The Long Kitchen Reno

 Our kitchen was getting a bit tired, with marks on the formica benchtops and the laminate peeling off  the draws.

I took these photos in May 2020

Examples of the laminate coming off.

I was worried about the wood underneath getting grease-spots

Fast forward - or rather slow forward to December 14th 2021. The builder was ready, but first it was the job of the painter, Hamish, who was painting the exterior of Young Nick's Head Station - which we all believe was the venue for Jacinda and Clarke's wedding, but a few wet days meant that his team could make a start. Getting out to Young Nicks is over an hours drive, so they were glad of being based closer to town.

All the drawers were removed, and the fronts taken away to be replaced

The stove was taken out. Oh no, quite a bit of debris

Fridge is gone

..but we were able to plug it in, in the lounge

Formica top to breakfast bar gone.

Taking off the fronts

It was all action and chaos, but the painters were very good. And we left for our Christmas Break on the 19th - hoping to come back to a wonderful new kitchen on our return. But there were still some things to be done by the builder.

Duncan does not like the new large square sink at all. I find it good for hiding dirty pans in. Also great for the roasting dish.

The colour scheme is still white, but with black handles this time. Phyl's Barcelona Olympics is on one wall.

My Middle Earth painting - which has a lot of Black in it is on the other wall.

This is the colour of the bench tops now. Theos feet would be a bit bigger than this now! That's his mark on the jug that Jackie made for us.

Got my cross-stitch (done by Jill) hanging above the door. A great gift, Jill.

The new rubbish bin and extra space for all the cleaners has been great

Apparently Waste disposal units aren't part of the kitchen scene now.

They put the handle on the wrong side - and then thought they could just turn the door upside down - NOT going to work!

So we had to wait a bit longer to get the pantry door done.

The carpenter wasn't nearly as good as the painter at cleaning up, so I still have some drawers to get the wood shavings out.

Just the bill to pay.

The Round Trip

 We were all set to go down on the 21^st of Jan to see Fred, but Leigh rang and said that he had been readmitted to hospital, and we weren’t able to visit him. We could tell by the crack in Leigh’s voice that things were serious and decided to go down the following week regardless, and check on how Leigh was doing too.

Fortunately Fred was now out of hospital. We arrived in Napier after lunch, only to receive a text from Leigh to say that they were at the medical centre, awaiting the results of an Xray – which had us guessing.

Fine we said, we’ll go to Trinity Hill and taste some wines.

Fred had fallen down the stairs, and twisted his ankle and hit his head – fortunately no broken bones. We enjoyed a glass of wine (Fred’s rationed by Leigh) and some nibbles together.

Nick, Cindy and their children Frankie, Oscar and Arlo have moved back from Western Australia and are living with them at present, Nick has a job at nearby Sacred Heart College.

Fred hopes to try a new medication this week which he hopes will give him a better quality of life. Let’s hope so.  We stayed in the Te Pania Hotel in Napier which was very pleasant.

Next day we travelled over the Napier Taupo Road and went to have lunch with John and Linda Tarbutt - more optometry friends. They have just bought a new home in the countryside - but in a new subdivision - close to Cambridge. It was very interesting catching up with them and looking at their retirement setting. We dropped Duncan's exercycle off for a service in Hamilton and headed out to Wren and Margaret's to stay the night.

Just picked up where we left off, even though it is so long since we were at Hahei. Wren is looking very fit for 80, and over COVID has taken to making up flat-packs of drawers and cupboards etc which he gets from Mitre 10 (the clients choose what they want and Wren makes them up).

I have long wanted to go to Zealong, the tea place which is just around the corner from Wren and Margaret's

The setting is beautiful and it was a gorgeous day

The top shelf

Just a wad of salmon left on my tower!

Here we are with our High Tea nibbles - just a stand each!!

The park-like surroundings are most enjoyable

Looking up towards the factory

There is a walk up to the Tea house with lots of brass statues to adorn the edge.

After a short nap it was off to pick up the bike, and then to my Medical Appointment with Grant Christie in Grey Street - just up the road from Duck Island Icecream Parlour that we used to take Theo to.

After that we headed over the Kaimais to Tauranga. The queues of traffic were appalling. We stayed  in a cheap motel and had some nice Turkish food, with a glass of appalling wine - we were glad to get back to our unit an open up a bottle there.

Next morning we visited John and Bev Watt - who coincidentally lived in the next block to the motel! They have a lovely view over the harbour, but are feed up with the traffic and the lack of town planning. A shift is on the cards - maybe to Christchurch.

So we got home quite late on the Saturday, but it had been a most entertaining trip away.

Christmas Cheer

 I think this post is really just for me to record some End of Year functions on. As I look back on photos of my friends, and note how young the ones who have died look I think I should record a lot more of these functions. The first lot is our trip to the Art and Garden Weekend in late November with the walking girls.

Anna and Robyn chose walking sticks for this country garden walk.

Me and Sandie at Wainui Beach garden

A cascade of paua shells

Lovely grouping of colours

Me, Robyn, Sandie and Anna

Lunch at Wainui Beach. Paul and Dawn joined us.

Next was Fifties Forward Lunch. I had only just got my negative COVID test before I went to this!

Jenny Christophers and Barbara Sadlier are joining the committee.

When Aileen started Fifties Forward she had to do it all from a seated position. Now she is much more mobile, and looks great. This was at the Tatapouri Fishing Club - hence the decoration on the wall.

Duncan's golfing mates weren't so keen on their photos been taken - at the Vines. Colin and Diane Christie and Cliff Poole. Vance and Karen Richardson were on my side of the table, with Jean Poole (who broke her wrist on Christmas day.)

Book Club went to The Globe for a Tapas set menu. You may have heard me regale the story of the small german lady owner telling us off for being 2 people short of the required 10 (2 were unvaxxed) and we all had to pay extra. The food was lovely, though.

Kay, Niki, Heather and Tui

Jill, Teresa and Lyn

The spread!

The golfing girls enjoyed dinner at Portofino. Pip is selling up and moving to Westport!

Jude and Pip

and Teresa

Sandy, Lesley and Sue

Sandy retired from nursing that week, as well as turning 70

Well, me and Judy always have a laugh.

The last Christmas function  to tell you about is the final morning tea at Fifties Forward. Edith is a great one for dressing up, and this, of course endears her to me. She also belongs to the coffin club and now that she has built her own coffin she makes all sorts of other structures - like this Santa House. We all thought that it wouldn't be Edith coming out - as the door was quite small. But indeed it was - and it was a hilarious squeeze a) to get Edith through the door, and b) to get her upright again!!

Hurrah! she's out, and handing out lollies all all us aerobic types. Edith is 86.