How was your Christmas.......

I have to say that this Christmas has been the most relaxed, the most laid back and the most stress-free Christmas I've ever known. Largely due to the fact that unlike past festive seasons, we decided this year to spend the day completely on our own, just the four of us - the first time ever since J and I married 17 years ago! And what a joy it was!

Admittedly, Big A (he's 12 now and refuses to be called Little A anymore...) and Little D crept into our bedroom just after 5am and whispered 'We think we need to have a look in the lounge.....' to which they were greeted with a grunt from DH and a sigh from me ... 'No really, it's a little early guys - maybe go back to bed until your clocks say 6....' But despite that, by 5.30am we were all  'having a look in the lounge'!!!

DH and I lay on the sofa whilst the boys ripped off paper and squealed with delight, as my gorgeous children do even when disappointed ... 'Hey it's not quite what I wanted but Santa did his best!!!' ..... and although I attempted to take pics of their enthusiasm, it was all over so quickly and my brain hadn't yet caught up with my body so the pics didn't come out too well.....sigh.....never mind. They were happy so I was happy.....

The day was hot and sultry (as December days in Africa so often are) so instead of the traditional Christmas fare we opted for a braai (a BBQ to those of you overseas). Boerewors (spicy sausage) and burgers for the kids over an open fire together with a few salads and crusty rolls. DH and I made the boys two new garden swings in the afternoon and the day ended with all of us lazing around watch TV and generally being idle and indulgent......what a pleasure.

Possibly a 'boring' Christmas Day for some people but having our own business that we run ourselves for 364 days a year, this was one day that the four of us could be together ALL day and that was very very special to me......

I hope your day was as wonderful as mine. x

Ripple update....

Whilst rippling along today at my bookshop I suddenly realised that I hadn't posted any updates to my original ripple post here. I've been cruising along with it and am very pleased with progress. What do you think?

I'm really enjoying the randomness of the colours and how they look so great together. There's no colour plan and I use whatever colour I pull out of my work basket. It's that simple!

I love vivid colours and fortunately so does Little D. This blanket is destined for his bed and he's been watching me make it over the past few weeks with a gentle awe.... Every now and again he reaches out to touch it and I know just how much this blanket will be loved......

I left the blanket dumped on my chair the other day and this is how it looked when I came back ... all weird angles and folds.....

That's my idea of modern art but this is how it'll look in Little D's cupboard ....

...just waiting for huggles, cuddles and snuggles....



Christmas wishes....

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.......

A Winter's/Summer's Tale.....

It's nearly Christmas and back in the UK it's mid Winter but here it's mid Summer!!! I still can't get my head around Christmas in mid Summer!!! However, the area where we live is very temperate and sometimes we swim on Christmas Day and other years we light a fire in the living room and it's all very English ....

On the hooky front, remember these?

Well, last night they turned into these...

They're for Jill at http://www.stocki.blogspot.com/ who is putting together the Beautiful Blogger Blanket 2012. I have two more to make before I can post them off to her but I'm pretty pleased with these so far. What do you think?

On the gardening front, this was my view from my front door at 8am this morning....

It's now 11.15am and it's nearly 30 degrees C!!!! It's going to be a hot one today. I hope my garden will survive until I water this evening....

I hope you have a wonderful day, wherever you may be ......

Beautiful Blogger Blanket 2012

Very excited..... Just been to my local wool shop to get some 100% cotton so I can take part in the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012 which is being organised by Jill at http://www.stocki.blogspot.com/

It's such a great idea. You crochet a square (various sizes accepted), send it to Jill by end Jan 2012 and she sews them together to make a blanket. Every contributor's details will be put into a hat and Jill will draw out a winner WHO WINS THE BLANKET!!!

I'm going to start my squares today and this is the yarn I've bought.
What do you think?

First carrot harvest!!!!

Yay!!! I've harvested my first veg today and here they are!!!

They did have another couple of weeks to go before the harvest date on the packet but we much prefer baby carrots so I picked them now. Little D helped me get them out of the ground....

.....and then proceeded to make me some beautiful Carrot Art.....first, a face ........

then, a sun......

...and finally, a row of solidiers which he played with for about half an hour.....

So, that's my carrots!! There's about enough for one meal but that's not the point. The REAL point is that I planted the seeds a few months ago and these grew - they really did!!! I'm sure the experienced gardeners among you can tell me why they are so crooked and why some of them have cracks and holes, so I look forward to learning more. In the meantime, here's a little more carrot love (sigh).....

Christmas Shopping??? What Christmas Shopping?

Since I returned from my little mini-break to Johannesburg (a post will follow later about that….) I’ve been catching up on all the blogs I follow.

I love blogs. Some of them I follow because of a shared interest, some because the people that write them are just so damned talented (and I’m not) and some simply because of the way they’re written. Whatever the reason, I relish that quiet half an hour when I sit in my sunny computer corner with a cup of coffee and lose myself in the lives of my blog friends.

However, the past few hours have made me feel ever so slightly uncomfortable. Everyone seems to be obsessed with Christmas Shopping!!! (I use capital letters to signify the importance…)

I know I should be running around like a headless chicken ….. but I’m not.

I know I should be tapping away at the internet, slowly watching the balance on my credit card creeping into double and then triple figures….but I’m not. That, in fact, would be pointless here in South Africa because even though you can access all the sites and make valid payments, the goods will never turn up on time – if at all!!! When I lived in the UK I did ALL my shopping (including groceries) online and it was wonderful. Here, however, is another story.

So, I hear you cry, how will I do my Xmas shopping?? Well, it’s simple. Next Thursday has been earmarked for the Great Shopping Event and I will leave home with DH at around 8am and hit our local mall with a vengeance. We'll start at one end of the mall armed with our lists.

Mine is THE HAVE TO BUY PRESENT LIST. This largely consists of stuff that if not purchased will mean me having the worst Xmas Day of my life as my children will whine and moan all day – call them spoilt if you want, they probably are!!! This, in my humble opinion, is not an option. No matter how far we have to drive and how many shops we have to crawl around, everything on this list will be purchased. Don’t worry, it’s really not that long. But it will mean  that both DH and I will have a wonderful, relaxed Xmas Day, our children will be happy and all will be well in our little world…..

DH will have THE DESPARATE PRESENT LIST. This is the list of stuff that we’ll end up buying for people because we can’t find anything else. Please don’t tell me I’m the only one that does this ….. please…. On it are the ever present bottles of wine, bath stuff and of course, pair of socks or hankies …. Am I the only one that still buys these failsafe gifts? Judging by the fact that shops still stock them, I think not.

By lunchtime both DH and I will be exhausted, VERY tetchy with each other and definitely not in the “goodwill to all men” frame of mind! We will dump everything into the boot of our car and then make our way very quickly to a local hostelry where we will reward ourselves with a succulent lunch and at least one or two glasses of wine (well I will, DH will be driving).

After that we’ll head home (about an hour’s drive) and fall in the door to collapse in a heap on the living room carpet!! Our two boys will look up with that Christmas twinkle in their eyes that only children get and say, “Only three more sleeps til Christmas!!!”

Will that make it all worth it?
DEFINITELY.

My Week Ahead...

D and I leave tomorrow for Johannesburg (6 hours drive) with my mom to go and see The Nutcracker on Ice on Sunday at Montecasino!!!  D is very excited about this as it's his first experience of the theatre and although we're not going to a ballet which is my first love, we are watching an ice show which is my second!!!

And naturally we're seeing it at Montecasino which is one of my most favourite places on the planet....

We'll stay with my brother until Monday then head back to mom's in the Drakensberg mountains....

Again I have to reiterate how tough my life is ..... J and I will have some grown up time at a local hostelry on Monday night then he'll head back to work on Tues morning. The place we stay at is very rustic but we don't mind that. The food is great and it'll be good to have some time to ourselves.....

On Tuesday Mom, A, D and I will probably head out to Dragon Peaks resort for a swim and a ice cream (D and A will do the swimming and Mom and I will do the ice cream eating)

And then Wednesday we'll have lunch at the Tower of Pizza which is a family favourite nestled happily in the Drakensberg foothills....

So, as you can see, I have a hectic week planned.

Hope yours is good.

Little Christmas Socks.....

I found this wonderful pattern this week on Le monde de Sucrette's blog here .

Aren't they cute? I made 5 to give to my family this Christmas. Thought I'd hang them on the tree and fill each one with chocs!!! Something sweet after lunch methinks...... What do you think?

New WIP .....ripple love

Just thought I'd post a few pics of my new wip..... my ripple blanket. It's coming on well but the wool splits quite alot which is a pain. Unfortunately in South Africa there isn't much choice in affordable yarn and my purse doesn't stretch to the imports .... well it does but then the family wouldn't eat for a month!!! Personally I'd choose yarn over food anytime but with three men in the house I think they'd disagree.....

Anyway here she is in all her glory ...............enjoy.

It's a tough life .....

Most people trudge to work. Endless lines of commuters on public transport or endless lines of traffic on the motorways. Most people work in a city or large town. Pollution, litter, lots of grumpy people….grey buildings, grey people, grey skies. Not me. This is where I work.

  J and I own a small independent bookshop in the middle of nowhere. We’re part of a small country shopping complex that is quite touristy but very quaint. We’re surrounded by the most beautiful countryside and we even have indigenous aloes growing directly outside our shop window.

And if you don't believe how close they really are, here's a shot that includes the window frame....

 Hydrangeas grow like balloons in the gardens and everywhere you look there are lush green fields and trees.

 Agapanthus grow like weeds here.

 

Directly outside our shop there is an ancient tree with well placed benches for a spot of relaxation when life here gets too stressful……

 So that's where I’ve been today. I even had the chance for a bit of hooky….. Can you tell what it is yet?

Life is tough sometimes……

The Best Pizza Recipe Ever!!!!

This is most definitely the best pizza recipe ever (it does exactly what it says on the tin!)! In our house Saturday night is pizza night and even our two boys join in with the making as well as the eating!

Here's the recipe and instructions. Obviously you can vary the toppings to suit yourself!

This is what you'll need:  1 sachet dry yeast (10g) ; ¾ cups lukewarm water ; ¼ teaspoon sugar ; 1¾ cups of flour ; pinch of salt ; tomato paste or tomato concentrate ; grated cheese ; sliced onions ; chopped peppers ; diced bacon (cooked) ; herbs

Step 1

Preheat oven to about 200C. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and lukewarm water together. Leave for 5-10 minutes until froth forms on the top.

Step 2

In a larger bowl, combine the flour and salt together. When the yeast is ready, combine this with the flour. Work together with a spoon and then your fingers until a soft dough forms.

If you like a thick pizza base then make 1 pizza out of this dough but if you like thin and crispy, divide it in half to make 2 pizzas!

Step 3

Roll out onto a floured surface until it's the size and shape you want. As you can see, mine isn't really any shape.....

Step 4

Place the dough onto a lightly oiled pizza tray (we use oven chip cooking trays). They have the holes in the bottom so the pizza base gets nice and crispy!! Then spread the tomato paste or concentrate all over the dough (including the sides).

Step 5

Add your cheese (we use normal strong cheddar), onions and other toppings. Don't forget a good sprinkling of herbs!

Step 6

Cook your pizza in the oven for about 15-20 mins. Check it regularly depending on your oven!

Once ready, open a bottle of wine and ENJOY!!!

Hope you like it!