Gill's jottings

Time for some creativity

2012-01-25T12:31:00.000+02:00

I came over all weirdly restless at the beginning of the month. January sometimes does that to me - I think it's all the talk of new beginnings, out with the old, in with the new.... I start feeling like I should be doing something and I begin to obsessively look around for new things to do. It can get really annoying, ask my Jackie dog who follows me around as I open cupboards, tidy drawers,

Anniversary January 2012

2012-01-18T21:00:00.000+02:00

Having had such a wonderful time on the weekend of our wedding anniversary last year, Grant and I decided to continue the tradition this year and booked to spend last weekend at Bushlands Game Lodge, near Hluhluwe. We dropped Paula off at her second home (a.k.a her boy-friend Calvin's house in Empangeni) and set off on the last leg of our journey, arriving at Bushlands in the late afternoon.

My word for 2012: Grow

2012-01-02T21:26:00.000+02:00

In the past couple of years I've seen a lot of bloggers who have "Words" that they use as a theme for the year, or perhaps as a direction in which they hope to move in that year. Although I have always thought that is seemed a good idea, I have resisted the temptation to choose a word up to now as I know what I'm like..... give me a challenge of any sort and I will find a way to avoid it, to

2011...... the year that was

2011-12-29T12:21:00.000+02:00

I thought I would chronicle the stand-out events of 2011, not the hum-drum (and trust me, there was plenty of that!), but those things that defined the year for me. January: At the very beginning of January we decided to start Geocaching, it was one of the best decisions we have ever made as a family. We have had SO much fun geocaching this year! Grant took me away for the week-end of

The Wedding!

2011-12-01T16:52:00.000+02:00

My Roxy-girl is now Mrs Wilkins! The wedding went SO well. It was really everything Roxy dreamed of. We could honestly not have wished for a more perfect day. The weather was ideal, the venue was charming, Roxy looked breath-takingly beautiful, the groom was handsome and smiling, the bridesmaids looked lovely, the flower-girls and page-boy were edibly cute and took their duties so adorably

I miss you Mom

2011-11-21T11:46:00.000+02:00

It's been three years since my mom died. It feels so long ago. I've travelled quite a road since then! After she died I wondered if I would ever be able to remember her fondly again. At the time all I felt was..... nothing. I think the months, even years, before her death had sucked every identifiable feeling right out of me. I felt completely devoid of any emotion, except perhaps relief.

A week to go....

2011-11-20T15:07:00.000+02:00

Less than a week from today my Roxy-girl will be a married woman. How crazy is that thought?! I have such mixed feelings..... On the one hand I am so happy that she is happy, I'm so glad she has found a really decent guy, who clearly loves her to pieces, I am so excited for her and so proud of the lovely young woman she has become; On the other hand I can't help but feel that I am losing my

Our bride-to-be had a Kitchen Tea

2011-11-14T16:47:00.000+02:00

Who knew that the final few weeks before a wedding could fly by in the blink of an eye?! Seems like yesterday that the wedding was months away and now it is literally around the corner. On Saturday Roxy's fantabulous bridesmaids arranged a kitchen tea for her. These girls have been amazing! All I had to do was pay the bill and pitch up. Bliss :-) The tea was hosted at a local restaurant

About Pinterest

2011-10-18T16:57:00.000+02:00

I have found something fun and exciting on the “interwebs” that I thought I’d share. It’s called Pinterest. I know a lot of you have probably been there, done that and I am rather late coming to this particular party, but for those of you who haven’t here’s a little mini-tutorial. What’s it all about? Pinterest is a virtual pinboard, where you can collect and store interesting pictures and

Finding The Dress

2011-10-14T19:49:00.000+02:00

I can categorically state that finding The Dress for this mother-of-the-bride has been way more stressful and downright traumatic then acquiring the gown for the bride. Had I known what I was in for I would have hurriedly given Rox the money for the wedding of her dreams and persuaded her to elope forthwith. Sadly, that was not to be and as Rox was having none of my inspired suggestion that we

Tough guys do it in the dirt

2011-10-11T12:33:00.000+02:00

On Saturday morning Rox, Paula and I were having a very relaxed morning, the 3 of us were tucked up in my bed, drinking coffee and eating rusks, when the gate bell rang and there was Grant's friend, Mark, and Grant, looking very pale and bloodied, minus his mountain bike..... not good! He'd come off his bike going down hill at about 45km per hour. What baffles me is that the crazy man then got

My not-so-baby girl is getting married.

2011-10-04T10:16:00.000+02:00

It dawned on me yesterday that Rox is getting married next month! How scary is that?! I get butterflies in my tummy just thinking of it. The wedding is going to be beautiful. Rox and Jono have organised everything entirely on their own and I couldn't be more proud of them. They have spent hours planning, organising, sussing out venues and suppliers, poring over guest lists and menus and

One Day = Epic Fail

2011-09-29T06:34:00.000+02:00

Let's face it, the world we live in is chock-a-block full of violence, crime, insincerity, economic uncertainty, sexual perversion, murder, rape, sadness, illness, death, carnage on the roads..... the list goes on and on. I get to live in an area that has all of the above, and more, in the worst possible way. Makes for a rather stressful and somewhat depressing existence to be frank. When I go

The New Facebook

2011-09-28T17:04:00.000+02:00

I got the new facebook! Thought those of you who haven't got it yet might want to see what it looks like, so here it is: I've cut off the news feed on the right to protect the privacy of my friends If you want to get it for yourself, this is the link you need to follow.

Chick-pea Curry

2011-09-26T16:30:00.000+02:00

I have to confess that my slow-cooker has languished in the top of my kitchen cupboard for a couple of years - I just never got around to finding any recipes to use in it. Then, Paula and I became "semi-vegetarian" and I went on the hunt for veggie recipes and came across this one - it took me a couple of years, but finally I hauled out the slow-cooker a couple of weeks back and tried it. I

Gotta love this man!

2011-09-18T07:35:00.000+02:00

I'll be honest, when Grant and I started dating it wasn't his intellect I was attracted to, it wasn't his kind-nature, or his generosity of spirit, it was ..... his butt! He had a mighty fine butt. He may be a bit on the plump side nowdays, with a few more wrinkles and a lot less hair, but he still has a very satisfactory bottom. (Just in case you were wondering.) However, if you had to ask

It's been a long week

2011-08-19T09:39:00.000+02:00

It's weird how one day can set the tone for a whole week. In fact, one hour set the tone for my week, this week. Witness Monday morning between 07:30am and 08:30am: Once the family had left for their respective places of work I savoured the peace and quiet for about 30 seconds and then stepped into the shower. Now bear in mind it was a cooooold morning... I reach for the soap and discover

For heaven's sake..... it's called DISCIPLINE..... do it!!

2011-08-17T19:50:00.000+02:00

What is it with people that they can't discipline their kids? Seriously, I am sick to death of having to put up with other people's undisciplined brats. Can you hear I'm in a bit of a frothy? Well I am! It seems like we have come face to face with one too many spawn of the devil of late and I'm SO over it! Remember this little shit vile child? At first I thought he was a baby and was

The post where I get all sickly sweet....

2011-08-12T19:36:00.000+02:00

Sorry in advance if this post makes you want to gag...... BUT I need to do this. I need to sit back, take a moment and count my blessings. Today I just feel so lucky, and heaven knows, I'm quick to jump on here and spill my guts when I'm angry, or miserable, so why not when I'm happy?! So.... let me share my happiness with you: The very best days are the days when Grant comes to work with me.

Losing my religion

2011-08-06T17:18:00.000+02:00

I am clearly a very torn person. I have had a rather major fall-out with the church as a whole and my church (Anglican) in particular and yet my music of choice while travelling this week has been a Hillsong CD. The thing is, it pains me to admit it, but there is quite a lot I miss about being a church-goer. Music first and foremost. I love the music at church, really I do. Hence, my need

Oh no!

2011-08-04T08:51:00.000+02:00

I am not a morning person. Not at all. I get up in the morning at 06:15, drag my ancient old tracksuit over my protesting limbs and I skulk around the house until 07:30am. Yes, this unfortunately means that the image my nearest and dearest carry around in their heads all day is of me, skulking, in my bed-head hair and my ancient tracksuit. Not exactly a vision of loveliness, but there you

Ooh la la... it's fun in my house!

2011-07-30T14:18:00.000+02:00

So both my daughters left yesterday to visit their darlings for the weekend. Ooh la la! Grant and I are home alone! The plan was .... a little dinner a deux, a little romance, a little relaxation.... Let me tell you how it went down: We arrived at our chosen restaurant, only to be told that the only table they had for us was right in the passage, next to the ticket office for the movies....

While on the subject of insults...

2011-07-29T10:52:00.000+02:00

Following on from my previous post.... Having spent much time last night pondering my Elderly Family Member and what gives her the right to throw insults around, I realised that in reality it's not only Elderly Famly Member that flings insults around, it's my family members in general! The more I thought about it the more I realised that to survive in this family you have to have a skin as

Helllloooo Fat Face

2011-07-28T20:28:00.000+02:00

I can't wait to be over 70... you know that age, when you don't give a #%* what you say to anyone.... I've just had the following conversation with an elderly relative: Aged one: I'm glad to see you've lost some weight since you got back from holiday! Me: Um, actually I've gained .5kgs since I got back, in fact I lost 2.5kgs on holiday Aged one: Funny, because your face looked really

Messing about on the blog....

2011-06-10T17:49:00.000+02:00

I've spent some time this afternoon messing about on this little corner of cyberspace that I call my own, and I have to say I'm feeling the love - maybe, just maybe, I'll be reviving this little ol' blog of mine...