THINGS FALL APART

This home seems to be falling apart. Guest toilet needs a revamp. Today I went to buy a toilet and for the first time a hand basin. On the bright side, I went to get my re vamped chairs. I'm beyond thrilled.

BAKING FOR HEALTH

coconut paleo bread

My rest continues. Later in the day I baked my coconut bread. I really like how it turned out. In the evening I cooked the lamb liver. My very first, oddly. My mom used to cook it at home.

So today I baked and cooked.

THE DELIVERY

Fridge delivered

I am so happy to have so much space. I never thought I needed it but I did. So I got me a fridge yesterday which Makro delivered today. I can finally see all of my food at one glance.

OUT WITH THE GREEN

New Paint for the set

Mr took to the job of removing the old paint on this garden set today. The green is very odd. I am thinking white.

TAKING THE OTHER FOUR HOME

You may be remembering the six antique Victorian nursing chairs that I took home on the 2nd of this month. Well, I left four that was slightly different and more Queen Anne. I am no fan of Queen Anne stuff but I buy it if it looks great enough. I changed my mind about two weeks later and decided to get the extra four chairs to complete the set. Unfortunately for me, a lady in the Free State was driving all the way to collect them. A week passed and yesterday the seller gave up on the Free State girl's procrastinations and offered them to me again.
Today I went to take my four Victorian nursing chairs home where they belong.

MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

Newly acquired antique pedestal

I've had these two single bed headboards for... like forever. Over the weekend I bumped on the matching pedestal/ bed side table/ night stand. ONLY one. See how tall it is. The wood is imbuia and the feet are ball and claw. Today we moved it into this bedroom. The headboards will have to be hung and lifted a bit to look less awkward.

TABLE SWITCH

Latest Antique Find

Lots of antique spot visits today. At the end we went to the Silver Lakes area to collect a smaller round table for my kitchen. The one I had was a tad bit too big for the space. The bigger table is now my verandah table. I need to oil it to stand all that. The new (to me) kitchen table is antique base, newer top. Base is close to 200 years old. I am so humbled by owning it. The grandfather of the seller actually cut his own 12 seater table in two, losing the top and gaining two smaller tables. The top is some veneer wood. I have to try get a carpenter work on it when I have energy. But I suspect I will enjoy it just as is.

Today I went to collect my new kitchen table from the Silver Lakes area and took my old kitchen table to the veranda.

RENOVATE

Renovate magazine

I cant believe how happy seeing this book in my post box is making me. That's what living in a house as old as mine does to one. Today they delivered the February copy. Its only 51 pages filled with building sector contacts in the form of advertisement. I enjoy browsing it these days.

FALLEN TREES AND ANTIQUE OBSESSION

fallen tree in my garden

two of the 6 OLD chairs that I acquired

My neighbour's humongous tree fell on my backyard last night. The damage on the boundary wall doesnt show as the fallen tree still sits on it. The electric fence is torn together with some other wiring (no idea what's what). We expected a knock on our door from them (seeing that the whole tree is in our garden) but in vain until we went to them at around 1pm today. We were not treated well at all by neighbour. We were not fighting with her.

Just before that, we went to collect very old chairs from the seller. It was a set of 10 with different detail on them. I didnt like the 4 that was modernised with new upholstery and more straight legs like Queen Anne style. I liked the 4 that had a lot of detail in the legs and torn original fabric plus the dwarf kind which is same size but short. This two short ones are referred to as baby feeders by the seller. They are on casters. I will have them refurbished the coming week.

Today I added 6 chairs to my antique collection and tried to address the fallen tree situation with my neighbour.

RAIDING ANTIQUES AND A BRAAI

Imbuia ball and claw table #2

Braai/ barbeque with our siblings

Our most favourite table in this house is an imbuia ball and claw dwarf kind. Its very short and quite gorgeous. Well, today we went to collect a slightly taller and smaller version from the antique seller. Whilst at it we also grabbed a coat hanger and desk. We later browsed a few other antique stores along Soutspadsberg Road. And then back home to prepare for the family braai (barbeque). Our Gauteng based siblings were invited. We were so happy to have brother in law join us whilst my sister and brother didnt show up. The braai went very well.

Today I raided the antique stores and enjoyed the braai with my family.

PRETORIA SUNNYSIDE

Pretoria, Sunnyside

Someone let the sun out today. Its one of the hottest days in Pretoria. I'm told Australia is worse. I just happened to be in great view of the two apartments I lived in, in my single days in Sunnyside. When I arrived in Pretoria I stayed in the first apartment block to your left, with a friend. Long moons ago, this complex was gorgeous. There was no security. I miss those days. Anyway, I moved to rent solo and later bought in a block that is not even showing well behind all these blocks. I had a very nice apartment there, and walked to work everyday. I miss those days, sometimes.

Reminiscing on my days of singlehood and living apartment today.

YESTERDAY EVENING IN MY GARDEN

rose from my garden

Well, a rose from my own garden. I actually missed on a wonderful post yesterday. I spent more than 1 hour in a moony evening listening to birds. I really am blessed with a huge garden filled with tall trees, and amazing birds wake me from my sleep. Last night they were competing with amazing music. I will always love waking up to this.
Yesterday evening I listened to beautiful bird music in my front garden.

RETRO SWIVEL TUB CHAIRS

Retro Swivel Tub Chairs

As luck or in my case a blessing has it, we took a ride to East Lynne. That's where I usually spot rare finds at times. I go to pawn shops to search for treasure (antiques). I don't always come alright but this Saturday our eyes were on the coal stoves. I want one so badly. As we go to the back of one fully stocked store, we find the two retro swivel tub chairs. they are just vintage, from the 1960s. I have been passively searching for one of these. I left the store with two old cups of tea, whilst we continue on our quest for stoves. We failed to get a stove worth our cash as most are just tempered with and have no original features anymore. From there it was back to the swivel chairs. They were closed but still inside. I am very persistent and wouldn't listen to the door guy until they gave me my chairs. One is in the Geek's bedroom, lucky fish.

Today, I took home a pair of retro swivel tub chairs and a two dusty old bone china cups.

RESCUING THE BABY BIRDS

rescuing baby birds

The tree felling exercise we had yesterday left 3 or 4 baby birds orphaned. My heart was too sore. After a lot of sadness I went to get a bucket and when I got back there were only 3 birds out of 4. After the hubby and son convinced me that they were only three, we worked on rescuing the baby birds Today. We are now nursing them until they are able to fly.



Black-Browed Barbet

Blak-collared Barbet

A bird watching guy I know told me that they are Black-collared Barbets. The cutest things I ever laid my eyes on. From there it was google. Its only after calling a bird sanctuary that I learn I was right about the fourth one and how to take care of them. Hot water bottle is a must before they even eat. Its like having a baby. they eat every 15 minutes because they are in intensive care. Their home was not a nest but a hole they bore on a tree trunk, poor things.

"Both sexes excavate the nest, which is a hole in the underside of a dead branch, preferably softwood trees like Ficus (wild fig). It often uses the same hole repeatedly, sometimes using the same nest site for ten years! Abandoned nest cavitis are often taken over by other birds, such as tits and sparrows." says biodiversityexplorer.org

Blak-collared Barbet

 

Thats how we missed on seeing them. The mother was crying around them for a while, before we took them. This is what wikipedia had to say:

"The Blak-collared Barbet (Lybius torquatus) is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa through Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Readily recognised by its loud duet, commonly rendered as "too-puddly too-puddly too-puddly".... accompanied by wing-flicking. This bird produces a variety of calls including its snarling warning call and loud buzzing. It is a gregarious species, often acting in concert when driving off intruders and roosting together (up to 15 recorded) in nest holes. Their flight is direct with a loud whirring of wings."

The search for number 4 continues. I'm too sad to lose that one.

last three images from pinterest.com

TREE FELLING

tree felling

Thank God for the two strong tree felling guys who came to help us remove a dead tree today. Its so worth it hiring experts. Well the guys did what I thought was a great job. We now dont need to worry about a tree falling over someone's head. This took a lot of climbing and risk and some beers by the guys. At the end the huge thing was in pieces. And because we cant let that much fuel go to waste. We paid the guys to cut it into braai sized pieces. So we can use the wood if we need to. One stock is left in the groud for a possible creativity.

As you can see, my home has a lot of high trees. I adore them.

OUR GARDENER

Our gardener started today

Its been a good week of great rain. Our garden is all smiles. We had a pool company maintaining our swimming pool every week. Its vern nice having that kind of service. When we realised we had no time to mow the lawn, we decided to hire a guy to maintain the pool and clean up the garden for a few hours. the guy will come once a week.
Recs, our very pleasant gardener started today. I am so grateful to have him. Nothing is as bad as huge dirty patch of garden. Ours is low maintenance with mostly the lawn. I bought a few roses for some curb appeal. I love roses in any colour. I cant wait to get dirty planting them.