Phuthu Stay Phut, Don't go!

International Children’s Day – 01 June 2009

With International Children’s Day just around the corner, we thought it a good idea to incorporate this into our monthly challenge. Children are so special and need us looking out for them as they can’t do it themselves. Our challenge to you this month is to get involved and make a difference to a child’s life.

Herewith a few suggestions:

Volunteer at a children’s home
Make time, even if it’s once a month to spend an hour or two at an orphanage. You can either entertain the older kids by reading them stories or joining them for a soccer game or you can spend your time loving abandoned babies.

Donate your clothes and toys
You came into this life with nothing and will make your exit with… well, nothing. So why store up? Donate your children’s old clothes and toys to an orphanage in your area.

Online donations:
If you would like to make a difference but just don’t have the luxury of spending time somewhere, you can always make an online donation:

Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund
Child Welfare SA

“A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every passerby leaves a mark.”
- Chinese proverb

Another repo rate cut
Yesterday’s repo rate cut is the fourth this year. Following the global economic recession, the decision by the SA Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to cut the repo rate by 100 basis points to 7,5 percent will hopefully bring relief to the majority of the poor. Home owners might also be happy to know that the prime and mortgage rates are down to 11 percent. Although Tito Mboweni is forecasting high inflation and says this might be the last cut for a while, we should still remain positive and enjoy it while we can!
Reference: Independent Online

SA wines win attention abroad
Graham Beck Brut NV, the sparkling wine sipped by Nelson Mandela at his inauguration as South Africa’s first black president, is now Obama’s new favourite. In a recent column New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov expressed his excitement: “Forgive me if I’m excited, but I can’t help it. I want to tell you straight out that South Africa, of all places, is one of the greatest sources for moderately priced cabernet sauvignon on the planet today.” South Africa’s wine industry is an impressive 350 years old, which is something to celebrate indeed.
Reference: Mail & Guardian

Lions open sport pitch in Joburg
The Lions opened a brand new sports pitch in the heart of the Orange Farm township in Joburg yesterday. The pitch built at Masibambane College, supported by Education Africa, includes some turf from Ellis Park. British and Irish Lions players played a game of rugby with the school’s students and planted a few trees around the pitch. “Spending time in the community is an integral part of any Lions Tour, and the players have really enjoyed spending time with the children here today,” said Lions Tour Manager Gerald Davis.
Reference: SA Good News

Exciting times for Google South Africa
Stephen Newton, former Google head of analytics and commerce for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), is the new head of SA Google. Bringing extensive online experience with him, Newton aims to “increase the flow of information in SA by getting businesses online and helping South Africans benefit from Google’s free online services”. “It’s an exciting time here, with the 2010 World Cup just around the corner,” he said. “South Africa is the continent’s Internet and e-commerce hub, and the coming years promise significant growth for small businesses wanting to benefit from increased connectivity.
Reference: News 24

WESTERN CAPE

Somerset Mall’s Bridal Fair

Date: Thursday, 28 May 2009 to Sunday, 31 May 2009
Venue: Somerset West
More Information: Cheryl Wade Events 021 914 2852 or 083 456 2879
Website

Danscape 2009

Date: Thursday, 28 May 2009 to Sunday, 31 May 2009
Venue: Artscape, Cape Town
More Information: 021 410-9800
Website

Good Food & Wine Show Cape Town

Date: Thursday, 28 May 2009 to Sunday, 31 May 2009
Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre Foreshore, Cape Town
More Information: Gourmet SA 021 797 4500
Website

Kelvin Grove Bridal Fair

Date: Saturday, 30 May 2009 to Sunday, 31 May 2009
Venue: The Ballroom at Kelvin Grove in Newlands, Cape Town
Time: Saturday from 10h00 to 17h00 and on Sunday from 10h00 to 15h00.
More Information: Corine Sharp 021 658-4547
Website

GAUTENG

Johannesburg Wine Show

Date: Friday, 29 May 2009 to Sunday, 31 May 2009
Venue: Midrand
More information: 021 888 8800
Website

Scopex 2009

Date: Saturday, 30 May 2009
Venue: Saxonwold, Johannesburg SA National Military History Museum
Time: 09h00 to 21h00
Website

Logwood Country Festival

Date: Saturday, 30 May 2009
Venue: Logwood Village, Mulderdrift, West Rand
Time: 10h00 – 17h00
More Information: 087 754 3536 / 7 / 8 / 9
Website

River Place Country Estate Bridal Faire

Date: Saturday, 30 May 2009 to Sunday, 31 May 2009
Venue: Hennops River
More Information: 011 675-6041 or 082 553-0061
Website

MPUMALANGA

Komatipoort Festival

Date: Thursday, 28 May 2009 to Saturday, 30 May 2009
Venue: Komatipoort
More Information: Sue Steele 013 793 8262
Website

Uplands Festival

Date: Friday, 29 May 2009 to Saturday, 30 May 2009
Venue: White River
Website

NORTH WEST PROVINCE

Rustenburg Show

Date: Friday, 29 May 2009 to Sunday, 07 June 2009
Venue: Rustenburg
More Information: Carisma Breet 014 592-1318/9
Website

Reading shouldn’t be a chore that you tick off: it should be your guilty pleasure.
- Michele Magwood

Cell phones are great but they are also one of the rudest pieces of equipment on the planet. I’m sure you’ve all had the experience of talking to a friend or colleague and then being cut-off mid-sentence so that they can answer their phone and start a conversation with someone else! It drives me nuts, especially when it happens repetitively and you have to start your story all over again. It’s just like interrupting someone when they’re talking!

If you have to answer your phone in the middle of a conversation then why not just politely ask the person on the other end if they mind if you call them back? And trust me, they won’t mind! If you’re in a business meeting with an important client, rather turn your cell phone off and then return any messages afterwards.  Cutting off a business conversation during a meeting or sales pitch to answer a phone call – business or social, is just silly if you ask me (especially if you proceed to have a big charlie chat). You could lose a potential client, a potential sale and just downright piss a client off! So cell phones are great but just remember to be courteous to those who you are having a conversation with.

You have planned your herb garden and chosen your herbs, now it’s time for action.

Development and implementation

• Visit a nursery and find out if these herbs are available. Scratch out the ones that are not available, you can always add them at a later stage.
• If you are struggling to choose, make a list: Must have; Nice to have and Not necessary. Start with 5 – 10 herbs, max 15.
• Divide your herbs between annual and perennial and sort them by height.
• Draw a detailed plan of where each herb should go.
• Do some earthmoving if needed.
• Do the hardscaping. This is a term used by most landscape designers and simply means that you should add all the elements you want to make use of: wood, brick, concrete, paths, benches, fences etc.
• Amend and enhance the soil (see planting tips below).
• Purchase the herbs and plant them.
• Mulch. Water your herbs and help them settle.

Planting tips

• When preparing your site, remove weeds as they compete for nutrition, fork in organic matter such as compost and rake the ground so that the bed is level. No need to add large amounts of fertiliser or manure as that causes soft growth.
• Before you move the plants from their nursery pots into the ground, water these pots well as dry rootball is difficult to wet once your herb is planted in the ground.
• Nursery pots tend to cause the roots to become root bound because the pots are so small. Encourage new root growth by gently loosening the root ball before replanting the herb. Pinch out the tips of shrubby herbs to encourage bushy growth. Add fishmeal or bone meal to each planting hole.
• Place your herbs in their exact position (according to your plan) while keeping them in their original pots as it’s easier to move around this way. Space them according to their height and once you are happy, plant them out.
• Once your herb is planted, gently firm the soil around the plant to settle it.
• Some herbs like mint have the tendency to take over, plant them in sunken containers. Repot them yearly with fresh soil.

Caring for your herb garden

• Water your newly planted herbs often but once they are settled, they are naturally drought resistant. Watering and drainage goes hand in hand, rather water your plants too little than too much. After a good soaking, allow the water to drain and the soil to dry off. Water again when the first 2 – 3 cm of soil is dry.
• Mulch your herbs once a year by adding organic matter such as shredded bark.
• If you are planning on using your herbs on a regular basis, fertilizing plays a very important role. During the growing season (August to April in the Southern hemisphere), fertilize once a month. Once or twice during the winter months will be sufficient. Use a balanced fertilizer like 2:3:2 – always half the dosage given on the packaging. If your herbs get too much fertilizer, they will be more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
• Prune your herbs to encourage healthy growth. You should often remove dead flowers and leaves. If you are planning on using your herbs regularly, you don’t have to prune them as you will be doing this automatically.
• Herbs are not prone to pests but if you do have a problem with this, cut back the herbs or use an organic pesticide.

Harvesting your herbs

• Pick small quantities and try to handle them as little as possible.
• Use a sharp knife or scissors, do not break, bend or tear off the branches.
• Do not cut herbs at random, pinch or prune the plant at the same time to promote growth.
• Always harvest from healthy, clean plants.

Reference: SA Herb Academy