Colouring our world
Our magnificent Botanical gardens in Kirstenbosch
are sparkling after some much needed spring rains.
Royal crowns glistening with diamonds everywhere!
All the flowers, trees and shrubs are celebrating and unfurling.
What is the collective noun for Crane flowers?
A parliament of Crane flowers? (Strelitzia)
The collective noun for Arum lilies…
A choir?
So much life giving rain to be grateful for, the plants were loving the day.
As much as I was.
Just love this space, and its spring jewels.
Fortune smiled on me this week
and like the luckiest fish,
I was swooped up by some friends
on a surprise mini-break in celebration of 6 decades.
As we packed ourselves into one vehicle,
all of life’s issues slipped away from view
and we quietly retreated out of the shadow of Table Mountain
headed for Rawsonville, a little known
well hidden gem of a town Nestling in the Breedekloof.
The trip was as quick as the wit that filled the car,
with laughter and wickedness as only a group of free range
women can bring to an occasion.
We started our adventure with a visit to the
Karroo Desert NBG in Worcester, a secret treasure
of land and a must do for all heading out that way,
especially in the spring.
First priority was Tea and then, like the Paparazzi,
the secret cache of cameras were whipped out of hiding.
Heavenly times, beautiful indigenous spring flowers,
giant insects sculpted for the environment,
rocks, trees, succulents and Aloes
and when the sun broke through the clouds… daisies
as only that region can magical produce.
But enough writing.
Here are some photographs
to entice you into this lesser-known region.
From the gardens we ventured forth to the farm where we were staying,
Abundant with vines and beautiful fynbos, birdsong and peace,
this is a gem of a completely different kind.
The homestead is run by owners Doug and Sally
who have together provided a little bit of heaven on earth.
What a wonderful break away, time out with tranquility as a constant,
a birthday cake with a difference,
wine testing to remember…
Friendships that are enduring and ever unfolding,
and time to breathe deeply
as I forge my way into the new era of who knows what
other than solid friendships with
daisies and Rosé.
Sunny Sunday, You were so welcome!
Although the trees are still startlingly barren,
the birds and the bees are hectic…
The Boomslang canopy walkway was sighing happily with visitors.
The spiders are showing some thoughts about spring to come…
And the Parsley tree keeps up it’s habit of peeling in the sun, albeit still winter sun.
The sound of seed pods splitting open and sending their seed catapulting into the air stopped me in my tracks…new beginnings.
As for the Aloe’s… well they are just showing off for all to admire.
How lucky are we in Cape Town, with a treasure trove of a garden on our doorstep, with little competition elsewhere in the world.
Busy bees, scattered seed pods,
from heavily laden paper bark trees.
This is our unique world.
Lets look after it. For our children and grandchildren.
What an extraordinary year of family times
2014 has been!
I haven’t managed to complete the 100 target,
work has had to fit in around the happy chaos,
but that can be a task for a new year, this has been
the year of so much connectivity
in such a variety of different environments
and joy filled occasions.
A year of stories and infusions of love.
And lots of weddings!
It has been 365 days of where and when we will meet again.
The year of the roller coaster,
with all our nearest and dearest along for the ride.
It has been awesome…
and it continues!
Thank you everyone,
for a year of the biggest memories
the happiest of occasions
and the best of friends and family, old and new.
Great fortune is found in loved ones.
And ducks and dogs too!
Where was I?
I made a promise to myself….
It feels like yesterday that I posted my last blog
and my intention to reach 100 by the end of this year
is looking dubious to say the least.
On the flip side, It has been an explosive year
of change, travel, weddings, new wonders
and new families enriching all of our lives.
A time of teaching drawing… and learning,
dovetailing various diverse work types
and challenging new and exciting adventures
in a very hectic medical practice,
as a general ‘pair of hands’.
Busy times both family and solo,
starting a new stock range,
making jewellery, taking photographs,
planting miniature gardens…
doing flowers for events and blackboards for weddings.
Loads of creative energy and loads of epic family gatherings.
We welcome a wonderful new daughter/sister/friend
into our African lives full of surprises,
hopefully nothing too challenging.
Although, Sofia is brave and tenacious
but mostly very brave.
Also we have welcomed new wives, husbands and babies into extended families.
Our mother has been weaving wedlock and babies in heaven this year,
4 of her grandchildren married in 2014…
I think she just loves dancing up there!
Bonus… I can run again.
I love to run… I love the freedom of open spaces
in our beautiful city of Cape Town,
the wind in my face and the unconstrained liberty
that comes with this most freeing of pastimes.
It energises and feeds my soul.
So…
I am happy to not meet my deadline of 100,
I am delighted to welcome new members into the family,
I am beyond grateful to have found new ways
to channel my creative energy,
and pleased to have that form of energy
back in my personal stable.
But more than anything,
words sometimes do not suffice
when it comes to gratitude. 
3 years ago I pushed myself to the limit
and paid the ultimate price.
Matter over mind.
I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia
and could not walk,draw, write, drive, concentrate
or use the dominant side of my body at all.
6 weeks of lying flat, 2 years of slow improvement.
Scary times indeed.
Lonely too.
Such a huge learning curve
with regard to the fragile makeup
of our mind and body relationship.
So, never mind that 100 blogs might not happen,
only joy as to what does result from a given day.
I am so grateful to have
my mobility again,
for my wonderful and supportive friends and family.
Our ever growing family… we are blessed all round.
I am so grateful to have
my creative energy restored once more.
So forget deadlines, forget 100 blogs,
I will never take anything for granted again.
This is one thing I promise.
A once in a lifetime recipe.
Amor and more.
Take one feisty organised fabulous Argentinian woman
and one funny gentle flexible South African man 
and a friendship formed in dubai 
add family and friends from all corners of the earth
and 10 days of festivities
in the most exciting eclectic passionate visually diverse
meat eating soccer playing location
imaginable
Argentina
then drop one word
wedding
Pow! 
I am pretty close to speechless
(clearly not quite!)
sleepless in B.A.
sleep was not part of the recipe
but fun times were
with over 50 guests
from South Africa
and others from America Europe and the Middle East
the party lasted for 10 days
We mobbed the city by day
we walked
took a bus
ran
took a taxi
and by night walked and talked
wined and dined
taxied and bussed some more
stopped and stayed for hours in one place
with lots of other revellers
we got to know our wonderful new family
and their all embracing friends
and they got to understand a bit about us
all this and more
culminating in a wedding beyond magnificent
perfectly organised to the final detail
with the first dance a fusion
of tango and African gumboot dance
(thank you Johnny Clegg for ‘Impi’)
way beyond magnificent
a never to be forgotten event
thank you Sofi and James
Dadour and Lili
Clari Lucas
and Edu
with smiles
and gentle and generous ways
and zero evidence of any stress at all
you made magic and miracles happen
in magnificent Buenos Aires.
This is my Sunday Best revisited.
Only this time, with pictures of Jonkershoek Reserve
on a perfectly beautiful day,
walking for loved ones.
With gratitude and love for a life well lived.
A Yellowwood tree old and knotted but still with green shoots in parts.
The valley and well worn pathway.
A Sugarbush passed it’s prime but magnificent in Sunday wear.
A Featherhead bush.
(Unidentified but magical plant growing on a sheer rock face. Will get back to you on that name!)
A Gecko, sunning itself on the rock.
A Blue Sugarbush.
 The most regal Arum lily.
He made us cry.
He made us laugh.
And he made us cry with laughter.
He was Robin Williams.
I am sad that he has gone.
This morning got me onto thinking about why we need funny in our lives…
Why I have a sense of huge gratitude, but see the bitter irony
of a profoundly funny person who suffers the deepest darkness of all.
Depression and sadness, humour and mirth,
“Dead Poet’s Society” and “Mrs. Doubtfire”.
Polar opposites.
Why do we need funny?
I think it’s the extra oxygen that brings a spark of life to
every living cell in our bodies.
Hackneyed as it is, Laughter is ‘the best medicine’
Even the word ‘laughter’ shimmers when I read it, it promises respite
from all that is ‘regular’ and all that is sad in this time on earth.
Thank goodness for funny,
Thank goodness for the sharp intellects but often profound depressions
that seem to go hand in glove with the people who sparkle up our lives,
make our sides ache with such over-filled lungs as to burst,
leave us crying with laughter
and then leave us.
Rest in peace Robin Williams,
I suspect St.Peter might request a ‘selfie’ with you.
Phew!
This week, my rainbow Cape Town has been in the pink.
So much happening, such busy times!
This week has been explosive with all things new and exciting.
New work, new family, which comes with a new home.
New holes in the garden, new leaves on the trees,
New Women’s day Walk,
and so the week has unfolded.
So much newness, it has been difficult to absorb it all.
We have had wild winter storms
but today we sit in glorious sunshine.
Is this a little hint of spring?
A new season, in every sense of the word.
Birthday Tea on Tuesday morning was an extraordinary event.
Driving 30 Kms from Cape Town in torrential rain,
we wound up in an industrial area surrounded by vast warehouses.
Under cover of umbrellas we dashed into one of the huge spaces,
unsure of what was in store but with every intention
of celebrating the big Birthday of an amazing woman.
‘Boeresjiek’ startled us all.
The perfect venue to party with Jacqui, the most gentle
and feminine woman I have ever met.
The table was dressed to compliment all of those qualities.
Girltime taken to a new level!
And so it was that the week was crowded to capacity
with memorable events and moments, and life events,
Highlighter pen times, so many as to bore any readers…
I won’t do that, but I will thank the universe
for delivering spring abundance in the form of
all the pieces of the week fitting together smoothly.
Thank you for that!
The Women’s Humanity Walk was the last piece of puzzle
that needed to fit in without hiccup, and so it did.
This was the brainchild of Nancy,
the founder of Woman Zone Cape Town.
Without doubt one of the most joyous events in a while for Cape Town,
the mother city came to that party in a way that should
make us all so proud to be a part of the beautiful complexity
and diversity that is ours to celebrate.
It was a walk to rival the best,
beginning at St. George’s Cathedral
and finishing at Artscape theatre.
The happiness was palpable. 
So many women from all walks of life,
all corners of the broader Cape Town area,
all colours, religions, nationalities, young and old
they were there, walking and talking and moving as one,
escorted by Police cars and motorbikes,
marshals and onlookers.
Under perfect African skies
and wonderful just-right temperatures.
The singing and dancing on the steps of the theatre
were there to greet us as we all arrived,
with a Marimba band, compare and many more smiling
men women and children.
And oranges, for everyone to eat.
The Arch(as he is lovingly referred to) was there.
Desmond Tutu spoke with humour and humility
on this wonderful Women’s day.
He spoke about the women in his world, starting off by
explaining that he was wearing his dress for the occasion!
It fitted him just perfectly.
Thank goodness we still have leaders with energy and integrity.
And thank goodness for Women.
A belated Happy Women’s day to all.
Today is Sunday, but it is forever Mumday.
Two years ago on this day, our Mother and Grandmother passed away.
A strong, devoted, loving, selfless woman with the biggest twinkle
in her cornflower blue eyes.
Judy led by example and taught so much to so many people,
giving of her time, skills and love throughout her full life.
Mum was a master weaver, spinner, knitter and creator of marvels,
masterpieces in cotton, linen, wool, wood and many other tactile mediums.
A colourist and dye magician of extraordinary proportions.
Such a big life, that of mother to many,
confidant and friend, teacher, grandmother
so very many lives have been affected by her skills,
love, energy and compassion.
Mum was always humble, always generous, always self-effacing.
Always thinking of ‘other’, she never wanted to disturb.
What large shoes to fill, is it possible
to travel through this life half as graciously as she did?
I’m not sure.
But she has left a vast tapestry of life skills for certain,
and a worksheet to follow.
anspired 