Have to love being on leave - especially days where one does just about nothing at all. Well that isn’t strictly true, Tamsyn got bored so we baked chocolate chip cookies  - slightly burnt underneath but on the whole - not completely inedible. I created my first ever digital scrapbook layout and well that was about it for the day.

Photo’s taken by Tamsyn

We have been incredibly fortunate to have ‘inherited’ quite a bit of my folk’s furniture with their moving to Knysna. We enlisted the help of Frank (our trusty Malawian handyman) and a few of his mates to help shift what we didn’t want to my folk’s place and take what they’d left for us. Ostensibly we needed their help to move the piano which now stands proudly in Tamsyn’s room. She’s our budding Victor Borge We also scored a lounge suite and a Welsh dresser. Having decided somewhat belatedly we wanted the Welsh dresser, we had to collect it ourselves this morning and take across the rest of our unwanted stuff. Flip some of the stuff was damned heavy… I’m completely pooped now. ‘Twas worth it

I’m now on the hunt for a coffee table - figure something fairly low, in dark wood with a glass centre.

As we keep saying, we’re getting there little by little.

Decided to avoid being stuck at home yesterday because of the Two Oceans Marathon, so we stayed over at Bellville and spent the morning/afternoon at the Bloemendal Oyster and Champagne festival. I bravely ate an oyster, never again. Don’t care how much of an aphrodisiac they’re meant to be - you can keep them!

Yep, the glass shelves are up! As my Mom said, our bathroom is the nicest room in the house. I have to say I LOVE it - makes one want to sit on the toilet for hours just staring at the shelves. I know I’ve said it before, and will probably say it again - but we really need to have more visitors round, because it’s the impetus we need to get things done. Had friends over Saturday night, the shelves were put up an hour before they arrived. If you look really closely on the left hand side there are 3 little bottles, tiny story behind them too.

(figured I’d make life easier for you - and save the eyesight)

I think we single handedly keep the bottle banks going with all the wine, beer and cider bottles we dump there every week - the last time Wouter went to off load some he came back with two of the little bottles shown in the picture. Seems a hospital had dumped them, well I took one look and decided I had to have them. They really are the cutest little bottles and so versatile. So the next time Wouter went to dump our bottles he came back with about forty of them. Some might think we’re odd, but you have to admit with a little ribbon around the neck and some glass pebbles inside - they don’t look half bad, and we’re doing our bit by recycling them! They’re also great as candle holders and were put to good use during earth hour, I reckon one should turn the lights off more often and light candles - not only is it saving energy but it is really flattering too.

The other highlight from the weekend was Jessica’s involvement in Kontiki 2009, she’s been involved before but this was the first time she was old enough to be a part of the crew and stay on the water for 24 hours. The other side started her involvement in the whole Brownie/Guide thing and I haven’t really been to many of the things they’ve done, but I’m really glad I went to watch them bring the rafts in. It was tremendous fun and the work they do to make their rafts is quite amazing. Jessica’s team had a hard time bringing their raft in because of the wind - it was howling, but with a lot of team work and able assistance from her father, they managed to come along side without too much hassle.

I took this picture from the top of Boyes Drive - the wind didn’t make it very easy.

Their’s is the little brown one in the middle, number 17.

It was quite remarkable to watch them dismantle it as well - a lot of squealing when they had to jump into the water to help lift it onto shore - but after the initial leap they acted like pros.

And now for something completely different - it would appear that Bagheera needs a bit of kitty discipline - this is what she said to me when I told her to get off my counter.

(as an aside if you clicked on the link…. spray bottles only work if the cat doesn’t like water)

There we were….sitting in the lounge watching a programme on TV when I noticed Bagheera had brought in a ‘present’ for us.  I calmly say “Wouter, isn’t that a snake” at the same time as the chief character pulls a ruddy great big gun out of his car boot. No response from any of the three people closest to said snake.  I try again.. this time with a little more urgency in my voice “Isn’t that a snake”…. nothing.

Eventually….. Wouter decides to look down and this is what he found.

‘k so it isn’t exactly the biggest snake in the world…. but honestly - my family are evidently useless in a crises. Their excuse?  They thought I was talking about the ruddy great big gun being hauled out of the boot. I ask you!

Wouter reckoned if we put it back in the garden, the cats will just find it again so he stuck it in a glass jar and was going to release it somewhere this morning.

Most of it was pleasant anyway, poor Bagheera kept me up most of Saturday night - turns out she has ear mites, no wonder she wasn’t happy. She has now spent the majority of Sunday passed out on Tamsyn’s bed. Do hope that doesn’t mean she’s going to play all night.

I spent most of the weekend scrapping, hence it being a good weekend. It isn’t often I get to devote large portions of time to my hobby and I’m most chuffed with myself. AND, I found the scary scrapbook monster that was eating my paper… bloody ugly looking slug. In the dead of night my thought processes don’t work very well - I figured I’d throw it in the kitchen bin because if I threw it outside it’d eat the plants. It isn’t in the bin any more - so erm, we have a slug loose in the kitchen somewhere.

More detailed images are on my scrapbook page.

Wouter and Jessica made sushi for supper last night - they’re getting quite professional at it.

My xmas present from my in-laws.

Despite it being rather hectic (both Wouter and I worked Xmas eve) we had a good Xmas dinner. It was lacking a few things - brussel sprouts, bread sauce, yorkshire puds - still we had a good time. We opened presents, drank bubbly and watched Dinner for One.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m sure these pictures speak for themselves…..

 

It’s no wonder we felt a bit jaded driving down to Knysna the next morning.

Wouter mentioned we drove through to pick up a dining room table from my folks - they upgraded theirs and we seized the opportunity to finally be able to eat without having to sit on the floor first.

Eventually I’d like to change the chairs for something that goes with the table but for now they’re fine.

Spotted this flower in the garden in Bellville.

On the way to work this morning - yet another one of those moments where you wonder what the hell the person did.  Signs tacked to lamp posts just past the Kirstenbosch turn off…. *Sorry* *Honey* *I was* *wrong* *learning husband* - would love  to know what he did *grin*.

Wouter spotted a Yucca tree being advertised on freecycle and as he’d always wanted one - leapt at the chance.  Well leap is a bit strong - took the crazy lady who was freecycling it some time to actually agree to part with it. Not sure what it is about the deep Southern Suburbs, but they’re a crazy lot. He then had Frank and a couple of his buddies help him collect it.

As Yucca trees go - the poor thing is a bit brow beaten, scrappy and in serious need of TLC but does give our place a bit of a tropical feel to it.

Being Fish Hoek Wouter needed to do a little bit of macgyvering to make sure it didn’t blow over.

Apparently it doesn’t need much watering - this is a good thing.

We invited friends over last night for supper and I had the grand idea of having a chocolate fondue for dessert. I love fondues - they’re fun. Well this one would have been if Wouter hadn’t burnt the chocolate! (still bummed at having to miss out on the swiss melted chocolate). It would seem that once one has melted the chocolate on the stove… one must not put it on a lit burner to keep warm - all that does is burn the chocolate in about 2 seconds flat.

Looks pretty though?  And yes we *still* haven’t got our diningroom table - that is this weekend’s mission.