Friday, November 29, 2013

Thanksgiving


Don't you want to be marked by love and an attitude of thanks. 

It's honouring to give thanks to the cook for the food, to the petrol attendant for standing in the hot sun and filling your car, to the mother who does all your washing while you recover, for the cup of tea carried to me with spills by little hands.  I know I do.

Thanksgiving is certainly a breeding ground for happiness.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

The finale

Rebecca's ballet teacher is retiring this year, in fact this week was the last class.  Becca has decided to retire right along with her!  Ballet is enchanting but she wants to do more modern dancing from next year. 
 
 
Alas, I won't hear her teacher call out 'Demi-plie' and other french terms to the girls (girls who after all their years of ballet sometimes still give her a very confused look, awaiting translation - much to her chagrin).


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Ancient insights

"Arrange all things so that the strong have something to yearn after and the weak nothing to run from."

The rule of St. Benedict
~ From 'Benedict's Way' : the chapter called Balance and Celebration


A very interesting read about values, habits, hopes and goals that the monks use.  An easy read about a quiet, authentic, compelling way of life for all.





Monday, November 25, 2013

Christmas cheer has begun


We played our first carols this afternoon!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

The strawberry farm



 
A day of fierce heat!  The order of events: church, a visit to the strawberry farm and then hours in the pool.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Day at the V&A Waterfront

The class took a historic tour through the old parts of the harbour.  So interesting, I didn't even know so many of the original old parts still existed (and some are closed up for safety).


Erected in 1894, this time ball provided a time service to ships docking at Cape Town.  It helped them adjust their chronometers to the accurage time.




Then a boat trip around the harbour.  Brilliant after the long walk!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Elated

This morning I sighed.  I wrote my exam yesterday and all my assignments are in.  I don't think I'll try that for a while.  Rebecca also finished writing her exams yesterday. This, on top of many extra 'stuff of life' pressures this week and an unyielding 'to-do' list. 

Now its over.  The list has been ticked.  I can sleep again.  Surreal.  Elated is the only word that comes to mind.


I had to keep saying this!
 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

'My granny'

The garden is so scented at the moment.  One of my favourite roses is 'My Granny', which is a spreading bush with rosette-like blooms.  Rebecca asked me if I named it that because I received the rose bush from my gran.  I wish! - Had to kiss her!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Chicken noodle soup


So moreish! I like lots of vegetables in it!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Wedding Bells in the new year...

My future brother-in-law was in town for the weekend... my sister was all smiles.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Naming 'thanks' in November... today

 
On the 1st of November we decided to be intentional about writing out all our blessings every day.  We live next to a working farm and I am so grateful for this patch of earth.  It's a gift to drive past this every morning, especially now when the sky is so blue and beautiful.


"In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy."

~ Henri J.M Nouwen

Thursday, November 14, 2013

All those books

Rebecca is in the midst of exams!  She hasn't lost her sense of humour... yet!  Trust she continues in this manner!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Cake for breakfast

Yes, true confession!  Not really the sort of thing I usually have at home but my aunt brought me a Portuguese Honey Cake... dense and dark with molasses, from a recent holiday to Madeira.  I LOVE it!  It's called Bolo de Mel and is traditionally made at Christmas.  It's full of nuts and spices - and it keeps all year if well sealed.  I only had a small piece with a enormous cup of coffee. 
F a b u l o u s.


Unwrapping all that amazingness.


It's not a large cake and no icing... which makes me feel better - and the nuts and molasses are healthy, right?

 
 
Stop thinking so much... eat!

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Ever-restful grace

'By your ever-restful grace,
allow us to enter your Sabbath rest
as your Sabbath rest enters into us.

In the name of our Creator,
our Libertor,
our Resurrection and Life,
we pray.
Amen.'

~ Common Prayer
 A Liturgy for ordinary radicals


Friday, November 8, 2013

Funny girl

Wayne is away this week... miss him like crazy! There is a annual Christmas market near our home, which we love (Wayne really dislikes this kind of thing therefore we decided to go this week while he is away).  We spent the evening browsing leisurely.




 
Funny thing though... these bath salts were in the food hall, which had lots of food for sampling and so when Rebecca saw them, she had a spoonful thinking it was sherbet!  Clearly the child did not read the very large print on the poster!!  Manuela and I laughed so much!  Funny girl - she said that her mouth tasted of soap for a while!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Take my word for it, it's so good!

I wish instead of my photo's, you could get a taste and smell gift.  I made stuffed french toast this morning for breakfast, inspired by something I saw on 'Diners, drive-ins and dives' (you either love or hate that show).  This is not your everyday breakfast, but I had lots of energy this morning!  You simply make your sandwich and dip the whole thing into the egg mixture as you would for french toast and seal all sides and edges in the pan.

The french toast was filled with different options.  Rebecca has Nutella, I had... drum roll please...  Banana, cream cheese, cinnamon & honey, and Manuela had bacon and cheese. Beyond tasty!  Hello, Happy Morning!!

Rebecca's Nutella filling


My amazing banana filling!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

My dear Azaleas

Their delicate flowers might only last for a few weeks but how beautiful!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

A lil crazy




Nothing like some crazy-jumping, deep-breathing, then screaming fun!  C'mon!!

Monday, November 4, 2013

At church with my girls


My gorgeous sister Manuela and my cute baby girl!

Friday, November 1, 2013

Name them one by one

In His presence is fullness of joy... F U L L N E S S...  I have been thinking about this lately - how difficult things come and the older you get, the more you need to cling to this joy, His joy, true joy.  Not letting the hardening of disappointment, failures, hurts push you away from this life-giving zone.

I was listening to Joyce Meyer talk about the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt, and I wondered whether I would be walking with Joshua in faith or grumbling with the others... she went on to speak on thanksgiving.  Then yesterday.... like a continuing daisy chain, I read Psalm 92 which begins 'IT IS GOOD TO GIVE THANKS'.  Give thanks... recognising His presence in all things.  This is good -nothing is 'just cause' but a beautiful gift from the giver Himself.  It's an anointing of fresh oil... eyes see and ears hear - because you are wide awake... looking and listening, to name it, to thank Him for it. 


Becca and I will be naming in November... keeping a GRATEFUL log of all things great and
small. 

As the famous hymn by Johnson Oatman goes:
'When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.'