Best of 2018 - Part Two

It's still the perfect time for me to publish a "Best of 2018" post,  and gather all my favourite parts of the Ten of the Best posts I posted this (last) year.    

If you're new to this, I post summaries of what I've enjoyed from all my friends' social media timelines, about once a week. 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 right here.    

The recap of 2018, as per the Late Late show is fun.

This TED talk - a message to women about inner rage, by Tracee Ellis Ross, was my favourite of the year.

An excellent take, from the Eusebius McKaiser show on truth, lies and bullshit. 
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. 

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.

Have we forgotten how to make friends?

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.

Trump's false statements - this site updates regularly - how many untruths so far in the presidency?

My favourite prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

Emma Thompson is hilarious.

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.

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. 

Harry Potter homecoming assembly - these kids are great.

This Daddy's Twitter story made me cry.

Anne Lamott - one of my favourites.

 Julia Louis-Dreyfuss' acceptance speech of the Mark Twain award for comedy was also a hit with me.

Happy 2019, everyone! Here's to more fun, laughter, and sharing with friends.

Best of 2018 - Part One.

All the 2018 Tens.

Best of 2018 - Part One

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 Ten of the Best posts I posted this year.    

If you're new to this, I post these summaries of what I enjoy from all my friends' social media timelines, about once a week. 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 Part Two, it's here.)     

2018 got off to a flying start, with some #MeToo rants. Here's Geraldine DeRuiter. She admits "I Made the Pizza Cinnamon Rolls from Mario Batali’s Sexual Misconduct Apology Letter." And speaking of getting ugly, and sweary, and angry, and did I mention sweary? You have been warned. Click the pic.

Millenials were still one of our favourite subjects - did you see this one on interviewing a millennial?

I loved everything about Ellen's take on Lady Doritos - the chips invented "for women".

SONA and #SendMe. How quickly we forget.

Hasta la vista - Poplak's piece.

The year of weird Trump, as per Trevor.

The classic "How to give a cat a pill" moment.

The  Carpool Karaoke of the year... 

And this may make you shed a tear. Marshmello ft Bastille - Happier.

SU Choir did it with "Say Something".

And we'll sign out with James Corden's Christmas Karaoke - enjoy.

I'll be back soon with part 2, but if you feel like revisiting some of your favourites to see what I skipped over - here they all are.

Best of 2018 Part Two.

Ten of the Best #143

No story necessary - Zuma's bills getting bigger.

Morning all. It's been a busy few weeks for me and my family, so I apologise for the radio silence. But I'm back, with all the stuff raided from your time lines, that I haven't watched yet. Until now, that is.

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.)

And aren't the following statements refreshing in their honesty?

“And here is the truth: People of the United States of America, people of the world, don’t believe what he is saying. The man doesn’t tell the truth. And it is sad that I should take responsibility for his dirty deeds,” said Cohen, reports our own Daily Maverick - click the image.

“I am done with the lying,” Cohen said. “I am done being loyal to President Trump.” Washington Post article here.

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

I'm a big fan of audiobooks, and when I saw that the author, Markus Zusak narrated Bridge of Clay, I was sold. 

Having enjoyed The Book Thief - maybe not as much as others did (but tbh, some really gushed about that book) I felt I was in safe hands, and started, and started and started a third time.

Seriously, this isn't easy to get into.

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.

"PENELOPE

Once, in the tide of Dunbar past – long before kitchens and boys, and murderers and mules – there was a many-named woman. And what a woman she was.

First, of course, the name she was born with: Penelope Lesciuszko.
Then the one christened at her piano: the Mistake Maker.
Her factory name was Penny Lessing.
Her unfortunate, self-proclaimed nickname was the Broken-Nosed Bride.
And last, the name she died with: Penny Dunbar.
Quite fittingly, she had travelled from a place that was best described by a certain phrase in the books she was raised on.
She came from a watery wilderness."

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...

“He, as much as anyone, knows who and why and what we are:

A family of ramshackle tragedy.

A comic book kapow of boys and blood and beasts.”

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 mystery and awkwardness, and ugliness and truth, you may weep a little. Last quote: 

"When I asked if I might run with him, he'd shrugged and we soon became:

It was training, it was escaping.

It was perfect pain and happiness."

A wonderful heartwarming and heartbreaking, character-driven book, with larger than life scenes that will stay with you for a long time.

4 stars

ISBN:9780385614290

More books.

In your dreams

Good morning all my fellow exercisers. What's up today?

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.

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.

The song is by Vicky Sampson - Arikan Dream. Here it is.

All I want is for our heartbeats to be beating just as one,

To silence the confusion

Then the pain and the illusion will disappear again

And we will never run, Cause

In my Afrikan Dream, there’s a new tomorrow

My Afrikan Dream is a dream that we can follow

And though it would seem my hope’s an illusion

My Afrikan Dream is an end to the confusion

Mawetbu we Afrika (Africans)

Nine kusasa Elittlbe (You have a bright future)

Igugu e Afrika (Pride of Africa)

Sizoni landela ma Afrika (We shall follow you Africans)

Siyayibona Intlanzi (We can see the future)

Ukukbanya Kwentokozo (The light of joy)

Iguguletbu le Afrika (Afrikan pride)

Ukupbela Kwenkinga Zonke (The end of all tribulation)

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.

Join me?

Last Monday motivation - Another Day in Paradise.

Ten of the Best #142

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...

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.

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 Birthright: A War Story? It's on Showmax, and quite the horror movie of our times.

Project Flamingo doing great things in SA for the breast cancer surgery backlog. Bravo to all concerned.

Veggie Cottage Pie

Veggie Cottage Pie

This is a U-cook vegetarian option from a few months 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.

1200g SweetPotato 
240g Cooked Lentils 
240g Chickpeas
4 Garlic Clove
2 Onion
40g Ginger
2 Chillies
800g Cooked Chopped Tomato 
200ml Coconut Milk
240g Peas
10g Fresh Basil 
80g Rocket

Spice Mix
20ml Brown Sugar
8ml Turmeric
6ml Medium Curry Powder
6ml Ground Cumin

Preheat your oven to 200°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. 

Finely dice onions. Peel and grate  ginger and garlic. Drain the chickpeas and lentils. Deseed and finely slice chillies.

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.

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 – the choice is yours! Taste to test and season with salt and pepper.

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 – this should take about 3-5 minutes. 

Rinse and dry your rocket and basil. Place your rocket and basil leaves into a bowl and dress with some olive oil and salt.

Serve and enjoy.

Unpresidented by Paige Nick

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.

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.

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.

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.

A witty, quick and amusing read.

4 stars.

ISBN:9780620749220

More books.

Another Day in Paradise

Morning all.

Every time we go out for a walk, or a run, we find ourselves saying - oh look, another perfect day.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

She calls out to the man on the street

"Sir, can you help me?

It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep

Is there somewhere you can tell me?"

He walks on, doesn't look back

He pretends he can't hear her

He starts to whistle as he crosses the street

She's embarrassed to be there

Oh, think twice, it's just another day for

For you and me in paradise

Oh, think twice, it's just another day

For you, you and me in paradise

Just think about it

Have fun out there.

Trust Women by Rebecca Todd Peters

Trust Women: A Progressive Christian Argument for Reproductive Justice

There was so much about this book that appealed to me. Firstly, the author - 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 Spark of Light" and was feeling the need (also given the current debate in the US and across the globe) for something more factual.

Here's the premise : "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 "... 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."

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.

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 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.

Sometimes the text  was very repetitive,  but the facts, figures and observations were challenging and persuasive.

4 stars

ISBN: 9780807069981

Halloumi Tabbouleh

Another U-Cook vegetarian option we loved two weeks ago. So delicious. And I reckon if you replace the Halloumi with Tofu, or something similar, you'll have a great vegan dish. Yummy. (Find the original recipe on Ucook.co.za)

What you need


600g Cauliflower Florets
240g Chickpeas
280g Baby Tomatoes
200g Cucumber
2 Baby onion
10g Fresh Parsley
15g Fresh Mint
3 Garlic Clove
5ml Smoked Paprika
2 Lemon 320g
Halloumi 60g
Baby Spinach
50ml Harissa Paste
25ml Honey

Drain chickpeas. Quarter the baby tomatoes. Finely dice your cucumber. Finely dice your onions. Rinse your baby spinach. Chop your parsley and mint. Peel and grate garlic. Zest up lemons. Slice  halloumi into roughly 1cm thick slices. Grate the cauliflower on the largest side of your grater to get cauliflower rice. Alternatively, you can simply chop it up for a more rustic approach (cook a bit longer).

Add a drizzle of oil and knob of butter. to a large pan over medium heat. Add the paprika, onion, cauliflower, drained chickpeas, and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until the cauliflower is cooked but still crunchy, about 5-7 minutes, shifting occasionally. Remove it from the pan when it is ready, and place it into a serving bowl. Wipe pan, if you think you need to. (Note - I think we left the chickpeas out of this, and included them in the salad below - was delicious that way too.)

In a bowl, add the baby spinach (roughy sliced or torn), tomato, cucumber, herbs, some seasoning, the lemon zest, and a drizzle of olive oil.

In a small bowl, combine the Sweet Harissa with some fresh lemon juice, 45ml of olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Mix to combine, adding more lemon juice if required.

Return your pan back over a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Once the pan is hot, add the halloumi slices until evenly golden on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the halloumi and place on a paper towel to catch any excess oil.

Combine the tomato and cucumber salad with the cauli and chickpea salad. Drizzle over the harissa dressing. Mix to combine and season further to taste. Plate it up, top with the grilled halloumi, and get munching.

Last week's recipe - Goat's cheese and mushroom 'risotto'

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

Kate Morton has been on my reading list every year since I discovered her, in 2013 - when I read The Forgotten Garden. Those were the days before spreadsheets tallied all the books I'd read, and certainly before book reviews on my blog. "...be warned, it is a long girly indulgence!" I gushed on my Goodreads review. Yes (sigh) - with the exclamation mark.

And look how pretty this one is. And it's long, but that didn't scare me. I'm used to that from Ms. Morton.

So, it's fair to say that I'm a fan. And also that I was predisposed to love this. 

The Clockmaker's Daughter is about so many people, so many stories, so many memories from Birchwood Manor that it's difficult to keep track. It starts off in present time with Elodie Winslow, a young archivist, who comes across some interesting sketches in a sketchbook in a satchel, with links to that house, etched in her own memories from stories told by her late mother. She visits Great Uncle Tip, who clearly knows more than he's telling. However, there is also a link to the Magenta Brotherhood - a group of artists centered around Edward Radcliffe, who took a summer at Birchwood Manor in 1862 where there was a death and a disappearance of the Radcliffe Blue - a diamond pendant.       


It took me about 200 pages to start getting into it. So many stories, none of which really grabbed me. When Ada Lovegrove - a little girl growing up with her Shashi in India arrived at Birchwood Manor, I started being interested. 

And then it wasn't difficult. There is so much atmosphere in Kate Morton's novels. Magical, nostalgic transportational writing that immerses you in a place, which is where you want to live while you read. Happily, this was present in this book. Beautiful prose, wonderful scenery, settings steeped in history and loveliness.

I struggled to keep track of who was who and what they were doing - I had to check back a few times, and I couldn't work out if it was my memory, or maybe that I didn't care all that much - I suspect the latter.

A complicated, ultimately satisfying plot, but it could have done with a good edit - there was just too much to keep track of, and some story elements that were unnecessary.

A ramble in an English country manor and its grounds that took longer than it should have. Pleasant and slightly diverting, but difficult to be passionate about - it was just too long.

3 stars

ISBN: 9781451649390

You may also enjoy The Lake House by Kate Morton.

More books.

Ten of the Best #141

Hello all you people - it's been quite a week. So much stuff to share - all of which you shared first with me. Thank you, it's been fun catching up.


James recaps the US elections...click one of the best Zapiros ever for the highlights.

Iceland releases an ad that is banned, so they remove it. But you can access it on Youtube. Gosh I wonder how many views it'll get now?