The Birds

Yesterday as H and I were walking to Island Bay I noticed a large swarm of seagulls hovering over the hills by the wind turbine. Usually I would expect seagulls to hover over the tip a little further south, but I had never seen them in this spot before or in such vast quantities. It was a bright sunny morning but a large cloud came over from the South Island and I supposed the birds were moving in from the sea ahead of the front.

Then this morning I step outside to hang washing and there they are.

They all started squawking at once, or I would probably not have noticed them. As I type this, more are arriving.

Creepy.

Happy 250th birthday Special K

This is my 250th post. Who would have thunk I would have come up with 250 things to say to the entire planet?

To celebrate, here are five things that are currently rocking my world:

• National Radio is playing my favourite David Bowie song, Ashes to Ashes.
• Harper is asleep for a decent length of time for the first time in about a week.
• I have two more stories to do for the Dompost, sans deadline.
• It was sunny long enough for me and H to walk to Island Bay this morning.
• The idea that in November, Harper will have another cousin. (Yey Nibeth!)

Thriftiness

We're saving for a house. We're sticking to a tight budget. We're tightening our belts, watching our pennies etc. We're being Thrifty.
I like being Thrifty. I like seeing what bargains I can squeeze value out of, like seeing things that might be thrown out have extra life. It's also Environmentally Friendly. It's all the rage. Everyone should do it.
I've noticed that Campbell Live has been doing a lot of features on ways to save money in these expensive economic times, but none of them have really helped us as we're already doing them. We don't have a vege garden yet, but I am going to get around to doing something about that. Soon, I hope.
Anyway, here's what we do to make every little help:

• Breastfeeding - far cheaper than lining the pockets of formula producers.
• Learning to sew - so that I can alter or make my own clothes, bought second hand usually. Will come in handy as Harper grows and will be able to make own sheets, duvet covers etc, take up trousers, make blankets go a second round.
• Saving on baby consumables - breasts pads in particular cost a fortune. Now I have a sewing machine I am going to make my own washable ones. Even though they are *so handy*, I may start phasing out the baby wipes too. If we didn't have at least 140,967 bibs then I would probably make my own of those too.
• Turning things off at the wall - I don't know how much this saves a year, but apparently it makes a difference, and makes me happy.
• Making cards and presents - At over $5 a pop, who has the cash to buy cards? And who wouldn't want a pair of slightly wonky mittens for their birthday?
• Buying up large on veges and fruit to preserve - this is coming back in style I reckon. I'm a big fan of beetroot, so am going to get them cheap at the markets and pickle them myself. And when tomatoes are back in season I may make vats of passata and my favourite tomato and red pepper soup a la Jamie Oliver. Yum.
• The Library - getting DVDs from the library is way cheaper than from a video shop, especially if you have a community services card.
• Health services - we are members of the Newtown Union Health Service because we're *poor* and it only costs a tenner to see a doctor there.

I read a book last year called The Good Life, in which a family living in Queensland attempted to live off their land for a year. They made pot scrubbers out of loofahs that they grew themselves. They are my Thrifty heroes.

I will occasionally allow myself a wee luxury - I'm currently on the hunt for some winter boots but I rarely get to town to look at such things, so that will probably wait till next year. When I am back on the dairy I am going to have a blue cheese orgy, and I have a continuing love affair with Saturday brunch...

Who needs Noosa?

We've just spent five days up in Plimmerton, a wee village by the sea bordered by Porirua and SH1. We rented a NZ Post house and went to sleep with the sea gently lapping in our ears. We went for walks most days, the Postie played tennis with a pal, we went to dinner at a friend's house one night and out to a restaurant another. We were blessed with glorious weather, it came in through the ranch slider and warmed me as I knitted on the couch listening to Nat Radio. We shopped at Savemart where I found a chocolate brown hoodie that has become indispensable, found an English-Maori copy of The Cat in the Hat at the local Sallys, and Harper met some dogs and horses on a walk up the hill above the village. There may not have been any lorikeets or stingrays or nudists, but it was a lovely holiday and I have to admit I am a bit of a fan of Plimmerton now.

How we have grown

top - Harper at three days old

bottom - Harper at 93 days old

Hasn't Harper grown? And his mother shrunk?

Top five things I am loving right at this moment ...

1. The anticipation of getting a sewing machine for Mother's Day this weekend. Yey - a new toy!

2. This picture of Sweeney

3. This quote:

"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he known full well he will never sit."

4. The late afternoon sun blinding me

5. Harper's belly laugh

Much craftiness

I am pleased to report I have overcome my fear of sewing machines. It was a fear I didn't even know I had until I borrowed this beast from my pal Ange Lee (not my sister Ange) to sew up some receiving blankets for the kid. When I was 11 or 12, I nicked my thumb on a sewing machine needle in sewing class, and it happened to be the same day Lisa and I were pulled out of class to have our rubella shots. Then as the Elnita sat on my dining room table, I just felt so scared of it! Crazy! But anyhoo, I've sewn up one receiving blanket and will do another one this afternoon. Ange L and I are starting actual dressmaking lessons at Wellington High on Monday and I'm glad I overcame the fear before going. Now I can't wait to see what things we're going to learn, and I'll start scouring op shops for fabric like my favourite crafters Tiny Happy, Anemone, Stripy Sock Studio and Toast & Cupcakes. No pillowcase will be safe with me around. I'm even going to buy a sewing machine on trade me. *squeal* Any recommendations?

At craft night last night I finished a project that's been hanging around for a while - the purple cardigan in merino that I started late last year. The top picture is a better indication of the colour, it's really dark. The wool is beautiful to knit with, but when I got to the neckband I just panicked and the Postie's mum had to bail me out. But now it's done and the kid isn't too big for it, so I consider it a complete and utter craft victory.

Last night I also made a start on a jersey for when the kid is 9 months old (or thereabouts) in red double knit that I've had hanging around in my craft drawer for a couple of years. I'm just a bit concerned the colours are a little girly - or perhaps just the lilac buttons are girly? Perhaps all red buttons would be better? I have six months to finish it, so here's hoping I don't panic at the neckband stage again...