tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12441206552048240432024-02-21T02:23:01.580+02:00Bev's BlogMy Reading Running and Recipe spot, plus a Ten of the Best on the occasional weekend.Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.comBlogger835125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-67961296913922615352019-03-09T09:19:00.004+02:002019-03-09T09:20:31.749+02:00Ten of the Best #149<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morning everyone. It's just a "normal" weekend. how simply lovely. That means lots of time to do the things we love - including catching up on everything that we didn't see during the week. The funny stuff on our timelines, and the things that made us smile, and think, and be better humans.</span><script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here's the first. Oh, the irony! The hipster objects, because of a photo used in an article pointing out that counterculture "revolutions" sometimes land up looking fairly, well, heterogeneous. The article-writer couldn't have invented a better true-life example. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />And in other ironies, here's the Trump twin deficit story....</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/07/opinion/trump-deficit.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="1200" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ejr2d_bnPCgxIGpM9PufxS9CNomCMNgYAAeT3utvvk1Z_SVHfoAWYtfgGuEX5gafOhYE8atSrJThThwJ1yov03qyjeqRdUXWSGeoqCekEwflNc9EjZOC94xIwlIp88ZLRNZq492c-JFj/s320/5a98bdbddc800.image.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reading this article, you can almost smell the bread baking. Loved it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-03-08-the-art-of-bread-aroma-flavour-and-passion/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGoNmHsWVBD7IKegX4ltOZhOqZqIp7DGWxAXmebIDVedmk6DiKQ7cVYzThwFTKjdoUVfqBM_Z4BYdbk0eHlrHvBo3Pu50aNfnZi0WIoiejLQI3KZAoa2ez0B70QoXllf1cRrIWDVhs2W7/s320/WANDA-2-LARGE-1600x1195.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How interesting is this? The need for grace in politics and leadership - from Cass Sunstein, a Harvard Law professor, amongst many other academic qualifications.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.economist.com/open-future/2019/03/08/political-savagery-makes-self-government-impossible"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzNMXwDX7f9dTNa1KWQgBBcpENvFBuDS_6R5qAfWmCG_EMOnRa8XoqkJjbrXMgo8qgfPhQ3wlAvc3DjfS6u7YoAMUPfanPxPAcx0z2Fm-L7Q6oAZn1nqmv6V5DRr3AMxT39O90gzq6A43/s1600/cass.jpeg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Beautiful birds... if you can skip over all the ads.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/bird-photo-booth-feeder-ostdrossel/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="880" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlCIxKDnvyBLa6BXURHMXa50WVSyP78xRUb4-Z3C4VJu6MQMjF5KxVrG71Y7YlvR0Vp-KOcabWRZWUh9qL3NjwiNCKLjlelrTk1X7limt5y7RVKqtVl6e-uWiXo0X6nNVy8tbBiUW-YE7/s320/BipW3S9H2Lg-png__880.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While we are on the topic of pictures - funniest girlfriend pics - this one in response to "send pics of underwear" š</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/girlfriend-wife-jokes/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuuct9zQfRRYxUYegFW1NAeH4lIY9Pv6ADBVN-xj-8HHRWKQA1vuO-S1I-Jxcfmdg_gmaRsuSdJp_BZHArENr_7Xl1DvlyXV56erc4QruF6ymsvE11OYepWYWxv3romSo4ocAlUyUIkxi/s320/girlfriend-wife-jokes-20-5be97f4e81451__700.jpg" width="264" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wait, they told the woman who was winning the cycling race - in front of the men. Whaaaaat?</span></div>
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<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/04/sport/cycling-women-belgium-intl-scli-spt/index.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlHtyAiTurXfJ6g8q-NqGl5o-IISWeG0sMCVdJ5NXLYB9tuBc5ZYykmFFH8rmiYwVJop1xWQdNZJHr4qFGNhvpnj-PHYhGTxWo4j5J0y1_D-DKiJiSBQC17hM-_1-lTR1_VhFp-vjs9Zx/s320/190304105321-01-nicole-hanselmann-0302-restricted-exlarge-169.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How workism is making us miserable. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/religion-workism-making-americans-miserable/583441/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmvVRxkrmQnnXyXIO3-ZtNcZPZlpuenu4KpYMwTxGWmI1xevLAqDFR_e_oWre8OENf15BJ9dpw9-hilFTBViN1NLTa5Us1nPQz6RSAS4lAjQQmwQbwTZjcJcSLyQtROSY3i9fy8ACvlc8/s320/lead_720_405+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But wait, there's a new fix for that - a nasal spray... we'll see.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/health/depression-treatment-ketamine-fda.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPQ4KAdPk6xffhnqk61vXZO1JXFszDpsYVL3_UbbszCV5Ns5d3q4RLe8lnyww6o9eSGBQxA_y9G85W-zE4iTcZnElRXkMh47CuOz4UewGNIMkDEI822uk_PwlsFrs7FSR1J7UqX95DtbX/s320/05KETAMINE2-superJumbo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And we'll sing out with the Jonas Brothers - slow to start, but quite sweet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-26574423170922031172019-03-02T08:08:00.001+02:002019-03-02T08:10:12.048+02:00Ten of the Best #148<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJiEUme4i3-phrz3s4kDJXkFmxVDd8GfbXi_M2fjXf6H9eKBKRtpqymntsGufp87_Ztpyxwkh3wMEr4LuQGFqP5nG5f0GrM9FpAoVorObpjQkvEo2ogrOMiuYdOTbk_thOXtSCyyEsYD-/s1600/53279069_3051535958205636_3118581508881776640_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="594" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJiEUme4i3-phrz3s4kDJXkFmxVDd8GfbXi_M2fjXf6H9eKBKRtpqymntsGufp87_Ztpyxwkh3wMEr4LuQGFqP5nG5f0GrM9FpAoVorObpjQkvEo2ogrOMiuYdOTbk_thOXtSCyyEsYD-/s200/53279069_3051535958205636_3118581508881776640_n.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Time for a quick Ten?Ā </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why yes, I think I do.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here are the things I loved, but didn't have time to read/watch this week - from your timelines. Thank you, one and all.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grab your tea, let's do this.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nike, showing them what crazy can do.</span><br>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Nike/status/1101424449721638913"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="638" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg26O_H9AWE8Zv_23djBD4LGU5j3QgpKUyZD9mFPoRDN6FXwFl_7HVUPo-mJAqgovEjoY6-0ZK0oMJwg-GkeNJSQ2bZFBObLmc7INBcVrtm1OuLN14a7c3ndfT1Car3bRRi7VVyaMGy4d5/s320/5c7345d9d743890b0b44df35.png" width="320"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This twitter feed, on printers... š so much of truth here.</span><br>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/AshleyFrankly/status/1100944679569408002"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="982" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Iw_ygt9IEmRlGjeWGxsi3YgORwFc1Ujf-ikKE7lB75Jnq-D9acZNYHU6c_NmGla_rOfHOLqL9-8nxP7QVJ4Ba87cim9oKYFW7G6_Luk64XA4bva_TDJosTbeh2jETc7IbYlJg5gVkw40/s320/Screenshot+2019-03-02+at+07.13.36.png" width="320"></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/03/ten-of-best-148.html#more">Read more Ā»</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-72539303318318928622019-02-09T08:19:00.002+02:002019-02-09T08:19:56.034+02:00Ten of the Best #147<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPhqW8RxQdZSMKC5tjolFdnOJGKUiHNAQFybY8smhxytDSKsFriPHv_-cxgTH3Gas2SupfAhyphenhyphenxeIgiFU0_5S0H_oAnD9ftQZl-QLNFC3C4_Wx63jQc6kbbw21TKrSxUBDawBAJoAeLwSV/s1600/m_190207dm_4c1a5f4b15eba357f100a6b5b2e23f14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="830" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPhqW8RxQdZSMKC5tjolFdnOJGKUiHNAQFybY8smhxytDSKsFriPHv_-cxgTH3Gas2SupfAhyphenhyphenxeIgiFU0_5S0H_oAnD9ftQZl-QLNFC3C4_Wx63jQc6kbbw21TKrSxUBDawBAJoAeLwSV/s320/m_190207dm_4c1a5f4b15eba357f100a6b5b2e23f14.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Good morning, and welcome to the Ten that's hardly ever Ten, it's usually more, because I find such interesting stuff to read and watch on your timelines, that when I finally settle in to do so, this post is the result. And even though it was the SOTU in the US and the SONA here in SA, don't worry, you won't find that here today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Grab your brew, settle down, and click on the links, or keep scrolling if you're not interested.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Abortion was all over our timelines this week - with a bill passed that allowed late-term abortions setting fires alight across the world. This was my favourite article.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.redletterchristians.org/womens-voices-rather-than-empty-slogans-must-drive-abortion-debates/"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="600" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9tgXyTo65N70qNvXYcj9v3nNBH71yGUb466uq4BUZ3etFSEm_ASUuOeUjPDQJZzMzM9aN8UwlJgRdXKDBfoCRD-a36n4ym8yVaf3r6yH31x7yQRE5oRzJlgYhSVbK3uNMqpNGEuI9riX/s320/Prolife-Prochoice1.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A Grammy Host is born... Love it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love this woman - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Click the meme of my other favourite woman this week - Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the woman who invented the sarcastic clap at Trump's SOTU address.</span></div>
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</div><a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/02/ten-of-best-147.html#more">Read more Ā»</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-27186757936787910782019-02-05T06:21:00.000+02:002019-02-05T06:21:01.734+02:00Sea Glass by Anita Shreve<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOeyGbiBADgyo1jTAhl8ii7icxyMa2-bppPP0RjdKnGLDpC-nmpEJR51joSn33cVZY4IMwYvCT_h6Brm8ikUBHnPVJ298GHbKo0mKx5IuyyGVDGElbP5rh9A_uWzL2L1iQFoVaFYH2i-XQ/s1600/1218625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOeyGbiBADgyo1jTAhl8ii7icxyMa2-bppPP0RjdKnGLDpC-nmpEJR51joSn33cVZY4IMwYvCT_h6Brm8ikUBHnPVJ298GHbKo0mKx5IuyyGVDGElbP5rh9A_uWzL2L1iQFoVaFYH2i-XQ/s320/1218625.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anita Shreve has written some books I've loved - <a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2016/05/fortunes-rocks-by-anita-shreve.html">Fortune's Rocks</a>, for instance. And who could forget The Pilot's Wife? Well blow me down with a feather if those aren't book one and book three of the Fortune's Rocks series, and here I stand with book two in my clingy little hands, and a long reading holiday ahead of me (with plenty to read already, mind you) and think this must be a sign.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br />It's early 1929 in New Hampshire, and Honora has just married Sexton Beecher. They've also purchased a house on the beach that needs a lot of attention. As does a newly married husband, Honora soon discovers. As the textile industry around them crumbles and falls, Sexton's previous errors of judgment in his job selling typewriters are uncovered, and the little community deals with the Great Depression, early labour uprisings, poverty, need and sickness and death.<br /><br />The book is beautifully written, has a gorgeous setting, and some unforgettable characters. Here are some quotes:-<br /><br />"Honora laid these flaws aside as one might overlook a small stain on a beautifully embroidered tablecloth one wanted to buy, only later to discover, when it was on the table and all the guests were seated around it, that the stain had become a beacon, while the beautiful embroidery lay hidden in everybody's laps."<br /><br />"The only problem with looking for sea glass", Sexton says one day when he and Honora are walking along the beach, "is that you never look up. You never see the view. You never see the houses or the ocean because you're afraid you'll miss something in the sand."<br /><br />Yay for well-stocked second-hand bookshops. They can brighten up the dreariest of mornings, and in this case, add an enormous pile of books to the luggage we carried about on a road trip, but also gave us many many more hours of reading pleasure. What's not to love? </span><div class="" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ISBN: <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">9780316859103</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting up early to walk or run on a Monday morning, needing inspiration. Looking for music that speaks to me in some way, today I stumbled upon Majozi's Waiting, and I think I found that perfect song for today.</span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Sometimes it feels like I do nothing right</span></i></div>
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<i><span jsname="YS01Ge">I just walk, and walk without the end in sight</span></i></div>
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<span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning this was apt. We got a little lost, you see. And we landed up far off the beaten track, with every attempt to get back on taking us in a new direction. Wanting to end our walk now, we upped the pace, but it was only when we found ourselves back on the main path that we could confidently stride, knowing we'd reach our destination.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">And today, I'm doing some waiting. Waiting for people. Waiting for outcomes. Waiting for inspiration and direction. I know it'll come, but some </span>already would be good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I've been waiting, for you all my life</i></span></div>
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I've been searching, for the longest time</div>
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How about you? What are you waiting for? Are you patient while the time passes? Or do you want to run ahead of yourself, off the path, and take even longer to reach your destination.</div>
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However you're doing it, I hope you find it within yourself to slow down, think it through and enjoy the journey.</div>
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Enjoy the run/walk/workout. And the music.</div>
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<a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/p/monday-motivations.html">More Motivations</a>.</div>
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-75025663051397244972019-02-03T16:28:00.002+02:002019-02-03T16:28:33.968+02:00Ten of the best #146<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know, I know. I've been a little distracted... But there's nothing like a few hours of watching your sister undergo plasma treatment and great hospital wi-fi to inspire you to recap the best from your timelines and enjoy the experience... (If you don't know what I'm talking about, <a href="https://web.facebook.com/lindsayskidneyjourney/">here's the story</a>.)</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Clearly, I've been living under a rock - I hadn't seen this..."You should've asked" - my least favourite husbanding term. It is, in fact, banned from our house.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And guess what? It makes us feel empty, all this invisible labour.</span></div>
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<a href="https://mashable.com/article/women-invisible-labor-mental-load-study/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="950" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJnzae4aBR7ORxCyDfofSkvg2FYTtMLUPou_J_lC7mB3hyphenhyphenAWPyESFAZk-oyD9OaXDsOmYr5gApnCScANCu5RhtNJQQL2vUh_OuDlB_oRtSaf9uoHkhNi7DI-MjNVgQUXLp_O4xpbyoMT_/s320/uploads%25252Fcard%25252Fimage%25252F919788%25252F669f16bd-6f74-4656-91e2-40d88ca72981.jpg%25252F950x534__filters%25253Aquality%25252890%252529.jpg" width="320"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This has inspired theĀ following message to men - since they will say we should have told THEM.</span></div>
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<a href="https://medium.com/@TrukeLayser/this-is-the-dumbest-question-you-can-ask-your-stressed-out-partner-e8f5efcda2be"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="596" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRluSfuVQxyHKwGo0zCz-QznxGyaPFl8QAJfNBkU472LLE4APo_lyRXDroguFAvCZvHIXrTFfKeujCbd4z1GoKZk7ktVVJcjnGAbw-7s2Bt6CpstfTF6fxyTxPgQepnwjvQ63A7q1sjCa/s320/1*r4PrvvKvM4e_R3xrurzo_w.png" width="320"></a></div>
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<a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/02/ten-of-best-146.html#more">Read more Ā»</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-91510458404024414472019-02-01T06:09:00.002+02:002019-02-01T06:09:24.271+02:00Friday Books - The Clockmaker's Daughter<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Welcome to BookBeginnings and Friday56 - where we share books on Fridays. It's a great way to start the weekend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><a href="http://www.rosecityreader.com/2017/10/book-beginning.html" style="color: #4d469c; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Book Beginnings</a> is hosted by </span><a href="http://www.rosecityreader.com/" style="color: #4d469c; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rose City Reader</a><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Such beautiful writing from one of my favourite authors, on the very first page.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/" style="color: #4d469c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Freda's Voice</a>, you'll find the <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/2017/10/the-friday-56-with-instagram-56-book_26.html" style="color: #4d469c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Friday56</a>, where the excerpt comes from page 56 or 56% in your Kindle.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here's page 56 of .The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I'm not sure nostalgia's ever in vogue, but I like the notion. Isn't this the way prettier cover?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have done a <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-clockmakers-daughter-by-kate-morton.html">review</a>, for those of you who're interested to read further.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are you reading this weekend? I'd love to visit your blog and check it out.</span><br />
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-4779767452409271452019-01-30T06:39:00.000+02:002019-01-30T06:42:14.145+02:00The White Room by Craig Higginson<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The last review of a 2018 book - and it's (not quite) the end of January yet. Wow, that shows how far behind I am in my reviews, that I can be happy at that fact.</span><script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">However, since I aim to read about 2 books a week, and write 2-3 reviews, I know I'll catch up. It's just a matter of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The White Room starts with Hannah Meade's play's opening night in London. She's nervous, but also excited. The play is about a relationship she had years ago with Pierre, whom she plans to meet tonight too. Is she really all that nervous about the play? Or is it about meeting Pierre, who she has invited but hasn't seen since those days?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The book flips between the play and current events, and the past. It layers truths with lies, theatre and drama with reality and pain. It's beautifully written - artful and clever, and it doesn't try to be more than it is - a story about a relationship, how that impacts everything, and the memories left behind can hover in the shadows, not intruding, but affecting what we do, what we say and who we are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If I were an author, the thing that would irritate me the most about Craig Higginson is how effortless he makes it seem. And I'm sure it isn't. Writing is always hard work. It just feels, in this book certainly, that it's such a joy, a delight to find the right words for things, the right way to set up scenes, to work out the plot, that it's hardly hard at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I need a re-read. And that's the best kind of book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 stars</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ISBN: <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">9781770106123</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You may also enjoy <a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/01/love-is-blind-by-william-boyd.html">Love is Blind</a> by William Boyd.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/01/2018-best-in-books.html">More books</a>.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-12477355774290562712019-01-29T07:54:00.000+02:002019-01-29T07:54:30.448+02:00Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Could ten days at a health resort really change you forever? In Liane Moriartyās latest page-turner, nine perfect strangers are about to find out.."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There's Frances Welty - a romantic novelist (formerly best-selling), who is angry at life (and her publisher), in constant pain and suspicious of most things, including men who stop to help you fix your life problems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And over there are the remaining part of the Marconi family - hurt, lost and trying so hard to recover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dont forget Ben (the one with the car, the <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">Lamborghini) and his wife, Jessica (the one with the body from Dr Plastic Surgeon), who said "I do" but don't know if they still do.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And others, all submitting themselves to the magic and the mystery of Tranquilium House, run by Masha Dmitrichenko and her two trusty sidekicks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Liane Moriarty has created a perfect storm of the right blend of narcissism, belief in self-improvement and miracle cures, all the trappings of a wealthy and materialistic society and mixed it all up on a retreat - where meditation, deprivation and total relinquishment of control should result in a new you by Friday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The trouble is, none of those ingredients are very nice on their own, so mixed together with no escape is a bit of a toxic mess. This is a great snapshot of society as it is these days, and the author is a detailed, witty and astute observer. The only trouble is, holding a mirror to our messy lives isn't always sunshine and roses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I loved the characters, their interactions and the antics and escapades. I didn't enjoy the plot development around the resort and its owner - it was a little over-dramatic and therefore unrealistic, although not beyond the realms of possibility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, a very enjoyable way to pass the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You may also enjoy <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2015/03/big-little-lies-liane-moriarty.html">Big Little Lies</a> by the same author, or <a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2016/08/truly-madly-guilty-by-liane-moriarty.html">Truly Madly Guilty</a>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/01/2018-best-in-books.html">More books</a>.</span></div>
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-65362875948286666972019-01-26T08:53:00.000+02:002019-01-26T09:00:00.738+02:00Ten of the Best #145<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How lovely to wake up on a Saturday and see the trend on Twitter is #TrumpCaves? This was my favourite GIF...</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And you can click the cartoon for the story.</span><br>
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<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/01/25/trump-caves-or-genius-right-wing-splits-after-trump-ends-shutdown-with-no-wall-funding/"><img border="0" data-original-height="1112" data-original-width="1600" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnu3bNch-W3xAgbcrgfSsnS2hNMfQR697oXOxVFNKeFMMI3leI-atCRB5MPoYCHcPHoK-QJYWgu3TFslTFxDo37sL0kfOVYX8PRuMGFSxWrD4yAXO-Kl0EjN5ipnndcWPVJNVJcqYEFAa/s320/DxzD4vZWsAAgbqV.jpg-large.jpeg" width="320"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now this is the kind of story we need right now. Thank you Seth Myers.</span><script>
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</div><a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/01/ten-of-best-145.html#more">Read more Ā»</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-51450311684802896532019-01-22T06:35:00.003+02:002019-01-22T06:35:56.986+02:00Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whistle in the Dark starts with a mystery - the disappearance of Lana Maddox. She is in hospital, and mom Jen Maddox is trying - "oh so trying", if you ask teenaged Lana.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The two had been on a creative retreat together, Lana went missing for a few days, and now Jen just wants to know what happened. Only it's not so simple - Lana can't remember. Is she unwilling or unable to say?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's difficult to tell, even when sister Meg turns up, and tries to help/make this about her instead of about Lana. Lana sinks deeper into depression, and Jen feels more and more helpless. What about Hugh, their father? He helps around the house and buys ice cream. What else can he do?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Emma Healey writes well. Her grasp of the family tensions here and accurate dialogue are astounding. The brilliance is that she takes all the suppressed emotions - the rage, the guilt, the judgment, the selfishness - and compresses them into little moments and conversations that ring sadly true.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Which makes it complicated and difficult to read. It's not pleasant living with depression and mental illness. And when it's truthfully relatable, it's not easy or fun to read about. But that's not the book's fault, I suppose. And if you're likely to be upset by that kind of story, stay away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 stars</span><br />
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ISBN: 9780062309747<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You may also enjoy <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18635113-elizabeth-is-missing">Elizabeth is Missing </a>by the same author, or what about <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/09/pieces-of-her-by-karin-slaughter.html">Pieces of Her</a> by Karin Slaughter? </span><br />
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-5857730462474106872019-01-21T09:42:00.000+02:002019-01-21T11:43:41.901+02:00Stories for 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's that time of year. The third Monday of the new year, and the longest January ever. Which means we're at our least happy part of the Happy New Year. Even <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.za/brace-yourself-for-the-bluest-monday-of-the-year/">Good Housekeeping says so</a>. Sigh. Natalie made me laugh with her post about it - <a href="https://nataliesimmons-peanutbutterandhoney.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-was-your-week.html">How was your week?</a> Indeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another friend pointed me a few weeks ago in the direction of Jonathan Jansen's 2013 New Year's post. In case you don't remember it, it was titled My South Africa and he told stories, his stories of returned wallets with not a cent missing, other stories of people in wheelchairs serving the poor, our stories of Mandela out of jail and preaching forgiveness and Tutu saving a necklacing victim. This, he says, is my South Africa. Click the picture to read the famous piece.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.sapeople.com/2018/12/30/powerful-my-south-africa-address-by-prof-jansen-goes-viral-again-to-bring-hope-for-2019/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nSYrx7BJpuJIGs9bov9NgSt7TvpdoLnQLcJb-YvVm1ukXbxeXTZu7UM_9_oRCTpGuqCznnKHySzzulCj_L-awykyfTSqarV8rheGM5ebll2YP-VsFgO66wZ0_WZ9k5x30WwpeJLfi46O/s1600/jonathan-jansen.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It made me think about what kind of world I want to live in. And the stories that may help me define it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So on this day, the unhappiest Monday of our happy new year, I'm sharing some stories that I love. Stories from South Africa, and from across the pond, that have made me think about life, and how I like it to work. It may not always be like this, but when it is, I can do it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here's one about a little boy, his family at Christmas time when he nearly died, and a great outpouring of love and care and support, including this amazing song.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1548060295"></span><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/awkO61T6i0k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/awkO61T6i0k?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><span id="goog_1548060296"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which reminds me of our local version - little Kiara Mungavin. You can read all about it on her mom Jaci's blog. Here's a <a href="https://www.jacimungavin.com/blog/holding-me-holding-you">post I loved</a>. A Christmas Eve tragedy, a family facing loss and a goodbye to a precious sister and daughter, and then a miraculous and wondrous recovery, a community that won't give up on this little ballerina and her loving faith-filled family. The story continues.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.jacimungavin.com/blog/holding-me-holding-you"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="1472" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHGDSGCdgNUTIxDodLXrgNDQ7l_jXGYhEKHl1ZyWlBYxw1B-kAik3DOeepIMg7ltzMVeIpA5VCqhIPSgmEx_ypxblXmD34rR5CtQWK0aYczg_liwPDzMF9qm3kpW5PDmIM9LhMAEXH0Bd/s320/Screenshot+2019-01-21+at+06.52.50.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Coming closer to my home now, there's the story of my own sister. Also a story of faith, of a miracle that was years in the making...Lindsay needed a kidney. Both her kidneys have <a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/polycystic">PKD</a>, and a transplant was her only option. We have been amazed at and grateful for so many things...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Starting with God's constant favour, blessing and provision of 9 beautiful kidney donors - all the right blood type and all willing to live with one kidney so Lindsay can live a healthy life. I don't know how or why we were so blessed with these generous humans in our lives, but they give me hope, and inspire me to live better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lindsay's daily healing - she has never looked as if she were even sick, trusting her Father minute by minute for good health, and eating well and exercising as much as possible to keep strong. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A transplant cancelled at the last minute in December 2017 (yes we are grateful now), when we all felt this was the miracle, that felt like a door slamming in our faces, but it taught us so much - to wait, to trust, and that God was present in the waiting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And finally, radiantly, gloriously, the completion of this part of the story, by going back to the beginning. Sandy was the first person ever to come forward and offer Lindsay a kidney, and in a miraculous turn of events, she came back and offered again. This time, the tests were passed, the kidney was transplanted, both ladies are strong and healthy and there are now many happy memories to be made. Lindsay's story is mostly on Facebook, and you can follow it by clicking the picture of Lindsay and Sandy below.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/lindsayskidneyjourney/"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="718" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNa9M5UsRtMzmZJZfL2fq4-faQosofjP_L9zwvkTmIHaDhBpUaO1CJKU6Qm53C2yalQgb61kPs9ydUlFp8YFZZ95j5kik8DuDyq5GRmTjL8sjj6dKwfchxjr9jhbPuPafO-B9jlQtM7tRH/s320/47013840_1685681304880404_5851097426957434880_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And even closer - the story of a run, a life saved (my own) and another miraculous recovery. Click the picture.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/bev.bouwer/posts/1943445479070565"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV_7su6A42rJtwiM09GcF7UmCZn-pf_slDlOxj0HGCyw2JTwDmBMZDuBEWTo-dt2MBpoEkESuPZ_BIs4PP8Oz1bMkbPLOD_ClG1IcuC8Vj5m7p2WzKBW0KoDdOwJXK_63YJWtbNaidU5I/s320/IMG_1384.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So these are some stories that have inspired me, and kept me believing I can live in a world where strangers (and loved ones) are kind, lives can change for the better, and God can</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">, and does</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> work miracles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There's one more, and then I want to hear some of yours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's the story of a tiny teeny black kitten, mewing softly in the green leafy bushes, found while we were on a run...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0SiDaf_ksbpjmkEuxwvSM_LXOVmGofAMMPx7ey1csv849YjuICj-5_usIL2DS24HqAUF-H14vNiqQq8nAnKqMgLYzOzstW2t9VPOvYRkxzyVB0W-6X_pRqus3UbZEAb1BrGWVRabWh8h/s1600/ae2e8b09-ad6d-4073-a55f-2924d59fe155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0SiDaf_ksbpjmkEuxwvSM_LXOVmGofAMMPx7ey1csv849YjuICj-5_usIL2DS24HqAUF-H14vNiqQq8nAnKqMgLYzOzstW2t9VPOvYRkxzyVB0W-6X_pRqus3UbZEAb1BrGWVRabWh8h/s320/ae2e8b09-ad6d-4073-a55f-2924d59fe155.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He was brought home, scared and alone in the world and I was reminded in great detail, not just of all the cat allergies in our family, but HOW VERY ALLERGIC everyone was. That day ended with me coming home, Nyx in one hand (he really was only a handful) and Allergex in the other. It continued with a trip a few weeks later to the sea (7 hour car trip) with Nyx and family - "He's already been abandoned once, we couldn't possibly abandon him again." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And it continues, with the adoption of Gatsby. These kittens have brought purrs, joy, delight and contentment into our household. They curl up on our chests, in our necks and on our hearts, purring wildly, and we have "lost" many hours playing with them, watching them, telling each other about their antics. Allergies forgotten, cats embraced, we have spent dinner times boring our family, friends and even strangers with the stories of our little kittens. They've been rescued, but so have we.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRG72VQS9fKFVB660RrICo3rAvciTzhf79NhYrkqLq1PzsOI_w6bIQXjPrxw3NW5Ddf4Vwiy_quMstGOsZ-9Tmu2A_kPw_3zymVHSvSiuk0JpcoV37ebFh214Vqo-M_H3KN9b1JHNWmJF/s1600/IMG_1858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRG72VQS9fKFVB660RrICo3rAvciTzhf79NhYrkqLq1PzsOI_w6bIQXjPrxw3NW5Ddf4Vwiy_quMstGOsZ-9Tmu2A_kPw_3zymVHSvSiuk0JpcoV37ebFh214Vqo-M_H3KN9b1JHNWmJF/s320/IMG_1858.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now over to you - please tell me a story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the comments on Facebook, or even here on my blog. What's happened to you, that has made you grateful? What story makes you glad to be South African, human, alive?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AUK7hCpOsfjslnVfaOHPvf_kknnpmWSXvQFLjbWdy0bjZnL-fS8Z1Od0vB4wpj9tSwwleRS2HcyO0oingHy-Un1UXU1MU8kGT3YbyNGwiB14doHS_sODno-Saru7O3L9zjy8zHSWvIAH/s1600/48369213_2287858914580442_4015629782778642432_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AUK7hCpOsfjslnVfaOHPvf_kknnpmWSXvQFLjbWdy0bjZnL-fS8Z1Od0vB4wpj9tSwwleRS2HcyO0oingHy-Un1UXU1MU8kGT3YbyNGwiB14doHS_sODno-Saru7O3L9zjy8zHSWvIAH/s320/48369213_2287858914580442_4015629782778642432_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And as we tell our stories, with gratitude, let's look for those moments in 2019.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy New Year.</span></div>
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-3115530859214536452019-01-19T09:26:00.000+02:002019-01-19T09:28:32.546+02:00Ten of the Best #144<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">HappyĀ 2019 everyone. I've been away, and not doing much social media-ing. The danger of me posting this today is that one of my favourite questions - "If you haven't seen this, where have you been, living under a rock?" could very well be used on me today. Because I have. It was a big rock, next to a sand dune. And it rained a lot, and internet was down, or slow. So I read lots of books. A highly recommended experience. But I risk posting today all the stuff that you're all already bored with. Bear with me, I'm catching up. I am back at the spot with the best weather in the country at this time of year, and the wifi speed is epic. Grab your tea - I'm on my third cup already, and let's do this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Trevor on the chaos that is our world these days...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Golden Globes happened, and Fashion Critical weighed in on all the frocks and the suits - click through the photos, and read the description (no, not all the comments, it'll take way too long).</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Fashioncritical/photos/a.2366461503385400/2366461816718702/?type=3&theater"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="634" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiGeEUgWXDjeL_4oRzXCuez6SZiKK7gvv3TVefYKpt6IqlDCq270m2QVC_2fyX6l3u8bSYJ6eIyiRJHvVG1uJtjJORCE62J7Q-2JDUJUzjJWrjOQF6xYFyL0QFrlxKWuO7mgQ6r4-S1nB/s320/49805519_2366461823385368_8089905333939470336_o.jpg" width="198"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if you missed the globes, there is only one moment you need to watch - it's the Glen Close speech. Wonderful emotional stuff.</span></div>
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<a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/01/ten-of-best-144.html#more">Read more Ā»</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-79227313511127246642019-01-17T09:28:00.001+02:002019-01-17T09:28:26.323+02:00Love is Blind by William Boyd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiaYUAEhF9YerWtOBnL7IE_sK6y88LdL01M433NIaFx3NQQ1cm4s7BZx-gWgcICZ03KPA5P9-uHZHx-N7D7IGPkpQ4r9aQTaZfuCJPqvxxF9uPJQhyphenhyphenZ5gZ6LrGLnmOqKmlSB48Jks9lqE/s1600/38470168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiaYUAEhF9YerWtOBnL7IE_sK6y88LdL01M433NIaFx3NQQ1cm4s7BZx-gWgcICZ03KPA5P9-uHZHx-N7D7IGPkpQ4r9aQTaZfuCJPqvxxF9uPJQhyphenhyphenZ5gZ6LrGLnmOqKmlSB48Jks9lqE/s320/38470168.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brodie Moncur is a young Scottish musician and piano tuner about to embark on the story of his life. His employer wants to send him to Paris, it's the end of the 19th century, and this will give Brodie a chance to escape Edinburgh and his stifling family including his preacher-father to Paris - where it's happening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brodie connects with a famous pianist, and Lika Blum, a beautiful Russian soprano.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This story is a gentle whirlwind of passion, music and romanticism, ambition, betrayal and revenge. By that I mean, it's gentle for a whirlwind. In an age where masterpieces were created, and rivals were destroyed, it requires a masterful touch to hold the threads together. In this story - a simultaneous revelation of the beauty, poetry, symmetry and creativity required for the birth of a musical creation and the evil and corruption for the destruction of a soul who may compete for affections, the limelight, or just threaten one's temporary place in the sun, William Boyd proves he is worthy of the "master" title. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A wondrous 4 stars.<br /><br />ISBN:9780241295939</span></div>
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-68080636074405913002019-01-15T10:55:00.000+02:002019-01-30T06:59:49.509+02:002018 Best in Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads has this neat little feature. It's called <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1452-celebrate-your-2018-year-in-books">Your Year in Books.</a>Ā Apart from seeing what people like Bill Gates and Sarah Jessica Parker have done in their reading lives, it will show you all the lovely statistics, like this.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8pTn84fp7qYGV6utEyTMme6z12G9FzCfu3osTdtYncmPv78016nMTaFlzah4YOlC56W0XbIZkXkY9o6oGMHCYgHCPOKowHRI8zcxdZy17B-XiSWXdZRtdPMLS9U4l1wRDjJE22SZCMUn/s1600/Screenshot+2018-12-30+at+08.38.13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="1314" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8pTn84fp7qYGV6utEyTMme6z12G9FzCfu3osTdtYncmPv78016nMTaFlzah4YOlC56W0XbIZkXkY9o6oGMHCYgHCPOKowHRI8zcxdZy17B-XiSWXdZRtdPMLS9U4l1wRDjJE22SZCMUn/s640/Screenshot+2018-12-30+at+08.38.13.png" width="640"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if you've set a reading challenge, you'll be used to seeing these. So satisfying.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All these statistics are a great way to introduce my Ā favourites from 2018, which I do at about this time of the new year. (see <a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/02/2017-also-had-some-good-books.html">2017's Best Books here</a>). How it works, is that I summarise why I've chosen each one here, but if you click the cover images, youĀ like through to my reviews, and then can come back here for more.Ā </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2018 was a bumper reading year, so grab yourĀ coffee, and get comfortable,</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first one of these (and almost definitely my favourite of all the favourites) happened to be everyone else's favourite on Goodreads too - which is unlike me (to like what everyone else is liking, when everyone else is liking it, that is). But Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson was truly worth all the accolades. I keep returning to parts of it in my memory. Click the picture below to link to my review. And then get yourself a copy. And read.</span><br>
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<a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/07/just-mercy-by-bryan-stevenson.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="1258" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV01eUJmn_dcoDN6lPjLaSj-NMmaO4ZzdKIgzMczSMY1Ikpk8_oUVn94D2BNO9vQlrEn2ql5ZhJz9q7PcSCCRbMj9rbumnnJNsiAErzfp5hIuogTcy8nzTjPjtdJouIrnD4221S9EUMDph/s640/Screenshot+2018-12-30+at+08.38.25.png" width="640"></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2019/01/2018-best-in-books.html#more">Read more Ā»</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-14652441928344253442018-12-31T08:07:00.000+02:002019-01-12T19:50:42.961+02:00Best of 2018 - Part Two<script>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">It's still the perfect time for me to publish a "Best of 2018" post, and gather all my favourite parts of the <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/p/ten-of-best-2018.html" style="color: #4d469c; text-decoration-line: none;">Ten of the Best</a> posts I posted this (last) year. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">If you're new to this, I post summaries of what I've enjoyed from all my friends' social media timelines, about <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/ten-of-best-143.html" style="color: #4d469c; text-decoration-line: none;">once a week</a>. It gives me time and space to catch up on what I've missed during the week, and also puts it all in place where I can find it if I need to. Here's the round up of the year - Part Two. Missed Part One? Don't worry, it's<a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-of-2018-part-one.html"> right here</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">The recap of 2018, as per the Late Late show is fun.</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JgPjzlvkv7o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JgPjzlvkv7o?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This TED talk - a message to women about inner rage, by </span><span style="background-color: white;">Tracee Ellis Ross, was my favourite of the year.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">An excellent take, from the Eusebius McKaiser show on truth, lies and bullshit. </span><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;"></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">It's long, but well worth a listen. Even if you stop at the calls - the difference between truth, lies - where we can still be held accountable, and bullshit - just make it up as you go along. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">This is a great read by Sam Knight in the New Yorker - if you have the time. It has little gems, mostly about Theresa May and Brexit, but also Dover, and S.L.S. which is a term that doctors are using informally to describe an over-all feeling of depression and ill-health; it stands for "Shit Life Syndrome." Really great insights and writing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/07/30/theresa-mays-impossible-choice"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1161" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35OoYbych8jmZm7bKSuNngQkNGR6ZfmkFtTC5GCyWTtVaCtEJW2t30y0pO9l9h-mtp9C8SVaS8pfiH3jwVJS9XinPNHmWVcRQgy2yMEj0PFK-mSAedi7QQ-ajsk-k7F-JJ5xityiQoxoD/s320/180730_r32475.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have we forgotten how to make friends?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Crack Squad of Librarians Who Track Down Half-Forgotten Books - "you know the one with the girl, and the boy, and the house? I can't remember the author, no." And they get it. Wow.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/librarian-detectives-forgotten-books"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiirmBfcOpNVJhQEL23vbUR2kHCa5VZa8rUxi3Yswy9SvNhPYtXmWX74v-XGQItjIWFCwiv0US31P2O5HORMsqbvYNv_IGQO9lstG2l984fPBhgXUFlTCp8Ls16_EJvANq7Hp1w7ESZFq/s320/image+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Trump's false statements - this site updates regularly - how many untruths so far in the presidency?</span><br />
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<a href="http://projects.thestar.com/donald-trump-fact-check/index.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-xFggktMzJywaWIygj8zQQj6lJKVonun9Jhe5fGujZnr_cZiCwewVdVF6PQXdw_nhSnmjE9iRa1RbS6y-GaiUtASGUcPR57e7ivtFmO5p6BYjF0c_J_g6M9spJ35UMiRaRrvzfrCCVlJ/s320/BrownD20161003_low-2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My favourite prime minister Jacinda Ardern.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/21/jacinda-ardern-shows-that-no-doors-are-closed-for-women"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1240" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlxMl7OpSHdN59qa0Ld2kUMTccQhrgLUGmUPCvi7zQgopJpvKmdRtoLVKUbnpnF4KkOYJc-ukcOOTYfnGfusjz7OqsOdYg7U7ezrD3deRlrohnH_StUyLhyyF8gzKjSXorHOQ7JvCuvRl/s320/2700.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Emma Thompson is hilarious.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I loved about this interview of Ellen's with Naomi Osaka, is that she makes it all about Naomi, and showcases this sweet, young, lovely champion, whose big moment was stolen from her in 2018.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">This interpretative dance clip was outstanding. David Armand must have rehearsed so hard. I'm surprised they didn't interrupt him with a guess ten seconds into the song, but very glad they didn't. I can't stop watching it. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Harry Potter homecoming assembly - these kids are great.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">This Daddy's Twitter story made me cry.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/DaddyFiles/status/1054527579204530176"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlultQFlCd5a5e5o3NY2cLAJz-3SayZj_DrJ2qewW8LL2Md4wkFE8dVnQV5s5jEUloarDnwK-w8Thh6GlTGb9XAYCqTFICo0OjdK2drrMoheNXgV1ASGcApoq4rj1HtBQiOsF6S3Le7Jyu/s320/DqJvM0jXQAAikWA.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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</span></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">Anne Lamott - one of my favourites.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/books/anne-lamott-leftie-guru-of-optimism.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVpEjWN2RQe3mTi-fcRErECN_UlgaOaff4rUpxa6XQBO2LIiWrSpCOsy_DjDftT1eNaqC7SObLui4E2UCZ9jVGpoGorI9DGr3vg7s4BaP7Qe6d4VignW5DOQnWgildKhBTKWQWrxbLpBx/s320/29LAMOTT4-superJumbo-v2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> Julia Louis-Dreyfuss' acceptance speech of the Mark Twain award for comedy was also a hit with me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy 2019, everyone! Here's to more fun, laughter, and sharing with friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-of-2018-part-one.html"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-of-2018-part-one.html">Best of 2018 - Part One</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/p/ten-of-best-2018.html"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/p/ten-of-best-2018.html">All the 2018 Tens</a>.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-86032026099839023402018-12-30T11:34:00.001+02:002018-12-31T08:12:59.027+02:00Best of 2018 - Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hello there. It's that "between Christmas and New Year" twilight zone. Which means it's the perfect time for me to publish a "Best of 2018" post, include some Christmas fare that I never got around to, and gather all my favourite parts of the <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/p/ten-of-best-2018.html">Ten of the Best</a> posts I posted this year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're new to this, I post these summaries of what I enjoy from all my friends' social media timelines, about <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/ten-of-best-143.html">once a week</a>. It gives me time and space to catch up on what I've missed during the week, and also puts it all in place where I can find it if I need to. Here's the round up of the year - part one. (And if you came here looking for <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-of-2018-part-two.html">Part Two, it's here</a>.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">2018 got off to a flying start, with some #MeToo rants. Here's Geraldine DeRuiter. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;">She admits "I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Made the Pizza Cinnamon Rolls from Mario Bataliās Sexual Misconduct Apology Letter." <span style="background-color: #fef9f5; color: #444444;"><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "guardian text egyptian web" , "georgia" , serif;">And speaking of g</span></span><span style="color: #444444;">etting ugly, and sweary, and angry, and did I mention sweary?</span> You have been warned. Click the pic.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.everywhereist.com/i-made-the-pizza-cinnamon-rolls-from-mario-batalis-sexual-misconduct-apology-letter/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="1000" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSqeKLofRomY5rUadDxw8yzMiItP_1Dt1_H2xaRTc6iFRfybf_kjioJ4Mk2_HUG2jhs9mz9iGVQxt5VBb7RsmxmDv4rnwhvOKjWDV9SxAo9RL2qRv-YwYWRH1CQYOKtcv_w42bNBhaeQp/s320/20180109_214912-e1515635870414.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Millenials were still one of our favourite subjects - did you see this one on interviewing a millennial?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I loved everything about Ellen's take on Lady Doritos - the chips invented "for women".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SONA and #SendMe. How quickly we forget.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-02-16-sona-2018-cyril-ramaphosa-our-task-as-south-africans-is-to-seize-this-moment-of-hope-and-renewal/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqO9ERrtWZ1YB1pmR7y6oXzsNIY8TMGmS_On-KHxhjrv2oYo5OqqwSo-IfU7pW8Kkjr85bklRf_EPSg4n9nWzWpjRXsWmHkdS1fNss1-vU_nsRjyGiCfZcaXMQk712Uh7nxL7riy9MHYc/s320/bild.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hasta la vista - Poplak's piece.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-02-14-trainspotter-hasta-la-vista-jz/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="1000" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDTKYzbM2UiK5bgK4gqxNH7J6q3rDVH4uxojTCLpHXJjZ-QcfPi8YVjKx2APyAGcx68fFV0YDPegzRgrQmQWGobBjreoxmvA6vGkeePgtk2A74Cuy8tjvgsDiKuvNUKTck36lIDM1rkGC/s320/180215dm2-1000x688.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The year of weird Trump, as per Trevor.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The classic "How to give a cat a pill" moment.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC372253/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="960" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFe2qi63QQ03yJLYjz-Fobi9TkYP1LI-77aB3XMQ5vxMrd0ObvuiQuJ1gtIDTxlKHsXNomyVc1gzsNgd4KCpF3NDB2-8CRhd1iV-SEkGut6oog2oGnVjk6T8RQo7tnIVP6r5MIGZf8CkZA/s320/Get-a-kitten-they-said-Funny-Cat-Memes.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Carpool Karaoke of the year... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QjvzCTqkBDQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QjvzCTqkBDQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And this may make you shed a tear. Marshmello ft Bastille - Happier.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SU Choir did it with "Say Something".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And we'll sign out with James Corden's Christmas Karaoke - enjoy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 16px;">I'll be back soon with part 2, but if you feel like revisiting some of your favourites to see what I skipped over - <a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/p/ten-of-best-2018.html">here they all are.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-of-2018-part-two.html"><b><br /></b></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-of-2018-part-two.html"><b>Best of 2018 Part Two.</b></a></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-21601322807781273982018-12-15T09:39:00.001+02:002018-12-30T11:38:06.475+02:00Ten of the Best #143<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFVgjuVglQy9t76crmk5LhP4Oe97Bc_8JxMoQWhlgfxvbMqwpAkdzGuR3gH-8J8BJJ7TFD0XtvCQZppFQVgOdbYi_7R62qUEmW203nCfXtkdEYNIHqvkpIviuh3nYtElMbxz1-RfQdRu4/s1600/181214dm-1000x686.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFVgjuVglQy9t76crmk5LhP4Oe97Bc_8JxMoQWhlgfxvbMqwpAkdzGuR3gH-8J8BJJ7TFD0XtvCQZppFQVgOdbYi_7R62qUEmW203nCfXtkdEYNIHqvkpIviuh3nYtElMbxz1-RfQdRu4/s320/181214dm-1000x686.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">No story necessary - Zuma's bills getting bigger.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morning all. It's been a busy few weeks for me and myĀ family, so IĀ apologise for the radio silence. But I'mĀ back, with all the stuff raided from your time lines, that IĀ haven't watched yet. Until now, that is.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do it, do it - Google "Idiot", click on images and see if Trump comes up. Of course now he will, definitely, because Google were asked if they had "deliberately" altered the algorithms that determine what comes up in their searches. Spoiler alert - of course they hadn't. Here're my image results, and if you click the image, you'll see the story of the Google investigation. How does Congress have time for this? (I know we do, but this is what we do on a Saturday morning, catch up on all the news.)</span><br>
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<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/google-ceo-explains-why-searching-idiot-turns-up-trump-pictures/10609468"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1600" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJBSJLnCiaStBj5WR7Jpa9cv0bVgyFGAwpuj38_uUvej7hrBE6fDXAdVGT7kCNL3ITBIr4In-KkGzi8A1FD6GvTbqSjJt5usDkYcxrGpvetm1Ao9A5VafzhHpd8rX_Bi6ejHNhLnTAV2S/s320/Screenshot+2018-12-15+at+07.26.24.png" width="320"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And aren't the following statements refreshing in their honesty?<br><br>āAnd here is the truth: People of the United States of America, people of the world, donāt believe what he is saying. The man doesnāt tell the truth. And it is sad that I should take responsibility for his dirty deeds,ā said Cohen, reports our own Daily Maverick - click the image.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-12-14-trump-knew-hush-money-payments-were-wrong-ex-lawyer-cohen/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="640" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuxIVDCjz15qUejRAYybmvkT1fsmgrtooc1qmhlleb7aOS3W6EMWkCOBu28VLBwqXD82KoiW-_ldsWQkSu0eFpYXs4ksLRPqOlpRdzdr8D8kcXtjJgmH8giWE8vQFYhUjlfLOaVO92c9M/s320/66aeeff66959a10271e0be9fccc28f2c.jpg" width="320"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br><br>āI am done with the lying,ā Cohen said. āI am done being loyal to President Trump.ā <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ex-trump-lawyer-hush-money-paid-over-election-concerns/2018/12/14/c77f9b9e-ff99-11e8-a17e-162b712e8fc2_story.html">Washington Post article here.</a></span><br>
</div></div></div><a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/12/ten-of-best-143.html#more">Read more Ā»</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-73076627773445113532018-11-27T06:54:00.002+02:002018-11-27T06:54:55.927+02:00Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsRxpdC4q0yEpVEfmljE2sgpRlbs6pXAjqMFHhHwg-I6KeYGaSP6HZB3FPcooQZ9pnJqIGmrNiUMzeblxeKCbGIxlOMAjS_Ta05BtWIdwv61DDcm4BYPf_vR3xLVilD-C-l3TCLQfcLGQ/s1600/39224053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsRxpdC4q0yEpVEfmljE2sgpRlbs6pXAjqMFHhHwg-I6KeYGaSP6HZB3FPcooQZ9pnJqIGmrNiUMzeblxeKCbGIxlOMAjS_Ta05BtWIdwv61DDcm4BYPf_vR3xLVilD-C-l3TCLQfcLGQ/s320/39224053.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">I'm a big fan of audiobooks, and when I saw that the author, Markus Zusak narrated Bridge of Clay, I was sold. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">Having enjoyed The Book Thief - maybe not as much as others did (but tbh, some really gushed about that book) I felt I was </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">in safe hands, and started, and started and started a third time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Seriously, this isn't easy to get into.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The writing is beautiful, but there are these clangers dropped in, that make you wonder - what on earth? Like who is the murderer, who is writing the story, all these animals, all these boys and how come all the chaos and confusion in their home? Patience is required. I did wonder a few times, whether I would remember the things I didn't know for long enough, when the reveal came, would I care? The stunning prose helps you persevere and recall though - here's a well quoted excerpt.</span></div>
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<i>"PENELOPE</i></span><i><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /></i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><i><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfJrUjattqLZptcWFqJrBSLpbRN_SksPiqht9Xqkq9IBqkQ3F2RRB_5j0bYYIBc-5NNC8X3yoCMUjpmz5Oomu5Wpy4V9oFUfMx4532-M_85tVEuWgdf23ZfgqFy87OWLz7K6S7_cvIzm0/s320/7767276.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;"><i>Once, in the tide of Dunbar past ā long before kitchens and boys, and murderers and mules ā there was a many-named woman. And what a woman she was.</i></span></span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">First, of course, the name she was born with: Penelope Lesciuszko.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">Then the one christened at her piano: the Mistake Maker.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">Her factory name was Penny Lessing.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">Her unfortunate, self-proclaimed nickname was the Broken-Nosed Bride.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">And last, the name she died with: Penny Dunbar.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">Quite fittingly, she had travelled from a place that was best described by a certain phrase in the books she was raised on.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">She came from a watery wilderness."</span></i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you, like me, can persevere, you will be rewarded with the most wonderful depiction of a household of rough-and-tumble boys. Boys who had to grow up too quickly, boys who know how to fend for themselves and each other. Here's some more...</span></span><script>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">āHe, as much as anyone, knows who and why and what we are:</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">A family of ramshackle tragedy.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">A comic book kapow of boys and blood and beasts.ā</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The five Dunbar boys grow up - apparently in Australia. They have a mule, a pigeon, a cat, a dog, but there are no parents, not much school, but plenty of training, fighting and drinking. The history and backstory of Mom and Dad are filled in, slowly, like the colours in a painting revealing more with every page. And when the clangers come together, in all their </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">mystery and awkwardness, and ugliness and truth, you may weep a little. Last quote: </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);"><i>"When I asked if I might run with him, he'd shrugged and we soon became:</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);"><i>It was training, it was escaping.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);"><i>It was perfect pain and happiness."</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">A wonderful heartwarming and heartbreaking, character-driven book, with larger than life scenes that will stay with you for a long time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">4 stars</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">ISBN:</span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">9780385614290</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">More books.</span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-6783555540207490612018-11-26T07:08:00.002+02:002018-11-26T07:08:56.694+02:00In your dreams<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Good morning all my fellow exercisers. What's up today?</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Struggling to get your shoes on and go this morning? Me too. My usual partners-in-crime have deserted me, and a strange cloudy coolness seems to have settled over beautiful Jozi this morning - lulling me into thinking - "tut tut, it looks like rain" (which the weather app vehemently denies, so I should go anyway), and I'm stuck in between the putting on of shoes and the making of another cuppa - whereupon I shall surely abandon the shoes and the run and get back into bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So before I do, I'm sharing a song I listened to on the radio again yesterday, and it reminded me what a beautiful voice, lovely melodies and uplifting lyrics can do for a mood. And while I do, I'm looking outside, and I'm thinking how gorgeous our city is, even in its cloudy coolness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The song is by Vicky Sampson - Arikan Dream. Here it is.</span></div>
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<i>All I want is for our heartbeats to be beating just as one,</i></div>
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<i>To silence the confusion</i></div>
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<i>Then the pain and the illusion will disappear again</i></div>
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<i>And we will never run, Cause</i></div>
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<i>In my Afrikan Dream, thereās a new tomorrow</i></div>
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<i>My Afrikan Dream is a dream that we can follow</i></div>
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<i>And though it would seem my hopeās an illusion</i></div>
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<i>My Afrikan Dream is an end to the confusion</i></div>
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<i>Mawetbu we Afrika (Africans)</i></div>
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<i>Nine kusasa Elittlbe (You have a bright future)</i></div>
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<i>Igugu e Afrika (Pride of Africa)</i></div>
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<i>Sizoni landela ma Afrika (We shall follow you Africans)</i></div>
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<i>Siyayibona Intlanzi (We can see the future)</i></div>
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<i>Ukukbanya Kwentokozo (The light of joy)</i></div>
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<i>Iguguletbu le Afrika (Afrikan pride)</i></div>
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<i>Ukupbela Kwenkinga Zonke (The end of all tribulation)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And now, despite the unfortunate lyrics - "And we will never run", I'm going. Because all this remembering has reminded me how much I love this time of day, the opportunity to hear the birds close up, and to connect with nature and God and start the day and the week the way I love to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Join me?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last <a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/11/another-day-in-paradise.html">Monday motivation - Another Day in Paradise</a>.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-68249795091031139472018-11-24T11:11:00.000+02:002018-12-30T11:39:24.025+02:00Ten of the Best #142<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's been a while, hasn't it? Which means I have a great deal to share - all the best clips and articles from your timelines...</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ICYMI - Trump said RAKING the forest floors would have prevented the fires in California. Yes, he truly did (see first link), and this Finish videographer responded (second). Hilarious.</span><br>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nwL6GWYg34M/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nwL6GWYg34M?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1064362492959150080"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFwJ7uojpjLGdBgfzliTdrmC1uNHz7VmsoNdBDYyvWr5uExnIfwTh9tfYU_YhPg2HuL3tYKaxC3kqHNE6X6We_pZRTEb1ISYbGiTn15tyZaRV5E8mn1lmF0cIU9SPGZz61UFXbpvfaU1N/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-11-24+at+10.59.58.png"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Staying with men who think they know everything about raking, pregnancy, and other stuff they don't actually do in real life, ignore the headline - this is about the onslaught on women's rights in the US continuing. Speaking of which, have you seen <a href="https://www.showmax.com/eng/movie/zsclnvzh-birthright-a-war-story">Birthright: A War Story?</a> It's on Showmax, and quite the horror movie of our times.</span><br>
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<a href="https://www.salon.com/2018/11/21/ohio-republicans-declare-motherhood-necessary-want-to-make-it-mandatory/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDTW8x07Bck-6_guZPK3mPF80C1oGxcxpZKKtIvhmpZYNvPIq59jROE9781hR_vc5csyqHkXWyVxTHGKKEzmrPNGtAGK8NHqkRw3CBEjZsGtPkpOEl7vk2rQtByWAFfexdjOIDecZ5UiX/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-11-24+at+10.25.44.png" width="320"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Project Flamingo doing great things in SA for the breast cancer surgery backlog. Bravo to all concerned.</span><br>
<a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/11/ten-of-best-142.html#more">Read more Ā»</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-59255228170832110382018-11-21T06:55:00.002+02:002018-11-21T06:55:27.881+02:00Veggie Cottage Pie<div class="page" title="Page 2">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Veggie Cottage Pie</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">This is a <a href="http://ucook.co.za/">U-cook</a> vegetarian option from a few months</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> ago. I can never find these recipes online, so I'm posting them here. They're great - healthy and tasty, and if you'd like to sign up (they deliver all the ingredients for 3 meals for portion sizes of your choice on a Monday) you can find them on ucook.co.za.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PZdB3vz_Ml6sB1Vv_9afsTP3RJymo3pA4B7bDoEFGmtmkfkSJ6w292JpHs4OgUUyG13irA5_tiu4JbaFt6YJl022IzKKagtYFpUtHt2rg7jlqyTLoNUTUymPu9fFBpLfFisZEg6fhb-E/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-21+at+06.45.04.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="1018" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PZdB3vz_Ml6sB1Vv_9afsTP3RJymo3pA4B7bDoEFGmtmkfkSJ6w292JpHs4OgUUyG13irA5_tiu4JbaFt6YJl022IzKKagtYFpUtHt2rg7jlqyTLoNUTUymPu9fFBpLfFisZEg6fhb-E/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-11-21+at+06.45.04.png" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1200g SweetPotato </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">240g Cooked Lentils </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">240g Chickpeas<br />4 Garlic Clove</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Onion<br />40g Ginger<br />2 Chillies<br />800g Cooked Chopped </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tomato </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">200ml Coconut Milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">240g Peas<br />10g Fresh Basil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">80g Rocket</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Spice Mix</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">20ml Brown Sugar<br />8ml Turmeric<br />6ml Medium Curry Powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6ml Ground Cumin</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Preheat your oven to 200Ā°C. Ready a tinfoil-lined baking tray. Rinse, dry and peel sweet potatoes and cut into bite-sized cubes. Spread out in an even layer on your baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Add a splash of water (about 60ml) and cover your dish with a tinfoil lid. In a hot oven, pop the sweet potato in to bake for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finely dice onions. Peel and grate ginger and garlic. Drain the chickpeas and lentils. Deseed and finely slice chillies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Place a saucepan over a medium-high heat with some cooking oil. When hot, add your ginger, garlic, onion and chilli, stir to coat and season with some salt. Fry for 4-6 minutes until turning golden. Add the Spice Mix, stir to combine and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then add cooked chopped tomatoes, cook for 8-12 minutes. Add drained lentils, chickpeas and coconut milk. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. When simmering, reduce heat and let simmer for 12-15 minutes, until reduced slightly. Taste to test and season further. Lastly add your peas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once the sweet potatoes have softened, remove from the oven and add to a bowl. Mash with a masher or the back of a fork. You could use a splash of milk, a drizzle of olive oil or a knob of butter to help make it a smooth mixture ā the choice is yours! Taste to test and season with salt and pepper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To an ovenproof dish, spread out the lentil-chickpea mixture and top with the sweet potato mash. Spread it out with a fork creating classic cottage lines in the mash. Place into your oven to bake until the filling is heated through and turning golden, about 5-10 minutes. Turn the oven onto grill to lightly colour the top of the cottage pie ā this should take about 3-5 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rinse and dry your rocket and basil. Place your rocket and basil leaves into a bowl and dress with some olive oil and salt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Serve and enjoy.</span><br />
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-73953946321546956492018-11-20T06:43:00.002+02:002018-11-20T06:43:40.571+02:00Unpresidented by Paige Nick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's 2020, former President Jeremiah Gejeyishwebisa Muza is refusing to be called the former President. That's because he is about to become "King of the World" or some other form of supreme ruler. He has been released from prison on bail because he has an ingrown toenail, his now-derelict homestead houses the only two wives he has left, and a down-and-out journalist, who must write a story on J Muza within 30 days.</div>
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The countdown begins, and the lies start to escalate, Muza's already dire situation becomes direr as staff abandon the sinking ship, and his schemes to rule the world become more desperate and diabolical.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">Paige Nick is funny. But that's not the best thing about this book - there is a LOL moment on nearly every page. The best thing about this book is the uncanny accuracy with which she gets South Africa, its leaders and capturers and all of us. It's jaw-droppingly spot on - and, do recall that this was written before the ex-President became the ex-President. He was still in charge.</span></span></span></div>
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It's a clever book, and filled with gems of good storytelling, characters that burst off the pages and into your lounge, and scenes that resonated with me. It's also "he-he-he" slightly cringeworthy, because hey, if you've ever lived in SA and tell me you have never cringed at some of the silly stuff we do, then I don't believe you.</div>
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A witty, quick and amusing read.</div>
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4 stars.</div>
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ISBN:<span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">9780620749220</span></div>
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/11/book-club-books-4-2018.html">More books</a>.</span></div>
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-90431193318098534842018-11-19T07:53:00.002+02:002018-11-19T08:06:41.452+02:00Another Day in Paradise<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morning all.</span><script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Every time we go out for a walk, or a run, we find ourselves saying - oh look, another perfect day.</span></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-cxuycQ4uUYDxO9BRP94Qd-X1UoVmUosOywbNSf_ocEDSpw4-WjdOCRgm5et61Kbxk1AkOC3xyOTleLC2b2sMBcjVIfveyLhwvtLHFsQ3Lzlv7rYZ9jhoumzbWSCYS17aZEhdUIZnfaI/s320/IMG_1459.JPG" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And the only blight on this morning's perfection was a fierce rumbling little thunderstorm that came just as we wanted to go, but hey, we're flexible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I type, the sun is streaming, the sky is blue, and there will be that cool freshness in the warmth as we go. We'll gaze in wonder at the greenery - the dark ivy rambling up the crisp grey bark, the luscious pale green lawns and the brightness of the light on the jasmine bushes. I can't wait.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am extremely aware that, in other parts of the world today, it's probably raining, or even maybe snowing, or cold and damp and dreary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But hey, why let the weather hold you back? It's that time of year when we just want to run a bit faster, a bit further, see if we can achieve a little more for ourselves, and I just know we can. And wherever you are, if you're healthy and able to exercise, you have a little piece of paradise right there.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjJknlbFqcJ-SG7KfmCbFdpvIprbWEfEgm7iWt9_KYNCQFxTsmS0WHC1JRsck97-chmDDCv6BlTmuit4eRoTLSgnGXfXUH8ujxHCcMwVntHCl9lGChsJHJgEFRhVV495VUVl2Nue21T-f/s1600/IMG_1467.JPG"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjJknlbFqcJ-SG7KfmCbFdpvIprbWEfEgm7iWt9_KYNCQFxTsmS0WHC1JRsck97-chmDDCv6BlTmuit4eRoTLSgnGXfXUH8ujxHCcMwVntHCl9lGChsJHJgEFRhVV495VUVl2Nue21T-f/s200/IMG_1467.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAkAcs62qp-qM-oEtBe7Z7Gp_ocC2iaMrcn746o33Pt2TzYTAjd3CR2BHjmWK1dsIdIzq9-IEt_ucza5YRqWKLnSVHJqNtuyqTGgfliGIvOcyf9QBzhMEeInSOy16-zM7CpPvCSKgIrM3/s1600/IMG_1466.JPG"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAkAcs62qp-qM-oEtBe7Z7Gp_ocC2iaMrcn746o33Pt2TzYTAjd3CR2BHjmWK1dsIdIzq9-IEt_ucza5YRqWKLnSVHJqNtuyqTGgfliGIvOcyf9QBzhMEeInSOy16-zM7CpPvCSKgIrM3/s200/IMG_1466.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So if my pictures and words haven't encouraged you to put on your trainers yet, here's some music. It's Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise. Of course it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<i>She calls out to the man on the street</i></div>
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<i>"Sir, can you help me?</i></div>
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<i>It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep</i></div>
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<i>Is there somewhere you can tell me?"</i></div>
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<i>He walks on, doesn't look back</i></div>
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<i>He pretends he can't hear her</i></div>
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<i>He starts to whistle as he crosses the street</i></div>
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<i>She's embarrassed to be there</i></div>
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<i>Oh, think twice, it's just another day for</i></div>
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<i>For you and me in paradise</i></div>
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<i>Oh, think twice, it's just another day</i></div>
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<i>For you, you and me in paradise</i></div>
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<i>Just think about it</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have fun out there.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244120655204824043.post-83369281919205228492018-11-15T10:25:00.000+02:002018-11-15T10:25:37.639+02:00Trust Women by Rebecca Todd Peters<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Trust Women: A Progressive Christian Argument for Reproductive Justice</b></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There was so much about this book that appealed to me. Firstly, the author - <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">Rebecca Todd Peters, is a Presbyterian minister and social ethicist, and I reasoned she would be a person I could relate to on this subject matter. Secondly, the title - it seems to me that a lot of the people we listen to about abortion have more testosterone than estrogen. And thirdly, the context - I'd just finished Jodi Picoult's "<a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-spark-of-light-by-jodi-picoult.html">A Spark of </a></span></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><a href="http://bevbouwer.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-spark-of-light-by-jodi-picoult.html">Light</a>" and was feeling the need (also given the current debate in the US and across the globe) for something more factual.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggJwKbnQK7YjgaroqfVV0lfMT14BNgodry7ReTrrRGmC41_LOAauvLuMIaHpy9n2PB_hJ7VyTL8RggfBGKzUuGK4eBLHvTMS8jZ-smjT7BbAJDbBGaXtuADBn12ro5ZiFpKyJx9LzugrV/s1600/35793700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggJwKbnQK7YjgaroqfVV0lfMT14BNgodry7ReTrrRGmC41_LOAauvLuMIaHpy9n2PB_hJ7VyTL8RggfBGKzUuGK4eBLHvTMS8jZ-smjT7BbAJDbBGaXtuADBn12ro5ZiFpKyJx9LzugrV/s320/35793700.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">Here's the <span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">premise : </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">"Roughly one-third of US women will have an abortion by age forty-five, and fifty to sixty percent of the women who have abortions were using birth control during the month they got pregnant. Yet women who have abortions are routinely shamed and judged, and safe and affordable access to abortion is under relentless assault, with the most devastating impact on poor women and women of colour." The author goes on to argue that </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">"... this shaming and judging reflects deep, often unspoken patriarchal and racist assumptions about women and women's sexual activity. These assumptions are at the heart of what she calls the justification framework, which governs our public debate about abortion, and disrupts our ability to have authentic public discussions about the health and well-being of women and their families."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">What I didn't bargain for was the personal stories that were shared - which were deeply insightful and impactful; her views, which presumably in her world are more than a little controversial, and her courage in sharing not only her stories, but her journey, which was helpful in terms of conversations to have around this important topic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">What I was left with was the conviction that however you view this issue, stealing agency from the people most affected by these laws and arguments - the pregnant women, is morally wrong and there is no good reason to do so. The fact that this disenfranchised group have been treated so poorly by society - especially when there is a sperm that has 'triggered' the pregnancy, the source of </span>which has long moved on and very seldom bears any consequences makes the imposition of judgement and "rules", when each situation is deeply personal and profoundly different, at best silly, and at worst, heaping coals upon pain and struggle.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes the text was very repetitive, but the facts, figures and observations were challenging and persuasive.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4 stars</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">ISBN: </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">9780807069981</span></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright Bev Bouwer 2016</div>Bev Bouwerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769981792969233023noreply@blogger.com0