100 Happy Days

My sister challenged me. I'm a generally optimistic, Pollyanna kind of spirit. I sometimes get knocked down, but I always get back up.

I posted them via Instagram as I'm also the kind of girl that (mainly) does what she is told, but here are my 100 days from Flickr as that's the way I'm rolling.



100 Happy Days Challenge, should we be worried that the Daily Mail is writing about it.

Four days

four days. I used to take four days off for granted. a normal part of 12 hour shift working. now it is a delightful bag of joyousness. I made a list 

four days off ::restful:reading:relaxing:sunshine:rain:wind:waves:car:beach:soup:tiles:starwars:cleaning:gardening:photography:chocolate:wine:coffee:tea: sculpture:ducks:burn:sleep

A beautiful bowel of italian tomato soup at the Morris and James Pottery

The baseball section of our bat/ball/gun moment

Ticket for spur of the moment activity 

The wonder of the west coast.
 Muriwai Beach 

The dog I think was winning. Though I worry about dogs so close to the mental waves

Happy Day Photo number 90 something

Happy number 82

The sun was too inviting to go straight home. Maybe it's knowing that summer is over, autumn is here and soon it will be damp and grey. He had things to talk about and sounded very much like he needed a beer right now. We trundled through the city and had a happy beer overlooking the harbour. Then it rained. We stayed in the rain. Happy

Happy Evening

The light was just going, the ground a bit damp. We sat bare footed and enjoyed the trees, the birds. Day 73 of the happy days project.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Working Backwards

WOMAD 2014 marked the end of a fabulously frantic time of travels, family and friends. It also happened to coincide with a cyclone working through New Zealand. Having missed last years festival  it was reassuringly familiar, with great music, weather not that bad and a long drive in the van. Happy Days indeed.

Van and tent looking very snug in the wind

Plannning

Heading home, thank you WOMAD

Scooter

A public holiday, a birthday, February 6th is all good here. Amazingly I had planned something, pre-booked no less. Up and off we went. Onto the 9am ferry to Waiheke Island were two bright yellow scooters awaited us. That may be a stretch. We joined the queue at the hire place to sign the various forms and then had our trial run to make sure we weren't lunatics about to be let loose on the roads of Waiheke. It was rather exciting. I had one of those grins of wonder. Personally it was the right balance of control and adventure. Neither of us have rode/ridden (oh dear which one is it) scooters so it's about time really.

I must say the car drivers are incredibly courteous and patient. Plus they seem to factor in that the lunatic on the scooter may be completely incapable of actually managing the upcoming corner and will need all the road and maybe a bit of the other side as well thank you. (For the record this only happened once but I did find the corners a challenge at times). 

The other point to note is that Adam didn't realise the scooters would be bright yellow when he decided on his birthday outfit for the day. 

There was lunch at Cable Bay and a glass of wine but it was less about the wine and more about the scooters. That must be a first. 

Ready to roll - ride that is

Palm Beach

Official Birthday Photo

Back home, now safely not in charge of scooter, it is time for a drink 

Late night at the Zoo

Summer time and a Wednesday after work. We crawl through the delights of auckland traffic after leaving work late. Off to the Zoo we go. Armed with an iPhone, chewy pizza and a large coffee we stroll around, unwind and start the birthday times for Adam.













- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

100 happy days

#100happydays, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

Today's happy thought was a no brainer. Last week we had ran out of gin - 'how did I let that happen' as a good friend said to me. We made an effort yesterday to vist a good bottle shop to have a good choice of gins. I was after a New Zealand made gin that I had read an article in a magazine ages ago. So Lighthouse Gin it was. Blimey, rather strong. Such a glorious feeling. Siting in the newly damn near as ready gin drinking summer temple, reading (OK, reading work stuff - you can take the workaholic out of England.....), drinking and enjoying the sun.

The Long Weekend

It wasn't that long ago I wrote about the wisdom of New Zealand and the public holiday on the 2nd January now here I am a few weeks later 'celebrating' Auckland anniversary with a long weekend.

There is no great story or adventure to recount. Our visitors that were planning to come Friday afternoon for the weekend cancelled at the last minute - and the bed had looked so good. 

A good amount of this

And some of this while working hard at Blogland adventure

A Sunday spent really lounging in bed adventuring into Blogland. From a link from a link to a list from a link form a blog I read - that I have now frustrating lost as I wanted to share them all here. Deeper and deeper I went. Travelling in my pyjamas. I did save one link though..

A joyous post where nursing home residents re-created famous movie scenes . The whole website is a dream.

Our pallet that would be decking project moves along...

We spent a fair amount of time on the continuing garden project but I also made my first bacon and egg pie (thank you Southern Man Cookbook). I think it's a bit of a kiwi thing and I have eaten it before, but my own was of course far superior!!

Bacon and Egg Pie

I also made some mince pies. Yes, in January, in the summer. I made a healthy batch of Nigellas, rhubarb mincemeat back at Christmas time, so what's a girl to do. I didn't make the pastry - let's blame the weather - far to humid.

My mother's inspiration for my pie letter topping - she always made roses!

There was of course time for this.
All in all the weekend made for some happy days and lots of sleep. 

Growing

It's been a good day, we may not be totally ready for the visitors that arrive on Friday but the new plants in the new decking that were pallets are not dead. Happy.


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Dinner

My sister has challenged me to take part in the 100 Happy Day challenge with her. Now I know, I really don't need another challenge. How many years will it take me to complete the 365 mug shot project and what about the 41 Walks, and those other lists made on other birthdays past" but she is my little sister. Was I going to pass or worse, cave. Of course not. A picture a day of a happy thought for 100 days. Of course I can do that. 100 consecutive days mind you. The weekend was a breeze, Sunday in particular was awash with happy thoughts. Back at work I didn't even tank about it. Once at home, I enjoyed clean to windows but my mind was drifting to fretting and worry as our cat had not returned home. I was struggling, hoping for that jubilant cat return that I could spontaneously snap and capture as my happy thought. Not going my way though. I can still be happy, admist my worry and despair. Dinner, that did it. Boy did it smell good. The cat returned half way through dinner. He is curled up on the bed as I tap away. Joy and happy.