Happy 10th Birthday Oscar

Wow, Oscar is 10!  Happy Birthday Oscar.

 Oscar decided on a Star Wars theme for his birthday.  Lots of activities for the guests.  First up was Storm Trooper Skittles.  Tom came dressed as a Jedi.

 Serena managed to get all the storm troopers down with her "death star"

 Even Smokey enjoyed being with the Jedi

 Anneke drew Princess Leia, and all the guests had a chance or two to "pin the hair on Leia"

 Let's just say Quinn was way off the mark.

 Everyone enjoyed the Limbo, and Erik could hold it with his one good hand.

 The highlight was Han Solo in Jelly, or maybe the Darth Vadar pinata.

 Happy birthday Oscar, I hope this year is full of fun and adventures.

 Lots of food... light sabres (grapes on skewers), droid muffins, TIE fighters (gingerbread biscuits and marshmellows), little red sausages, death star chocolate, and chips and crackers.

Kylo Ren cake

Mama's Rose Cake

 Mama was celebrating her 82nd year, and I volunteered to make the cake. I didn't want anything with 82 on it, and Mama loves roses.

I have been very fortunate to have taken a free form rose making workshop with Lisa Templeton, from  LM Cake Design (Lisa Templeton From Denheath).  Lisa's flowers are so beautiful, they look real.  If you ever get the opportunity to do one of her workshops, do it.

 My roses had to cope with a week of rain and humidity, so they needed lots of support while they dried.  Several of the rose petals "melted" into each other, so I couldn't use them.  

I tried varying the colour of the icing, to get a toned rose.  I like the effect.

My dilemma was the leaves.  I made several rose buds of various colurs, but I don't have the skills or cutters to make leaves.

 I went and picked some rose leaves, washed and dried them.  I melted white chocolate, and added one or two milk chocolate buttons, until it was a pale brown.  Then I added green gel food colouring.  Perfect.  I brushed the chocolate thickly onto the back of the leaves, and waited for them to dry.  Carefully I peeled the leaf off the chocolate.  Just the result I was looking for.

 I had to drive 1 & 1/2 hours to the birthday party venue, and didn't want the roses crushed in travel.

 I poked wooden skewers into the roses and buds, and arranged them on the cake.

 I just hoped the skewers would hold the roses in place during the travel to Hamilton.

 I added the rose buds, and used chocolate to glue the leaves down.  The cake made it to the venue unscathed.  I can breathe again.

Happy Birthday Mama!

Glow worms in the forest

It wasn't raining last night, so we went looking for glow worms along the Puarenga (Sulphur Flowers) track in Whaka forest...hard to photograph, but they looked amazing.

 The best viewing was just after dark.  The glow worms are all along the banks of the stream.  Very beautiful, like stars.

Lily

She has been sunning herself next to the pond most days, but always manages to avoid getting her photo taken.  Finally I snapped her today.

Happy Easter Red Eggs

Anni suggested having Red Eggs for Easter.

Harry Potter egg

I put the brown eggs in the pot, added 50mls of red food colouring, 1 tsp of vinegar, and topped the water up until the eggs were just about covered.

The eggs were boiled for 3 minutes, and the outside became a lovely red colour.

Happy Easter!

Picnic in the RAIN!

The evening started out wonderful, and plans for a BBQ at the Tree Trust was a good idea.  Who knew that the heavens would open, and a mighty fire hose woud be turned on to full.

It poured down, it rained and it rained and it rained.  The urchins held the umbrella over the BBQ so the sausages could cook.  Quinn and Tighe decided to dodge the raindrops.

The wind blew arcs of rain over the car.

I think we should picnic in the rain more often.  What an adventure.

The small valley became the scene of a flash flood.  An amazing amount of aqua.

When we grow old - words from my Grandmama

When we grow old,

it is not how much money we have made,

how big our house and cars are,

how fine our swimming pool is,

or how beautiful our clothes are

that will matter.

The only thing that matters in the end is

whether we are at peace with ourselves,

and the universe,

and whether we love anyone,

and whether anyone loves us.

The capacity to love,

be it love for family or friends,

pets, garden, music or books,

- this is the one thing in life that lasts,

and will make our lives as rich and joyful as our beginnings.

Success in job or possession is trivial and temporary,

compared with the task of a lifetime,

and the only thing that makes life worthwhile

- loving.

Agnes Krippner