The Restory Retreat Centre

Our walled vegetable garden at the beginning of Spring. Photo by Matilda Angus To take a spade, or spading fork on a crisp fall day and without undue haste or backbreaking effort to turn over slice after slice of sweet-smelling earth can bring rich rewards to the gardener who fully understands just what he is accomplishing.    - T.H Everett (American landscaper) Being in the Southern hemisphere, Spring has just sprung. Our young Zulu gardener, Skhumbuzo, has turned over the beds and worked in some well-rotted compost and cows manure. We've sown carrots, radishes, four types of beans, pumpkins, courgettes, coriander, basil and ox heart tomatoes. Skhumbuzo, the proud gardener. The last of the winter onions and carrots are ready to harvest and will make way for seedlings of aubergine, spinach, beetroot, peppers and a new batch of onions.  This year we plan to start laying out the orchard which will be adjacent to the vegetable garden. Half a doze...

My dad Photo by Matilda Angus I have had very few reasons in my life to feel proud of my dad. One being his truly beautiful singing voice. I loved standing next to him during church services and hear him take the tenor confidently and with the greatest of ease. In different circumstances he could have made it in the music world. But mostly, our lives were ruled by my father’s struggle with his demons: an inferiority complex and a terribly short temper. Looking back, I honestly don’t know whether we moved so many times because Dad was trying to better our lives with better positions and a better income, or whether he got into another scrap with his superiors and decided to move on. Yet for all his shortcomings, I now know he tried his utmost to provide for his family and he was a trustworthy employee. Also, he raised us the best he could on principles he believed in based on his strict religious views. But these things don’t stir up pride in a child or teenager’s heart. ...