Two things about today: I drove to Stellenbosch to do a signing (that is the legal side of a marriage) in a bride’s parents’ home. I saw ring boxes on the patio table and asked if they wanted to do a ring exchange. They said yes. I asked if they wanted to do the very […]
Entries by Lara Thomas
Doorbells and pomegranates
No matter how I try to spin the day – to make light of it – it refuses to be described as anything except a hard one – I thought about talking about sparkling water and how much better it is than plain old water or how Jess confessed that there aren’t many of her […]
Salt caramel
My wife loves ice-cream more than any other food group. At the end of last year she made a list of things she needs for the coming year. Eat more ice-cream appeared there. Her choice is always the same: Salted caramel and whatever fruity one sounds delicious. Today I ordered first: Mango passion fruit and […]
Karate Kid
“I like this fence,” I said to Jess, as we walked down the path between houses to Clifton 2, “This wooden one.” “What do you like about it?” “It reminds me of the karate kid.” “Why?” “Did you ever watch the karate kid?” “No,” Jess said. I explained that Mr Miyagi instructed Daniel to hit […]
Everything I know about love
This morning I married a couple in a truly exquisite apartment in Mutual Heights in the middle of town. The couple – even better than the apartment. Only their mothers were with them. Their mothers were the ring bearers; their mothers threw basmati rice over them at the end of the ceremony; and their mothers […]
A Travesty on a Thursday
Whoever (whomever?) brushes their teeth first must put toothpaste on the other person’s toothbrush. I thought this gesture was particular to Jess and I but I’ve married enough couples and spoken to enough couples about such small kindnesses that I know – it’s a thing. A common curtesy among lovers. She who gets a snack […]
Over the barded wire
A swimming towel lay next to me on my way to Pringle Bay today. As I drove, every now and then, I’d see the towel and hope that I had thrown a cozy into the boot. This hope escalated when I drove over the bridge just before the Crystal Pools hike. The water. Oh the […]
Buckets and kelp that shall not be moved
Loadshedding has wiped out our wifi and for good measure, our cellphone reception too. We live on Signal Hill. We recently decided that we don’t need fibre as well as our wifi router (I’m not sure if that terminology is correct, maybe fibre also needs a router – whatever). We had both because the fibre […]
Ordinary houses
For my wedding, I chose the song, Crowded Table by The Highwomen. It was meant to be a surprise for Jess on the day. On the morning of our wedding, I was so anxious and so emotional (nothing to do with marrying Jess) that I kept pressing play on my “secret” “aisle” song. I write […]
Slow to be fast
Tonight I’m late to write and I thought I’d get away with typing next to a sleeping Kit but she woke, sat up, smiled and looked at the laptop like she would quite like to send an email. She is down again now and rather than risk waking her, I pried (is that how you […]