Monday 23 June 2014

A gutsy gal...and a trip away

Mrs D
This morning I watched a programme on telly I had asked my GKB to record for me because I had been reading this girls' blog on and off for a few months now and was interested to see her in person. I'd like to recommend it to you. I so admire the guts this girl had to go on national television and tell the story of her battle with alcohol and the road to recovery. She started to blog as a way of helping to cope with coming off the drink and if you go to her post of 22nd June you can get the link to her interview. I'm sorry I haven't worked out how to link you through to her blog site but it is called: Mrs D Is Going Without The link to her interview is: On Demand
I reckon this interview would be helpful to anyone with an alcohol problem, knows someone with an alcohol problem or for someone who is just interested in people. The honesty of it just blew me away. I hope you'll go over and have a look and maybe just encourage her on her journey - she has touched so many people all over the world already just since she went on air. It's amazing.


******************

And now for something completely different.


On Saturday my little mother and I went down to Gore with a couple of other girls for an Aglow conference. 


We had a great time, arrived the night before so that we wouldn't be leaving in the dark on a frosty morning. Of course that meant we had to find somewhere to have tea and we decided the prices at the lodge were too high so we went exploring in town. We ended up going to a Thai restaurant, the first time either my little mother or I had eaten it, so a new experience. And we enjoyed it. And you use a fork and spoon so no wrestling with chopsticks. Phew.


We managed to get a cabin at the venue so we weren't roaming around a strange town looking for where we were going when we should have been there. The conference centre was gorgeous, lots of bling. Chandeliers in the powder room no less. And in the conference room. Lots of chrome and mirrors and lights. I loved it. I'm a blingy sort of a girl, or maybe I'm just a magpie and attracted to bright objects. I took photo's of the chandeliers but discovered when I got home that I had the camera set on landscape and all my indoor pics were blurred. Oh well, you live and learn. Check your settings before you start clicking away.


It did mean my outside shots weren't too bad though. These were taken at 8:30am, just as the sun was coming up and a light, misty rain started to fall. I love the golden glow of them.


Anyway that's it for now. 
Have a great week
and I'll see you back
here again soon.

Diana


Saturday 14 June 2014

A railway station

Our city has some beautiful buildings (I think so anyway) and I thought I would show some of them to you occasionally. Sometimes I think places become so common place when you live with them that you stop seeing them. Below is the Dunedin (Otago, New Zealand) railway station. I heard someone make a derisory remark one day about it looking like it came out of a Disney movie, but I think it is wonderful.



Designed by George Troup and finally completed in 1906 it's built from dark basalt and white Oamaru stone. The pillars in the front are made from pink granite and the roof tiles are terracotta from Marseilles. The style is Flemish renaissance and it has a lovely Flemish garden in the front with seats so you can relax and enjoy.


The working side of the station has a platform which is said to be 1 kilometre long but I'm not sure whether it still is...maybe back in the day. Mind you it certainly feels that length when you are walking it from one end to the other. Unfortunately because of the decline in rail travel the only trains that run from/through here now are excursion trains that leave from the north and south ends of the platform.
This is also where the world famous  iD fashion week holds its final shows in March and April every year, the platform becomes the runway. This event draws major fashion designers from all over the world as well as local and national designers.
Every weekend there is a very popular farmers market in the car park at the north end of the station.

Lets go inside for a look where I think it is just as gorgeous. It's very ornate and a real representation of the era in which it was built.


The foyer, looking at the ticket windows and the door through to the booking office. These days the toilets are behind here having been shifted from the opposite side of the foyer.


Looking down from the balcony towards the platform door, with my son and his wife looking back. The floor is a mosaic of 750,000 Minton tiles with the NZR (New Zealand Rail) initials in some squares. There is a nice tearooms and restaurant on the ground floor for a cuppa or a meal if you feel so inclined.


Part of the tile mosaic in the entrance.

Upstairs there are a couple of sets of stained glass windows on opposing walls, and a Royal Doulton tile frieze runs around the walls.


Balcony


One of the stained glass windows


Balcony floor
Up here you can have a browse around a small art gallery or you can have a look around the sports hall of fame if that's what takes your fancy.

It's funny how you take these places for granted, we never had a look around until my son and his wife came over for a holiday from Japan. It was just somewhere we used to commute to and from on schooldays (for my GKB) and work days. It's good to know that it won't slip into disrepair but is still being put to good use today.

This is quite a long post but I hope you have enjoyed it.


See you next time.
Keep well,
Diana

Tuesday 3 June 2014

Some nonsense

Today I took my friend and her cat up to the cattery. I did bring the friend home again, it's only Leo the pussycat going on holiday for a few days. I took a photo or two so here they are with Leo's commentary.


 A letter to Mum from Leo



Well Mum, I came running when you whistled, after all you also had my box of biscuits and I thought it was early tea.


It was, but little did I know it was also the 'last supper'.
I know you told me I was going on holiday 
but that was days ago and I'd forgotten.


I sat patiently while you locked all the doors,
I should have realized then that something was up.
 I thought I would escape but your friend cut me off at the pass. 
Some friend, I'm not sure about that one, 
at least the other one is nice and feeds me. 
Then you put me in that horrible little wire cage thing. 
You know I hate it, it usually means I'm going to see the man in the white coat who does unmentionable things to me!
I didn't mind the ride in the car but then we pulled up here!



Puleeze. This is the wop wops! 
Where are the houses, the people, the cars?
Where is civilisation? 
Worse was to come, Mum.
You took me out of the car, cage and all, 
and took me inside where we were met by a very nice lady.
She told me what a beautiful boy I am 
and was really buttering me up.
But then she put me in a room, all by myself. 
I've got two beds all to myself and some very nice furniture 
with an outside area all of my own.
But where is the television, the computer?
Who's going to cuddle me tonight?
You left me here. Here! Alone!


This is me giving you the cold shoulder 
and just in case you can't tell, 
my tail is swishing madly from side to side. 
I hope this is not a permanent arrangement, Mum.
I expect to see you back here at your earliest convenience to take me home again.

love (I think),
 from Leo
your devoted companion.
Smooch smooch
***********************

I hope you've enjoyed this little bit of nonsense.
Leo is only on holiday for about a week while his mother takes a trip to the hospital.

Have a great week,
Diana