The CWI Meeting. Well I did it! Maxine arrived at 1.30pm to pick me up and we spent ten minutes loading the car with my jewellery display stand and boxes of work. The meeting was held only ten minutes away in the Tikokino Community Hall and a couple of ladies came out to help us unload. They'd set up a large table near the door for me to put my stuff on and it only took a few minutes to set all this up.I'd just finished doing this when I heard someone mention my name and all 15 faces turned round as apparently I was meant to begin my talk. They all turned their chairs round so I could sit by the table and point items out to them. I muddled through speaking about EDS first and then talked about rock painting before explaining about painting jewellery. I finally showed them my paintings as well as speaking about my TLC course.

I'd also taken along the poetry book I had published when I was 19. Although it really only has poems I wrote between 14 and 16 people were still interested. All in all I sold $81.50 worth of stuff (cards were particularly popular) including two books, a pendant, two brooches etc. Eight people took business cards and a couple more asked me to keep things aside for them as they didn't have any money.I met a really lovely lady from England who moved to Tiko in January plus an old lady who apparently is great friends of my neighbour Irini across the road (the elderly woman who rides a motorbike). One of Maxine's friends was there and she has ordered a painting of her deceased donkey Solomon and has invited me to speak at her local CWI. Another person was an artist and I also met my landlady's German sister in law Gina. Gina is an artist and has offered to take me to the Otane Arts and Crafts meetings with her.

Afterwards the Tiko group gave me a box of ten jars of preserves (jams, chutney, pickles, fruit) as a thank you for speaking. They had laid on a wonderful afternoon tea with home baking. I could only manage one slice of a amazing nutty coconut biscuit. Maxine and I arrived home at 4.30pm so it was a long afternoon but I really enjoyed myself.