Poppy Time

Knitterati came to Deepest Ponsonby last week to make poppies for the Centenary Poppy Project. By Anzac Day 2015 the National Army Museum hopes to have 18,166 handcrafted poppies, each one representing the life lost in the First World War by NZ servicemen and women.  These are some I made (the 4 at the back) and a couple by one of the other women.  The others took theirs home to sew up and finish off with a button and safety pin at the back.  

I got up early to make some herbed mini muffins with bacon bits and got the room ready, with cups and mugs, brewed the coffee and was ready for the others by 10 when they arrived.  I am out of the habit of entertaining but it was enjoyable,  chatting over our knitting and crochet and munching muffins and other goodies they brought along  too, including Anzac biscuits of course.   

One had brought a quiche thinking it was a lunch gathering , so I rustled together a salad, defrosted bread, and set the table in the dining room,  which was somewhat cluttered as bathroom and laundry had been cleared out in preparation for renovations. Lo and behold, lunch was served. Phew! 

Tulip Time

These poppies I can see from my kitchen window at present and as the song we sometimes sing at the Celebration Choir goes, they raise me up! The tulip is the international Parkinson's symbol, or maybe just the national flower symbol.  Beside them are broad beans in flower and it won't be long until they develop pods with young beans, ready for cooking and eating.  They are my favourite vegetable served in a white parsley sauce with new potatoes and Spring lamb.

I went to a Parkinson's Meeting at the King's Garden centre cafe yesterday on that enjoyable train journey round the Orakei Basin, or it it through it.  There seemed to be water on both sides.  Usually I have my head buried in the Herald codecracker to exercise my brain cells, neuroplasticity being the one to encourage. Each time I think , "this is getting harder and I'll never get it out" but lo and behold had it finished before I got off the bus on the way home.

Back to the meeting, a small group of just seven this time,which was amenable to hear and be heard across the big table over a flat white and a delicious banana and cream cheese muffin.

We had a Community Educator take our meeting who was formerly a social worker so the discussion centred around planning for the future from the vantage point of living in our preferred community environment for as long as possible.  All the same it is prudent to take into consideration steps and stairs for example and what we can do to make our living environment safe and suitable for future needs. 

We thought about retirement villages and the like but none of us seemed to be very enthusiastic about those, especially when they keep 30% of the selling price upon one's demise or other reason for vacating the premises. 

With that aim in mind we are in the throes of getting our bathroom, laundry and loo refurbished for present and future comfort and safety.  It is looking good and  the new shower will be easier to keep clean and not get mouldy like the grouting was getting with the old tiled one.  

All the same I will be making a more concentrated effort to downsize a bit more radically.  Coming up to 2000 bits of positive feedback on Trademe so I am making progress -  you just can't see it!