Monday, November 30, 2009

EMPTY NEST

Well our babies finalised their move yesterday. They left behind dust & a few odd rubbish things lying in their rooms - it looks very forlorn !!!
Mavis my wonderful maid is busy cleaning up two empty rooms & she is horrified they have gone - in her culture its not done.
So we do have plans, the granny flat where Steven lived is to be a new store place for all Alans exotic coloured leather stock & all our camping gear etc - yay some space.
Kylies room will be our spare room, all we have to do is paint it out, get a new double bed ( hers went with her!!) & a new table or dresser. The build in cupboard will house our extra linen, pillows etc making room for me to put craft & scrapping stash into the linen cupboard in our room.
Mark's room is still full of stuff that he will be moving up to Joburg after Christmas & that will be a craft room for me - really can't wait.
Awful but great !!!!!!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Kylie's picnic
















Kylie decided as she was away for her birthday at a friends wedding we would celebrate this weekend with a picnic in Durban's botanical garden. By the lake & in the sunshine. It was lovely & Mark was down from Joburg so we had fun.
The children had fun with ball games with all the "big" children & fed the ducks, hadeedaas & watched the pelican catch & eat fish - really quite amazing.
The female adults were kept amused by all the wedding photos being taken in the gardens - a beautiful setting & wow we saw beautiful brides & colourful bridesmaids- red, burnt orange, green, lilac, purple, champagne, pink & blue. Really nice to see people enjoying & using the gardens.
Here are some pics and now as my menfolk are watching rugby I am going to have a well deserved afternoon nap.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Back home again

Its great to be home after a week on the road. DH & I travel really well together & enjoy the time, I have learnt patience while he does business & normally head for the local shopping center & browse & end up having coffee & reading my book.
We did the last trip up through Polokwane, Louis trickhard, Tzaneen, Hoedspruit & onto Nelspruit & into Kruger National Park for 3 days R & R. Wow I love the serenity,scenery, any creature we watch big & small ( I am a closet birder) & just being in the open bush. Lucky for us it was midweek so not at all busy just very very pleasant.
Time to catch up with laundry, emails and everything else in between.
Have a great weekend.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Thursday 19 November

Random thoughts on this day ;
  • Kylie our eldest turns 28 tomorrow.
  • Both Kylie & Steven are moving into a rented house on the 28/29 November,both Alan & I are very excited we will have our house to ourselves.
  • Scared too - it'll just be the two of us.
  • We are off on a business road trip on Saturday and get back the following Saturday.
  • I have been at school this week changing admin computer sysytems and just loved it.
  • Alan was not so enthusiastic about me being at school.
  • Our children are claiming all kinds of things out of my kitchen - oh I was given this mug 10 years ago by so & so !
  • We are having our house painted on the outside & due to rain every other day its still not finished a month later. Frustrating for both the painters & us.
  • Steven is sanding down his grandfathers cupboard to take with him & its bittersweet for Alan who is very pleased but finding it hard to let go.
  • Its raining again..........

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Back home

Loved being with special friends in a magical place but its so nice to sleep in your own bed & wake up refreshed & ready to go. Well maybe not as refreshed as we would have liked as our darling kids had us up & filling them in on everything, plus they still can't wait for presents till morning!!

We really do not appreciate our health till its threatened & I for one really need to learn to appreciate everyday as a gift from God - while I thought I did before I really do now.

Debbie is courageous and practical & is doing the best for her and her family, it takes amazing physical and mental strength to fight the chemo & radiation effects on your body. We talked, cried and laughed everyday but she never once moaned or whinged or anything and I really admire her as well as love her dearly.
Her two sons are coping well, her husband is not he is angry,sad and petrified - how do you help him, he had good man to man talks with Alan & really was more upset than all of us when we left. Our prayers go out for them everyday sometimes I want to rant & rave about it being unfair but then I remember Debs saying "why not me ........"

Love your family & friends everyday, tell them, show them and just immerse yourselves in that love because we do not know what or if there is a tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Pics of Maritius

On the yacht with La Morne in the background
At Gris Gris point taken by Debbie

From our balcony 5 steps down onto the beach at La Mariposa.


Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Paradise

God created the earth & its awesome. He created so many paradise spots - Mauritius is definately one of them.
I am sitting on my balcony hearing the lapping of waves, watching the boats bob about and its fantastic.

Debbie & I have just chilled out, we have walked on the beach, slept on the grass in the shade (its hot hot hot) and swam in the crystal clear water. There is no better gift than time with a loved one and I have been given this. Her family are overjoyed that we have come to spend time with them.

Tomorrow we are going to spend the day on a catamaran, swimming with the dolphins, island hopping and snorkelling on the reef.

God has give me this incredible blessing & I am so enjoying it to the full. Debbie & I have made a pact that if she is alive & well in 2011 - we are taking our spouses away to the rugby world cup in New Zealand so here's praying that will come to pass i could not bear to think of her not here.