Spring has arrived in SA!

Spring is here and you can see it everywhere! Today our garden will get some topsoil, and most of our neighbors have garden trucks in front of their homes, everywhere people are working in the yards. Finally the trees are budding and you see the young green sprucing up from every corner. That also means weeds start to show their heads, in between cracks of stones, so work to do!

I already planted some indigenous perennials in the back and after the yard people are finished today, I will plant some more. Our garden needs some color and there are so many new plants to discover on this side of the world!
YEAH, I love it!!
I was missing my garden in Connecticut but I have been to nurseries a few times now and they have some amazing flowers and plants here. And soon they will end up in my yard ;-)

As you can see in the pictures, Protea, the national flower in many forms and shapes, but also the Aloes are everywhere, we have 3 on our rooftop terrace and I am hoping that they will flower soon.

I will show some pictures of our garden and of the house soon, I know some of my friends are waiting for this already quite some time ;-)



Alhtough I feel as happy as a birdsong, my girls are not that happy. Both are sick at home with a fever, coughing and feeling nauseous. They missed their first Dutch class and 2 days of school now. Yesterday they were just too lethargic to do much, and last night I didn't sleep much. Jasmine was coughing almost the whole night and Juliet threw up. So quite some commotion and I thought it's better to keep them home another day. But now I am regretting that, because they seem to be fine ;-0

Look at them, playing, reading, drawing in their playroom, but when it goes like yesterday. One moment they are fine, the other moment they feel so sick as a dog! To keep them in one more day is maybe not such a bad idea. Because getting called from the nurse in the middle of the day to pick up your child is also not so great. Tomorrow they go back to school for sure ;-)

Craving for spring...and what do I get?!!...@#$

..Snow again!!
We had a snow storm today in the NE. And we were the lucky ones who got 5-8 inches of fresh snow, that had to be shoveled off the drive-way. The kids had no school, which they don't mind of course! And played in the yard, which was a lot of fun. They decided to slide of a big rock, made the beginning of a gigantic snowman, while me and my dear hubby were shoveling, and shoveling...no end came to it. But if we want to be able to leave the house I guess we have to put into the work. It is a nice excersice, so to make something positive out of a negative. So this is the view from our backyard, even Buddha in our house needed some ear mufs we thought ;-)
I guess my craving for spring has to wait a little longer before it becomes reality...I mean I can crave, but if it happens soon, I doubt it.
Enjoy your last bit of winter and sip on some nice hot chocolate, it taste much better now!

Cravings for spring!

I don't know about you guys, but I have cravings.....cravings for spring. I had enough of this cold grey weather. I crave....colors!
white; of the pristine beaches of Florida
yellow; of the sun shining through the new leaves
bright green; of the new grass (and I am craving that smell of fresh mowed grass)
orange; of tulips from Amsterdam and fresh oranges
red; fresh juicy strawberries
pink; of the cheeks of my children when they play outside
purple; the fragrant lavender that grows all over France
blue; of the bright blue skies & the deep water of the oceans where I can dip my toes in. And all the colors in between.
I crave hearing the birds tjirping, finding a mate and building a nest. The new buds on the trees, the new baby ducklings in the pond in front of my house, the smell of spring in the air. I crave all these new beginnings, fresh smells, sun shine, going for beach walks on bare feet, hearing the voices of the kids playing outside, hikes in the woods, having picknics in the park, going to outdoor games with the kids, being outside without a big coat or bundled up with layers of clothing. I am craving for beaches, palm trees, lazy evenings with a book on the porch, seeing the sunset and just dreaming away. I don't know about you guys...but winter is taking too long. I need some change!...maybe that is what Barack Obama want too...just the spring! ;-)