Merry Christmas 2012

Well we are ready and today although busy with last minute business we are so looking forward to being able to relax with family & friends.




Merry Christmas to everyone, my prayer is that our household and yours is filled with love, laughter & peace.
God's richest blessings on you & your loved ones.
If you are travelling take care & be safe.

May 2013 be a year of happiness, health & peace.

Families are Christmas !

Christmas is coming so fast & I am sooo excited, firstly our eldest son is home & thats always a sign to me its getting close to Christmas, never mind he comes home with two bags of laundry but he's home.
This means our other two children are mostly home for dinner, getting together with their brother - its amazing how when they all live in their own homes - they still gather in ours but I love it, noise, mess & all.

We had a lovely long weekend & have tried to get moved back entirely into our home after all the repainting, re sanding of floors etc - what I can't finish now is just tough. The most important thing is that we are comfortable & all the beds are in place ready for visitors.
The tree is not up yet because its tradition we all get the live tree together - the first time we'll all be together is thursday & thats the day the tree will go up.

We are having Christmas at home with all of our immediate family & a couple of friends, then on the 26th we are off to have Christmas with my sister & hubby in Joburg, she is more than a sister she is friend & confidant & critic too. Yes we will get up at some unreasonable hour to travel the six hours to Joburg, spend a day & a half with them, saturate ourselves in family & then depart to meet up with our other family & go on a well deserved break - just can't wait.

When you run your own businesses its very hard to organise your time off, especially with the laundries, but we have done so much planning & plotting & it will come together wonderfully. I am only sure of one thing, it doesn't matter if it doesn't run to schedule or the fish don't bite or the animals hide away - we will be family together & thats the very best.

 

My Living Space right now.

This is my lounge in real life - but as of now with the painting - its the kitchen, office, laundry etc

RIP DEBS

Debs (Debbie Boyer) lost her fight to cancer on Saturday 20 October 2012, with her beloved family close by at home in Mauritius. She was peaceful & full of faith & love to the end of her struggle.

She was my best dearest  friend & I loved & admired her greatly.

We have always been more like sisters & shared everything, our families are almost interwined.

I am so glad for her to be with our Lord and safe but I am so sad for all of us left behind.
To Jean Claude, Jacques & Damian my love & prayers are with you always & we will keep our bonds strong.

She always was so faithful & strong in her faith & love of our Lord & that makes me feel very small when I feel so sad now for myself. Still the lay out above makes me smile, the times we shared, the laughter & tears we shed were all so special.

"wait for me Debs till we meet again." 

Painting !

Yip we are painting the inside of our house for the first time in forever !

The first week was full of anticipation & excitement, I didn't mind cleaning & clearing up the first two rooms really felt quite wonderful. Then came the dust, smells of paint & turps & did I mention dust aaahhh. Anyway after the room was finished it looked gorgeous & empty & wonderful, hah until I realised we had to move the next rooms stuff into there plus plus - aahh now its just our bedroom & office that has anything resembling living space.

No I am not complaining just reality hit me square in the face of how doing anything worthwhile is not easy but the end result will be a fabulous clean flowing colour scheme, vanilla walls & white ceiling in the bedrooms, everything else is cobbler beige (which I call putty colour) & white ceilings but it flows. Another week & we should be finished roll on next Friday 26th October.

Then DH decided to have our floors re-done, they are oregon pine & so yes i caved in & the next two weeks after that will be floors - quite easy really move everything out (yes everything) & we will sleep & work out of our granny flat in the back garden - that right now is a storeage space for anything & everything, we don't even know if the bathroom works.

My husband never promised me a boring life, whew he has kept his word lol but seriously it'll be the last time we do anything to this house, after that I would like to go into a secure complex where I can lock & go. 

We are living with empty rooms & I really like the space & keep saying we need to down scale our furniture & belongings - my DH is a horder & I am not so its a matter of us both compromising but i think he's seeing my point of view somewhat. My DD & I had a good laugh we hauled out my wedding dress & veil from the back of a cupboard ( DH & I have been married for 32 years!!!!) & I am going to clean it & get rid of it my poor hubby nearly had a fit but I just said no its got to go. 

Anyway i am off to cook dinner in a kitchen thats relatively dusty (that fine dust that comes from sanding down walls that look perfectly good to me !) even though my dear maid has cleaned it . Aaaagh the good life.
 

01st October 2012

I can't believe I last blogged four months ago,still I am alive & kicking.
June & July & August whizzed past, I celebrated my birthday in August,went away to our timeshare in Pilansberg  where we always meet up with my sister & brother in law & just enjoy the time together. Coming back to Durban after the dryness in the Pilansberg & Johannesburg is always wonderful - we really are a Durban by the sea family.
In September DD & I headed down to Cape Town for the scrapbooking convention at Spier wine estate & it was lovely, we flew in on the early flight on Thursday to a cool wet cape, but by the time we had booked our car & whizzed off towards Stellenbosch it was already lifting. We went all over on thursday & just explored, on Friday the sun shone & off we went to Kirstenbosch Botannical gardens which are magnificent, went to Hout Bay for a late lunch & then off to the V & A water front which was so busy but had such a good vibe. We just made it in time back to Spier for the registration on Friday afternoon exhausted but happy. The one thing that struck me was how clean all the areas were, even driving past Khayalisha area was really clean, the other thing was that they sell beautiful proteas along the roadside at incredibly cheap prices & they are so big & beautiful.
Saturday & Sunday we had 6 sessions & thoroughly enjoyed them, made new friends & relaxed, we finished just before 5pm on Sunday but had wisely booked our flights for Monday morning at 10.35am. So we had a last supper out in the Stellenbosch area and relaxed for the evening. we flew back on monday relaxed & refreshed & really feeling like we had had a super break.
Then its been the church fete, cooking & serving bacon & egg rolls till twelve, then a quick dash home to change & catch a flight to Joburg for a 21st birthday party, whew I am exhausted now but great fun was had by all & I am glad we made the effort.
My DH business is in an unatural slow time & he gets incredibly edgy & stressed, add to this the decision to paint the inside of our house - for the first time in about 16years. We are still uncertain about bedroom colours but are in agreement for the flowing of the open plan dining room/kitchen area into the lounge & passage area so yay for that. My DH is very conservative & so its a battle to get colour into our home but he is compromising this time so lets hope it works out. I don't see us painting again for a very long time. Moving everything out of each room is a pain but its been good too as we need to declutter as we go along, even the inside of the cupboards have been emptied to be repainted & that was a mission especially as our eldest son moved to Joburg nearly 4 years ago but his cupboard is full of all his stuff, so he said I need to sort it out - he may just be sorry he said that.
So its a postive outlook for this month & hopefully a calmer one too.

Life is not always great

I feel like a hamster spinning on a wheel & getting nowhere fast, I like being busy & normally cope well, lately I feel as if I am going  to fall into a pit & never get out.
Why ? probably because life just happens, we haven't had a free saturday/ sunday for 2 months due to work, church, charity, social committments & we don't always get enough sleep due to travelling all over. Yes travelling is a bonus of our work but it can be very tiring & 2 testy people in a car for eight hours not so much fun, especially since I do battle to keep my opinions to myself ( really am working on it but can't say its easy.) The same can be said of sitting at an airport waiting for a delayed plane.
Our family has gone through an emotional year & a bit with our extended family having huge issues to work out & because we can't be there for them it is so so so frustrating. I really believe in "it takes a village to bring up a child"as there is always the community to support &  encourage & rely on. These days families are fragmented & its definitely not a positive thing although if I had to be face to face with this particular family member (whom I love) I might just be tempted to wack him one. ( not nice I know but so honest.) I also realised how much I was hoping for a fairy tale ending & that takes a lot of emotional pounding when you have to really take off the rose coloured glasses. ( though I still have hopes.)
Then I have just had an SARS audit for one of our businesses, not too bad at all but quite demanding still & hopefully they will sort out the end result. I have to admit to not having a problem with SARS so shouldn't complain - it just adds onto my load.
To top it off my son thought it was just fine doing a baited shark dive ???? I mean really at 26 I thought he had grown up - still it went well & he's in one piece although he does seem to have a much more healthy respect for sharks. Thats another thing our youngest is going overseas hopefully at the end of the year & although he doesn't live at home he works in the family business & father & son are like two circling lions recently - whew its sometimes too much & Mom always lands in the middle & it is horrible.
It will get better ....... at the end of the year we will have overseas family visiting & right now thats my light at the end of the tunnel.


 

Nikon School of Photography

DH & I just spent a morning at the Nikon School of Photography in La Lucia Durban, not to do photography that will have to wait. To learn about our new Nikon D3100, it was really very interesting.
There were 24 people & I felt that was a lot but it did work, the lecturer Mark Young was very good, he's an international photographer & gave us lots of good tips & laughs at common faults but what impressed me more was his knowledge of the camera.
He was very comfortable with it, never had to look up anything & was quite happy to help all of us, he had a super way of making you do it - rather than show you how and for me that really works.
Everything was hands on & he had us taking photos changing settings & getting different results - I enjoyed it thoroughly but by the end of 4 hours I was just overloaded with knowledge & technical jargon, thank heavens DH & I did it together because we both can't forget the same thing hopefully.
So we decided to go for a light lunch at Gateway, why I am not so sure because everyone was there aaaahh I can't stand crowded places but we found a relaxed table & enjoyed lunch, thank fully it was much easier going out than in.
On our way home our DD said to stop off at her house & see her garden, she has started with nothing & has got her lawn going, a few roses & a few shrubs, its coming on. What she was so excited about was her old wheelbarrow which she had planted bulbs in & they are sprouting, I am not sure how well they will do in durbs but we'll have to wait & see.
So now its off to have a nanna nap lol I need it.

A Blessed Easter

Wishing you all a Blessed Easter, full of Hope, Love & Joy.

Today I am

Today I am

• Grateful its Friday & I got through the week.

• Grateful for finishing 3 business sets of books & filed their taxes yay.
• Grateful for my hubby & family's support even when I am grouchy.

• Grateful to know I can relax this weekend.
• Grateful to have long distance relationships with family overseas.

• Grateful to know I don't have to get up early tomorrow.
• Grateful to be meeting friends for lunch on Sunday.

• Just so so glad to know I can see things a bit clearer right now.

Peace & Quiet

Fish Spa

Fun photos

Ok is time slipping away

I cannot believe its Feb 24th, I feel like I am on a collision course with time itself as I don't seem to get much time to myself these days but we have been so busy & I am not really complaining just wondering out loud lol.
We did make it to Mozambique & even though they had just experienced a cyclone, there was not that much damage visible & the road had been repaired, amazing effort for Africa & i was impressed.
My DH conned me , yes "conned" me into getting his new Nikon camera, this is how it went ..... "Love I want to buy you a present for our anniversary "(we don't do gifts we do lunches, dinner, a weekend away etc) , " but we don't do that !" "Yes but this is special (after 31 years ) mmmm ok what are you thinking about " drum roll please........ " I'll buy you half the camera, you buy the other half !!!!" you have to love that, what can I say. We got the camera, and going to Moz was a perfect way of playing with it - have loads to learn but "he" is enjoying it. Anyway we will be going up to Hillcrest for a day of learning to use your camera which I think is great - all thrown into the price of the camera. Will put up some photos later blogger is being very unco-operative.

Its my DH birthday on Sunday, and since he is having to go to joburg early sunday morning, the kids & I have booked him a weekend at Gwahumbe Spa & Reserve for next weekend. Its only an hour & a half away from Durban, so we can go up after lunch on Friday the 2nd March (yukkles the time is flying) and travel back after lunch on Sunday. I am looking forward to it & hope its as good as it looks on the website.

Enjoy the weekend & relax.

Fun with fish & a birthday !

On Saturday afternoon we, DH,DD & myself went off to Body & Soul Spa to indulge in a Dr Fish foot massage........we went to the Protea Hotel in Gateway & it was lovely, the ambiance, the family togetherness. There we were all excited & as Kylie has done it in Singapore said DH & I should go first.
Oh my word, its weird & good at the same time, I lasted half the time & they all laughed at me, DH & DD just had extra time they relaxed & enjoyed. Still it was good to experience it & the little Garra ruffa fish are incredible but I don't think I will be repeating it.

Saturday was also our youngest son's birthday - 26 years old woo hoo. Steven is a gorgeous, generous friendly man ( not my little boy anymore but always my baby.) He had been celebrating since Friday with friends, dinner with the family on Saturday & finishing off with the Dolphins verses Sharks cricket on Sunday, so needless to say he had a good time.

We are due to go to Mozambique on Sunday coming but thanks to cyclone Dando & another one on the way, we are going to change our plans. I am disappointed because our time in Jan & Feb every year is "our" time, we plan our year ahead, talk about goals we want to achieve, restore ourselves, chill out, relax together & enjoy each others company, enjoy the serenity & beauty.
So we are contemplating...........

2012 started without me......

Well thats how I feel, 2012 just started without me but I have caught up finally.

We have had our house full from the 09 th Dec 2011 & I have loved all the comings & goings but I have also found it quite overwhelming too. My three adult children are wonderful but still do not get on all the time, throw in other halves & thats not always a recipe for happy families & Mom is always in the middle. This is stressful & I must admit I can do without it. My DH & I are escaping next year lol. In saying that we had great times, and the family on the whole get on really well & I am like a mother hen I like my chicks close to me.

On Friday our son & girlfriend left & I could feel the relief (i love & adore them but need my space) ! So Friday night hubby & I went out to dinner, we toasted my SIL's birthday in & just loved being on our own, it was peaceful & fabulous. We came home to a quiet house, neat & tidy & loved loved it. There is something about just getting up to make tea or get water & not worrying about putting on a dressing gown etc - freedom for me.

We spent Saturday, chilling out, planning our year & swimming or maybe just wallowing in the pool as Durban's heat & humidity was extremly high. Got a bit too much sun which is yuk but so so nice to just be. We started our list for our first trip to Mozambique & half heartedly decided hubby needs a new camera (not sure if thats a wants or needs) so decided to get out all the current cameras to have a look at - 4 cameras in one house hold is too much, so the deal is sell 3 & yes he may have his new camera.

Sunday dawned & we wizzed off to church, just loved the message of hope & love & came home to chill. Our loving children have named our home pool as "Hippo Hollow" as we spend so much time there lol & thats what we did - wallowed. Then we were treated to lunch as a thank you for their December ( makes me feel gulity to think they all drove me batty at times) but it was great.

Back to work tomorrow & hope 2012 is kind & considerate for everone.