In our part of the world it is not a season of spring cleaning yet. Nevertheless, I have just opened the boot ( this is the South African equivalent of trunk) of our car.
Upturned in one corner is a cardboard box and strewn elsewhere are pieces of paper and card of every description. Also glimpsed is a green acrylic blanket. In case you think I use the boot as a rubbish bin ( South African trash can) let me explain.
As an addicted recycler, I collect every scrap of fibrous material manufactured from wood pulp. This present load I had placed in a suitable container for later transport to the collecting point at a local charitable institution. Maybe my driving caused the spillage!





Examining the contents I find:
The outline of the sole of a foot. It is marked
"out-a sight
cotton rich seamless sox
CAMEO
one pair"
Hum, I wonder where those foot liners are.
A jungle Oats packet. Was I drawn to the
" 1kg + 100 g FREE" and
" Stand a chance to
WIN YOUR SHARE of R600,000 in instant cash prizes" ?
Perhaps that was just incidental as Jungle Oats is my regular breakfast.

Umpteen inners from toilet rolls. I can't remember either of us having the runs!

A book of Sudoku Variations. Each puzzle has been completed. It is obvious which one is the work of my husband and which is mine. His figures are meticulous and mine scrawled with multiple scratching outs.

Last Will and Testament. Oh, my goodness, I hope that is the old one. I'd better check that the latest document is in its safe place.

There are many empty boxes which contained the necessary medication for my husband who has metastatic prostate cancer. There are also those daunting instructions that accompany high schedule drugs. The details include contra-indications, side effects, special precautions , etc, etc. Nowadays I just follow our doctor's advice.

A copy of Table Talk, our free suburban publication. In it there are some interesting articles, mutters by some disgruntled citizens in the letter section and words of gratitude from others for services rendered. Advertising predominates as expenses have to be covered. A large pull out section from a hyper food store advices the reader to buy everything from melt in your mouth deserts to 'NEW healthy warm winter salads'. Everything, but everything advertised has a 99cent part of the price tag. Is R99.99 for a 'Chicken and Pancake Bake' that much more appealing than a price of R100? Wow, a 0.1% saving!!

And, finally , the green acrylic blanket....this is not for recycling. It is not junk and remains neatly folded on the floor of the boot as I can't bear to remove it.

This beloved blanket provided the cushioning for the transport of one special model tug.
My husband's nautical Norwegian genes have surfaced in many areas of his life. One of them has been the building of model boats.

Years ago , while on a short holiday, he took countless photographs of the tug, "FC Sturrock" , in Durban harbor. On returning home , he drew up the plans from the slides. In snatched moments, the construction took place.

I too was involved . To replicate the exact colours of the deck I had to go to the paint shop. The salesman accompanied me outside to view the pertinent slide."I don't have this exact colour but I'll mix one for you". Such was my husband's attention to detail. Even children from the neighbourhood were given cash for their dinkie toy tires to dress the sides of the tug. The hull, however, was not a replica as under- water photography did not take place.

Obviously, great care was needed to transport this precious, radio controlled model to a waterway. The green acrylic blanket was ear marked. The driver of the car was always the model constructor! Although my husband was my original driving instructor, no risks could be taken in this mission.

Sadly ,this Nordic husband of mine is no longer able to handle his tug and neither is he able to drive. I keep that green blanket , neatly folded in the base of my boot , to remind me of the journey of the model "F C Sturrock" from photographs to waterway.