While the treefellers ...

... are sawing, cracking and felling old branches and trunks of these once-magnificent conifers in my garden .... and making me very nervous watching branches hurtling down on my plants, garden wall, neighbours garden ...... (ooh she's not going to be too happy when she gets home from work - but they do promise to tidy up the whole area!)



.. thought I would post of few photos of the World of Wine tasting we went to yesterday.

It's held over a weekend once a year at a nearby shopping centre for us 'up-country folk' to get a taste of different wines ... seeing as we are nowhere close to any wine estates!

There are various venues around Gauteng that hold wine tastings at this time of year and this one at the World Wear shopping centre is held, not only to attract people to the wine tastings but also to attract people to the centre

There were some good wines ... some nice wines ... some plonk ... some music whilst we wandered from table to table ....

We didn't go for the purpose of purchasing any, as most are available in all the bottle stores and retail outlets selling wines, but it's nice to taste wines that on the shelves that you're not too sure about. Appealing and eye catching labels with an enticing 'story' at the back of the bottle is all very well until the bottle is bought, opened ... and it's awful ... such a waste of money.

But we came away with two bottles -

Seven Oaks 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz which was awarded "Best kept Secret" by Swiss International Air Lines in 2006 and "Young Winemaker of the Year" by The Diners Club in 2006. Seven Oaks winery in the Breede River Valley was established in 2003. There is a website www.sevenoaks.co.za but it's not coming up on my laptop.

Black Pearl Oro 2007 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon - the winemaker, Mary Lou, chatted to us .. how could we not buy her wine!! The family run winery is in Paarl - family originating from New England.

Update on my trees - one completely down ... busy on the second one!

Weekly Winners : 23 - 29 August

"Hello ... my name is Erin ....

"I spent last Sunday with my Grwanny and Grwampa while my mommy and daddy went to play golf. We had a lovely day celebrating their friend's birthday who is visiting from a long, long way away ... over the sea ... and she is missing her little girl and her family ... so my Grwanny and Grwampa gave her presents ...


... and my Grwanny made a huge castle-chocolate-eclair cake - I helped put on the candles ..

"All the grown-ups had a 'cool drink' which their other friend, C, made because it's made from 'stuff' that came all the way from Peru (that's where C comes from!) ... it's called Coctel de Algarrobina ...

... they said it was very, very, very yummy ...

... but my cousins - Bradley and Connor - and I also had yummy stuff - chocolate eclairs!!!

I wasn't going to share with them .... they shouldn't have eaten theirs first!

Look at the pretty flowers my Grwanny had in the house .. !!

They had such a nice smell ...

"I see a birdie looking down at my Grwanny .. she thinks it's a chaffinch but she's not really sure ..

... doesn't he look very proud with his chest puffed up ... ?

"There are lots of pretty Spring flowers in my Grwanny's garden ..

.. this one is called Scilla natalensis (Blue Squill) ...


... with the little blue flowers starting to open ..

.. but the best is the Flowering Plum (Prunus x blireiana) ...

... covered with delicate pink flowers ...

"He he he ... peek-a-boo .... I see you! That's my cousin Connor .. he's funny ... I like to play with him ...

Thanks for dropping by ... bye for now ...

Love from Erin x x x "

P.S. Note from Grwanny -

My Wine-of-the-Week is this one - Allesverloren Shiraz from 'the oldest wine estate in the Swartland' in the Cape. Mmm mmm .. oh yes ... this was nice ... will definitely buy it again .. lip-smackingly good!!

For more Weekly Winners go to Lotus' - sarcasticmom.com

Jackie's friend ...

... came to visit today!

He's a miniature doberman who lives down the road ... and who is so small and thin, he hops through the gate ...



... and comes to play!!

Robbie sometimes chases him away .. or sometimes, like today ... lets him stay to play ..

Jackie and her friend whizz around the garden ....


... and usually Robbie joins in ...

.. and then he goes ..

Apologies for the blurry photos - they dash around very fast !!!

Skywatch Friday : "I see the moon ..

... and the moon sees me" .... through the spring blossoms of the Flowering Plum (prunus x blireiana)...

Hello ... another little bird watching me while I take photos of the blue sky - I think he's a Chaffinch .. not my usual visitor .. even though they're common (according to the bird book!)


We had beautiful blue skies and then the wind blew ...

"Alas, a black cloud hid the sun, large raindrops fill the sky,
'Put up my hood,' cried Minny Car, 'pile in if you'd keep dry."
"The lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, as if that weren't enough,
A gale force wind began to blow, and blew the hood right off"

Forgive me, had to add that - I used to read this little book called Minny Car the Midget Motor by Sam Fair - to Elaine .. it was one of her favourites and I knew it by heart .. could tell the story even though I was falling asleep! It's now embedded in my memory box!!! (It's actually Carl's book given to him when he was about 2 so it's over 30 years old!) ...

...anyway ... lightening flashed, thunder rolled ... and then it was gone ... blue skies again!!




For more spectacular skies around the world ... visit the Skywatch link

Wordless Wednesday :

For more Wordless Wednesday photographs, like these bucket fulls of proteas ... go HERE

Birthday celebration .. far from home!

M celebrated her birthday yesterday. Our three South American friends, who are out here on business, came on Sunday for a braain/bbq but as it was the day before M's birthday, we decided to make it special ... she's so far from home and her own family, her beautiful young daughter and friends

THE PREZZIE : ... and it wasn't anything African!

She said once, that she's never had a tea set and only when she gets married will she have one. Romantic .. tea for two ...! I said that she didn't need to be married to set a small tray of tea. I do it all the time when hubby's away .. and he does it when I'm away visiting my Mum! Soooo ... I bought her a tea set. I walked the malls and shops to try and find something African on it .. no luck .. so it's a plain one. Someone take note - there's a market for African designed tea sets ... I can't be the only one looking for one!!!!

Now she has to buy a bigger suitcase to take it home ....!

THE FLOWER : We also bought her the King Protea - our national flower. Also can fit in her suitcase as proteas dry well and can be kept for years! Ummm ... not sure about customs etc !

THE DRINKS : C made us cocktails - Coctel de Algarrobina - ooooh ...yumm! A Peruvian cocktail made with Peruvian Pisco, condensed milk, eggs, lots and lots of crushed ice and Algarrobina honey/syrup ..

Yummm!! Cooool .... refreshing .... very very morish ....... not to have tooooo many ...otherwise concentration levels of being a hostess-to-all-including-littlies goes out the window!!! AND we/I end up with very very red cheeks!!!!

THE CAKE : A castle of chocolate eclairs !! Oh my .. couldn't get it in a beautiful circle piled up right to the top with one perched high in the centre ... you know ... like they do in the cooking programmes and pictured in cooking books ....

NO WORRIES : it was devoured!!

.. by all ... ...

Weekly Winners : 16 - 22 August 2009

I love this time of the year ...

... when little buds burst into new growth ...

... with shiny new green leaves ...

.. and white flowering quince open ...

... and embrace the warm sunshine ...


... when flowers start blooming like the brilliant orange 'Black Eyed Susan' ...

... the lilacs of the viola, complete with tiny insect ...

... the blues of the Vinca (Periwinkle) ...

... more lilacs of the dainty Primulas....

... and oranges and yellows of the Clivia ...

... and white agapanthus - new in my garden this year! Used to have several whites in the garden but they've died off over the years ... decided it was time for another ...

No more flowers today .. just biscuits for the boys ...

... yumm ... fresh ... melt in your mouth ..... mmm ....mmm ....

For more Weekly Winners visit Lotus at sarcasticmom.com

Skywatch Friday :

A cold front swept up from the Cape to the Highveld on Wednesday ...




... bringing with it dark clouds ... blocking out our blue skies and winter/spring sunshine ..



The clouds stayed awhile then were blown away by an icy wind leaving us with blue skies again and a wintry day ....

Hello ... I spotted you in the tree while taking photos of the blue sky ...

A Grey Lourie sitting in the neighbour's tree. It's an indigenous tree - not sure what it's called - wild cherry or wild peach. Two treefellers have different views!! It grows very quickly and we have to have huge-hanging-over-our-property branches cut down when they grow over my back courtyard and washline ... tree bares yellow fruit .. tons of it! .. and the birds love it ... my washing doesn't!!!

For more spectacular skies from around the world click onto Skywatch

Giraffe day ...

Yesterday was 'Giraffe Day' .... according to Janet and Firefly !!

So here are my contributions .... baby giraffes taken on an early morning game drive two years ago! Shocking .. that's the last time we went to a Game Park!! Hubby took these photos

Wordless Wednesday : Empty nest ...

For more contributions to Wordless Wednesday go HERE

Do I ... or don't I ?

I have three very old ... really very old ... hydrangeas. They are part of the first batch of plants I planted in our garden 29 years ago!!!!

They have been magnificent every single year!! Sometimes I get huge blooms that cover the bushes .. which grow taller than me (and I am average height) ... and sometimes I get bushes that have less flowers but still with the most gorgeous colours from shades of blues to purples - depends on the hot or not-so-hot summers. I used to feed them on tea leaves .. and still do ... but now it's tea from tea bags ... but in the 'old days' I used to get Tanganda Tea from Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and the dregs of each pot of tea used to be swirled and tipped onto the soil ...



Every year, the old 'trunks' get more and more gnarled. I break off the really, really dead wooded ones and trim the bushes religiously hoping for a great show in summer. I am never disappointed! In the photo below there is a small hydrangea in the background which was grown from a cutting from this 'old lady' ....

Is it time to say goodbye to my three faithful 'old ladies' which sit year after year in a quiet shady corner .. which burst into new life when spring comes ...?

I have taken some cuttings again .. but they take so long to grow into the magnificent bushes I have now. Do you I pop along to the nursery and buy new ones? Will I get those beautiful shades of blues/purples again?

I don't think so ... the secret was in the tea!

Weekly Winners : 9 - 15 August

They say .... the key to a man's heart ...

.. is through his stomach .... will apple pie do?

So what was I doing looking up skirts !!!!!!

.... of the Chinese clay warrior replica in the Kong Roast restaurant ...

... ha ha .. laughs Bryan ... caught you!!

Ok .. ok .. let's stick to the finer things in life ...

... for example .... my granny's crystal decanter ...

... with it's crystal prismatic stopper ...

... and a single camelia in a crystal glass ...

... does a string of pearl look-a-likes-on-a-chocolate-cake count as finer things in life? .....

.. mmm .. back to food ...(!) .. but there is a dainty azalea ...

... on the cake ablaze with birthday candles!!

.. and what could be finer/nicer/better than deep-slow-breathing-in of the fragrance of spring flowers such as the jasmine, pink with buds about burst ...

... and the teeny tiny garden violets ...

... and the bright happy faces of the violas ...

... the deep salmon pink of the flowering quince ...

...and the pristine whites of the azalea ...

No littlies ('cos they've been away on holiday) .. .. and no Wine-of-the-Week ('coz I've been drinking one I've featured before ...

.. so will end with our youngest daughter who was born 23 years ago on 11 August

For more Weekly Winners visit Lotus at sarcasticmom.com

Skywatch Friday : Reflection of sky ...

... and shrubs ... and bare -branches-waiting-for summer-which-is-around-the-corner ... and bird feeder ... and ... and ....


That was yesterday ... and this was around 6.00am this morning ...

.... a blue morning glow over the neighbours roof ...

... another crisp, clear blue day ahead !!

For more spectacular skies visit Skywatch

"My Gwanny said ...

... that playing with sticks is dangerous!!

"But I think they're fun ....

".... I can hit Gwanny's plants like this ...

.... I can shoot guns ... 'two togevver' like this ...

.... I can walk ... like walking sticks ... like this ...

... and I can play 'horsey' like this ... and go clippety-clop around Gwanny's garden ..."

I miss this little guy!!

.. and I promise ... I won't moan and groan about the mess that's always on the dining room table ... (well, it is constructive mess!!)

Wordless Wednesday :

For more Wordless Wednesday contributions go HERE

Happy Birthday ... Sweetie Pie !!

11 August, 2009 - our youngest daughter, Elaine celebrates her twenty third birthday !!!


May you be blessed with many more candles on your cake .... and a year filled with success and happiness!

Love you lots ... and lots x x x

Weekly Winners : 2 - 8 August

The littlies are on holiday ... it's very quiet here and the toys are lying idle ...



..... my jasmine is covered with pink budded sprigs which are beginning to burst into bloom ... their sweet fragrance wafting into the warmer air ....


.... and the freezing cold, cloudy, rainy weather we had last weekend moved north leaving us with the blue skies and warmer days once again ...


My hubby attended our friends Colombian wedding ... an Australian and Colombian united ...


.. together in love as go through life side by side ....


... where carnival time is part of the culture ...

... and salsa dancers wiggle their b.... .... .....

.... and celebration cakes are made out of coke cans !!! (Andres Carne de Res)


He came home with these delightful serviette rings which were on the tables at the wedding reception ...

... and a kangaroo with a tiny boomerang ...

... not sure where to slot this photo into my little 'story' ... (!) it's printed on the wedding invitation ... and just to add it !

BUT best of all .... look what he brought back for me!!!! Onyx and gold necklace .. which is a replica of a necklace that the Aztec King would give to his Queen as a symbol of eternal love!! Each gold 'dangly thing' represents love ... marriage ... children ... etc.

It's beautiful, hey?

Ahhhh! Sorry!! No wine and no photos of littlies today!

For more Weekly Winners please go to Lotus' sarcasticmom.com

Skywatch Friday :

My favourite sunrises are over the sea in Ballito, Kwa Zulu Natal ....

Our daughter, Jeanette and family are on holiday there and are probably experiencing beautiful sunrises like this one .... (just a moment before the sun popped up!)


For more spectacular skies around the world go to Skywatch

Through my hubby's eyes ..

... who attended the wedding of Mr T and P in Bogota over the weekend, once all the business 'stuff' was complete (which is why he went in the first place !)

... and who was amongst a few friends and family at the Andres Carne de Res restaurant which is well-known for it's superb beef .. and Latino beat ... and which seats around 1 000 people!!

.... where the decor is all made from recycled material ...

... and if you're special ... especially extra special like the future Mr and Mrs T ... then you are a King and Queen for the night ... !!!

View of Bogota from the wedding venue ...

.. where the civil ceremony was held ...

.. and a happy groom with his Mum, who came, with Mr T's brothers and sister, from Australia ... I must say she looks very well having broken her arm days before ...

Saying their vows ... (and look at her stunning dress - sooo elegant!)

Mr T's Mum saying her speech in Spanish!! It just goes to show you .. you are never too old to learn something new!!! She went for 'secret' lessons so that she could surprise them! Well done, Mr T's Mum !!!! :) Just before we move onto the next beautiful photo .... look at the wedding cake!!! Sunflowers and chocolate !!! Oooh yumm!!

A stunning bride sharing a moment with her new brother-in-law ...

... a beautiful bride ...

The first dance/salsa!! ... and may they dance forever ... together ...

Then the party began ....

Goodies which hubby brought back included napkin rings which were on the tables (those grass rings with tiny hats, baskets, shoes etc attached - cute!) ... a little bag given to guests on leaving ...


... and out popped a kangaroo and Colombian keyring hat ...

... and the wedding invitation with a tiny Colombian hat and boomerang ... inside had these words ...

We wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

Note to Mrs T ... hope we meet one day .... soon !

Wordless Wednesday :

Vergelegen Wine Estate, Somerset West

For more Wordless Wednesday's go HERE

Miss you already ..

... my Bradley Bear ...



... and mischief-maker-wild-child Connor ...

After a weekend with the whole family down with tummy bugs, they are finally there ... on holiday... sun, sand and sea !! Connor was too little to remember their last holiday. Jeanette told me on the phone that all he wanted to do was to see the "beach" .. and when he saw how HUGE the sea was, he wasn't so sure anymore!!!! :) For the past year he has seen the sea in books, TV and on the computer (I have - which he sees all the time - a beautiful sunrise over the sea as my wallpaper - one of my favourite photographs!) and now it's real .. and VAST !!!

Enjoy your holiday!! Mwah .. to you all !!

Weekly Winners : 26 July - 1 August

Our extremely dry winter weather ... usually !! ... means we have to water our gardens regularly. Had I known we were going to have a day of rain - and extremely cold weather - yesterday, I would not have turned the sprinkler ...

... creating a magical rainbow ...

.. and forming little upside-down worlds ...

Early morning ice of the sprinkler ...

....needs to thaw in the warm winter sunshine ... so I can once again water my plants ... like this tiny white flowered indigenous ground cover (name escapes me and looking it up in my gardening books hasn't helped either!) ... note to self - need to buy a new up-to-date book! ..

... but I do know this one ... the dainty lilacs of the Virginia Stocks which seed themselves and pop up in odd places around the garden ...

... and the Gerbera (Barbeton Daisy) ...

Now ... a Weekly Winners post would not be the same without a child or two !!!

Soooo .... here is Connor showing me his Ben 10 t-shirt. I made him point to the figures on the shirt as I only needed his hand to be still for a moment so that I could take a photo of his smiley face given to him by his teacher for being such a good and clever boy !!!!

Well done, Connor!

Bradley ended his term with a fantastic report!! Looking through his work book, which was tucked in his bag, I was amazed at his work! For a six year old and in Grade 0 the work he is producing is fantastic .... like this page .. which he explained to me - is a bird about to eat a baby worm and the mummy worm in the hole is saying "don't eat my baby!"

You make my heart sing, too, Bradley ... we are very proud of you!!

For those who don't know - when Jeanette went back to work after 4 months of maternity leave, I offered to look after Bradley on a full-time basis - all day and every working day. It was like being a new mommy again ... nappies, bottles, burping ... snippets of free time when baby slept ... etc. Because of that, I think we have a special bond which I hope will be there forever ...

And now .... trumpets blazing a fanfare .... WINE !!!!

This is the wine I have been having this week. Only bought it because my Somerset West lucky- 'fishes'-who-live-down-the-road-and-round-the-corner-from-the-Cape-winelands family went to Stellekaya for wine tasting recently. What a find! It's yummy!!! The Merlot was the only Stellekaya on the shelf at the bottle store nearby so thought I would try it/had to try it!!

The label at the back of the bottle reads "Hand-crafted wine from a family-owned specialist red wine boutique cellar. The elegant nuances of plum, black current and spice combined with soft full ripe tannis create a complex and unique Merlot for 2003.

Delicious now, (oh yes!!) can age further." Too late ... it's finished!!

Ntsiki Biyela has been awarded SA Woman Winemaker of the Year 2009. "She beat 64 wine entries from 28 woman winemakers across South Africa in this year's competition.

"Ntsiki wowed the judges with her 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon."

Something to look for when next I cast my eyes over the bottles on the wine shelves .... !!!!

For more Weekly Winners go to Lotus' sarcasticmom.com