Birthdays and a new cat

Last weekend it was mum and Kae's birthday and we celebrated ma's with dinner at Lou's on the day and then a big family breaky for them both and Clare's boyfriend Piet at Uncle D's on Saturday.

Ben cooked up a huge tasty and well crafted birthday pie. Awesome.

The women folk.

Gale force. It was a two cake affair. Mum's definitely worth two cakes. And below, who could forget Pete, so hansom.

Then onto uncle D's where everyone brought a breaky plate. Pancakes, fruit, bacon, croissants, compote, yogurt, museli, corn fritters, baked bananas - but most importantly good coffee.

Birthday mum 63 and first great grand child (for granny) Jade bubble blowing.

Birthday Kae and below his newborn baby Dante with mum's brothers Uncle D (enamoured granddad) and Uncle Geoff.

The other half of the Tyler clan, Clare, Adri and Aunty Sheryl.

Unfortunately that's all the pics we got as we were all called to eat soon after and let's face it, everything's forgotten in the place of good food.

Lastly, we now have a cat. She used to be Gran's cat, a big rotund beauty called Milly and she's just lovely. She talks a lot, eats a lot and immobilises you by rolling her great girth onto your feet and seeking cuddles and pats with her big imploring green eyes.

We adore her. Lucky cat.

Beer Making & Gardening

Ok, so I think that it is time that I took over the blog - I've always had a dream of being self sufficient.... growing my own... Never thought that I could brew my own Beer, so here we go. 1st brew was a Nut Brown Ale, Bought from a home brew shop (I never knew these existed.... Big city boy, born & bred).

So this is me bottling up the 1st brew... Just for the british guys, I brewed 40 pints for the price of 4 pints in London. Dave, just so you know, I'm gonna need a hand to drink all this. 

Cheap Beer!! Happy Boy!!

Ok, so now on to the gardening.

We are in winter here, so not much grows, but compared to England, not much, means.... Shit loads of things still grow.

we are growing a load of herbs in troughs & I've spent some time cultivating the land, ready for our summer crop.

 

Am photographing me. Check out the love face.

The garden, that overcast winter sky.

Adding compost, just to make sure all the vegetables grow.

Results.... Organic Compost....or else

Taka Beach

I make Pete walk with me on Taka Beach on the days that Lou can't come. On the first day he moaned from start to finish and I got real grumpy and we had this big argument about 'enjoying each other's hobbies'  and now I pretend to love sex and he smiles and comments on the fabulous views when we go walking. A happy compromise I think.

Beautiful isn't it? The mountain in the distance is a dormant volcano called Rangitoto. Dave, Jodie, we intend to walk to the summit of her when you arrive, keen?

This is Lou, 7 months pregnant and still a full 2kg lighter than me. Seriously, this is why I walk.

Staunch-ow.

New Digs!

While pete was back in blighty I sorted us a flat. It's small, it's dated, but it has a big deck and our own plot of grass. 7 mins to Takapuna Beach and a 5 minute walk to the Manakau Harbour where we get a view of the city-o-sails.

Somewhere in there, we are.

Here's the homestead. We've already raided a few of ma's art collection to make the place feel like home.

Where the magic happens....

We got a deck.

  We got a view.

Happy.