When a line takes shape

Good, better, butter

When I was small, 6 or 7 years old, we took a train trip to Cape Town to visit my aunt. The train broke down and since we should have been in Cape Town early morning there was no food on board for breakfast. Only bread! So they made toast. I took one bite and spat it out, and asked my mother: What's on here? She replied: Margarine! My first taste of margarine. Euuw! Good, better, butter!

Instant frosting

Making small changes at home makes a small difference. It's just spray paint and takes about 10 minutes.

Don't wait

If I wait it doesn't mean
You will return

words from Waiting – Norah Jones

Shape!

I saw this bottle in an ad on the internet and just loved the shape and colours. Have been buying it ever since. Also love the smell – bonus! And it's a J-Lo fragrance, ha, ha!

Lucky me!

T's mom was given this gift, then she gave it to me. I'm giving it to no one. It's planted and here to stay. Thanks.

Ode to CorelDRAW

This was our colleague's farewell email:
CorelDRAW is a dated and irrelevant program, frowned upon by everyone in the creative industry.
I still put CorelDRAW on my CV.
People always ask me why I would do that.
To which I answer: ”To take of that one part away,
would mean that I have to take away everything that it taught me and all the lessons that I learned from it.
Not having experience in that one program, the program that introduced me to everything I know now,
would mean that I wouldn’t have been here at all.”

I’ve been here for more than 6 years and I learned a lot. Every day was an blessing.
I kept smiling because I was happy.  I feel that everyone had a lesson to teach me.
I feel like I’ve grown so much and met some of the most amazing people in the world.
And I will love and remember each and everyone of you.

Every now and then I fire up CorelDRAW.
Just to remind me how far I’ve come.

Completed journeys

Some photographs from my travels before the digital camera. Scanned from prints, and I haven't retouched them, so they come with their flaws.

Yum, yum, spicy tomato soup

My spicy tomato soup – butter, 1 small chilli, 1 clove of garlic, 1 chopped onion, half teaspoon paprika, 5 peppercorns, 100g tomato paste, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 cup of vegetable stock, 1 bouquet garni, 6 larger tomatoes, 1 red pepper, fresh parsley, fresh basil.
Melt the butter in a pan. Add the chilli, garlic, onion, paprika and peppercorns. When the onions are brown and soft, stir in the tomato paste and sugar. Add the stock. Bring to boil. Add the quartered tomatoes, chopped red pepper, bouquet garni and fresh herbs. Simmer for half an hour. Remove bouquet garni. Blend. Serve with crusty garlic bread. Yum-yum!

Seating arrangements

Many thanks

Gosh, I asked my neighbour to assist me with something and it really should have taken 5 minutes, but ended up messy up his whole day. Argh!  I felt so guilty I bought him a bottle of whiskey. He phoned me to say thanks, and emphasised that, please, I could ask him anytime for help. What a honey!  Thank you!

from the old days

The SA Post Office has reissued some old stamps. 

Fly away!

Lovely gift from a friend.

It's that time of the month

It's that time of the month when all the new magazines are out.

I love the new look VISI - well done, guys. And I have never missed and issue of FRESH LIVING, a wonderful publication, one of my favourites. Their section, Slice of Life, is always so interesting. And at ZAR 15.50! Wow! Keep up the good work!

Paper chain

Making paper chains for a function later this year.

Comfort food, Sunday

The cold weather calls for comfort food. Spicy chicken stew, rice, roast potatoes, mielies. What more would you need? Okay, I burnt the chicken a little, sorry.

Cold outside, hot inside

I made a fire – one match, the Sunday paper and some wood. So very cozy.

DIY weekend

I fixed things this weekend that I have been putting off for years, well 2 years at the most. It was fun!

Apple green, but no apples

By the same author

I love John Irving, and have read most of his books. I'm no critic but I have rated them according to my enjoyment. Thanks, John, for the fabulous reads.

Gosh, no, not another bag

Yes, another bag! This one is a little larger - takes a wallet, passport, camera. And outside compartments for city maps and train tickets. Let's hope we get a chance to use it soon.

Strawberry, without the berries

Blow me down!

Blown down by the wild winds. Beautifully crafted.

If you want to make me happy...

...just give me flowers. 

In someone else's shoes

These are my mother's boot when she was a baby.
The background they are on is a paving stone from the home we grew up in.
Sommer net sentimental vandag, aai tog.

Velcro

These slippers are not suitable for gardening :-)))))

Postage stamp - South Africa

SANNC delegation to Britain, 1914.