This Place is in My Bones

Steampunk poetry evenings are a non-negotiable date in my diary. Last night,  the first Steampunk Poetry book was launched.  This enchanting compilation of local poems, by people we all know, edited by Lara Kirsten, is available at Steampunk for only R100 – hurry while they are hot!  I wrote about these special evenings a while…

There is Magic in them thar Hills

There is nothing like a change to focus one’s attention.  For twenty years, I have lived in the Magic Cottage on Old Kilgobbin Farm in Dargle.  This week, I become an Howickian for the rest of this year (at least). While I really do appreciate most days living in the beautiful hills, these past two…

Nineteen

Nineteen years ago, I moved to Dargle.  I thought it was a temporary move to enable me to pay off a big chunk of my mortgage, but I have never left.  The Cow and Chicken consumed the first years. Despite being vegetarian, I was determined that I was the chicken. When Carl and I began to grind…

Chicken or Veg?

An interesting thing happened last week. Two women who are among the more recent urban refugees to seek sanctuary in the Dargle, invited me to lunch. I arrived before anyone else which gave us a chance to chat while they basted the chicken pieces with syrup. I mentioned I was vegetarian, but not to bother,…

Picnic with Altitude/Attitude

My friend Phillippa has just begun her 50th year on our planet. This is very cool.  She is pretty cool. To celebrate we climbed to the highest spot around (1976m), laid a table cloth and ate strawberries, hummus, baguette, chocolate biscuits, cottage cheese, home grown tomatoes (and a few sundried for nostalgia), and drank freshly brewed…

Simple & Seasonal

I’ve just been sitting in the lunchtime sun eating cauliflower curry and thinking about how seasonal food makes so much sense.  It is hard to imagine eating cauliflower in summer, actually. My favourite way is with mustard seeds and yoghurt and other curry spices. I bought a cauliflower from Tim Fynn on Sunday. Tim has been selling them, freshly…

Dargle does it again!

Today was the second Dargle Local Market and what fun it was.  Particularly nice to be with like minded friends all sharing the abundance they have produced.  A couple of people commented to me that they planned to plant more in their veggie gardens now too. Brilliant! Food resilience is on it’s way! Anyway, I…

Dargle Local Market

I’ve had lots of fun this weekend getting things together for the first ever Dargle Local Market on Sunday.  While my veggie garden doesn’t really produce more than I can consume, I was happy to share some extra stuff in support of the Local Living cause. A few of my neighbours were unable to come…