Changes in the East:

Morning View Shopping Centre in South Road is repopulating the big area vacated by Coricraft with several new, small shops. More are to come. Wendywood Shopping Centre continues to decline. It has now lost Hilton's Car Sound and the hardware shop. Kelvin Village Shopping Centre looks good after its minor revamp, with an updated entrance. However it has lost significant shops including the longstanding pharmacy, the pet shop, and the Halaal butchery. The Bridge in Buccleuch has some new tenants upstairs. Reconstruction has started on Sandton Court behind the Shell garage on Rivonia Road opposite South Road.

Changes in the Presidency?

None yet. Keep pushing.  Happy Black Friday (SA style) where we go shopping for a new President.

Little Cooks Club writes...

If you are exhausted and burnt out emotionally or physically how can you expect to effectively care for your family? Your attitude towards ME TIME is important too. Here are some tips to make time for you:

• List the things you enjoy, and schedule time to do them - painting, drawing, reading, taking a walk, gym, sitting in the garden, writing - you choose...
• List the things you want to do and schedule time to do them - a cooking class, the theatre, a weekend away with your spouse or friends...
• Make your bath time your time. 15 minutes in the bath alone with a cup of tea can do wonders.
• Plan a night out with friends or a coffee date - spending time with friends can change your outlook and emotional state.
• Plan a date night with your spouse. Spending quality time with your significant other is important.

Many of the Little Cooks Club franchisees will be hosting holiday classes during the April holidays. Have a look at their events page.

Odd Jobs

Is this a new disguise by criminals?
"A stabbing suspect turned himself into a police station" - Radio News.

New on the Block, Movers and Shakers  Back to top

• Family Doctor, Dr M F Mahomed and Dentist, Dr Riaz Wadvalla, moved from Shop 01 at the end to Shop 04 next to the top of the stairs, 1st Floor in The Bridge Shopping Centre.
• Meridian Paints Factory Paint Depot, Shop 01, Ground in Wendywood Shopping Centre – Factory Paint Depot.
• Great Burger Company, Shop 05, Ground in Morning View – Gourmet Classic Burgers, social food, build your own burger, side orders, grills, sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, desserts.
• Sirene Hair and Beauty, Shop 04, Ground in Morning View – Cuts, colours, Brazilian hair treatments, nails, nail art, special effects and beauty.
• Sorbet Morningview, Shop 09C, Ground in Morning View – Face and body professionals: Facials, waxes, massages, nails and more.. 25% off all treatments during Opening Month from Wed 22 March 2017.
• Atlantic Barbershop, Shop 09B, Ground in Morning View – Men's hairdresser.
• GP Cellular, Shop 09A, Ground in Morning View – Cell phone repairs, computer repairs and accessories. 10% discount during opening, from March 2017.
• Morningview One Touch, Basement in Morning View – (at the Car wash) Small to medium non-structural repair, paintless dent repair, paint repairs.
• Weiners Training Development Academy, Shop 201, 2nd Floor in Wendywood Shopping Centre – Courses (full or part-time) in health care, health work, occupational health safety, victim empowerment, first aid, gender violence, fire-fighting, rights, STI's, HIV & AIDS.
• Chesa Nyama, Shop U05, Ground in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – Serving the best matured A-grade meats, flamed-grilled the traditional way. Burgers, wors & Russians, braai cuts, ribs, combos, chicken, salads, breakfast.
• Kwantu African Cuisine, Shop U12B, Ground in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – From the Pot: Lamb stew, beef stew, tripe, cow head, sheep head, trotters, giblets. Grills: Chuck, boerewors, liver, T-bone, lamb, pork. Rice, pap, samp & beans, dombolo. Boerewors rolls, chips, salads, chakalaka, archar.
• J5 Collection, Shop L02, Lower Level in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – New ladies' boutique.
• Tiffany's Collections, Shop 14, 1st Floor in The Bridge Shopping Centre – Bags, Shoes, African Fashion.
• The Link, Shop L09, Lower Level in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – In the passage. Internet & printing café: Internet, printing, faxing, laminating, typing, graphic design, computer repair & upgrade, website development, networking.
• The Study, 1st Floor in The Bridge Shopping Centre – Tuition for high school "learners", after school homework assistance. Math, English, Afrikaans, drama and art.

Restaurant Review by Judith Back to top

** Pizza Luna, Rivonia Village, Rivonia Boulevard

We decided to revisit this restaurant after a long absence. It was a warm evening so we sat outside and discovered that they now have a children's play area. Children were making ample use of this, so parents, it a new venue for you!

We ordered a bottle of Alvi's Drift dry white wine and an Appletiser. Then mulled over the food options. I chose butter cooked calamari and my partner a large Gustosa pizza (the only size available). The latter came with lots of garlic, but not much salami for the price!  Sadly the calamari was disappointing and, despite attempts to attract attention for garlic or anything else, no response was forthcoming. The wine was good but the service was not.  Prices are now on the high side.

Contact Details for Pizza Luna and Luna Deli.

Funny Language, English...

Should one give an audio file to an audiophile?

Breathless:  Back to top

• Hilton's Car Sound, Shop 1c in Wendywood Shopping Centre – Car audio, alarms, immobilizers, anti-hijack, gear locks, vehicle tracking, smash & grab window tinting, air-con (re-gas & service), cell phone kits, auto electrical, and car accessories.
• Hair Teatro, Shop 4 in Morning View – Unisex hairdressers. Reincarnated as Sirene Hair and Beauty.
• The Hair And Body Shop near Morning View – Ladies hair, men's grooming, hair removal, IPL Skin rejuvenation, facials, hands and feet, massage, eyelashes and permanent makeup. 2A East Road, Morningside.
• Wendywood Garden & Hardware, Shop 11 in Wendywood Shopping Centre – DIY, pool, garden, keys cut, gas, Plascon paints.
• The Charity Box, Shop U05 in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – Donated clothing, books, furniture, silverware, brass and ceramic ornaments, DVD's, CD's, linen, curtains, glassware, paintings and crockery, etc. The shop generated income for Non-Profit Organisations.
• Fluffs & Stuffs Pet Shop, Shop U08 in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – Fish and other pets for sale. Bird seed, dog food, fish food, cat food, pet accessories.
• Aunt Juby's Halaal Meats, Shop U08 in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – Halaal Butcher in Kelvin: Quality meat on your doorstep. Qurbani meat.
• The Purple Lounge, Shop U11 in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – Fully Halaal restaurant. No alcohol served. Breakfast, burgers, pap & steak/chicken/wors, various bunny chow.
• Mat's Pharmacy, Shop U12 in Kelvin Village Shopping Centre – Medical prescriptions, patent medicines.

100% Free of Greatness

In Julius's estimation Jacob has gone from "great" to semi-great, to hemi-semi-great, and finally to denigrate.

The Importance of Training Your Dog

(From the Absolute Pets newsletter) One of the most beneficial things you can do for your dog is train it. Why is this? A well-trained and socialised dog is a happy dog: a happy dog makes a happy owner. This means being able to take your companion for walks without worrying about aggression towards other dogs, and reducing your dog's tendencies to chew or damage furniture and the garden. Training can help cement the special bond between dog and owner. It is also fundamental to communication between the two. From puppy training to agility training, there is a lot to consider. Angus Bradley, Chairman of the Cape Handlers Dog Club, answers six top training questions in this short article.

Civic: Home Preparation for a Person with a Visual Impairment, Part 3

This is the third of four Home Preparation Tips to Accommodate a Person with a Visual Impairment, by Jackie Waters of Toastmasters and hyper-tidy.com: Her home preparation tips will help you make your loved one with a visual impairment feel more confident and independent (some tips are applicable to the totally blind).

Tip 1 (the Kitchen) was in February.

Tip 2 (the Bathroom) was in March.

Tip 3: Use Contrasting Colours for Mealtime

Mealtime can be much easier for people with vision impairment when you use contrasting colours for dinnerware, table runners, placemats, and chair cushions. Contrasting colours make it easier for people with low vision to locate their utensils and serve themselves food. Opt for solid colours for dinnerware and place settings because patterns can make it difficult to distinguish food and can cause confusion. It may be helpful to place a charger underneath a standard dinner plate to catch spills.

At mealtimes, keep the dining table as simple as possible. Remove from the table: candles, centrepieces, and other items that are not an essential part of the place settings. Less clutter makes it easier for people with visual impairment to identify the essentials, like their glass, plate, napkin, and silverware.

(Final) Tip 4 next month...

Overheard at the Checkout

"Did the Cape Town Cycle Tour go well? You said it would be a breeze."

"Oh, yes –I was absolutely blown away!"