My nemesis

My nemesis- that jigsaw.... I'm about 7/8ths done but I'm now doing a part that is the same, no identifying features which means going thru piece by piece- and sometimes more than one piece fits....

The weeding- is coming along quite well

The walking- well I'm managing twice a week!

I'll update again when I either finish the jigsaw or throw it away through sheer frustration!

That jigsaw!!

I think I'm addicted to that darn jigsaw! It's a real love/hate thing lol. I'm about 1/2 way finished with the hard bits to go. I'm still not confident of success yet!

Number 66

Number 66 is driving me crazy! I found an unopened 1000 piece jigsaw that was in my mum's rest home room - I think it's been there for months and mum is not capable of doing anything like that anymore. Well as I am fast discovering, I don't think I'm capable of doing it either lol!

I have about 1/4 of it done and I'm probably going to admit defeat on that one, and go buy a 500 piece one!!

Number 68 done!

Numer 68

Do the Ara Harakeke Walkway.
Completed!
It was a nice day today, so I got Andrew to drop me off fairly close to the start of the walkway - just a half km uphill walk to the start!

The walkway itself was 6 kms, probably the longest walk I've done in quite a while. It goes for part of the way alongside protected wetlands with lots of flax growing- Harakeke means flax in Maori. The only drawback is that it's very close to SH1 for most of the way, meaning a lot of traffic noise. The walk ends in a seasdie town called Plimemrton, where I had a nice lunch, then took the train and bus back home.

5 day progress

I've started on some of the 101 list items:

3. Started reading through the New Testament, up to Matthew 6.
6. Well, the walking has been 2 days this week- I've been on call 2 nights and the weather hasn't been the best since Tuesday.
11. Get my credit card balance to zero- now down to $480.
19. Try and meet up with my friend Gwen every 3 months. I've phoned her and she's coming to stay 1st weekend of September.
22. Try and establish a quiet time- hmm well maybe 3 times this week...
34. Completely weed the garden- about 1/3rd done
78. Go to a card making class- have enquired on dates.
89. Keep in touch with family more often- trying! I've bought a few things to send to my sister in England
99. Pray for my children every day- started

MONEY is going to be my real limiting factor. I struggle to save money so this will be hard to accomplish

My 101 list

I thought I needed a new blog for my 101 list so here we are- first the list!

Well, I have my list! I don't know HTML so this is just a straight list, and I'll just have to post to let you know how I'm doing with it. I'm starting tomorrow, and the finish date is Saturday 11 April 2009. It's not categorised, just in a random order. A lot of them require MONEY to be completed, so I guess the aim will be to see how many I can complete, rather than completing it all.
1. Learn to ride a motor scooter and maybe also get my learner motor cycle licence- involves doing a basic handling course and sitting a theory test.
2. Get new glasses- my vision has deteriorated in my right eye.
3. Read through the Bible New Testament and study it as I go,
4. Find a church I like that feels like one I can keep going to,
5. Do the Day Tramp from the Desert Rd on the Central Plateau to Whakapapa- about 20 kms in a mountain environment- I need someone to do it with me.
6. Walk 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes or more for the duration of this challenge.
7. Reduce my cholesterol levels to normal or close to it. They have come down slightly since last tested.
8. Reduce my blood pressure- it is normal on medication but it would be great to either cut the medication down or go off it all together- under medical supervision of course.
9. Lose weight, I think I'm around 82 kgs, would like to get to 74kgs and maintain that weight.
10. Brush up on my very rusty basic French and learn more so I can at least read basic things in French and maybe hold a basic conversation.
11. Get my credit card balance to zero. Am on the way, just $530 to go!
12. Pay off my new couch- when it gets delivered, still waiting for it!!
13. Go to Queenstown for summer holidays next year with Phil and Magenta.
14. Knit myself something I can wear in public apart from a scarf lol.
15. Pay for Kaya to have swimming lessons- she LOVES the water
16. Rewrite the "forgiveness letter" to my ex and actually mail it.
17. Try and meet up with my friend Gen for coffee every 6 weeks or so.
18. Get Kathryn's lounge carpeted- dependent on whether we get good salvage in at work- I can't afford new.
19. Try and meet up with my friend Gwen every 3 months or so.
20. Learn to make sushi
21. Take part in an organised 5km fun walk
22. Establish a quiet time at least 5 days a week
23. Experience a winch launch in a glider
24. Write letters to relatives and friends in my address book
25. Do a midwinter Christmas meal for the family
26. Actually offer to have the girls overnight or for a day for Kathryn
27. Donate food or money to a food bank at least 3 times
28. Pay for Anahera to go horse riding again- she LOVED it last time
29. Send money for Phil and Magenta to go out for a meal
30. Fill Andrew's car with petrol- he uses heaps commuting to work
31. Babysit Yana so Tim and Sarah can go out.
32. Make a collage of photos for mum of "olden times"
33. Get new dentures- mine are ahem old now!
34. Completly finish weeding the garden
35. Remove the rather large pile the weeds have been dumped on!
36. Finish walking all the streets in Waikanae
37. Finish the walk to Wellington in stages I started a few years ago- only 2 stages to go
38. Get a Civil Defence Emergency kit together
39. See if I can volunteer for Civil Defence or learn survival skills
40. Make up packs of stationery for schools in underpriviledged countries and find where they should be sent to
41. Go WWOOFing for a weekend
42. Do a night flight in a Cessna 152 or 172
43. Clean all the outside windows
44. Land at an airport/airfield/airstrip I've never been to before.
45. Take the girls fishing off Eastbourne wharf.
46. Buy the Lonely Planet NZ Guide book
47. Win at least $10 on an instant Kiwi ticket
48. See the movie "Rabbit Proof Fence"
49. Go to alive show- stage or concert
50. Drink at least 1 L of water a day.
51. Have my house clean enough so that surprise visitors don't embarrass me
52. Provide 2x presents for Birthright children for the next 3 Christmases
53. Grow some freezias
54. Buy a bunch of spring flowers in season (try for every week but may not afford to) and give them away- maybe get a bunch for myself too every now and then
55. Finish sorting out the sleepout.
56. Go without the computer (except at work) for a couple of days every now and then
57. Walk to or from work 2-3 times before we move (about 6kms)
58. Go for a drive again where I toss a coin to choose where I go at each major intersection.
59. Have fish and chips with mum at the Rest Home
60. Go to bed at a regular time ( no later than 11pm) so I get up at a regular time!
61. Find 4-5 healthy recipes to extend our limited meal options!
62. Cook a meal for Kathryn and girls
63. Cook ameal for Tim and Sarah
64. Go to the beach, take breakfast, and watch the sun rise
65. Volunteer to assist with a collection for a good cause
66. Do a jigsaw
67. Walk the Southern walkway and Eastern walkway in Wellington
68. Do the Ara Harakeke walkway
69. Go to the Gooses Roost Restaurant
70. Take my lunch to work at least once a week
71. Go with Kathryn to Melbourne for a long weekend (probably not likely to happen, too expensive)
72. Get a new passport
73. Go for a week without chocolate and cake ( not that I have a lot now!)
74. Go on a steam train excursion
75. Kayak in Wellington Harbour
76. Take Yana for a walk
77. Go on the East by West ferry to Soames Island
78. Go to a card making class
79. Make Christmas cards for close family
80. Go to the movies with a friend
81. Complete the Purpose Driven Life workbook
82. Try and encourage everyone at work at least once in a week.
83. Find out more about Habitat for Humanity
84. Buy a bookcase- my books are on the ground
85. Buy cushions for my new couch- when it arrives!
86. Go in a spa pool again- love them!
87. Go and visit Steve and Leonie in Wellington
88. Have at least a week's savings as a standby on top of other savings.
89. Keep in touch with family more regularly.
90. Take part in a fun orienteering event, maybe with Anahera.
91. Only have 1 coffee a day (although can have a decaf as well)
92. Drive to see snow
93. Get a new duvet/bedcover
94. Clean out the pantry
95. Go and visit Penelope and Cavan in Otaki
96. Stay in a backpacker's hostel again
97. Respond to my emails wthin a day of receiving them
98. Email everyone in my address book at least once!
99. Pray for my children every day
100. Go and stay at Tarata again and go rafting this time
101. Either bridge swing in Queenstown or do the flying fox at Mokai

Yay that's it. Money is sooo going to be a limiting factor so I'll just try my best!