Last day of 2024

 Has the year really come to an end?

It has been the toughest year for me by far, and that is even accounting for 2021 when I left the family home! More on the final details tomorrow.

As the day was a Tuesday, then for some, it was just another day of work.

For me, just another day of holiday. I took myself off to find a swimming pool I had been told about by my Physiotherapist, about 25 min drive away, but it had a hydrotherapy pool which is slightly warmer and allows for walking up and down, and exercise.

I discovered it also had a sauna and hot pool (all included in entry price). I dipped in the hot pool at the end, but whilst I fancied sitting in the sauna, it was full with quite a few men and I didn't fancy sitting in there as the only female.

I also finished the last jigsaw of the year, number 19

This was a 2000 piece one that I had bought myself. My only struggle was that it was 1cm too big in one direction for my large board! It had to go up the side just slightly. Still totally do able (nothing stops me). It was lots of small pictures so a case of identifying the location and then placing it on the board, then over time more pieces got added and slowly piece by piece got joined together.

Nice to start it outside in the sunshine

As you can see, just sits up the side of the board!

Unfortunately, when I sorted out the pictures for this post, it was already 2025 and I got myself mixed up when putting my name on them!! Thus why some of the pictures have 2025 on them instead of 2024. Oh well, makes no difference to the post.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed doing this jigsaw.

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing - I wish you all the very best for the new year and achieving your goals and dreams in 2025

Christmas Day parkrun

Yes, parkrun even takes place on holidays, not just a Saturday.

In fact, parkrun takes place 98% of the time on a Saturday, but there are just a few odd days during the year where countries will hold an extra parkrun. If you live in a more accessible country, like Great Britain, then you have the added bonus of a few European country's special extra days too, so you can always do a few cheap trips into Europe and then you can collect a few more parkruns to add to the potential 54 minimum that are available.

Sadly, here in New Zealand, it takes a little bit to get to any other country, well we have Australia close by, but it is at least a 3–4-hour plane ride and that just gets you to the airport!

So, for us, well we will just be grateful for the extra one on Christmas Day and New Years Day.

This year the sun was shining, and it was warm at 8am. There were 341 attendees today and it was a lovely morning to run/walk before the potential madness that Christmas day can bring.

Just a beautiful start to the day with lots of red and Santa hats in sight.

Christmas Day

My boys are now big enough to not be home for Christmas!

The oldest (21), as you know, now lives in another city (over 6 hours away) and the youngest (19) has a girlfriend, so can be here, can be there.

So, for Christmas Day, until Alex came home, there was just 3 adults who were not that bothered by the day or presents. Well, we like presents but we didn't have to do a 6am mad session to open them.

I snuck out at 7.30am to go do parkrun (another post will be about that) and when I came home the adults were up and getting food, so I showered and then had breakfast.

Alex had been working until about 1am, so had actually come into the house, changed and then gone to his girlfriend's house to sleep. According to Grandma, it was like a herd of elephants came into the house at 1am and caused a racket lol.

Although, he did let us all know that he had been there as he made sure that Santa's message got to us....

Shame that Santa takes after him and can't spell, but I will let him off as it was 1am and he had been working for 12 hours!

Ben, well he was actually working on Christmas day so was not even with his new family down there! And he wasn't going to be with them until 7pm. We checked in with him via video call when we had opened our presents.

He looked happy, so I was all happy seeing him and that beautiful smile.

Whilst Steve and I are no longer together as a couple, we are still important to each other and so we do get each other presents for Christmas, birthdays etc

Today, he made me cry, yes, for the first time in forever he got it right!

He knows that I have discussed many times over the years about wanting to take the day long train from Auckland to Wellington. It only takes 8 hours! I don't even mind which way I go, up or down, but I have always wanted to do it (I will write another post about it one day)

Today, he gave me my present and it was a voucher that entitled me to a trip on the train whenever I could organise it. Now I have some planning to do.

And just like that, the happenings of the family on Christmas Day.

Flooding

 No, we are not in the middle of horrendous weather.

We are on a day before Christmas, there is so much running in my head, I am using music as therapy, and I am easily forgetting things.

I was cleaning around the house; I had the music from Spotify turned up and playing through the tv, I was singing along at the top of my voice, I was moving all over the house.

I got myself a drink as it was hot, put the water container under the tap on the side to fill and then got sidetracked by some lyrics that I absolutely love, went to repeat them to sing again and forgot the water!

Yes, I flooded the kitchen and added to the cleaning that I needed to get completed!

The music that achieved this - Guilty by Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb (1980). Yes, very old stuff but still an album from when I was growing up that I love and can sing along to quite happily and even remember the lyrics.

Helping Others

 My time to once again, take an hour and help others

parkrun Crazy

 As you may have gathered by now, or maybe you haven't! I like to complete parkrun. A free 5km run, walk, hop or skip held every Saturday morning. In New Zealand it starts at 8am but I know in the UK it starts at 9am, so always a good idea to check for each country. You can check out parkrun to find out more details about one local to you.

I walk it, I am not a runner!

It takes me about 40-50 minutes to complete, depending on the course and how I feel on the day, if I am walking with someone or if I am on my own.

Someone at my local parkrun decided that she would plan to complete 4 parkruns in one day! (Last year they did 9 in one day!!) Now you can only officially complete 1 parkrun on a Saturday morning but there is nothing to stop you going and completing the course of any parkrun at any time you wish, you can register this as a freedom parkrun, but it does not count towards any milestones you are working towards. The plan she came up with was to complete 4 of them by lunchtime!

1. 6.30am
2. 8am (official one)
3. 9.30am
4. 11am

Followed by lunch at 1pm

1 and 2 were very close together and so with me walking in 48 mins then I was able to get to them both easily, however, number 3 was 25 mins away and then number 4 was then another 25 mins away from number 3! There was no way I was making it to number 3, so used this time to grab some breakfast and be able to get to number 4.

The sun was shining, it was warmer at the first than the second and very hot at number 4 as it was close to midday.

Just finished the first one (7.20am)

Just finished the second (8.50am)

 

Just finished the fourth one (12pm)

Lunch was being held at a bar/restaurant about 25 mins away and I had to pass by the house to get there, so I nipped in really quick, grabbed a shower and changed clothes and still made it to lunch only 5 mins late!

It was a fun day, and I am so glad I pushed myself to do the first one, as my original plan had been to only do number 2 & 4.

Roll on next year and whatever crazy she comes up with

Christmas Ornaments

 I do like to create things, and this year I found an awesome little pattern for tree decorations made out of felt, so I gave it a go.

Simple paper/card templates that you use to cut the felt

A quick whip stitch around in a matching colour, obviously this was just a simple two colour design but there were others that had other parts to them so many different colours.

Add some stuffing and some beads to make it stand out more and voila....a gift for someone.

They are not difficult and do not take long to produce. I got the pattern from Whatacurlylife on Instagram.

I made a gingerbread man for my colleague

Jigsaw 18 - Happy Vibes

 As the year goes by, the weather is getting warmer, the year is coming to a close and in New Zealand that means everyone is on the countdown towards Christmas and the summer break.

Yes, everyone wants this upcoming holiday time off of work! The schools are finishing the year and students are either moving onto university next year or into the next class. Our school year runs from Feb to Dec. So, this time of year is extremely busy and stressful as everyone tries to get everything completed in time for the holidays, and I am sure it starts earlier and earlier each year!

This shows in my ability to get time to complete a jigsaw, I can see my weeks ahead are already getting full.

But whilst I can, I have managed another one for the year.

Jigsaw 17 - High Tea

 It looks tricky and in areas it was, but it was also different to do with many areas of colour to keep you going.

Jigsaw 16 - Candy Corner

 This one was colourful but a little tricky due to the colours. So many pieces had the same look and colour and so it made it a challenge to secure the right piece!

Jigsaw 15 - Vintage Gardener

Was a long weekend here in New Zealand this past weekend, Labour Day, celebrating the 8-hour working day and the stability of hours. This allowed time to sit and complete another jigsaw so quickly after the last one.

Another one from the same series as the last. Told you, if I find a series I like then I tend to keep an eye out for them all.

Jigsaw 14 - Vintage Baker

 A fun one to pass the time

Computer Games

    Computers came into our lives so many years ago. I remember the BBC computers at school in the 80's and the cassette tapes that you had to load to get something to run. At school, that meant Frogger, a computer game that got you having to get the frog across a busy road and the river via logs or things floating and of course, as you progressed the road got busier, and the water ran faster and the chance of dropping the frog in the water got higher. 

As we know, computers still took time to come into our lives. When I moved to NZ in 1998, I brought a laptop with me to enable me to email my parents. I had moved 12.500 miles away from them, on my own! At the time Compuserve was the platform of choice but it was not the best.

However, compared to today than anything was clunky and slow, just have to remember dial up broadband to make most people have heart palpitations!

And so today computers are everywhere and in everything that we do. Just look at what you are currently doing, reading about someone else's life on a computer.

Gaming is something that is huge, not just as a recreational aspect but as a money-making growing company aspect. Gaming is astronomical in how it has grown and the impact it has on people. You want to grow something, farm something, shoot something, build something, drive something slow or fast, create something, run something or live someone's life then computer games will let you do this and there are many to choose from.

Apart from the basic games of Minesweeper and Solitaire, the classics that are still great to complete then I ended up with The Sims

The game that allows you to create a family and live their lives. I started playing back in the early 2000 and still play it 24 years later. Ok, not all the time but it is still my go to game of choice.

Until someone introduced me to Disney Dreamlight Valley

An animated game with Disney characters where you run around a land, meeting Disney characters and completing missions as you become friends with them. It has some farming, some creating, some building and can be addictive at times. Ok it is not going to sustain as long as Sims, because once you complete all the available missions then there will be limited gameplay to complete and unless updates become available, which has been happening, then there will be times of no play or anything to log on for. So, it will definitely become an occasional game rather than a daily habit.

However, it suddenly became my game of play this year. Something new to focus on when everything else has been crumbling around me, getting out of hand. I am enjoying the lighthearted no cares happy side of life that it creates, the little life lessons that Disney like to teach, having fun, loving family, taking care of and think of others.

So, whilst jigsaw puzzles have taken a slight back seat to technology at present, it won't be forever, just whilst my brain focusses elsewhere for a moment.

Jigsaw 13 - Paper and Craft

 Yes, I managed to obtain all of this series.

The only thing with a series, is that they tend to be more or less the same design and picture just with a slight difference. In this case the craft material focus - knitting, paper, paint, material. After the third one, I can say I am getting a little bored with the picture and consistency of the design. Still fun to do but next time, I will ensure I have others to complete in between a series, then I won't get bored with them.

Jigsaw 12 - Knit and Crotchet

 Yes, it has been a very long while since I have completed a jigsaw. The middle part of the year, as you know, did not go well and with the 3 months off of work, the 4-week trip to the UK and a family holiday away in Rarotonga. The focus of doing a jigsaw just wasn't there and I am quite surprised that it was the last thing that I wanted to do! I actually got playing a computer game and that seemed to be where my focus was. Almost like my brain just needed one thing to grasp onto and the game became it. Something so totally different from everything else that was going on in life.

Finally, though, things have calmed and settled, not going to say they are totally sorted but life is better than it was and more manageable. So, another one in the same series, all about crafting that I was completing earlier in the year.

As a crafter myself, then I knew this would be a fun series to complete.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

 I love travelling.

Blame my parents for putting that bug into me! Well, they did move me to Kuwait 2 days before my 7th birthday, and we have been travelling ever since. Ok, maybe not as much now as when I was younger. Something to do with how nowadays I have to find the money to pay for all the flights. I love being on a plane and enjoy it even more when I am on my own, although I would love to have someone to share it with.

So, here I go, a much-needed trip to England to visit family and friends and complete some international parkruns. Yes, you read that right, I am going to England to complete parkruns.

My travel companion's aka Bozz and Grey

When travelling many years ago, someone asked if I had a companion? Someone to inspire pictures and memories with. Not a human one but a soft toy kind? That then led to said companions being collected. Bozz has been to the UK a few times since 2001 when he joined the family, think he has been to Australia too.

As for Grey, well he was fostered from my youngest son. There is a huge story behind me having Grey now and one day I will write it down, but for now, he is with me.

The food was not bad either, although the first leg of the flight was direct out of Auckland, so all the food was local from New Zealand, can't go too wrong there.

Otherwise, the flight was your typical night flight. Lots of people sleeping and luckily for me, the people who were meant to be sat next to me moved just before take-off, so I gained an extra seat for the whole 16-hour flight.

Writing a Blog

 The thing with writing a blog is that is does indeed take time.

Sometimes you have space and the ability to upload a picture, and a post gets created and posted, other times, there is life going on and nothing gets sorted. In the case of a holiday then it can be difficult to post, especially when you are in a land far away from home with your normal creature comforts, like your own computer.

All the following posts, till the middle of September will have been written well after the fact, more likely it will be October before they are all successfully completed and posted. However, to keep the flow of the dates etc then when I post them, I will ensure I use the correct date for when it happened. This will allow the memories to be accurate when looking back through in years to come

That is because tomorrow I fly to the UK for a 4-week holiday, on my own. And when I return, we fly to Rarotonga as a family 2 days later for 10 days. Obviously, I am not taking a computer with me to the UK, and I won't have the access to post as I go along, but I will be collecting memories as I go and will be eager to write about them when I return.

The suitcase is packed; I am all excited and Alex is ready to drive me to the airport in the morning.

Bon Voyage

Jigsaw 11 - Quilt and Sew

 The main jigsaw company here in New Zealand always seem to do a series of jigsaw puzzles. Usually, 4 in the series and all very similar. This was one that I had seen advertised a few years ago and when the opportunity arose to obtain this one, I jumped at it

It had the odd moment of colour challenge but overall, I always knew it would be easy to complete

Jigsaw 10 - Pumpkin Farm

 This one was always going to be a challenge due to the consistent colour throughout the picture. I am trying to push myself away from ones that are easy looking with heaps of colour. This one was definitely one of those.

It took a bit to do, but I got there.

Jigsaw 9 - Alchemy

 I got asked by a colleague to house sit and look after their dog.

They just happened to have a jigsaw on the go, and you know how much I love jigsaws, so I couldn't help but finish it. They did agree to this, so I didn't ruin anything for them!

It was a fun one to do with lots of little sections, not too difficult but several pieces the same colours!

Here is number 9 for the year

I had never done a jigsaw by this brand before - eeBoo

They were nice pieces to fit together and good colouring.