Briscoes is having a sale!

 Ever since I moved to New Zealand, the huge home furnishings chain-store, 'Briscoes' has been having a sale just about every week, especially on national holiday weekends.

After all this time, Hubby and I will still randomly yell to each other, 'Briscoes is having a sale!', like it's a big deal.

The bizarre part is the difference between the 'regular prices' that are just absurdly high and the 'sale' priced that is rather normal.  We recently needed a new frying pan and Hubby went to Briscoes (on his way somewhere else) to get one. When he got home, the sticker price was $94!! I just looked at the sticker, then looked at him and he said rather flatly  'I paid 30.'

One interesting part of the Briscoes legacy is 'The Briscoes Lady' who has been the face of the company since 1989. 

Her name is Tammy Wells and she lives in the Christchurch area. She goes to Auckland to film the ads. 

Any google of 'The Briscoes Lady' will find you more information about her.

Old Mangapehi Railway Station

In 2020, I took this shot of a forgotten railway station in Waikato.

Mangapehi (or Mangapeehi) was a flag station on the North Island Main Trunk line, in the Waitomo District of New Zealand. It was 5.89 km (3.66 mi) north of Poro-O-Tarao and 5.15 km (3.20 mi) south of Kopaki.

Ellis & Burnand had a sawmill at Mangapehi from 1901 until 1968.

In 1950 the station was moved almost a kilometer north, away from the sawmill, at a cost of £13,405. In that year it had 23,636 passengers, 4 staff and railed 148,093 board feet (349.46 m³) of timber and 28,633 sheep and pigs, earning £3,256 from passengers and £85,473 from freight. https://kids.kiddle.co/Mangapehi_railway_station

As I looked for its history, I found that, sadly, it had been taken down on 2022.

You can read about that by clicking here.

St Mary's Catholic Church

One of the many churches in Whanganui.

Much ado about a phone

 Today I got a new phone. Considering the first (and only) phone I ever had was at least 5 years old, it's a big step. I mean, it couldn't even read QR codes!

I really wasn't prepared for all the work I had to do just to get it running, but I understand the security that is needed out in the world for those 'just in case' situations. So, a nap was in order to get rid of my headache 😌

It's bigger than my old phone and feels like it's 'more important', if you know what I mean; but, that is lost on me, since I have all of 13 contacts--some of which are businesses like the pharmacy and doctor's office :)

But, anyway, I'm all set up for the next 5 years or so of texting (or calling if I have to) and, more importantly, amusing myself while waiting for appointments.