I don’t really buy into the “Me time” thing. The phrase seems to echo the selfie vibe. Looking back on my time a young single mother, my greatest regrets center around the times when I put my wants ahead of what was best for my children. The logic seemed sound, “happy children need a happy mother”. Well that was a …
Read More »The pottery soap dish project
For a few days before Domi (my daughter) and Duncan (her husband) emigrated to Canada they stayed in our garden cottage. Duncan pointed out that he prefers a bar of soap in a soap dish rather than liquid hand soap. He also knew that I love a new pottery challenge. I have now made a few soap dishes in 2 …
Read More »Jasmine cottages in Smithfield must be the best accommodation in town
Gee sometimes it takes me forever to record travel blog posts. Our last stop on the way home from a very meandering journey between Cape town and home in Gauteng, was at Jasmine Cottages in Smithfield a little town in the Free State. We found our way there in the dark after supper at Buckley’s restaurant and bar. We …
Read More »Feeling magical at Maddy Magoos Fourways – and win a hair voucher
Little girls love to see their inner princesses come to life, and Maddy Magoo know just how to make their dreams a reality. Acacia has had a rotten week being sick with bronchitis but there was no way she would miss her appointment for a haircut and fairy house building workshop, at Maddy Magoo Fourways. The outing perked her up …
Read More »Salsa for Nachos (or anything else)
I spent a whole lot of time looking for a recipe for cooked salsa but apart from finding very few, in the end I decided that a fresh one would be nice (and it was). In the past when we’ve had Nachos I’ve bought ready made salsa, this one is nicer, makes about 500ml (way more than the bought bottle), …
Read More »Biobust – a product which changed my life (and my bra size)
As a child I would look at the ‘Sea Monkey’ ads in comic books, those families of magical creatures looked like mermaids or exotic aliens with human faces. Even as a child I knew that in reality they would be a massive disappointment. It turns out they were rather nondescript little brine shrimps. When I first saw Biobust in Dischem …
Read More »If I could write words – Poem
This time Joanne gave me the title of an existing poem as a prompt to write my own, and I didn’t click that she’d chosen the title of a Spike MIlligan poem. His book Small dreams of a Scorpion, inspired me to write poetry. IF I COULD WRITE WORDS If I could write words Unspoken those shapeless thoughts which move …
Read More »Bonjour Monsieur Brel – beautiful, haunting and inspiring
Jaques Brel Alive and Living in Paris was a soundtrack to my childhood. Even as a small child the passion of the music left an indelible spiritual imprint. I almost forgot the music, you never hear his songs on the radio. I didn’t know that Seasons in the Sun was based on his Le Moribond (The dying man). The original …
Read More »Tomato sauce for pizza topping
There’s nothing like home made pizza. I make the dough in my bread machine and we make our own tomato topping. This is my husband’s recipe. You can either use it as is or give it a whizz with a blender. TOMATO PIZZA TOPPING INGREDIENTS about half a medium or smallish onion 1 tin chopped peeled tomatoes 15 ml tomato …
Read More »Night – poem
I’m not managing a poem a day but continuing with picking a poem title and writing somthing with the same title. NIGHT Shadows fall gently Rough edges blur The blanket of darkness covers all Embracing Uniting Soul moon rises Summoning tides Casting silver path over black waters Whispering There is always a way The title of this poem came …
Read More »Banting and Gluten Free Lemon Meringue
This week I had a visit from a very special friend from Durban. She is banting and loves lemon meringue. I have never tried banting baking before but after some searching chose a recipe on The Banting Chef. My first attempt was not a success, the recipe didn’t say what size pie dish to use and my tin turned out …
Read More »Exploring Graaf Reinet
Our return trip from Cape Town took a scenic route via Graaf Reinet. We stayed at Die Ark self catering accommodation. I loved the small thoughtful touches which make a big difference, like mozzie spray and delicious home made cookies. For supper we ate at Muller House, where the food was excellent value for money. On the morning of our …
Read More »Judas a poem about Jacob Zuma
I have not written enough poetry of late. I spent some time this morning looking for a group or page offering daily poetry prompts, then decided on a better idea. I have chosen to go through poetry books, pick a title and use that as a prompt. Since reading a full poem first may affect my take on the title …
Read More »The 5km Zebra trail at Hennops Hiking trails, great for kids
We haven’t been hiking for ages. Recently this was remedied going on a hike at Hennops River. The 5km Zebra trail was perfect for our children aged 7 & 10. Entering the hike I chose the suspension bridge after Cliff crossed on the cable car over the strongly flowing Hennops river, with the children. At the end of the circular …
Read More »How contesting a traffic fine led to a warrant for my arrest
At the end of last year, on my way to pottery, I was pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign in Edenvale, I was sure that I had stopped but the officer said that I had not, it was not sensible to argue with her. After going back to take photos a few weeks later I tried to …
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