OK has anyone else found themselves counting things in their home since that shocking fact about how many items are owned on average? I’ve done it quite a few times, and there’s usually about 60 items in my eye-line at any one time. (When people say ‘eye-line’ does that mean keeping your head still? I… Read More R is for Random facts
Everyone needs something to be a nerd about: one specialist subject about which you can spout obscure facts, make notes in a dedicated notebook, offer unsolicited advice, lie awake making plans… something that brings you joy but, in the scheme of things, doesn’t really matter that much. As for me, I’ve had many-a-nerd-off, but at… Read More N is for Nerding Out
Here’s a quick quiz. Last night I was standing with a wrap lying across my left hand and a serving spoon in my right, full of steak strips, peppers, onions and sauce. Then the power went out and it was total darkness. Did I: a) carefully place the spoon back into the wok and wait;… Read More L is for Life: coaches and choices
Aliens are real and they’ve set up home in our new garden. Before we moved to KZN I was told that you can stick anything in the ground here and it grows. I can verify that this is true. See this? It’s an invasive. Wild ginger – it looks spectacular, with exotic blooms like a… Read More I is for Invasive Aliens
“Extravagant and even ridiculous overstatements”, the dictionary says, “not meant to be taken literally”. I think sometimes people here is SA take me literally when I’m just mucking around – it’s caused a few misunderstandings sometimes but I guess that’s just part of being foreign. Anyhoo… check out this phenomenon that I fell upon last… Read More H is for hyperbole
A while ago I bought some blue cheese by accident, thinking it was a nice normal cheese – HORRORS! I have always had a problem with blue cheese, and as a child I can remember being incredulous that adults would voluntarily put it into their mouths. It is the food of the devil himself. BUT.… Read More There’s nothing happening so here’s a story about a quiche.
I’m re-visiting the sheep again in this post because if you look carefully you’ll see tons of little spikes that are stuck in their fleeces. They’re called blackjacks and they transfer to you from plants as you brush past. We often sit and pull them off our dogs one by one, or loosen them from… Read More A week in the sheep-dip
This was my response when my friend showed me the proliferation of fabric animals she’s been making during lockdown. She considers herself ‘not creative’ but I think they’re joyous. I pleaded with her to assemble them outside for some kind of photo shoot and we agreed they look like they’re at some Glastonbury-type soft toy… Read More “Whatever gets you through, bab..”
I’ve been learning some sewing skills recently at a class. It’s been entertaining, mainly because a few of us had very little knowledge coupled with the attention span of a flea. Saint Laura, our teacher, has been patiently walking us through the world of dressmaking. She has soldiered on, despite us being distracted at any… Read More Notions and emotions
I started a new job this week at Guild Care, a charity that I’d say is one of the true treasures of Worthing. The phone lines went down on my first day, and the internet too for a while so can you believe it, I ended up folding up T shirts! They were from the… Read More Home from home
Big Sleeves 