Cruise-ing, Covid ........ & Orders

Greetings lovely friends & readers

October of last year, while I was lying in a hospital bed recovering from a not-especially-nice surgery, my friend Gail sent me a text ... Would I like to go on a 5-day cruise next year in November?? 

Why ever not ?! I thought.  Of course it was ages away & anything could happen in between times (& in fact, quite alot did happen in between times)

There were a group of 8 ladies going, mostly our craft group ladies plus 2 extra.  Because we shared rooms it kept the cost to a minimum. 

The first rose blooms of the season - Dublin Bay - picked last week

Eventually November rolled around & the day arrived for us to board our ship.  It was a P & O Cruise for those that are familiar with them.  This one was a "Tribute to the King Cruise" so lots of Elvis music & rock-n-roll. I must add here, that the tribute acts were just wonderful & of a really high quality.

Here is everyone getting ready for the Sail Away Party.  I loved being up high on this deck & looking down on the pools, also there was a flying fox going overhead!  After pouring rain all the way up to Auckland the weather came out beautiful.

The was the Atrium where some of the entertainment took place ... I especially loved the Glass Lifts (right).   This was on Level 5 & we were lucky enough to have our rooms on the same level.

Here are all 8 of us together ...  left going around table .. Jan, Sharlaine, myself, Joyce, Maureen, Liz 1, Liz 2 & Gail front right.

This was the route the ship took, leaving Auckland sailing down the Coast to Picton, a full day in Picton, & then returning again.  5 days - quite long enough for me - who couldn't wait to get home to her furry friends again 😉

Where I have put the yellow + is where I live in rural Waikato.

Here is the oldest of the group Maureen, with myself, the youngest.  On the right I had just had my hair done & we were getting ready to go to a Neil Diamond Tribute show (which turned out to be so amazing!!)

On docking in Picton we had already prepaid for a tour up the Queen Charlotte Sounds (see map above).  We were going on the boat below left with a Company called CougarLine Tours

We sailed all the way up the Queen Charlotte Sounds stopping at all the little bays along the way, dropping off boxes of groceries, trampers, sometimes picking up tourists - it was fascinating & the Captain gave a running commentary along the way.  We saw lots of dolphins, some even followed the boat for awhile.  

The stunning crystal clear waters of the Queen Charlotte Sounds.

The furthest point was Furneaux Lodge 2 hours out ... & then we headed back to Picton again.

Once back in Picton we treated ourselves to a delicious Pub Lunch of the freshest Gurnard, straight out of the sea.  There was a market opposite the wharf which we wandered through for awhile & then it was time to catch the shuttle back to the ship.  Another full day at sea & then early on the Tuesday morning we berthed again in Auckland.

Waiting our turn to disembark - you had to vacate your rooms by 8 am so we were up & about early.  It was a wonderful experience & I would certainly cruise again but I would do several things differently next time around. 

My dear friend Sandy summed it up perfectly when she messaged & said "Congratulate yourself Julie on having the Cruise experience - especially since you are such a Home body at heart"  And I unashamedly Am a Homebody. 💗

Unfortunately dear friends, I appear to have come home with a rather unwanted souvenir & I am the only one in the group that has so far succumbed to the virus.  Today is day 8 & although I'm not coughing quite so much, I still feel constantly dreadful.  But I know Covid is a process & I just have to be patient, rest & let it run its course.  It has taken me 3 days to write this post as my concentration skills are rather lacking 😐

A couple of months ago my dear friend Shirley asked me to make her two items she had some photos of.  The first was a HOME wallhanging, quite primitive in style but Shirley didn't want primitive for her home so we adapted it & I painted a wooden coathanger to tie Shirley's hanger on to (the one in her photo was tied to a twiggy tree branch) Shirley's home is muted pinks & greys so these colours were perfect.

The second item Shirley had photographed was a rather dilapidated looking Angel.  As soon as I saw it I knew I had that pattern - thankfully it was an old design from Mums Moment, whom I don't think are designing anymore. The pattern is called Pocket Angel as she has a sweet elasticated pocket on her dress, where the yo-yo flowers are.  I made her up in Tilda fabrics, provided by Shirley & think she turned out delightful.  I used some hand-dyed mohair yarn for her hair.  Her base is weighted with pellets so she sits nice & sturdily.

Her wings are embroidered with the words Love is the stitching that holds hearts together 💕 Shirley was thrilled with both her Orders.

Thank you dear friends for staying with me through this lengthy post,

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

With much love & friendship to you all,

Love Julie & the furry three x0x0x0