All that glitters is gold

Aren't these the most magnificent Christmas decorations?

I went to have my hair cut today, and these shoes were on the counter next to a gold Christmas tree. My hairdresser was saying that they were all dying to try them on when they got delivered.

Year-end Function

We had the company year-end function tonight. The theme was "Under Construction" and as usual, it was very well organised. Most teams did their part and dressed up for the occasion too.

Business Analysts turned construction workers...

Some of the dancers, they started out on the dance floor and then started dancing on the bar counters, much to the delight of (mostly) the guys.

More sunflowers planted by Bradley

My mom must've bought a mixed packet of sunflower seeds; because more are in flower today, and they're all different. I couldn't resist taking more photos.

Wordless Wednesday - Loo chained to a signpost? Hee hee

Cranes over Sandton

There is so much building happening in Sandton at the moment. Cranes are blocking the views from every corner of our office block. This photo is taken from 4th floor garden area (every floor has a stunning garden area which the smokers mostly use) looking towards Sandown and the north east of JHB.

Bradley's sunflowers

Bradley planted sunflower seeds at my mom's house a few weeks ago, and they've just started flowering.
The first one was taken without the flash, and the pink in the flower comes out beautifully, and then I took more photos with the flash, and it looked more yellow.

Baby in a sling on a swing

Not your normal kind of baby sling. Connor broke his collarbone on Friday, so he's got an armsling to "try" stop him moving his arm too much (not that it's working). What a mission to find a sling for a baby, in the first place!! The story is on LJ.

And the swing... we bought it for him a few weeks ago, and he loves it!

Click on the photo to see it full-sized.

Windmill in the Freestate

We went to Parys today to visit MIL. I took this photo from the moving car (100kph) on the Parys road.

Bonnie's eye

Taken at horseriding this morning. This is Bonnie, the horse that Bradley normally rides.

Bunch of red roses

I went to a baby shower this morning, at work, and one of the gifts that Marika received was this beautiful bunch of red roses.

View of Sandton on a cloudy day

This was taken from the carpark this morning looking towards the centre of Sandton (yes, I park my car way up in the sky on the umpteenth floor of a parkade). The tallest building is the Michaelangelo Towers, which you can see for miles. To the left of it is Sandton City.

Balancing on a log

Lance chopped the feather duster tree down over the weekend, because it was struck by lightening a few weeks ago and has mostly died. Thankfully, he managed to get it down without it damaging the roof or the wall around the pool.
Bradley has been enjoying trying to balance on the tree that is now lying across the grass (we removed all the little branches so it's quite smooth now). It's great fun (and good for his co-ord too ;) because it forks and goes quite narrow at the end.

Agapanthas in the twilight

I took this photo in my garden this evening.

Hannah's home

I'm a member of the social committee in our department at work. A few weeks ago, we started collecting food, kids clothes, toys and money for a children's charity, and we dropped off the things today at the home in Kelvin.
It was a very humbling experience, and I've written more about the home and the children on my journal here.
This is Hannah, who runs the home.
Me and some of the kids
Steve, with the most gorgeous liquid brown eyes
Phakiso. Boy, she was a bundle of energy, which is why the photo is blurred.

Fishermen and jetskiers on the Vaal River

We went for a leisurely cruise down the river this morning for breakfast, and I took these photos from the boat.

Vaal views

View of the Vaal river from the conference venue

Wild flowers in the grass outside the conference venue

Rhinos in the game reserve that is in part of the Emerald resort. We actually saw them from the balcony of the conference venue.

Sunset at the hotel

Party time!

Hope you missed me :). I went away for 2 nights to Emerald Casino on the Vaal River for a work conference. So I'm catching up tonight.

We got to the hotel late, because we got stuck in one almighty hail storm, but thankfully we got there in one piece (3 of us travelled together).

This is the hotel on a stormy evening.


We started the weekend with a dinner, and then one of my colleagues got his DJ kit out and provided the entertainment.

The Nelson Mandela statue

I went to Sandton City today with Leanne to do some shopping at lunchtime, so I took the opportunity to walk to the Square to take this shot. It's a massive statue of the man. It's so well done in my opinion, it almost looks like he's dancing.

Bradley was standing behind me when I was busy getting the photos off the camera, and he asked who "The Statue Man" was. So, I told him it was Mr Mandela. Then he said "Did Statue Man just stand there, and become a statue?" LOL, that made me laugh! And, it was very clear from our conversation that he hasn't learnt about Mandela yet at school.

First 2 teeth

I got it! A photo of Connor showing us his new pearly-whites :) They both appeared last week. OK, they are rather small, but I can see them :)
I can't believe he's 9 months old in 2 days time, time has flown!

My beautiful child

Two of the many photos I took of Bradley this evening. He's finally looking good again :) And, he let me hug him tonight, for the first time in 3 weeks. YAY!! He must be feeling better then.

Alstroemeria

... or Inca Lily.


I took this photo in my garden this evening, after noticing that they've grown yet again. I tried so hard last year to dig them all up, but they grow like weeds in my garden. They were planted by the previous owners, and while they're very pretty in flower, I think they are extremely untidy plants and... I just don't like them (the plants that is, not the flowers).

Birdlife in my garden today

We have so many birds that come to our garden now, especially now that I regularly replenish the feeder. I tried so hard to get close to a hoepoe to take a photo, but Bradley made too much noise and he flew away.

I've noticed this Glossy Starling quite a lot in the last few weeks. It's one of a pair nesting in a tree in my neighbours garden, and they spend a lot of time in my garden.


And then, excitement!! This afternoon, this stork flew over the garden and landed on another neighbours roof. Beautiful! At least, I think's it some type of stork... it can't be a crane as it doesn't have all the features.


edited: It's a grey heron! LOL! I think I need a bird book or something, my knowledge about birds is scary to say the least! Thanks Max and mom ;)

My garden today

I was planning on taking some really cool photos today (horse-riding and Bradley's school concert) but everything had to be cancelled. Bradley is very ill, I posted about it in my journal last night. He's not much better today, and we're waiting for the results of the tests so he can't go anywhere. As a result, you just have to contend with photos from my garden.

Chive flowers from my herb garden.


A miniature red rose with water droplet. I tried Max's suggestion and shaded the flower, the photo came out a lot better than the last red rose.


Gaura in the sun.


Connor and I were playing in the shade of this tree fern, so I couldn't resist looking up and taking a shot.

Alexandra musicians

We had a entrepreneurial day today at work, and as part of that, these musicians were playing. The company sponsors this group of 80 musicians, who live in Alexandra. They all live in an area of Alexandra that doesn't have electricity or running water. The company has provided them with all their musical equipment so that the group can earn a living. They were amazing to watch. It was such a diverse group, with really young kids as well as adults playing the instruments. Such talent!

Red Rose

Can't resist posting this one too. I like it. I took this in my mom's garden this evening too. I really struggle to take photos of red flowers, they end up having this shine/glare to the edges of the petals, and I have no idea how to stop it. There wasn't even any sun shining on this flower today.

Bradley's marigold

Bradley planted marigold seeds at our house and my mom's house a while ago. This is the first one to flower. They're such an easy seed to grow, which makes them ideal for kids to plant.

Wild Iris

Don't have the energy for a story around this one, have a tummy bug. Back to usual programming tomorrow hopefully.

Stone face

My mom has a tower of flat stones that she's placed next to a pot in her garden. I took this photo this afternoon, and then realised this evening when I framed it that it looked like a man's face. Hee hee, OK, it is a bit abstract, but I can see him!

"She sells sea shells...

... on the sea shore"

Well, not really. My mom picks up sea shells every time they go to the coast on holiday, and she has now got a basket full of them on a table. Bradley used to love rifling through them when he was younger, and today he was very excitedly showing me all the hermit crab shells that he could find in the basket (when we went to Ballito last year he got great pleasure out of chasing and catching the hermit crabs).