THE DELIGHTFUL EMBROIDERY

THE DELIGHTFUL EMBROIDERY

A dear friend who often comes for coffee and cake with Jasper and me. And knowing that I love embroidery from the thirties and forties, asked if I would like some old pieces of embroidered work that her mother and aunt had done many years ago. I, of course, said with a bright smile “yes please”

She brought them the very next time she came to visit. They had been tucked away in an old box for some many years and she was so pleased to find them a good home for them. We looked through the box together. What treasures we found. There were several exquisite pieces of very fine silk crochet in that lovely old beige colour. Wonderful old fashion dressing table sets in white cotton, the finest work that I have ever seen. But the real gems for me were the most charming placemats and napkins with a sweet and so dainty buttercup embroidered on them. And here they all were in an old box waiting for someone to come along and love them again.

I carefully washed the cloths by hand. Loving the feeling of being connected to the ladies who had spent so many hours making them and using them in their own homes. Once ironed, I could hardly wait to put these sweet little cloths around my home. What a wonderful joy it is having such handwork from a bygone era all around me.

JANUARY’S POEM FROM THE CAFE POET View from the Window

view from the Window

The view from this window is rather nice

Scenes from the street, the passers-by

There are beautiful ladies with shapely figures

And families strolling along in groups

Even the odd dog, leading a leash

While upon the road, cars are slowly gliding through

A cabbage tree’s spear-like leaves ruffle in the breeze

As birds of paradise show off their plumage,

While atop the opera house, black-backs rest

Surveying the city from this vantage point,

Interesting rectangular boxes and tangential angles

Are generating from the buildings’ rowed formations

Aromas of ground coffee waft the air

While in the background there’s a sizzling hot plate

Some bacon? with your eggs,

Yes all rather nice, rather nice indeed

Just what a weekend should be.

The little things love them dearly.

Birds of Paradise – a bright flowering plant,

Black-back – large New Zealand seagull

Sunday morning early 2008

© Robbie Grace © Clive Robbie Grace

Blue And White … THE FRIDAY BLOG

Blue And White
I had very little sleep on the long haul flight from England. So had slept for most of the drive from Auckland down to New Plymouth. Where we stayed for an hour or so before heading out to our friends home at Warea.
Having left England with snow and strong winds just two days before. To find myself being driven along state highway 45 what is now called The surf highway with the warmth of the early evening, the green grass the amazing deep blue of the Tasman sea and the so very tall Macrocarpa trees. This just has to be heaven and the best drive ever. And inside me a feeling of being home and here at last.
I loved the wide verges with the wild white daisies and bright orange flowers along the edges, here and there, were very tall flowers in Blues and White.  As we turned around a bend in the road, hear were those tall flowers again. A long patch of then, beautiful BLUE and WHITE with masses of dark Green leaves. I had never seen flowers like this before and I fell in love with the Agapanthus that wonderful day.
That wonderful day was the 14th of January 1972, forty-four years ago, and I remember every moment of what will always be the very best and happiest day of my life. as if it was just yesterday.   I always do a little something special to celebrate coming to my wonderful New Zealand. This year Jasper and are are going out for coffee and cake. I’m still crazy about those blue and white flowers. always manage to have Agapanthus flowers somewhere in the house at this time of the year.

STEPPING OUTSIDE THE SQUARE … THE FRIDAY BLOG PAGE

• • STEPPING OUTSIDE THE SQUARE

  I left my doctors room with a feeling of dread. The fear of having to face up to a serious bone problem seemed to grip me with a feeling that my life was falling apart. I was in severe pain in my lower back and the dreadful aching was with me all the time. I had some pain relief tablets and I really was leaning on them to get me through the days. All my doctor could offer was infusions of a drug with rather a poor outcome record. In fact, the only people praising it were the drug company making it and doctors. I really wasn’t prepared to go down that track. Both my son and daughter and a few friends were very supportive of my rejection of the only thing that the New Zealand medical world has to offer.So with the help of Google and you-tube, my research for a more natural treatment for my issues with osteoporosis – with already a few vertebra fractures I began downloading information to watch on the big screen in the lounge, taking notes and relaxing a little as I began to discover that with a very interesting and different way of eating I would be helping the problem. I also got myself onto some supplements that came highly recommended. I felt that I was coping a great deal better but still in lots of pain and so very weary. A dear friend suggested I step outside the square and go and see Jingbo Peng at his Acupuncture and Herbalist centre here in New Plymouth. I rang, made an appointment and really haven’t looked back since. I had a full consultation taking in my health history and the main concern at the moment. The pain was the biggest problem. I’m still amazed that just two acupuncture needles and thirty minutes later the pain was eased immensely. I left with a container of herbs mixed just for me. That was a few weeks ago. Each week since then I have had more treatments which have eased the sharp pain and I have been moving more freely, can even get my socks on and I’m sleeping well. The Chinese herbs are helping to balance and restore my well-being. Still takings things very gently and resting lots. So life is looking so much brighter as day by day I will get a little stronger.