Last minute weekend escape

The noisy guitarist & I had a last minute weekend away this past weekend to his parents farm near Ermelo. I didn’t make it to the Exclusive Books warehouse sale but the weekend away was a welcome change of scenery and a very relaxing weekend. I have been spending my Saturday mornings looking at cars for the past five weeks, I greatly enjoyed getting out of Jo’burg and not spending my Saturday test driving cars!

Here are some photos from a weekend including a few photos of the two wild cats on the farm. Photo credit to the noisy guitarist for this sunset photo of us while going for an evening walk on Saturday. I also picked up a porcupine quill on the walk, hopefully next time I will see a real porcupine, that would be thrilling!

Spying on the wild cats on the farm:

Spotted a Ginger Ninja cat

 

Exclusive Books Mega Warehouse sale!

I have just seen that Exclusive Books is having a warehouse sale which is starting this Friday 9th March until Sunday 18th March. I haven’t been to one before but I have heard that there are great bargains to be found at these warehouse sales.

The books are sold per kg with it being R50 per kg. That sounds to be even cheaper than the bi-annual Exclusive Books sale prices!

In January I bought some books from the Exclusive Books sale as I mentioned here so I should be all booked out! I have also run out of book shelf space in my little house but this is very tempting! 

Here is the poster and the link to read more along with a map on the Exclusive Books blog site.

Let me know what you pick up from the sale. 

– Speurder Linda

 

 

The start of my recycling my food waste into food for soil

I am very excited, I now have my own Bokashi digester bin!

I am very happy that my food waste will now longer go in the bin but in the Bokashi/Earth Probiotic bin in this way, my dustbin won’t smell as the food rots, I will reduce my impact on the landfills and I will be generating food for the soil to help my vegetable garden grow with these nutrients I will be providing. The liquid that accumulates can also be used to clean out drains which is certainly needed in my little house.

There are many very interesting tips and articles on the Earth Probiotic website: http://www.earthprobiotic.com/ Look on the Earth Probiotic website for stockists.

It seems to be an extremely easy system to use and very compact. I am currently keeping mine in the garage for easy access. 

I have already added some left over mielies, peas, broken up left over roll that had gone hard and a few other items. I was also keen to find out that the food scraps ferment in the Bokashi and don’t rot so there isn’t smelly moldy or rotten smell that will come off. It has only been two days but it smells a little like yeast so far. 

I think this Bokashi system could be very useful for many homes. I was glad to see that hotels and guest houses are now using it too. I am sure it will make a great difference to my life too.

I will update the blog with my progress.

Hope you are all having a super Monday!

 

– Speurder Linda

Lilic roses to brighten my day

Whew this has been an up and down day, productive in terms of getting the design brief approved and getting work done, new dishwashing powder didn’t foam up my whole kitchen which is fantastic but less positive in the repeated way I have been treated and under valued as a customer by Renault Melrose (Johannesburg).

But my energy has been re-stored, listening to Bruce Springsteen while I do stock take for Nature’s Cycle. The Boss is sure to make everyone feel positive again! I will continue to work smart then will go off for a run this evenings. What a beautiful city in which I live.

Look at these gorgeous lilic roses I bought last night from a street side flower seller on the way back from pottery.

Personally I do prefer growing plants to cut plants but  I was worried that he would lose money if he hadn’t sold them by the end of the day. I know he needs the money and can benefit from it.

I am also glad to see someone trying to sell items particularly beautiful flowers rather than just begging. You never know he might have a genuine interest in flowers and in a few years open a florist. 

I gave four of the roses to my mom and gave four more to the security guards to the entrance to the boomed entrance at my road. I hope it can brighten their  day as well or for them to be able to give it to their wives/girlfriends and in turn spread the joy. 

Here are the roses I kept for myself in a glass vase to brighten my desk – note the photo was taken of the vase on the floor, that isn’t my desk! 

In South Africa we are very lucky to be exposed to entrepreneurs, artists, budding businessmen and crafters on many street corners. Some of the wire work sold at the traffic lights is magnificent. The wire proteas that are sold are beautiful. 

– Speurder Linda

 

Gardening Sunday

I hope everyone has had a good Sunday.

I spent a few hours gardening this afternoon in my small vegetable patch nestled between the rose bushes (no joke!). I planted spring onions, sweet potatoes, red onions and also finally planted the Lemon Verbena I had bought last month. I also harvested a few more potatoes bringing the total number of potatoes harvested from my patch of land to 155!

I am loving spending time in the garden planting the vegetable seedlings I bought. I have been reading up about companion planting as well as how different plants and herbs have an effect upon pest control. Urban gardening does seem to be experiencing a revival.

I will post photos once the tiny vegetable garden has started to take shape.

I can just imagine the noisy guitarist from my bedroom commenting on my ‘farmstress‘ skills. Well I hope it is skills as my basil is dying, I cannot understand it. The leaves are starting to go yellow and it is not growing at all. I cannot understand it.

Here is a photo of my rose succulent I bought and planted in the square pottery container I made last year at my old pottery class. It is growing very well, I am so excited watching it grow! I have made another round terra-cotta pot plant container, I should be able to bring it home tomorrow evening after pottery class.

I recently found out about Michael Pollan, highly recommend reading his books. Genius! His ‘Food Rules’ book is next on my must buy wish list.

I love this quote of his that I found online:

The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway. – Michael Pollan

I came across this recipe on Alicia Silverstone’s Kind Life website for Red Quinoa salad which looks delicious.I hope to try make it myself this week. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein for vegetarians like me.

Red Quinoa salad from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Life

Hold thumbs I will get my car back from repairs on Tuesday! Although I had thought I was going to get it back on Thursday or at least Friday last week. Customer service from Renault Melrose is non existent!

– Speurder Linda

Preparing for a Valentine’s day picnic

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine’s Tuesday. 

I bought myself a spring form pan and mixing bowls yesterday afternoon, I am excited to have my own spring form pan to not have to borrow from my mom all the time.

Now I can do my baking in my own little kitchen!

I am busy baking and cooking treats in preparation for a Valentine’s picnic!

Watch this space, I’m trying out lots of new recipes, I hope they work out.

The noisy guitarist from my bedroom & I are going to the Walter Sisulu botanical gardens for a picnic this afternoon. 

I came across this Pueble Indian prayer ‘Hold On’ last week which I enjoyed. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Speurder Linda

Hold on to what is good,
Even if it’s a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it’s a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it’s a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it’s easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if someday I’ll be gone away from you.
– “Hold On,” A Pueblo Indian Prayer

Flashback to Madeline

By chance I caught ETV showing the movie version of one of my favourite childhood story books which brought back such memories.  I had forgotten about Madeline but goodness gosh how I loved the Madeline books! 

I must’ve taken them out of the library tens of times and watched the animated programs on tv many times as a child. The noisy guitarist from my room even asked if I learnt my eccentricities through reading Madeline on repeat on so many occasions, this was when  we were watching the scene of Madeline befriending the chicken in the car then proceeding to refuse to eat roast chicken that night at dinner after naming the chicken Fred. I give animals a name (Peter for spiders etc) too but I am not sure if it is due to reading Madeline. 

Which titles were your favourite books when growing up? I believe that it is vital to encourage reading amongst children and read to them very regularly even from when they are babies. 

I bought seven books from the Exclusive Books sale this afternoon after a delicious lunch at Food Lovers Market, now to relax and enjoy the approaching thunder storm.

What delightful treats! Hope you can also find some gems at the Exclusive Books sale, Fanatics members get 10% off the sale price today and tomorrow. 

In case you were wondering, the 5 km running race I completed this morning was excellent, I met lots of new people and the noisy guitarist from my bedroom completed a great 21 km running race.

Although a low point was the litter. Shocking! It was very upsetting and frustrating to see how many people littered during the run and afterwards.

They took their coke / waters from the outstretched hands of the kind volunteers then proceeded to discard on the ground after drinking it when there were plenty of bins around. I picked up as much as I could after the race but hundreds of waste items remained. When is this mentality going to change?

The finishing line and surrounding areas was covered with plastic and paper. I find it very shocking how lazy South Africans are regarding disposing of waste.  

I hope everyone is having a splendid weekend! Thanks for reading.

Off now to inhale this delicious thunder storm air and enjoy the storm.

Speurder Linda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hanging shoe holder transformed into a plant holder

Good evening!

I unintentionally left my phone at home this afternoon when packing up to spend the weekend at the noisy guitarist guy from my room’s house this weekend and I am feeling phone separation! I am sure it will be very good for me to be away from my iphone for three days/three nights. My car is also in for repairs, indefinitely.

Another good reminder to myself to focus upon the positive aspects in life and not the negative as well as that most of the world’s population have never seen an iphone before so I really shouldn’t be moaning and be grateful for all the small beauties.

Just returned from a good dinner out at Mimmos Faerie Glen, first time I have been to a ‘family’ restaurant in years.

Tomorrow morning (early!) we are each doing a running race. I had intended to enter the 10 km race but have had to end up doing the 5 km while the noisy guitarist does a 21 km race.

I came across this link and image of a ‘shoe hanger garden’ on a friend of mine’s Facebook page, I think it is fantastic.

Clever shoe holder for plants

What a clever use of shoe hanger to transfer it into a hanging garden, particularly useful for someone like me who doesn’t have much garden space. I can just image how easily it is to grow herbs and succulents in it without needing ‘garden’ space and still keeping the plants accessible and contributing CO2. I have yet to make one myself, I would hope the shoe organiser doesn’t rot, that would be my only concern.

I did a quick google search and came across this link with more information and photos on a hanging shoe holder garden. Take a look here and peruse the brilliant Green Up Grader website. I am going to explore the site further over the weekend.

I love how most items can have a multitude of uses if you just look at them differently to create a new use for them. When thinking ‘I don’t have space for a herb garden’ think of what you do have around the house.

In my next blog post  (watch out it will be sooner than you think, I can assure you!) I will  post pictures of another way to create a very cheap space saving herb tins to go on your window sill which I made during the December holidays. I am quite chuffed with it.

I look forward to sharing more ideas I have come across on using items differently to their intended purpose particularly items which would normally be discarded as waste and I welcome any other ideas you have.

Now it is off to bed and I leave you with a quiz. I came across the link to the introvert/extrovert quiz on the How About Orange Facebook page with a link to their blog then to the quiz on the TIME magazine website which has a series of simple questions cumulating in their conclusion on whether you are an extrovert or introvert or how far you fall on the introversion spectrum.

Here is the link to complete the quiz yourself.

When I was a child I thought I was definately an introvert, often described by others as ‘little mouse’ as I didn’t talk much at all and I considered myself ‘painfully shy’ at times but as I got older I thought I could perhaps be an extrovert yet the recently I have realised that I have many traits characteristic to introverts and am certain I am one.

The Time magazine online quiz proved me correct as it concluded I am an introvert.

This statement resonated with me: “I feel drained after being out and about, even if I’ve enjoyed myself.”

 

Have a wonderful weekend! I hope you find joy and take advantage of every moment!

Speurder Linda.

Proteas for a bright beautiful Tuesday

I love these king proteas! Proteas are one of my favourite flowers, they are natural, striking and South African. 

They caught my eye yesterday at Vovo Telo, Woodland in Pretoria along with the funky vase when eating lunch there.I have made a mental note to make my own interpretation of that vase in pottery class. The pasta dish and fruit juice I ordered were delicious. It seemed much better than Woolworths cafe. The decor at Vovo Telo is also quite quirky.

I have been slacking again with my blogging but I will be back and with more frequency this year. I have many blog posts which I need to type up or consolidate and post.

This is going to be a year of change and growth. I just know it!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday. 

What beautiful items have you spotted around you? 

Till next time.. Speuder Linda.

Summer searching

Speurder Linda has been searching for this bikini:

This bikini would suit me perfectly!

It is a Seafolly bikini which I had seen in the beach spread in the November edition of the SA Good Housekeeping magazine, I instantly liked it and knew it would look perfect on me. I was determined already then to get the bikini but it did slip further back in my mind as I thought December, summer and times when I would use it was weeks into the future with there being plenty of time to buy it before the holiays.

The magazine listed  Stuttafords as a stockist consequently I thought I could easily pick up the bikini from there in December closer to the time of going away. The South African importer of Seafolly wasn’t has helpful as I would have liked, perhaps she didn’t understand how fixated I was on buying one of their costumes. Finally after a few calls and even more emails to the importer which is located in Cape Town I was able to obtain the product codes for it and a selected list of stockists nearby in Jo’burg. With that information in hand I kick started my hunt for the bikini!

I was very lucky to find it at the first of four shops on the stockist, it was an inconspicuous shop in Rivonia. I actually walked right past it a few times before realising that this must be the shop on my list. I can’t even remember the name of the shop now, I think it is ‘AZ U R’.

I immediately spotted the bikini from the magazine but also tried on eight other bikinis in case I found anything else that fitted better and to be certain that this was this really was the right bikini. Unsurprisingly the Seafolly bikini I had been searching for fitted perfectly, it really did. I loved the colours, the fit is ideal and suits my figure.

Then the catch as there had to be…the gorgeous Seafolly swimming costume was R1300 with a 25% discount which results in it being just under R1000.00.I checked other stockists and even other Seafolly bikinis but the price seems to be similar for all Seafolly bikinis.

It seems so much to spend on a bikini when living in a third world country with extreme poverty, R1000 on an item of clothing really is excessive, many people don’t even receive see that amount per month not to mention that it is a large amount of money in these tough economic times.

R1000 had seemed quite steep for me considering I don’t live at the coast so only use a bikini a few times a year. But considerations for me when buying a bikini are obviously how comfortable it is, since I swim a lot in the sea as well as far out into the water when at the coast it need to be remain on my body and be supportive of my ‘ample assets’ with string bikinis and most bikinis not being sufficiently supportive.

I was hesitant to spend R1000 on a bikini consequently I then searched for other bikinis even trying full costumes. I searched and searched! Unsuccessfully. I couldn’t find a bikini that fitted as well. I tortured myself to try on the Seafolly bikini twice more to be doubly sure that it really did fit me.

By the time of my leaving Jo’burg to go away on holiday I still hadn’t found a bikini that fitted as well for less than R1000.00.

I finally settled for a black one piece from Woolworths for R299.00-despite my strong resolve to boycott Woolworths – but what a disaster it has been with the top part of the costume falling off completely when I swim leaving me exposed or the straps fall off and aren’t adjustable.

I certainly won’t be able to swim into the deep water in the sea with this costume! I can’t even swim in a swimming pool in it. It is a very impractical design. It must’ve been designed for those women who only lie on the beach and never swim or walk around. I can’t imagine being on the beach or at a pool and not swimming.

What a disappointment! 

It seemed like cost does equate to quality as there is far more support and better materials were used in the Seafolly costume compared to the Woolworths one piece.

Now I am regretting not having bought the Seafolly costume. As my one friend said, if it is good enough quality to last a few years and fits well then take it, look after it and save yourself the search next year as well as the following year.

December  has flown by and I am still starring longingly at this costume in the magazine. Just imagine how stunning I would look in it and how it would be perfect for me although I am still feeling in two minds when I stop to snap out of my unrealistic dreamy notions.