Out and about in New Plymouth

Mum wouldn't let me go to bed until she won a game of Five Crowns! I'm not exaggerating!

My new hot water bottle.  "Hottie"  as it's known in NZ.

Around town.

Lunch at The Batch with Jenny.

 

And a wee walk with a quick selfie on the pier. Friends since 15 years old!

Board game (Azul) instruction and laughs with Leanne and Justin.

This lady made the teapot cozy mum bought me!

Father's day... and all dads kids were there. 

I had a stack of mint and pea fritters. Laureen had the crumpets French toast. (Why didn't I get that?! Look! Even has flowers!) 

The family.

The parents.

This quartz bracelet, made in India, was a "me to me" gift (impulse buy) at a local craft market.  The seller lives in Ohura - a town of 120 people where my mom grew up and my parents met.  

The French sisters... out for a walk and a coffee.

Marmite toast under poached eggs. It's a kiwi thing!

Kealy is my oldest friend.... 45 years and still going strong.

Flat white. Because when in Rome...

The iconic Mt Taranaki.

I know what you're thinking... 

She ate a LOT in New Zealand. Yep. And didn't do much exercise either. Weirdly, still the same size. 

This trip was full of mini-miracles!

Childhood Memories: Making ginger beer from scratch

Ginger beer starter/plant/bug:

8 golden raisins

1/4 c lemon juice 

1 t grated lemon zest

1 T sugar

2 t ground ginger

2 1/2 c water

Make the plant by combining all ingredients in a large screw top jar. 

Leave for 2-3 days.

For the next 7 days, stir in 1 T sugar and 2 t ginger each day. 

Ginger beer:

3 c sugar

5 c boiling water

The strained juice of 3 lemons 

8 liters of water

Place the sugar in a large basin and stir in the boiling water.  Stir until dissolved. 

Cover the basin with fine muslin (or piece of retired bed sheet!) and pour the starter over it. Pull up the sides and squeeze out all the moisture from the plant until its as dry as it can be. 

Stir in the lemon juice and 8 liters of water. 

Store in sterilized, screw top bottles leaving a space of 3 fingers to allow for expansion - lest they explode!

Add one raisin to each bottle. 

Store carefully especially in the warmer months.  Ideally do not open for 3-4 days. (When the raisin floats is apparently ready!)

Update: 9/13/23

Tonight I started my own ginger beer bug!

Little Bandie-legs

I'd like to say I didn't play favorites and loved all the lambs equally... but there was one who stole my heart. 

He/she (I didn't care so never checked) came to the struggling lamb area as an infant unable to stand. His joints wouldn't lock and with legs like wet noodles, couldn't feed from its mom and would have died fairly quickly. 

I bottle fed him and lifted his legs straight.  A few days later, wobbly and a tipping hazard still, he was up and walking on his back knuckles.

Another couple of days and he was looking more normal.  Now would I say he could run in the fields with friends? No. But happy, thriving and getting better each day. 

My special needs baby was a survivor... with some mommy- confusion.  He would rather I held him and fed him than took a bottle from the wooden holder. And he definitely showed up for cuddles on my lap even when not hungry. 

It was hard to say goodbye.  I'm no farmer and don't feel the need to explain away my attachment or apologize for it either.

* Baby Bandie sadly passed away a couple of days after I left the farm.  He was just over a week old. Cause of death was attributed to issues he was likely born with. I feel some consolation knowing he had a happy week with cuddles, tail wagging and sweet words in his ears.  And I have lots of gratitude that I shared almost his whole life with him! Since my belief of the Rainbow Bridge is that all our animal friends wait there for us, I'm comforted imagining him with solid legs, tons of friends and a squiggly tail that goes wild the next time we meet. 

Until we meet again, Bandie!