Obsession

It is totaly confirmed that I am slightly mad about just being on the beach. Always have been - I used to spend copious amounts of time growing up down on a fabulous beach with loads of friends at Amanzimtoti, Natal. then my folks moved to Knysna when I was still studying and I used to fly down and yup, get browner by the minute.

I have a feeling Hope is going to follow suit as she spends most of her days in her costume, even on a day like today!! I saw a friend walking VERY briskly along Kommetjie and listening to her ipod. Great idea - and then I spoke to a friend today who has taken up jogging and she was telling me how addictive it is (like blogging) no, not quite the same?! Row is LOVING his early morning(5am - he has moved to the girls bathroom to get ready instead of blinding me awake with our bathroom light!!!) gym session. Yup, the look on his face proves yet again - we are made to do exercise and get addicted. So - I am going to step up my non existant exercise regime and begin with regular, brisk ( ipod attached to ear and songs blasting) walking on my beloved Kommetjie beach. I might even begin with some slow meditative breathing exercises. No, man that for over 40's and I am NOT THERE YET!!!

Today I am grateful for...

soft little hands holding mine

Talor watching "Father of the Bride" and then saying she wants to wear white takkies with her wedding dress??? - this too shall pass

listening to our wedding video and hearing my dad's voice praying over us

a cuppa strong tea and paging through two new magazines with little interruption

the sound of soft rain

singing in my ears...

My girls both came home today and could not stop singing! Hope had this cute little song about, "catch a falling star and put it in your pocket..." with all the actions and cute little voice. Talor then sang all the way home in the car with loads of actions. This carried on all afternoon in between her bird project and scrabble and playing "on, on". Into the bath, yup, it continued.

Here I sit at a friends watching the 80 Academy awards, and more singing and yes the beautiful girl who played Edith Piaf, La Vie en Rose just won Best Actress. amazing. My girls will probably never win an oscar but in my heart they are winners - all the way!!They rock my world, and today very loudly!!!

Today Iam grateful for...

I love music!

Talor wants to be a singer when she groes up???

so many great movies to see!!

watching "The Notebook"with Row

gardening

kommetjie beach again - the sound and smell

the book of Ruth - amazing

In a flash!

Where did the week go? I just checked when last I sat down to blog and cannot believe it was Monday night!! Well the week at a glance and a bit of a blur - it has been incredibly hot and the only way to cool down our house is to open the kithchen door but then the wind is so strong it blows the "hell" out of everything. Anyway its worth it for fresh air. You gotta love living in Cape Town!! Big news this week is my bestest friend from Durbs and hubbie are relocating to Cape Town!! Oh, what fun that will be - we did fine art together and are definitely on the same wave length about loads of stuff. Our good friends b @ c are reconciling their marriage and working all things out which is FANTASTIC news!! Row's Mom is looking at a B @ B in Robertson and we are going to take a look at it next weekend. Yup, quite a week!!! Row has taken the girls for a dip in a friends cute little jacuzzi/splash pool and to fetch a whole car load of slabs that they have very generously given us. The house is so quiet and I am sitting on my bed and the sun is streaming through my window onto my feet. Simlpe pleasures are the best!!

Things that make me smile....

I sploke to Talor's teacher about an issue we have and she has very nicely sorted it out

I had the most amazing hair wash/massage and colour on Wed at nina's

we swam in Suzies pool early thurs evening, it was warm and soooo much fun

swimmng and water is like a vitamin to me

I bought a "loofah" plant this morning from Beau - it actually grows into a loofah that you use to scrub your back/body etc?!

bournville dark choccie

I have been planting and digging in the garden - fantastic!

Catching up!

So I am still trying to print my essay for tomorrow and still have to read the whole of Deuteronomy by tomorrrow and I am still feeling rather chipper. Things do change! I just walked outside and yup, looked up at the sky, wow it is pretty amazing tonight!! Hope is coming down with a cough and we are all looking forward to this weekend as both girls have a Mid term break - great I get to sleep in!!!No school Thursday and Friday - we will do some beach things if the weather is good.





Today I am grateful for...


reading with the girls in Talors class as the Room parenting program kicks in


the look on Talors face as I walked into her classroom and stayed to help out


realising my child reads damn well!


my sense of humour is back


the girls are getting little fish in bowls as pets - oh boy!!


I scrapped a page which is soooo fabulous I am going to frame it - linked to my essay for bible school


little bits of scrap stuff


Cathy Zielske layouts again - incredible!!


Shakespeare with friends, picnic and laughter


helping a friend go through a marriage crisis

teaching adults how to read and write - amazing!!

He's my man!

Today I am grateful for...

my amazing husband:

a father who prays with his girls every night the sweetest prayers

he gives the best hugs ( don't lose too much weight in gym, babe)

always ready for a laugh and to have some fun

together we LOVE walking on the beach and just enjoying being on the beach!

he loves art, especially mine and my clay "stuff"

he is always encouraging

he makes amazing meals ( especially our favourite valentine meal)

he has big dreams and not afraid of risks or failure!

so hard working

and tall dark and handsome!!

What more could a girl ask for - I am a lucky girl!!!

We all had a really busy day and I have loads of work still to do for Bible school but its fun. I also still need to look at some scrap layouts for tomorrow. I have some amazing photos of Talor to still do.

Night night xxx

Giving back...

They say the best thing about life is not the receiving of things but in the giving. I saw Bill Clinton on Oprah a couple of weeks ago and he has just written a new book called "Giving". I would love to get my hands on one and check it out for myself. I must say one of the most fulfilling times of my life was when we were newly married and we moved to a one horse town in the Eastern Cape called Queenstown. I taught grade R to about 20 xhosa children with the help of an assistant who was also my translator and became my friend. It was incredible - these little kids were soooo keen to learn and so appreciative of everything you did with them that it really was a rewarding experience!

This morning I hooked up with a lady at Masi library who is running a "lap programme" for adults and children. My eyes were opened once again to the HUGE need in that community and how much we have in comparison!! We actually had to explain to the women that it is important to sit with their children on their laps and to read stories to them and tell them stories and just talk about things. Wow we take these simple things for grantede in our busy days and schedules!!! Oh wow, I have cool photo's from Masi but now my task bar has gone!!!aagh!

Today I am grateful for...
the gift of being able to read and write
watching Row swim and catch a wave at Fish hoek beach
reading stories to my girls
my girls absolutely love books and reading!!!
finding photos for new scrap layouts

Finding time...

Row sent me this great quote...."Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin. ( the president of the United States during World war 2) I don't know much else about him but I know for myself over the last 7 years after having children and living in Cape Town its been hanging tightly onto God with my little hand in his huge hand!!! Bible school is so much information and realities about Jesus and God revealed in the Old Testament I am stunned. Things they just never mentioned in Sunday school!!!

Things that make me smile....

my Fairlady mag is sitting waiting to be read - I cannot wait

the wind is back

Talors new hairstyle that she discovered this afternoon

my girls love soup

new rules - Talor wants to be "grounded" and not smacked!

Today I am grateful for...

second chances

fruit from woolies

marmalde

a dash of port with a friend in need

What I know for sure...

It's been a really interesting day - I sat in a meeting in Masi, with a large group of men and women this morning who all have amazing abilities and talents in the teaching field. Wow I am blown away at what is being done in Masi and the library and so look forward to seeing where I can slot in.

Hope is loving being the "big" girls to Ashleigh today and giggled her way through the day! Oh for a dose of her energy and delight in EVERYTHING!!

Things that make me smile...

my wonderful Row as he sighs and washes dishes and makes a HUGE noise in the kitchen

I got my Fairlady mag delivered to my door today and for the rest of the year - thank you my "big" sis - i love you!!!

things can change so quickly but God is really a ROCK!!

Today I am grateful for...

faith, hope and love

my husband!!

walking with the kids in the rain

family

In the fast lane...

Time is moving so fast and weekends fly past. The fire from Thursday night continued on Friday morning - for an hour we had 3 large helicopters flying over the house and then dumping buckets of water to put out yet a new fire on the mountain behind us!! While this was happening I was trying to write my essay for Bible school - I realised nothing was making any sense. I then had a "date" with friends OVER the mountain and was only going to be back at 3p.m.!! No kids and "BOOK " shopping - what a treat!!

Surprise, surprise Row and I were able to go on a "date" last night to a movie!! At our little movie theatre we actually had choices - we decided on "The Bucket List". You gotta love Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are both amazing together. It is sooo much better on th ebig screen sometimes and we both felt relaxed again as we sat for nearly two hours with no interruptions!!!!

Things that make me smile...

my bed side table with a stack of books waiting to be read!

Row really surprised me with an early valentine present with a Poetry book - amazing( I am really chuffed)

contact to cover my poetry book and my new Bible school books( I know its odd, bit I was a librarian once!)

Today I am grateful for...

choosing organic veg from Beau at Noordhoek farmvillage

chiabatta from Franc( Food barn)

feeding 3 huge fat pigs carrot tops

going to movies with Row

Sundays, rain and having no plans...

Talor survived a "foofy slide" fall with no injuries!!

Let's go...

Swim, of course - it is hot and this wind is driving me CRAZY so we had to resort to swimming with friends. It was so windfree in Noordhoek, I even jumped in and swam, as the water was 26 degrees. I almost felt I was back home in Durbs. But then we looked up and saw the incredible smoke of what must have been an enormous fire - we realised life for some is not so sweet as ours!! I am sure houses and definitely lots of animals would be caught up in all of it.

Suzie has the most amazing veggie patch outside her back door and before I left she gave me a packet full of 3 different kinds of lettuce, some leeks and spinach - all organic!! Guess what we had for supper. What I love about her veggie patch is it's not this perfect "garden" in a box but very haphazard and oh so not like Jamie Olivers well manicured garden. She has help from Beau, who is the guy who set the whole shebang up for her and maintains it every week. I so gotta get him!! To help me with a veggie patch that is.

When we eventually got home we were slightly worried as we saw those big old flames of the fire were coming over the tip of our Capri mountain.Talor was totally freaked out as we watched the animals in the reserve fleeing to who knows where?? We are still watching the power and awesomness of the flames as they have come even further down our prescious mountain.I don't think I am going to get much sleep tonight as I lie and wonder and make lists of all we should take with us if we have to flee!!

Things that make me smile...

warm swimming pool water in Cape Town

clean sheets

home made "slap" chips

toasted egg and bacon sarmies

Today I am grateful for...

In any situation Talor and Hope say, "Mom, lets just pray"

then interrupt as I am praying to add their their own little thoughts

each other - a family to care for and take care of

creativity

Changes...

I do remember when I was young changing my entire room around often. Well nothing much has changed - as I am still moving and revamping certain areas of our "little" house with gusto. My girls love it, they push, pull, sweep, and direct me as we moved Talor yet AGAIN out of Hope's room and back into her own. BUT THAT IS IT- for now!!

I have a bigger workspace, for scrapping of course and ALL the amazing paper I bought today on our trip OVER the mountain to Claremont. That's all our husbands will ever know!!

After a quick "refresher" room parenting course and "mug" shots taken so we can clock in and out of the school, I realised that we are involved in a big business of a school - but Ta is happy, really happy and doing so well - so lets enjoy it- and I cannot wait to help out in her class again!!

Things that make me smile....

Row is lying on the couch listening to LOUD music and relaxing

I am concentrating through the noise!!

Hope loved Melody's car because it had "those tray things like in the aeroplane, Mom!"

Talor is still wearing her red "mask" Jason gave her from his plane trip to sleep with

STUNNING scrap paper and bits and pieces

Today I am grateful for...

changes

organic cappacino - woolies

sharing BIG CHOC muffins

still water

my health

Hope whispering - "I really love you mom" in my ear

Way cool....

It's is good to be tapping away again out my thoughts after a good 3 day break! Boy I missed putting all that happened down every night. My life has changed slightly in that Bible School is the new adventure and wow, it is an adventure!! Loads of reading, which I am good at, but all the prep and research for essays is quite intense. I left it a bit late - weekend is not a good time to catch up as we have lots of chill time and socialising and "beaching" to do !!!

This week I plan to be more organised and NOT leave lots for weekend! I'll try!! Bookclub started last night - first one this year. It was fun to see new faces and we are a big group this year. Aagh - I have a pile of books next to my bed - Philip Yancey , Prayer - Leap of Faith, Queen Noor - The Dive, Pipin Ferreras - the rough guide to Europe - Let's Go Greece - rumours, Philip Yancey. That's it! When will I find time???

Things that make me smile...

Hope went to a party today where there was a "mermaid" who entertained them - she so thinks she's real and is completely in awe!!

Talor likes a boy and wants to send him a valentine's card

I am sudying again I woud never have imagined!!

big girls who dress up as mermaids as a"job"

Today I am grateful for....

I have a maid once a week!!!

being on Kommetjie beach at sunset

sunsets amaze me

dusk

sisters!!

Whats so amazing...

...about SCRAPPING, well everything from coffee with friends, hot cross buns, all Mels amazing scrap stuff, Joannes incredible scrap supplies, Michelle's huge pink box with not much inside, Levi screaming and laughing around the house and of course Cathy Zielske's layouts which I cannot get enough of! O.K so that explains it!! My layout turned out pretty much alright and I am going to squeeze in more time for scrapping. Priorities!!

I have still quite a bit of reading for Bible school to do and of course my essay, so a quick blog tonight. Talor has just watched 2 dvd's and has just crawled into bed now, Hope still doesn't want to sleep in her own room as their are "giants" in hers!? She is on the mattress next to talor's bed only she doesn't know about the sneeky cricket "giants" that are very loud in the middle of the night!

Things that make me smile...

fresh roses on my diningroom table

watching Talor dance

Today I am grateful for...

weekends!

finding Pumla( my friends maid) work