Board and Lodging

A catch up post is in order I think.

For any of you that have come across with me from Allie Chilling, there was much talk then about alterations we were making to our house.
Those are finished
And even the leaks in the roof are (hopefully) a thing of the past.
I think its time to give you an idea of what the new space looks like.
(Please bear with me: the BB has a horrible camera but the pix I take with my other cam take forEVER to upload.
So, I've gone with the awful pix)

This looks dark because its taken into bright light. Actually the room is flooded with light, which I love.
The cosiest corner ever. This is where Lynette and I hung out a while ago when she swung by for a visit.
The round glass table in the background is where The Man and I have our dinner at night, feeling like royalty as we watch the sea and the lights of the bustling metropolis below.

I fell in love with this table. I know its not fashionable at the mo, not being dark wood. But I adore old oak. And the chairs are the most comfortable ever.

And now for something completely different:

It was Hooli our grandson, aged 5, who next came for a sleep over. Unlike his sister, (see a couple of posts back) he travels light. His passion right now is skateboarding
In a moment of genius, I sent him off alone with his Oupa to the skateboarding park/rink for a time of male bonding. It turned out a hit with them both.

And I had the joy of these pics from the expedition:



Lookin goooood!

Ooops!
But he's immediately back up on the board.

He has the stance, and the houding (attitude). I think he's just wired for it, don't you?

I told myself I would DEFinitely go for a walk today: the weather window is exquisite but brief.
And that is my excuse for leaving this space
For now
Have a good weekend!

Wass That?!

Don't laugh but a week ago I didn't know what this was:
I knew was that it was worn on the head but how that worked - hmmm. . . ?

Oddly, the woman in the funny little shop didnt know how it worked either.

When I tried to put it on, hatlike, she looked doubtfully at me, finger on her chin: "No-o, I don't think thats right. But I can't remember how it works."

Then she brightened right up: "Let me just run next door. She knows how to put it on."

The joys of small-town living.

She returned quickly with 'next door' in tow who quickly put us straight.

"You pull the whole thing over your head and pull up the back part to make a hood"

O-h-h-h. Nifty, very nifty.

I was flippin glad I had this when I went for a walk this evening

It was freeeezing -

The south easter is not someting to trifle with at this time of the year

Winter is biting hard suddenly.

Fluffy Family Matters

"Just type something,
It doesn't have to be earth shattering or brilliant
Just say something."
(Advice to self)
Ok then -
I'm alive, I'm still around blogland
Just tongue tied (or should that be finger-tied?)
For reasons I do not know.
I want to write
Honest I do.
But when I sit down here
I draw a blank.
Time after time.

My life is at a very exciting place (for me anyway)
But somehow I cannot write about it.
Yes its weird
And no, I have no idea what.the.heck. is going on. Ok -

Let me try for one thing. . . .

On Friday night my 10 year old granddaughter, Honey, was with us for a sleep over. DH had been on a biz trp so we had the evening to ourselves, Honey and I. We snuggled up under a fleecy cover and watched a movie about a boy who, at 13 discovers he is turning into a merman.Fascinating stuff.

I continued watching by myself long after she went to sleep. And when DH came home, I told him I just HAD to see the end.

I wonder what that says about me?
I don't care actually.
It was wonderful to disappear into fantasy-land for a couple of hours.
The following afternoon, Honey told me the history of about 20 of her fluffy dogs.
They all have, not only names, but also very definite characters and roles in the 'family of Honey's dogs.'

For eg:
"Granny, this is Lizzy. She is very kind and gentle. She's about 60 and she looks after the orphans." (This about a golden fluffy teddy type dog)
"Then this is Patch - she looks after all the Dalmatians."
(There are about 8 Dalmatians in her collection, all different sizes. Except the twins of course)
"She also helps Lizzy with the orphans. She's a bit stricter than Lizzy although she's still kind to them. She's in her forties."

And so on through all the myriad dogs
Each of them was known and loved like her children.
Intricate histories woven around them all.

And I thought: "How rich is this fantasy world!"
And how grateful I am that this child has managed to keep it intact in the face of all the instant entertainment there is.
And how often we just don't understand -
We just see a bunch of old worn fluffy toys
And think - she's a bit big for these, isnt she?
Not realising what they mean to her.

Wo!
I did it!
I wrote something
*big smile*

Bullets Today

I feel as though I have to type really fast to post this before it all goes pear-shaped again.
I won't bore you with details but OMIHAT! have I had problems with Internet access!
Hopefully, my computer guy will get a handle on it soon for me.
In the meantime - bullets:

* I have actually started pilates.
To get the full import of that statement, I need to tell you that I've been talking about it for (blush) a couple of years. Yes - years!
* I'm off shortly for a coffee date with DS1 - a rare and much prized thing.
* Yesterday we had the final get together of our Patriarchs study (Beth Moore). Its been a wonderful ride with a great bunch of women.
We drank coffee, ate too much junk and shared how God had impacted us through this study.
PS - yesterday was one of those winter Cape Town days that make you dizzy with joy.
* This afternoon is full of promise too - its Watching Day for Lulu's tap dancing class. (Lulu is GD 3 aged 7) which means that doting relatives can go and see how brilliantly she is doing.
And:
* Lynette is down in Cape Town and is coming to visit with me later on. We will drool over the view together; drink tea; hopefully eat something (yay WW!) and talk the hind leg off a donkey!

Can't wait for it all!

View Point

There's a place in our garden that lends itself to just standing (or sitting) and staring.

Its just SO peaceful and beautiful that its easy to lose all sense of time there.

Here are a couple of pics of the spot and the view from there.

The Man (featured in a couple of the pics), father of 4 adult children, is doing early Father's Day by reading the Sunday Times - probably depressing himself beyond measure since the papers are full of Malema and his loud voiced demands for nationalising everything in sight.
And taking land without any payment (his new thing).

What is it with guys and having to read, listen to, download, the news . . . . alllll.the.time?!
I swear they think if they miss one, they will miss the end of the world or something.
One of life's great mysteries to me.

The later part of Father's Day involves son no 1 with his wife and their 2 small girls coming here for lunch and then all of us will meet the rest of the family at daughter no 2 for a family jol around the fifth birthday of the only grandson.

It should be cheerful chaos.

Here are some more shots of "the place" . . .

Light at the End

Scary huh!?
This is how a couple of the rooms in my home look right now for two reasons:

1. We have bought new furniture because of the alterations, so the old stuff still has to find a home.

2. And because of the leaking roof things have had to be temporarily moved out of harm's way.

Its messy and frustrating, all higgledy piggledy. I often can't access the things I need. And sometimes, in all the confusion, I don't know where things are. But there are some really good pieces of furniture there.

I couldn't help thinking it is a picture of what's going on in my head. There's a lot of good stuff in there, but its in a mess, difficult to access and I often am not even sure what's there!

Anyone who has been reading Allie Chilling for any length of time will know that I have travelled this road, on and off, for ages. However I do feel that this time I am going to find a way through this - and this is why:

www.MyCube4Change.com - It gives handles on so much more than just my issues. Check it out for yourself.

I am signing up with them and plan to share the process on this blog over the next while - I have painted a fairly detailed picture of my frustrations to make a starting place for this process so I can track it.

Join me if you like, I welcome the company.

PS: The roof guy came late today: he says there is hope for the roof but we have to wait for good weather. So that will be at least 4 more days with buckets and towels.

We can do that!

Simple

Isn't this sweet?

In the midst of the chaos in my home

and the swirl of thoughts and desires in my thinking

this funny little wall hanging

just seems so simple

and peaceful . . .