New Toys

A few months ago I bought myself a breadmaker. I've made all my own bread ever since. I mostly use the machine to mix up and knead the dough, and to do the first rise. Then I shape the dough however I want it, let it rise again and bake it.

I've had a wonderful time working through some of the bread recipes on my dear blogworld friend Marjie's site. I can thoroughly recommend her Italian Potato Bread recipe.

So you'd like to make bread but don't know how? Check out Marjie's Bread Tutorial. It has instructions that cover working both with and without a breadmaker. Marjie makes bread most days so she knows what she is writing about. You'll also find links to a wonderful array of other recipes on Marjie's sidebar (check out the cakes!!!).



This is my other new toy - a new sewing machine, a Christmas present from my parents. This was a complete surprise.

I haven't tried using it yet (too busy knitting plus I need to clear the table) but I have read the manual from cover to cover. I know how to sew, I just haven't really for years. I must declutter so I have space for sewing once more.

My Folks bought it from the Bernina Sewing Centre Tauranga where I'm can get free lessons on the new machine when I'm up there over Christmas and help over the phone any time I need it. Mum (and Dad) have been regular customers since retiring up to Tauranga 21 1/2 years ago. The two sisters who own this sewing centre and their family have become special friends of our family.

And what about Zebby Cat? Well he now has his own cat grass plant inside together with his own cat mint (catnip) plant . The catnip gets brought down to his level once or twice a day for him to indulge in, while the cat grass is always down at Zebby level and it is already well munched upon!

Five months on .......

Five months!

I had not planned or intended to be "non-blogging" for so long. That was all of Winter and most of Spring here in Wellington, New Zealand.

While I was away from blogland .......

Wellington got Snow in August, three days in a row!!!



Now this was an absolute novelty and joy here because the last time Wellington got snow anything like it was an over night snow shower back in 1976. YES - 1976.! Back then the Mickle was a mere 11 years old!

And we discovered together that Zebby Cat doesn't like snow - Mickle doesn't blame him in the least and I really appreciated getting to snuggle up to Zebby in our bed each night over the three nights when "the snow came".

I stick by my view of snow from the late 1960s when my dear Parents took a young me up to "The Snow" to experience it:

Toddler Mickle promptly announced "Its all COLD and WET"


- and you know I was right!!!



Zebby has slowed down quite a lot over this year - after all his guesstimated age is 13/14. He spends most of the day on His bed. From here he can supervise His human a lot and demand affection and food when ever He requires it.

See - Zeb is still the same:


Still sleeping in the bestest place each day (Zeb has taken over all the fluffy scarves I made for me, and that is fine because they wash easily!). This rescue cat is so very much loved.

Happy Thanksgiving to those in the US, and those everywhere else as thankfullness is a joy to experience and share.