A recently watched episode of Seinfeld, ‘The Apology’, reminded me of some past experiences. Stripping off my clothes in the car before entering a naturist (nudist) resort was terrifying. My heart pounded in my throat. What we wear conceals, our clothing is a shield, when Eve ruined it all, clothing signified shame. When Cliff first asked me if we could ... Read More »
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My week in pictures 6 – 10 June 2016
A summary of my week in pictures. You can find the recipe here. Check out their page here Read More »
Frank’s car washed off bridge into Braamfontein Spruit, a catastrophe can lead to good.
The best news is news where a horrible situation brings about good. It’s even better if we can play a part in bringing that good to be. On Saturday (14 May), most of us rejoiced in the out of season, unexpected rain, it was good news. The drought has been devastatingly long and every reprieve is a blessing. For Frank, ... Read More »
A black widow spider in my herb box
Strangely I don’t think I’ve ever seen a black widow (button) spider before. Now I discover that there’s one living in my herb box. Discovery made when we found it preying on a carpenter bee stuck in it’s web. Not entirely comfortable with this fact as I now read that their venom can be fatal to children. PS, the first ... Read More »
Our second car breakdown in Harrismith, when co-incidence is not cool
Glancing at the travel tab here on Skimming Stones you will see that we love exploring South Africa extensively. We travel hundreds of kilometres on dirt roads. We have visited isolated places like Die Hell and Tankwa Karoo National Park. We have only had car break downs twice, and both flipping times have been in Harrismith. That kind of syncronicity ... Read More »
A touch of divinity at The Little Church Tea Garden in Van Reenen
In 1999 my father married Charlotte at the Little Church in van Reenen. It seats 8 people and is the smallest consecrated church in the Southern Hemisphere. When the minister walked in to the full church with guest spilling out the back door, to conduct the wedding ceremony, he exclaimed “Hallelujah! It’s a revival”. Caught up in wedding festivities ... Read More »
Winning a trip to New York changed me forever
In 1994 I was a very hard up single mother. My world was constricted by financial strain and the pressures of solo motherhood. The whole ‘ME time’ concept was foreign. Shopping was necessity driven and focused on growing children. I remember eating pop corn for supper so that the children could benefit from the small portions of protein in the ... Read More »
Mpila Camp in Hluhluwe / Imfolozi game reserve – Don’t feed the hyenas
Four years ago at Mpila camp at Hluhluwe / Imfolozi game park in Zululand we had a night straight from a horror movie (except it would have seemed a bit far fetched). In short a man tried to rob us and a hyena almost made a light snack of my sleeping children. We were staying in the tented camp. This ... Read More »
Feeding and caring for a Cape Sparrow fledgeling until taking to a rehabilitation centre
Four days ago my friend Abbey found 2 Cape Sparrow chicks in her garden, she could not leave them where they were as their puppy who discovered them considered them food / playthings. She brought them to me as I seem to have become the ‘bird lady’ since raising the Olive (Karoo) thrush Poopsie. Before advising how to care for ... Read More »
Starman to Blackstar – David Bowie’s Magnum Opus, closing circles
First listening to the David Bowie album Blackstar, released 2 days before his death, I simply didn’t like it, it jarred. It is not bop while you get on with your day music, it demands. Sometimes music needs to grow on you, grow into you, send roots into the loam of you, but rewards with a view from its highest ... Read More »