While buying books for gifts today, I was mighty tempted by a particularly niche book of crochet patterns of various garden-style gnomes. But a bit expensive as a joke unless a recipient wants to crochet smol gnomes.

9 year old grandson’s gifts - 2 books, startling hair dye in Sea Mermaid and Turquoise Temptation,(!) bag tag and 3 candies. I expect the candy eyeballs to be a hit.

The alleged green shoots of economic recovery are not yet evident in New Plymouth where there were no Christmas crowds today and plenty of parking on the main street, even.

And now we enter the season of exploding kombucha.

jury.co.nz/2025/12/07/s...

Dearie me. We are going to get the Luxons in their matching Christmas pjs soon, aren't we?

Making falafel for dinner. From scratch (dried chickpeas, not tinned) but not home grown on account of us never really succeeding with growing them.

Went to look at the installation of an underpass for dairy cows that has closed our main access road all week. I do not think they will be done by 5pm tomorrow, as scheduled.

Andrew Coster brought down by Jevon McSkimming scandal but I also judge him by his inactions in allowing the Parliament occupation to bed in. That was a misjudgment, even as it happened.

The cardoons, they be cardooning. Ralph included for scale.

Luxon wittering on about local councils and training wheels in an extended metaphor casting councils as small people learning to ride a bike is just so damn patronising.

Seymour gaslighting again. Deeply unpleasant man.

Oh my heart, my heart. Just seen vid of 2yr old granddaughter wearing a Santa hat decorating the tree to the sound of reggae Xmas carols. The reggae carols are a family joke. I bought a tape when our chn were little because I hate dirge-like carols. The chn liked to hate them as they grew older.

My favourite time in the meadow is the flowering of the Higo iris.

Today's new #garden post - bits and bobs from November. jury.co.nz/2025/11/30/b... Starting with a new community garden in church grounds.

Waffles for breakfast. The only reason I keep a sourdough starter going is to make waffles every second weekend.

Slightly out of my depth when it comes to a mother of the bride outfit. Small garden wedding in Feb. I remember going to a wedding when my friend, as mother of bride, appeared in pink brocade coat and dress that looked like she bought it in a Masterton frock shop catering to 1960s mothers of brides

We buy in a few weaner steers a year to keep the grass down. Price has gone from $680 last year to $900 each. These will be sold in autumn 2027 so expect beef prices to keep surging as that increased cost comes through.

Are the wheels actually falling off this government?

My favourite of all rhododendrons - the OTT fragrant, waxy trumpets of sino nuttallii.

I have never been a fan of Taranaki Reg Council, buried on a back street of Stratford and run by 3 men as a private fiefdom. Those 3 were now-nonentity Nat backbencher, David McLeod (felled by donations scandal) who was chair. Former New Plymouth mayor, David Lean as deputy chair, (cont)

Looking forward to Groundswill, Fed Farmers, VFF, TPU, NZ First and other populist, right wing lobby groups all coming out in opposition to the government's proposals to force local body change and disestablish farmer power in regional councils. And pigs might fly.

We only have New World in my local town and we all like to moan about them. But this is a really good initiative and so easy for those of us who can afford it, to donate $20 at the checkout to get Foodbank what it needs to meet the Christmas demand.

Ladies and gents, allow me to introduce you to ORPHAN WELLS - abandoned wells that don't 'belong' to any company. Believed to be about 140 already on land in Taranaki. Offshore 'orphan wells' will be an even greater environmental risk.

The bulbs of November in today's new#garden post. jury.co.nz/2025/11/23/t...

Slightly terrifying personalised merch being offered to me.

Ralph in the meadow.

The new kitchen is mostly here. Not yet installed, but on site at least.

Amused by daughter's wry humour as she posted about our grandson going back to his Canberra school: "Back to school, Seb may never get to experience Snow days, but he did just get 3 "oops, there might be asbestos" Sand days."

The current state of my kitchen is damn inconvenient and does not spark joy.

"It is economic vandalism of the highest order. The message this sends to the world is ‘You can’t rely on New Zealand,’ " says the woman who cancelled the ferries by text and whose government is committing extreme environmental vandalism and trashing our international reputation. Hypocrites.

Some days, y’know, some days a stiff gin or maybe even two feel…. medicinal. So justified.

Day one of my kitchen reno and I am over it already. I am not doing any more house renovations after this. Minor repairs and redecoration only.

About 25 years ago, I ended up in hospital on a drip for 4 days because of a simple puncture wound infected with a form of EColi that was resistant to all but the last 2 antibiotics reserved for hospital use only. That was scary.

Stripping out half the kitchen today - the workspace half. This takes some organisation because, as Canberra daughter said, 'you can't exactly get Uber Eats in Tikorangi'.

Oh my goodness but Christopher Luxon talks absolute bullshit. Still wittering on trying to blame the ban on oil and gas IN NEW AREAS ONLY for any energy shortage. Is this man even human?

I have removed the scrunched up newspaper from the disused chimney which was there to keep out bee swarms or wasps because there is a rosella hellbent on building a nest in there. Has managed to appear 3x in the TV room so far. We hope if it can see light below, it won't nest build.

What is with Jevon Mcskimming choosing to wear a tartan Swanndri to court for multiple appearances? Dies he not own a smart sports jacket or even a suit?

Well that made my morning. Just rehomed my big de Longhi oven, cook top, rangehood, splashback and dishwasher which are being stripped out on Monday. Given away for free on Marketplace to a couple who are thrilled to get them for their relocated house. Way better than landfill.

Australia wins the higher moral ground. Again. Shame on this government and on Chris Penk.

Heather the NZ Karen. Yet another Heatherism. Always a Heather. Dead cat heatherism. Not now, Heather. Trust Heather - so damn predictable. Heather - a misspelling of contrarian. In life, be not a Heather. There is nothing good to gain by being a Heather.

Requiem for a gardener. jury.co.nz/2025/11/13/n...

I wrote a letter to the editor, something I have not done for many years. I once went to a comms workshop in the 1980s where I learned the obvious - first letters to ed to be read area are always the shortest ones. Though probably only in print edition.

The admission that the police are deliberately siphoning off correspondence to the PM and the Minister of Police from members of the public to make sure it is never seen sure strikes at the heart of a democracy. Corruption at the top level. Heads must roll.

Take a man of considerable power, status and position, apparently fundy *christian*, outwardly respectable and family oriented but who was sexually aroused by bestiality and child rape and abuse. He targets a young woman under half his age to indulge him. That is beyond grim for her.

Make this make sense. www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608... New deputy mayor, somewhat notorious from past exploits, is fundraising for an extreme right FB group he and the mayor founded to get elected, to sue the council he is now deputy mayor in, over a decision made by the previous council (cont)

Richard Chambers, it seems, was Deputy Commissioner for at least some, if not most of the time the top level cover up for McSkimming took place. So part of the general culture at the least, possibly peripherally aware or was he donkey deep alongside Andrew Coster?

"he stole about $113,000 to help pay off a personal loan, buy weed killer, a spray unit, a toastie machine maker, and Hush Puppies shoes." John Dewar's somewhat bizarre expenditure.

Harvested green tea and bamboo shoots this morning. We will survive famine and pestilence.

incredible photo that's definitely worth at least 1,000 words from Andrew Harnik of Getty