Bloomin'

 I think we had a first this week: the first time we have completed The Listener Quizword as it is called, though we just call it the crossword, without seeking assistance from Mrs. Google or any of our reference tombs. If we have achieved this before, it’s so long ago that we can’t remember.

Our quiz evening was a little different this week, due to technology issues. Pete, the Quiz Master, could only get the questions to display on two of the 10 or so monitors, which meant that some teams couldn’t easily see them. After a 15 minute delay and problems with the first two rounds and the Ponderous, Pete decided on a different approach (a bit more fiddling with the laptop) and awarded us all with 50 points (10 for each of the first two rounds, doubled with our jokers, and 10 full marks for the Ponderous). The rest of the evening went reasonably well from a technology perspective, and we ended up 8th with 102 points.

The weather has been changeable, with the return of winter temperatures mid-week. We have been pleasantly surprised that the blossom in the back garden has not been blown or rained away:

I started a jigsaw on Monday which we have finished today. Nicky went to church on Tuesday evening for the baptism of some of the Bible Friends group. I had a good amble by Lake Rotokawau on Wednesday, and by the river side on Friday and coffee in town.

Saturday was a busy day. We had accepted an invitation to Brenda’s 70th birthday celebration in the evening, with a pot luck supper. I nipped down to the supermarket first thing. Nicky started making an apricot and coconut French braid (she has become very good at bread) and we were running short on some necessary ingredients. Frances had asked Nicky to help her run the kitchen at the Repair Café and collected her at 9.30am. I spent the rest of the morning making ricotta and raisin tarts with sherry, a recipe I have been wanting to try for a while. They turned out OK and Nicky’s bread was lovely.

I collected Nicky at 12.30 so that we could go to Saturday Sounds at the Museum. The trio called That’s Irish were good, funny and entertaining. Another enjoyable musical hour. We had a late lunch when we got back home and Nicky completed making the French braid. We were a little late arriving at Brenda’s party, but not the last to arrive. She had invited 70 guests who she had got to know through various aspects of her life. After having the main course of the pot luck supper we played Brenda’s Bingo: twenty questions designed to encourage us all to interact with more people than just those sat around our table. This was followed by dessert and birthday cake. We were pleased to help Brenda celebrate, but also pleased to return to the peace and quiet of our home. Before retiring to bed I advanced all our clocks by one hour as Daylight Saving began, which is odd, as we get much more daylight this time of year.

Today has been one of those interesting meteorological days - showers turning to occasional rain. I haven’t worked out the difference yet, as both of them are wet. Nicky watched her church service on-line while I risked an amble between either two showers or two bits of occasional rain. It’s also windy, which is why we have enjoyed being inside finishing the jigsaw, reading and sewing. The foliage is certainly having a bad hair day, but is looking fresh in the day’s rain. We continue to be delighted by new colours of fresh blossoming as spring advances.

Take care, Rick and Nicky.