What an absolute darling Spud is, and that hair is gorgeous too.
He and Gubbins are growing up in the 'ever-present-phone-camera' generation, quite at ease and happy to be models.
Now Gubbins reminds Daddy, 'are you photographing this?' Diva 
Doodle I think I may have mentioned before that Floradix is a helpful booster after ill health. Fruity liquid or tablets.
https://floradix.co.uk/where-to-buy
Those of a nervous disposition look away now!
Roll up, roll up and guess the veg......
*Not all of these are pictured, but to date Spud has sampled:
Broccoli - a hit!
Banana - ok
Swede - a bit meh
Parsnip - a hit
Aubergine - favourite to date!
Avocado - not sure
Coconut milk yoghurt with prunes.....a smash!*
Now study the photos and guess the veg 🤣
We're off to stay with him this weekend so I'm taking him one of my best carrots...🥕
Please take care while I'm off duty, Matron x
Wow! Whaea Veranoa Hetet taught you! I am impressed, what an honour Grammaretto
I'm sure you know this, but I'll add it for the other lovely Lobstars:
Rangimarie Hetet, born in 1892, grew up learning to weave and in her 50's set about reviving the art which was near extinction. With her daughter, Diggeress Te Kanawa, Whaea Rangimarie was renowned as an expert weaver and teacher.
All subsequent Hetef whanau keep up this craft through the Hetet School of Weaving.
And how amazing you should ride on your DGS bus. 
In the old days, if you were over 65, you could travel free on all Wellington buses & the funicular too. That must have changed 
Did you go to the Observatory?
I once spent 3 consecutive days there - a fascinating place.
The stroll back down through the Botanic Gardens would have been a delight at this time of year.
I'm getting envious! 
I enjoy Wellington.
Yoo-Hoo, thanks for buying my book
A brewery eh, Doodle What a treasure to find family history in an old envelope.
And fancy you remembering those woven 'suitcases' ; I really wish I could have kept mine, and the Psaltery which also came from my g-aunt - but emigrating (twice) teaches you not to mourn for what is inevitable lost.
I'm off to a Writer's Weekend on 9th; as a student, not a teacher I hasten to add.
www.tewahiora.co.nz
I've been before but just as a guest not to a themed weekend. They are very nurturing; it's the ideal place to put a bit of pep back into a body.
Tomorrow I'll be back on the Marae to greet a group of young Filipino nurses who've just joined Wai-Health at Waipareira.
NZ may be losing 10,000 nurses a year but Waipareira is making sure our side of free health care doesn't suffer.
ixion and Cherry thanx to you both for the smiles
Great photo of you Ixion! 😊
I also hope that Doodle and Cherry get rid of their coughs PDQ.
* sends magic medicine via Jeeves *
I went into the city by myself yesterday to do a bit of touristy shopping and bought the last copy of Trevor in Whitcoulls, Kaimoana!!
Today we went to the botanic gardens and there were plenty of Trevor's relations living in the Peace Garden.
We caught the bus back and it was one of the buses decorated by DGS when he was 8. So proud and happy. We told the driver who then let us off paying the fare.
I am tired though. Wellington must be one of the world's hilliest cities and some streets are very steep.
We also spent some time in the oldest graveyard noticing plenty of Scottish names particularly from Shetland.
Some of the earliest settlers in the 1840s were fishermen from Shetland.
Those flax weavers are superb Kaimoana. I have been shown a few times how to cut and weave flax but never got beyond making a simple flower. Veranoa Hetet was my teacher when she came to Scotland for the Commonwealth games.
So your ancestor was a Brewer, Doodle. ☺️ How interesting. Any more discoveries?
Yup, Doodle and Cherry.
Sure have😉.
I promise this is the last
After a $1.2m research project by Dunedin University paediatricians, wahakura were one of the safest ways of cradling baby, including for co-sleeing.
Traditionally wahakura could also be hung from trees (most rural cultures do this) and now urban parents with gardens will often do the same.
Flax smells gorgeous, like newly cut grass.
When I was 16, my great aunt gave me a woven 'suitcase' like the box in the picture but with another, slightly larger which fitted completely over it. Her father, like many other Northern country boys, took these 'suitcases' to war.
I kept mine until I had to return to NZ in the 80's. It made me sad to lose a family treasure.
Other pictures show different uses of Maori flax weaving but shows how alike we all are really.
I've just been sent a photo by a friend who bought my book for her new-ish grandchild. I just love him, so beautifully roly-poly and on nothing but breast milk too
Glad you're getting relief from the medication Doodle, each day is a healing day, take it easy. 
ixion With care, all flax products can last a lifetime; it depends how you treat them and what kind of use they get.
They are exceptionally strong. Only a certain type of flax (harakeke) is used and the finished objects do usually change colour a little. Or are dyed to begin with.
There are hundreds of patterns and many, many uses. Clothing, toys, hats, cloaks, cooking utensils, roofing, flowers, decorations, screens and even baby cots, cradles and and carriers.
Kete come in all sizes from small purses to huge storage pouaka (boxes)
Maori relied heavily on their own crafts and still do.
As always, special prayers are said when gathering the flax and different ones when preparing it. Although you can buy them in some shops, to have one made for you is a very special thing.
I'm so glad you're having such a wonderful time Grammaretto and your DS's party sounds wonderful. Neeps and taties, separate or together are one of my all time favourites and a regular winter meal.
Thank you dear Cherry it doesn't matter what date it is, I welcome your good wishes. As I write this, Uncle Google tells me its 8.30pm on 30th, so you did make it for my UK birthday
I've begun to worry again about the Doodles -the fall-out from the horrors of that hospital fiasco stay may well have one or both back in their clutches. Better have a wee korero to the ancestors again.
Pics: the flax kete made for me by Liz. It held a bottle of wine.
The tables outside next to the bush.
Until you get a chance to see your GP Doodle your local chemist may be able to recommend a good cough supressant and throat spray. Didn't you also say that codeine helps as well?
Keira must think she's in heaven, bless her. I can just imagine her sight-seeing from her bed
I wonder if Grammaretto's posh lunch was at the famous seafood restaurant I visited years ago.
Phillip Mann, who wrote sci-fi fantasy books, twice took me to a wonderful place overlooking the ocean. The kaimoana was superb but I was jolly glad I wasn't paying.
Today has been totally wonderful.
Despite the fact I had already prepared heaps of food, people arrived with hot chickens, flash birthday cakes with 'Happy Birthday' on them and a truck load of crisps and dips and other goodies.
The weather was perfect, the gazebo went up; tables and chairs were set out on the lawn - and we laughed and sang and ate all day.
Couldn't have been a happier birthday. Six bouquets and so many gifts, including a flax kete (basket) made especially for me. This held a bottle of wine but I like the kete best.
My walking stick is decorated with butterflies but one guest didn't know that and presented me with a gorgeous scarf saying apprehensively she wasn't sure I'd like it.
It had butterflies all over it (as did the top I was wearing) and I explained my Dad used to call me 'Butterfly Brain' because I could never focus .
Some very nice (if a little blush-making) speeches were made, thanking me for my hard work and contributions to the elders group. So between the first guest arriving at 10am and the last leaving at 6.30 pm, it's been happy, happy, joy, joy all the way.
They even did all the washing up and cleaned the wreck of the Hesperus kitchen before they left.
I do have some very lovely friends.
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