District 9

Geoff and I had a meeting in Durbanville again on Tuesday (after last Tuesday's meeting, we went to see 'My Life In Ruins' and I sprained my ankle)... This time, we arrived via detour to Paarl (don't even ask!!) and missed our meeting due to traffic and a lack of street names...

So we ended up in District 9. Joking - we were stuck in Durbanville..and there was nothing for it but to hit the nearest Thai restaurant (at 5pm!)...have a lovely dinner...and hight-tech me decided to book a movie via cell phone....

Ster Kinekor's website on mobile looks great...so I went through the whole process of booking tickets & we headed off to Tygervalley centre.......to discover that the movie we had booked for, EARTH....

"The story of three animal families and their amazing journeys across the planet we all call home. The film combines rare action, unimaginable scale and impossible locations by capturing the most intimate moments of our planet⿿s wildest and most elusive creatures. "

only starts in about 2 weeks!!...and there's no way we're driving for over an hour to go see a movie......(why the site gives an option to see and book a movie that is only coming on in 2 weeks time is beyond me)....

The nice guy at the sales desk let us choose another movie to see so we chose the one that was starting next...and so we saw DISTRICT 9

We were blown away. A genre - Sci-fi Action Thriller - that I never expected to enjoy, by a 29year old South African (Neill Blomkamp), produced by Peter Jackson that is well worth seeing.

Have a read of some of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB ....see the movie(!!) and decide for yourself.

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Barbie Accessories

The other day I was looking for some info on strange fashion trends for guys...and I came across this site: click here

This is one of my favorite findings:



"A bizarre collection of latest fashion accessories made from cut-up Barbie dolls has recently become a macabre fashion jewelry The disturbing range is made from sliced parts of the popular toy. Barbie’s breasts have even been transformed into an eye-catching statement necklaces and a pair of earrings features a string of Barbie ears. The unusual collection, created by New York designer Margaux Lange, has caught the eye of fashion-conscious gift-hunters who have been buying up items such as a pendant made from one of Barbie’s eyes costing about £110. There are even accessories made from parts of Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken. " source

Long Grass Bliss

Retreat

We are visiting our house at Blombos. It is a perfect day with no wind. Birds and the rumble of the sea are the only things we can hear...besides the pottering we do between heating water on the gas and lying on a blanket on top of a think mat of grass, soaking in the sun. The simplicity of heavenly quiet and peace.

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Driving along

We are on our way to George for the Saturday auction...it is SUCH an absolutely heavenly day! The Arum Lilies are go full spread across the fields along the road and I am happy.

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Beach walking

Love love love!

It is so great to surf with my love on the same wave...holding hands... Forever happy at the point where sea meets sky

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The Swing of Things

Finally I feel like I'm back in 'the swing of things' after our trip... and then I went and sprained my ankle. OK, it was silly: I was going down the stairs to see a movie with Geoff at Tygervalley Centre (to miss the traffic), watching the movie board instead of the steps....and I missed the last one. CRACK!!

So we went to see 'My Life In Ruins' -- classic main-strean cinema schmulse. It was hardly better than 'Little Miss Sunshine' (we actually sat all the way through it -- not that I could go anywhere in a hurry).

I got so much work done today. So glad. It was piling up!

Off to Satori for dinner! :)

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Planting Season

Schmaltz?

Geoff got a whole bunch of music to listen to and amongst the never ending list of names is a guy called 'Michael Franks'.

I am addicted. Its all I want to listen to! The songs are amazing!! Sleeping Gypsy (1977)has some fantastic tracks including 'Antonio's Song', 'In the Eye of the Storm', 'Chain Reaction' and 'B'wana - He No Home'.

Some of the lyrics from 'In the Eye of the Storm':

chorus:
But hold me awhile
And I'll hang up my guns, mama
I know I've been flyin'
Too near the sun.
We'll move to the mountains
and make love to keep warm,mama
like two little birds
In the eye of the storm.

Dreamy schmaltz?
Or a beautiful waltz, some samba and interesting melodic lines?
I rate MF: Top drawer.

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Most Unusual

Yesterday in FREEZING COLD Kalk Bay, I looked over the balcony to see the strangest horizontal rainbow (pictured above)...

There is hope. That's what rainbows stand for according to my Sunday-School class teachers when Noah was discussed...this was at the Methodist church in George, the town where I grew up... We had the fortune (or misfortune??) of growing up in a house that's back gate bordered the back of the church yard....

On Sundays, dressed in "Sunday-best" (girls had to wear a dress or skirt), our family would walk down the rather long garden..past the veggie garden (& my strawberry patch) through the gate and into church yard where we would split - adults to church and children to Sunday-School to sing songs and make pictures of Bible stories.

My mom was a Sunday-School teacher for a short while. The best stories I remember my mom coming home with were these:

• On completing a nativity scene, a little child was asked to point out 'who-was-who'.
  He pointed out 'Baby Jesus'...'Mary'...'Joseph'...'sheep'...
  ...And who was the mysterious big round, brown coloured-in person?
  'Brown John Virgin' of course!!
  
  
• Asked to draw a their favorite Bible story, one kid came out with an airplane with a bunch of people in it. When asked to explain, it was declared 'The flight to Egypt'.
  Passengers included were Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Moses....
  ...And who should be flying the plane?
  'Pontius the Pilate'! (who else?!)
  

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Bla

"No. No Feliz"

I don't know why.

We're back in South Africa... Spain was really really really hot! I think the hottest was around 46Degrees. We have a picture of me standing under a sign at 8pm at 38Degrees.
Now we have Winter again. At least its reasonably mild.

I've not been in the mood to blog, therefore the lack of updates.
Hopefully I'll feel better soon & divulge some stories from our trip.
If you're friends with me on Facebook, I've put some photos up.

I've joined the gym. Might as well build on 18 days of walking around Spain than start from scratch.

And the rest is just "Bla Bla Bla."

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Trippin'

Its so few hours now before take off and I've got butterflies mashing up my stomach!

As prepared as we have tried to be, we still haven't quite got our bags packed...but HEY! Hooray! Its a holi-holiday...Hi-di-hi-di-ho! We've still got a half hour or so before it starts getting crucial!

I finally figured out how to use Turish Airways' online check-in...what a mission! (more a lack of instructions than anything else) ...we're booked in leg-roomy seats...I hope! So praying for clear skys and happy flying.

I don't think we're going to be computering while we're away...if we do: my next post will be from Espania!!

Farewell!

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Nuisance

We went to the place where geoff did basics when he went to the navy...freezing cold but oh what a lovely view!



We weren't allowed to walk around much...but we were allowed to go and see the 'Nuisance Grave'.....turns out 'Nuisance' was a dog!!! :

Pre-Spain freakouts

Ever had the feeling that you're going to tear your hair out...cry at any minute: neck...back...eyes aching from staring at the computer screen ALL day trying to find a solution to a problem that you keep finding bits and pieces of solutions to but not one solution that solves the whole problem.....you just KNOW you don't want to have to pay money for it as it will probably not do exactly what you wanted it to and then you'll have to throw money away on the next thing....? Oh why didn't I study coding?? Because its waaaay too technical and boring and I'm an ARTIST. Dammit.

This is the position, to-do list as long as my passage - almost counting days and hours till we leave for Spain & freaking out about the lack of packing, pre-trip shopping (essentials like a sleeping bag) and a bunch of other stuff... and the fact that the lady at the post office knows I'm going away which has set off paranoia that she'll tell a thieving friend who will somehow convince her to give him our home address so that they can share the fruits of their crime - endangering our house-sitter...then realising that its stupid because our place is really really hard to get into plus its up all those blasted stairs & there's nothing here anyhow that anybody could really want that would be more than just an inconvenience if it were stolen...except some of my Nine West shoes and my favorite tea cups perhaps...I mentally put angels around the flat & try not to imagine intruders drinking all my champagne on the balcony and laughing whilst the house-sitter serves them my favorite ice-cream out the deep freeze along with my secret chocolate stash. I have an overactive imagination.

And yes. I am freaking out.

As a design-focused person with mediocre knowledge of HTML...almost zero JavaScript etc etc etc... I have found myself (on more than one occasion) looking for a form solution that really works. So: "THANK YOU" to the people at http://www.emailmeform.com/ for their solution which has just made a really frustrating day of research and more than one freak-out really worthwhile.

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Home is wonderful

Geoff and I went for a walk on Fish Hoek beach the other day... I've been desperate to get out and be active (double doses of vitamins in preparation for Spain must be working!!)...plus I just KNOW how much walking and swimming (and lazing) we are going to be doing just as soon as we get to Aguilas camp site... I just can't wait.

We have to run off all over the Southern Cape this weekend to auctions and back by Monday to compete the last bits of work we have before abandoning the world of technology for more simple pleasures: each other... fire... beach... food and language of another country... & stars of another hemisphere.

Of course all the plans to have packed already... have Miss Molly stuff prepared to continue in my absence already... have all work completed by now so we have the last week here to wind down and do the minimum... all these have been FOILED by the nasty hand of procrastination...

We've had a great week though:
For the last 3 days we've had a seriously strong North Wind blowing the sea sideways & rattling anything vaguely loose all night long...its been such a warm wind - as if it was a hill-billy borne out of the Karoo and traveled on its annual visit to the sea (with all its friends this year!! - they had quite a roaring party!)...it does mean a cold front is most likely about to hit us though...

On Tuesday night we had spinach and butternut lasagne with friends and it was so warm that we sat outside...Geoff brought out his 'magic' box of instruments and we played rhythms into the night.

Last night we walked to the harbour in the warm wind...had dinner & really focussed on spending quality time together. One loses oneself so easily in the daily 'things to do'...

Basically - home is wonderful. Even though we're going far away - we know we will love coming back here.

I never would have guessed that I would be living in a picturesque fishing village with 20+ quirky restaurants, artisan bakeries & coffee shops (and a bar or 2)... a short walk from the harbour and its boats and seals ...balcony view a great surf spot ...clothing for any occasion ...vintage & antique shops ...beaches at a stone's throw ...jewelery ...a new mosaic shop ...books ...a tiny cafe post office ...and today I finally went to "Kassia & Fig" and discovered that I can buy free range eggs from them -- and possibly Free Range milk! -- (previously unavailable in Kalk Bay)!! ...and the man I love and adore.

What more does a girl need?!

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You Silly Bassoon!

I'd watched this a number of times...and then got T'Neal to watch it...she pointed out the MOST hilarious bit: take note of the guy on the left's movements from about 49 seconds. As she said, and QUOTE: "I'm going to wet my chair!"

Enjoy!

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Fun With Knitting Needles

I have been sorting my spare knitting needles into lots to sell...I have some really really stunning ones...and I've ended up with some spares. I was just wondering what could be done with them when I stumbled upon Fooba Wooba's Etsy Shop...




My first try was with hot water but the plastic doesn't heat up enough so I turned to the oven. The plastic still didn't get hot enough - until the needle fell to the bottom element and got beautifully soft - only about 5 seconds to work with the plastic and I had a pretty good result.

Further experimentation with the oven : not so good!

Faux tortoiseshell needles burst into flame & melt easily (see discolouration in my pic - left)... others melted in places causing discolouration or bubbling. *Sigh* so I settled for a tea light candle which was semi-successful... every type of plastic needs a different treatment and care or snapping / burning / popping / fizzling etc occurs. I'm amazed that Fooba Wooba has managed to get hers so perfect because the plastic bends very unpredictably and with the possibility of scourching finger skin -- I suppose practice makes perfect (and by the look of the range of items she's made, she's had a LOT of practice!)...and then...a little later in the story...I found a better way to do it: With the help of Google ;)

I found these other hand-made knitting needles a while ago - also on Etsy & think they are wonderful! There are lots of fun ones in Demented Betty's range:


What to do with rogue metal needles? Etsy members have the solution as well! :


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Pushing Daisies

Geoff and I have been utterly FLOORED and are addicted to the brilliantly designed and executed series 'Pushing Daisies'
(Thanks Pete & Elaine!)

Wikipedia has some great info.

This is truly a 'designer' series. It is a visual treat for the senses...you can almost taste the pies! The detail is extraordinary...The wardrobe is exceptional....what I wouldn't give for some of the outfits that 'Chuck' wears... (She has a remarkably amazing wardrobe for a dead girl who has 'lost everything') !

...and to add the Dandelion car company staff uniform (or Bettie's Bees) to my fancy dress wardrobe...(or even my regular wardrobe if I had a job where I could be seen in funky funky outfits - working home its an effort to not put my slippers straight back on after my bath!)

The story line and sub-plots are great...very addictive: each one involves a murder & some crime solving by the main characters, Emmerson Cod, Ned, Chuck and sometimes Olive (who you will possibly dislike in the beginning but grow to LOVE!).
All characters have been perfectly cast.

The aunts: Lily and Vivian are amazing!!! They formed a synchronised swimming duo called the 'Darling Mermaid Darlings' and share matching personality disorders. Emmerson Cod is a knitter (!!) ... Olive breaks out into the odd musical number...Chuck is a bee keeper and Ned is the pie maker. The whole series is quirky from the way it is filmed to Aunt Vivian's eye patch!

I can go on and on about this. But I won't.
You'll just have to watch it for yourself! ;)

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Jeanette's Granny's Apron

We had dinner with friends on Thursday night and Jeanette showed us her fabric collection......... lurking on one of the shelves was the prettiest bit of fabric which turned out to be a little apron that her granny had made for herself.....I got to borrow the apron and so, yesterday - being rainy rainy - I set to work to copy it! ....didn't it come out beautifully!? I just LOVE the sh.aping of the band at the top!

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Horacio Salinas

I found Horacio Salinas' website via a blog that Colleen sent to me today and I just LOVE this image (above)....It is totally 'Miss Molly' - dreamy and whimsical in the most lovely of ways - HAD TO share! ...and I love the title of this work - 'Babycakes' !!

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Oh MY! The excitement!!

Today was like my birthday all over again....lets say 'birthday extention' !! Not only did we confirm our tickets to SPAIN(!!!!) for the second week of next month...I also got my Wacom Bamboo Fun I've been dreaming about for so long (birthday present from Geoff).....

I usually let things sit for a bit....look at them for a while and get used to the fact that they are in my possession...a few days later I'll open the packaging / try it on (if its clothes/shoes) and then use it constantly once I feel its really mine.....this is a present that had to come out of the box almost the second I got home....Probably because I've wanted one for so long, I already feel it belongs completely to me!

This is my first attempt at drawing something in Photoshop:

I'm pretty happy with the amount of control I have -- its waaaayyy more sensitive than mouse control -- plus there is pen pressure sensitivity to factor in which is such a jewel of a feature!! (and kind of the whole point - no pun intended).

Very excited designer with productive new procrastination tool
- signing off!

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My Funny Bunny

It was my 30th birthday on Friday....I got such great gifts!! Amongst which was my very own, one of a kind 'WOW! Funny Bunny' Woo-men from Pete and Elaine (THANK YOU!!!). Have a look at their website to find your perfect play mate for maximum inner-child indulgence!!

Dreaming of Spain

Dreaming of jumping on a plane in the next couple of weeks.... wondering through villages in Spain with my Love... Shopping at Spanish supermarkets... Hablo un poco de Español ahora. Una visita a España será maravilloso para mi y mi esposo. -- OK: thats it for my tiny bit of Spanish for now!

Watch this space.

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Futurama Random

Good news, everyone. I've taught the toaster to feel love.

Carefully Designed Topless Swimsuit

This song used to come on the radio a lot when I was little. We heard it again the other day - started watching 'Darjeeling Limited' (couldn't get very far in the movie due to either sleepiness or boredom - not sure which yet -- will have to try and watch it again...). Anyhow..sad song with some good bits..I highlighted the bits I find most ridiculous & hilarious.

PETER SARSTEDT

WHERE DO YOU GO TO MY LOVELY
26/02/1969 - 4 weeks at #1 - 16 weeks on chart

You talk like Marlene Dietrich
And you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire
Your clothes are all made by Balmain
And there's diamonds and pearls in your hair, yes there are

You live in a fancy apartment
Off the Boulevard Saint-Michel
Where you keep your Rolling Stones records
And a friend of Sacha Distel, yes you do

But where do you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head, yes I do

I've seen all your qualifications
You got from the Sorbonne
And the painting you stole from Picasso
Your loveliness goes on and on, yes it does

When you go on your summer vacation
You go to Juan-les-Pins
With your carefully designed topless swimsuit
You get an even suntan on your back and on your legs

And when the snow falls you're found in Saint Moritz
With the others of the jet-set
And you sip your Napoleon brandy
But you never get your lips wet, no you don't

But where do you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
Won't you tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head, yes I do

Your name, it is heard in high places
You know the Aga Khan
He sent you a racehorse for Christmas
And you keep it just for fun, for a laugh, a-ha-ha-ha

They say that when you get married
It'll be to a millionaire
But they don't realize where you came from
And I wonder if they really care, or give a damn

Where do you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head, yes I do

I remember the back streets of Naples
Two children begging in rags
Both touched with a burning ambition
To shake off their lowly-born tags, so they try

So look into my face Marie-Claire
And remember just who you are
Then go and forget me forever
But I know you still bear the scar, deep inside, yes you do

I know where you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
I know the thoughts that surround you
'Cause I can look inside your head

(na na-na-na na na-na-na na-na na na na na)
(na na-na-na na na-na-na na-na na na na na)

What's it all about....Alfie?

I'm not quite sure why I put the quote of the day on my blog....and quite frankly, I'm not at all sure what this one means
(but I'm guessing it must be rude or it was never intended to be quoted out of its original context - whatever it may have been):

She felt like a chess player who, by the clever handling of his pieces, sees the game taking the course intended.
Kate Chopin (1851-1904)








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The Kitchen

Oh my OH MY!!! Yesterday I met Geoff in town for a long awaited - much anticipated lunch at 'The Kitchen' in Sir Lowrey Road, Woodstock: Opposite the Goodman Gallery building.

Sorry Karen: I know you don't want publicity or you'll burst at the seams but your place is just too magical not to mention........

We have: Sandwich and salad HEAVEN! ...quirky and stylish - atmospheric with staff having as much fun preparing wonderful creations as people anticipating the delicious taste that is a queue away from delighting their tastebuds & settling them into midday bliss...


Freshly prepared with more options than you dare imagine...


...and Pete was there! :)

Wildfire

I don't know why I love that I found this lucky (?) number 13 outside the Kalk Bay Supermarket previously known as 'Hennies' the other day... The post office is inside the supermarket. None of my packages have arrived dammit. Only 2 sleeps till I enter the next decade of my life. I'm feeling quite pre-occupied about it. Yesterday, one of my clients phoned me while I was driving & when asked why I sounded 'bothered', I replied that I'm turning 30 on Friday. What a nerd I am. My friend Sven says 30 is the new 20. He also said:

".... if you are happily married, living in a cool place and have a nice job reckon you're looking pretty good heading into the next 10 years....."

Thanks Sven! :)

I think 30 is where the pressure to reproduce starts. Countdown to 35 - still ok..eggs aren't too old yet....35 the countdown begins to 40 [5 years to go!?!! - what if it never happens?! - what if I have one and I want but can't have another one?!! ] & all the potentials there were of beautiful little people born of Geoff and I diminishes to almost nothing. I'll see if I can hold off worry about that till 5 years time if nothing transpires. 10 years is around 120 chances left which I think is probably pretty good.

*sigh* ...and Wildfire will always be around 17 - even with her wrinkles :)

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FIrst Crochet Hat :)

T'Neal sporting my first crochet hat!

Things got a little crazy about a 1/2 second later...

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Miss Molly de Beatnik

Last weekend I got invited to the opening of the Beatnik Bazaar's new shop next to Geoff's shop: The Railway House...

I took some aprons....my lovely new self-made-up-pattern gloves with circles and flowers.. Our stationery: journals, note books & tins (gift, recipe and stationery)....Russian Doll charms

I made a big pot of chai and T'Neal's recipe cinnamon shortbread cookies (YUM!) which I baked that morning... There was a fantastic atmosphere & 'fun was had by all' :)

Weekend Drama

SATURDAY:

Saturday morning saw drama of the saddest kind..... 50+ Pilot Whales beached themselves on Kommetjie Long Beach & hundreds of people gathered to join rescue & support forces...I went down to see if there was help needed but there were so many people already braving the icy wind and freezing sea in aid of getting the whales back. They just kept beaching through...until the rescue operation was abandoned & the whales euthanaised. A very very sad day. Some articles on the subject: here, here and here...


SUNDAY:

On Sunday I helped out at Peta's home gallery "Gallery Om"

...until I got a phone call from Geoff to say he'd had a bit of a surfing accident: His surfboard knocked him in his jaw & split it open: 5 stitches worth! I ran as fast as I could from the gallery - weaving around people loitering on the pavement - up the road and home - dropping my cell phone on the way (luckily someone saw me drop it and was arguing with the security guard to give it back to me - I eventually prised it out of his hand)! Rushed Geoff to the MediCross to get his stitches. All went well & seems to be healthy and well with my (temporarily 1/2 chipmunk) husband! :)

On the way home, we stopped in on Boyes drive to watch the swell over Kalk Bay -- you can feintly see a rainbow in the picture below....

Phew! What a weekend!!!

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