loving this winter weather........

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, 

for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: 

it is the time for home.” 

Edith Sitwell

This cold and wet weather that has hit Cape Town, combined with a bit of a chest cold has left me wishing to be a hibernating squirrel for a week or two until this cold spell passes us by.  I had a wonderful weekend though, only venturing out for a lovely dinner on Saturday night but other than that and with all the sport on offer it was a weekend spent indoors at the fireside (with the added pleasure of finishing two books).

So I must confess to not having put much thought into blogging either but rather than not post anything, I thought I would share a few things that I have enjoyed this last week.  My Pinterest addiction continues to be a worry.

This was my all time favourite teenager shampoo.  

I can still remember the herby smell of it.  

Why did they stop making it?

Sometimes you need just a sniff of an old smell to make you young all over again

(maybe a bit more than a sniff)

What a great bike to take off on....

down the cobbled streets of Saint-Emilion in France

How cute - even a baby Lifesaver must have a Mama!!

(wonder when he gets his hole in the middle?)

Then a few clever ideas:-

What a great use for a useless corner

With all the wood we have been burning lately, we have decided to add some old fashioned black gold into the mix.  This looks like a great idea but sod's law, our whole pile of 

egg boxes were taken to recycling last week!!

Nic better come home soon to speed up our turnover of eggs

My fire on Sunday  

I have another tip for you (I am full of good ideas today).  

Leftover bits of old candles

work wonders getting the fire to roar

On heard an inspiring story on the radio this morning. It was an interview with Michaela DePrince.  She is a world class ballerina who is in South Africa at the moment, dancing the principle role in Le Corsaire later this month.  This article from The Sowetan.

"Michaela DePrince was born in Sierra Leone 17 years ago where her parents were victims of the west African country’s civil war, leaving Michaela orphaned at the age of three.  Further alienated from her community by a skin disorder, her future was bleak until two events changed her life.  She found a tattered picture of a ballerina in a magazine and young as she was and unknown as ballet was to her, she became obsessed with the idea of becoming the ballerina in the photograph and she was adopted by a couple in New York."

Take a look at this:-

and then this:-

Love it!!