MAY 2026 NEWSLETTER #63
Dear Friends
“What is the difference between bird flu and swine flu?
One requires a tweet-ment, the other requires an oink-ment!”
So! I ended the month of May with a dreadful bout of the highly contagious swine flu which has left me bed-bound and isolated. After getting bored with feeling sorry myself I decided to count my blessings instead: I have access to good medical care, I have loving family and friends who regularly check up on me, I have a pretty view from my bed of my garden and the birds who enjoy spending time there, I have Woolies Dash at my fingertips, and most importantly I have a loving Heavenly Father who is always with me so that I need never feel alone!
Word of the Month
"Rambunctious"
"Rambunctious" means uncontrollably exuberant, boisterous, wildly energetic, difficult to control, and unruly. This playful American-coined term was first recorded in print in 1830.
"The rambunctious kitten wrecked the pansy bed."
PS: Who remembers Pansy the naughty kitten?!
Good Enough to Eat
If the adjective "rambunctious" could be applied to a plant, then the untidy, unruly, delightful, delicious nasturtium fits the bill. Did you know that almost the entire nasturtium plant is edible, including the flowers, leaves, stems, and immature seeds. Each part of the plant has the characteristic peppery bite that's stronger in some parts and more subtle in others.
May Birthdays
I dedicate this sweet mother-daughter duet to all the May babies: Kim, Belinda, Marisa, Jenny K, Sunet, Margaret, Deliana, Stephen, Chantelle, Steve, Cassandra, Elsbé, Sandy, Natalie, Zexta, Tony and Carin. I hope you’ll be “covered in sunshine” all year long.
NB If you haven’t yet sent me your birthday day and month, please send it to me via WhatsApp, or fill in the online SUBSCRIBE form.
Back By Popular Demand
"A Tribute to Mothers"
By Margaret Wrigley
Before I was even born you loved me, talked to me, made sure that you were eating the foods that would make me healthy, like spinach, even if you didn’t like it. I took over your body, making you uncomfortable and you were fine with that.
Then I was born and I took over your life!!! Sleepless nights were only part of it.
Yours was the first face I knew. The first smell I recognised. I felt secure in your love, a love that has never failed. You were my first teacher. From you I learnt about love, life and people. You were my comfort and my security.
Then I moved into my teenage years and you had the wisdom to gradually step back. You were always there but you gave me space, within a framework, to make my own decisions, to make my own mistakes and learn about consequences. I was often rude. I challenged rules, boundaries and curfews and you kept on pushing me back onto the right path. That’s when I understood unconditional love.
I finished school, went to varsity, got a job and moved into adult life. I phoned you once a week, except when I was feeling down, was very hungry or needed money and then a bit more often. You were always there for me.
I got married and you welcomed my choice with open arms. You were always there for us.
We have children now. You are a grandmother now as well as a mother, loving, caring, always there for us.
Thank you, Mom, for a lifetime of unconditional love and wisdom. I love you.
Workshop 20 June 2026
Winter Watercolour Workshop 20 June R300 per person, 3 hours, Saturday 9 – 12, all materials included.
FULLY BOOKED!
Don’t miss out on the fun! Check out all the dates of EVENTS at my Art Studio 112 for 2026.
If you didn’t get round to reading some of my art newsletters, or would like to re-read some, you’ll find them under NEWSLETTERS in the MAIN MENU at the top of the page.
You can also re-visit past events by viewing photographs from 2024, 2025 and 2026.