Happy Valentine's Day

Just wondering.  Do you think roses go on  the endangered species list after Valentine's day?  Also - do all the unsold heart-shaped chocolates get melted down and turned into Easter eggs?

Anyway - I did send this to my business e-mail database today and thought I would share it with you.

Perfume and Pompoms

Without starting to sound like a gardening blog, considering my Jasmine post, I love the perfume that some plants have.  "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" trees emit the most glorious smell.  I have never had any luck with roses but if one has the patience to adhere to their long list of fiddly and fanciful requirements – roses will bless you with their beautiful scent.

One of the many Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow trees in my  jungle, umm, garden.

I have this ugly, messy, unruly plant growing like a weed in my garden.  For 11 out of 12 months they serve no purpose except as privacy from our neighbours who are so cool we don’t really need privacy from them.  They also drop copious amounts of large, elongated, shrivelled leaves. (The plants – not the neighbours.  Really!)  I have no clue what they are called – their Latin, biological and common name all elude me.)

What is so special about “plant with no name” is that the ugly brown clumps at the end of their stalks turn into white laced pompoms and drenched the air with a powerful aroma that can be smelt for miles.  The smell permeates every inch of the house and the garden.  This only lasts a couple of weeks but I look forward to those 2 weeks every year.  The perfume is so potent that one could almost get a headache from it. 

They look like Lamingtons, don't they?

I am so grateful that these “weeds” grow so prolifically in my garden.  


Please come and visit me one evening (they only give off their precious aroma at night) in January/February and allow the glorious perfume to uplift you. 

If you know what they are called – I’ll give you a glass of wine.  Fair trade?

A recipe shared...

The other day I added a sparkly, dazzling, disco-like button to my blog...I'll wait while you look.  Seen it?  Okay - let's continue.
This button, when clicked, will take you to a blog called "No, Really, you can eat it" (yes, really) where Melanie shares recipes and all sorts of interesting stuff.

She offered to give me a recipe as thanks for sharing her shiny button.  I advised her that a salad recipe would be appreciated as it is so gosh darn hot in Durban at the moment.

Here is the recipe.  Enjoy!
http://noreallyyoucaneatit.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-dont-like-mondays_23.html

Gifts and Gratitude

I am a rather simple chick.  I have no illusions of grandeur and my wishes are verging on the dull and darn right boring.

• I wish the Alien would listen to me the first time I say something (Not a difficult request surely?)
• I wish my cats and dog would stop shedding hair everywhere (I am drowning in their hair, people.  HELP!)
• I wish alcohol didn’t give me a hangover (How can something so delightful be so punishing?  It’s cruel I tell you.)
• I wish TV adverts weren’t so bloody loud (They are at least 1000 decibels louder than the programme you just fell asleep to.)
• I wish women could stand together and force feminine hygiene companies to bring down the prices of sanitary towels/tampons (Come on, it’s a rip off.  I expect to see cotton wool prices after gold and oil prices on business news.  It is clearly a rare commodity)

When it comes to my birthday I am therefore totally cool with just a well-worded card or an e-mail or a phone call.  No mess, no fuss required.  I am over 40 remember.  As long as Chicken Man and the Alien remember to give me an extra hug and kiss (and exempt me from cooking dinner) I am a happy camper.

We have a no-gift policy in our family.  One of my brothers does not conform to this policy however and, together with his wife, always gets me the most apt and amazing gift.  I was nursing the last fumes in my perfume bottle and VOILA – they gave me perfume for Christmas. I was growing crow’s feet like ostrich feet around my eyes squinting against the Durban sun and VOILA – they gave me sunglasses. So it goes on...

This year they gave me something that I have wanted since the product first hit the market.  My obsession for reading has never been a secret.  So, when I opened their gift to me last night, I could not contain my tears of gratitude.  I have a Kindle! 

What more can I say?  A fantasy comes true. I’ll ignore the cat and dog hairs and pay full price for tampons as I lose myself in my love for the written word on my new toy.  Thank you Herman and Michaela.

My joy cannot really be captured by Kodak but thank you Vernon for sending me this pic.

The Alien is no longer Alienated

The Alien turned 15 in December.  Of course, all she wanted was a Blackberry.  Every other need and want paled in comparison to her desire to have BBM (Blackberry Messenger)

I stuck to my guns of not getting her one - with difficulty though.  The nagging, tantrums, depression and blackmail would have had the most hardened Marine SEAL crying like a baby!

Her joy when she received a Blackberry from her Uncle and Aunt was a sight to behold though.

The look of love as she clapped eyes on her BB for the first time almost brings tears to ones eyes??

Then there is the "look Mom - I have a Blackberry.  How cool am I?" stage.  Pouting is of course compulsory.

This is followed by the far away stare of an Alien plotting all the possibilities opened up to her thanks to finally becoming a part of the BBM generation.

The Blackberry has been surgically attached to the end of her hand since she received it.  

Quick question: Is there medication I should be giving her or counselling sessions available to ensure that she is emotionally prepared to get through the first day of school without it tomorrow?