Breakfast

Breakfast is my favourite meal and I'd happily eat breakfast at every meal time (and often do). So thank you August Break for this moment. Thankfully it's a Saturday or the breakfast would have been a snatched coffee and banana while sitting at my desk (yes need to work on that). So while I was nursing a hangover I cooked up some porridge and was able to indulge in an open door and breakfast on the steps which after what has seemed like days of rain was the cherry on top. 

The simple stuff

Of course the cat is interested 

Steaming. I favour some dried fruit and honey whereas Adam has a spoonful of sugar 

All on the steps together (seeing the steps in a photo makes me realise what a sort out is needed)

My view over breakfast. The traditional August Break shot of the bird table 

August Broke

Thanks to the August Break, August is often a blogging peak for me. Not this year. 
Maybe it's the ease of Instagram, maybe the new job, maybe my natural laziness, anyhoo, it started well but I couldn't stick at it. 
I think the laptop was stuck under stacks of paper, reading, notes, cards and the like. Does it sound like I'm trying to find excuses. 
I did mange the photos, and this year followed the prompts. Now at times I was rushing round the house before jumping into bed (this all sounds very active and I don't think there was a much energy as this implies) to take the photo for the day. At the end of August we had a little break and I lost sense of time and dates, so it may have gone a little awry, but here for your viewing pleasure my August Break

16th

Look Down

A sort of weeks
Sadness
Newness
Learning
Firsts
Memories 
and 
Smiles
with the 
Tears

Second breakfast 
To restore the soul
Coffee
with a 
Face

August Break 2014 Day 16

13th

Guilty Pleasure 

I do guilt. But guilty pleasure not really 
But having a think
Collecting several copies of the same book, maybe excessive
I refuse to buy things I don't 'need'
But yet, scrambling in second hand book shops for an old copy of a Jane Austen book
Is so pleasurable
And these are the ones I've found in NZ
There are more in storage in the UK
Now I feel guilty. 

August Break 2014 Day 13

11th

Handwriting

I've been scrawling a lot of late
Notes and thoughts to gather the stories 
So new job started officially 
All very exciting
But my notes and scrawl don't seem to making much sense tonight

August Break 2014 Day 11

10th

Drink

Our usual weekending
Coffee
Journalling
List making
Talking
Drinking

Oh and trying not to think about starting a new job tomorrow.

9th

In my bag...

Today
There was Disney 
There were 2 excited girls
There was an awful lot of people
And a fair amount of walking
So I made sure I had a light bag

Todays bag had my lush and wonderful crumpler camera holder
It takes my two cameras very neatly and has pockets for cards and cables
I carried the precious tickets to Disney on Ice
Some notepaper and pens
Tissues, this seems to be essential for anyone with children, but I didn't need them
My phone and my purse and that was me done

August Break 2014 Day 9

8th

Selfie

there were moments
mind expanding
thought provoking
blimey realising
listening
talking
note taking
more listening
then the long day ended
and drinks were had
bubbles
chat
and celebration
with food
lovely
home time came
with comfy boots
sofa time
this is all that is left of me to share

August Break 2014 Day 8 

7th

Today is…..

Being overwhelmed
Despite the prepartion
Despite the thoughts
Despite the lists
I forgot it all
In the face of such warmth
such love and appreciation 
such amazingness
such poetry
with a Star Wars Touch
(That I wish my brother could have seen)
Farewell 
Not ready yet
Not just yet
Thank you 
Thank you 


August Break 2014 Day 7

6th

Reflection

Moving on 
Feeling odd
But feeling and 
Reflecting
Making a list
Grounding me
Elevating the moments

August Break Day 6

5th

Three
Star Wars to the rescue
Anakin, oh Anakin
With added dust
Keeping it real

August Break 2014, Day 5

4th

Orange
I never really thought about oranges
but now I see them growing
oodles 
on trees
not my trees, but friends trees
who deliver, bags of oranges
heavy bags
oodles of oranges
that scent, the bright colour, the warmth they bring
to winter
I never thought they were a winter fruit
but it makes so much sense
nature. seasons. all very clever really
when you think about it
I love the imperfections
the muffins we make
that freshly squeezed juice that kick starts the day
orangeness


August Break 2014 day 4

3rd

Window
All our windows look out to green
I never take this for granted
And this window has herbs 
Surviving the winter
Basil. In winter. That's Auckland I guess. 

August Break 2014 Day 3

2nd

Pattern. 
I paid attention today and the train station (and the train) gave me pattern galore. 
But we managed so much more
Lawn mower taken for repair
Coffee and early lunch in a new place 
Dropping the car and taking the train 
Strolling and shopping here
An afternoon movie watched here before the train home

1st

Not from today, but as the power goes in my phone, and I realise that after an amazingly pumping week at work it is the 1st of August. So searching my photos and thanking the universe for the prompt. Lunch. This was earlier this year. One of those happy places we return to time after time but this photo was extra special. My mum was there, sharing lunch with me. A happy happy time. Her friend and my close family down under is there is the background. Thank you for the happy lunch memories.

Last Days of August

Last Days of August, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

Heading away to the warmth and sunshine of Queensland the August Break flow was adapted and had to wait till a return to New Zealand shores. The fun of looking over the photos begins but here is a sneak preview to complete the August Break.

Twenty Second

Choosing the holiday reading 

Feeling sorry for myself and in desperate need of my imminent holiday. I am struggling to choose the reading material to pack. Let us not worry that I'm not sure about whether I have any toothpaste or underwear, the reading is much more important. My latest read was 'In the Kitchen' by Monica Ali. I didn't really enjoy it and there were moments I thought 'this is all too much' and 'life is to short to struggle on with this rather miserable (but well written) book'. I did finish it but I did skip a few pages here and there. I think it was the wrong book to be reading when I could sense my own self becoming more and more tired. I guess it gave me 'at least things aren't that bad' kind of feeling but I never really bonded with any of the characters.
So holiday time then, what should be in the bag....The classic crime series recently published by Penguin has several points in there favour and I happen to have two recent purchases on my shelf. I picked up The Hunger Games series, that might be good holiday stuff. I'd like a least one 'local' book, so I think 'Is that thing Diesel' may be in the bag. I do have a non fiction book about the Great Barrier Reef that should really go along so I can learn a thing or two while (hopefully) lazing in the sun, snorkelling in clear blue waters and generally soothing my aching self. I have a day or two to make my final cut.

Walk 14 - Muriwai

A weekend away was cancelled due to the possibility of bad weather. How stupid is this kind of thinking, in general, but seriously this is New Zealand, it rains, a lot, there are earthquakes and you know what, life goes on. Family who live only 2 hours away should not cancel because the weather may be bad.....I was not heart broken but Adam was disappointed as he likes seeing his brother and spending time with him. The weather was not that bad, there was some rain, OK a fair bit of rain. I mean we weren't talking about spending the weekend trekking through the wilderness we were going to Whangarei for goodness sake. I need to stop now and talk about the great walk we did have. Sunday saw us heading off to Muriwai Beach. The sun was out, the breeze was light but enough to clear the mind. I may have mentioned this wondrous place a few times before, um here and here oh and again here. So a special place it is. It's one of those amazing beaches that you can't see the end of, allowing you to walk and walk. We did. The furthest we have ever walked on Muriwai and boy am I out of shape. I didn't take many photos as it was a day for walking and pondering, people and dog watching, admiring those doing the life saver training and gawping at the surfers. You'll be glad to know that in true fashion and tradition of most of the places I walk there is a delightful coffee shop were we could stop for refreshments. Phew.

Rather excited as this one made Explore on Flickr

Seventeenth

Seventeenth, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

For lunch, not breakfast. With a pork pie, which I guess negates any health benefits. Rather delightfully whizzed up from banana, frozen mixed berries, yoghurt, honey and some LSA.

Fifteenth

Fifteenth, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

The garden has sort of been neglected (actually totally neglected) but the carrots have struggled on and despite my neglect (or maybe because of it) they seem to be nearly ready for eating.