BUSY-BUSY, HAPPY-HAPPY!!!!

Hello all....

and welcome to my little corner of the world where we are in the middle of our summer and it's really, really hot!!!

I have been happily preparing for Christmas this week!!!

Decorating....

Baking....

Cinnamon cookies as well as shortbread stars, grandma's crunchies, fudge and buttermilk rusks, date rolls and buttery kisses!!!

Making....

Pretty crochet flowers to decorate garlands with and I always make my own Christmas crackers!!! They are just so much nicer!!!

Wrapping....

 I wonder who these are for?...

This one has my name on it!!!!!

Buying....

 This pretty little phrase just spoke to me and I just had to have it!!!

I loved the colors of these pretty little chillies!!!

Listening to......

What would Christmas be without a bit of Boney M!!!

and treating myself with....

...butterscotch bon-bons stored in this pretty little tin, just perfect for Christmas!!!

It's actually ridiculous how ready and up to date I am with all my Christmas preparations! I keep on going over and over my lists, (can't work without a list, you know!) and walking through the house and expecting to find something that's going to make me rush and panic just to finish at the last minute!!! But really I am so totally organised, it's actually funny!!! All that's left now is the food and that I will do on Tuesday!!!

How are your preparations going???

See you soon!!!

Love

AMarie

THE BIG, THE BAD, THE CUTE AND THE UGLY!!!

Hi There

Welcome back and thanks for taking the time to visit with me!!!
Gosh, we have had the most wonderful rain this last week!!! And it's much needed I tell you!!! In just as little as 10 days this veld of ours will be wonderfully green and there will once again be plenty of food and water for all of the animals!!!

The Big:
This week also saw the arrival of more giraffes!!! And this one was so curious about his new home, not fazed by anything or anyone!!! Usually they dash away but this one little guy was so amazingly calm and relaxed!!! When the doors opened he calmly walked out and just looked at everything around him!!!

The others were more predictable and ran...They really are enormous!!!

The Bad:
Look at what Miss Molly caught the other day!!! A brown house snake!!! Not venomous but it can still give you a nasty bite!!!

Honestly, I really wish she wouldn't do this!!! It's dangerous and it creeps me out thinking that she's willing to catch a snake!!!

The Cute:
Hubby found this baby meerkat half drowned and brought it home!!! He's name is Sammy and he's really cute and very, very busy!!! 

This is what happened when he found the eggs on the kitchen counter!!!

But unfortunately, Tjango refuses to make friends with Sammy and so he had to go live with another staff member!!!
The Ugly:
And this morning Miss Molly rescued 3 bats from the cats!!! 

Now, I am not scared of bats, really I'm not!!! I love to sit out in the evenings and watch them swoop in and out of their house, BUT, the way they crawled all over her, into her hair and the way they screeched, well it really gave me the heebie jeebies!!!

This is where they live!!! It's actually suppose to become my tool shed!!! But now I don't know so much anymore!!!
Miss Molly certainly takes after her Daddy!!! She's really not scared of anything and always has to rescue every little creature she thinks might need help!!!

And that is my story this week!!! Tomorrow I hope to start decorating my home for Christmas!!! The tree is out already and I can't wait to decorate it!!! It's always my favourite part!!! In just a little more than a week and my sister Zennet and hubby Alwyn will be here with us for Christmas!!! So exciting!!! I can't wait to see them!!! Counting down the days!!!

See you soon!!!

Love
AMarie

RIP TATA MADIBA!!!

Hello Dear Friends

As you all know by now,The Father of Our Nation, Mr Nelson Mandela, passed away last night!!! Our sincere sympathies to his wife Graca, his family and friends!!!

This is my little tribute to him, with love and remembrance!!!

Arguably the greatest leader ever to have lived!!! Never has a single person touched so many lives around the world!!!
He united a nation so divided and led us on a new path so many of us thought not possible!!! 
He inspired so many and changed so many lives and always had a warm smile and greeting at the ready!!!

A man with a great sense of humour!!! 
A humble man!!!
A man with unquestionable integrity!!!
A man with a great love for the children of         the world!!!
A man whom believed in freedom for everyone, no matter your color or believe!!! 
A man with charm and grace!!!
A courageous man!!!
A peaceful man!!!
A forgiving man!!!!!!
A truly great man!!!

He said something once that really touched me: " I stand here before you, not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people"
I never met him personally, but I loved him!!!
 Rest in peace, our beloved Tata Madiba!!!

        July 18th 1918 - December 5th 2013

       A legend in life and now also in death!!
       A true hero we will never forget!!!

Love
AMarie

STORMY WEATHER AND HAPPY BIRTHDAYS

Hi There
It seems for ever since my last post but we have been busy-busy with year-end functions!!! Can you believe this year is nearly at an end!!! WOW!!! Where did the last 11 months go to??!!!
December!!! I love Decembers!!! It's a magical month!!! Such a wonderful time of the year with holidays and Christmas all in one month!!! I love that the shops are packed with exciting goodies, the magazines filled with wonderful DIY makes, yummy foods and it is all so very exciting and festive!!!
Its raining here today....

quite hard, in fact it's coming down in buckets right now, and I am enjoying a lovely warm cappuccino while I catch up with my bloggy friends, but boy!!! have we had funny weather down here in South-Africa!!!! Severe storms from coast to coast!!!
Yesterday my sister Margaret send me these pictures of a hail storm which caused extensive damage in Johannesburg where she lives!!!

And today it's raining here!!! Raining really hard!!! Something I am not use to but we are so very thankful because it has been very VERY dry here!!!

And while it rained cats and dogs outside, a spoiled kitty cat loves nothing better than to curl up on a warm cozy nest of pillows and have a little catnap!!!

So much has happened since my last post!!! Little Miss J started a new job!!! I am so glad for her because she was getting very bored here at home!!! Here she is with Brandy and Popcorn, enjoying an afternoon nap!!!

 And here she is ready to start her first day!!!

It was her birthday November 5th but she was studying for exams so we celebrated hers and mine, November 23 together.....

 Mine a delicious lemon and lime cheese cake and hers....

a very large, really, I mean large, double- chocolate- chocolate cake!!! Rich, moist and yummy!!! Then we spent a day shopping, eating and sight seeing in our nearest town, Kimberley!!! Very interesting!!! So much history!!! It's the birthplace of De Beers Diamonds!!! The place where Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Bernato started their diamond empires!!! Hmm, maybe I  should do a post about this !!! Would you be interested???
Anyhoooow, before I go, just look at the beautiful sunset we had last night!!! Not going to be one tonight, that's for sure!!!

And that's my little story for now!!! Enjoy the build up to Christmas!!!

'Till next time dear friends....

Love

AMarie