Monday 31 August 2015

wheel barrow rides and puppy bonding











Our weekend bought about unpredictable skies and bits 'n bobs of this and that. I attempted my very first sew project this weekend. Oumie (Rob's Mom) gave me a sewing machine months ago which until this weekend has sat loyally on top of my cupboard gathering dust. I have no clue how to operated said machine but it patiently obliged and lovingly obeyed all my eccentric behaviour (and vocabulary) for which I am so very grateful! I also attempted a pavlova recipe (found on a Facebook group I belong to) in the slow cooker... Total disaster, I might add, it did not set in the required time or even with another hour added on to that! It ended up being a sugary sluggy mess - I should try it again but maybe leave it in there for the entire day? The set bits on the side added to chocolate mouse pudding got a thumbs up from the boys though.

Rob and Tristan attempted another DIY fix-it to the cottage thatch before the rainy season sets in. Hold thumbs that this one works?!

The best part of our weekend... well, as far as the boys and pups are concerned... Wheel barrow rides for the younger boys and a squarking plastic chicken toy for the pups. Blair became quite veracious and our 5 month old Zeus absolutely petrified. It is the funniest thing seeing our enormous Boerbul so very intrigued yet so scared at the same time over a plastic squeaky puppy toy! These two pups have become so very dear and have stolen small and overly big parts of our hearts.

We have a busy week ahead of us. The younger boys with their various school activities, (I will be sure to share them as the week goes along.) Tristan's 19 birthday tomorrow and a grown up educational move for him too in the pipelines (as soon as I can I will share more of that too!). Wherever you are and whatever your week holds for you we send blessings from our home to yours. Have a blessed week friends.

Love,
Angie xxx

 


join us every sunday for our hen house hop link-up

Friday 28 August 2015

clearing the camera







It has come to that time of the week my dear friends. A time to clear the camera and to start all over again. Here are a few special moments captured through the week that never made an appearance. I think they deserve a little space of their own.

Love
Angie xxx

joining suzy mae

Wednesday 26 August 2015

gnome-lets.... completed (yarn along)


I am so very pleased that our goddaughter's first birthday gift is completed and with still plenty of time to spare. Although it took me a little longer than I initially anticipated - they are all ready and awaiting a pretty gift box, which we are still in the process of finding. Soon as I find the perfect one, I will be sure to share it too.

I started reading Janet Fitch's Paint It Black a few weeks ago. I loved White Oleander and completed it within the week. Paint It Black is a little more difficult to get through. Not for lack of beautiful writing. It really is... I love Janet's powerful words - but, with this one, I am finding them too powerful right now for me to handle. I feel myself slowly feeling depressed and find myself a little tearful. It could be that I still need a little more time to heal up. So I am putting it to one side for now, and will return to it when I have a better hold on my mind and emotions.

I need to go online and purchase again, come month end.. I have been looking for Lenora Henson's - The Wicked Garden series that a friend suggested I read, but sadly they have not yet been released here in South Africa. I have Rhonda Hetzel's "Simple Life" on hold for order, I could do with another one to keep me busy through the month. What are you all reading and what do you suggest I order?

The week is going by so much faster than I thought it would. And although I look forward to the weekend, I really hate wishing the week away. Oh and its Tristan's 19th birthday next week! Where have all those 19 years gone?

Love
Angie xxx

joining ginny

Tuesday 25 August 2015

first plantings of the season












We have started with Spring time planting around here. With beautiful temperatures in the late 20 degrees celcius these days (and a whooper of 32 degrees for today!) we cant help but get into the Spring of things.

We have always been blessed with plants. Although we do head on over to our favourite nursery every now and then, most of the time we are gifted with beautiful growings from all the lovely people Rob meets on his travels through his busy day.

This time a lovely customer was thining out her overgrown Agapantha patch. And it just so happened that these lovelies will be the white variety - just what we were looking for to flower along the curb of our property. It is very dry there and the soil is mainly rocky, so we need something that grows with very little care. These are just so perfect! I really am very excited to see them flower come the happier warmer months.

We also were blessed with a few succulants for the other side of the fence line where our cars park. It really is a great big ol mess of twines and rocky moulds that the boys had to take a pick to the soil to loosen it so that we could plant them. But once they take (if they can grow in a desert - then dang they will grow here!) they will produce the most beautiful orange bell like flowers.

I love this time of the year... When all the new fresh buds start appearing and life comes into being after what felt like the longest hibernation of Winter.

Love
Angie xxx

joining amanda

Monday 24 August 2015

walking the forest













When we woke on Sunday the sky was all the shades of grey. It looked like the clouds would at any moment open to a light hazy drizzle. Perfect weather for a lazy Sunday and busying myself about the kitchen (which is my most favourite thing to busy myself with). But by about 10am the clouds parted to show a beautiful sun filled sky. The boys were ecstatic, we would be walking the forest!

I did not make it all the way to the top of the steep hill (as I had promised myself that I would do again). I sadly got halfway up the steep bank when I felt that black wave of vertigo take over. Panicky I turned and with the wobblings that had taken over my legs made my way back to the path with Garren and Joshua not far behind and then we met up with Rob and Tristan there. I am kind of disappointed with myself - I know that I can do it, I did it last weekend. Oh well, I can try again next weekend - right?

We did find new growings on the path though - Spring is coming and I am feeling so blessed that we are getting to watch it happen as we meander through the paths along the hillside. What is not exciting to see is that someone thought it would be perfectly ok to dump their rubbish in our little piece of happiness!

Rob had mentioned through the week that he had seen a black car driving along the edge of the forest. We get to see much of the goings on from where we are situated. Whether it be you are walking your dogs, riding your bicycles and often a group of offroad motorcyclist head on through - we see it. This black car did not belong here. Why would it be driving along here? Well now we know. To those who know me, they know I am not shy to name and shame especially when you have done something so very wrong like dumping your rubbish were it does not belong! We all have our garbage collected from outside of our houses every Tuesday - there really is not excuse. I sigh......

Right then.... moving on......!
I have to add that I am so extremely proud of my family! I am sure you can see why. It took four black bags to clear the mess up - and not one groan while they went about it. I think they secretly enjoyed the investigation into "who-would-dare-to-do-such-a-thing".


love
Angie xxx

Wednesday 19 August 2015

first signs of spring




The first signs of Spring are here. When our Magnolia starts flowering I know we are heading towards warmer weather. But as I sit here and type this, I have to reflect back over the past season , we really haven't had much of a Winter. Well the cold part anyway. Yes, we have been blessed with such comfortable warmth the past few weeks that one would believe that Spring is upon us even earlier than before.

The first signs of Spring are here. I know the seasons are changing when I hear the weasy fresh fruity cough explode from Garren. Where did that come from? He was perfectly fine yesterday and the evening before. The seasons are changing!

As I sit here and gaze out the window while typing this, I see a haze in the air and patches of dark clouds lightly circle on by, I think we might be in for much needed rain later this week. I know as I type this that as with every year as we start celebrating the new life that Spring brings too early, Mother Nature hits us with a freak icy spell to remind us that she is still in charge out there. So, I will sit here and type and keep my eyes to the skies and this year not presume too much. Just take each day as it comes and remember how blessed we are.

Love
Angie xxx

joining suzy mae

Monday 17 August 2015

walking the forest


















Again, way to many photos taken... I have a finger that seems to  have a magnetic hold on the shoot button!

Last weekend Rob, the boys (minus a Tristan then) and I took a walk up the hill and into the forest. It was lovely. We decided then, that it will be our weekly adventure again. Wondering through the trees and pulling a very unfit (but slowly healing) Mom up the steeper banks (cause quite frankly I'm useless at climbing very steep hills).

This weekend we all ventured out again, this time a Tristan included. Tristan was home for the weekend and he claimed family togetherness like a pro. The boys pushed me further this time. Literally dragging me to the top of the hill. I thought at one time I would loose my footing and come tumbling all the way down. The upper banks were steep!! And that vertigo while climbing steep banks was horrid. But I made it with Josh and Garren pulling from the top and Tristan pushing from behind... They heav'd-hoe'd me to the top. I am so glad I did and that I made it to the top. The view was spectacular! Maybe next weekend the legs wont feel all jello-like again - and I will take a pic from the very top.
It's something for me to work towards.

Love
Angie xxx