putting words to pictures

The weekend did not start off  well.  I arrived home on Friday after having Sydney (the sweetest gardener ever, who works like a trojan when you are with him, who I don't really have a job for but find him work at the office once a month).  He came into our office, tidied up a bit, washed a car or two and was done by lunchtime.  I thought it would be a great idea if he could help put down some compost and clean up a bit at St Denis Road for the rest of the day.  Therein lies a big mistake, not being there, asking him to dig in some compost and remove some weeds from the grass.   When I arrived home my paved area looked like this:-

After previously looking like this:-

(Not really as good as this, the above picture was taken in summer but

 gives you the general idea)

Saturday morning also turned into a disaster when I (together with 20 000 others) headed to Makro to buy a new bar fridge and some stationery for the office.  Things at the office have been getting a bit testy with stationery supplies low (amazing how possessive people get over the last white A4 envelope) and our milk going sour as our very old and frosting up fridge was given away to Janey (she needed it more than we did).  I was there by 9.30 and plans to meet Wendy and Dalene at Rondebosch for the rugby at 11.30.  No such luck.  I managed to get out of Makro alive (did have some fun there -  in the bottle store (you could have guessed that, hey?) where Poncho's Coffee Tequila was on special, I found miniatures of scotch whisky and Amarula to show Lucie, Hansa was also on special as was a very palatable Californian Pinio Gringo - a very quick R560) but then proceeded to get stuck in an horrendous traffic jam on Rosmead Avenue.  I missed the rugby at Rondebosch (apparently quite a good move, we lost) and as I was leaving for UCT to watch Nic play, I received an sms (SOS) from Dalene  "Freezing cold, bring coat and Old Brown".  I was on my way out of the door, we are out of Old Brown and the second best thing I could find was Poncho's Coffee Tequila (quickly decanted into an Old Brown bottle (luckily we recycle)).  Nic's game was starting at 1.30 and I then proceed to get stuck in my second traffic jam of the day.  This time the traffic from the Bishops/Bosch derby (that will teach me).

Well,  I arrived about 5 minutes late for the game, the sun was shining brightly but boy was there a freezing wind blowing.  I smiled at the disappointment in Dalene's eyes when I told her that we were out of Old Brown, then smiled again at the delight in her eyes when I pulled out a bottle of the precious liquid out of my bag (thank goodness for big bags).  I poured her the first shot glass (also in my bag) full and then watched in delight and amusement at her face after her first big gulp (a bit like thinking wasabi is avocado).  I wish I had thought to take my camera out:-

(Highly recommended new drink - with ice - thanks to a tip from daughter Caroline)

Unfortunately Nic's side did not win (but the 1st team did).  I then left UCT (and the girls and the "Old Brown") for the office to sell a car (I do this in my spare time - joking - but sometimes a mother's job is never done).  And I did sell it - R3 000 less than I (Gareth) was asking but a sale to a very nice military policeman with his wife, child and dog in his very fancy, black, personal number-plated car.  His wife had just got her learners licence and she was not allowed to drive his new pride and joy.  I would not have argued with him either but he was a gentle giant (with a vicious dog), his wife did not seem too happy with the car but he was and today the money is in the bank.  Amazing tool Gumtree.

Then for the rest of the weekend (in a nutshell):-

Clivia flowering in August??

(the whole garden is confused)

Yesterday I had lots of fun playing with flowers and bottles and jam jars

(We have a very important wedding in November, remember?)

This very pretty (alien, sorry Ginny) plant (Pride of Madeira) is starting to bud

and going to be beautiful in a couple of weeks

This very pretty (sorry Tom) young lady (Amy) is starting to blossom
and we don't really have to wait a couple of weeks because she is
already beautiful

Then we wrapped her in some draping and pretended she was a bride and made her

hold the mock bouquet we were experimenting with

Another tick on my "to do list" this weekend was my canvas pictures which I finally hung in my passage:-

Now I need to invest in 6 more canvasses to fill the wall properly, buy another bottle of Poncho's on special at Makro, head to the nursery to get some more wonderlawn, spend a day working with Sydney and showing him how to re-plant the wonderlawn (otherwise, how is he ever going to understand that that is the way I like it?).

And before I get accused of losing my sense of humour:-