Back Home ...

... temperature about 10C less than at the Folks' place.

My few veg are growing ......

More soon - after I've brought my Zebbycat home in about 8 hours time

Where's Jack?

The Folks were given some bean plants by Sandy, their lovely neighbour. Sandy thought she'd bought dwarf beans but didn't have her glasses with her at the time. As she didn't have the garden space for climbing beans the Folks got them.



Climb and climb is exactly what the beans have done.



The only problem is they completely cover the bathroom window.



So, regardless of the time of day, we're having to shower with the light on!

First Pics

The sideboard in the Folks' Dining Room



And a friend's glorious cat, Tikka. She has incredibly soft fur and, like my Zebbycat, loves to have her tummy rubbed



You know me - had to have a kittycat photo!

Fine and Warm

Here in Tauranga the weather has been fine and the temperature is between 22 and 27C each day. Sadly this will continue right through the week..... Sorry Northern Hemispherers!

I've bought myself a digital camera (a Merry Christmas to me present)and am having lots of fun with it.

Zebbycat has survived his first week and is doing fine at his cattery. Yes, Mickle rang today to check. The vet centre receptionist was going to give him a hug during her lunch break.

I hope my bloggy friends are all safe, warm and dry.

Holiday for Mickle

Hello Folks out there. Today Zebbycat was taken to his Vets' cattery, yowling all the way. He will be fine as lovely Vet Nurse Antoinette is on duty at the cattery over Christmas so he is going to get such great care with many cuddles and huggles, tickles under the chin and tummy rubs.

I'm almost packed as tomorrow (Tuesday) I fly up to my Folks place for two weeks of warmth, love and fun - via a nasty cold and wet Southerly due here tomorrow. I'll still be blogging while away and hope to get myself a digital camera while I'm up there. Plus I'll have the use of their one.

I'll be brave and tell you that not only have I finished Xmas pressie shopping, but they are all wrapped and dispatched or waiting for my personal delivery tomorrow.

Happy Silly Season to you all!

Our Advent Calendar

Yes, we have a furry spider on the top of our tree!

(click on the photo for a close up view, and find my stuff-up)

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

That washing machine keeled over again on Friday. Today it has been fixed with the installation of a new balance switch. Woohoo - I don't need to buy a new washing machine!

Monday has been a glorious Summer day with sunshine and a moderate breeze. Hooray from Mickle and Zebbycat

Me Too

First Day of Summer

Mid afternoon here on the 1st of December. Our first day of Summer has delivered pouring rain and high humidity. There is little wind so we'll be stuck with it for a bit.

Ol' Zebbycat has crawled beneath his quilt in disgust. I intend to make the most of the peace!

Here is our wee home on a recent evening when it wasn't raining.

Its a tough life.....

... No need to sit up to wash



... when you're Mickle's much beloved Zebbycat

Monday Postscript: you'd be flopping down too in our currently 99% humidity

Luckily I checked again ...

... on the washing machine as the service person was due this morning. Wouldn't you know it - the darned machine is working again. A hasty phone call to cancel the callout ($99.00 saved) and I then caught up on the washing.

A gloriously fine day -light wind and wall-to-wall sunshine - so all is dry and put away.

My threats to replace the dratted machine with a new front loader must have worked!

Salad Spinner back on Dual Duty

Yes, my pesky washing machine has broken down again - mutter, mutter ...............

Postscript, Wednesday, 25th November 2009: Washing machine repair person due today. Said machine is under threat - if too dodgy and repairs to be expensive Mickle will move from a history of top loaders to buying a new Whirlpool front loader.

And my Salad Spinner will get to relax again, between the green leaves.

No pictures, but I do have a chicken recipe for you. Very adaptable and very delicious.

Here is the original from around the late 1960s/early 1970s:

Country Captain Chicken Curry (CCCC) (Alison Holst)

6 servings

1 jointed chicken
½ cup flour
3-4 Tb oil or fat
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 Tb brown sugar
2 tsp curry powder (or less)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp thyme
1-2 tins chopped tomatoes
¼ cup currants

Joint chicken into 12 pieces. Dry joints, then flour them evenly and brown over high heat a few pieces at a time in butter or oil, turning when necessary. Remove from pan when golden brown. Lower heat and add sliced onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook 2-3 min without browning, then replace browned joints in the pan, skin side down. Add sugar, curry powder, salt and thyme, then tomatoes. Cover, bring to the boil and cook over low heat for 15 min. Turn, add currants, cover and cook 10 min longer, until the chicken is tender.


Ah, those distant days when the only peppers available in NZ were green. I loathed them!

Now for the Mickle 2009 version. I use skinned and boned chicken thighs and don't bother with flouring them (incidentally making the dish gluten free). I like red and yellow peppers so add heaps, but it is absolutely okay to leave them out. I've never added currants. I boost the flavour with ground cumin and coriander and dried oregano. And I add other veggies too - variations have included sweet potato, canelloni beans (canned - rinsed and drained) and mushrooms. And I thicken it at the end with a slurry of arrowroot powder and water. Cornflour would work well too.

Need to hide veggies from reluctant eaters? Just blitz onion, carrot and celery in a food processor then add. Replace the fresh garlic with garlic powder or garlic granules. Make your own changes but please do include the tomatoes, chicken and the brown sugar ( or molasses)

It works well cooked in an electric frypan, as it was when dear friend Jane made it earlier this year. I promptly asked her for the recipe. I use my Dutch Oven on the cooktop. You could throw it all into a slow cooker and let it simmer away. Marjie - your "broil the chicken pieces in an oven dish then remove, start the rest on the stove top in the same oven dish then add the chicken back and finish it all by baking in the oven" method would work really well here. For others this "Marjie Method" is a really good way to cook chicken for a crowd and you still only have the one pan to clean.

Serve with rice and a nice green vegetable. I like to use fresh green beans. Oh, and this Chicken and Tomato Casserole freezes really well.

Happy cooking and eating everyone!

N.B. For those in Australia please be aware that your standard tablespoon measurement is bigger than everyone else's. This recipe uses the NZ and rest of the world standard metric tablespoon that is equal to 3 teaspoons (i.e 15mls) while your own tablespoon is equal to 4 teaspoons (20mls) - just one of your wee quirks I guess!

Normal blogging service shortly

Sorry for the absence, blog friends. I'm feeling flattened after learning that a cousin and 2 dear bloggy friends are each coping with a diagnosis of cancer. Another darling friend is coping with a sudden death of another and is also under going an assortment of medical tests to determine just what the heck is causing their own health problems.

The cousin and friends all live overseas. SO there is a bit much going on in my mind for blogging just now.

I can report that the new cupboard was assembled on Sunday, is in place and has been filled - hooray, a something positive!

Take care, everyone.

Guy Fawkes Night

It is kind of noisy in Wellington tonight as people all around let off fireworks for Guy Fawkes night. And very soon it will be very noisy - the public display is due to start at 9.00pm, in about 9m min utes time. I can't see it from my place but I sure can hear it.

In past years I'd wander up the street a bit to watch it all, but these days I stay here with Zebbycat to ensure he isn't frightened. Yes Zeb is well and truely shut in for the night.

(Postscript: The wonders of a tummy rub! The lad happily purred away for the 20 minutes of bangs and booms that almost shook the ground. Still lying down, he is contently washing his face. Yes, of course I am a complete pussycat-pushover)

It wasn't just my internal metabolism and thermostat ..

Its all official from the meterological and climate experts here:

Just finished was New Zealand's coldest October for 64 years!



Now that both Self and Zebbycat are thawing out at last ....

proper posts soon!

A Holiday Weekend Here

Yes, a long weekend as we celebrate our Labour Day this Monday.

Mickle celebrated by moving a large bookcase 35 inches to the right. This involved moving the 6 shelves of books out, dusting books and bookcase, and then the sideways shuffle for the said bookcase.

Then I got to put all the books back in. Weirdly, though I've added some more books, I have a few wee spaces left for even more. A bad thing for a Mickle, especially when your are a member of a book loving family (my Dad's side) - just as well my income is very reduced at the moment. Books are an essential in my life.

Why did I need to move the bookcase - because in 2 weekends time my dear Folks will be down, delivering a tall cupboard (a gift from them) to house my "no room in the tiny wee kitchen for these cooking essentials". One shelf will get the crockpot/slow cooker, Wok, large non-stick frying pan and Dutch oven that currently reside on my living room windowsill. The rest will be a pantry and food stockpile storage place. Zebbycat's food stockpile will go in here too.

Mickle came up with the dream-style thought that a tall cupboard could go "there" if I moved the china cabinet and the bookcase along the wall a bit................. my dear Parents listened to my ramblings, and then responded, ........ and I'm bowled over by their generosity.

And Zebbycat's reaction to the bookcase moving stuff? - he slept, on top of our bed and with his back to our living room. Hey - his tummy was happily full, his litter tray had clean litter and there were nice cotton sheets on the unmade beddy-bise .He looked at it all in the living room when I was about 5/6ths through refilling the bookcase, then turned around, snuggling down again with his back to me.

After the china cabinet had been moved he's spent quite some time peering into the bottom shelf in a fascinated fashion (so I'm keeping that china cabinet door firmly locked).

Maybe it is "Daft Mickle" - Zebby can't eat china, glass or books, and books don't snuggle-cuddle up to him! Yet Zebbycat will get his wide Living Room windowsill back to lounge upon (once his pest of a human also removes all those sprouting veggie things too - why doesn't she grow meat!!!)

Wet, Wet, Wet and Humid

Suprisingly the wee radish and bigger nastertium seedlings are thriving. A suprise because there have been torrential rain showers all night and day. The plants are protected against snails, though I doubt any snail would make it up the side of the pots - they'd keep getting washed away!

The 98% humidity isn't so nice. Meanwhile bloggy friends in NE Pennsylvania and Central Alberta are being snowed on way too early in the season.

Where ever you maybe I hope you are safe, cosy and comfortable - yep, Zebbycat is under his quilt yet again and snoring away ......... and the rain is pelting down once more.

Spring is back

The weather has settled into the usual springtime selection in Wellington - rain, cloudy, fine, sunny, windy or calm, sometimes all in the one day. Here on Thursday evening it is pouring with rain and calm. For the next 3 days the one consistant feature will be rain, and lots of it.

My radish and nastertium seedlings are out in it all. Zebbycat isn't. Instead he is hogging the heater in the living room before his next snoozle, content in the knowledge that there's clean kitty-litter in his litter tray and his tummy is full.

I'm happy that we're fully stocked with food and other supplies so I wont need to go out into it at all -apart from checking the letterbox, which is up the 54 nasty steep steps, and checking that the seedlings haven't drowned.

Winter once more

Dear Bloggy Friends

A one day break (i.e. weather from the North) and now we have another sub-Antarctic blast. Gale force winds and rain and sleet in Wellington. Snow in other places. Just the way to end the Spring School Holidays!

I kept our wee home snuggly by making "No Knead Bread" There are heaps of recipes and instructions for this on the world wide webby place. Mine used 3 cups of wheat flour with 1/4 teaspoon of dried "instant" yeast. About 18 hours after the first mix I rearranged it as the recipe/method said. Two hours later baked it in my cast iron Dutch Oven within my oven.

Is the best bread I've ever made. A moist yet incredibly light inner and a glorious crust. Completely Mickle "dodgy innards - most of the large intestine removed 11 years ago" friendly. And Zebbycat doesn't eat bread.

Despite the wintery springtime weather I am in such a happy place - knowing that I have this bread there for breakfast, and that I can easily make more of it soon. Super special thanks to my Dear Dad and Dear Mum for the gift of the cast iron dutch oven.

Brrrrrrrrrr

It is unusually cold here for Spring, with a sub-antartic blast chilling everything. Zebby started by snuggly down on his quilt. The holes and bits of stuffing sticking out are all his own work ( I'm so proud!).

Next he buried his nose, paws and tip of his tail in one of his (!) fluffy scarves. But that still wasn't snuggly enough so........

Under his quilt he went. Happily stayed there for several hours, having a wash, a happy purrumble and a darned good snore. Only emerged for tummy-top-ups.

---------------------------------------

(Yes, we've all been shocked here by the Earthquake and Tsunami that hit Samoa, American Samoa and Northern Islands of Tonga. The Tsunani was down to .5 of a metre high by the time it got here, but many lives were lost up in these islands.

While I live in earthquake country I am safe from Tsunami - my place is at least 600 feet above sea level)

Typical Cat!

What is your's is MINE

And what is already mine is MY OWN!


Zebby first checked out my cup of rooibos tea but preferred to polish off the milk in the little jug - well, as far down in as his snout could fit.

I was laughing too much to scold him.

Please, do click on the photos for a closer view.




(It's okay Marjie - the tea set has since been thoroughly washed)

Mickle's life is not exciting right now

The bestest I can offer is that I need to make and bake a something that has to include 3 small and very ripe bananas.

Mickle doesn't have a sweet tooth, or a sweet tongue palate. Said bananas can be frozen - only I'd then need to find space in a meat frozzed and frozen freezer.

Happy wot evers to all.


And nighty night from Mickle xxxxxxxxx

Only 12 sleeps...

..... and New Zealand switches to daylight saving time.

The UK has a much nicer name for it - "Summer Time" time.

Don't despair, Northern Hemispherers, for Autumn is such a lovely season
full of scrummy harvest food.

Spring is trundling along

Not much to report - the washing machine is functioning again.

The spring blossom is out fully so the wind has increased.

My sister, Liz, is in Iceland for the week.

Zebbycat is snoring away under his quilt, and this week Wellington can expect

Next few days

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri
15°C	15°C	14°C	13°C	15°C
11°C	9°C	8°C	8°C	7°C

So that's nice....



Postscript: South Africa beat the All Blacks at Rugby, to take the 2009 Tri-Nations championship. In Netball the Aussies beat the NZ Silver Ferns.

And a new defintion of optimism: A Kiwi buying a ticket for the fourth* day of play in the upcoming NZ vs Aussie Test Cricket Series.

Mickle a pessimist? Come on folks, I'm a realist with a dry sense of humour and a tiny inckle of hope!

*(Cricket Tests are scheduled to go for 5 days)

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Late this afternoon I'd handwashed some bits and pieces I'd knitted up and then put them in the washing machine to spin. Bugger - washing machine refuses to start. Okay, I'll phone for repairs tomorrow but in the meantime I have this wet wool that I really need to give a spin to ............

Then my moment of genius - The Salad Spinner!

Worked a treat and got a great laugh from my Sister when I phoned her for her birthday.






(Happy Birthday, dear Liz. I raise my glass of Cider to you.)

Shake, shake shake......

.....Shake, shake, shake
Shake your booty
Shake your booty

Ah, the chorus from that infamous late 1970s hit by K.C. and The Sunshine Band.

New Zealand has continued to be shaken by earthquakes - the latest was a magnitude 6 up north at not long after midnight. Apparantly felt in Wellington but not by me, and I was awake.

NZ get earthquakes all the time. I work on the theory that each is letting off the pressure and so far I've convinced myself!

For more info check out www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes

Oh , and as from Today it is officially Springtime here!

2.12am and just had an Earthquake

As you do...

Zebby okay after gentle huggles from me, I'm off to check out websites.

Still rather have the quakes than Bears and Snakes m'dears.




Post Script: It measured 5.2. A couple of hours later there was a 4.3 - we didn't even notice it.

NZ Met Service Weather Symbols

Next few days

Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
16°C	15°C	14°C	14°C	14°C

So just what does the NZ Meterological Service mean by those
curly symbols for tomorrow and Sunday, Folks?

I know, but how about some suggestions?


MickleMental health may thank you!

I Made it to Work

For the first time since mid May I made it into my workplace. AND I actually solved some data problems.

And the major data extract puzzle they had in July I think isn't one.

Now, I came up with the solution midway through the supermarket shopping.

The info was all there for them - if they took the time to read the data specification, full available to them, then try the maths within it.


This post has been majorly mild-ed down.

Parents - along with whatever else your kids may learn, insist and check on comprehension. An old fashioned word in learning, yet an essential skill.

And so it goes....

Next few days

Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri
14°C	11°C	11°C	12°C

more soon m'dears,
meanwhile my towels will dry on my clothes line,
in the wind and no rain come Tuesday

Valerie Strikes Again

Valerie Vili wins shot put world title

"Valerie Vili's global domination of women's shot put continued at the athletics world championships in Berlin today.

New Zealand's queen of the field won a second successive world title with a put of 20.44m, well short of her personal best but still more than enough for her to claim the gold medal by 24cm.

She finished comfortably ahead of silver medallist, German Nadine Kleinert, who threw a career best 20.20m, and China's bronze medallist Lijao Gong, who managed a personal best of 19.89m.

"I'm just very happy and overwhelmed," Vili said.

"We've done all this preparation and to come over here and defend it is ... well, two world titles, I'm pretty happy about that.""

(From Fairfax site stuff.co.nz)

Mickle says WOOHOO

Our Weather is very Changable

Today's 20C was compeltely unexpected

Next few days

Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed
20°C	15°C	12°C	13°C	11°C
10°C	9°C	9°C	7°C	6°C

Sadly is Avalanche Season

In New Zealand's North Island ski fields there is a less likely risk of avalanches, but there is a risk of the above. This photo is from Winter 1996. The two main North Island ski fields are on an active volcano - Mt Ruapehu. No molten lava when this girl blows - but masses of smoke, steam, rocks and mud. So ski season cancelled and all aeroplane flights on alert and on a restricted )stay well clear) flight path.

Thankfully Ruapehu has been quiet this year. Down in the South Island there were very early falls of snow - a bumper ski season. Now there is active avalanche control with daily inspections and blasts.

Yet still over this week and the two preceding it there have been big avalanches, 3 separate deaths. And others injured. This geologically young land can be fiercely rugged and a major challenge.

Special thoughts to the families of those who died, those injured and to our dedicated specialist land and mountain rescue teams.

(The search and rescue people (LANDSARS) are pretty much all volunteers. They work very closely with the Mountain safety people, Ham radio volunteers who co-ordinate the communications and our Police).

It had to End

Next few days

Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue
16°C	16°C	12°C	12°C	13°C
11°C	11°C	7°C	8°C	7°C

Still Fine and Dry

We Wellingtonians are kind of stunned - fine dry weather for nearly two weeks! Maybe a positive side to Global warming?

All of June and much of July were so grey and chilly and damp and dismal. See usually Wellywood gets a blast from the North, then a blast from the South, a blast from the North ...... only this had been all from the South. I mean - straight from the Antarctic.

The Northerlies started so good a couple of weeks back - blustery and dry and drying. Have been less drying but still good for the last few days.

Friday will be the last of it. With a forecast high of 17C I'm looking forward to it. My much ignored wilderness/aka garden is threatened with my presence in a few hours time.

Of course Zebbycat will supervise - until he gets bored or hungry again.

After the weekend's forecast soggy spell it may fine up again, and Mickle will have to think to use more sunblock than now, and to cover up with long sleeved and long legged clothing just as it all warms up. The NZ and Aussie sunshine really is as harshly burningly fierce as reported.

And Zebby will snoozle, snuggle and cuddle, and dream of lamb - raw or roasted, he's not fussy.

Early Springtime

Considering that Winter started here a month early I think it is only fair that Spring has too. Passed several trees blossoming today. My grape hyacinths have lots of blue spikey flowers growing upwards and the Sun Shone.....

Next few days

Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon
12°C	14°C	12°C	12°C	13°C
4°C	4°C	6°C	7°C	7°C

Yes, several days in a row with drying winds and sunshine. AND this will continue until at least Monday.

Can you tell I've also had my medication altered? No - thought not (LOL).