Happy 17th Birthday my love!

17 today Jarryd!... And oh, how I miss her too today....

I'm having a quiet cup of tea in my special spot that my darling late mom helped me create many years back...

You will always believe in him,

Always expect the best of him,

and always stand your ground

in defending him.

All the special gifts and powers

from God

will someday come to an end,

but love goes on forever.

...the greatest...is love.

It was a great day!

Love you.... darling!

Sunday.

A beautiful chapel that I worshipped in a few weeks ago in the quaint village of Alicedale, Eastern Cape.

You shall not take the name of the LORD your GOD in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:3-7 Part of the Ten Commandments

.

Gardening.

I'm still catching up on winter gardening and making the most of our glorious winter sunshine!

We are truely blessed to live in this country.

Fridays are always busy but not too busy for a spot of gardening.... so, it's a quick roast chicken for me and my darling and into the winter sunshine to do another secret spot of gardening!

......Always a bit of fun and excitment for Chloe when Xolani's around! He is such a good companion to her!


My garden, my secret place, a place to meditate, a place where dreams are fulfilled, a place where I'm the closest to my Father.

"Spring Cleaning comes early at Solomon!"

It's spring cleaning at Solomon  this week. A bonus is that we are having a looong winter holiday, thanks to World Cup Soccer in South Africa.
It's my chance to happily do my odd jobs and tidying my very forgiving house that I love so much yet tend to neglect before anything else...
So here goes Catch Up week! Catch up on tidying, gardening, photos and of course, friends!
Here's a little tour of my garden and study so far!

Come inside......brrrr..it's cold outside!

My Study: My sanctury!

My Fynbos Bunny stands guard at the entrance!

I feel so much happier in my tidy study. I need a place in my busy home that I can call my own. I still want to do a lot here....replace the carpet. Have a material covered noticeBoard to cover the entire wall below the bookshelves but for now, I'm comfortable going about my business here!

Next project, Jarryd's room! New curtains and a new covered headboard.  Willy, my old favourite handyman, and I are busy today with this chore.

Blessings!

Shel

What a Beautiful Country!

Soccer fever has hit South Africa!

Here's my yellow post today for my country and our soccer team, Bafana Bafana! Let's hope they can pull off a miracle today!

Cheerful Butternut Soup in a beautiful bowl by a local ceramicist.

 

Isn't my hat awesome!

Recipe for Golden Butternut Soup.

1 medium butternut diced

4 leeks sliced

1 onion sliced

500ml chicken stock

4 TBLS marg

2 stalks celery

3 medium potatoes

500ml cream

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper and thick cream to garnish (as you can see, I didn't have thick cream!)

Method:

Melt marg, saute leeks,celery, onion, butternut and potatoes. Cook for 10min. Add stock and cook til veggies are soft. Add milk (thin cream) and sugar. Liquidize, and add seasoning. Serve with a scoop of thick cream or as desired!

From the recipe book: Still  Cooking the Grey way!

Nurturing

Nurture, guard, and guide the flock of God that is your responsibility … Not domineering as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons but being examples, patterns, and models of Christian living …. 1 Peter 5:2-3 (Amp)

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me.” That’s absolutely wrong!

Names hurt more than sticks and stones. A child can break a leg or an arm and it’ll heal, but some of you are still under a curse today because when you were growing up your dad or mom said, “You’re never going to amount to anything.” And you’re still trying to prove them wrong. You’re still reacting to life instead of acting.
As parents we must understand the power of our words to hurt or heal. Always encourage, give praise when it's due but gently guide them on the right pathway. Finally, pray for them.

See you soon!
Shel

Food for my Soul!

A beautiful day long ago!

Thank you for family and friends.

'Living in the moment brings you a sense of reverence for all life's blessings! 'Our God is great!