When I wrote this just over a hear ago, South Africa, had been in the throes of loadshedding. I was reminded of this post because it marks a nasty trip that I took. I cannot believe that was a year ago, and how much, in so many ways, things have not changed. Loadshedding has made … Continue reading Tripping the Light Fantastic
Category: Fabulous Fabric of Life
Stories that don’t fit elsewhere and add to the rich fabric of life….
He was not Mike
Just under two weeks ago, I collected my team for a job. As she got into the car, C asked - Have you heard about Michael? No? Let me explain: there are several men in the village whose names are Michael. There are several who are "Mike" and whose names have additional monikers. Like … Continue reading He was not Mike
Saucy tomatoes: otherwise known as Passata
When I met The Husband, he fended for himself and it wasn't long before he informed me that a kitchen should never be without onions and tomatoes: no tasty main meal (other than breakfast), could exclude onions. Add tomatoes, he maintained, and you have the basis of a good meal. Then last Saturday, I was given five kilograms of overripe tomatoes! Perfect. So, I set to on Sunday, prepared for a long day - it's a two-step process - not difficult, but long (and which is partly why I didn't get this out last week).
Last dance…
I can't believe that it was twenty months ago that I wrote - I keep on saying that I don't "do" contests; and then I do. I claim I'm not competitive; by and large I am not, but I do admit to being happy to win - when it happens. So let me declare again that I … Continue reading Last dance…
Charming Chutney
Chutney is an important feature of traditional South African cooking, and particularly those South Africans with Dutch and Malay heritage. It's an essential accompaniment to curry as well as being an ingredient in a number of traditional recipes including bobotie. As are apricots - in chutneys, in jam - and which are also eaten dried, … Continue reading Charming Chutney
The big (beer) bang
I must have been seven or eight. We had been away for the weekend. I don’t recall the reason. I suspect it was the annual trip to the agricultural show at Gonubie outside East London (South Africa). For a number of years after we moved to Grahamstown, this was a regular thing. Dad judged the … Continue reading The big (beer) bang
It’s not just about Covid
It's no secret that I take on paid-for writing work. Like all gigs for clients, sometimes one hits the mark and sometimes one doesn't. One job involved looking at the impact of the pandemic on people's mental health. I admit to having found myself in a rather deep rabit hole. A function, I suspect, of … Continue reading It’s not just about Covid
Those Ice Cream Days
Summer's heading our way. Although it doesn't feel like it today as a galeforce wind howls around the house. Having a foretaste of summer earlier in the week, it feels as though winter's returned. One of the things I really enjoy about summer is a frappé. No, not the Greek one, but the one that, … Continue reading Those Ice Cream Days
Hayley’s going to Change the World – with our help
On Monday, my helper came to work and told me that her niece had won a scholarship to go to a conference in New York. She went on to say that, as is often the case, the scholarship wouldn't cover everything, and that the family would be holding fundraising events in the village. Starting at … Continue reading Hayley’s going to Change the World – with our help
Contemplating the incomprehensible
A friend and I had a conversation at the market this morning. Little did we know that exactly what were discussing - and fearing - she more than I - had come to pass. Incomprehensible. My heart aches for her: the burden she has carried over the last few years and, particularly over the last … Continue reading Contemplating the incomprehensible