwean neighbours, who class it as one of their ‘reminders of home’ and when they eat it, it brings back happy memories. It is my pleasure to share it with you and I’d love to hear from you if you make it.  I usually half the recipe when I make it.

Mix together:

5 cups of All Bran Flakes
1 tsp Baking Powder (not necessary)
Pinch salt
4 cups of SR flour or (may be 1/2 of SR and 1/2 plain)

Melt 500 gms butter
Add
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups plain unsweetened yoghurt (625 mls)
Then add 3 eggs

Add butter mix to dry ingredients
Add currents (approx 250 gms or sultanas)  (my friends don’t like any added fruit)

Pour into deep, well greased pan (warm pan in preheated oven to spread & melt butter)
Bake @ 150^o C for 40 – 60 minutes
Remove from oven and cool in pan for 30 minutes

Turn onto board and cool further.  Cut into squares and place them slightly apart on rack and dry in warm oven (60 – 80^oC) overnight till dry and brittle.  I do this during the day.

Mixed dough is wet and sloppy.   

Update to Feijoa Ice-cream recipe

Note:  it should be 1 1/2 cups of mashed feijoas not 1cup.  

1.  Whip 1/2 pint of cream
2.  Beat 2 egg whites
3.  Mix 2 egg yolks and 1 tsp vanilla
4.  Mix and leave overnight 11/2 cup mashed feijoas 3/4 cup sugar

Add 3 to 4
Then add 2 to (3 and 4)
Then add 1 to (2 and 3 and 4) and freeze.

Noughts & Crosses set completed

Here is the completed set.  All made from bits and pieces of wood that i could find in my shed.  My little grandies love playing games and I look forward to playing with them sometime soon!  Lighting not the best but you get the gist of it.

Signs of autumn

Thank you “Sharon & Alicia of Flagstaff” and “I-Solution Wanaka” for today’s signs of autumn.  I’m so enjoying receiving your photos of your autumn scenes.  Aren’t the roses stunning?

I’m going to watch another Jason Bourne movie tonight, so that is it for day 23. Trust you’ve had a great day and look forward to hearing about your happenings and adventures tomorrow.

Be patient and kind with yourself and everybody in your bubble.  Take care Goldcard Gal 🙂

 

 

 

Quote for the day:

“Enjoy life.  Have fun.  Be kind.  Have worth.  Have friends.  Be honest.  Laugh.  Die with dignity.  Make the most of it.  It’s all we’ve got”.

by Ricky Gervias

Welcome to day 22.  Guess the exciting news for today is ‘we may be going down to level 3 next week”.  That must be great news for many SME’s that can work safely and meet Covid-19 Health and Safety Requirements.  For many of us life will continue on as it currently is with the ability to add another person/family to our bubble.

In case you missed reading day 21’s comments, click here to catch up on what has been happening to my regular contributors.

Thank you for those of you who were concerned for my well being when you didn’t get your regular evening/morning read.  It will teach me for not checking.  Normally I check my mobile phone to see if the blog has been posted, and last night I didn’t – lesson learnt, simple mistake but I should have known.  Thankfully I wasn’t publishing a “breaking news” item.

Feature image

Tonight’s feature image (Protea bub) comes from Helen’s garden, thank you.

Rebuilding Paradise

Starting next Monday, 20 April, on TV 3 is Paul Henry’s “Rebuilding Paradise“, this is a brand new show.  It’s been described “as a positive yet hard-hitting show, aimed at finding the truth about where we are as a nation as we come out of lockdown and what possibilities lies ahead for us in the future.”  It will be broadcast four nights a week for four weeks, each episode is 30 minutes.  I’m looking forward to it.  Do you think you will watch it?

Yesterday, my neighbour showed me this cyclamen bulb she had dug out of her garden and asked if she could divide it.  I wasn’t sure, so thanks to Mr Google I found the following instructions:

Dig up the cyclamen bulbs and clean off any soil from them. At this point, the cyclamen bulbs will look somewhat like a seed potato and will be divided in a similar way. With a clean, sharp knife, cut apart the cyclamen bulb, making sure each piece cut has a nub where the foliage would grow from.

The gardening glove has been included in the photograph so you can get some perspective on the size of the bulb.  It is huge, never ever seen a bulb so large.  Have you ever seen a cyclamen bulb so big?

Busy day baking

I spent all morning baking:  home made muesli, Afghan biscuits for my friend Linda up the road who gives me the puzzle page out of the Waikato Times and I give her home made baking, a win win situation for us both.  Also I made my dear Zimbabwean friends a batch of Rusks, special recipe titled Kim’s Rusks and given to me by them.  They are delicious, not sweet, but very satisfying to eat.  As you can guess they are quite firm and crunchy which makes sense.  If you’d like the recipe let me know, I will publish it.  Speaking of recipes, if you haven’t checked out the Feijoa Icecream recipe (from Patricia Rose) and posted by “Carly of Tamahere” in day 21’s comments.

My grandies noughts and crosses set is just about finished, put the final touches of paint onto it tonight, will have a photograph for you tomorrow night.

Making the most of feijoas

Here are some recipes to enable you to make the most of feijoa season by using every bit of them: 4 delicious ways to use feijoa skins.

Signs of autumn

Thank you Helen for the following signs of autumn photographs, great to have a different perspective.

Well that is it for day 22.  I wonder what you have been up to today?  Baking, completing odd jobs or just enjoying life?  Look forward to hearing about your day.

Be kind and patient with yourself and everybody in your bubble.  Take care – Goldgard Gal 🙂

Quote for the day:

“F-E-A-R has two meanings.  ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise’.  The choice is yours”.

by Zig Ziglar

My apologies for the delay in posting this blog.  I had thought I hit the “Publish” button last night, but obviously didn’t because it wasn’t published.  A big thank you from a frequent reader who phoned this morning to make sure I was alright and where was yesterday’s post! 🙂

Welcome to day 21, my goodness three weeks in lockdown – that has passed quickly.  Or does it seem like a long time for you?  Appreciate hearing your thoughts.

When I started this blog 21 days ago I wasn’t sure I’d still be here posting daily, but yes here I am.  It’s been a good learning experience and I’m proud of my commitment to post something everyday.  (My apologies for the odd spelling error or incorrect grammar but when you proof-read your own work there’s a high chance those errors occur – with me they do.)   I’m even prouder of how you have contributed in your various ways, thank you.

Click here to catch up with day 20’s comments.  Not so many comments today, where is everyone??  

I heard on the radio yesterday afternoon a discussion about how people are coping with lockdown.  The radio host  suggested that people may be going to either Weight Watchers or Alcoholics Anonymous which I found quite amusing.  Do you think you may need to attend either one of these?  No need to tell me.  So what have been your coping strategies or perhaps like so many I’ve heard from, they’re actually enjoying being in lockdown?  Not counting the missed coffees, movies and social interactions.  

Thank you “Prudence of St Andrews” for the feature image in today’s post.  Ted (now retired gardener at Wintec) gave Prue and I a number of tractor seat plants a few years back.  We have both been successful in growing impressive plants.

This morning I cycled along the Waikato River Trail to Ngaruawahia.  It was noticeably quiet on the trail and I was beginning to wonder if I’d missed some news item or something important about not being out and about!!  It was most unusual something I’d never experienced before.  Thankfully around the new Horitu sub-division started to see people out and about.  Perhaps they were waiting for the wind to quieten down or rain to pass over!  Even though there were many very dark clouds present, I never got wet.   One of my Tuesday cycling buddies was also out and about, good to catch up with you Rex.  We both chatted about how we’re missing our cycling mates, cups of coffee, and social interactions.  The last two being the most important. 

Oh that is right, the golf green-keepers are back working again, much relief to all the golf clubs.   At the Ngaruawahia Golf Club the course was being mowed and it was starting to look like someone cared about it again.  

My five things to be thankful for today:

1. Good wood supply for winter
2. Have a wood burner to keep my home and myself warm
3. Have great friends and family
4. Have two bikes that I enjoy riding and having adventures on
5. Have a shed that I can be creative in and waffle away the time 

  What are your five things to be thankful for?

Signs of spring in the UK

“Unhurried in Hamilton” has sent through these photos from his family in the UK.  

Thank you Susan for the daffodils photograph.  

Well that is it for day 21.  I wonder what adventures you have been up to today or perhaps you have been completing some of those jobs on the to-do list?  Love to hear from you.

In the meantime, be kind and patient with yourself and everybody in your bubble.  Take care – Goldcard Gal 🙂

 

 

 

 

Quote for the day:

“May I have the courage today to live the life that I love.  To postpone my dream no longer.  But do at last what I came here for.  And waste my heart on fear no more”.

by John O’Donohue

Welcome to day 20. Quite a blustery day with a cold south-westerly wind blowing and the odd scrawly shower of rain – welcome to a colder break.  I have lit my fire this evening – first time this year.  It feels nice and warm.  Have any of you got your fire going yet?

First day back at work for some of you, how is that after the Easter break?

In case you have missed out on day 19’s comments, click here to catch up with readers feedback and happenings.  Thank you for taking the time to respond and share what is happening in your bubble.  One of my aims for this blog was to provide a platform for you to share your lock-down experiences and reflections.  One of my readers has said the lock-down has got her trying new recipes: Beer bread and Irish Soda bread, both successful and tasting delicious, and having a virtual dinner with her family.  What special events have you done with your family members or friends during this lock-down?

Thank you Margie for the ‘feature image’ for this post.  I appreciate how many of you have responded by sending some of your garden scenes, and other photographs.  I will include them in the coming days.

John O’Donohue

In my yoga class yesterday, the instructor Neal read a quote from John O’Donohue (1 January 1956 – 4 January 2008).  It resonated with me, and have included quotes from him in yesterday and today’s posts.  His quotes have prompted me to look up more about him.  He was an Irish poet, author, priest, and Hegelian philosopher. He was a native Irish speaker, and as an author is best known for popularising Celtic spirituality.  Here is a link to his obituary, I feel it makes for noteworthy reading. 

Morning walk

While on my morning walk around the block it occurred to me you don’t have to travel far to see nature’s beauty – it is everywhere.  Just that sometimes we are always in a hurry so don’t take the time to stop and see what is surrounding us. I feel having this forced lock-down has allowed us to slow-down, take a deep breath and be in the moment.  Re-evaluate what is important in our life and “just be”.  I think this then enables an inner sense of contentment and peace.  What are your thoughts?

To-do list

Another couple of items have been ticked off my to-do list today and I’m feeling pretty pleased with that:

1. GST done
2. a document for a client completed – yippee
3. sanded and painted my grand-daughters noughts & crosses set
4. spent time scrapping paint off on my outdoor chairs – making great progress there.  Initially I was using a course wire brush sander to take the paint and rust off.  But scrapping seems to be working better, will still need to get rid of the rust.

What can you cross off your to-do list?  Does your partner add more items to the list when the list is getting smaller?

Signs of autumn

Well that is it for Day 20.  Look forward to hearing about your happenings and events.

Be patient and be kind to yourself and everyone else in your bubble.  Stay safe – Goldcard Gal 🙂