The Friday Edition: Goodbye

Till we meet again it was written
with thought it was done
a promise or a saying
we never know which one

Its not easy to say goodbye
when so many memories conflict with time
the albums of days and years forever frozen and inked combined.

Its not easy to say goodbye
when days are so long on printed paper
the big blocks a reminder of the days and nights to come.

Its not easy to say goodbye
when flowers from the ground grows and with grass it spreads
a stone the memory of what once was in silence to remain.

Its never easy to say goodbye
but there is always hope of views in the future
when time allows us or simply to remember
 in a prayer

Till we meet again it was written
with thought it was done
a promise or a saying
we never know which one.

To never forget
Always remember
We are only borrowed to each other
make it count

Blowing out the candles

Birthday cards bring happy thoughts, the kind that makes you smile and think for a second. It is nice to receive, nice to hear those words that says all is okay or to feel that so many has your back. These are the people that accepts you and stands by you through thick and thin.

In an ideal world the above would be true for some but it is not always the case. How many times do you buy the birthday card and provide the support and all your left with in the end is a fake friend only wanting and acting his or her way through. The best of all is some of us does not give up so easily and we try again and again until we start thinking that the fault lies with us and not with them. So it starts, all the questions about what is the real truth behind it.

Never give up on anyone or so we believe but why should u stick around with someone who does not really believe in you. Why spend time laughing and smiling knowing that behind your back its all one long conversation. The truth is what you do for someone else or let me say try and do for them is real but it goes with notice and then gets ignored.

So i guess the real question is how many birthday cards will it take for you to realise that you are wasting your time. Best advice let go if you can or just act along and pretend for the rest of your life that you are infact important to this person. And that what you say means more than just a smile from them.

In the end i share my cake with those that deserves it, that makes me whole and supports who I am and as for the rest sorry there are only so many invitations...

Dont  lose your chance to do right upon others, you will answer for it in the end and that person might just be listening to all of it.

Friday Espresso

You know that feeling when you wake up in the middle of the night from a horrible nightmare, well that is the same feeling that gets to me on a Friday morning. I sit up, hands in my hair thinking, oh my soul when will this ever stop! Only around twelve it hits me that it is almost over, that I can start to relax from all the writing just a little knowing that the deadlines will still be there and so much closer on a Monday. 

It got me thinking this morning, If I could be anywhere and everywhere over a weekend what would be fun to do? Maybe you agree with some or have some of your own.

Visit Disneyland, such a place does not exist this side of the world, closest to it is Ratanga Junction and Gold Reef City in Johannesburg. I have heard people say that some are better than others so that is where we shall be, just having a good day. 

PS: I can't stand heights, so anything that swirls and turns high in the sky, no thanks. 

Visit the London Eye: I have always wanted to go there, a view that can take your breath away, something you could easily write about and share. This is better than being thrown from side to side, it just gently goes round and round unless it breaks, then you will see claustrophobia come to life. Screaming child x 1000!

Go to the beach: Once again we are City people, no beaches around here. We do have awesome beaches in South Africa, Durban, Cape Town etc. but just once I would like to visit one with white sand and clear blue water, just to see what makes it more special.  

Attend a red carpet event: Okay, this one is a little far fetched but I would like to see some of the celebrities and help them improve a little by offering good advice and join them for dinners, parties and events. Also get to visit one of their Cribs, choosing in which of the MANY rooms we will sleep...dreams, dreams, dreams.

Meet some of you from all round: Yup I would easily dedicate a weekend travelling around to coffee shops, I don't mind coffee besides it will just give me energy and keep me going to talk and learn and more. 

Visit a Haunted House: Not a mental hospital or an old hotel, just a small house where the doors move every now and again, actually even then I might be freaked out so this one is a maybe. 

Whatever you wish, you can do, don't stop wishing yet, I mean there is always birthdays and Christmas and fathers day and all the rest...and if none of those help to get you anywhere get creative. Put some hair coloring in your better half's shampoo, call him in the middle of the night and whisper the places name, quit making supper...maybe not so mean but sometimes it is necessary. :-)

And that is a wrap on your Friday Espresso edition!

Cat vs. Fish

 Hamlet and Sylvester, our boys.

You are no easy going companion, sometimes you want nothing to do with me.

 What do you do, you ignore me completely then I am not supposed to get angry at you. Your tantrums alone is enough, I am fed up with it, I can take no more, please I beg of you go and take all that anger and frustration out somewhere else than here.

 You do things your way, forget about how I feel or what I want it is simply who you are and when you were small I never thought of that, teaching you to consider others, have I failed as a father? You laze around all day following the sun and at night you are awake when I want to sleep, who are you and what have you done with my original?

Yes I complain about you, I am as guilty as can be but my points are valid, I mean who baths so late at night when you could have done it earlier? You are after me, every night your method is the same, you are tired from lazing outside and chasing creatures that has done nothing to hurt you, when the food comes so do you. Chicken night is always the worst, like the fish you smile and stare at me just waiting for your portion. I have never given you some of my food, so why do you even try? I can't even eat gum without you wanting to take it from me, honestly you are weird, is that thanks to me?

But after all of this, unlike my friend the fish, when I am cold you will always be there, when I am upset or down, there you are. In the morning when I wake up I need you and my coffee to get me through the day. So next time I step on your tail just know that I am sorry because I can't tell you so.

 And if others want to teach you new tricks like licking ice cream or teasing you I can't always help but my cat, my thoughts are with you.

Saturday, to do or not to do?

This morning I had my coffee and dragged myself out of bed for a normal Saturday, one of work and work and work. We get those weekends where we can just go out and do what we would like to do. There are some other things we have not tried yet so I went and looked up some activities for a Saturday  claiming there are 25 things to do and along with it my view...

In the range of 10-15% Karaoke: This is fun and all but the only way you will get me up there is if I am way above the legal alcohol limit. When I was younger I believed I could sing and sounded cool and was on the way to my first album. The truth, some think they can still sing. We did go once to a karaoke bar and yes after "All the Single Ladies" by Beyonce was over, sang by two men, that was it for me. It is nice to watch that I can agree on.

In the range of 15-25% Catch a late night movie: I must say this is something we like to do every so often, but I must also admit that sometimes we say and don't do. We like watching all our programs in the comfort of our home during weekends so in the end we beat ourselves over the head because in the end we have to wait for it to come out on blue ray before we can see the movie we wanted to see.

In the range of 25-60% Hang out with chocolate: Everywhere, if you look around you will find the temptation of of small little fudge and home made chocolate shops. In the window you see these pretty shiny balls of chocolate going round and round luring you in. You decide to buy just three, just to enjoy. As you walk in you notice more and more chocolate...This has happened to me before, buying more than you expect       so instead of passing around there we take the long way around. But I would say don't try it but who on earth could resist chocolate?

In the range of 60-80% Go the craft shop route. Many craft shops these days offer a lot of activities, from painting pottery to making beads. In the beginning it is fun, in the middle it is fun and soon it becomes a Saturday have to. You make beads for friends and co-workers, paint pottery for all those plants you are going to buy. This is something we have not done but is something nice to do with the kids and your husband who will protest a few times before he joins, even if it is only once a month. This I believe is fun but I believe it falls in the same category as scrap booking, you create that monster, you live with that monster.

In the range of 80-100% Enjoy a meal This is for anyone, there is nothing more special than doing something plain with a little bit of specialty on a Saturday night. In a restaurant relaxing with a glass of wine or at home sitting outside enjoying the evening breeze. However, whichever way you do it, it is still special when it comes to friends and family and being together.

So my coffee is finished and I better get going. Whatever you choose to do for today, just appreciate what you have, the fact that you can get silly or just indulge yourself in chocolate. When the movie ends and you get home you will realize and be grateful for what you have.

Friday (Family) Espresso

I need to kick start the weekend right this time. You know that thought or thoughts that crosses your mind on a Thursday night like I want to sort out the linen and our clothes cupboard. Now I must agree some people are good at this, doing what they were planning on doing, others well, like us not so much. I would like to ask the question how others Kick off the weekend and handle the plans?

Here is just a tiny version about us:

For months now we are on the, we must bath the cats and dog today, a.k.a Hamlet, Sylvester and Onyx.

HAMLET (YOUNG MAN)

SYLVESTER (OLD MAN)

AND ONYX (*****) 

Yip our three children (For Now) . Did we get around to doing that, nope not quite yet but I will still say with a smile that before winter we will eventually bath them. 

The other thing is Garden work. Garith has made the Garden his hobby so it is something he enjoys doing. However the cars all together is another story of "We will wash them next week." and next week we decide for some very valid reason that we must move it to the week after. 

Last not but least, catching up with all those Programs and Movies we recorded during the week. My brain switches off on weekends so in the end i am indecisive, so we don't really do a lot of catching up since we both don't know what to watch. 

So from this side enjoy the weekend no matter what you find yourself doing...what will we be doing this weekend? 

Helping our friends move to their new place, interesting. :-)

Darkness turned to light

Angel

You made me see

Darkness black turned to light

You made me be

Sands in wind of flight

You gave me you

Golden shield of might

Believe in you

In what you do

Believe in me

and what  you see

Believe in us

Diamonds in the rough

Forever hands of time

set in stone to be mine

Forever glowing shine

a future bonded in a rhyme

Angels voices sing

a new song for dawn to bring

Feel free to share this with someone special. 

And Action...

A stage production is filled with scenes of laughter, drama, suspense and various emotions. It brings from within feelings we have all experienced at one stage or another and the best of these stays with us for months and years to come. We all play a part in our own production, a story flung together, intertwined by events which sometimes can leave us with no plot, a story in which your character  does not understand what had just happened or why, trying to solve a mystery with no or little clues.

Behind the scenes as said before our mind is trying to make sense of each situation and can sometimes go overboard stretching out the story, transforming characters from good to evil,  breaking each segment, dissolving its true meaning and purpose. Soon you are left questioning yourself if non fiction is actually fiction and whether your characters are indeed truthful in their ways.

Yet you are the one holding the pen writing the script word for word.

The realization I came up with in my script is to give my characters time to evolve, to allow them to grow before I make changes to the script or alter it's meaning. Not everything is black and white and meant to be understood until the curtain falls. We can't judge them or show that we do not support there intentions just because of where the character came from, each of them is unique and deserves that place or second chance without a doubt.

As we tell our story to others we learn, we learn what would happen and how we would feel if the ending came in a specific way, but the truth is today and tomorrow there will be no ending, not until the Fat lady does sing announcing that the show is over for you. Before that happens we must be willing to break a few legs and enjoy the show. No tale comes without ups and downs, it's what we do with them that matters.

Your moving so what now?

When we moved into our house in 2011 I must say the move was stressful, seeing all those boxes piling up knowing that in there might be stuff we don't or will never use, and that the same boxes that was packed to create space, will now have to be unpacked and soon. I take my hat off to those people that can live in a house or new apartment with boxes standing around unpacked for days and even months without going insane. Me, well I hate chaos so as soon as the "Box disease" hits me I have to go in and start unpacking. This however is the case at our home and in our ever moving, loving family. We normally sit in fear waiting for that call that delivers the message, "We have to move again". I browsed the web and found tips on everything from what to do before a move, moving with children and more. Do I agree with these?

 1. Draw a floor plan of the new house and places where you would like the furniture to go and number all your furniture according to the floor plan. Sounds easy enough hey but take into consideration your not an architect and furniture has a way of surprising you during a move. Number one might not fit where number one must go so there goes that idea. http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/5-moving-day-tips5.htm 

2. Go through your stuff and identify unwanted items, junk collected over the years. It is much easier to read it than to do it, all the Christmas cards you saved up since 1977, your husbands beer mug he won at a beer festival but never used it again. There will always be junk that will follow you no matter where you go. http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home

3.Transport your Pets with you. A person has fish, two cats AND a tarantula. Spiders has a way of prompting fear for people suffering with arachnophobia, like us. So if that spider for any reason should get out while driving there would probably be two screaming girls and an accident. http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/5-tips-for-moving-pets2.htm 

 4. Having a piano and art to move, I would be doing it hoping all the way just seeing in my mind how the piano falls off of the truck. Yes difficult to move but before I even think of doing this I would call in professionals to assist. In the end it will just put my mind at ease, so do not try it on your own even if some would think of dodging corners.
 http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/5-difficult-things-to-move3.htm 

 5. Make a master list, do these work? When we go shopping there is always something we forget to buy that is clearly written on the list. I think no move can work perfectly with a list as your guide, things will go wrong and there will be surprises so be prepared to go back to things written down earlier on the list and change it regularly if needed.
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/

 Moving can be fun in the end and there are some good tips that work for some and does not work for others. If you are in the process of moving try and keep the stress to a minimum by starting early, staying up a bit later at night and when the time comes you will be ready.
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/

  I am just glad that we are where we are and that moving is the very Z on our list of what must be done. This house is a home that is being filled with many memories and I hope you will be happy to.

 Johan-

Namibia the treasure below

There is something to see in this land, spreading out for miles and miles. The place that shares it borders with  Angola and Zambia to the north. Namibia screams wildlife with view that can only be seen for yourself, I don't believe anyone can actually tell you how the sun sets over the plains at night, how the stars draw you in from above, it simply cannot be described.

There is something for everyone in Namibia, Discover Namibia, there you will find places that offers you horseback rides and lots of adventure and astonishing wildlife  to lure you in even deeper into the country's beauty making you want to stay and never leave again.. 

While staying at one of the many guesthouses or hotels in Windhoek why not experience one of the many restaurants and bistros or for something different try Joe's Beer House or other bar like restaurants that offer outside seating and a warm atmosphere.

 This is certainly a place painted and placed to hang upon a wall of gold. One day we will visit this marvelous place and I hope someday you to will experience all that the Namibia has to offer. 

Links for activities and places:

Accommodation, Restaurants, Flights and more:

 http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g293821-Windhoek_Khomas_Region-Vacations.html

For the thrill seekers:

http://www.namibiadesertexplorers.com/activities.html

A View of a day

Today is all set up and ready to go after my usual coffee in bed. It is birthday time and we are going to share it with Shavonne. I am looking forward to lasagna and nice beef stew, cake and more. Just what you would expect from a Sunday lunch.

I hope you are doing something nice today as well, nothing like a Sunday to spend with family or just stay at home having much needed rest or visiting a mall for some window shopping.

Sunday also means prep for Mondays so the week does not catch you as a surprise, nothing being ready, chaos in the house etc.
As much as we enjoy our family time, make sure you stay in control of household things during the weekend and not letting anything slip past you. I am not saying pretend to be a cop I just mean handle stuff like you would in the week but just more relaxed. Know that your not working is big motivation already.

Well for now enjoy the rest of the weekend because you deserve it. That is all for now.

More tips on beating the Monday blues:
http://www.wikihow.com/Beat-the-Monday-Morning-Blues

Not leaving Cape Town behind

I only had to visit Cape Town once and my mind was made up. One day we decided we want to leave the City of Johannesburg behind creating a new start for ourselves when age has taken over and the body needs to rest. Then we can do all those things a person always dreams of, walking by the sea, watching the sun as it rises and sets at night. Just sitting outside listening to the waves breaking against the shore

The natural beauty of this place is astonishing and one can easily get lost in it, the many views of Cape Town while driving that takes hold of you causing you to stop and enjoy.

Houses of Color enriching the area, filling it with joy and beauty, something that was once not there to appreciate now makes up for what is the Upper Cape.

And this - A peace man built out of coke crates only, standing at the V&A Waterfront showing only a small piece of the creativity of this City, helping to deliver a message through art and creating awareness.

So if you are planning to visit the Mother City here is a few things you can get up to:

http://www.mydestination.com/capetown/things-to-do/21619?gclid=CKqQpK7v5bYCFdQctAod0zgA7Q

It contains all the information for you to decide whether you feel like a day of history or walking in the Botanical Gardens.
 For a more adventurous experience you can choose between stuff like Helicopter rides or Paragliding, both giving you the perfect view that makes out Capetown, Table Mountain. If you simply want to relax why not take a trip over to one of the theaters and enjoy the show.
There is so much that will draw you to this place, the friendliness of the people, the diverse culture and most probably second best besides the location and landscape, when the City wakes up at night revealing a whole other side you don't get to see pr experience during the day.

So it might not be time for us to move yet, one day we will?    :-)
Cape Town will always stay on the top of our holiday list  as a definite must do over and over again. So when we go, even after a year or two from now Cape Town would have grown and evolved more making it even more special.

A picture perfect destination, one not to miss.

Camping with your phone

A recent blog post on GetawayBlog gave some insight that most people will take their smartphones with them when they go camping. Call me old fashioned but I still believe that when it comes to going away on a camping trip that you don't need to use a phone to plan your trip or even to make the trip more enjoyable unless really necessary.

 Photo: itunes.apple.com

Camping Checklist:
I think both the brain and phone are equal here, yes on your phone there might be one or two things extra but stuff like "Malaria tablets" will not apply unless you are visiting one of the countries where it is present. So I would rather write down Braaispice than waiting for the phone to remind me of it, if it does.

Torch:
Okay here's the thing, the torch app that is installed on your phone might come in handy for looking around the tent but for walking in the dark towards the ablution facilities late at night while you still fast asleep, not so much.

Guidebooks:
This one I can agree on, gone are the days of carrying a 500 page book around on The Birds of Africa. There are free and paid Apps available on IOS and Android exactly for this purpose so if it is user friendly enough I say use it.

First Aid:
Yip when you are far away and don't know what to do and have someone nearby who can help the ST John Ambulance First Aid app could come in very handy, especially when symptoms and information is needed quickly.

Stargazing:
So you want to have a romantic evening with that someone special gazing at the stars, with your phone? No. Really I don't think that is the appropriate time to look for any star map at all.

But this is just my opinion, how i see it. :-)
You can catch the full entry on: http://blog.getaway.co.za/travel-ideas/stuff-to-buy/outdoor-apps-iphone-android/

A Photo tells a Story

It is no lie in saying that getting a good photographer to do an excellent job for a reasonable price is difficult to find these days.

Last year Garith and I decided to get a combined Christmas gift for each other.We had been talking of putting a photo album together for months and so in the end the choice was made, we needed a creative photographer that could deliver lasting memories of us by being not only creative but friendly and professional in every manner. 

I discovered a friend of mine who just recently started up his own Small Business operating out of his small setup studio at home named Photofox. 

Before making any decisions we had to see his work:

It did not take long for us to decide given the quality of his work.He offered us a whole package for half the price a seasoned photographer would charge and because he had to cover all his costs their was no special friend offer involved.

As for me I can say that I would back up Photofox anytime because sometimes when you look closely you can find a needle in a haystack, and I believe this is one of them.

If you want to find out more about Photofox visit https://www.facebook.com/Photofoxdp?ref=ts&fref=ts
for more photo's and contact details.

Pizza Fun

Garith and I decided to try something new the other day. This did not need a lot of thinking to create, it was something very simple to do and does not take a huge amount of time. Just find a simple pizza dough recipe, in our case we tried a thin based one which turned out awesome.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,2341,157183-233201,00.html (Example) No yeast or funny stuff.
Choose your pan, cover with foil and spray with cook n" bake or any non stick spray, no mess, no fuss.

Might not look like a restaurant quality pizza but then again it's not suppose to be is it? Add all and any topping you can think of.We prefer garlic, chilies and mushrooms most.
 Make a homemade sauce, we just used old fashioned Chutney to give it that sweet taste and one two three in the oven and shortly after, out of the oven..
 Not long and it was gone, I did not even have the time to get the "After" picture.
I must say it is nice to do these things together, with life being so hectic one must stand still at times and just enjoy and have fun even if it is just a pizza. :)

How to be Bad and Gain weight.

We celebrated Deans' birthday party and I must say besides the sunburn it turned out to be a good one. In preparation for this event we were all asked to bring a little something and me and Shavonne landed in the dessert category, my favorite since this allows me some sugar and chocolate when and if needed. 

Shavonne arrived with a dangerous Log "not intended for Christmas" looking fairly close to this:

This is a healthier version you can find at: http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/531467/slimming-world-s-chocolate-log

For the what I call "Be bad and gain weight" version try this one: http://recipes.cadbury.co.uk/recipes/cakes/Pages/Chocolate-Yule-Log.aspx

And me? Well this is what I came up with courtesy of:

http://www.artofbaking.net/crunchie-cake/

The Crunchie Cake. If u try this recipe you do so at your own risk because I guarantee if you are a sweet tooth you won't be able to stay away from this one.