My exciting news of the day! 40 very wobbly steps with no stick!!!
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Don't tell me Cherry. Your neighbour is moving? 
Jan that's such good news. Well done!
Sorry about your neighbour Kaimoana
He sounds very low.
I'm just home from the film night. It was the Illusionist animated Jacques Tati script set in Edinburgh in the 1950s. Beautiful drawings but a strange story.
I'm missing the Frenchies.
Just had hot chocolate. Thanks Jeeves.
Hello! We're still in Norway and having a fabulous time. This hotel has real WiFi so I thought I'd send some pictures.
I have decided that I don't like cruise ships Doodle. We have been to several places that had ships coming and going and they seem to disgorge a few thousand people into a tiny town where they wander aimlessly for a few hours, buy something, and then shuffle off when the horn starts blowing. They looked really miserable in Alesund the other day.
We are now inland and it's much quieter. The kind of awe inspiring peace we craved. Tonight Mr M and I have what they call a romantic room basically full of old stuff and dodgy paintings it's given us the giggles and probably killed the romance. The views and grounds however are to die for.....we're in Hjelle. 🙂
!! JAN !! How fantastic! Forty steps is bloomin' amazing and without your stick. CONGRATULATIONS. [SMILE]
I do hope your neighbour is getting help at last Cherry.
Today’s blessing was for Whanau Ora (family health) a radically different approach. It began in 2010 with face to face consultations with 800+ families. Its launch was due just before Covid which scuppered it.
Instead of Top-Down care (a problem arises and here's where you go to get help) the Maori way is From the ground UP, providing the means and support to stop the problems happening in the first place.
It's been so wildly successful that they have just received a massive injection of non-government funding to keep it going (although all political parties have pledged to support it).
As with many other successful Maori initiatives, it is to be trialled across all cultures now, although the 800+ families were by no means all Maori.
Waipareira services have quite a high percentage of uptake by other cultures. Like me
As usual, the food was superb and the young people serving were caring and cheerful. They are normally admin, researchers, accountants, IT professionals but they will turn their hands to all tasks where needed.
The 6 security guards on the gates at 5:30 were actually Waipareira executives.
They also launched a new slogan:
The future is Maori
When I first came here and for the next 20+ years, Maori were the underdogs.
Institutionalised, government and social racism was rife.
And yet my experience was that Maori were clever, caring and endlessly resilient people who deserved a much better deal.
Now, at last, I can see they are creating that - present and future - and I am grateful and privileged to see it and support it.
<very emotional day for me>
Hello Lobstars.
I am glad you've got rid of the heavy cast Doodle . A splint sounds lighter
Don't try to do too much will you.
Those boys of yours are mostly younger and fitter.
It must have been shocking taking it off. No wonder you almost vomited.
So the neighbour saga continues Cherry. I hope something can be done which would allow you some peace and quiet I don't mean murder
Enjoy your walk today.
I had a lovely day at the Botanics yesterday apart from forgetting it is a bank holiday in Scotland. This is to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday.
A quaint custom IMO.
As a result it was rather busy and noisy, at least in the café, so we found another place to have soup.
Today I am taking my DGD birdwatching to an island off the Fife Coast. I must make us a picnic and hope it doesn't rain too much. Although sometimes you see more interesting sights on a wet day.
Your Norway trip looks amazing Mamissimo .
The Maori way of doing things sounds sensible Kaimoana from the grassroots.
At least once a day I moan to someone about some stupid idea imposed on the people by somebody with power but no sense.
Yesterday I was watching a great stone building, a bank, being demolished in Edinburgh to make way for more student accommodation. As for the trams! Grrr.
Better get organised.
Here are some photos of nice flowers and streams at the Botanic gardens.
I hope you are still managing your steps Jan
You'll be so much comfier in the splint Doodle 
What kind of birds did you see Grammaretto? Did you take photos?
The gentle garden pottering sounds just the job Cherry
My first time at a new kaumatua group today. I went straight from the hospital where I’d refused to have an injection in my eye.
It's still a Waipareira group but unlike Te Ropu, which is run by committee and quite boring, this is just socialising, playing brain games, doing light exercise and, at the end, after lunch, playing Bingo.
To me, Housie is the most boring game in the world but it can be funny when the caller comes up with inventive definitions such as, 'What's that on your plate? Oooh, it's number 8'; 'Sexy old men live at Number 10' and 'I'm still nifty and I'm only 50.'
Friends helped find the number on the card and I got ‘a line’ and won a chocolate
I had my palm read by a lady I hardly know who told I was a gentle soul then gave private information which 
me. Surely she couldn’t see that in my hand?
It was a very happy four hours and the talk about natural medicine from the bush was fascinating. It reminded me of when my boys were young and I used plantain leaves instead of sticking plasters for cuts; crushed Comfrey for grazed or bruised knees, honey for burns and a warm ginger drink if they felt sick. It always worked
The lovely food Waipareira is known for was served. We were able to sit outside in the courtyard for morning tea. I chose a chicken salad and mayo roll and a bunch of grapes and our lunch was a tasty meat and 8 veg stew with sage and rosemary, and mashed potato; cooked right there in our kitchen.
Before we left, we all received several pairs of warm, winter socks and a pot of berry yoghurt.
Next week, the van will come for me and take me home.
I feel incredibly blessed to have such a good life with wonderfully caring friends.
Oh my goodness Doodle, you made me laugh with your juxtaposition of sentences!!
"Did you decline the eye injection just for today or are you considering not having any more? Went to the blind shop today...."
Yep me too and no, I declined only because I was going to the kaumatua group and didn't want to feel grim for the rest of the day. I'm told I am now "Priority Red" which means they'll schedule another jab asap.
No rain predicted today so laundry is Priority Red for me
A lovely thing happened today. Artoa and I went to a local cafe, new to us, for coffee and cake. We were greeted very warmly by the owner.
The cafe was empty and I saw we had obviously interrupted her lunch.
I apologies and said we were in no rush, 'so please finish your meal'.
She took our order and Artoa and I had a pleasant half-hour chatting and nibbling pineapple cake, next to the huge tree in the courtyard. The cafe is built around it.
Then we got out our money to pay.
The lady said she'd paid our bill because I reminded her of her grandmother. She was almost in tears.
Of course I had to give her a big hug and she said, 'That's what I really needed.' Poor lass.
I don't know where her grandma is but not in NZ, so she must miss her.
There's such a lot of kindness about, isn't there?
Ray came over later to have tea with me and collect the tote. We were all given these at the Whanau Ora launch, so I got one for him too. I was effusive about the new kaumatua group so I very much hope he'll come next Tuesday.
I offered him one of the pairs of socks we were given yesterday and was unsurprised when he decided not to take either the bright pink or turquoise ones.
A sunshiny day with the Thrush still singing merrily.
You can just see the trunk of the wonderful tree in this pic.
Such a lovely day Kaimoana!
😊☀️😍
My day was pretty amazing. I took my DGD on a splashy adventure to visit the seals and puffins on the Isle of May.
There were trillions of diving birds and nesting eider ducks too.
She was good company, was my map reader and she really enjoyed herself.
I intended to take her for fish and chips afterwards but the queue was out the door.
It was very windy so my photos aren't good.
Here are a few.
Good luck with your GP appointment Cherry hope it goes well.
Oh dear, what a terrible hassle for you; a new summer wardrobe eh? I hope you pluck up the courage 
Grammaretto What a wonderful island adventure you two had and the pictures are superb. Lovely memories for DGD too.
Both my computer class and the SA Old Codger Lunch have been cancelled for today and our super-efficient City Council, either sent the wrong date or re-scheduled without telling me as the Disability Hui I was supposed to attend was 2 days ago. No one contacted me. Maybe I should ask for my $125 fee anyway
Hello Lobstars,
Do you ever hear why nice things are cancelled at short notice Kaimoana?
It seems to happen often.
Your outing with Artoa sounds very special.
Cherry good luck with your GP. Is it in person?
I don't think our GPs ever went back to the surgery after the Pandemic. They like not seeing patients.
Your mention of summer clothes made me take a look inside my wardrobe as opposed to looking through the pile outside oh dear. I have no idea what fits still or if I'll ever wear them again.
I gave away a couple of tunic tops to a lady at the yarn group who said she liked the colour.
I had a visit from a friend yesterday who came here as a Helper over 10years ago. She came for 2 weeks, stayed for 3 months and then decided to live in Edinburgh. We used to see her fairly often (she and her flatmates had cocktail parties and invited the likes of us oldies) but she has settled down now. Has moved in with her boyfriend, buying a flat etc.
I hope your wrist continues to heal well Doodle I hope you have comfrey cream to massage gently in .
I've bought a herbal tincture for DGD ear. I hope to see them at the weekend as our town is en fête and her DGDad is to be riding a tricycle in the parade.
Yoga this morning. The NZ cousins are coming next week. I wrote the wrong dates in the diary!
How are your steps Jan?
I wonder how the Nfks are. Sending love.
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