I am loving..

Cashew nuts. these delish little nuts must be salted to pass my lips, as a life without salt is surely not worth living? They are serving as my mid afternoon snack as they are healthy and low gi and scrummy yummy.

My red crocs. I have mocked and turned my nose up at them for a while now. I have rolled my eyes at my mums constant wearing of them. then one fine day in Hermanus I wore my sheepskin boots on a very hot day. I saw these shiny new red crocs in a shop and in a wave of spontaneity I bought them. they really are comfortable! and quite quirky and cool with jeans( that's what I think so no pointing out that it sounds like I am back tracking etc etc!!) and I match with my beautiful daughter who has a bright pink pair.

My new Persian rug. Its a beauty. I am new to Persian rug obsession but obsession with things of beauty is old hat for me. We were so kindly given some cash as wedding presents. I really wanted to purchase something that would last us a lifetime and would give us a lifetime of joy. Already this Persian has given me so much joy. it looks so beautiful. And here begins a new obsession.

Abba gold. I have recently seen mamma mia the movie.. twice. I loved it and the thought of dancing and singing around my lounge to dancing queen fills me with joy, so Kristian bought it for me .Lily loves it more than me and nightly we put it on and dance around to mamma eeeaaa wriggling our booties. try it. it will boost your spirits.

the lovely man in Objet D' art in Lee. I love his shop and wondered in in my homesick haze to look at this orange lamp ( I love orange) He was so lovely and helpful and then he recognised my accent and began to tell me in detail his love for my home town. He is a Londoner with a flat in high level road Cape Town. He was so positive and upbeat and wishes he could live there permanently. he and his partner go to Cape Town 4 times a year ( lucky sod) and he tells all his friends here that its gorgeous and "woolies is just like marks and sparks you know" .He made my day as I was feeling so isolated and alone and to meet him who knew where I was coming from was wonderful. So thank you Objet D' art man .

Ainsley Harriott cous cous in the Moroccan medley flavour. I have eaten it 3 times since returning and stockpiled some for the week. Its easy to make and really tasty.

Autumn

besides the fact that it herelds another long winter knocking on our door , I love autumn. the leaves and the colours are so beautiful and I love that crunch of leaves under foot. the photos above are proof that autumn is indeed here.

My daughter Lily at 2. She is just so entertaining and cute. her sense of humour is so spot on and her observations on life make my heart soar . At times I have tears in my eyes from laughing so at her. From her pronunciation ( mamma eeeaaa , tireded, quieted) to her little things she comes up with. The other day after a long day we were climbing the stairs for bath and bed time when she stopped and turned to me. " mummy, stairs heavy" she sighed before trudging up the rest. I just love the way she sees things .

STRICTLY COME DANCING!! the new season has begun and I have 3 months ahead of me. aahh viewing pleasure. how I wish I could tango. seriously this is my favorite programme ever .

my computer. Its keeping me in touch once again via email , skype and msn. and I get to read all my blogs and google anything and everything. In fact this morning I found out the actual name of pioneer woman's husband ,marlboro man, via google. I know I may seem bored but its been bugging me.

So there you go all the things I am loving. It felt good to write them down. I can enter my afternoon all upbeat and happy now.

xx

while I think of it

I have had a lot on in my life just recently and now that I dont I must just get all these posts I have written in my head out there.
Firstly to the golden girls. all the lovely ladies who clubbed together at my fabulous domestic goddess party and bought me a voucher from the sanctuary spa at the twelve apostles hotel. I went. I luxuriated in a fluffy white toweling robe in the buddah room and had a fruit kebab and water. I had 2 hours of massage bliss. full body massage from my toes to my head and then a facial and 2 mask treatments, I showered in the fabulous bathrooms and used this fabulous shampoo. I loved it. thank you so much.

I got my wedding photos and video and they are divine , amazing and emotional. In the video I got to see all of you though. All of you who witnessed that day and who celebrated along with us. It was an absolute treat to see all the outfits and when tears were shed and laughter heard. Its such a big day that you cant take every detail in. You all looked spectacular. thank you for being there and having fun.
I will put a few photos up later that camilla took.

What a blessing that I have had this time in cape town. I do appreciate it so. even though I get sad on my return I do remember all the fun and special memories I make every time. I feel blessed that I feel sad actually, as just think if You had nothing to feel sad about leaving. I know I have so many special people in my life that love me and wish I was around on a regular basis and I wish they were in mine . this is my path at the moment and I am grateful I have my loved ones missing me . until the next time.... although I am on a mission to recieve visitors this year..Come on Cobleys.. mum andrew? I have a spare room....

back to life...

Or is it? I am back in england. It is overcast except for a bit of sun this afternoon. I should say I am back home but I really , truley dont feel like I am. I was grateful that our house seemed homey to me when I stepped in. All my little ornaments and precious things sparkling and welcoming me back.
lily has been asking for her nana and dad dad a fair amount. she believes they are coming on a plane soon. this has been my hardest time yet because of my little girl being so aware that she loves her grandparents but not quite old enough to understand why we cant see them.

I was so happy to see Kristian and he has really been supporting me through this time. We went to buy Lily a tent today because she loves tents. she has been singing to her daddy all day as its his birthday tomorrow. she thinks he is 3 so we are going with that. Kristian is delighted.

I will survive ,but until then I think a few days of tearyness are in order.
To all my special people in Cape Town... I miss you and thank you for making this trip so amzing and special
xx

mummies and babies

Yesterday (Sunday) I had some dear friends round to bid farewell to Kristian. We had yummy lunch ( I must give you this recipe!) and we chatted. All the kiddies were playing and some were just sleeping peacefully. It was really wonderful and I think Kristian really enjoyed his last day

Gav , our friend, coordinated this photo shoot and i stole this photo from Nicci to put up here

From left : Veronica and Sarah Catherine and Max , Nicci and Joshua, Wendy and Lily

and yes Lily is eating and its a sweet because I have become a very bed parent and give sweets to bribe my child. but I so wanted her in the shot and she was being uncooperative!

Then the dads had a turn but Lily and Kristian were not there

From left Steven and Sarah , Max ( Gav's son) with Clive , Joshua (Clive's son) with Gav

all in all a lovely day and one I am sure Kristian is thinking of up i the sky as I type.

the last week

Its getting to be that awful time when I have to say goodbye. Not to all of you wonderful ,people as you guys are my mainstay , my link with myself. If I am feeling low a read of a good blogpost cheers me no end. No, its time to say goodbye to my nearest and dearest again. I have had the most amazing 2 months getting ready for our wedding, kitchen teas , honeymoon in Hermanus and all these lovely touristy things you never do when living in a place. Every time I come back to Cape Town it feels like a love affair. I jut fall in love all over again. I just cant help it ,Cape Town lives within my soul. She is a part of me and will forever be.

How privileged I have been to see Sarah come to her home to live with her mummy and daddy. I feel really attached to her and everytime I imagine not seing her for a year I want to cry. Its been so wonderful for Lily to see all my friends children and become friends with them. Amy is a firm favorite and she is so "tinyyy" and "cute" and she has a love hate relationship with Jake I think. they played very nicely though. She needed a bit more time with adam as just as she was warming up we had to leaveamys first birthday party.

My biggest heartache is that of my parents saying goodbye to Lily. They are so close and she just loves them so much. it breaks my heart .

I must focus on the good though and I have had such an amazing time. those memories must last for me now. I never thought I would be someone who would live a life like this and at times I just sit and wonder how the hell it happened. I am such a homebody , family type of person who loved where I lived in Cape Town. I can only hope that the fates look kindly on me and allow me to return at some time. Until then I will pack my bags and get through Thursday next week. I will be back boring you with more wedding photos from my photographer no doubt and a few of our beautiful gift s we recieved.

Heres a few photos of our holiday and a few of our honeymoon in the beautiful Hermanus

xxxx

Mrs Humble

I am finally married. 11 years on in a fabulous relationship and we are finally joined as man and wife. Many people say things like "its so much money for just one day" but, its not just one day. Its a beatiful , emotional life changing day. It was like a sensory experience for me. I felt my loved ones gather around me. I felt everyones excitement and love. The night before I had these big massive butterflies in my tummy. The next day I savoured everything from my morning tea and muffin to Heidi , my hairdresser curling my hair. My mum , mother in law, daughter and 2 best friends gathered around me in the cottage as they helped me dress. A circle of woman preparing me for this special day.

I walked in the winter sunshine arm in arm with my dad to the ceremony with Lily and Caroline follwing behind. As we arrived the bagpipes began to play and we walked up the old stone steps. I looked at everyones faces and I drank them in. All my special people come to witness our marriage. Kristian looked so nervous but as we looked at each other I could feel him relax. The ceremony was just as I wanted it. personal and touching. It meant everything to me.

the sun was still beating down on me I can still feel it if I close my eyes. Veronica read 2 of the most beautiful pieces. here is the E E Cummings poem. I dare you to read it and not cry as I did

"I carry your heart with me

(I carry it in my heart)

I am never without it

(anywhere I go you go , my dear: and whatever i done by only me is your doing darling

I fear no fate

(for you are my fate ,my sweet)

I want no world

(for beautiful you are my world , my true)

and its you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sig is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows:

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called iife:

which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide

and this is the wonder thats keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart

(I carry it in my heart)

Here I began to cry. It was so special not only for us but for all our dear friends and family that bore witness

Patrick , our celbrant spoke of our love and lives ,helped on by Kristians beautiful letter he wrote about me. I battled to say my vows as I swear my throat closed. I was overcome by emotion. We symbolically lit our wedding candle together and then we kissed. Joined in matrimony.

The piper led us up to the manor house and we signed the register and patrick annouced us MR Kristian Peter and Mrs Wendy Mora Humble

Tiny fynbos confetti was showered over us. I had champagne. I had canapes I chatted and soaked in the moment. I did not miss a thing.

We entered the cellar to madness ( it must be love) and everyone sat clapping and cheering us on. The food was divine , the cake was amazing and the dancing was truley the best fun I have had in a long time.

Kristian and I were going to have Frank sinatra. Ive got you under my skin as our first dance but instead we opted for whams love machine. very us.

Thank you to everyone present and not that wished us well and thought of us on Saturday. Itmeant the world

Riebeck Kasteel ,you have got to go!

We went today. Its in the Swartland about half an hour from Malmsbury. It was the most perfect day with streaming sunshine. The village is quirky and beautiful and the restaurant was outstanding. duck wontons with sweet chilli sauce, calamari stew with basil and lemon and tomatoes on savory rice and a tartine, upside down apple cake all caramalised and delicious with ice cream. Yes it was a good day.

There is a shop there that I just loved. when I walked in it was lie I had discovered treasure.

Lily ran and played in the gardens and fun was had by all

heres the photos.....

update!

Hi All
Just sitting here after successfully printing up my name place thingys and feeling very proud of myself. I had some help (thanks aunty Lilian) and they look great. Its amazing how many little things creep up on you with wedding planning. I am so relaxed about it all I am practically going backwards which is just as well as I can imagine if you started out a bit highly strung you would have no chance. This does not mean that I am not very excited mind , just that I am trying to enjoy everything to the fullest.
every day I try and achieve something. Today was my printing which was highly successful, now I must embellish and paint them which could be time consuming. I have the dj booked but still have to meet with him to discuss my musical choices , or should I say our musical choices ( note to self..must say OUR) I have a photographer who is sussing out shots at Langverwagt next week. We also have videographers to capture our day and they make you this lovely dvd with music and everything. My lovely bridesmaid, Caroline , gave me the advice to have that and my mum really wanted that too. Speaking of aforementioned bridesmaid her dress is looking stunning and she being so great and there for me even though she is very busy with her baba , a new pregnancy and a bad dose of the flu. We have known each other since we were 4 and 5 respectively, which is a long time. I feel so honoured that I have a bridesmaid who has been one of my closest friends for so many years. We are linked via starsign you see. we both luxuriate in the comforts of being taurean. We loved Wham together, we dressed up together and we played these fantastic "make up your own story as you go along and act it out" until 3 in the morning sometimes . We have gone through school together 2 years apart but still have remained close all through our adult years to present day. Its going to be great with us in all our finery on the day. So yes , her dress is looking great and as soon as she is well and strong enough we will go shoe shopping. oh the hardships.

Our menu and cake are ready to be cooked and baked and the flowers are organized. I love these items the most as I just love flowers and vases and nice pretty stuff as you all must know by now and food is my major source of inspiration in life, especially cake! and you must see this cake. I cant wait to see it and EAT IT

These are just a few things I am doing and thoughts that are floating about my head. I am having a great time here as usual catching up with all my friends. I have had such lovely playdates with Caroline and Amy and Suzaan and Rowan. We saw Nicci and baby Joshua yesterday and today Catherine and little Max. All the babies ( and mummies) are a joy. My next stop is baby Sarah. cant wait to meet her.

I went out with my mum , Nana Fi, last night to grandwest for sushi. The best sushi ever. It tasting divine washed down wit 2 glasses of crisp , dry ,ice cold white wine. I was fine. Nana Fi's alcohol tolerance is very low though and she ended up slurring a lot and playing roulette very badly. I drove home.
She is very excited about the upcoming festivities and gets a little tearful at the mention of vows , dresses or brides. Shes totally obsessed with Lily and spends every moment with her. Sometimes when i go out to visit someone and take her I swear she gives me a dirty look because I am taking her baby with me.

lovely chatting with you all
Lots of love
xxx

Kristian and Wendy a love story

Kristian and I have been asked by Patrick, our celebrant, to each write a letter detailing our relationship and what we mean to the other. Our ups and downs, our quirks and irritations. Something so that when he marries us he feels like he knows us a bit better. For months I have been procrastinating and not writing this letter. It seems like such an important thing I have to do and I don’t feel ready, which sounds funny as if I am not ready for the letter, how the hell am I ready for the marriage!
But, I know I am ready for the marriage and now is my opportunity to share with everyone why that is.

Kristian and Wendy our story from my perspective

Kristian and I met in March 1997 at our friend Stevens’s home. He had come out to visit Ste , his best friend, after Steven moved to Cape Town after they finished university. Steven and I had been good friends for about a year at this stage and he had regaled me with stories of the great Kristian. These two were close and I was a little daunted at this prospect. However, we met the first Friday he arrived and I was smitten. Steven will tell you (probably in his best man speech!!) that I was sitting on his lap by the time the night had ended. I told my mum the next morning that I was in love. That’s how quick it was for me. I told her I was going to marry him one day. I also told her he looked like a mix between superman and buddy holly. That bit has never gone down very well with kristian but how was I to know buddy holly was not cutting edge, unlike kristians glasses.

You see Kristian is not the same as other men. He’s slightly...ok totally metrosexual. He has his own unique style and interests, is extremely intelligent and funny and has so many interests that to list them would be impossible. He collects things frantically from war medals to vinyl records. From superhero toys to travel books. He journals in his little black moleskin and I often see him writing verses to poems or songs or drawing something. He is a very open person with those who know him well and will tell you his feelings or tell you what he feels for you very easily. He is the romantic in our relationship and always thinks of something special for me. He is a quiet, introspective person and it takes a while to get him to open up but when he does shutting him up is difficult. He cleans house with me, he irons, and he washes dishes and he shares every little bit of childrearing with me. I am blessed and lucky to have found a partner like that.

Back to my story... I was in love. For Kristian he was attracted to me but he was on holiday and his track record was rather blurred I was led to believe. I was young and innocent and did not care. At times we got on so well and then he would shut down and I was lost again. But hope was on the horizon with a European contiki tour I had booked to go on. In this case absence made the heart grow fonder and by the time I returned he professed undying love for me. Well he professed love anyway and we were inseparable. Turns out that absence thing was just as well though as we spent the next the next 2 years with long spells of separation. I went to England for 9 months until Kristian completed his masters and then we began the lengthy process of getting into South Africa and getting work. I thought it would be quick but it took a year with 2 months spent together in that time. In those days we never had email which seems bizaar, but we wrote letters to each other. To this day I can remember sitting in my parent’s window waiting for the postman to cycle up and put a letter in the postbox.

By early in 2000 Kristian had a job at Stellenbosch University and we had rented a flat in Edgemead. A lovely 2 bed flat. It was my first place of my own and the first time Kristian and I would live together alone. We were so excited. We got some it’s of furniture and a fridge passed onto us and collected bits as we went along. We were happy... our social life was so great as we now had our best friends together just down the road. By now one of my best friends, Veronica had hooked up with Steven and we were all friends together. In fact all our friends lived in Cape Town at this point and we would have great dinner parties and braais. Times got a little tough financially for us though as Kristian earned very little and was told that to get further in academics he would need international experience.

Reluctantly I went along with this and we left for England in 2004. Life changed for me at this point as I now knew nobody. What was great about this was that I had Kristian. In some ways I think our relationship needed the move for us to grow closer. I am a very social person and can neglect Kristian at times when I have a lunch to get to. He knows this about me and accepts that I do have a fairly independent streak. This time together relying only on each other when I was homesick or trying to find a place to stay, or adjusting to a new job drew us closer. Once life settled so we settled and normality came to our lives but a new reality where one knows that this person is the most important person to us, I know Kristian will always be there to support me and he knows when I need support or when I just need to be left alone. He knows when I need a cup of tea or when I just need to go off and do some shopping alone. He knows.

In June 2005 we took a trip on the eurostar to Paris for my belated birthday present. We had a wonderful time eating at these little Parisian restaurants, browsing the art galleries and soaking in the sights and atmosphere Paris has to offer. Then one evening, the 3rd of June we went to see the Eiffel tower and went all the way to the top. Kristian seemed odd but I put it down to his fear of heights. Upon our return to the ground we walked away from the tower to get a bite to eat when Kristian just asked me to marry him. I accepted all flustered and then we laughed as he had wanted to ask me on top of the tower but he was so scared of the height and it was freezing up there so had resorted to drinking coffee out of a polystyrene cup. He said it felt all wrong. I now wear the ring that belonged to his great grandmother that has passed through his family and I am so proud of it.

After a year and a half in reading we moved to London, Kristian had got a job at Greenwich University. A couple of months after that we were leaving for Cape Town. Our best friends were now marrying and we had thought we may do a bit of our own wedding planning when we were there. A week before I left I was feeling a little odd. I had a funny feeling I was pregnant. Not that I have ever been pregnant before you understand, but just like the love at first sight thing I just knew. I did a test at Heathrow airport and sat on my news for 5 days as Kristian came 3 days after me and we had the bridal shower and bachelors just after that. When I finally told him he knew something had been bugging me and had been asking me if I was ok the whole day. He was a little shellshocked but so happy. I was filled with anxiety. It seemed a little scary. Kristian was never scared ( until the birth!) Our world went into baby mode as we prepared to bring a baby into our world and one bedroom flat in London. She arrived on 13 August 2006 Lily Grace Humble. We have never been the same. Our cup runeth over. We are filled with joy to be the parents of our beautiful little girl and all of a sudden it is clear that we were meant to be a family. Kristian has changed nappies and done night feeds. He would make a sandwich for me every day in those early newborn days and leave it in the fridge. Once again we became a team. We had no family of friends nearby to help us and we had to navigate the baby waters alone. It was tough but we created a routine and Lily is blessed to have a very present and loving daddy. He plays with her constantly and is so attuned to her sensitive nature. He is very protective of her and loves her so much which fills my heart with joy and makes me love him even more.

We have created a life together in fits and starts. We now live in a little house with a tiny garden . We have wonderful family that support us, loyal and close friends who love us and each other. Our relationship has not always been easy but what good relationship is. We have had stresses and disagreements but they are always minor. Kristian is sulker and a little moody where I am a “put a smile on your dial “ sort of person. This is what leads to most of our fights as sulking and not talking to me annoys me no end. A few hours later we are always laughing about his mood and all is forgiven. At times he has what I call a George costanza. If you have ever watched Seinfeld you will know what I mean as that character flips out about minor things and makes a mountain out of a molehill. Kristian panics. Even that is so funny to me and even writing about it now I am chuckling as I remember some of his “costanzas”

Kristian is a good , kind man. I feel honoured that we will be married on the 16th august. I am proud to stand next to him as his wife. He is perfect for me. I love his dark hair and green blue eyes, his obsession with Italian football, his nice feet, his poetic nature, his tireless work to stop human rights abuses ( even when he makes me stop buying things in Primark) , the way he loves my daughter and finally the way I know he loves me.

So that is the beginning of our life story and our love story. A new chapter begins soon as we carry on as man and wife. I can hardly wait ….

I'm back and I'm busy

Yippee I hear you shouting at this new post. Sincere apologies. I would like to tell you my Internet access is restricted or I have to travel 2 days to the nearest computer but no, there is one here in my parents home. I am just so busy trying to arrange wedding bits and bobs , catch up with my family and friends and generally soak in all the beauty my home city has to offer.

I love Cape Town its got such a fantastic vibe and unparalleled beauty. We arrived in the most foul of weather but since then we have had so many still , sunny days. People here have no idea how lucky they are. When I was living here I had done so my entire life so it was normal for me. On Sunday , in the middle of the winter my dad , mum , myself and Lily went off to kalk bay. Its one of my favorite places. Its so quirky and you feel as though treasures must lurk in all those little shops. Nana , dad dad (grandad) and Lily got onto the train and had a lovely little ride to Simonstown whilst I wandered back to the car trying to force myself not to stop in every shop..

I mean look at this little one

And look at that weather and perfect sea. It was the most perfect day. I collected them from Simonstown station and we trundled off into Simonstown to have some lunch. fish for us and hot chips for Lily, devoured with much vigour.

lily and her dad dad on the train my dad and I waiting for our lunch basking in sunshine Lily at the table Lily doing african dancing to the music that the men in the background were singing. fantastic!

We went to the scratch patch nearby after this as well and collected semi precious stones. Its a wonderful place to go and play with the stones. All lily did was throw them in the little stream they have but hey she had fun!

I have done loads since I have arrived and tonight is the first time I think i have sat down and relaxed. I have been to 2 great dinners out. One ,the infamous dinner club which is always the best fun. Its wonderful that a group of diverse woman can come togerther and chat away about life , love and the rest once a month. girlfriends are so important. Some of the ladies I have known most of my life , some I have only met in the last couple of years. we are all from different backgrounds and lead different lives ( all over the world when i come) but I always have the best time when I go out with them. bring on august dinner club!

I have been to 19th birthday and a 21st birthday. I have shared in the joy of my friends new pregnancy and I have seen my dear friends Steven and Veronica as they go through the joy of a new baby and the stresses of her stay in ICU.I have caught up with many people and still have many to see and of course I have weddinged myself silly.

I tried on my dress which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. I have sorted my flowers and arranged for my dear bridesmaid to have a dress in really stunning fabric. I am so excited now with everything coming nearer. I know its going to be a special day for us and we cant wait. We have waited a very long time for this to happen and I am glad I waited for the timing to be perfect. Sometimes life happens and we must listen and go with the flow. obviously I was not meant to be married in 2006. I had my baby instead ,and now this day feels even more poignant to me that I should marry Kristian whom I love so much but also that he is the father of my daughter. so a part of my being now I cant imagine life without her.

I will leave you with some pictures of our time here so far and a great boat trip we took in the harbour. Cape town never looked more beautiful. Please keep little Sarah Cobley in your thoughts as her mummy and daddy so want her to be well and take her to her home to start their life as a family.

xx

its summer!

If only for a day , we had the most glorious weather yesterday. High 20s ,which in London is pretty hot as there is very little ocean breeze and a mass of buildings.

We took ourselves off to Hyde Park to see Jenny and have a day out. We had to go on a bus which is not easy with a buggy. Imagine my horror when the bus was one of the old fashioned route master buses. you know the sort with the stairs up the back and very buggy unfriendly. Cue frantic collapsing of buggy! what a great bus though. I felt like I had been transported to another time going through the streets of London on that.

The park was glorious. we walked along the serpentine until we reached the Diana memorial fountain. We loved that and Lily got soaked playing in the water. She started out quite quietly putting her croc in the water until she got so carried away I had to change her clothing as she was soaked and had a nappy hanging halfway down between her legs.

From there we set off through the park and stopped to feed some ducks and water fowl before going to the princess Diana memorial playground. The best playground I have ever been to. It has sand and wooden walkways with slides and firemans poles coming down into the centre. It has a fabulous wooden pirates ship and teepees. Its just like Peter pan. In fact outside the peter pan tree which is so old is in a cage to protect it. hundreds of tiny figurines and mice and cats etc are carved out of it. I hear from Kristian that it was saved by Spike Milligan when there was a fear it was going to be removed as it was so old it was a danger.

Here's a few more photos from yesterday and a couple from Saturday when we went up in the new big wheel in Greenwich.

Now all the fun is over for a couple of days while I wash clothes and pack things and do last minute things. things , things , things Only 5 sleeps left here until we leave.... I cant wait. I am so heart sore to leave Kristian here but I am joyful at the prospect of going home and seeing everybody. And soon he will join us and we will be married. I know we are going to have such a wonderful time and memories to last a life time.

look

In the words of my darling daughter...look

I just adore this picture of Lily and Kristian sitting in the church courtyard in covent garden last Sunday

because I neeeeeed it

When you move far away from the country that is your birth place and home you miss things. People mainly ,but also things. I miss food.

I am on an endless pursuit searching for South African produce and products. I miss it all so. there are some things that just don't taste the same. Number one on my list are these babies

Ina Paarman seasoned salt. the mainstay of my cooking. You must try the olive and rosemary one . Its amazing on sandwiches but I really like it in Mash. the lemon pepper is a new one that was picked up by fellow saffer (as we are called here) Jenny, in Putney in the south African shop.

I was overjoyed that the South African shop finally stocks the stuff. Now I don't have to lug it all back in my already bulging suitcase.

Then we have the melon preserve. Kristian , my future husband (yippeee), is mad for the stuff. he has it with the stinkiest blue cheese and hovis yum! but also, not light darling

I miss so much that I cant get here like those honey and mustard pretzels and ostrich steak.Nothing like proper chutney and Savannah. I love love love it ( but apparently cant spell it for the life of me) sometimes in Sainsburys if you are lucky they put out about 12 bottles at 2 quid a pop. then all the saffers , like me , rush for them and within minutes they are gone.

Why do these products taste different , why must we move heaven and earth to get them. I cant answer that but when I have a south African product on my shelf I just feel better about the world.

monkey business

Last weekend we went to Bournemouth to visit Kristians mum, Michele, my future mother in law and Lilys nana. On our second day there we all trundled out to monkey world ,its between bournemouth and Dorchester. It is a monkey sanctuary and its founder ,who has since passed away, saved monkeys from all around the world and brings them to rehabilitate here. All of them have not had an existence in the wild and many have been saved from testing labs. It was so wonderful o see them all playing and swinging around in their massive areas they are given. They have silver backed gorillas, chimps , orangutangs and many more diffrent breeds.

We were all smitten. Lily was a little wary at first but when she saw the chimps were sleeping with muzzies (muslin clothes-her blankie) she saw them as kindred spirits .They had a few amazing play grounds for kids of all ages as well and lily found a bouncy horse that was a hit.

On a different note I have spent the day in bluewater shopping centre minus child. It was quite nice actually as when I arrived I just got out the car locked it and walked inside. I ate my lunch with no breaks and all in all had a lovely time. I was looking for some wedding bits as I leave in 2 weeks!! I needed shoes for Lily , something for my mum to wear , and spanx pants for me.

I just tried on those spanx. they are full support underwear. breathing is optional but holy moly they lift your bum and slim your thighs. breathing is so overated anyway.

the perfect jean pant

Do any of you have this problem finding jeans? I seem to have this huge bum that lowers the back of the jeans way lower than the normal person. then said bum and panties are not contained. sigh

I don't really want to wear jeans that skim my chin but what choice do I have, I cant have my arse displayed.

Gap used to do this pair called flare. perfect jean pant height in my opinion. then what did they do? discontinued them!!

So I appeal to you all , if you know of any jeans that have the perfect crotch /waist measurement and are not 10 cm too long on my short legs do tell.

Welcome

Welcome to the world Sarah. After the rollercoaster that was Veronicas pregnancy , Steven and Veronica were very blessed when their daughter was born yesterday morning at 9:37 . I am sure an announcment will follow I just wanted to say how happy I am that she has come into the world and her op went well last night. We will all continue to hope and pray for her recovery and that her mommy recovers well too.

We love you already Sarah and cant wait for a little cuddle of our own
xxx
Love Aunty Wendy , Uncle Kristian and Lily

those boot were made for......?

I tragedy of the shoe kind has occurred. You always think it will happen to someone else but then the shoe gods come down and disagree that you should have 35 pairs of shoes (or something like that)
I was minding my business downstairs yesterday whilst Kristian and Lily were upstairs running the bath. I heard some crying and a bit of a fracas and thought nothing of it. However upstairs an awful . heinous thing had occurred.
Upon reaching the landing I heard Kristian say in a sort of scared voice " lily put all your shoes in the bath"
The part of me that's true Carrie Bradshaw screamed and withered to the floor. Lily was still upset at her daddy shouting at her for throwing said shoes in the bath. She was at this point sitting in the middle of the crime scene. When she saw me she tipped her head to the side and summoned her most endearing smile before saying sweetly..." hello"
What can you say? how can you resist that.
So I made it clear that future shoe wetting would not be tolerated and then I went and sobbed into the puddle where my shoes lay. boots , patent leather heels, silver ballet pumps , one red wedge, 2 brown slip ons. all lay there sodden. I swear my silver pump was crying. I saw a tear!!
Beware mothers out there. hide your shoes from little girls especially If I come to visit with Lily in tow.
And there ends my sad shoe story. No ,they are not Manalo Blahniks (shoe gods are you listening!!!!) but they are ever so pretty and I love them.... sob

I can make you rich

On breakfast television this morning Paul Mckenna was on. He is a well known and respected life coach and hypnotist. He focus's very much on uplifting yourself which , as you know ,is a modern day obsession.

He has written a book entitled " I can make you rich". my ears immediately perked up and I turned up the sound, ignored my child who wanted her breakfast, and listened.
He claims everyones perception of what would make them rich is very different as wealth is not money alone. We all hear this but we don't believe it really!!
He then did a little test with the presenter. answer these questions
If you came into a large amount of cold hard cash. What would you change?
would you change your friends?
would you change your family?
would you change your job?
would you change where you live?
what car you drive? you get the drift here. If there is something you would change then it is an unhappiness in your life and is holding you back from being truly rich in life.
He claims we should all have a code of conduct. a manifesto to live by. If every day you have say had a good thought about somebody , tried to help somebody , smiled at somebody and that is the manifesto you live by, then you have had a good day.

This got me thinking. You see I have been a little down lately. I have so much to look forward to but I feel like everything around me is changing and my head is spinning trying to catch up. First and foremost my 4 year anniversary came and went on 2 June. I have lived in England for 4 years. I wanted to do two but now its four and it all seems a bit hopeless. How will I get out of here. the longer you stay somewhere the more difficult it is to leave. You get well paid jobs and furniture and soon you may have a child in school. I feel quite desperate as the first thing I thought of when Paul Mckenna asked that question was.... I would move home, straight away, within the week.
Of course this shows us all that I am unhappy in my current position and of course my wealth is being depleted by the day!!!
But I am in a relationship and that takes compromise. We cant always have what we want ( mores the pity). If one more person tells me that there is more opportunity for me here I will explode. Maybe there is , maybe there is not.
To me life is not about opportunity and money. its about living and happiness and family and friends. those are things I would never change, not for all the money in the world.