Palm Tree's Blog at GardenStew.com

Just dreaming: I can dream

Palm Tree — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:54:07 -0400

Author: Palm Tree
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:54 pm (GMT 0)

After reading the thread posted by Dooley I just could not help myself. I started dreaming and spent most of my day thinking WEDDING, and more particularly a farm wedding. Just imagine with everyone pitching in:
- Friends and neighbours lend cutlery and extra plates.
- The bridal bouquet and wedding flowers coming from the gardens and the veld and the vlei ( the vlei would be marshy areas where Zantedeschia and other bog type flowers grow naturally.)
- Impromptu music.
- Children having major fun,
- Grannies of both groom and bride finding their own quiet corners.
- Platters of food arriving with every new arrival, and all the farm workers being part of the occasion
- And the party continuing right into the evening around braai fires. (Braai – Afrikaans for barbeque)
When the bridal pair leaves for their honeymoon, the guests will find beds where they can or drive back to their own homes in pickup trucks with their children asleep on mattresses in the back…

I always wanted a wedding on a farm, alas I got married in a registry office complete with postponing the wedding by a day due to work pressure. Even directly after the wedding I had to go back to work with our parents going out to tea and cake in a restaurant. There was no honeymoon either.

My eldest is now 23 and I have been dreaming and thinking ‘aloud’ and this was what my son heard while I was ‘thinking’:
Guests from far and wide, including overseas. All converging on a farm in mid-December. (Our summertime). We would have a wedding celebration to end all celebrations. A huge barn obviously suitable decorated and all the implements, livestock and machinery cleaned out. Lighting courtesy of lanterns at dusk. Lamb on the spit and music for dancing. We would probably have to hire a musician to play rousing music for the occasion OR maybe even get old Koos, who cannot read music but will play any tune if you whistle it to him (We obviously cannot ask family members to provide the music even though most of them do play an instrument.) On the subject of Koos though I cannot quite see how we’d do this for the wedding march or trendy modern music for the young (including myself here). But someone said Koos is real good – in fact so good that the dogs howl.

Needless to say this thinking did not go well with Ian or even his sister Vera-Lynn (16 going on 17) Vera-Lynn is thinking more in terms of hats, gloves, tails, embossed invitations, salmon served in green country settings that does not quite match my setting in the heat of summer and the harvest of wheat leaving just brown stubble and brown hills.
Ian on the other hand wanted to know how would one put up 100 people who would be driving considerable distances and we would then expect of them to drive back again afterwards. And what about the fact that there might just be on loo.
“I can just see 40 people at a time in a queue all for the loo. The water pump on the blink, a fight or two on the fringes in the crowd, the farm kids bungee-jumping off the tractors. The tannie (Afrikaans for auntie) from the other side of the mountain putting crocheted doilies on everything stationary and fainting away at the colourful language used by some members of the family in friendly banter. Besides what would the temperature be – 40 degrees Celsius in the shade? Everything brown and looking like a desert. This all makes a morning suit out of the question – the groom might just pass out from standing to attention in the heat?"

They at least both liked the idea of guests sitting on hay bales in a friendly barn with chickens roosting and music till dawn. I suppose I could build on that as a start. I can dream can’t I?

Wasted time or Addiction?

Palm Tree — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:38:07 -0500

Author: Palm Tree
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:38 pm (GMT 0)

My mother is addicted to “The Days of our Lives”!
I have no time or the finest inkling to watch soapies on TV. Personally I find it a waste of valuable time, but my mother have this thing with “The Days of our Lives” They even go so far as to record it on tape and watch then when they know that they will not make it in time to watch an episode.

I dropped in at my mother’s the other night and guess what I encountered: “If you talk while this is on, I’ll kill you.” So there – I had to watch.

When it was finally over my mom sighed and said: “You know why I like soaps? It is so realistic.”
WHAT realistic, you mean like in real people?? Mom who raised you, someone living in a trailer at Warner Bros or somewhere in Hollywood? There is absolutely nothing real about soapies.

“How can you say that?”
Just take a look at how ‘real’ they are – they wear Armani at the breakfast table, they sit around in Donna Karan. They do not even have realistic jobs. Can you honestly tell me that is how working adults look during the day?

“So what – they dress up”
And have you noticed that the only time that they do not have makeup on is when they are in a coma – gosh maybe not even because to portray in character in a come they make do with half the usual amount of make-up. Besides how can you keep up with the never-ending love-triangles and twists and turns in the story?

“OK I admit - some instances in the story is a bit farfetched, but I can relate to the story. Like … the destruction of Gina’s jewelry (Don’t ask me who or why) while she was a patient. The demon in Marlena being foiled in its seduction of John, but creating a wind storm to prevent Marlena getting away from John. Carrie and Austin so overcome that they even renewed their romance with Carrie blissfully unaware that Austin’s tryst had been with her own sister.”
I just stared at my mother. – She remembers all these trivial details and cannot even remember to water her plants regularly.
“I know….” she replied.

Then another program started. What is this one I stupidly asked.
“This one is quite fascinating ….”
Is it only me who find that people watching soapies could rather have spent their time better?
To crown it all I get home just to witness my daughter watching Pop Idols.

I give up.

Do they not realize that they are wasting their time or could it be that they are addicted?

Sort of strange how we "grow"

Palm Tree — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:09:40 -0500

Author: Palm Tree
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:09 pm (GMT 0)

Sort of strange – I was not always the one to cook the family meals. In fact my “culinary expertise” was always only put in practice only on special occasions and those odd days when hubby just could not manage to do the cooking and I happened to be at home. Most of the time though I was the one who would say things like WHAT WAS THAT DEAR, or SORRY I CANNOT HEAR A WORD YOU ARE SAYING (and in my mind I would complete the sentence – OVER THIS ROCK MUSIC).

I cannot help but think back of the way we disciplined our children. When my youngest was about seven years old and right up to 12 years old, and whenever she would resort to behaviour such as playing soccer indoors, or cutting up plants, or pulling the dog’s tail, or better yet, ask for spaghetti when everyone else is eating fish; then hubby would rush to the kitchen drawer, whip out a terror-inspiring item. This item would then not be dramatic music or wind howling instruments, or anything of the kind – this item would be a spoon. And not just any spoon – a WOODEN SPOON. (Let me not neglect to add here that hubby did not actually use the spoon for anything other than, I thought then, spooning spaghetti out of the pot.)

However by waving that spoon in something of a threat display, the message is quite clear: Such behaviour will not be tolerated here, this is the last time that I am warning you. This type of disciplining action usually had the desired effect as my baby would then run off to her room to play with her lego toys. This is all fine and well – but for me I never really believed that the spoon wielding trick worked. My plan of action when dealing with a situation involving disciplining the children was always as follows: turn the volume control all the way to the right – this would drown out the sound of sibling squabbling, things breaking, or - most importantly - nagging when hubby wanted me to do something about the kids.

It was on one such occasion when my sister told me about Spock. Telling me that I should try the Spock – immediately my mind went STAR TREK. I mean what could a pointy-eared vulcan ever know about disciplining children, really. Then she said – no – Benjamin Spock – an American Pediatrician. Now Benjamin Spock believed that children should never be threatened, cajoled or spanked with a wooden spoon. One should rather try and be firm, patient and friendly – almost as if you are dealing with a person behind a counter when you are trying to explain why the last three months’ payments did not go through. It certainly does not help to shut or throw things when disciplining children. Spock says that you should get a handle on your anger. Well hubby’s handle was a wooden spoon.

I suppose all I want to say is that disciplining children is a sensitive issue that should be handled with empathy, trust and the understanding of both parents. Always avoid the threat of punishment and rather favour an approach that is rational and consistent and maintain an even-tempered approach … WHAT!!
WHAT IS THIS??!! WHO THREW AWAY MY CDs, WHO SMEARED FISHPASTE ALL OVER THE REMOTE CONTROL??!! I DON’T BELIEVE THIS – WHO THINKS IT IS CLEVER TO BRIGHTEN UP THE LOUNGE WITH A HALF EATEN BRIGHT RED LOLLIPOP??!! VERA-LYNN!!!!! – Uh, mind if I borrow that wooden spoon for a moment?...

Nowadays – because I cook more often – whenever I have a wooden spoon in my hand I am transported back to those days. Now my baby is turning 16 and my eldest is 23. Gone are the days where a wooden spoon was a disciplining tool – now it is truly a culinary tool. I am still not a wonderful cook, but I have come a long way since then. Let me put it this way - I have grown as a cook.

And the lesson continued

Palm Tree — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:36:14 -0500

Author: Palm Tree
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:36 am (GMT 0)

And the lesson continued
I did more wrong things, I found out later. Since this was my first ever accident / injury / mistake with a pair of secateurs, I removed the secateurs.

The wound opened wide, tissue and blood oozing out. I moved real fast – ran to the bathroom, grabbed a clean towel and wrapped the towel tightly around my arm and then made the phone call to my sister.

I was told afterwards that it is best to leave the secateurs in since there was no bleeding while the secateurs was lodged in my forearm. I did not know that and the consequence of my ignorance was a lot of red stuff everywhere.

My dear sister cleaned up for me when she brought me home from the hospital. It was not too painful – in fact painkillers made me feel “Comfortably Numb” (I cannot resist this one Frank). The shock was however, well “shocking” I had nightmares for quite a while always waking up still seeing the secateurs lodged in my arm. Fortunately the nightmares also stopped now.
I was so relieved when the staples got removed. I could not do anything without the effort pulling on the staples and the risk of infection is much less now.

So the garden is a mess, but like Sjoerd advised, “the garden can wait”. Besides Stewing will make me feel better too.

The lesson I have learnt

Palm Tree — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:09:39 -0500

Author: Palm Tree
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:09 am (GMT 0)

I have learnt my lesson – the hard way.
Last time I could Stew was when I stated by new blog and my son just left after his visit. Naturally I had a lot of catching up to do in both the garden, which was beginning to look and feel neglected, and running, swimming, and not to mention stewing with the stewbies.

With no one at home at the time, I thought that I would start by deadheading the roses, and cleaning up around the Zantedeschias. Thus I set out on my garden rehab quest, armed with my little bin, wearing my garden gloves and a new pair of open secateurs in my hand. Just as I was making my way out of the kitchen, my ankle gave way and I started falling and could not stop and break my fall. When I looked down, I just saw the blade of the secateurs lodging itself in my lower right arm.

With no one at home, but myself, I wrapped up my arm and called my sister who lives in another suburb not too far, say about 10 minutes drive, away from me, she then drove me to hospital. It is quicker than calling for an ambulance and having to wait on them.
At the hospital they fixed me up with 7 staples all along the inside of my right arm about 10 centimeters up from my wrist. Gosh, the doctors told me it was a hairs breadth away from the main tendons and arteries. Then only it struck me, what if?!

Alas, that is why I have been absent. Every time I tried to it pulls on the staples. The staples came out yesterday.

It serves as a good warning...

I should never have had the secateurs open in my hand carrying a little bin with my garden gloves on.

When I stepped out of the kitchen into that back yard, on the little step, the dogs left some of their toys and that is what caused my fall.

So, that’s my news and the lesson that I learnt the hard way, and why I have been away from the forum, which I have missed.

Welcome to my blog

Palm Tree — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 07:44:05 -0500

Author: Palm Tree
Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:44 pm (GMT 0)

I decided to take the plunge – my first blog!

My favorite time of the year presented me with the perfect opportunity to start with a blog. Well here goes.

The few weeks just before Christmas are usually the time that my son and I have a ball of a time.
He gets to come and visit for at least a week and in this week it is just magic. This year round it was more so since he decided to that we should take a hike up on Table Mountain. Now Table Mountain is thé major landmark in Cape Town.
I missed out on a couple of days’ Stewing – sigh – however, I hardly had time to Stew since I did not even go online for what seems like ages now.
As you can see, I would have been foolhardy if I was to have taken a laptop with me.

Here I am taking a break – this in on the GrootKop area on Table Mountain.

This is how we cooked food

That is my boy waiting for me to make it up Corridor Ravine.

Finally the descent down Lion’s Head.

All I can say is that it was major fun and I am looking forward to next year’s outing. This outing was five days long and sleeping in a hut on the mountain made me feel like I was camping again and the views are to die for.