OH YEAH!!! WINNERS AGAIN!!!

Well if you didn't already know the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup this morning. I got up very early to watch it again and if I hadn't Miss 19 would have had something to say.  She messaged me just to make sure I was watching it..... like I wouldn't.

Anyway we played the Wallabies and it was a great game.  Got a bit worried there when there were only 4 points in it, (not as nail biting as last weeks on against South Africa where I was nearly sick because I was so nervous).  However Dan Carter and his magnificent boot was magic and some great tries came along, especially that one by Beauden Barrett right at the end.  It is going to be sad to see Dan gone now.  He has had a great All Black career

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Along with him there are some other great All Blacks who have played their last game in the black shirt and one of these could be the great captain Richie McCaw, it is still up in the air what he is going to do, but if he ends up retiring, he is another great loss to the All Blacks.

 So after that game I would say there would be a great many Kiwi's around the world still celebrating our back to back World Cup wins like these boys

Bathurst1000, 2015

Earlier this year hubby and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and we decided to go to Bathurst as our celebration.
It was the first time we had been and we loved it.  We went as a package deal and four busloads of New Zealanders (oops there were a couple of South Africans with us too) converged on Bathurst for 3 days of some exciting action.

Had to grab a photo of Volvo and New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin.  Bit shy to get one with him 

..........however not with this dude!!!  Yes the guy was a bit alright too haha

The start of the big race

and obviously Holden won!!! Yay!!!

Taupo, New Zealand

Before I moved back here to Gisborne, I stayed in Taupo at my cousins to work out my notice at the hospital.  One weekend Miss 19 came up and stayed a couple of nights and decided to buy herself a new car so she wanted to go cruising around town for the day so we headed out to Huka Falls.

The water these is so blue and it is a great free tourist attraction for the area, so if you are ever in Taupo it is a must do.

We also stopped at the lookout overlooking Taupo and out to the Central North Island where I use to live.

 And to the east of Taupo is it own mountain Mt Tauhara

It was a lovely drive and Miss 19 loves her new vehicle, though not the petrol bill, that comes with large cars.

All Moved & Back Into Everything

So everything is out of storage and I have been in the house for two weeks now.  There are a few things needing to be done - new curtains and shower definitely, and we are slowly doing the little bits and pieces.  It is strange living in town after 40 years on a farm and I think I will take some time getting use to it, but I will.
Anyway I have not really posted about any sewing or swaps I have been in as I was on little amounts of data and everything was packed up, but as of today ....unlimited internet data (a living in town bonus) and my sewing/swaps etc are unpacked so here I go.
Now before I packed up I was in a swap over on Facebook on the Bee In My Bonnets Sew Alongs and it was a Pot Holder / Trivet swap using a patterns from Lori Holts Farm Girl Vintage Book. I was lucky to send to the lovely Sue Bellei and here is what she received from me

And the lovely Laurel Fletcher sent to me this gorgeous one

I also have made some blocks that are due and over due for the block swap I have been in for the last few years.  The BearPaw points were a mission to do but I think I got them nearly.

I made two for my partner Deb as in the rush to try and get hers completed and sent before I packed up the room last month I accidentally made the 14" block, not the 12" I was suppose to so am sending both

And the October one to Cathy.

Well that is all for now.  I am at this moment backing everything up so not to lose things especially photos so I will get back to that again.

What's Happening?

Well the house is all packed up and in storage and I am staying at my cousins until I move back up to Gisborne in three weeks time.  Before then I am off to Bathurst 1000....getting so excited about that.  Off to pick up my travel pack tomorrow in town.
So I thought I had packed up some stitching to do for my Christmas swaps, but going through my car I have realized it must have gone into storage too ... damn. Fortunately I do have my overdue hexi swaps to stitch I then thought.  Well yes I do, but the hexi templates are in the same place as that stitching I want to do, so only got some done..... double damn.  But I do have my Natures Journey to work on ...... well some of it, because you guessed .... it went to storage.  I should have just placed everything in one box.  Anyway Lincraft is opening here in Taupo next week so I will have a look for some things to do there and I was planning on a trip to Rotorua tomorrow or Saturday so may have a look there too.  I can say I have plenty of books to read.
I have just finished this one

I have never really been into these kind of books but in the last 9 months was in a book club so started reading a variety of different ones.  After reading They Storyteller by Jodi Picoult I have taken a shining to this author.  This book was so thought thought provoking and touched on teen suicide.  I really enjoyed it and could not put it down

I have to also admit that I have been reading some Mills and Boons which I have not down for some years.  I usually have a run of reading these before getting back into the bigger novels.

One other book (which our school must have been one of the only ones not to read it), is To Kill a Mocking Bird.  I have this on my Kindle and am reading this too.  I do not know why after hearing about it for so many years I have taken this long to read it but glad I am.

Moving Again .....

And again less than a year, I am moving.  Hubby's job did not work out so he resigned and we are moving back to Gisborne.  The only strange thing is that after 40 years living on both dairy and then sheep and beef farms, is that I am moving to town.

I won't miss the commute to work, the capped internet, no cell phone coverage, but I will miss the quietness of the country side.

Another benefit is I will not be at all that far from a quilt shop I discovered just before my last move.

If you are in a swap with me never fear, my mail is being redirected for a while and anyone else I will get my new address out too.

At the moment I am feeling a bit like this, as working and packing is not easy and there are boxes everywhere.  At least hubby is not currently working so can do all the outside things and cook the meals.

Hexi Magic

Some more hexis I have made and sent off for swaps I have been in lately

Not quite caught up yet but nearly

Lots of Mud

Last weekend Kristen and I participated in the annual Tough Guy & Tough Gal Challenge in Rotorua.  With just over 50mls of rain falling the previous day I knew we were going to have plenty of mud and we did.
Kristen was going to do the 12km course and I the 6km, but after the first lap Kristen changed her mind along with 19 other people to only complete one lap.  Then 1/2 hour later I finished mine and was about 10 minutes faster than my previous attempt.  That was strange as I walked the whole way where previously I had spurts of running previously.  But I can say I was not that stuffed at the end like I usually am.
Here we are keen to go.  Notice the puffer jackets on. It was not a warm day and went you jumped into the water you definitely found out.

But the best thing about the water is that you could wash all that mud of and look nearly decent at the end.

Another Christmas In July Update ....a bit late...................

Over on Our Craft Group on Facebook I sort of run some swaps and last month completed the Christmas in July swap.  I was fortunate enough to have two partners which was great until I got a little message that I had sent each parcel to the wrong person.  But never fear it was sorted and everyone got the right one. I sent and received from the same people Helen and Narelle and here is what I sent. I sent this table runner to Narelle which I made from French General charm squares

and to Helen I sent this one

I love using this pattern.  It is so easy to make this tale runner and with the amount of Charm packs I have, will make many more. From Helen I received this lovely gift which will be used lots

Still awaiting on Narelles gift, but being a farmer I know she has been having a busy time, so will post what I receive at a later date.

Now if you what to join up on a couple more Christmas swaps, pop over to Our Craft Group as I am now taking sign ups for a Christmas Advent swap and also a Christmas Swap

Christmas In July Swap

Yes again I joined in Cheryll from Gone Stitchin' Christmas In July Swap this year.
I was lucky enough to receive my lovely swag of goodies from Marcia from Daisy-Jayne and boy did I get a swag of goodies
But before I show you those goodies, I will show you what I sent to the lovely Anna B (no blog).
This Christmas table runner using the Zig Zag Charm Table Runner pattern

A Christmas Bon-bon filled with some goodies

And finally this mini wall hanging using a Nikki Tervo Designs pattern and buttons

Now on to what I received.

This little bag filled with what??

All these

But that's not all I received.  Look at all of this.  I am one lucky girl.

Thanks again Cheryll for hosting this lovely swap and if anyone wants to see what everyone else is receiving go over to here and have a look.