Of Pomme, Josephine & Open Hearts

I have been thinking a bit lately about when I had small children & we were involved in play groups & kindy & you'd meet new people all along the growing up way and the kids played with other kids & made new friends all the time. Then there came a day where they would all take themselves to school & gradually that social contact changed & diminished & if you're a quiet sort of person with vintagey sort of interests & you don't really like to sit around talking to people for hours or feel like joining the local women's netball team it's actually quite a challenge to meet new like-minded people, in fact, you could be forgiven for concluding that there weren't any out there at all!
You ever found that?
Until....I started blogging & lo & behold I discovered that I was not alone at all!
And in that community & with all the other contact that it generates (like friends & aunties checking in too) I have discovered that the world hasn't changed so tragically after all...phew!!
There is still so much goodness & kindness, care & concern, so much sharing of patterns & recipes, gentle advice & encouragement, that for the first time in my life, I have to say that the world is a good place to be & I no longer feel invisible or alone. Thanks to you all...just being there, I can live my life more fully & bravely & I am so grateful.
The door of opportunity is always open now...open to learning, growing, making a new friend, supporting & encouraging someone else, believing (truly believing) that their really is love & kindness & goodness in the world.
Suddenly, I can hear the words that Mary spoke at the end of the Secret Garden so clearly:
"The spell was broken. My uncle learned to laugh, and I learned to cry. The secret garden is always open. Open & awake, and alive. If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden." 
   I am so glad to have made a new friend over the last few months...Julie of My Threadbear Life.
She lives in the Waikato here in New Zealand

 & has the dearest little Threadbear Cottage set in a country garden, only 6 minutes out of TeAwamutu. I'm sure that you couldn't miss the spot with Isabella on the job out the front waving to all passersby & visitors.

 Julie's little cottage is full of handmade crafts & other sweet collectables. Do pop in & visit her blog here or click on any of her photos. I know that she & the charming "Josephines" would love to see you.

Early this week we managed to get ourselves over to Napier (only 20mins away) & finally do some of the errands we'd had planned for a while now.

 Of course, one of the most important being, to have coffee together at The Kitchen Table.

One of us had a cheese scone.

The swan was our table marker.

 Not sure what we were meant to do with the knitting needles?

 We had a marvelous time dropping things off to the auction to be sold & selling some other bits & pieces to the Antique Centre...which all amounted to exactly enough to buy this wonderful big glass water dispenser from Madisons for our larder.
I had a very illuminating chat with a friend a week or two ago & discovered that just down the road, right in the middle of my beloved Showgrounds sits a large bore with a tap so that the water comes straight out of the ground & is NOT fluoridated. So for making things like my apple cider vinegar & kombucha this scheme will be perfect. And should there be a disaster & the jar managed to not fall off the table, we may even have some clean, spare water to keep us going.

 I came across this great chalkboard on Pinterest the other day.
 I might add, the actual author of the words & concept can be found here.

 So I did buy vintage like I showed you last week....& the face of our Improved Salter Family Scales came up beautifully don't you think?

 This morning, early, was very crisp & chilly & there were furry creatures lurking in the plum tree.

 Being chilly as it was, gave me the urge to unearth my embellished cotton sweatshirts (what a silly term...a sweatshirt...no!!) This one was originally a beefyT & is a lovely heavy cotton & just the right pink.

 The beads on our Melia tree are like sunshine in the sky even on the most dismal day through the winter months.

 I am so glad that Mitre 10 Mega (more ugly words!!) moved premises to just a block or two away from us. They actually have quite a reasonable garden department & these potted colour plants are really good value. Aren't these obconica primulas so sweet?!

 I heard whispers on Facebook of a new pop-up shop opening in town on Thursday..so I went hunting & found...

 Pomme d'amour a dear little shop full of an electic mix of vintage

  & retro treasures.

 And best of all, Florence...a local fellow blogger and wonderful photograhper!

 I am sure I'll be catching up with Florence again soon.

 Pomme d'amour is where I found this colander. There is something so creamy & delicious about it. i just love it.

 We have now just passed through the winter solstice here & despite frosts & very chilly mornings I was still able to pick these true winter roses in the garden today.

 The pretty tablecloth I found in the Hospice op shop in Napier during our visit last week.

 I am always in awe of such fine handwork...& the quality of the cotton fabric used.
I think I'll be in love with vintage linens my whole life!

Thank you for being such a sweet & lovely part of my life!!

Hope you have a peachy week...with some sunshine & rainbows where ever you may be in the world.

MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥