All that glitters!

DOWN chips are a good way to decide if you have made the right decisions in life.

As it turns out, I have.

Vet bill bonanza (the latest being Bishop trying to make a jump into an adjoining camp and landing up on a dropper) has seriously hamstrung us financially. Of course it doesn't help that things aren't great at work.

And yet, we come through. I feel like we have found loads to love in little things. The orchids and other household plants affirm my love of caring for living things. They are glorious. As it happens I only ever purchased two orchids but I am caring for six - all those unwanted birthday gifts left to wilt and then passed off to someone who is interested.

I have managed to save them all convincingly. I also care for two succulents, a pretty bonsai, two strange flowery plants and a love bamboo. And that's just in JHB. On the farm I have every plant Silman and I put into the ground. All that jasmine, lavender, herbs, veg, succulents, daisies, dianella, wild garlic, saplings, irises (almost time for them to bloom) the list is endless. With the help of my fantastic groom and all-round excellent person Silman. He deserves a picture on here, I'll remember to take one.

Last night I was lying in bed while Tristan read Lovecraft out loud to me. I fell asleep eventually and slept until this morning. It was glorious! My first proper sleep since spring leapt upon us. In fact I'd argue summer is here entirely.

Later we shoot off to the farm so I have to get my bags packed. I can't wait.

love, pub quizzing, picnics and other memories

WARNING: this post rambles.

I have been loathe to sit down and write a blog. We have really been living - eating terribly and drinking too much. It saps your energy levels and seriously ruins your sleeping patterns. Guys, I am totally going to own the fact that my new love is chicken and mayo pizza and that my diet has gone out the window.

 I know you have been rooting for me Wolfie, so I'll add that we are going to start training for a marathon soon - in aid of mobile mammography trucks to travel out to less advantaged communities and get those women some much-need early detection facilities and educate them. I am PUMPED to be a part of it :)

I have been ablaze with ideas for my masters, but I ran out of momentum lately. A long farm visit and a few wonderful memories an amazing experiences to throw into the memory banks have derailed my obsessive thinking and I happen to think that might be a good thing.

But of course, knowing me, the process was riddled with the odd calamity or three. And some of them were rather shameful. Shameful or not though, we have to make time to create new memories.

On the topic of memories I am cooking this blog post inspired by the 40 Days of Dating saga that lead me to ask a few exes about our relationship - with the aim of posting it here and talking more about past experiences and LOVE (a key aspect of this blog). The responses were a mixed bag. One wonderful account that literally had me smiling, one encounter with a douche bag I can't believe I felt anything for and a new discovery on my journey with Tristan. Amazing heh? More on this later.

So Monday we snuck out of work early to go and have a picnic in the park. We took a few bottles of beer, a cooler box, loaded Big Dog into the car and picked up pizza en route. We had a wonderful time. Unfortunately where we decided to set down all our gear was FAR away from any, erm...ablution facilities.

I got to know that tree a little better later during the picnic

What were we thinking??

I need to ditch this filthy habit

But we got some serious relaxing done

Seriously, this guy slept through most of the picnic

We had trekked to the far corner of the park with a heavy bag containing extra layers of clothing, sunglasses, hand sanitizers, napkins you name it we had it, a heavy cooler box, a bucket with a 5 litre supply of water for Big Dog and some doggy treats for him, my massive camera bag, our matchy hats that make us look like a lame couple, a big heavy duvet, the box containing our pizza lunch and probably a few other things I forgot about. It was heaps of stuff to trek away to the bathroom.

Ooooh yes, we have cheesy matchy hats!

 So I did it, I peed behind a tree. It was liberating... and I never want to do it again!

Then, last night we went out to dinner, got a little tipsy and decided to do a quiz. A pub quiz. I am ashamed to admit we are no good at quizzes and we came last along with three other teams. Ahahahaha! Look, I don't know anything about rappers or how many babies Gwen Stefani has had - so I don't feel too bad about it.

(Un)Dead Parrots will be back for a rematch next week, sporting a third team member. The nerd is strong in that one

 I think All My Friends Suck came first, so there you go. But of course the two-prong team that comprised (Un)Dead Parrots has a serious set-back in the second to last round. As my guts started to ache immeasurably and I felt an overwhelming burn in my stomach I at once realised my chicken might have been passed it's sell-by date. That's right, I was started to go through the first stages of food poisoning. Right there! The plot thickens. I needed to dash off to the loo too many times, and when we got home the party started in earnest. I haven't been to work today and suffice it to say I am full of medicine and glucose energy drinks.

Le Sigh!

Stay tuned for the second instalment - we will rise again!

Farm scenes...

Adolf of the Goofy Smile

Bishop samples some tree, always getting into things this boy

Hey life, give us lemons already - I'd like to use them in my cooking

The origanum has found interesting ways to grow

Sun sets over the farm

Farm cows

Chocolate cake

Fat cat

Seeking shade

Beautiful Special

Mind my crusty halter it still works, Paddy rescued from the SPCA (twice, once quite literally) in 2009 decked out in his winter woolies

The half brothers: Phat Louie and Joe, draught horse crosses