There and here

As many of you know my Mum is in care in Tauranga, NZ, and they have been in Stage 4 lock down for 5 weeks, I wanted to share (and keep for myself) one of the three times a week updates,  the families get to let us know how things are going. No has been able to visit since the start of the lock down. Feel free to skip over.

Radius Matua Update: 21^st April 2020

Our facility took on a positive vibe today, lots of chatter and laughter. Everyone talking about the government’s decision and what it means for them and there seems to be a lot of positivity.

This was no doubt helped by the fact that the day started off with a delicious buffet breakfast. The stream of residents from rest home and hospital enjoying the breakfast was really pleasing to see. A number of the residents come to these not only for the food but also for the socialisation, a chance to chat to someone different while being able to choose what they have for breakfast and being able to partake at their own pace. Our kitchen staff did a magnificent job this morning (as they always do).

Isolation cases:

We have 4 people currently in isolation, NONE of them with Covid concerns, they are just seeing out the isolation period as new or returning admissions.

Activities:

·         Buffet breakfast

·         Physiotherapists Falls Prevention class attracted 28 residents today (it is a big hall so there was plenty of room and space between participants.

·         Ice cream was given out to all residents throughout the facility, you can’t beat a good old kiwi ice cream!!

·         Ten-pin bowling took place again this afternoon and it is fast becoming the favourite sport for our residents to test themselves in a “competitive environment”.

·         There will be another “virtual” church service tomorrow on our big screen run by the Columbus Church Minister Donald Hegan.

Matua Primary School Children:

I have mentioned before that we have a huge Bear at the top of the driveway with a sign on it saying how much we missed the Matua kids reading group coming in to read to our residents.

Well the children (who are all at home in their bubbles) on lockdown have each done a video clip of them reading a book out loud (individually) which has been edited and put together by their teacher and has been sent to us to screen. They did this because they wanted to show your loved ones how much they miss coming in to do their reading for our residents. What an awesome effort. Our residents will love this; I will let you know how it goes.

This sort of effort shows how much a part of the community Radius Matua is , as is the Matua school and all the other amazing small business we have in this area helping each other out.

I would also like to say a huge thank you to Comvita and Jackie for the amazing gift packs donated to our nurses for all their hard work during this lock down period. They were thrilled and felt really appreciated. The gift packs were delivered appropriately, wiped down and stored for 3 days before being presented to the nurses. Thanks Comvita…..awesome!!

    

Back here in beautiful St Leonards

I have finished a kit by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched, I have had it for a long time so am very happy to have it finished.

and the back.

The rainbow lorikeets are very happy nearly all day in the fig tree

Me watching you watching me!! Such beautiful birds.

Hubby has a game set up down stairs, he has taken photos and emailed them to a friend who is not in the best of health and they are having a long distance game, the directions are being sent back and forth as the game progresses.

We are getting some autumn colour in the garden

and mushrooms?? There are lots of them, more I look the more I see.

I have four rows of this quilt top together, the pattern is a freebie from Pat Sloan, she has been having a block a day sew along for the month of April.One more row to go for me!!

Yesterday once I pulled myself away from my book and got to some baking, gluten free ginger biscuits and gluten free sticky fruit slice. Very nice. Even hubby is happy to eat them!!

I am off to sew a few more One Block Wednesday blocks together.

Happy stitching.

Progress

I started to make one block for the Pat Sloan Stay at Home April 2020 Quilt along, but them when you are making snowball blocks it is good to chain piece, so I ended up making four.

I am happy with how these look, still need to decide if I am putting in sashings or not.

Yesterday I got out this sadly neglected project and made the Churn Dash block (yes I am on a Churn Dash roll) I have now made 20 blocks for this project  only 120 to go!!!

I was looking at blogs this morning and saw this recipe for Chewy Fruit Slice here at the Quilting Orchardist, so I thought I would give it a try. Hubby was heading off to the chemist so I asked him to get some dried apricots and gluten free plain flour. I was not thinking clearly was I!! Of course there was no flour in the supermarket, so the slice has a mix of plain gf flour, self raising gf flour and a little baking powder to try and keep everything happening as it should. It is in the oven at the moment and so far is looking good.

I had a wander down the back yard and yes there are more figs, some are splitting, I guess because of the rain we had yesterday. Hubby came home with jam sugar so back into production we go, probably the last lot as I have run out of jars.

I have done a little of the puzzle

Last night as I had finished my secret stitching project, I finished off a star,

and sewed the diamonds together to make stars.Sorry blogger decided to turn the photo around.

Tonight is Friday Night with Friends where we have a virtual sew along with our hostess Cheryll,

you can join and sign up here.

PS. The slice is out of the oven and cooling, yum!!

Just waiting for it to cool so I can have a taste.

Happy stitching.

Today

I have more oomph than I had for the last couple of days,  I have had a wander around the back yard a few times, done some sewing and some cutting, quite a lot for me!

Ondrea very kindly sent me these books to read, I am enjoying the first one already.

The figs are ripening beautifully

I saw this butterfly in the back yard, but was not quick enough to get it with open wings.

Yesterdays bounty from the garden, another 2 big jars of fig and ginger jam

The rainbow lorikeets have moved into the fig tree

Caught this very pretty butterfly

Ingrid and I both have the Anthology book and have challenged each other to make a block a week. this is the first block cut and ready to sew

as I was cutting I thought I would do a second

# 1 finished, slightly wonky,

#2 finished, these blocks finish at 4 x 5 inches

Pat Sloan has an April challenge, The Stay at home Quilt Along,  happening at her facebook page and the challenge is to make a snowball block each day for the month of April. By the end of the month you have a quilt top. Not bad I thought, could be manageable. Pat has suggested using happy fabrics, fabric that makes you smile. I am using fabric I have been given to make an oncology quilt. I think I will use gray sashings, still thinking on that.

I am off now to draw a pencil line on the back of the yellow squares and get today's block sewn.

Happy sewing.

A New Year

Here we are in 2020 already.
We have friends staying this week, Ingrid and Nick, Ingrid has her machine along so yes, you guess it, we are sewing.

We had a cool change last Monday, lots of thunder a little lightning,

and this was all the rain that the clouds dropped for us!

I have been working on another quilt top, managed to get the blocks made the right way this time!

Young Jasper has been keeping an eye on the proceedings.

Yesterday morning I basted the quilt out on the front deck

I grid was busy sewing two and a half inch squares together for a Pat Sloan challenge for January. The quilt is called Traffic Stop.

I was busy quilting

Ingrid finished all her 316 squares!

The quilt was finished last night and was delivered to the hospital today.

Afterwards we did a little retail therapy!! Yay!!

I have made two blocks for the Traffic Jam quilt, this one today

this one finished last night after watching the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Great to see and hear the bagpipes and bands and to see the NZ Army Band, my most favourite band.

They always make me laugh.

I had better be off and be social again and sort some dinner.

Happy stitching.