Ruth Bradbury-Horton's Blog: Ruth2Day, page 15

National dog and burger day

Did you know this week had 2 amazing days to celebrate? I didn’t, but here goes, National Dog Day and National Burger Day!

Whoa, what a great idea.

I’ve lived with a few doggies over the years:

Midge – a Jack Russel when we were kids

Tabasco and Tequila – 2 dobermans with hubby

Travis and Mutley – with hubby. Travis was a Jack Russel, but really couldn’t have been, he was so big. And Mutley is a X Jack Russel/Corgi.

Mutley is our last boy. He’s 12 now and has taken to eating his foot! And that despite the enourmous amount of treats we give him.

As to burgers, eaten a fair few over the years.

How are you doing on the Doggie’s and Burgers?

Cancel the cake!

I loved this comment from Ruth Rodgers regarding restaurants

” . . . they are public places where people go to do private things.” So very true me thinks

She said this while talking about her famous River Cafe Restaurant in London on her recent Desert Island Discs – River Cafe website 

Something else she shared was regarding a story and a wedding cake. A diner had requested a cake to be decorated with the words Will You Marry Me, only to arrive at the kitchen half way through his meal with a request to, “Cancel the cake!”

photo: Online Telegraph

We are launched with an excerpt and a poll

Super thrilled, A Good Wife has now been released. Below is a short excerpt to tease and entice you to read further.

 

Gloria pulled a length of wool from beneath her arm, letting her eyes linger over the unopened lemon creams in her underwear drawer.

She placed her phone on the polished chest of drawers. “Georgie, are you having me on?” she said, selecting the loudspeaker functionality that would free her hands to crochet lilac loops. As a rule, she didn’t do handiwork. Her intention, though, was to distract herself from eating. Her waistline had thickened in the past ten years, and with mere months before turning sixty, she wasn’t about to give in to her body’s wish to explode, no matter how hard it was attempting to do so.

The hook worked effortlessly in breaking open the biscuit wrapper. Gloria took two. One was such an awkward quantity when it came to lemon creams. There was comfort and irony in knowing she’d kept to her latest diet’s golden rule, self-appointed, that is, of not touching, looking at, eating from, sobbing over, or even caressing the biscuit tin – or, for that matter, any lurking packets – for the next six weeks. Roger would be proud she’d kept to it. Not that he minded, or even mentioned her fuller figure . . . too often, that is. The main thing was, she wouldn’t have to lie – to herself or to him. That was the key to their marriage. No lies, no secrets.

“No, I’m not,” Georgie said, her voice rising before ending with a defining “t”.

Gloria was sure her neighbours were now in on the conversation. For not even the distance between houses, with their established foliage and aged trees filling the depths of manicured gardens, could contain Georgie’s heightened state.

“Gwen is dead,” Georgie repeated, “mid-morning, today.”

Gloria felt her body slumping. “That puts paid to our Kreef Bay weekend then.”

“Are you serious, Gloria? That’s all you’ve got to say?”

Gloria’s eyes flew open. “No. No. I mean. Of course it’s not. It’s just that, well, she was perfectly fine when I saw her yesterday. We’d met for a coffee at that new place in Rondebosch, Blossom’s. The reviews live up to reality, by the way. A mixture of modern and Victorian. A touch of flowery wallpaper and matching china. Amazing place, considering it’s along Main Road, next to that awful shoe repair bar. The brownies …” Gloria stopped to gasp “… I tried Gwen’s, only a corner, mind. You’ll love them—”

“Gloria!” Georgie interrupted, once again engaging the neighbours.

Gloria pulled a face. “Sorry. Yes, where was I? Oh yes. Gwen. Yes, later she popped in at the house to ask Roger to check over some paperwork; they were laughing together in his study. I left them to it. Don’t tell me it was her heart.” She brushed crumbs from the duvet. “I remember her telling me how she hoped her death would be dramatic, trampled by elephants while on safari – something like that. Are you sure she’s dead?”

Georgie’s voice sounded tired. “She was at her swimming class.”

Gloria needed her phone against her ear to continue this conversation. “Really? She couldn’t swim?”

“Gloria!”

“Didn’t anybody see her struggling in the deep end?”

“Gloria, you really are an insensitive cow. It’s no wonder Roger is away a couple of days a week.”

Gloria chose to ignore the jibe. “I think we should meet at Gwen’s house. Gwen-too and Mabel need our support. I can be there by eleven.”

“No. Gwen-too said wait until she’s ready.”

“Really? We’re practically family. There when she was born … powdered her bottom over the years. And Mabel’s.”

“Practically or not, she said she needed time alone. I’ll speak to you soon.”

Gloria sat with lilac loops in her lap. Gwen was dead. And she couldn’t swim? Gloria had been friends with Gwen and Georgie since college days, where they’d met, having simultaneously. . .

 

Take Our Poll

Saturday tasting wine and much laughter

Having lived in Cape Town for about 34 years now, close to the Constantia Valley wine route, you’d think we’d have visited most of the wineries close by. Wrong. Needless to say as the weather warms we are now embarking on rectifying this, and will be visiting them all over the next few months.

We started about a week ago with Eagles Nest, on your way to Hout Bay, before you reach Constantia Nek. Our intent was to have a glass of wine, much emphasis on a glass of wine, and then head home for a lazy sunday afternoon and a casual meal. The day was best summed up as a 3 bottle lunch and a very long sleep when we got home. I must clarify the pair of us didn’t drink the 3 bottles, rather we had a Rose and a Red, of which we both had a glass or so with our lunch – yes we ate even though we’d only recently had breakers. The third bottle was Shiraz that is waiting to be enjoyed.

Our lunch that day was actually a brilliant cheese and charcuterie platter. What I really enjoyed about Eagles Nest was the simplicity of the place. No over commercialism, wonky wooden tables and chairs, and a lovely woody setting.

Sadly I didn’t take a happy snappy.

However, at our next winery expedition, camera was on hand

Yesterday then we headed to Constantia Glen, which is right next door to Eagles Nest. This is a very popular place. Very glad we booked. There was a great vibe with a spectacular view. Again we had the cheese and charcuterie platters, several, with extra warm baguettes. We were 4 – hubs and I, youngest daughter MissWib and her man.

We started with the wine tasting, 5 wines in total, and then shared 2 bottles of their Rose. What I really liked about here, is that while you have the feeling of being in a summer house style restaurant, you can leave your table and mooch on the surrounding lawn, on supplied cushions.

MissWib and I – selfie on the lawn

Laughter was much at Constantia Glen, and while we were there we could see our next winery to visit – Beau Constantia – I hear they do great sushi as well.

Laughing again

Really, hubby, you didn’t just say that!

Good grief, my hubby just told me I’m like a whale!

He quickly tried to smooth this over by saying I’m consuming information as a whale would plankton.

I’m not so sure about his quick backtracking!

photo: Wiki

photo: Flickr

Creating a fictitous home

The wonderful thing about writing is having the chance to make things up!

With that in mind, below is the tourist info for the fictitous village where Gloria goes to live in A Good Wife.

I would be interested to know if it sounds at all like somewhere you have visited, or live.

Photo: mine

Kreef Bay Tourist Information 

Kreef translation: Crayfish

Welcome to Kreef Bay, an idyllic West Coast fishing village located 174km from Cape Town. Home to The Blue House restaurant, found along the pristine 11km white sandy beach, where good food can be enjoyed as the sea laps towards the deck. On Saturday mornings, watch as the local fishermen bring in their colourful, shell-encrusted boats, seagulls hovering, demanding a share of the prized catch.

Population: 1322

Local School: Kreef Bay Junior

Notable persons: Gert van der Stel – founding member of Kreef Bay 1703

Tourism Contact: Josie Smit – josie.kreef.smit@kreef.co.za

Cover image: Kim O’Hanlon and Shutterstock

Swimming 35 meters in the air as I learn

Hello all,

Input time please if you will. I’ve been blogging for quite some time with WP, and it’s only now that I’m playing around with the different options offered and not doing too well, other than the standard blog and add media etc. I tried for instance to create a Sticky Post, but don’t think it worked. Has anybody used this before? And if so tips please. What’s an aside blog?

I also tried adding a widget by pasting the HTML into the blog, but that didn’t work either. Also tips appreciated.

I’m now going to try out the “insert read more tag” as I have no idea what this does, other than I can see a series of dots across my page and the word MORE in the middle of them. I think this requires you to click to read the rest of my blog, and with that in mind I’m going to add a photo beneath of an amazing swimming pool set between 2 buildings, 35 metres in the air. 

A-ha, so you came to look. Can you imagine how fantastic it would be to swim up there? I wonder if you will be able to hang your arms over the edge, half way, and wave to the folk below? How much fun would that be, splashing from above.

One last thing, can you add a Poll to a blog? I thought I saw the option, but can’t find it now.

thank you in advance for your help

Ruth

A Good Wife Reveal

Very excited to reveal the cover of A Good Wife. Do you like it? I love it!

Official launch date is 25th August 2015, however pre-orders are being accepted on Amazon for Kindle and Smashwords for all other readers, all other formats,  you can even read on your phone :)

What’s really nice is Smashwords allows you to download the first 15% for free, and with luck Amazon should let you read a few pages.

Flip-Side-Underpants

Now I’m not going to disclose who this is, but there is somebody in my immediate circle who has taken to wearing his underpants inside out. Yes, mind boggling. No, he’s not lost his marbles. The reason for the flip-side then . . . they are softer that way round. HUH!

A dear friend suggested wearing a thong. Nameless-flip-side-underpants-man pursed his lips, followed by his butt cheeks and I swear his eyes brimmed with tears.

I’ve racked my brain to think of something I do that could match this, but honestly can’t think of anything that quite comes close. There again, would I have the nerve to share it with you? Actually, yes I probably would.

So what do you do that is a little, shall we say . . . bonkers?

Coffee anyone?

Photo: mine

the neighbours came for supper and boils on the bum

We’ve been in our house for over 2 years now, and finally we had the neighbours round for supper last night. When I say neighbours, I mean, those on each side of us, one across the road, and one more from two up on the left, or is it the right? Wherever, whatever, she was with us.

There were 4 in total, 3 single ladies and 1 married – although married neighbour came alone as her hubby works away from home often. Each of these ladies settles on the older side, and all 4 are/were positively entertaining. Hubby being the only male was on duty to serve drinks and tend the braai – well done hubster, you did a good job, no burnt sausage this time. So then, we chatted up a storm, drank rather a lot of wine, and enjoyed some pretty darn good food, if I don’t mind saying so myself. Midnight was closing in when they left, and what a pleasure for all not to have far to go.

I feel a bit odd about mentioning age, because it doesn’t really matter what age anybody is; I only do it to help set the scene a little. For instance if I told you I went with the neighbours clubbing, you’d find it far more interesting visualsing your own interpretation of older ladies hitting the high-life. Some of you would have them knitting at the bar, while some of you would have them as mutton dressed as lamb. And other’s would have them in their flat comfortable shoes doing the hokey-cokey on the dance floor. I can assure you none of these examples apply to my neighbours mind.

Be that as it may, my neighbours are all lovely. And as far as street community goes, they are quite some of the nicest neighbours we’ve ever had, and having moved many a time I can say this with great confidence. Actually, quite a few of our neighbours have been really good to live next to. But of course there are exceptions, with 2 lots from previous homes who were just plain n-a-s-t-y. Both didn’t like our dogs, and both didn’t have dogs. Bully to them, I say, while I can’t hope wishing they have boils on their bums this weekend.

How could you not love this little chap?