Where I'm from.

I am from farms and open spaces, from grapes, mielies and home made mince pies.

I am from the home with the long verandah, rose bushes and ocean views.

I am from the Protea, prickly and alien and trees where elephants roam.

I am from midnight mass and quirky puns, from Portuguese ancestors and obsolete traditions.

I am from the get out your shovel and help and from go make a difference

From teas and home baked cakes and always saying please.

I am from Rosary beads, holy water, statues and Catholic school.

I'm from Somerset West, nomadic ancestors, lamb curry, yellow rice with raisins and sunsets that bleed orange and yellow

From the odd family members, the long summer days, laying on the beach breathing waiting for the wave.

I am from a jumbled mess of boxes yet to be albums and pictures one is not sure of.

I am from peace and I am from love.





*Thanks to Vinny C  for posting today.  If you would like to participate go here to get the template.

My talent vs my sister's.

When God was dealing out talent in our family He looked at my sister and said "You will have the talent in baking and exceptional cake decorating."

My sister has proven her talent.  She once again won the Gold Medal in the Salon Culinaire competition in Brisbane, Australia.  This was her cake. 

The hours that went into this cake is mind boggling.  The Eiffel Tower is royal icing filigree.  The fine detail and work.  My sister can handle it.  My sister doesn't bitch.

I got that talent.

Campaign Contributions.

Chattanooga Times Free Press ~Bennett

Last year I was incredibly frustrated in trying to find out where all the campaign finance was coming from, so I called the Federal Election Commission and they took me through it step by step.

As we approach this volatile time I am sharing it with you.  I don't care who you vote for, just be an informed voter.  (Warning you may need a case of wine near by.)

Log on to http://fec.gov

Click on map 2012 Presidential Campaign Finance

On the left you have the candidates, choose any candidate

Click on any state

Choose any zip code

As you click on the zip code the list will pop up as to who has contributed.

Now you and I are more informed as to where their money is coming from.

Fail.

Dear Ex-Husband:

Recently you told T that you feel as though you failed as a parent because he does not have a driver's license.  Let me help you with the top 8 things on my list as to where you actually did fail.

1.  Leaving your wife and son destitute while you moved onto greener pastures.

2.  Refusing to increase child support, your constant mantra ~ "Take me to court."

3.  Refusing to help with co-pays for doctor visits, medicine, tuition, tutors, clothing.

4.  Never attending parent teacher conference or any school event, especially his important capstone project ~ you know the one that he needed in order to graduate high school.

5.  Seeing your son a total of 3 weeks a year when you lived 10 minutes away.

6.  Calling your son on the last year you had Thanksgiving with him to let him know you were not doing anything special so he shouldn't bother going to your home.

7.  Telling your son, while he begged you to spend more time with him, that you now had your own family.

8.  Flying your son out to visit you after you had not seen him for a year and you didn't even take a week off work to spend it with him.   (You have been with the company for 15 years, I am sure you had a little vacation time.)

As I sit and type this I am reminded of the phrase "Nature vs Nurture" because T. is blessed to have Bear in his life.  In eleventh grade T. wrote an essay on his hero.  It wasn't you.

Nubian

The Koolest.

No I didn't spell it wrong so you can slowly lift your hands from your keyboard.  There is a purpose to the spelling.

Yesterday I read a blog post by dbs on things one should never outgrow.  Go read his post them come back.  Back?  Good.

A dear friend R who lives in San Francisco had posted on her Facebook page about her son-in-law and daughter's business, Krazee Photo booth  

After reading dbs' blog I remembered her post.  Wouldn't this be the perfect ice breaker at events and parties.  Parents are always trying to think of something cool for their tweens/teens party, this would no doubt guarantee the coolest parent award (always great to collect those when we can).

I live in a college town and I know that the fraternity/sorority members would love this.  Hopefully it will keep them from wandering the streets at night screaming about twigs in their nether regions.  (Yes, I was woken one morning at 2:00am, but that's another blog)

Wouldn't this be the greatest for team building?  No more bonding in the woods or talking about feelings.  Just have a Krazee Photo booth and cases of wine.  Wine always makes team building events so much more tolerable.

Koolest... without a doubt.

Some people need to lighten up.

When we were on safari in South Africa we stayed at Botlierskop.   As I have mentioned before this is without a doubt my kind of camping.

On my end table, next to my king size four poster bed,  was a package of Tylenol.  (Would never happen here, but I digress).  I recently found the packet and wanted to share it with you.

Don't you think that is a brilliant piece of advertising?  I thought it was great.  Apparently there are quite a few who didn't see the humor and Protea Hotels has since pulled it from their hotels.

I need a pill to prevent me from bitch slapping such people.  All together now "Thank God for wine."

Purchase Justified.

When my husband and I started dating I gave him the nickname Bear.  Today I was at the store and saw this bottle of wine. 

Bear on the left is saying "How come I always have to do the rowing?"
Bear on the right responds "Because I always have to do the relaxing."

Story of our marriage.

Totally justified in buying this wine. 

Yes it was yummy and I am happy and that is all that matters.

Now if I can just find a justifiable purchase at Tiffany's I will be one happy Nubian.