Christmas twinkles and bells that jingle

Our tree is finally up and what fun it is each year to trim it with things that sparkle and tokens of intricate beaded detail.

A favourite and new addition to the collection is my ceramic paper boat press TWINKLE star. You can find these here.

Sunny days and salty breezes

We went camping at Double Island Point the other week. We were hosted by some fabulous friends who do camping true Taj Mahal style. It was so good to get out of town for a weekend where the only care in the world was what we would eat next... and boy did we eat! Here are a few snaps of the glorious trip.

Taxi!

This is a great photo - the ingenuity of it all. Love it. If you look at it carefully, you can see how crafty he has been in getting his wheels going!

Velvet ears

For years and years I have wanted a puppy. Finally,  my gorgeous partner James, promised me a puppy for my Big 30. The big day came and went and we were still no closer to the elusive pup. We had garden fences and gates to install and of course the all important task of "the picking of the puppy that was just right for us".

Then, a couple of months later, the weekend came where we drove out to have a look at a puppy that was still "available".  This under strict instructions that if we did not like the puppy, and vice versa, we would possibly have to leave without it. Yeah right!

We are now the proud parents of a three month old Weimerana named Wentworth.

As he lies peacefully under my feet (a rare occasion), I can't help but look down at him and marvel at his gorgeous velvet ears. Although there have, and will continue to be, many trials and tribulations that go with raising a pup, I look forward to always being able to cuddle those beautiful velvet ears.

What's in a name?

The inspiration for my blog comes from one of my fondest childhood memories. Growing up in Harare, Zimbabwe, in what at the time seemed like the centre of the universe, and now is just a large scar on Africa's political landscape, my little sister and the kids from next door, now scattered around the world, used to wander down the road to a shopping centre called Ballantyne Park.

Along we would traipse on our 20 minute stroll, under the hawk eye supervision of our beloved nanny, Anna, (much to our mother's insistence and our disappointment), to buy whatever treats we could with our savings for the week. Savings were made up of mostly coins - lots of coins - which now I can't remember the exact amounts, but we used to score big.

Sugar mice, licorice, freddo frogs and milky bars, biltong (a dried meat delicacy), fudge and the list goes on...

Anyway, the point being our childhood strolls to Ballantyne Park, which later became jogs to a familiar landmark, are to me such a wonderful memory. What if we could have kept all those memories in film, photography, diaries, or even more clearly in our minds? How many magical plans did we make for ourselves during those walks in the hot African sun? What if we had remembered just a few of them?

Ballantyne Park is still there and I believe still has the best Biltong in town.

Maybe one day I will get back there and retrace our "walk to the shops". It would be great to do it with the old gang - highly unlikely but you never know, and one can always dream.

In the meantime, I will mark all those "memories in time" here, so I never forget the everyday life that passes by so quickly and fades in our minds too soon.

What are your favorite memories in time?

Naughty or nice

You better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town

This year my family decided to do a Secret Santa gift exchange for Christmas. The challenge:

1. Remember who you picked (we had to redraw twice and there are still some concerns over who has who)
2. Budget of $150

Let the wish lists begin. Hmm, let's see...

Some fair ideas
Paperboat Press
Strawberrynet
Alfresco Emporium
Rebecca Ward Jewellery
Armchair Trader

Summer daze

OK so I have not yet got around to talking about my now resolved problems of starting a blog, but bear with me.

I have in my possession a whiz bang new SLR camera and a very newly renovated front yard - which, before we started, seemed like a great idea and although I love it now, I have a new found respect for green thumb enthusiasts.

Anyway, teamed with a desire to figure out how to get images onto this site, I took a little trip, camera in hand, and went to work.

The picture below is of one of our most successful little garden warriors - kangaroos in bloom!

In a related note, if you are into beautiful landscape photography, you might want to check out the work of my amazingly talented Aunt, Helen Fickling at Helen Fickling Photography

A day of catch up

OK, so I have to admit I have been terribly slack in my "keeping up" with the latest, or not so latest, trends in online communication.

I missed the MySpace craze and jumped quickly into a brief addiction to Facebook, which admittedly I still maintain on a sporadic basis, albeit to cyberstalk the ghosts of my Christmas Past. No "tweets" to date and that about sums up my forays into the wacky world of social media (not all that good for a communications professional by trade, but shhhh don't tell).

So... now to creating a Blog. Everyone's got one right! A couple of minor stumbling blocks which have been very fine excuses as to why I have been "thinking" about doing this for a long time, but not actually getting anywhere.

1. Minor issue, but one good delaying tactic all the same... the all important Blog name? Something catchy, with meaning, and the hardest bit, not already taken.
2. What in the world is there to talk about?

Well, I solved both of these little problemos and all it took was a bit of time to think (in front of the blank screen, interrupted by a couple of trips to the kitchen to cut myself a wedge of Mainland Extra Sharp Cheddar (with biscuit to ensure a low GI snack, so I'm told). Oh and did I mention, all the while being kept company by my adorable three month old Weimerana pup, Wentworth.

So, back to the two, now solved, problems...but I think I need a new post for each of them, so till next time.