TOO BUSY!!!

You must all be sick of seeing the same old heading....me too I have to say but I have been too busy

• playing house house
• fairy fairy
• tent tent
• shop shop
• cook cook
• eat eat

I am sure you get the picture!!! I am having the most wonderful time as I have all my children home with me and of course a very busy and adorable Lily Grace. She is just an unimaginable joy to us and so I devote the better part of my days to playing and looking after her.

Wendy has put all the photos on to Picasa which is really great, but she has not worked out yet how to get them to the Blog hence I cannot put any of the absolutely fabulous photos she has taken with her fancy camera.....anyway hopefully we will learn that soon.

I wish you all a very festive, peaceful and happy xmas wherever you are in the world. I know for us it will be one of the best ones ever as this is the first xmas that we have Lily here and that is going to make it a very special one.

MERRY XMAS TO ONE AND ALL

HO HO HO!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

Oh my goodness......I am as excited as an excited person can be who is really excited!!!! Things are moving along at a very hectic pace at the moment and for that I am glad as only a few more days now until my darling daughter and grand-daughter arrive.

I was thinking today, Wendy, Kristian and Lily have been away for over a year now (that is hard to comprehend) and they are going to see so many changes when they arrive. First of all Cape Town airport is just amazing. It is looking so swish and although the roads are somewhat higgldy piggldy they are almost there now. Peter and I have to go to the airport fairly often, but if one has not been for a while you are all in for a pleasant surprise when you go as it is looking beautiful.

Then what about our beautiful Edgemead Shopping Centre, that too has had a face lift and what a lovely job they have made of it. We have some lovely new shops and it is a pleasure to go there now.

Our new Cape Town Stadium......WOW..... it is looking amazing. I had a look at the Tempest photos on a friends facebook entry and it is really awe inspiring. I often shop at the Waterfront and have watched it growing but now that it is complete (structure wise) I cannot believe how huge it is, it almost looks like it is in the Waterfront parking area. All the doom sayers must be wiping the egg off their faces as it is not only finished but the roads and the area around it are looking so much better as that area really needed a bit of a face lift.

So roll on Monday so we can start showing our precious visitors how their beautiful Cape Town is expanding and of course it is going to be wonderfully green with all the rain we have been having!!!

NEARLY HERE!!!

This time in two weeks, Wendy and Lily will be on their way to the airport to fly home!!! Maybe I shouldn't say home as their home is really in England at the moment....but this too is their home whenever they wish to be here.

To say I am excited is an understatement. Today Jenny and Peter went to pick up a bed that is about 60 years old! Jenny says it is a "Goldilox" bed and that it is...it is too cute for words. Peter is busy getting it ready and we are borrowing it for Lily for the six weeks that she is here.

I have been very busy the last few weeks tidying the house....oh my word where does all the "stuff" come from, it just seems to grow and multiply and eventually ones cupboards are bursting at the seams. Anyway I am really trying to be ruthless and clear all sorts of bits and pieces some things are hard to part with but I am doing the Oprah thing and saying "if I moved into a house half the size we have now would I take this with me?" Most of the time it is no so out it goes. I went down to the boot sale at our local library....they have it once a month....Liz came to help me and we actually had such a lot of fun and I sold more than half the stuff I had taken down there so that was great. It really is very therapeutic I have to say.

My contribution for Meatless Monday is this.....it is toooooo delicious for words.

Make a shortcrust quiche base:

1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1 cup of flour
120 g of butter
Ina's salt and pepper mix
Blend in a processor and press into a loose bottomed quiche pan.

Filling:

1 cubed butternut (1cm cubes)
1 small onion chopped
a few cherry tomatoes - some whole some halved
2 large eggs
half a cup of cream
half a cup of milk
Ina's Chili and Garlic seasoning (very important)
1 disc feta cheese

Bake the butternut, onion and garlic in some oil until just beginning to brown and soften - plus minus 25minutes. Add the tomatoes for a further 10 minutes. Beat the eggs, cream, milk, seasoning together. Toss the veggies with the feta and put into the pastry case. Pour over the egg mixture and bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Sprinkle with a little chopped fresh thyme.

Quote: Gourmets dig their graves with their teeth!!! Enjoy it!!!

IN THE PINK !!!

Our little Lily is crazy about PINK! Well we are getting our home ready for Wendy and Lily who arrive on my birthday and Kristian three weeks later.

As we have a small house Lily has to either share her Mummy and Daddy's room or come in with her Nana and Grandad. We are busy making her a bed and she has apparently been telling anyone who will listen that her Grandad is making her a pink bed.......he is? Well he is now! I have been searching for pink bedding which is easy to come by so that is not problem. I have bought her lots of clothing, a nightie a swimming costume and flip flops...and yes they are all pink.

I have to tell you that I am even colour coding my garden for her. Today I planted all beautiful pale and shocking pink petunias in the pots, I planted two beautiful shrubs that are full of pink flowers. This weekend I am off in search of a couple of new rose bushes and yes they will be pink. I am also busy with a scrapbooking project for her for Xmas that is pink. I just have to find some lovely ribbon to go round it that is xmasy but it must have pink in it. I think you can tell I am having a lot of fun.

Now I have to say that I too love the colour pink. So in keeping with the arrival of a very important little person I have bought myself a couple of lovely pink tops. It suits my complexion and I am always drawn to it in the clothing department. Some might say this is "over the top" but what the hell. If it makes me happy and it makes her happy that is great. I call it enthusiasm! ! !

BITTER SWEET

I have had a bitter sweet day today!

We were woken up very early this morning with the news that Val had passed away peacefully at 3a.m. As much as you think you are prepared for it it is not an easy pill to swallow when you lose a wife, mother, sister, grand-mother and friend. I am just so glad that she came home for the last few days of her life and was kept reasonably free of pain. Thank you to all the friends who sent their thoughts and prayers for me to convey to her family, I am sure it helps them at this time to know just how much everyone is thinking of them.

The sweet part was having all the mummies and toddlers/babies here for lunch today. They are all so beautiful and the mummies can be so proud of the wonderful job they are doing. I had a really busy day, as Connie phoned in sick this morning and she is my right hand lady, I was having my hair done at Heidi and could not cancel that at the last minute so I ran around like the proverbial you know what. But you know what......I don't feel tired I feel elated and full of energy that is what children do for one (I suppose the mummies would disagree somewhat - lol). Anyway thanks for sharing your children with me today it was just the tonic I needed after a bad start to the day.

MAAMA ZULIA

A pamphlet was handed to me at the traffic lights the other day. I always take them as I feel mean to say no to the folk handing them out as I suppose they get paid to do that and it is such a menial and dangerous task being in the road all day. Anyway, I digress, I normally just chuck them in the bin when I get home, not bothering to read them, but this time as my journey home was quite tedious in the heavy traffic I read this pamphlet......

MARRIAGE CONSULTANT & HERBAL CENTRE - MAAMA ZULIA

Don't Hate Marriages, we can fix all failed Problems

• Do you want a marriage proposal?
• Do you want your Lover back?
• Are you stuck with Financial/Debts Troubles?
• Are you suffering because of Bad Luck?
• Are you being forced into a devorce? (that is how it is spelt)
• Do you need to clean your House from evil?
• Court cases even if one is convicted (if there's a chance of appealing)
• Personal problems like: penis enlargement, erections & ejaculation timing
• Skin diseases
• Is your husband have an affair you suspect?
• Is he weak in bed / Stingy with money
• Is there somebody jealous with your relationship?
• Is something delaying your marriage? Do you want a child?
• Defiant Diseases like: Asthma, Diabetes, HIV & AIDS symptoms, Blood Pressure etc.
• Unfinshed jobs by other doctors - if not satisfied - come to me
• Women with pregnancy difficulties
• I can do penis enlargements
• I Prevent bad luck and jealousy
• Lucky charms for gambling and lotto
• Stop someone interfering with your relationship

Needless to say I was laughing all the way home, my goodness me she must be one amazing Mama!!!

A BIT OF THIS AND THAT!!

Last weekend Peter and I went on a very difficult journey to say goodbye to my oldest friend. Val is fading fast and it was not a pleasant journey. However, we are so glad that we did go as I know that her husband of 37 years - it was almost their anniversary - Alan and her three children were glad of the support and the help that we were able to offer. The emotions that one experiences whilst watching this disgusting disease taking its toll is indescribable. I have just phoned today to check on her progress and she is now under heavy sedation but am just so glad that they listened to us and brought her home. They were afraid to do that, but she was not at peace in the hospital plus she was in need of the specialised nursing that the general nurses are not really equipped to handle. She now has the familier sounds of her home and children and grand-children around her and although she is sort of semi-concious she knows where she is and is more content.

When one goes on a such a journey and especially at our age it does make one take note of ones mortality. Peter and I have discussed the morbid why's and wherefores and have decided about the best way we would like to depart this life time. Actually it is not always morbid sometimes it is quite funny, as we both have different takes on the subject. ME ..... I would like to sell all our assets buy a really super duper motor home with satellite TV, diswasher and the likes and just travel around. Every now and again, have a lovely night or two in a spa and luxury hotel, in other words constantly be on holiday. I cannot think of anything better - no paper work except for the TV and the motor vehicle licence and I suppose SARS might want their little bit. Just constantly be on holiday....wonderful.

Peter is more practical....what if we live to be 100 etc etc etc.....so boring. We could always drive of a cliff somewhere exotic when we eventually run out of money can't we? Oh well....as usual we have to do it his way .... work work work, retire, drop dead and that is that ....lol !!!

On a lighter note, we are definitely having better weather which is nice, also only another 44 sleeps before Wendy and Lily arrive and we are already getting ourselves ready for that. She has a big bag of goodies that I have been putting aside for her as everytime I go shopping I see lovely crafty bits for her to do and lovely little dresses and summer gear for her to wear. Today we put the pool net on as all the mummies and their respective off-spring are coming for lunch on Thursday and I cannot wait to see them all.

Thanks to Susie we got our letter from Uncle Pauls and the cycle begins again and I just cannot wait. I laughed when I filled in the form as there is 1 child and 5 adults going to the Xmas party!!! For those of you who do not know, it is just the most magical experience. One arrives at the gate - Groot Constantia - checks in and gets on the tractor and trailer which takes you to the castle. Here there is lots of straw on the ground and one finds a place to sit and just muck around until Noddy arrives in his car with Big Ears, Mr Plod etc. The children and I am pleased to say, the adults, all get ice creams (old fashioned wafer ice creams) and cold drinks, then the band arrives and we all march behind the band and then settle down and wait for Father Xmas to arrive. This is just such a magical night and I cannot wait to experience it with Lily now...never even dreamt that I would do it with my grand-daughter. I am sure Wendy will post lots of lovely photos of the night in question.

As they say in the movies....."....thats all folks..."!