Tuesday 18 April 2017

Blessings

As I mentioned in my last post I now have a mobility Scooter, I had been saving up for one when I was blessed with a windfall.  I might have mentioned that I lived in the UK for 20 years, when I applied for my NZ pension last year I was told that as I lived in the UK part of my pension would be paid by the UK govt as there was a reciprocal agreement, it is administered by the NZ govt so I thought nothing of it, but I did have to fill out lots of forms for the UK.  Well apparently the pension for UK women is 60 years and as I no idea that I qualified for it, I had a rather large amount, deferred. (5 years of back pay)  Whoo hoo!  I was a bit skeptical and was astonished when it turned up in bank account.  It has made such a difference to my life.  As well as investing some of it I have been able to buy things that I needed such as the scooter, a new fridge freezer,  new glasses and a new sewing machine, it has taken a load of my shoulders.

The scooter has blessed me so much, I have been able to make medical appointments without having to try and fit times in with the bus timetable and the biggest blessing is I have been able to shop around for bargains, and most of all go to the local market on Sundays, which is what this post is really about.
My town has two markets, an official Farmers Market on Saturdays, which really caters for the well to do and the weekend visitors that come here from Wellington, it is rather expensive and has posh stuff! Also as I observe the Sabbath it is a ‘no no’ for me. 

The other, really is a glorified Car Boot market run by the Lions organization in the council car park, locals flock to it as a number of lifestyle blockers sell their produce at reasonable prices and generally it is organic produce, there is a honey man, a free range egg lady, a lady selling mushrooms, several local nurseries two selling native plants, one lady selling perennial flowers, a couple of vegetable and flower seedling stalls, some ladies selling pickles and preserves and cakes, then there are the usual bric a brac stalls.  I love it, you get to know the people selling and they sort of become friends, it is wonderful.


This Sunday I took advantage of the good weather and set off on my Scooter, I hadn’t been to it for over a year as it was difficult for me to get to and one needs to get there early for the bargains!  And bargains I did get.


A big bag of figs for $2.50,  Ballarat (cooking) Apples, a heritage variety that makes the perfect apple pie, you cant buy these in the supermarket, But I got 5 for $1.50, a large wedge of pumpkin for $2, egg plants at 50 cents each they are at least $2.50 in the supermarkets.


A huge bunch of watercress for $2.50, I will put half in a bucket and put the bucket under the eaves and if change the water every week I will have my own watercress growing.


A large bag of button chestnut mushrooms for $2 in the supermarket probably cost me about $8.00!

Lovely bargains and it all is organic which is even more of a bonus!  I got some plants as well, a red hibiscus, a pink Japanese anemone, and a red and white ivy geranium; all for $10 at the nursery just one would have cost me at least $10.  I will shoe photos of these later as my batteries for the camera needed recharging.  I am going to have to start taking my camera with me when I am out and about as the town is looking lovely with its red and gold autumn colours.

So I think the scooter is a blessing in my life.  Another blessing is the new sewing machine,  it has made me realize how crappy my old one was, no wondered I put off sewing!  For a long time I had been wanting to change the curtains in my lounge diner, but as there were so many windows it would have cost a fortune for ready made ones and thrift shops don’t usually have curtains for three windows in the same material.  So guess what my first project was…


It has lightened up the place wonderfully, I have a feature wall in that red and having the red has balanced up the area very well.

And as you know once you start changing the colour scheme other things start to occur, like this throw I am crocheting for the lounge area…


What is marvellous I already had this wool in my stash!

Phew, I am so ready for my supper now!  I am having what I call stone soup, do you know the folk tale behind this?  If not I will tell all in the next day or so and hopefully I will have photos of my neighbourhood, as I am charging the batteries of my camera.


10 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you are having fun on your scooter, Sharon. What a blessing it is to you! I understand about the sewing machine. For years I suffered through hand-me-down ones and others that I picked up at estate sales, when I finally decided to buy an inexpensive but new one, sewing was once again a joy. Great job on the curtains and it's amazing how well your yarn matches the red in them. Sounds like you are getting better. Have a fun week!

    Hugs
    Jane

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Jane, I am getting better, some days I dont need a nap! The weather forecast for this week is good and the nights are getting colder so the trees will turn even more so I am looking forward to getting out and taking photos. have a lovely week yourself.

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  2. Dear Sharon,
    I'm glad to see you are back posting. Your artwork in your last post was so pretty! You are really gifted. And those curtains are lovely. I live in a one-story cottage that has 15 windows and 3 doors with windows and I have had the same dilemma: affording window treatments. You are inspiring me to make my own.
    I'm glad you are doing so well and congratulations on your windfall. It is a really comfort when things are taken care of and needs are met.
    God bless,
    Dana

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    Replies
    1. Hello Dana, Thank you. My doors have windows too! I was lucky the local haberdashery store had a sale on and that material was half price! They ended up being a third of the price of ready made ones, Next, my bedroom curtains.
      Thanks for visiting and have a blessed week.

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  3. Hi Sharon.. I am so glad i happened to read Rhonda's post about our fave toast meals and thought I would click on yours.. Love your post and was so happy to hear that I can grow my own watercress.. i have been wanting to find some wild here but have not been able to.. So loved reading about your Boot Sale.. Sounds lovely.. I live in Eastern Canada and we are just getting into Spring.. Look forward to getting to know you and will follow your blog... God Bless.. xo

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  4. Hello Faye, Thanks for visiting, you can start watercress off from supermarket cress if there is a long stalk just put it in a glass of water and some roots will grow, you can also do that with basil.
    I have just had a look at your blog and it is lovely!
    God Bless Sharon.

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  5. Hello Sharon, I have absolutely no idea how you found my blog - but I am so glad that you did! I've just spent a happy time reading a few of your posts. Sounds like that surprise windfall is being put to really good use. So many of us can relate to the sewing machine story! Hours spent untangling, re-threading, adjusting top and/or bottom tensions, trying a new needle...
    Save me a bowl of those wonderful soup - and a hunk of bread, it looks good!

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  6. I dont remember also! It was one of those occasions where I clicked on the blog list in the panels and have a lovely wander through blogland. I know I bookmarked the dandelion cleaner post to come back to and when I did I had a lovely time reading your blog.
    I have nearly finished the soup, you can have the last serving it is one of those that the taste gets better every day!

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  7. That scooter certainly is a blessing! And so is the windfall which has made so many things possible for you! Now that is the kind of farmers market I enjoy going to, where things are actually cheaper than they are at the supermarket! The farmers markets here seem more like the Saturday one you described. Everything is more expensive than at the supermarket!

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