Tag Archives: blogging

BrambleBerry Lodge in the Natal midlands was a picture perfect choice for a family reunion break.  Nottingham Road was closer for the Durban folks but not unreasonably far for the Jo’burg contingent.  We instantly fell in love with the wooden house overlooking a dam.  Last year we chose Birdsong Cottages in the central Drakensberg for our get together.  The drawback …

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTvqlUeAeae/?taken-by=sulaskimmingstones How strange that I closed the last page of The Deathly Hallows, the final Harry Potter book to see posts on Facebook and Twitter celebrating 20 years of Harry Potter.  Just over 20 years ago my older children wanted to enter the world of Harry Potter.  I was not sure if I should endorse this as many Christian friends …

We have explored our wonderful South Africa extensively over the years, but now and then memories are made that will endure a lifetime.  On our return to Gauteng from Cape Town we drove via Kimberly to take the children to the big hole.  Mein Heim guest farm and Mokala National park where we have stayed before were fully booked.  We …

I really don’t like it when bakers won’t share their recipes or tips.  The kitchen should be a space of warmth and generosity of spirit.  I have been baking for over 4 decades and recently discovered something really amazing.  Others must have discovered this before, I can’t be the first, but I’ve never seen anyone share this tip.  You know …

Since discovering Ostrich Mince, I never use Beef mince.  Ostrich meat is so lean that even extra lean beef tastes fatty in comparison.  Ostrich mince is available at Woolworths and Pick n Pay.   Of course you can use Beef, or Chicken mince in this recipe if you prefer.  This is a family favourite and we eat it once a …

There are many ways to write this story. It could be sermonized or psychoanalyzed. It could be told with the aggressive, indignant tone of Eusebias McKaiser (but for maximum effect the perpetrators would have had to be white). It could be dressed in clever language. I cannot use a broken little boy as a metaphor and will simply state what …

  As towns go, Knysna stands heads and shoulders above others, but it’s still a town, during peak season it is a crowded busy town.  Traffic jams can make visitors feel like they’re back in rush hour traffic.  In choosing Nieu Wherry Meadow as our accommodation, Cliff secured a space with access to forests, rivers and beaches without the mayhem of Knysna …

Tsitsikamma in the Eastern Cape is about more than trees and sneaky elephants.  Storms River Mouth exudes a spirit of adventure, from rocks and caves befitting a famous 5 adventure to Tolkeinesque forest where trees breathe magic.  This is an unspoiled parallel universe hidden in nature’s skirt folds.  Thrill seekers hike with paddles to kayak on the river.  I wasn’t even brave …

Majestic giant mammals draw visitors to Addo Elephant Park, yet like Elephants who never forget, what my children will remember most is mice and Red-necked francolins (we called them bush chickens).  At Spekboom tented camp we stayed in tents 4 & 5.  Tent 5 was fantastic, the game fence is about 1 m from the tent with a good view …

Our chicks are about 2 months old now.  They are so tame and sweet the Black Australorp Angel looks like a hen and Lucky looks like it may become a rooster.  Does anyone know a bit about chickens and chicks who can confirm this?  We’re pretty much just going by the size of the comb.  Actually we were told that …