Skimming Stones | Sula's Blog | Sula1968 A South African poet, potter and mother

Our 2008 spring flower trip birthed a longing to revisit the West Coast and Namaqualand.  On 3 September 2016 this desire became a reality.  Soon after leaving Cape Town roadside flowers greeted us. Making it to the final day of the Clanwilliam flower show, displays in the Church whet our appetites for the journey ahead. At the Ramskop wildflower garden …

Home from a Contiki style wild flower seeking tour of the West Coast and Namaqualand, I’m excited to share the wonders of our trip.  Over the next few days I will share details of every stop in separate installments but this is an overview.  I hope that this summary will be useful to other flower hunters. En masse the most …

When Domi married Duncan last year, she amazed us in planning the family accommodation and every related detail.  All we had to do was pay our share and pitch up.  The result was an unforgettable family time.  This year we wanted to experience a similar family holiday and asked Domi to find a suitable place and organize it.  It had …

In Boksburg, there was one DA councillor Ashley Rutherford who stood head and shoulders above the rest.  She devoted herself to the good of the community, she walked the walk and was beloved by all who dealt with her.  She sacrificed her time and her personal life to help others when ever and where ever she could.  Then when the …

Five servings of fruit and veg a day is an ideal theory and one which I constantly strive to meet.  but it is near impossible to achieve.  Cereal is the children’s standard start to the day.  For lunch I’m doing well if cucumber or a fruit is on the plate.  Supper generally includes 2 veg but the tally remains below …

My husband Cliff was baffled when I wanted to attend the class of ’86 Maris Stella High School reunion.  He is happy ‘never to see those pricks from school again’.  I realize how blessed I am that I went to a school which will always have a home in my heart. This reunion took place at 4 separate events over …

There are many simple financial cuts which make it possible for me to be a SAHM.  Our cars (Hyundai and Kia) are 11 & 9 years old.  We don’t need expensive cell phones, my basic Samsung Galaxy Fame does what is needed (R750 at Pep cellular and is on pre-paid not contract).  I’m actually grateful not to have a more …

Although I have become more comfortable with people over time, I often still feel like a misfit and outsider OUTSIDER This glass prison From where I observe not engage with those who get it right social butterflies in flight Envying their colours bright My dull moth wings folded waiting for a flame to ignite

  When grey or windy weather thwart beach plans in Durban, visiting a nature reserve is our favorite outdoor activity.  There must be about 10 nature reserves dotted within under an hour’s drive from central Durban. One grey day on our last Durban trip we chose to revisit the Kenneth Stainbank Nature reserve in Yellowwood Park, sort of between the Bluff …

The biography of Leonard Cohen I’m Your Man by Sylvie Simmons, is a journey in the shoes of a man of greatness, a man with the ability to capture the elusive in word and song.  One word stops me in my circular tracks.  That word is ‘longing’.  It comes up repeatedly from the title of his poetry book “Book of Longing”,  to …

Three years ago for my birthday Cliff gave me a Canon Power Shot A810, this had a fault while still under warranty and was replaced with a Canon Power Shot A1400 which was pretty much identical.  Unfortunately the clip on the battery compartment broke.  This month for my birthday Cliff gave me the Canon Power Shot SX610 HS, which is …

I last went to pottery classes in Pinetown about 30 years ago.  I loved the craft and have missed playing with mud ever since.  When I moved to Jo’burg in 2000 I tried a few times to find a studio on the East Rand but was unsuccessful.  A few months ago I read the Katie Fford book Living Dangerously and …

I have a little home industry baking business, Sula’s Kitchen.  A customer asked me to make Marie Fudge.  I had never tasted let alone made this traditional Afrikaans treat but set about looking for recipes.  I found a few but was not totally happy with the result, after a few tweaks this is the recipe which I now use.  My …

A delightful visit with family in Umdloti inevitably drew to conclusion.  While in transit we listened to the audio book Heidi (free download here).  Thus influenced by this charming tale, I shall in this instance imitate the style in which the sweet tale was narrated. We dragged forlorn heels away from the gentle hills of Natal, seeking any excuse to …

At the Kids Emporium Bloggers breakfast, Pamela Power was one of the speakers.  I loved her humour and frank manner.  After jumping a few technological mental block hurdles I bought her e-book MS Conception (also available in paper) on Takealot. Modern motherhood is cloaked in misconceptions.  Social media generally projects motherhood in rose tinted hues.  Most mothers present the painted face of …