It's a Beautiful Day

Day after day after day after day is beautiful. So amazing that we forget to acknowledge how gorgeous. We don't even go outside and look around. If someone reminds us, we glance out of the window, compare the blueness of the sky to yesterday and say "I suppose".

Yet the beauty all around us is there, every day. It doesn't stop being because we don't look and really see.

That's one of the reasons I love to run outside. If I'm really feeling inspired I'll take my phone and even snap a few pics. There are always so many opportunities.

Here's one from two weeks ago.

The Fairest

It's been a beautiful week.

I had a birthday, and was totally spoilt. Surprised, shocked and then blown away with amazement at the generosity of friends, family and especially my nearest and dearest.

And that makes me feel totally and utterly showered in love and grace - undeserving, yet grateful and humbled.

Those who know me well understand how words can move me. So it was that they let their minds and pens and fingers on keyboards be completely inspired. In my direction. What a treat. I am still feasting on all the wonderful images in my mind  - the smiles, the tears of love and joy that entered my world. They float like a cloud around me, and  I feel like Snow White in the forest, when the enchanted animals come close. I know her delight at a squirrel eating from her hand, and want to inhale that white rose scent so hard that it becomes a part of me forever.

I realise how lucky I am.

It got me thinking about worship. The fragrance of those special times spent with God. Outside in the mountains, at the seashore, and in a sun streamed building, hands raised with some of His people, the air filled with voices, emotion and the closeness, the tenderness, the presence.

I wish I could stream some of that to you now. Instead, I'll share a hymn that captures just a little bit. It's Amy Grant's rendition of Fairest Lord Jesus. I love everything about this hymn - the words, the melody, and especially the lovely harmonies - both vocal and in this guitar arrangement. It's gorgeous.

I hope it brightens your day. And that you find a Snow White moment too.

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Embrace your storm

                     
It is well

Ten of the Best #70

So much to write about and read  this week, I don't know how we slept at night. Oh, you didn’t, much? Me neither. The week that was a history maker, a page turner, the new psychological thriller with the twist you won't see coming hat everyone is talking about... And that's just here in SA. No trumps.

I liked Bruce’s list on Monday, and Monday will also be remembered as the day that Shaun Abrahams dropped all charges against Pravin Gordhan. Wednesday, however, was the day of the week, the tipping point, the turning circle, the proverbial straw. Of course it was. Wednesday was a very good day.

Click Zapiro for some more news.

Friday Books - After You

It's Friday and I have a weekend of parties and social occasions. Damn! When will I read?

Friday also means we get to link up with other bloggers and share our favourite things - books.

BookBeginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday56, hosted by Freda's Voice, are where you'll find them, and the rules are easy - share the beginning and p56.

My Book this week is:

Isn't that a pretty cover? I have the one on the left from book club this month.

Not really a "hook you in from the start" beginning, as I don't even recall who the man is, now that I'm halfway through. But this is the sequel to Jojo's "Me before You", which is now a movie, and was very popular, so maybe the beginning doesn't really matter?

The Insect Farm by Stuart Prebble

Jonathan and Roger Maguire are brothers. They lead fairly normal lives, with Roger, the elder, being mentally challenged.

Roger builds an insect farm. He purchases varieties of insects, and observes their behaviour. Jonathan, our narrator, attends an out of town university, together with his girlfriend Harriet. The boys are obsessed, Roger with his insect farm, and Jonathan with beautiful flautist Harriet.

Described as a psychological thriller, the pace of this is somewhat gentle. More eerie than terrifying, and more lurking evil than in-your-face axe murderer. I found that made it all the more disturbing.

The plot unfolds cleverly to a satisfying conclusion, and you will want to reread the prologue, as I did.

A taut, well-written debut, I couldn't put it down.

4 stars

ISBN:9781846883545

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Stay with me

Good morning. Sun's up. Time to run.

And I just have to share that last week was a good one - we ran every day. And by ran, I mean that we (mostly) ran the longer part to our coffee stop, and then walked the short way back. Good stuff.

And whilst you're probably picturing "run" as a hair-blown-back, beautifully graceful, bounding through the tree-lined streets moment, let me assure you that it's not. A better picture would be hair bouncing, legs shuffling, try not to get hit by a taxi, while your friend grabs you by the flailing arm (thanks M) so that you stay upright moment. That's how we roll, people.

Aren't you proud? I am. And this week, we're doing it again. 

So the song, as we bound off into the sun, is Stay With Me by Rubber Duc. Because "when you're down and you feel funny; only you can make the sun even more sunny, if you stay with me. Stay with me."

I love the clip, because it's got one of my favourite places to run on it - the East Coast of sunny SA. I love to run as the sun rises over that beautiful ocean. 

Such a catchy tune.

Now get running, if you wanna stay with me this week (and you do). And watch out for those taxis.

Last week - Shout out

More running moments.....

Ten of the Best #69

Morning crazy peeps that make my life worth living. Thanks for all the wonderful posts on your timelines that I didn't have time to read during the week. 

I stayed up late to get through them all, and here they are - starting our weekend the right way. Grab your coffee, and come right back. It's been a week.

Richard Poplak summarizes our week in SA for us. So does Zapiro, in the cartoon. Click Zapiro to get to Poplak.

Here are the 6 quotes from Pravin’s Presidential Podium, because who has ever listened to a medium-term budget speech in full? Methinks this will be forever remembered as the wounded buffalo moment. Bravo Pravin. 

Friday Books - the Insect Farm

I am so glad it's Friday. 

It means we get to link up with these wonderful Blogs and share our favourite things - Books.

BookBeginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader, and The Friday 56 - hosted by Freda’s Voice are where you'll find them. Both involve sharing excerpts from a current book - the beginning and - you guessed it - page 56.

The Insect Farm by Stuart Prebble

The Affair by Sue Hickey and Philippa Sklaar

 

Sue Hickey is a psychologist, and Philippa Sklaar a domestic abuse and affair survivor. This book is a compilation of thoughts, reflections and stories from inside the minds of the Narcissistic Cheater, the Sexual Predator and the Romance Addict - the profiles of those who cheat.

"I know that cheating has nothing to do with loving or not loving, but it does destroy love, among other things" is a great example of the type of honesty and truth found here. 

"Finally I learnt that this obsessive search for details was an itch I did not need to scratch. What I really needed was my dignity and common sense, both of which were lost in the witch hunt."

That is what makes this book brave and unique - it tells stories from both sides of the betrayal fence without judgement and (mostly) in the safety of anonymity. Whilst you're gaping with incredulity at the shocking lies other people tell themselves and their committed partners, you can't help admiring the personal growth in admitting and sometimes dealing with the issues. And if you want to go there, while you're at it, you can also start to face some of the very demons you're reading about. That's the power of good story. We're all human, and fallible. Potential for evil and harm, seen in another, can reflect and expose parts of us we didn't notice before. Dealing with our own brown matter makes us better at doing relationships.

My favourite part of reading this book with its gorgeous creepy cover was the looks I got while doing so. I could see the minds ticking, and I fought many a smile. I think I'll keep it in my bag a little longer - for the train, the hairdresser, and the waits at the doctor's rooms. It's so much fun.

5 stars

ISBN:9781920601

More reviews.

Creamy Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions

This is my comfort food - chicken with onions, garlic and mushrooms. I found a healthy recipe, and adapted it to suit my family. I think I could make it in my sleep. I think I could eat it in my sleep too. All m favourite things.

You'll need

6 chicken breasts, skinless and trimmed (200g/7oz each)

2 onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 punnet mushrooms, sliced
250ml chicken stock
250ml crème fraîche
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley/oreganum for garnish
1 broccoli, steamed, to serve

Fry the chicken breasts in a pan sprayed with olive oil for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Add a little more oil to the same pan and fry the onion for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry until golden-brown. If they start to stick, add a little stock to the pan.

Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the stock. Bring to the boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid, lower the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir the crème fraîche and parsley into the sauce and serve immediately with the cooked broccoli.

More recipes.

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