Musings
27 November, A Day I’ll Always Remember
I adored a beautiful boy once, he was born on the 27th November 1955, I met him in July 1972 and if truth be told he was the first boy who impressed me. I had a crush on him for years, he didn’t really notice me all that much, but, our stars did align and our paths crossed occasionally. He...
The Destination Wedding Vacation
Elation! I must confess I am always a little in awe when I hear of someone jetting off to some exotic destination, and especially so for a wedding. The charmed life. Glamorous. Romantic. The first time it was mentioned in my company was when a recent graduate, earning a pittance, announced...
Cuisine, Sunscreen, Tambourine I've Seen '17
Highlighting a year brings back sweet memories. It’s through hard times that we take note, but it’s in the cool afterglow that we can sit back and let our hearts and minds recall good times. This has been an amazing roller coaster year. My 60th! My mind has been churning with thoughts, words...
Lise, My Camino Compañero
We have made it to Barcelos in one piece, a little bruised and battle weary. We could lament the state of our toes until the cows come home, but we’re braver than that. We'll dust overselves off and soldier on. I watch her sleep, always the sleep of the innocent, so quiet, not a snore, not...
We've got to talk about THAT
I sigh, (I do that a lot when I’m sad or depressed) as I open the fridge door after weeks away. Not because it’s a shambles. It’s because we “save for rainy days”. Why do we do that? I look at the shrivelled carrots, the drooping celery sticks and the blackened fine green beans. As I drop...
Five Fabulous Friends
It was written in the stars that I would board a steam train and shunt about for two years, making my way from Nelspruit, across the Crocodile River wending my way from the Lowveld to Pretoria every term to attend boarding school at Pretoria High School for Girls. With a quivering lip,...
Don't Get Me Wrong
It’s been a busy month since my last scribbling, an exciting time it’s been too. On the day it rained I set off at the appointed hour, very early, to meet them at the airport. It was exciting. Rain. Soft, gentle, penetrating, misty rain. Enough to soak our scorched land. Not enough to break...
Fabulous Friends, Food And Frivolous Fun
Was exactly how my weekend started. We’re born into families, some are single parent ones, adopted ones or traditional ones. We can't choose them, friends are the people we pick along the way. People who intrigue and fascinate us, who we have something in common with or it’s the child you sit...
Clowning About - From Your Besotted Gram'ma
This is a back-to-front letter. Your Mom has celebrated her birthday, we've pampered our Dads, you've turned one and I've got a few more grey hairs. The mountains are covered in snow but the sun still shines warmly on our backs. Landmarks flash past as the year speeds up, typically all we do is...
The Old School Tie
Somewhere at the back of a wardrobe we all have one. Mine was stretched to its limits, having knotted it in Standard 6 it had to keep up with the times, dragged over my head, like a noose, the knot wound tighter and tighter. The tie got filthier and grubbier with each passing term, and as...
The Rollercoaster That Was February
Forest Gump’s Mother said “life was like a box of chocolates”. February was like that, but the metaphor looked more like the box my sweet sister-in-law presented us with two weeks ago. The box was beautifully crafted and finished off with a pretty red bow, but, alas, had melted into one...
If A Cobra Can Spit So Can I
That’s the extent of my frustration. If a gadget works perfectly one minute why not the next? Sending a Kodak film to the lab was so much easier, let them sit with all the hassles. What’s more if you went to Clicks you didn’t even have to take all the duds. My card reader has just died a...
Collywobbles On A Monday
is what I’m going to have. Unless I stop sneaking into the kitchen to grab a handful of sun kissed apricots.They’re sweet and tangy with the rosiest cheeks. As I brush the furriness across my lips I must confess I imagine my Grandson’s bottom, those plump, sweet cheeks. The juices run down...
Bargains Budgets And Builders
Those three things have nothing in common and could jeopardize a relationship especially a marriage. Renovating a house doesn't happen every day. One needs a decade to recover, to build up resilience for the next one or for the memories to fade. The pain of childbirth fades sooner. And so it...
Seeing Is Believing
I need to see a place with my eyes before I believe a word anyone says about it. It may well be beautiful, gracious, modern or old but without experiencing it's soul it's really quite dead. I need to know my foot prints were left in that place. One day I may return, differently than the...
First Things First
I'm back! After months of being away I feel like the new girl on the Blog. Remember the anxiety one experienced after a long school holiday, that knot in the tummy before going to a new Grade? I have it again, how quickly our confidence wanes. These past few months have been...
Announcing The Birth Of A Grandbaby - From Glama
FIRST OFF THE BAT: You look like me! We’re two peas in a pod and don’t let anyone tell you differently! That sweet button nose, those clear, big eyes and those pianists fingers, exactly. I know someone will try to mention liver spots, crow's feet, laughter lines, fallen arches and grey hair...
Mothers' Day Musings
Now let’s be honest not everyone is in a celebratory mood. Not all women can be honoured and there are many who aren’t fit to be called Mother. Biblically Eve is “Mother” and she is revered, she’s honourable, above reproach, a person called by God to build a nation. Many African...
Running Circles Around Life
Today you’ll close this gate; you’ve gone full circle with your journey here. You arrived as a beautiful, sexy, vivacious Englishwoman 38 years ago. Choices have never been yours to make, circumstances dictated your every move. “She took a step and didn't want to take any more, but she...
Seeing Red With A Broken Heart
It’s all petals, pouting and perfumed perfection on the eve of Valentine’s Day. Commercial exploitation it might be, but give a girl a weekend away, wine her, dine her, lavish gifts from the heart upon her and believe me you’ll star in her good books! We’ve all had our fair share...
Missive From Glam'ma
“Grandchildren now don't write a thank you for the Christmas presents. They are walking on their pants with their cap on backward, listening to the Enema Man and Snoopy, Snoopy Poop Dog.” ― Alan Simpson Dearest Nunu, You’re not a twinkle in your Fathers’ eye anymore you’re a reality, I saw you...
The Other Woman, a Letter From My Heart
"Your children are not your children.They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you." On Children – Kahlil Kibran An open letter Dear Mum and Dad of The Other Woman, When I...
At a Loss
“Before the war Sofya Levinton had once said to Yevgenia Nikolaevna Shaposhnikova, “If one man is fated to be killed by another, it would be interesting to trace the gradual convergence of their paths. At the start they might be miles away from one another – I might be in Pamir picking alpine...
Being a Free Spirit and an Aging Gypsy
Children are resilient, so is the child in me. Circumstances change, I’ll adapt. Nothing is impossible, my mind renews like shedding skin. I’ve wept, it made me strong. I loathe mediocrity, apathy and dullness. When I'm hopeless I live one day at a time. When depression knocks I walk to find...
Have NO Passport. Will NOT Travel.
Picture the scene: you're late, you're brushing your teeth and above the whine of the electric toothbrush you hear this "Darling! have you got your passport?" by now you've had it and shout back "yesh" loudly. Spraying toothpaste foam all over your new black cashmere sweater. I received...
What's in a Name?
“Jason scratched his head.”You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, ‘Festus’ means ‘happy’? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?” Rick Riordan, The Lost Hero My nephew and his wife are expecting their first child, my first grand-nephew and my...
Bather Blues
It’s taken me forty years to figure out why old ladies wear last decade’s bathers: it’s because that’s their only choice. When I left school I started working in a Department store and there were a few things that fascinated me about our “older” female clients. For one, they always...
12 Facts
If/when I see myself in a mirror I automatically look behind me! I have to go to spinning classes for my blood circulation I've got my Mom's hands and Grand-mama's liver spots. I'm not a blonde anymore Clothes' sizing has changed; a size 12 is the new size 9 Having the Apple...
Have Passport Will Travel
For weeks we’ve spoken about nothing except Princess Open Book's holiday to Tofo, Inhambane, Mozambique. The child’s tired, over-worked, stressed and fatigued and needs to detoxify of all her physical, mental and emotional toxins. We’ve sent lists of what to haves, what to take, what not to...
Can't Live Without Books
For the past 34 years I’ve been a member of a Ladies Evening Book Club. I rarely miss a meeting and can't wait to see the new books, my love affair is with the books, I adore my friends, but I can’t do without the books. The smell of the paper makes me swoon. My love of stories and books...