Chill

I have just seen the happiest man in Bellville, or even Cape Town.
I was waiting at the lights and he appeared, off the pavement, pushing his trolley. On the front of the trolley was a life-size raffia lions head, mane fluttering as he dodged around cars. His few belongings were in the trolley and of course the aerial attached to the handle had flags and ribbons. As he ran in front of my car he flashed me the broadest smile, teeth missing and a scrabby beard, sheer joy on his face.
I expect part of that happiness is that despite the big trolley he has no baggage.

Hugh - Phew!

We watched the Academy Awards last night, my word, what a superb show, about time, the last few years haven't been too great.
Who knew Hugh Jackman was so talented? I certainly had no idea, in fact I was surprised when it was announced that he would host the show - brilliant choice and easy on the eye as well.
I have never like Jerry Lewis, not my kind of comedien so I felt humbled when I heard of his amazing charity work, he has helped raise billions for muscular dystrophy and apparently done it quietly. Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and many, many more actors and actresses use their fame to help others. That's what the phrase "giving back" means.
I loved the sheer joy on the faces of the Slumdog cast and crew every time it won an award and I love the grace Meryl Streep shows (not to mention that lovely skin) whenever she's in the public eye.
Yes, I'm a sucker for the awards shows, how dull our lives would be without the occasional movie and ever present music.
But where was Jack Nicholsen?? I don't remember an Oscar evening without him.
Just in case you don't know, Pearce Brosnen won a Rassie for the worst singing in Mama Mia, a well deserved award!

Tuesday Tip

Sometimes we rush home, from work or where ever and the pressure is on to make a quick meal. Here is the easiest, we call it Midnight Mince - I have no idea why.
Set the oven to 180 deg. Put 500g free range beef mince into a casserole, add one tin of All Gold Indian tomatoes and one tin of kidney beans (drained and rinsed). Give it a really good stir, put on the lid and into the oven it goes. It doesn't matter if the oven hasn't reached 180, you were so quick, just leave it in for an hour, take it out, stir to see if it's all cooked through and there you have it.
If you have rice cooker you might want to cook a cup of rice to serve with this, I don't have one so I microwave some tagliatelli to serve with the mince. Remember, pasta takes the same time to cook on the stove as it does in the microwave.
Perhaps one of my vegetarian friend would like to try this with soy mince and let me know if it works. It really is the quickest, easiest meal ever.

Wish I'd said that

I use a real paper diary, I read it, write in it, keep accounts in it and enjoy the quotes at the bottom of every page. I don't read them every day, sometimes I forget, but here are four of this years favourites.

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." Martin Luther King
"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't" Erica Jong
"Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor" H.Jackson Brown jnr
and the one we should remember every day
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless" Mother Teresa

Sport - pshaw!!

I almost got it. Why people are so enthusiastic about sport. Wednesday evening the love of my life was in front of the TV, remote in hand. He was switching channels with the dexterity of a 14 year old girl texting her friends from a dark movie house. WWE, 20/20 and more 20/20. Cricket, wrestling, Durban, Jhb, too much. I hope the advertisers didn't think anyone was watching their ads, they weren't.
What struck me most was the faces of the spectators. Some really pretty girls, well dressed and made up. Clearly over the top for a cricket match but perfect for a 5 second TV shot. But the real fans, the joy and animation on their faces, the shock/horror when things went wrong, these were thousands of people who were living the moment to the full. I do believe the Cobra's coach sweated out at least 5kgs towards the end of the game (or is it a match?) Do not confuse these people with the wrestling fans, least said the better.
I was reading my Chakra book, earphones tightly plugged in but I have to confess (don't tell my mother) that I put down the book, turned off the (awesome) IPod, took off my reading glasses and enjoyed the sudden death thingy to find the winners of the two cricket matches.
You go Cobras!!
However, today is friday and for the second week in a row Eli Stone has been cast aside for the tedious game of rugby - after all, DSTV only have about 15 sport channels so of course they have to use my channel for that silly game. Frankly although soccer, the beautiful game, is the only sport that moves me, I'd even be fed up if that was on.

Tuesday Tip

So, having gently relocated that pretty rain spider you're strolling around the grounds of the family home when HORRORS!! what is that hanging from a bush. So carefully made out of leaves and stuff (I'm not looking inside) it's mummy spider's nest of babies, who knows how many??
Get your significant other to hold open a plastic bag (any store will do) while you pick up the poop-scoop. Open the jaws of the scoop and carefully slide it over the nest, close the jaws. Gently pull the nest in to the packet and have him tie a knot at the top, no point in you risking baby spiders up the arm.
How you dispose of the parcel is your choice but I recommend getting it off your property asap.

Mojo??

How amazing is music? It can lift you from the doldrums to shiny life just like that! I was feeling rather low the other evening, sitting in front of the TV, just watching, you know that feeling. Then the theme tune of the show - Chuck - played and it was so perky that within seconds my whole demeanour changed and once again life was good. Again today, not the best start to the week and on the radio came one of my favourite songs, Shackles by Mary Mary.
Now like James Brown - I feel good!!

I did not know this

Have you ever wondered about the shelf life of your cosmetics? We know they don't work when they get old (much like a lot of us humans) but when is that?
Turn over the cosmetic container and on the bottom or side you will see a symbol of an open jar and on it is (e.g.) 24m or 6m denoting the number of months your product will stay fresh once opened.
How clever.
It's up to you to remember when you opened the jar.

Tuesday Tip

How to catch a rain spider.

When you see that beautiful spider, lurking on the bedroom wall, tiptoe to the kitchen and get a see-through plastic container and a plastic slicing mat. Quietly, quietly climb onto a stool or ladder (don't fall now) and quick as a wink put the container over the spider. He/she will be rather surprised by your bravery and may run around a little, while she's doing that slide the mat under the bowl and holding it tightly against the container climb down.
This is where you need a helper to open the front door so that you can take the sweet thing to the nearest field to be released.
A little tip, stand upwind as you open the trap on the ground otherwise you will have spider web and perhaps even spider stuck to your leg. That might make you scream.

Next week, how to dispose of said rain spider's nest of babies (humanely).

Kids......

I see there's talk of installing metal detectors at schools here in SA. We've heard it before and I believe other countries have done just that. But isn't it too late, locking the stable door after the horse has bolted?
What happened to discipline? I am not in favour of corporal punishment (or capitol for that matter). I have never understood the bully mentality of an adult who hits a child, sorry but that's just me. But I do believe that when a child is in your care it's your responsibility to teach the simple values of life to the best of your ability, after all there is still no handbook.
Sadly it seems that some unlucky children have been given too much say in life with the result that because we're scared to be in charge as they grow up the children themselves face the consequences.
In the UK I am told there are adult only screenings of movies, not adult movie content but just a desire for peace and quiet in the cinema, even if you're watching Shrek. Some venues here won't take bookings for 21st birthday parties and some DJ's just don't do under 23 gigs.
It's going to get worse and the freedom which should so rightly be made available to every young person will slowly be erroded by the bad behaviour of some of their peers.
Guys, please don't let it happen, adults and children can co-exist, it just needs effort from both sides.
And please stop referring to "the youth" that poor boy must be sick of taking the rap for everything.

Australia

Oh Australia, how my heart aches for your loss. How can we possibly imagine the terror and pain your people have gone through. I'm not as brave as your firefighters so I only managed to look at three photos of the inferno and the people who've lost everything. My tears seem so shallow, it's not my loss and it's not my pain, I have no loved ones in that area and yet I feel shattered.
Australia, you're in my prayers.

Did you see that?

There we were, sitting at the patio table, eating dinner. Amber cat was stalking our plates of food, clearly imagining that she was invisible. Daisy was sitting at Rowland's side, mouth half open in anticipation of a tasty morsel and some figure skating was droning along gently on the TV. Peace.
Then it hit, I have never before witnessed thunder and lightening at the same time, as the thunder gave a mighty crash above our heads, the lightening lit up Edgemead and there was a mighty crack.
Well, thank goodness Amber was scared s...less otherwise the stirfry would have been ruined. She leaped in the air like a cat a quarter of her age, flew off the table and retreated to the safety of the hall. I ran barefoot (I don't do barefoot) to the granny flat to check on the granny, she had been reclining on the lazyboy, in the dark, listening to music. It's a tribute to that pacemaker that she made it. I was going to offer the safety of hiding under the bed in the guest room but it wasn't needed.
So, back to the love of my life who, thankfully, doesn't have a dicky ticker, he had checked the perimeter and was sitting down again. I looked down at Daisy who apparently has her doggy priorities sorted, she looked up at me as if to say "So am I getting chicken or not?"
Life is so exciting in the middle suburbs.

pre blog

Will someone please explain the overuse of "pre"?
How do I pre-book? Does this mean I'll still have to book but perhaps pre-booking means I'll have a better chance. Pre-enter, well, either I enter or not and if I enter before entries open, what's the point.
I fully expect someone to ask me to pre-reserve a place at the restaurant, but perhaps if I pre-book my table I'll be able to eat my meal and leave before I actually have to book.??

Need I say more?

Premier Colin Barnett of Perth has scrapped plans to build a new football stadium (presumably that macho Aussie rules stuff) in favour of replacing Princess Margaret Children's Hospital. He states
"As I have said previously the Government makes no apology for putting schools and hospitals ahead of a new football stadium"
Good on yu mate!