Cross Stitch, Simple, Effective And Therapeutic

Feb24

cloth pinks

Cross-stitch is a classic and beautiful craft.  It is also therapeutic as I discovered recently. I had an operation and was laid up for over 4 months. Life is frustrating when I am idle and, being confined to bed, I wanted to do something creative.  With cross-stitch all that’s needed is a cloth to work, some pretty cottons, a needle and a little pair of scissors to snip the thread.

I buy the cloths which already have designs printed on the fabric.  This is known as stamped cross-stitch. The cottons are available in lovely shades and I enjoy planning  the colours for each cloth.

Counted cross-stitch, is another form of cross-stitch. Here a design from a printed graph is transferred onto an even weave fabric and the stitches are counted as they are sewn onto the fabric, to replicate the design.

Some Cross-Stitch History

Cross-stitch is a traditional and very old form of embroidery. The earliest cross-stitch sampler (a piece of cloth embroidered to demonstrate a beginner’s skill) can be found at Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth, Massachusetts and dates back to 1653.

Examples of cross-stitch can be found in museums world wide. It was used to decorate linen like pillow cases, sheets and table cloths. Clothing was frequently embellished with cross-stitch too.

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How To Do Cross-Stitch

Cross stitch can be done in the traditional style where each stitch is completed, one stitch at a time. The Danish method is when you stitch a row of diagonal stitches along the one way and then the crosses are made on the way back.

I found a gorgeous web site called “Sarah’s Hand Embroidery Tutorials” which demonstrates embroidery stitches beautifully – here is the link to the cross stitch section   http://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/stitch/cross-stitch/cross-stitch/.

The Future Of Cross-Stitch

It seems that cross-stitch is becoming cool again. The Sun newspaper ran an article on Tuesday, 28th August 2012, entitled “Why Cross-Stitch Is Achingly Hip Again” .

Kids are copying graffiti and producing their own street designs in cross-stitch. This new version of the craft is called “Urban Cross-Stitch”.

So not only is cross-stitch traditional, it’s hip too!

cloth blue

Finally,

A cross-stitch design can be as simple or complex as you like. If you are stressed, lack creativity and just generally out of sorts, get out your cloth and start stitching, you’ll soon feel a whole lot better. This time-honoured craft has so much to offer both beginners and experienced stitchers.

So, if you’ve never tried cross-stitch, please do, you’ll love it!

rose cloth

A Blessing

Feb12
Dusty

Dusty

I’ve been through a difficult time lately. My mom has been ill, amongst other things, and I’ve found the last few weeks a struggle. So much so that, sadly, beauty has eluded me.

I realised that it was time I counted my blessings again and high on my blessing  list is the consistent comfort of Dusty, our little Australian Cattle Dog.   Without question, the friendship of a dog is one of life’s most beautiful gifts. Dogs bestow loyalty, asking very little in return.

There is usually a lot to consider before taking on the responsibility of a dog but sometimes one comes into your life and the decision just makes itself. Dusty arrived by default. He was a stray and, in spite of our efforts, we were unable to find his owner.  So he stayed and I am grateful.

It took us a while to understand the breed, having been used to German Shepherds but we read the breed standard and slowly learnt to ‘read’ Dusty. He has some funny quirks – he used to herd our German Shepherd into a corner, much to my dismay but he believed that to be his job and rightly so, as he was bred to herd.  We had to gently discourage him –  the sight of an elderly German Shepherd being herded into a corner by an enthusiastic youngster severely compromised her dignity.

Fortunately, my mom is doing better now and so am I.  Beauty is coming back into my life helped by the presence of Dusty, my uncomplicated little companion.

Dusty, our Australian Cattle Dog, with Sable, our German Shepherd (Sable died last year)

Dusty, our Australian Cattle Dog, with Sable, our German Shepherd (Sable died last year)

When my daughter's German Shepherd died, she found their new family dog at the SPCA. Kiera and my granddaughter, Emma are growing up together and have formed a strong bond.

When my daughter’s German Shepherd died, she found their new family dog at the SPCA. My granddaughter is fortunate to have Keira as a friend and companion

The Beautiful World Of Books

Dec15
polly1

Pollyanna : a childhood classic

Books have comforted, entertained and educated me. The first book I remember being given was Robert Louis Stevenson’s “A Child’s Garden of Verses.” I read it often and loved the poems and illustrations. From there I went on to Noddy and Enid Blyton became my literary idol. I read her books throughout my childhood and relished the adventures of the Famous Five and the Secret Seven. Sadly though, the recent film of her life called “Enid” has diminished her status in my eyes, when I discovered how flawed her character actually was.

I went on to read the children’s classics like ‘Little Women” (I liked Jo best), “Heidi” (who made little girls fall in love with Peter and the Swiss Alps), “Pollyanna” (who taught us the “glad” game). I found so many heroines. It was  because of “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier that I eventually visited Cornwall.

When my English teacher said that “Great Expectations”  would be our set work book, I was not impressed never thinking that Charles Dickens would  become one of my favourite authors and that his name would be the one I looked for when I scoured secondhand book stores.

books

Legal Text Books

I started studying for my degree and books became a means to an end. After I graduated I was able to go back to reading for pleasure.  However, the years of study  forged my relationship with my law textbook so now they’ve also become an integral part of my reading life.

I started reading the fabulous Jane Austen about 15 years ago and love the way she embedded her social commentary into the stories. When I visited her burial place in Winchester Cathedral some years ago, it felt like being at the grave of an old friend.

A relative newcomer to my lifetime love affair with books, is Alexander McCall Smith. I was introduced to him through his much publicised No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series which are are set in our neighbouring county, Botswana. Mr McCall Smith has done a mountain of good for tourism in Botswana as his sensitive portrayal of the people of Gaborone has encouraged numerous people to make it their holiday destination.  His stories are simply told and have wonderful characters. Most of his books have developed into a series – his readers don’t want to let go of the people he has created, like Isabel Dalhousie in the “The Sunday Philosophy Club” series and William in the “Corduroy Mansions” series.

There are numerous books which have added substance to my life – no blog post is big enough to hold them all.

Life would be a much poorer place without being able to escape into the beautiful world of books.

Wildflowers Of The Western Cape

Dec6
SAM_6424

Photo RL Pieterse

In Spring the wildflowers appear in the Western Cape of South Africa. The area around Langebaan is stunning and the beautiful show continues along the West Coast through to Cape Town.

Photo BWP Pieterse

Photo BWP Pieterse

The flowers are at their best during August and September and their splendor is dictated by the amount of rainfall prior to the season which can start as early as July and extend right through to October.

Photo BWP Pieterse

Photo BWP Pieterse

The West Coast flower region boasts more than 1200 species of flowering plants. There are almost 4000 different species of plant seed waiting to be germinated and the displays are volatile and depend on the weather. This means that every year there is a different selection of flowers to enjoy.

Photo BWP Pieterse

Photo BWP Pieterse

If you are lucky enough to visit the area, you need to get out of your car and walk among the flowers to really experience their glory.  But careful where you walk so as you don’t trample on the lovely show.

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Photo RL Pieterse

West Coast National Park

In the West Coast National Park near Langebaan, there are about 80 species of wildflower which are exclusive to this area. It’s best to go in search of the flowers at the warmest time of the day when they are open. Be sure to view them with the sun at your back, as the flowers turn to face the sun.

Apart from the flowers, many beautiful birds can also be seen in this area. My particular favourite are the flamingo. They stand in the Langebaan Lagoon and the pink and white display is stunning.

Photo BWP Pieterse

Photo BWP Pieterse

The Park boasts a population of tortoises, whales, sand sharks, porcupines and dune moles. In the Postberg section, you can see eland, wildebeest, hartebeest, springbok, kudu and mountain zebra.

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Photo RL Pieterse

Some of the flowers don’t open when the weather is cloudy or overcast so, if you can, view them on a sunny day. It goes without saying that you may not pick the flowers!

When you go in search of the wildflowers, wear light clothing, preferably with long sleeves. Cover your legs too, as there are plenty of insects hovering around the blooms.

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Photo RL Pieterse

I love to see the wildflowers against the vast expanse of the sea. It makes such a spectacular landscape, especially when you add a whitewashed cottage to the horizon.

Photo BWP Pieterse

Photo BWP Pieterse

Photo BWP Pieterse

Photo BWP Pieterse

Wildflowers mean that the flowers grow in the wild and were not intentionally planted in any way, either in plant or seed form.   I saw the wildflowers for the first time last September, when we visited Langebaan. This year, we holidayed in the Winelands and Cape Town and colourful bursts of flowers were everywhere.

Wildflowers of the Western Cape, bringing beauty to what could have been such ordinary spaces.

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Photo RL Pieterse

The Meaning Of “The Twelve Days Of Christmas”

Nov18

Photo RL Pieterse

Background

“The Twelve Days Of Christmas” has been referred to as a folk song, a Christmas carol or a nursery rhyme. The words speak of the gifts that were given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. The twelve days are the days from Christmas day until the beginning of Epiphany which is 6th January.

Some believe that the song may be anecdotal or legendary. But there isn’t any evidence of this. I like the theory that is is a song from the 16th century which was written to teach the basics of faith to young people. Again, there doesn’t seem to be any real proof of this.

This theory is based on the assumption that religious meaning has been given to each of the gifts which makes the words more cryptical than nonsensical.  This was necessary as, when the song was written, Catholicism was criminalised in England and this was a way of teaching the youth whilst managing to hide what was being taught.

Photo RL Pieterse

The Lyrics And Meaning

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..

A Partridge in a Pear Tree,”

The Partridge represents Jesus Christ whose birthday we celebrate on Christmas Day. Christmas Day is the first day of Christmas.

“On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..

2 Turtle Doves,”

The Two Turtle Doves represent the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible.

“On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..

3 French Hens,”

The French Hens signify the three virtues of Faith, Hope and Love.

Photo RL Pieterse

“On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

4 Calling Birds,”

Here the reference is to the Four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – these Gospels proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ’s presence in the world.

“On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

5 Golden Rings,”

The first Five Books of the Bible are the Golden Rings. They are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. They record the sins of humanity and God’s response.

“On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

6 Geese-a-Laying,”

The Six Geese represent the Six Days which God took to create the world.

Photo RL Pieterse

“On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

7 Swans-a-Swimming,”

The Swans are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit which are prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading and compassion.

“On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

8 Maids-a-Milking,’

The Eight Maids are the Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful , the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

“On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

9 Ladies Dancing,”

These are the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

Photo RL Pieterse

“On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

10 Lords-a-Leaping,”

These are the Ten Commandants i.e. you shall have no other gods before me, do not make any idols, do not take God’s name in vain, keep the Sabbath day holy, honor your father and mother, do not commit murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness and do not covet.

“On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

11 Pipers Piping,”

The Eleven Pipers are the loyal Apostles, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (Alphaeus), Simon (Zealot), Judas (James). Of course, Judas Iscariot has been excluded.

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..

12 Drummers Drumming,”

These are the doctrines of the Apostle’s Creed which are:

  1. I believe in God,
  2. I believe in Jesus Christ,
  3. I believe Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary,
  4. He suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, died and was buried,
  5. On the third day He rose again, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father,
  6. He will come again to judge the living and the dead,
  7. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  8. The holy Catholic Church,
  9. The communion of saints,
  10. The forgiveness of sins,
  11. The resurrection of the body,
  12. And life everlasting.

The hidden meaning in the lyrics of this lovely song is the complete embodiment of the religious meaning of Christmas.

Hope your Christmas is both peaceful and happy.

The Song

Christmas Traditions : Twelfth Night

Nov17

Photo RL Pieterse

The culmination of the Christmas season used to be celebrated on “Twelfth Night”. Even today, Christmas trees, balloons and tinsel are usually packed away before midnight on the 6th January.  There are rumours about the appalling consequences of not doing so but, like walking under a ladder, no one knows exactly what they are nor should be willing to find out!

Photo RL Pieterse

Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night” marked the end of the Christmas festivities in Elizabethan England. “These most brisk and giddy-paced times” he wrote, which aptly described the festival.

Also referred to as the Feast of Epiphany, the Christian aspect of this celebration commemorates the visit of the Wisemen to the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem, Judea. Their gifts were gold, frankincense and myrrh. Even today in the Chapel Royal of St James’ Palace in London, these offerings are made by the British Royalty on the 6th January each year. The gold is changed into money and given to pensioners, the frankincense is used in worship and the myrrh is presented to a hospital.  The gold represents man, born to be King. Frankincense represents the holy man, and myrrh, a bitter herb, represents the crucifixion.  The monarch is represented by two men from the Lord Chamberlain’s office, a tradition which began as far back as the reign of George III because the King was considered too mad to handle the ceremony.

Photo RL Pieterse

In the Green Room of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, another ceremony takes place. In the late eighteenth century as actor/chef, Robert Baddeley, died in his dressing room. He bequeathed 100 pounds to be kept in trust and he willed the interest to be used to”provide cake and wine for the performers” each Twelfth Night.

Twelfth Night cakes were essential and much artistry went into their creation. They were iced and displayed for crowds to gasp in awe at the creativity shown.  Mrs Beeton’s cookbook bears no reference to a Christmas cake, only a Twelfth Night cake. She mixed charms into the mixture which symbolised the coming year – she also mixed a pea and a bean. An anchor meant a journey; a thimble, an old maid; but, whoever found the pea and the bean (which symbolised the King and the Queen), led the dancing. The only remnants of this tradition are the charms or coins which we find in our Christmas pudding.

Photo RL Pieterse

Before the calendar was revised in the early eighteenth century, England celebrated Christmas on the 6th January. The eve of that day, the 5th January, is still known as Old Christmas Eve.

Puerto Ricans celebrate “Three King’s Day” on the 6th of January when “The Three Kings” deliver gifts to the children.
Christmas for the Irish lasts from Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night. Irish refer to this holiday as “Little Christmas”.

A firm tradition was the “wassailing” of fruit trees. A “wassail” bowl would be prepared and broken roasted apples were placed in it. The men gathered beneath a fruit tree, drank a cup of the brew and threw the rest onto the roots of the tree. They fired shotguns into the branches and shouted, urging the tree to be bountiful. In Surrey, rather than fire guns, they whipped the trunk of the tree. Instead of shouting they sang.
In Somerset their song went,
“Apple tree, apple tree, I wassail thee
To blow and to bear ….”

Twelfth Night is no longer the celebration it used to be.  Maybe, after all the decorations are taken down and the Christmas cards packed away, we should round off the Christmas season of festivities and love by preparing a Twelfth night cake or a wassail bowl as a tribute to Christmases past.

Photo RL Pieterse

The Gift Of A Child

Nov10

So often people take the ability to have children for granted. I was reminded of this when I heard Saras’ story.

She came into my office one day for advice. After we had finished the consultation, we chatted about our families and I asked her if she had any children. She smiled, “Yes, I have a daughter who is the light of my life”.  Saras is a Muslim woman and she punctuates her conversation with the words, “God is good.”

Saras went on to say that she couldn’t have children of her own and that her daughter had been given to her by her sister Mara. “Oh,” I said and then stopped. I didn’t know what to say. My silence encouraged her to carry on. She told me that she and her husband had tried for years to conceive. She was desperate to have a baby and had often spoken of this to her family. She had reluctantly begun to reconcile herself to a life of childlessness but the hurt ran deep and her sisters were aware of her sorrow.

Saras had to watch her sisters’ families grow while she and her husband remained a couple.

When her sister Mara gave birth to her firstborn, a son, Saras and her husband jokingly asked her to “have one for us”. A year or so later her sister fell pregnant again. and when the child was born, this time a girl, she telephoned Saras. “Come and fetch your child”, her sister said. Apparently this gift came like a bolt out of the blue as it was totally unexpected.

So Saras and her husband fetched the new born infant and took her home. They brought her up as their own child. As the years passed, her sister, Mara, had two more children, both boys. Apparently there was a time when Mara was bitter towards Saras, as she mothered the only daughter Mara had given birth to.

But that passed and all of the children are now grown up. Mara’s three sons live in England and she is moving there too. Saras’ daughter has three children which makes Saras a proud grandmother three times over.

Nothing was ever formalised about this arrangement. No adoption papers were signed. One family just gave their child to another. What an enormous gilt of love with no strings attached and no need for formalities.

I don’t believe I could ever have given a child of mine to another but thankfully, there are people who do.

No wonder Saras keeps saying “God is good”.

My Home Library

Oct29

I love books.  But now that I have an e-reader I buy very few hard copies so my real library is diminishing as the library on my e-reader grows.

I no longer have piles of books next to my bed waiting to be read, they are stored on my e-reader which is probably a good thing as I don’t get rid of books which means my storage problem is coming to an end.

The books that I do have though, need  to be sorted so I embarked on this task one rainy afternoon. The perfect weather to spend with my books!  There is something comforting about holding a book in your hands, it’s a feeling you don’t get from a  e-reader.

Maeve Binchy

When my daughter was young, she insisted on displaying her books by size.  Biggest to smallest.  This is, of course, aesthetically pleasing but not very satisfactory when you need to find a special book.   I also know someone who sorts her books by colour!  I found it strange that the books on display always matched her decor so beautifully until I realised that the spines of her books were stiff.  I haven’t the heart to question her on their content as I now firmly believe that she shops for books with a swatch of material to match her lounge colour scheme and hides the battered books she hopefully reads, under her bed or in a cupboard somewhere.

Some Of My Classsics

Dickens

I  keep the same authors’ books next to each other and, although I have most of Charles Dickens’ books on my e-reader, I still cannot resist buying hard copies from secondhand bookshops.  The covers are rather motley, some  are new editions and some are very old.

Gardening

I organise my non-fiction books according to genre. I have a special space for gardening books and another for recipe books. I keep my travel books in two separate areas – books I have brought on my travels and books about places I still want to see.

Books, books, books, such beautiful things!

Travel

Groot Constantia And Jonkershuis

Oct13

No trip to Cape Town is complete without a visit to Groot Constantia.  It is a dramatically beautiful wine farm seeped in history.

Groot Constantia was established in 1685 by Simon van der Stel.   Although it was a wine farm it also produced vegetables and fruit.  When Van der Stel died, the estate was broken up into Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia and Bergvliet.

There is no certainty on how Constantia got it’s name but I like the theory from Hymen Picard (writer).  He believed that the farm was named after a woman with whom Simon van der Stel had fallen in love on the voyage to the Cape.  She was the daughter of the commander of the fleet with which Van der Stel travelled.

Avenue Of Trees

The estate is lush and shady, punctuated by lovely buildings.   We enjoyed a wine tasting and, of course, could not leave without sending a case of wine to Pietermaritzburg.  Thank goodness we did,  the rich heritage of the farm comes out in the wine, helping me to relive my visit time and time again.

The Manor House

And, of course, the estate boasts a superb restaurant.  Jonkershuis makes the best Bobotie I have ever tasted – it is accompanied by almond flavoured yellow rice and delicate sambals.  Each time I have been lucky enough to visit Groot Constantia, I am lured into Jonkershuis by the promise of their Bobotie and I have never been disappointed.  It is consistently exquisite.

Jonkershuis

Yes, without a doubt, Groot Constantia is a national treasure.

The Boulders And The Penguins

Oct2

There is a beautiful beach in Simonstown, Western Cape.  It is sheltered and has calm and turquoise waters. There are huge natural boulders which protect the swimming bay from the wind and large waves. The tranquility is stunning and so unexpected.

Photo RL Pieterse

Photo RL Pieterse

This is a protected area and is known as Boulders Coastal Park which falls under the Table Mountain National Park and guided tours of the area are available.

Photo RL Pieterse

Photo RL Pieterse

Penguins abound.  They used to be known as Jackass Penguins, because they bray like donkeys. Now they are known as African Penguins  – and they are everywhere.  On the rocks, amongst the foliage, on the paths and, of course, on the beach.  They scurry along, looking like the bird version of James Bond in their black and white suits.

Photo BWP Pieterse

Photo BWP Pieterse

The rule is, no matter how cute the penguins look, do not touch or feed them. Their beaks are very sharp and they could nip you.

There is an entry fee payable and do check the entry and exit times on the SANParks website.

You’ll need plenty of time when you visit the Park, you won’t want to rush as you wander around drinking in the beauty of this exquisite place.

Photo BWP Pieterse