Order a bouquet of flowers from On Time Arrangements, phone 082 836 8151, fax 086 663 2604 or e-mail: info@ontimesa.co.za
Visit your local garden centre and purchase a flower pot, hanging basket or plant.
Pop in at your local supermarket and put together a bottle of her favourite wine and chocolates. Buy coloured cellophane and coordinating coloured ribbon and scrunch up the cellophane around the wine and chocolates, tying with ribbon.
Every woman loves perfume. Buy her favourite, wrap and finish off with a bow.
If money is a problem, bake her a cake or biscuits. Home-made goodies always go down a treat and she’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness.
If you have a retired mom and live with your own family, invite her over for lunch or afternoon tea, she’ll love spending time with you and your family and will enjoy being spoiled.
Book review
The Storms of War – Kate Williams. In the idyllic early summer of 1914, life is good for the de Witt family. Rudolf and Verena are planning the wedding of their daughter Emmeline, while their eldest son, Arthur, is studying in Paris and Michael is just back from his first term at Cambridge. Celia, the youngest of the de Witt children, is on the brink of adulthood, and secretly dreams of escaping her carefully mapped-out future and exploring the world.
But the onslaught of war changes everything and soon the de Witts find themselves sidelined and in danger of losing everything they hold dear. As Celia struggles to make sense of the changing world around her, she lies about her age to join the war effort and finds herself embroiled in a complex plot that puts not only herself but those she loves in danger.
With gripping detail and brilliant empathy, Kate Williams tells the story of Celia and her family as they are shunned by a society that previously embraced them, torn apart by sorrow, and buffeted and changed by the storms of war.
Gardening tips for May
If you usually have winter frosts think about protection for your garden. Start watering shrubs, roses, fruit trees and vines. Water the grass about once a month.
If you have a vegetable garden, water regularly during dry weather. Feed with Multifeed P every two weeks to improve the flavour of the vegetables.
That’s it for this week. Shop till you drop!
Julie
