Rose Petals & Thorn Bushes

On Monday morning I woke early and when I checked my phone I saw a message from a friend telling me that our street was closed due to chaos from the riots. A fire had been started in the middle of the only street out of our suburb and a barricade put up. I then …

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Cracking Moderately Misbehaved

Happy May to you all! This year is rattling past at a helluva speed. Why does time move faster the older we get? We did have a wonderful time with the family on our lovely 5 day break. I missed my boy Trevor but as he is now a proper adult he has his own …

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Holiday Squared

We continued our Sunday tradition last weekend and I made a gorgeous roast beef for dinner. I cooked it American style as a pot roast rather than baking it. I cooked it in broth, onions and garlic. Once cooked I strained the sauce and added cream to the rich broth. I made crispy, buttery fondant …

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The Devil’s In The Details

It was lovely to have Norm there when I woke last Sunday after being away. We had a slow morning as Norm was still tired from the flight. We finally headed out for lunch at noon. We decided for a change to try Deli Delish in Hout Bay. We used to go there often but it's changed …

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 Tales From the Waterfronts

As always the full moon cycle triggers chaos. I remember from when I worked in the hospital as a radiographer that a full moon brings out the crazies, that is why you call them "lunatics".  The pull of the moon on the body also results in an increase in birth rates. Basically the hospital would …

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An Elephant Never Forgets

I remember when I first heard about genetic memory. It was in regards to elephants and that they can locate water holes they have not visited in generations. I guess I never thought about the concept that humans can also exhibit genetic memory until recently. Is it actually genetic memory, or is it a memory …

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Rosemary: Quite Contrary

When I posted my blog earlier in the week, I had completely neglected to mention the drama we had that morning. We were woken by the phone at 7am, it was our neighbour across the street who asked us about the car parked outside our gate. She drives a big van and sometimes struggles to …

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The Kindness of Strangers

The same as the weather is a standard topic of conversation in the UK, crime is always an area of common ground when making small talk in South Africa. It is rife and you don't have to go 6 degrees of separation to find a person who has been a victim, almost everyone you talk …

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That Sense of Privilege

Our household have joined the Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch (HBNW) in an attempt to help our village get to grips with the crime which has gone on a sudden upshoot. This has had both positive and somewhat of negative aspects to it. The positive: direct access to everything happening in your area, awareness of any …

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Conversations in Africa

Last night when our domestic Cordelia finished work we drove her home through the township. It was dark and to be honest I was terrified! I started getting annoyed with Norm for taking the risk of driving through at night and then I started to think about how I would feel if I was Cordelia …

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