Weekly Winners : 25 - 31 October

I LOVE ....

... my new fridge magnet ... all the way from Ireland ... a smiley fat sheep ...!!!

.... the smell of fresh mint in the garden ...

.... the teeny tiny flowers-that-look-like-little-spiders of the parsley ...

.... the smell of the rose geranium (which is used for pot pourri) ...

.... the tiny pinky-white flowers of the 'Francis Mason' Abelia

.... the white with pink/purple veins of the Mackaya Bella (which are doing very well in my garden having been badly damaged from the treefelling)


... the fresh new crimson/purple leaves of the Prunus (flowering plum) which is also growing very nicely having been damaged from the treefelling ...

.... the bright new blue buds of the agapanthus (this is the small variety) ...

... love daisy bushes and decided to plant some this year ... can you see the new young petals within the transparent bud ?...

... don't love the flies in summer ....

... and of course ... love wine !!!!

Hubby and I went to an expo of wines at the Sandton Convention Centre which, I think, is held every year. First timers for us .... nice to go from table to table ... representing many of our wine estates ... sampling their wines. Some plonk .. some so-so .. some 'easy drinking' .. some rather yummy !! We didn't want to 'get drunk' on plonk - we seemed to start there (!) so our little wine radars pointed us in the direction of the 'good' wineries. We were not disappointed !! Soooo ... now I have more good wines to add to my shopping list !

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Weekly Winners : 1 - 7 March

My son always participates in the Cansa Shavathon. He has done for some years now - being a paramedic has transported very ill cancer patients to hospitals and care centres as well as visited 'his' patients in hospitals. Both he and his wife are paramedics who very special people taking the time to care .. during a crisis and afterwards. His father-in-law passed away two years ago from this dreadful disease .. shaving his head means much more now.

A simple gesture for the fight for Cancer. Jeanette's Weekly Winners is dedicated to the Cansa Shavathon and I thought I would add this photo - which I took today (so it doesn't fall into the category of this week's dates for Weekly Winners) but he did participate in the Shavathon yesterday. Nicole and little Erin also had their hair sprayed but today most of it had washed off so I couldn't get a good photo.

By the way - all hair collected is used to make wigs.

Cancer touches us all. I lost my dear friend to breast cancer - she was my bridesmaid at our wedding ... and there was ..... and then there was ...

Just the other day, at gym, I asked one of the ladies how her daughter was. The daughter lives next door to a friend of mine and I have met her on several occasions. She had also battled with overcoming the disease and was in remission when I met her the first time. Such a bubbly, beautiful woman and sooo positive about absolutely everything. I heard recently that IT was back again - and I needed to ask her mum how she was doing. Not good - she was having a bad week having had chemo the week before - but she is still positive that she will beat it again. Her mum has moved in with them to help her.

On a happier note ... my Weekly Winners contribution ...

Opening bud of Germiston Gold

Germiston Gold

Origanum

Marjoram

White Salvia

Buds of 'Eureka' lemon flowers

'Eureka' lemon flowers

Our little cutie pie granddaughter .. Erin

Another one of 'Granny's Speciality' birthday cakes for my son's birthday last Sunday

New and old - 20 years to be exact!!

Not bad for 20 years!

Bradley on the old one (Elaine's old bike!) and Connor on the new one


Vroom vroom vroom !

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To leave with you ... while we're away ...

.. for the weekend

.. so this is my weekly winners and skywatch all rolled into one ...

'Simplicity' rose - three images

Crocosmia

"No photos while I'm eating, pleeeeese!! "

Succulent
Parsley

Jackie on the 'jungle path'

Oh no ... first sign of autumn's coming!

Mushroom gills

River in flood ..

.. an hour later

"Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink ...."

Glimmer of hope ..

Peek-a-boo !!!

Emerging life of agapanthus

Green beans

I am not a vege' grower! I have tried ... and tried ... sometimes I have success !!! Yay !! But most of the time, when I try, I have one good handful of 'whatever' - and then I end up with plants and vege's not to be proud of ! Actually, not all the time ... thinking back to last summer .. I planted some Aubergine/egg plant and harvested quite a few .. yay again ! I even gave some away !!! Wow - and they were good and plump! Oh yes, also had lots and lots of Rocket popping up all over the place! Lovely to add to green salads. I prefer to stick to the herbs I use in cooking - very rewarding picking fresh herbs for the cooking pot. I have parsley, origanum, marjoram, thyme, rosemary and chives (tinie tiny one!). I try and let them go to seed so I can have lots and lots but it never seems to work with me - except with the Rocket - they popped up .. everywhere !! As you can see too, I do not 'do' elaborate cooking either - very very basic stuff!! But healthy ? Yes, I think we eat healthily !!

I decided to try my hand at these beans. I was tempted to buy a packet of seeds when we had a friend, Mr T, out here from Columbia who is mad about growing his own vegetables but he says the variety of seeds and seedlings is limited in Bogata. Have no idea if you're allowed to take packets of seeds out of the country, but I think it is possible as they are vacuum sealed ... and anyway .. we went vege seed buying the one day when he was out here recently. He bought two handfuls of packets. Ooh ... and I got carried away looking at all those packets with photos of plump, disease free, fresh looking vege's !! He persuaded me to buy the packet of beans - 'Go on' he said 'they're so easy to grow' !!!! They are the knee high, bushy variety that don't need staking. Ok ... we shall see how I do !!!

Planted them two weeks ago and viola ! up they're popping!

I heard, the other day, that all his vege's are doing well - he planted his when he got back. I waited for the rains to come, so mine are a little behind in their development, than his. But apparently it rains practically every day in Bogata! He has an advantage!! Will keep you posted ... on mine ... not his !!

And getting his handfuls of seeds through customs, I think was a breeze for him. He travels so often that I'm sure they practically wave him through like a celebrity and welcome him home every time! He always goes back loaded .. really loaded.. with bottles of our South African wines - way over the restrictions ... so a handful .. no, two handfuls of seed packets, would not have been a problem.