Peace and Relaxation

This  weekend  was  my sisters  birthday,  so  we  took  the  opportunity  to go and  spend  some time  with her, we  left  early on  Saturday  morning,  I  didn't  even  have  to  drive,  my son in law  has  taken  a  "liking"  to my  new  car,  and  luckily  for  me  he  just  loves  to drive  it.  I  sat  in the  back  like  a  lady  of  leisure  and  caught  up  on  some  reading................

The  amazing  thing  about  visiting  my sister  is  that  within  half  an  hour  of  getting  there  you  feel  like  you have  been away  for  a  week,  it  is  just  so  quiet  and  what  on earth  can  be    more  relaxing  than  sitting  watching  the  animals  come  down  to the  water  hole.........  it  really  is amazing.......  it  is  almost  as  though  they  take  it in turns  and  as  one   group  leave  then  another  one  arrives,  so the  view  is  ever  changing............  and  you  don't  even  have  to  move  off your  chair..............  and  for  me  just  what  the  doctor  ordered,  things  are  very  stressed at  work,  on  Friday  we  were asked  by  HR   if  anyone  needed  some  stress  councilling,  I  think  they  are  afraid  that  we  are  going  to  bring  machine  guns  to  work,  and  vent  our  frustration  on  the  people  who  agreed  to  the  new  computer  system...........  many a  true  word  was  said  in  jest................

For  me  the  Eland  are  the  most  beautiful,  regal  animals  with  clown  faces,  almost  as though  nature  played  a  joke  on them,  it  makes  you  wonder  how  these  markings  can  in any  way  enable  them  to  blend  into  the back ground and  yet  when  you  walk  through  the  bush  you  can  hardly  see them  hidden  in the  undergrowth,  and  then  the  zebra  they are just  so cute  in the  stripped  pyjamas........

My  sister  had  cooked  up  a  storm  the  day  before  so  not  only  was  supper  amazing,  but  we  had   melktert,   malva  pudding  and  lemon  merangue  for dessert.................

What  can  I  say  I  think  I  put  on at least  5  kg  this  weekend.   But  more  that  the  food  the  company  was  amazing,  we  all  sat  around  the  table  and  laughed  telling  stories  of our  childhood,  and  reminising  about  all the  trouble  we  had  got  into..............  and  before  you  knew  it, it  was time  for  bed,  in the  morning  after  breakfast  again  a  feast  fit  for  a  king,   we  went  on  a  long  walk  and  hopefully  worked  off some  of  the  food  we  had  indulged  in  during  our  stay ..................all  too soon  the  weekend  was over and  we  were  on our  way  home  with  the  realisation  that  if  you  don't  have  the love  of  family and  friends  you  really don't  have  anything  at  all........................

Red, Yellow Green

Go says  the  green  light

Stops  says  the red  light 

Caution says  the  orange  light

  

Today  my  youngest  daughter  got  her  learners  licence................  yes  the  law  has  deemed  her  fit  enough to  take  to  the roads................. 
This  was  her  second attempt  at  getting  her  licence,  her  first  attempt  she  believed  that  she  already  knew  everything  there  was  to  know  about  driving  so  really  had  no  need  what so ever to  study.....................  she  failed  her  first  test   by  3  points,   so  how  hard  could  it  have  been  she got  full marks  for  controls, and  road  signs,  but  the   rules  of  the  road., the  very  thing  that  makes  the  difference  between  a  courteous  driver  and  a  road  hog   ..................  19  out  of  28.

Well  she  was  more  prepared  this  time,  she  spent  quite  a  lot  of  time  studying,   and  the  threat  of me  not  taking  anymore  time  off  work   to  fetch  and  carry  her  to  sit  these   tests,  seem  to  work. 
I  dropped  her  of  at the  licencing  office  a  young  innocent  child...............  and  picked  her  up  a trainee  road  user...............................  her  first  words  were  can  she  drive  home.................  my  new  car  is  now  2  weeks  old  and  until  she  has  had  a  few  lessons  there  is  no way    that  she  is  getting  her  unskilled  hands  on  my  steering  wheel.............   when  we  got  home  I  phoned  a  driving  school and tried to  set  up  some  lessons.......  someone  with  patience.........  someone  with  understanding............  someone  who  is  not  her  mother.........  can  teach  her  the  basics.........

Do  they  not  know  that  she  can  only  do  one  thing  at  a time ,  she  cannot drive  and  answer  her  cell  phone..........  she  cannot  drive  and  change  the  radio station ........... she  cannot  drive  and  look  at  her self  in  the  mirror...............  she  cannot  drive  and  check  out  the  talent  driving  in  the  car  next  to  her ................  how  can  they  have  given  my  baby  a  learners  licence............... 

 

Friendship

I  received  this  poem  today,  and  I  really just  wanted  to  share  it  with  all  by blogger  fiends.......... I  already  shared  it  with  my  bestest  friend and  my best  friends,  you  may  not  know  it,  but  in the  difficult  times  over  the  past  months,  when  I   was left  with  no  option  but  to  file  for  divorce,  you  all helped  to  keep  my head  held high,  and  gave  me  something  to  look  forward  to,  your  blogs,  each  and  every one  special  in your  own  way,  to my darling  Ratz,  you  have  your whole  life  ahead  of you and you  will go  far, you  are  smart ,  kind  and  considerate,  to Yaya,  who  I  wish  my children  had  the  good fortune  to  have  as  a  grandmother,  they  never  had  any of their  own, to  my pillar  of strength  Maggie for  her amazing  strength and wicked  sense  of humor,  who  did  me the  honor  of  inviting  me  to  do  a  guest  blog ........  which for  me   is  better  that  winning  an  Oscar........  and  means  so  much  more.......   have  a read at http://grandmayellowhair.blogspot.com.......I  am still  not  over  my castle  experience........  to Pennie  my  spiritual inspiration............ and  to  all those  who  are  part  of  my blogging  family  this  is  for  you.......

                I FORGOT...                               
                    I forgot what life is all about ...                   
                     I forgot what it meant to cry ...                    
                    I forgot that pretending to be happy                  
                         Doesn't make you happy ...                       
                      And that pretending to be smart                     
                         Doesn't make you smart ..                        
                I forgot that you can't just forget the past              
                         In fear of the future ...                        
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                      I forgot that you can't control                     
                             Falling in love ..                           
                     And if you really do fall in love,                   
                     Then you can't make yourself fall                    
                               OUT of love ..                             
                       I learned that I can love ....                     
                                                                          
                   I learned that it's okay to mess up ..                 
                      And it's okay to ask for help .                     
                     And it's okay to feel like hell .                    
                 I learned it's okay to complain and whine                
                  To all your friends for a whole day ...                 
                                                                          
                   I've learnt that sometimes the things                  
                               You want most,                             
                            You just can't have.                          
                    I've learnt that the greatest thing                   
             About life isn't the parties or the hook-ups ....            
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                        I've learnt that sometimes,                       
                       The things we want to forget,                      
                            Are the things that                           
                         We most need to talk about                       
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                               But basically,                             
                      I've just learnt that my family                     
                                And  friends                              
                    Are the most important people to me                   
                          In the entire world ...                         
                                   AND ..                                 
                               Without you,                              
                        I wouldn't be who I am today                      

                                                 

Best Weekend Ever

 To Change  one's  life, start immediately, do it flamboyantly, No exceptions and No excuses ..................

This  weekend  was  one  filled  with  fun  and  laughter,  for  me  it  was a  taste  of  how  my  life  will  be
in the  not  too distant  future,  when  I  can  finally  put  the  past  behind  me  and  move  on  to  the  kind  of  life  we  had  this  weekend..........

It  started  on  Friday  when  after  going  out  for  supper  we  ended  up  at  a  friends  house  to  watch  the  soccer..........  everyone  is  soccer  mad here  at the  moment ,  and  although  I  am  still unable  to see the  fascination of  watching  22 men,  no  matter  how  good  looking  chasing  a  tiny little  ball around  a pitch and  getting  paid  for  it...  is  still beyond  my  comprehension..............  But  I  watched  an  entire  game,  Ghana  verses Uraguay.....  and  if  90  minutes  was  not  enough  punishment the  game  went  into  over time  and  then  into  penalties.........  and  then  I  was  enough  and  never  want  to subject  myself  to  such  cruelty  ever  again................ I mean  all they  do  is  hug  one  another  every time something  good  happens,  they  swear  when  things  don't  go their  way,  and  my  personal  favorite.........  the  spitting???

On  Saturday  I  was  up  bright  and  early,  and  was  brave  enough  to change  my hair  colour.... someone  once said  a  change  is as  good  as  a holiday.........  and  as  holidays are  still some  months  away  it was  the  change  I  decided  on.................. and  then  it  was  SHOPPING,  now  I  am  not   a  shopper  by  nature,  but  put  8 of  us  together,  and  let  us  loose  in  the  Oriental  Bazaar........  where  you  can  trade  for  anything,  and  three  hours  flew  past  like  minutes............  although  I  think  my  bank  balance  would  disagree  somewhat .............

We  had  lunch  in  an  Indian  restaurant  called  The  Purple  Peacock  Curry  Den,  the  place  was amazing  it  was  almost  in an  alley  way,  with  wrought  iron along the  walkway,  the  people  were  certainly  not  the  friendliest  I  have  ever  been  served  by........  and  we  were  "told"  off  because  we  had  forgot  to order  one  cold drink and they  had  to  go  back  for  it??  I am afraid  that  the  place  did  not  instill me with  confidence  about  its  hygiene and   so  I  went  with  a  really  Indian  dish "Toasted  cheese  and  tomato"  Although  I  did  buy  some  cheese  and onion  samoosas  on the  way  out  which  were  very  good.

Then  off  to the  movies,  and  we  agreed  we  would  watch  the  next  movie that  we  could  get   in to,  it was a  South  African  movie called  Shucks  Shabalala..........  which  was  a  pity  because  Eclipse  was  showing  and  I am  just  dying  to  see that.......  It was  good  very  slap stick,  full of  pranks  on  people... and long  enough  for  me  to eat  the  required  amount  of  popcorn,  which  if  the  truth  be  told  is the  only reason I  go to the  movies  there  is  nothing  like  movie  house  popcorn.......  I  love  to  spice it with sour cream which  makes  me  cough.......  so i  normally spend  most of the  movie   coughing.......  but  wouldn't change my spice  for the world.

Then  on  Sunday  we  went  to the  most  amazing  tea garden for  lunch.  "Her  Majesties Salon"  the  place  is  completely  decorated  in Victorian  style,  the  toilet  door handles  were  spoons,  the  chandeliers  had  tea  cups  hanging  from  them,  the  wall done  out  in maroon  wall paper,  a  fire  burning  to keep us  warm,  the  food  was  amazing  the  best  Rooibos  iced  tea  I  have  ever  tasted.........  company was  great,  what  more  could  you  ask  for????