Visit to Stellenberg Gardens

 

           Above image is not of the Gardens mentioned in the article

Visit to the Beautiful Stellenberg Gardens – 

Sunday 6^th November 2011

These tranquil gardens were open to the public on Saturday and Sunday last week. As I buy most of my plants from their nursery and because Caroline Magowen, who is now their head gardener, helped me sort out my little garden when I moved in here 11 years ago, I decided to pay them a visit. These gardens, about a kilometer from my home and almost next door to a house owned by my father’s brother, Edgar, in the ‘70’s, have always been a favourite spot of mine.

We were blessed with a glorious sunny day after a week of inclement weather.  I strolled through the ten different sections of the gardens and although there were many other people doing the same thing, I was filled with peace.  It was in fact, like walking through a stately “home” with the many rooms divided by neatly trimmed hedges and some walls; with water features and majestic trees including many old oaks.  There was a pathway of green moss, running between some graceful trees, in one section, definitely the home of fairies! The lawns were so lush and soft that, had I been younger, I might just have rolled down one of the banks, so inviting were those slopes!

The “Medieval Garden” is actually a most interesting vegetable garden with four sections and a fountain in the middle. Companion vegetables and herbs are laid out in rows, some straight others diagonal, and there are fruit trees as well, all looking lush and healthy, much of it ready for picking.

I especially enjoyed the “Garden of Reflection” which is planted in various shades of green, with a hint of blue and three “black” ponds made of slate, in which the water was so still the surrounding trees were perfectly mirrored.    As I walked slowly, deep in thought, I suddenly found myself at the entrance to the “Cherry Walk” and the trees there were heavy with the most beautiful clusters of pink and white blossom. What a sight!

I could have spent the whole day there, but unfortunately, I had other commitments. I will look forward to a return visit next time they open the gardens to the public.

 

Rosemary, wearing my gardening hat this time!

Things that go bump and Crash in the night

Things that go bump and Crash in the night
   Musings from Life by Rosemary Kahn

It was well after midnight. I know, because that is when I turned off my bedside light. Reading in bed is such a pleasure, especially in winter!

I must have been asleep for about an hour, when a loud crash woke me. I lay quietly listening in the dark for any other noises. There was a rasping and scraping sound and then silence. I did a mental check - all the downstairs doors were locked on the inside; the security gates were locked; my car was locked and in its garage. I crept out of bed. It is always quite light in my bedroom, inspite of the curtains being closed. The apartment block to the right of my building has had very bright spot lights installed and my neighbour had left his garden spotlight on as well. This lit up my own garden and I was able to see down to the gate, which was locked. There was no movement anywhere. I stood and watched for several minutes. 

Should I risk going downstairs, or should I go back to bed? Where exactly had the crash come from anyway? It had sounded very close by. Perhaps it was just a ferral cat, of which there are a number in the vicinity, on the prowl. It might have knocked over a pot plant on one of our patios. With a sigh, I decided to go back to bed. I felt safe enough upstairs and all was quite again and I refuse to live in fear. After all, we have electrically operated security gates and seven rows of electrically wired fencing all round the property. We also have a security guard cycle patrol on duty 24/7. I climbed into bed and my last conscious thought was,  

"What a way to live!"

People Watching

As a writer, one of my favourite pass times is "people watching". So during the recent school hoildays, I took myself off to the local Mall, notebook in hand, and found a vacant bench on the ground floor, fairly near the lifts and escalators. What I saw was indeed a complete eye-opener! From babies in prams, completely covered by blankets, so that no one could see that baby and the baby could not look out; to mothers hurrying along, with children trailing behind, often in a crowd. I saw crying children; rude and cross children, whining and begging children and very few who looked as though they were actually enjoying themselves or the outing. Often the teenagers had sort of disowned their parents, which is probably to be expected! The whole scene reminded me of  a project I did with my class years ago.

Of course, during the 25 years of my teaching experience, shopping, as such and shopping projects changed with the times and no longer did we set up quaint little grocery stores in a corner of the classroom. Instead, we had real cake or cookie sales; or used real stationery, pencils, erasers, etc, or hand made crafts, or even the children's own paintings to be sold, to teach the concept of buying and selling and the value of coins.

One day, during a class discussion, a child said, "Mrs Kahn, do you know that I HATE going shopping? It is NOT a treat."

When I asked her to explain in more detail, she said this, and I have never forgotten it.

"Just think of us for a moment. We are shorter than adults, sometimes much smaller. We get bashed by other people's parcels and handbags and all we can see are legs!"

Rosemary  - July 2011.

Keeping your figure

"If you want to keep your figure, dear," said my Piano Tuner's mother, who lived round the corner, "don't ever stop skipping!" Well somewhere along the line I did, (stop skipping) and my figure suffered. We moved house and with all the stresses and diversions a move like that brings, my rope was never found - that is, until about a week ago!

 

I was searching in my children's game box which had been carefully packed away for over 30 years, (the contents of which was hopefully to be enjoyed one day by any future grandchildren I might have.) I wanted to send my grand daughter, who lives with her family in Australia, a certain game I had been telling her about. As I lifted out each box, I could clearly picture my own family, years ago, sitting round a table or on the floor, usually shrieking with laughter ( or sometimes sulking), as we played first the easier games, like "Snakes & Ladders" or "Ludo", (remember them? ), and then of course "Monopoly"; "Rich Uncle" or "WHOT"., to mention but a few.

At the very bottom of the box, when the last jig saw puzzle had been unpacked, lay my old rope, with its lovely wooden handles. Yay, yay and double yay!

Guess who is skipping her heart out every day on the lawn, in preparation for summer? MOI, and I am loving it!  

The Demise of Handwriting as we have known it.

When I was about 32 and teaching a class of very active 6/7 year olds, one of my pupils shouted out during a writing lesson, "Mrs Kahn, when you were young, did you write with a feather?" The rest of the class burst out laughing and so did I. It was funny, although the children could not have really known that. At that stage of their lives they had no real concept of educational progress or of the passage of time.  

 

I have always felt that it is vital for children to be taught to write legibly and neatly and I am most certainly not ready to give up that idea, not quite yet, anyway.

 

I do concede, however, that learning to type quickly and accurately is just as essential these days. So my question is, why can't children be taught both skills, perhaps in a new and imaginative way?  They serve  different purposes after all but I do I believe that learning to write is a very important  skill for the general development of the child. I do not intend to go into details here, but many studies have indicated this.

Therefore, I find it immensely dissatisfying and indeed very worrying, that in America, 41 of their States have already declared that it is no longer a requirement to teach children handwriting, although each individual school is at liberty to decide that for themselves! I would like to think that most schools will continue to do so as part of their regular curriculum, slotted in somewhere, perhaps in Arts and Crafts lessons, should those lessons still exist. When the current batch of teachers retire and new younger ones step in, I am sure the age of technology will take over completely. Perhaps then the only writing that will be required of children will be the ability to sign their names, and we all know that most signatures are entirely illegible in any case, so any old squiggle will do!  I should imagine that practically anyone can do that, without resorting to the good old "X", which would be a giant step backwards. 

What do you think?

Do send your comments!

Rosemary

Sighting Space Shuttle Atlantis on her final voyage.

I happened to turn on the radio in time to catch the announcer reading out the exact time and place to view this exciting event, on Tuesday night, 19th July. I remembered the hype when this space shuttle was first launched, and determined to watch its final voyage and wave goodbye!

It was a clear dark night in Cape Town, not a speck of cloud about anywhere. A few stars were visible as I went outside, with my Dad's old binoculars, just after 7.00 p.m. At exactly 7.08, as announced, a bright light appeared to the west, just over the tip of Table Mountain and I was able to follow it for at least 3 minutes as it moved towards the east, trailed by another equally bright object. For some reason, I was really excited! As it disappeared from sight, I waited a few more minutes, thrilled to have witnessed this special event!

Below we include for you, video clips of:

1) The final take off of Space Shuttle Atlantis

2) A sighting of Space Shuttle Atlantis as seen from an aeroplane

3) Some thought provoking background into why this important work is coming to an end and the implications to others of this final event.

P.S.. Space Shuttle Atlantis has just touched down safely in Florida USA, (at 12 noon RSA time, 21 July 2011)  closing the chapter of 30 years of successful space travel - I think that is amazing!

Well done to all concerned!