What? Four seasons in 1 day ...

Can't believe it!! Barely an hour ago, it was raining cats an dogs; now the sun is shining ... of course no guarantee that the rain won't be back today! One of those 'four seasons in 1 day' cases.

No problem, I'm happy with rain or sunshine.

There are of course much worse things that can happen in a persons life. We are grateful for every minute of our lives. We might not have much, but love what we have!

Happy day, everyone : )

Mwaa xx

RAIN RAIN RAIN !!

Rain at last! I could almost hear the plants sigh of relief : )

Of course, along with the rain comes the cold .... brrr .... NOW it feels like Winter. Although this morning showed off some blue skies, the dark clouds soon moved in, and as I write, the patter of rain can be heard on the windows. Yes, another day of rain ahead .... so got to think of things to do indoors. What better to do with the time than to catch up with unwritten blogs, email replies to friends and indoor chores and crafts.

I am busy compiling a journal of sorts; of my life, loves and tales. Something to leave for my family to enjoy looking at, one day when I'm either not here or too senile to remember all these details ... Now that my mom has dementia, there is no way to hear all the wonderful memories that she might have enthralled us with, all the recipes she made as she went along, all the family history... That's what inspires me to get this project under way. Put on pages colors, patterns, pictures, words and ideas that make us each unique. I found a book in the local library that gave me some brilliant ideas of just what is possible. It is called: The Decorated Page : )

I am not a terribly artistic person, although I have a good eye for proportion and color, so these ideas appeal to me. Some pages are literally just soaked in tea LOL

Just up my alley!! That said; I think it is time for a cuppa tea : ) ciao for now ....

WHATS WITH THE WEATHER??

July is the middle of our winter months here in the Southern Hemisphere ... supposed to be. But this year, instead of our normal rainy days and icy air, we are experiencing what is called an 'Indian Summer'; weeks of warm sunny weather. It is very enjoyable, I must say, but soooo unseasonal! The tree in the yard that always loses its leaves and stands naked till September, is now proudly showing off fresh, lime-green baby leaves. Forever to be confused...

On the other hand, futher up the coast, where it is supposed to be sunny, dry weather, it is freezing, raining and snowing! Maybe we will experience 'late rains'. As I speak, clouds have gathered and look ominous ... so this may be the turning point. No standing with the hose today, quenching the gardens thirst. We have been warned to get out the winter woolies and to wrap up warmly when venturing outside. At last, maybe I will still be able to use my winter coat. Better go and take it out of its Coat Bag and shake it out!

I wonder what I will be able to do with Willow today, as we normally enjoy walking up and down the driveway and sitting on a blanket on the driveway in the warm sun ...

WEEKEND!!

Aahhh! A good weekend .... how do you define a Good Weekend?

For starters, I would say that friends & family are a vital ingredient : )

Next, you need a plan ... get-together, outing or a trip; there's a good start. Good weather is of course, a bonus! Money is not always necessary, but does come in handy LOL

Don't make the mistake of having an over-filled weekend which leaves you exhausted and not keen to repeat the intended experience.

Take photos. It's fun to look back at happy memories made.

So ... one of the places you can put on your 'Fun for the Weekend' list is: Fairview Wine & Cheese Farm near Paarl. Kid-friendly, easy access, fantabulous cheeses and wines & a fine restuarant.

Sharing with friends, discussing their favourites and walking about tasting the different wines and cheeses on offer, makes for a very enjoyable few hours. I could not make up my mind which wine was the best. I think it ended up between the Riesling and the Late Harvest. As for the cheeses, the White Vein cheese with Apricot is a winner! O, and the Cream Cheeses ... yum. Into the basket it had to go : )

On our way there, we could see snow on the surrounding mountains. On the way back, along a alternative road, we spotted our next week's destination; Butterfly World.

Just the thing for a Sunday afternoon.

So, if you live in and near Cape Town, there is a multitude of interesting and wonderful places to explore. Don't sit at home .... get together with some friends and make some memories!

Colby & Levi

Colby and Levi have the best life on the farm .... a real boys world! Busy life; learning to swim, ride bike, school.

I wonder if Colby still loves to wash dishes?

The new puppy, Penny, gets her fair share of attention ... Lots of training still to do. Also a Labrador, like Lily, I am sure she will be a good family dog. 2 down, 1 to go. I hear that it is better to have 3 dogs than 2. Whats the next doggie gonna be?

Levi has become much more sociable, chattering away. Not so shy at all! Still loves dinosaurs. Who knew that there were so many wheat-free products?!? I am amazed about the dishes that Nicole turns out for him...

Can't wait to see them again later this year!

Derby and Benjamin

Benjamin is next in line ... laughing at life, busy busy boy. I hear he is pulling some of his daddy's tricks, so I say : it's payback time! LOL I just love the little boytjie outfits in the stores .... nearly as irresistible as the girly things.

Derby has one more year, then it's Teenage time. I think she is going to be an awesome teenager. She has so many people in her life that love her! Growing up beautiful, mwaa!

Willow

Willow has grown in leaps and bounds! One minute a newborn, helpless and still; now nearly 9 months old and cute as a button, chattering and dancing (well, sort of). Doesn't want to know about crawling, wants to hit the ground running ha ha. It is such a treat to watch her progress. We don't have the opportunity to see all the grandchildren grow up in front of us ... more of a long-distance thing.

More news on each families kids coming .....