Spring is in the air!

This is really my favourite time of the year, with all the spring flowers blooming.
Every morning I go out for my walk,  I love smelling the gorgeous scents around - jasmine and freesias and always pick a little bunch for the vase which makes the house smells gorgeous.

Sorry I have not been around much as I have been trying to get our kitchen back together.

A layer of dust from the tiler and plasterer is everywhere, so have had to clean everything.  It is like Christmas opening boxes to put the kitchen things away. Will share some photos soon.
Look forward to coming over to visit you.

Have a happy week
hugs
Carolyn

Winter time

I look at the pretty bright sunflowers from last year and keep hoping that wonderful weather is just over the horizon.

With heavy rain, thunder and winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour, we dropped off the grid.
Tuesday evening the power went off and stayed off for 24 hours - came on again Wednesday evening.
So we sat listening to the radio, talking to each other by the flickering light from the candles that were around the room.  Snuggling into a cozy bed for an early night with the warmth from a hot water bottle was lovely.

You really know how much you rely on electricity, when you don't have it.
It makes for a lovely opportunity to contemplate all that is good in life when everything is back to normal and you can do laundry and have a shower.

I have done a very silly thing! 
As many people have told me that they were having trouble leaving comments. Because I have comment moderation went through and started deleting the ones that had been already published.
Little did I know that the published messages  (about 2000) disappeared. So angry with what I have done with loosing all the lovely comments and do not know how to get them back. Does anyone know how I can retrieve them please?

Oh well, have a wonderful rest of the week
hugs
Carolyn

Welcome July!

It's a new week! How did it get to be July already... time really flies.

Winter seems to have arrived here, which we have to expect for this time of the year. The woolen blankets have come out and the hot-water bottles are needed to warm the bed at night. 

To lift my spirits it was time to bring a little Spring in the house - daffodils always make me happy and these little miniature variety are so sweet.

{You may need to enlarge the photo to see the Orcas}

Down the Eastern end of Waiheke Island my husband was doing some work for clients and while they were waiting for the helicopter to come and pick them up, they were fortunate to see a pod of Orcas come into Wells Bay. So knowing I am always on the look out for some nice things to share on my blog - he took a photo. The five Orca were hunting stingrays and playing in the Bay. They could hear them snorting and leaping out of the water "was an amazing sight", my husband said. Glad I wasn't swimming out there.
They are often seen around the New Zealand Coast easily recognized by their distinctive black and white marking. 

Hope you all have a wonderful week
hugs
Carolyn

Floral Friday ~ flowers that make me smile

When Trishie gave us the theme for floral Friday, it was to showcase some flowers that make us happy.
I must say I have a little bit of an obsession with fresh flowers,  whether they are picked from the garden, growing wild on the side of the road or even splurging, on a little treat with the grocery budget.

I immediately thought of the freesia and have fond memories ... transported me back to my childhood days when I used to go and stay with my grandparents for some of my school holidays.
Grandma's garden was beautiful and she always grew the soft creamy lemon coloured freesias  and we would go and pick them and bring them indoors to put in a vase ... ahhh! the fragrance was so gorgeous.

Nothing screams Springtime more, than a bunch of bright yellow daffodils - such a cheerful flower as winter is all over with...  Spring is the herald of summer, with warmer and sunnier days ahead.

I couldn't forget the Paris flower shops, they have to be the best and  every time I passed by one, wanted to get out my camera and take a photo ~the French just seem to do flowers so well.

Last but not least, the camellia bushes I have growing ~ these flowers I adore and for about two months they bloom so beautifully in the garden and  always like to bring some of these into the house to show them off.
These are a few of the flowers that make me happy.

Hope you take the time to smell the flowers!
Wishing you a fabulous weekend.
Carolyn 

Harbinger of Spring!

 Harbinger of Spring is the sight of daffodils, freesias, birds building nests, (once again the window box outside our sons bedroom makes a temporary home for a little family.)
September is officially the start of Spring here in New Zealand,  but you would not think so as today it is cold and wet.
 
Signs of spring are in the air, and out walking I picked a bunch of freesias that were growing on the roadside. The intoxicating smell on the kitchen windowsill is gorgeous and even doing jobs like washing the dishes,  seems more pleasant.

These Gucci shoes were displayed in the window of the Fabric shop that I went into last week.
They were worn by Lady Gaga during the final show of the Monster Ball tour in Mexico City.
Autographed by her, they were put up for auction for a fund raising telethon to help Christchurch after the earthquake.
Lady Gaga gave strict instructions to the Rise up Charity team for Christchurch "Make sure they raise heaps of money and go to someone fabulous"

Ps. Two years ago today, 4th September was when the first earthquake struck Christchurch, and still there are difficult times for so many people living there. Rebuilding and getting back to normality is slowly happening and we hope that life can be better for the people of Christchurch.

I wish you a wonderful new week
Hugs
Carolyn

A little Daffodil joy!

Daffodils always make me feel happy and I love the way they flutter and dance about in the breeze.

Even on an overcast day, these pretty yellow flowers bring a little sunshine around and make you feel like everything is right with the world.

There is a little glimmer of hope and excitement that Spring will be on its way soon.

Daffodils ~ by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. 

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed - and gazed - but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Hope that you are enjoying the week

Sending love to everyone

Hugs

Carolyn