All you need is love...

'                       

My most amazing man and I recently celebrated two whole years of togetherness! This milestone was significant for both of us: my longest relationship to date (plus making it past the twice devastating 2 year speed bump was awesome!) and his longest relationship by 21 months ;-) it was indeed time to celebrate, and celebrate we did with an amazing meal at one of our favorites, La Mouette in Seapoint. 

                         

Our relationship, his love and support for me, was what got me through 2013. When all else failed, these three are constant. As I sit here writing in my quiet, almost dark lounge (Eksom, our national power supplier has us on loadshedding as their "coal got wet") I'm reminded that love really is all we need. Fill out hearts with love for ourselves, each other and those around us particularly hard to even like and things can only look better than they did before!

Keep Calm and Leave it all behind you

It's been a tough year. Scrap that, it's been a freaking tough year. I'm ready to walk out of work tomorrow afternoon and leave it all behind me...and never come back ;-) What do they say - what doesn't break you makes you stronger? Well, I'm not entirely sure on which side of this equation the 2013 working year has left me.

In the next month (my longest holiday since my final year of university mid year vac!) I just want to BREATHE. To erase the awful memories that at this point in time feel forever branded into my brain. To take time to figure out what happens next. To look at what makes me happy and fulfilled and what doesn't any more. To try and forgive and forget - both others and myself. To put it all in perspective and to try and remain grateful for the good things.

All I do know is that I can't repeat the past year - come hell or high water, I refuse to. How that plays out I don't know, but this much I do know, it's not healthy, not positive, not constructive or emotionally viable to go through it all over again.

The "worm" only has one more segment and so that means only 1 more sleep until lazy days, late mornings, the beach, the sea, the sun, lots of books and lots of bubbly! #excitedmuch!

Saying Goodbye to Madiba

I remember clearly the day that the world watched as one of the most influencial leaders in the world took his first steps as a free man in 27 years. It was 1990 and I was 8. My parents called us in from our garden to watch on the small, grainy TV with "bunny ears" that we had on the farm. They said that this was a moment in history that we shouldn't forget. Watching Nelson and Winne Mandela walk hand in hand with fists raised high on national TV was something so unique and different to me that I remember feeling slightly nervous of what would happen next and I now, as an adult, know that I wasn't alone. What ensued was beyond what anyone could have imagined. The unparalleled forgiveness, kindness and courage that he displayed is a shining example for us all and is what has made this country what it is today. Or at least, what we strive to be.

6 Years later I was lucky enough to see Madiba in the flesh. Our school concert band accompained a thousand strong choir made up of learners from all the schools in our area. I will never forget the resounding sound of the beautiful voices and words that raised the roof that day like a victory march. Idonga se Jericho was the one song that even made the floorboards shake! Reading up on the song now, it seems that it was a reference to the fall of Apartheid - no wonder the floorboards got a good stomping ;-)

On Friday we as South African's woke up to the news that our fearless leader, Tata, had left us. Many had once again feared this day. Naysayers predicted that this day would be the undoing of all the good that has taken place since '94. The father of our nation may have left us in spirit but I can't but help believe that we are stronger than the doomsdayers predict because the memory of him will live on in our hearts and minds for decades to come.

Goodbye and God Bless Madiba - thank you for all that you did for us.

Keep Calm and Keep Quiet

My mom always told me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say anything at all. In a nutshell, this explains my long absense from blogging. It's been a tough few months. Scrap that. It's been a tough year. In my head, in my office, in my car...where my most negative thoughts seem to take place! In fact, substitute the words love for work and sister for mother in the Katy Perry song "By the Grace of God" and you pretty much have my 2013 summarized.

And it's by the grace of God that I'm finally feeling like I'm in a better head-space. That and the fact that the light at the end of the tunnel (shutdown from work) is in 4 weeks (and counting!) I've been getting back into the routines that keep me sane: morning sermon podcasts, going to cell and church regularly, giving back to those less fortunate and stopping those pesty negative thoughts when they come into my head.

There is so much that has been happening that has allowed for self doubt to creep in, self confidence to be obliterated and it's been a constant struggle to balance it all. In every exciting situation, I find the stress, am unsure, second guess myself... And this hasn't gone away but I'm really trying to remember the positives, to be excited despite all the uncertainty. It's become even more clear to me that I hate not being in control, hate not knowing what the next months bring, hate not knowing where I'll be living in 3 months time.

But it's time to cease the day, live it, enjoy it, love every moment of it. Yes the stress will come, the uncertainty remains - but in trying to approach it in a more positive manner, hopefully good things will come and the self fulfilling prophesy wheel will spin with more good fortune than bad.

Keep Calm and Blog On

If this blog was my child, then it would well and truely be a delinquent by now with the amount of neglect I've inflicted on it! I went on leave for a week mid-June and basically haven't returned to blogging since. Here's a quick catch up of whats happened in the past month:

- Had a good friend visit from Australia with two of his mates and got to play tourist / tour guide for a little while in Cape Town, drank lots of wine and ate even more food, made new friends and watched him jump of Blaaukranz (with a bungy rope of course) 
- Drove home (about 13 hours), had some great family time with my family as well as my man's (have I mentioned that he has the cutest nieces and nephews of all time?!) then watched my beautiful cousin get married and drove back to the mountain (24 hours of driving happened in the space of 4 days!)
- Lots of change at work...new boss, new team dynamic, new projects...blah blah blah
- My oldest friend got engaged! Was so exciting to meet up with the happy couple for breakfast directly after he popped the question!
- Visited Franschhoek for my first ever Bastille Day - lots of fun
- Watched some rugby at Newlands (and plenty of it on the telly)
- Went on diet...more on this to follow in subsequent posts I'm sure
- Generally vegged out in this cold and gloomy weather

So now that I'm all caught up, I'm hoping to put the past "blog-free" month behind me and get back into the swing of things. I anticipate that I'm going to be needing the thereputic release that it provides me in the coming weeks ;-)

Extra special HAPPY FRIDAY

Whoo Hoo! It's Friday at last! Never before have I been so happy to see Friday - Why you ask? Let me list why:

- I've been looking forward to taking leave since I arrived back at work in January...it's been a rough year so far but it's good to be back in a good space and ready to take a break
- It's been a super busy week with lots going on at work and outside of work
- I'm going to my second cooking class at Chez Gourmet (the first was a Japanese Cooking class and this time I'll be learning all about the baking process - breads, roti's etc.) Can't wait - YUM!
- We're going home! Now that I'm not working in the EC as much, I'm really missing my monthly trips back home so it will be great to catch up with family over our short stay there
- I'm going to finally start watching the 3rd season of Downton Abbey. I left it over a month ago at a happy cliffhanger after the Christmas Special and can't wait to see what happens next
- There will be some lovely eating out taking place no doubt with friends bday celebrations and a few more days with friends visiting from Aus. It's great to be a tourist in your own city for a little while

Happy Youth Day for Sunday, Happy Friday for today :-)

There is no place like home

Although for the past (almost) 3 years Cape Town has well and truely been my home, there is something special about the place that you call home - especially when it's as unique as the Lower Albany area! In a little over a week (8 days to be exact #excitedmuch) we'll be making the long drive home for a couple of days in the good old Eastern Cape.

The 10 / 12 hours being couped up in a car with plenty of padkos (my mom taught me well), my man and our unique mix of music will well be worth it. We'll be cramming as much time possible with both of our families during our 2 and a bit days there. I'm also looking forward to great biltong, a Nanaga roosterbrood, the famous lime milkshake which is the saving grace of slumtown and the upright piano waiting for me at my parents house.

And then of course, there is the reason for the season - my little cuz is getting married and no one loves a wedding more than I do (even if it's another one to leapfrog me *winkwinknudgenudge*) No seriously, no one deserves a special day more than this special lady. I love and respect her enourmously and will no doubt need a couple of tissues to keep the tears at bay!