Monday blues

Why do some days just get worse & not better. Today was sunny for Durban absolutely wonderful but my day just collapsed in a series of silly & minor problems but they just seemed insurmountable at times, my pc went on the blink (business one that generates invoices etc) so it was manual invoices & moans from everyone. The printer then went on the fritz - so no bank statements downloaded etc, then the new bed for our guest room which was going to arrive at 9am didn't till much later holding all kinds of things up.My DH left for Ladysmith at 4am this morning & it was a beautiful morning it just did not live up to its promise after realising that I was making everything seem like a huge catastrophe I decided to just pray for patience & serenity. My pc was fixed & the printer, the bed arrived & looks great in the room & my DH came home early than expected. I am a person who likes my plans to fall into place & am very impatient ...... I need to learn to not sweat the small stuff & pray for patience. Needless to say we all are up to date and ready to go .

For the last three days its been all hands on deck at our family laundries, the rain has kept us extra busy & boy had I forgotten what it was like to fold & pack laundry.....especially for six straight hours. Our laundry ladies are great & have no problem telling me its not folded right, we had lots of fun & very sore feet by Sunday afternoon. We all help when its like this especially the closer we get to Christmas, we get very busy & its quite nice to see brothers & sister, mom & dad all doing their bit & we do enjoy it, as I say our ladies enjoy us being there and on Saturday we were singing & working & giggling. We have a tradition of doing our bonus & gift day on the 15 December as the 16 is a public holiday & one of our older ladies asked me if I would bring my camera & take some photos of the staff with the family. Its a great afternoon we all finish the work early have a Christmas tea & give out gifts & of course the more important bonuses but every year we try & think up new ideas to wrap the gifts in, last year it was material bags from Kruger National Park which they loved. This year I have hit a blank !!! help its next week Tuesday, the gifts themselves are wrapped but what to put them into.....

Rain rain rain

Ok I know we need the rain but lets say just abit of sunshine inbetween would be great. Its a bit like our world is damp & grey in Durban at the moment.

Dh & I have to set the table for 2 ! Its very weird but exciting too. Cooking is very easy & thats a plus.

There is an uncanny quiet every evening now.

We are cleaning out our old wall unit in the lounge as its a bit damaged but we have salvaged a lovely scrap cupboard for me too & will move it tomorrow & pack into it. Really pleased.

I have wrapped some of our Christmas gifts so am pleased with that. Trying to be more organised this year.

We were invited to the childrens "house" tonight & Kylie cooked us dinner - very nice & we were pleasantly surprised at how they have settled so quickly. Its a super feeling to see them so independent & capable (which you know really but have to see it in action.)

Off to have my hair cut tomorrow - really looking forward to that. Then off to make table gifts for school Christmas lunch on the 11th of Dec - 34 or so of them. So now I am off to bed.

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 !!!!!!

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.

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.

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..........

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.