Number 14: A Peep into a Lebanese Kitchen in the Free State

Among a week of working with my fabric stash and getting on with a couple of quilts; spending time with my special quilt group of more than 25 years; celebrating Ingrid's 80th birthday; I marveled at the joy of two farm kitchens; the harvesting of fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit; the deliciousness of handmade breads, honey and cheese; and shared in the generosity of the extended Sorour family who have made a life for over 60 years on a farm near Ficksburg in the Free State.

NUMBER 14:

A peep into a Lebanese Kitchen in the Free State

Anneke's quick demo, Baklava being made for the 80th celebration.

The wellborn little recipe book documenting the Lebanese heritage of the Sorour family is a gem. I copied the recipes for stuffed baby marrows with lamb and rice which was served on the evening we arrived, the traditional tabbouleh salad which we had with lunch under the pagoda at Uitkyk, as well as baklava, which Anneke made as a desert. 

One of the grandchildren made me laugh when she said all Lebanese recipes start with cinnamon! 

I watched brown bread being baked, fresh yoghurt being prepared overnight for breakfast, all so inspirational.

I am home, laden with farm produce, my katoba grape syrup is made, yellow peaches will be preserved tomorrow, I will made delicious peri-peri sauce with my basket of tomatoes and then pop out to buy bulgar wheat to make tabbouleh. 

A family recipe, captured for the next generation to remember and enjoy.

I am home, making katoba grape syrup, prepping herbs, cooking fresh tomatoes.... what a pleasure....

Emma, a farm in the Free State, a quite beautiful place.

Number 13: Joining the Let's Make 2018 the Year of No More Straws Movement.

I laughed out loud a some months back when Shawni was reading on article about the plastic crisis in our oceans and seas, she flung her head back and said "yet another thing to worry about!". And of course, she is so right.  So I am taking my first small step and joining the Let's Make 2018 the Year of No More Straws.

My Immortal Straw stash for gifting.

NUMBER 13:

Joining the Let's Make 2018 the Year of No More Straws movement.

Having researched my options I have opted to buy stainless steel straws called Immortal Straws from Faithful to Nature, a cool South African online business with great service. My little stash will be perfect for gifting!

I like the permanence of the stainless steel and also they represent a constant reminder to say #stopsucking, #nostrawsplease, #thelastplasticstraw, #bestrawfree. 

OK, its a small step but I like been a joiner...

Number 6, Part 2: Seeing my city through its Art Galleries, Parktown North and Parkhurst

Parkhurst and Parktown North, I seem to have a mental block remembering which suburb is which!
Anyway they were our February choice of suburbs for Martie and me to explore some new Art Galleries. Such a treat to head out on a Monday morning when Johannesburg is gearing up for a busy  work week while we take in peaceful gallery spaces.

Leaning into a Jonathon Freemantle painting at MOMO.

NUMBER 6: Part 2.

Seeing my city through its Art Galleries: Parktown North and Parkhurst.

The first thing that totally captured our imagination at Gallery MOMO, our first stop in Parktown North, was the lyrical Nan Shephard prose from her book 'The Living Mountain'. She writes of the Cairngorms in Scotland - 'However often I walk on them, these hills hold astonishment for me. There is no getting accustomed to them.'

The prose sets the scene for SA artist Jonathan Freemantle's 'The Oldest Mountain' exhibition, which is a personal expression of his depth of appreciation for the Magaliesberg. Gallery MOMO, which is a contemporary art space founded in 2002, was a stark and paired down setting for these paintings. The Operations Manager, Odysseus Shirindza, stepped away from his Monday admin and spent time with us, taking us into a finer appreciation of Freemantle's work, as well as his unusual techniques, the artist grounds up Magalies rock to create his paints!

My initial response to this body of work was lukewarm. I then started to lean into the paintings, started to appreciate the luminosity of the oil and pigments, noticed the textures, started to see the depth of shading, and only then did the true talent and skill become evident to me.

People, places, conversation and enjoyment of creativity around us.

After the linear, cool, spacial clarity of Gallery MOMO we found ourselves at The Henry George Gallery in Parkhurst, a warm, convivial renovated home, bursting with colour and made welcoming by Darryl Gray. 

This Gallery shows what passion it takes to bring fresh, new talent to market, Darryl engaged us completely with his insight about the artists and the work on display. 'The Ghost of Manchester Hotel', a downtown Jo'burg scene done in oil on newspaper by Andrew Ntshabele was impactful and fascinating in its detail.

Number 12: A suit for a wedding

This last transition from our apartment in Cape Town back to Johannesburg felt tough for me.  I usually transition with ease between the places and the activities in our lives but this trip felt long, the temperatures hovered near 40 degrees, we drove through parched landscapes and a sand storm.
Our home feels neglected and dusty with too many cobwebs to ignore and Fred is anxious with all the maintenance chores facing him.
And among these feelings is the anticipation of my boy's wedding.

Number 12:

A Suit for a Wedding.

It's Saturday morning and according to Barry and Kim's 'mywedding' site, the wedding is 48 days away. 

I am meeting the kids in Sandton this morning to shop for Barry's suit, the cleaning and to-do list becomes insignificant as I breathe into the appreciation of this milestone. 

This is my son, we are together, he is nervous, Kim is calm, he knows what he does not like, he wears a suit with ease, the choices become clear, the decision comes naturally, we smile, hems are sewn and it is done, he walks out with his suit.

A special moment with Barry and Kim, a suit for a wedding

Number 11: A Summer of Exploring the South African Craft Gin market

Week 12: a visit to Six Dogs Distillery in De Wet

A summer of gin discovery.

I enjoy a G&T so I set out to explore the offerings of our local market and to learn about the ‘perfect pour’.

NUMBER 11:

Exploring the South African Craft Gin market

The handcrafted gin revolution is exciting here in South Africa. 

We have visited a number of distillers, been exposed to the secrets of a good gin and also to the wonders of infusing botanicals with the traditional juniper berries. This last week of the challenge found us at Six Dogs Distillery and I could smell the fragrance of Lemon Buchu from the hills on the farm, one of the botanicals in their delicate and balanced Karoo offering!

I soon realized the value of a good quality gin, in this context, cheap can be nasty.

Fred has set up a gin shelf for me and my collection is growing nicely, I am impressed with the branding and shapes of the bottles too, from the medicinal simplicity of Bloedlemoen Gin with artwork by the Cape Town miniaturist Lorraine Loots, to the edgy Ginologist bottles.

Very soon I realized that I needed to buy glassware too and the stemless Copa glasses are perfect with their bulbous base.

So for a ‘perfect pour’, gin first, then have fun with dressing the gin – peppercorns, a spritz of salty water, sliver of cucumber, fresh lemon rind, then loads of ice next to chill the alcohol and only then are you ready for the tonic water. My brand of choice is Fitch and Leedes, a local business making great mixers. We still need to perfect ice though, the bigger the block and the clearer the ice the better.

My insight, support our local gin makers and mixer business, search out innovation, visit the distilleries, embrace gins steeped with botanicals, do not short cut on quality and lobby restaurants and bars to keep local gins.

Some of the local brands and I have highlighted the ones I have explored:

Western Cape 

Hope on Hopkins Gin

Six Dogs Gin

Bloedlemoen Gin

Cruxland Gin

Triple 3 Gin

Wixworth Gin

Woodstock Gin

New Harbour Gin

Amari Gin

Durbanville Gin

Musgrave Gin

New Harbour Gin

Cape Town Gin

Inverroche Gin

Clemengold Gin

Generals Gin

Jorgensen's Gin

Wilderer Gin

Pienaar & Sons Gin

Blossom&Hops

​

Dutchess (Alcohol free) 

Gauteng

Time Anchor

Ginologist Gin

Still33

Free State

De Vry Gin

Zwazulu Natal

031 Gin

Number 10: A week in Cape Town with Monica

I met Monica, who hails from Rochester, New York, on a Peggy Markel Culinary Adventure to Morocco in 2013. We have kept in touch ever since and here we are, in Cape Town, connecting and taking pleasure in showing her this beautiful part of South Africa.

NUMBER 10:

A week in Cape Town with Monica

A fine week indeed!

We:

Watched the sunset along the Atlantic Seaboard
Saw the moon floating over Lion’s Head
Strolled along Camp’s Bay Beach as the heat of the day slipped away
Ambled, shopped, bargained and breakfasted in Kalk Bay
Took in the ozone enriched sea air along the Muizenburg – St James' Walkway
Indulged in Karoo lamb and organic vegetables from Barrydale
Shopped at the V&A Waterfront, for Extreme Eyewear and African crafts
Marveled at Table Mountain
Blissed on Hari Krishna date and coconut balls, not to tell Fred too many details though
Found the perfect place to watch the blue moon rise over False Bay, Inverroche Amber gin and   ginger ale in hand
Ate so well at Harbour House in Kalk Bay thanks to Monica
Transported ourselves to Bali via the quite delicious black rice pudding I cooked for breakfast
Wetted our palettes on the best of extra virgin olive oil at Morgenster and popped their delicious olives and pastes as a starter treat
Marvelled at the ancient trees of Vergelegen Estate in Somerset West
Walked the maze created from vines and peacefully sat at its centre
Talked among the roses and watched a peahen with her chicks
Lunched with Di and Bri, caught up on all the news over a delicious meal at Stables, Vergelegen
Opened my gift box of treats sent all the way from the US by Monica. I now have a crystal water bottle and own a Dean and Deluca tin of culinary rubs, a black truffle infused honey, maple syrup treats and Noah Stryker’s new book about his big year, I am spoilt
Enjoyed our time with the rather droll African Penguins at Betty’s Bay
Smashed plates of take-away fish, calamari and chips in Kleinmond
Met a potter in Kleinmond, bought herb stakes for Barry and Kim’s wedding tables and found a perfect platter for Monica to take back to Rochester
Introduced Monica to a selection of bush teas and rooibos won
Spent a few gentle hours on the coast watching the gulls just in case the Franklin’s Gull made an appearance, which it did not
Shared our favourite beach, Noordhoek, the water sparkled, the sand was firm and white, the breeze kept us cool, always my best beach walk
Popped into the Noordhoek Farm Village for pies and a most appreciated late morning flat white
Needed to source some meds for Monica, her arithmetic was out
Appreciated Fred’s perfect pasta
Walked beneath Table Mountain and took in the spectacular views across the City Bowl, Bo-kaap and the harbor
Breakfasted at the ‘world’s best coffee shop’, Truth, where we meet Banshee actor Hoon Lee, he has one of the coolest characters to play - the fierce, cross dressing, swearing Job
Sashayed through sushi at Salushi
Dropped Monica at the Cheetah Outreach for a close-up encounter with cheetahs
Drove to Hermanus to meet up with Di at Dutchies for a meal and for feet in the Atlantic to cool down

Number 9: A wool project with Provenance

Di and I met Alice Underwood at The Wool Clip in Caldbeck, Cumbria in the summer of 2016. She has her own flock of Manx Loaghtan sheep and spins yarn for knitting. She is one of the 14 women running The Wool Clip as a co-operative. Her passion for wool from rare and native British sheep breeds really got me excited about buying one of her kits of Aran Wool celebrating ten British breeds.

NUMBER NINE:

A wool project with provenance.

As the summer heat starts to suggest that it may be fading just a little, I am getting ready to start knitting up a cable bolster cushion cover from Sheepfold, one of Alice Underwood's original designs.

The natural hues of the undyed British native breeds range from a creamy white to a deep blackish brown. The British breeds have fabulous names! In my stash for this project are Boreray, Hebridean, Manx Loaghtan and North Ronaldsay which are Primitive breeds; Herdwick, Jacob and Swaledale which are English Hill and Heath breeds; Badgerface Welsh Mountain a Welsh Hill and Heath breed; Black Leicester Longwool and Blueface Leicester are the Longwool breeds.

As I put my nose to the wool I can smell the farm, the sheep and I feel deeply honored to be working with wool with this type of provenance, a rare treat indeed in this fast paced and mechanised world we live in. Some of the wool is soft to the touch, others are coarse and textured.

I am ready with circular and cable needles in hand. I will miss these gorgeous balls of wool in my studio but it's time to make a start.

My bolster with hand made buttons, thanks to Fred.

Number 8: A Lotus Ceremony

I was so taken in by the beauty of the lotus ponds at Saraswati Temple in Ubud, Bali last October. Bev and I stood rather stunned at the scale of the plant with its large coarse leaves, the meter high stems and the dinner plate sized luscious pink flowers with their secret yellow centre.

NUMBER EIGHT:

A Lotus Ceremony.

Justin ordered lotus plant seeds from China last year and he has patiently and gently germinated a seed and nurtured the fragile unfurling leaves. 

And he has done this for me! He was ready to bring the plant to its intended home.

So I created a ceremony to welcome the delicate plant to our pond in the front garden. It is potted in mud, in a quiet part of the pond with lots of dappled light.

It is a deeply symbolic plant for so many eastern cultures and religions. One  remarkable quality is its will to live, a seed can survive hundreds of years. 

So it is a most welcome plant in our home, I thank Justin for bringing it here and I hope it flourishes and stays true to its innate will to survive against all odds.

Number 7: Civic responsibility, donating blood

Our lad spent a week in hospital in December as his platelets had plummeted to a critical level and I was struck, as he was having his second platelet transfusion, that the simple task of donating blood had to be on my to do list.

He is still under a physician's care now, having ruled out any of the blood disorders, he is taking copious amounts of cortisone as they figure out the best regime to manage his condition.

NUMBER SEVEN:

Civic responsibility, donating blood.

I am well and healthy and under the age limit for a new blood donor, so I took myself off on Monday morning to find the office closed. I almost gave in but drove back to Linksfield as the afternoon session opened. Forms filled in, blood pressure taken, iron tested, all good so water bottle gift in hand I quietly sat as the bag filled. All quite effortless and I will continue to donate now.

I also realized during the hospital visits to see Barry that I do not know my blood type, and if I did at one time I have no record or recall. So another action for the year, will call SANBS and note my blood group.

And my blood type in A+.....

March update: popped across and donated for the second time this year, and a third time in June, a fourth time in August, fifth time in November....

Number 6, Part 1: Seeing my city through its Art Galleries, Keyes Art Mile

South African artist Beezy Bailey's cat caught our attention!

I have long neglected being curious about Johannesburg and as a result I have missed out on the explosion of it's art scene and the many interesting galleries and precincts.

As part of my 'hundred different things in 2018' I enlisted my dear friend Martie, who is passionate and knowledgeable about the local art scene, to go on a monthly excursion to visit galleries and exhibitions.

We got started this weekend!

Number 6:

Seeing my city through its Art Galleries, Keyes Art Mile. 

A garden space at Everard Read Gallery

Martie's first pick was the exciting Keyes Art Mile. 

This fringe zone of Rosebank is one of Johannesburg's most visionary art locations, anchored by the Everard Read and Circa Galleries. The Trumpet building which opened in late 2016, is a contemporary space with the SMAC Gallery, design stores, a high-end members club with Pierneef's in the loos and trendy cafes opening out onto the street!

We started our outing at the Everard Read Gallery, Africa's oldest commercial art gallery, open since 1913 and we particularly wanted to see Paula Louw's work as Martie knows the artist from her art classes.

I loved everything about this post modern building, especially its garden spaces. I coveted a bronze and wooden sculpture called 'Sentimental Block' with its humorous bronze Sunlight Soap bar! My virtual spending came to more than a million rand.

Circa Gallery is a contemporary landmark along Jan Smuts Avenue with it's circular form and metal fins. Its top floor has glorious view across the central suburbs too.

Exploring Everard Read and Circa Galleries

All good outings need interesting food options and Keyes Art Mile is anchored by two fascinating places, one the Milk Bar, is a quirky African-retro styled cafe modeled on a similar cafe in Addis Ababa and BGR, a take out burger joint that has totally yummy burger options.

Number 5: A dress for the MotG

A special time awaits Fred and I this quarter, our lad Barry is getting married.  I am MotG which requires a dress.

NUMBER FIVE:

A dress for the MotG

Fred and I enjoy binge watching series and were watching 'The Night Manager' last year and the lead actress wore a drop dead gorgeous dress that caught my eye. I kept making him freeze frame to take a photo, which seriously interrupted the plot!

Anyway, no way I could carry off her dress but  I have trawled Pinterest, downloaded images I like that have echoes of her dress.

I was MotB 4 years ago so fortunately I have a dressmaker that I could call on, which was one of the first things I did this year. So armed with a collar here, a line there and a potential color palette I went for my first appointment during the week.

A collar, a line and a color palette and off to meet my dressmaker!

So deposit paid and hopefully Rihette finds a funky color for the dress.

Number 4: Calling in a birding expert

Birding has many guises, leisurely from the window of our Loft apartment, watching the birds enjoying our fountain at home, birding opportunistically wherever we find ourselves, or, targeting specific birds in specific places. This tends to be about growing my local or global list, finding endemics, rarities, vagrants, whatever the purpose it tends to be 'hardcore' birding.

NUMBER FOUR:

Calling in a birding expert.

As my Southern African bird list creeps towards 800 species seen, a good milestone by SA standards, I have been keen to target some of the gaps on the list. I am a very average birder as I do not spend enough time in the field and also I do not have a good ear for remembering - or even hearing- bird calls. So I decided to ask Etienne Marias to guide Fred and me for a day to focus on some of the notoriously tricky larks and pipits found in greater Gauteng.

A day in the field, birding with Etienne Marais

I am auditing my list too and some of the birds I have recorded I need to resee to be happy with the identification.

Target bird - Bushveld Pipit

'Hardcore' means up and out the house by 3.30am to meet Etienne by 4am, birding at sunrise around the Mabusa Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga, on the move and in and out of the vehicle for a solid 14 hours, barest of facilities, brief picnics in the field, sunburn, thrashing through waist-high grasses to see if a Corn Crake will flush, traversing a rocky outcrop to try locate an elusive calling Shelley's Francolin, getting frustrating glimpses of a targeted pipit in the poor morning light, delighting in the vast swarms of queleas over the grasslands, excitement at Fred's photos of the targeted Bushveld Pipit, relief at getting the resee needed of the Icterine Warbler, the realisation of how little I really know about the wonder of our birdlife but still so pleased that despite the tiredness, the passion to be out birding is part of who we are.