December Views #9

For me..the cherry on the cake @ the end of a gorgeous day!

Looks like a butterfly tree...

the leaves are shaped like butterflies.

For all of you wondering how...make it happen!

Xmas markets @ Cathedral...deliciously smelling!

Christmas shopping

Beautiful window display

Winchester Cathedral

View down our street

My sister-in-laws' funky happy shoes!

December Views #8.1

My favorite! Donkey wandering in the streets in Burley!

Driving through Burley in the New Forest,

where the cows and donkeys walk freely!

Bliss!!!

I tried to get as close as possible...wondering here...

what if she attacks! :-) Was hoping she would give my camera a

great, big lick..and I would have captured the love!

look at her big, sluppy tongue!

Cooke-doodle-doo!!!

Raindrops on flowers

December views #8

All my December view photos so far looks a bit 'dark'...was so excited last night to start these December views that I took most of them last night...was wondering around my house taking photographs of almost all my views! I loved it so!!! What a great idea, Darlene! Thank YOu!

My favorite view for today...M3...my husband!

I wake up every morning seeing this beautiful orchid

Our Christmas Tree...

Yodi alias 'Fish'...our pet turtle

This was given to me by 3 amazing women in my life when we moved countries...

the angel represents my mom, Daphne, the big girl, my other mom, Elnette,

the middle girl is me, and the little one is my godchild, Beth!

my drinking tea spot in the mornings...

1 mosquito...

2 mosquito...

3 mosquito hanging in our lounge...

Especially for Precious PixieDust...

I woke up this morning thinking of our precious friend...wondering how she is doing..if there is somone with her to hug her, comfort her, wipe her tears...or someone there with her to make her a cup of tea...someone with whom she can just be...without worries of judment...where tears can flow without taking deep breaths...where she can just be...

I came to sit down to write something to her, and by chance picked this book up...paging through I read the beautiful ABC's of Ayanla..and was wondering if all of you know your ABC's...I dedicate this to PixieDust....

Accept your goodness, your beauty, your value and your worth!

Believe in yourself!

Choose for yourself only those things that are good for you!

Discipline yourself to always do your best and to do it on time!

Excellence, not excess, is the key!

Faith and fearlessness fuel your dreams!

Greatness is the stuff you are made of; act like you know!

Honesty keeps you free of guilt and shame!

Intuition is the teaching from within; pay attention to what you feel!

Joy is what you feel when you love yourself first!

Knowledge is the key to freedom!

Love is what you are, not what you give or get!

Mistakes are lessons that you need to learn!

Never say never! New days bring new ideas and new beginnings!

Order is the law that puts you where you need to be - when you need to be there!

Plan prayerfully. Prepare purposefully. Pursue persistently!

Quiet time is necessary for a powerful mind!

Respect yourself and others will do the same!

Self is the most important thing you have to give!

Trust yourself and the process of life!

Unexpected doors are open!

Victory is the prize!

Wisdom is using what you have!

X-pect the BEST always!

You are the light of the World!

Zealously nurture, honor, and love yourself!

Precious friend~you are loved!!

xx

December views #7

I'm new to these Desember views, but absolutely love them. This was the bright idea of Darlene. I'm so excited to start doing this, but have to run. Have family here from South Africa and my hubbie just came home as well...so I have to go!!! But will be back later tonight!

xx

on the field behind our house...

View from our bedroom....cold!!! (taken 3 weeks ago)

Sun shining through the trees...beautiful!

Life is Beautiful!

Entrance to our home...Please come visit!

meme...

Inspired by Thea:

Have you taken any dance classes in the past year that you loved?

No...I'm too scared/shy/embarresed to dance in front of anybody..even my husband. I love dancing, and in my wildest dreams the music is playing loud in the background and I'm dancing my heart out! Wild, free, without any thoughts about other people watching...just dancing! Think I should do a class?! mmmmm.

What is your favorite tea and where do you get it?

I love Vanilla tea...yummie!

What is your favorite podcast? What do you love about it?

The truth...I don't know what it is? I have an idea...but still too new tecnology for me..will have to find out!

What food did you love when you were a kid, that when you eat it as an adult it brings you back-carries so much more than just the flavor-but memories. And would you share a recipe?

Rusks...my mom used to bake rusks...and every morning with our tea we would have them..with afternoon tea we would have another...it brings back memories of us sitting around the kitchen table sharing stories...laughing and sharing! The recipe is downstairs...and I will share later...anytime! It's delicious!!!

What was the last thing you bought yourself?

The last thing I bought myself...was about 30 different sizes and colors boxes to put all my things or I like the word 'stuff' in...I love them! you will love them!!! And I will post a photo as soon as they are sorted!

What color is your bedroom? Is it the nicest room in the house?

Our bedroom is white...with a purple orchid on the dark brown wooden furniture....nicest room...nearly!

Are you a better cook or baker?

Definitely a baker. I prefer not to cook...to many other things to do than to stand in front of the stove to cook...but I admire everyone with a passion for food and cooking...

What time do you go to bed usually and when do you wake up?

I usually go to bed between 11pm and 12 pm...which is actually too late..but I 'wake up' at around 9pm and then I get creative! Currently I wake up for work when the alarm goes off at 7am...but over weekends I wake up at around 10am....love snoozing! :-)

What sign are you? Do you know your rising and moon? When is your birthday?

I'm a Carpicorn....and therefore see so much of myself in Dancing Mermaid who is a Capricorn as well...don't know the rising and moon but will find out! My birthday is...everyday! :-)...I tend to joke that birthday's is a "Be-Me Day"...which have to be everyday?

What was the last thing you said no to that felt like you were taking good care of yourself?

My brother and his wife was arriving at the airport from SA and my husband was returning from Malaysia...I was suppose to pick them up from the airport in 5o'clock traffic...then I realised I had another class that evening (which I love!)...and then said no, organised car to pick them up and went to my class. It was a good feeling, because I was doing something that was important to me and I needed to attend the last class (which was fabulous!)

What is your happy place you go to in your mind when you need to close your eyes and take a moment for peace and calm?

I'm drifting on a big, white, soft cloud...up in the sky....with music playing around me...fairies...angels...children everywhere around me...hearing a waterfall in the distance...children laughing...where I am...

Name 5 silly things you'd like to try once...

1. Skydive

2. attend a circus school

3. belly dancing

4. be a puppeteer

5. acted as if I'm the worlds' famous artist...and just do it!

I tag anyone who is inspired to play on their own blogs. Just remember that the last question has to be one you've made up.

Questions answered!

I've Borrowed A Meme

I borrowed this meme from PixieDust..

do you own a gun? No

what do you think of hot dogs? love them...but not too much tomoto sause...and real sausages!

What do you prefer to drink in the morning? plain english tea...with milk...

Can you do push-ups? mmmm.....er....no.

What’s your favourite piece of jewellery? a diamont necklace my husband gave me for my birthday...although I don't like diamonty stings...his thoughts behind it was so honest and loving...and it reminds me of that morning when he declared his love to me again...and gave me the necklace...I love him so! (I would love to have all of Thea's beautiful jewelry! Must tell him! :-)

Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:- (1) what am I thinking????....(2) I miss my parents already and they just left yesterday....(3) what to do? what to do?

Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? water, tea, milk

What time did you wake up today? 09h30...(the priviledges of not having children yet...)..with the rain falling on the roof and the wind blowing through the trees...beautiful!

Current hate? negativity

Favourite place to be? right now...right here talking to all of you...in my mind...on the beach in Cape Town!

Least favourite place to be? sometimes in my mind...:0( oops!

Where would you like to go? I would love to travel the world...living in every country for a few months...experiencing all the different tastes, sounds, food, people, cultures...with my husband!

Do you own slippers? yes...I have 3 pairs..:-)

What shirt are you wearing? orange T-Shirt...feel happy!

Do you burn or tan? use to tan...but as from this year...and living in the UK...no tan required!

Favourite colour(s)?mine is orangeREdGreen but would love to adopt PixieDust's color...it is awesome! Redgreenorangeyellowblueharvestwintersummerspringautumn color

Would you be a pirate? Yes...but I would help those in need on the sea...and give the diamonds to the poor!

What is your favourite holiday? Christmas! Family time!

What songs do you sing in the shower? currently christmas songs....''call on the angels'' (this is the song we are teaching the reception year kiddies at school for the concert...fun!)

What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? I feared of falling into very deep holes!

What’s in your pockets right now? a note..."I am love".

Last thing that made you laugh? my mom...she is just so funny!

Best bed sheets as a child? blue and yellow flowers...

Worst injury you’ve ever had? cutting my finger with a butter knife! quite badly taking a midnight snack of banoffie pie...where as I had to be rushed to ER for sticthes...very funny

Are your parents still together? Yes...just celebrated their 35th Wedding anniversary...

Do you wish on shooting stars? every day...I just close my eyes...and wish!

What is your favourite book(s)? too many...but always going back to SARK! to smile...

What is your favourite candy? lollypops!

How is the weather outside right now? raining softly...the fire sizzling in the fire place...with the wind blowing lightly through the trees...

What was your first thought this morning when you woke up? i'm tired...i want to sleep some more!

Early Xmas...

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry 'early' Xmas!!!

We had an early Xmas last night with my family returning to Canada and South Africa today!

It felt like Xmas....

Celebrations were held in a feast of food....

Carefully hand-picked presents for each of us...

laughter!!!!

sweet memories!!!

Many photographs!!!

And overflowing with LOVE!

I so love my family!

My strong and silent Big Dad...

My funny and loving mommy...

My small-big hearted 'little' brother....

My inspiring sister-in-law...

My angel husband....

and I missed my sweet little sis...her husband and their little rascal!

I soooo love my family!

Merry 'early' Xmas!!!

frida...

Life is out there...

Dragonfruit from Vietnam

This magical beauty wrote yesterday about M A G I C ! And this gorgeous jewel wrote about 'choosing' J O Y ! These past few days I was wondering what? where? how? should I or not? Am I? Will I one day be? Questions...questions and questions...with no answers...then I read Mccabe's post about magic and it felt as if life was returning to every vessel of my body!

I've always choose to do something for someone...I LUVVVV it! It makes me appreciate life...and people...and when doing something for someone else, I love myself more.

I told my sister-in-law about my blog and in the same sentence of being lonely with no friends here. I also abrutly stopped doing anything for anybody as my family and some friends were always telling me how mad I was for going in such extremes of doing things for people I don't even know (which I love...and it's not BIG things...small...just to let you know things. They also said that I tend to do too much...and everybody don't like it? sigh...anyway, i've tried to change that, and with changing that...lock myself up in my home...reading blogs! :-) which is great! but not balanced? or contact with the outside world...) it just blows my mind...I've just realised that that is who I am. That is what makes me alive and happy....I should do what comes naturally to me and keep on being who I know I am!

anyway, my sister-in-law replied with a bright and happy smile...no more loneliness..you just write everything on your blog! And I hear her voice in the back of my head...all the time...so Liz, thank you!

After I've read Mccabe's invitation (you all have to read it!!!) I remembered all the little things I use to do for people...and I came back! Standing up from the past 9 months...and I cannot wait to start doing it! Oh...doing the magic...spreading the joy! For anyone...with anyone....which ever way I feel comfortable with! I'm so excited! Starting tonight with my brother and his wife.....sprinkling little hearts of magic into their bed...without them knowing...cannot wait...(then fear: my brother will say something negative!...but I don't care...my sister-in-law will love it!)

Choosing joy? Difficult? Sometimes very difficult. You want to choose the joy with everything in you, but it feels as if you get lost on your way to joy!? But these past 2 days was fantastic! It felt as if I was floating on a cloud...with all the imaginations of magic all around me...I'm smiling from ear to ear just thinking what the people's reaction are going to be...tonight I love life! I love magic! I love all of you reading...and even those who are not! Tonight...I love myself extremely much!!! And I have realised that there is a life out there...missing me!

Will you marry me...

My parents are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary with us in the UK from Canada. My dad flew my brother and my fabulous sister-in-law in from Cape Town, South Africa to surprise my mom, and above all this, he bought her 'another' wedding and engagement ring as hers has been stolen...and today he went down on one knee and ask her if she would marry him again...

My parents have had their ups and downs of life as any other couple...my dad supported my mom through 5 years of cancer, (and she's been healthy and 'alive' for 10 years now - hoorah!)...my mom supported my dad when he moved to Canada at the age of 58....and like any couple, raising 3 children (which are adults now)...is a tough and loving job.

We believe we have the most amazing and loving parents in the world...and today I want to honor them...but the sentence that I mostly treasure today is what my dad wrote in the card to my mom..."If I were to live my life over, I would marry you again".

1 Corinthians 13:13:

and now abide faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

my fantastic mom & dad

the newly 'engaged' couple...

my dad was so proud...

my mom 'fishing' for her ring...

my dad getting down on his knee asking my mom

to marry him again...

35th Wedding Anniversary

my mom, Daffie Duck (short for Daphne) and my dad,

Big Dad

My parents are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary today with us in England!

We celebrate their LOVE! PATIENCE! HUMOR! We celebrate them!

b r e a t h

Breathing in.....breathing out.....

Healing love...

Let's all send healing love to this gorgeous woman...

HEALING

Created by Darina S. Oct. 4, 2005

Healing is an amazing journey

Cure is a desired destination

Remissions are the craved vacations

Symptoms are the warning signs

Pain is an incredible teacher

Suffering is an option indeed

Hope is a needed companion

Faith is a great friend in need

Apathy is a doorway to depression

Anxiety is a forerunner to stress

Emptiness is a whisper for wholeness

Resistance is a call for acceptance

Frustration is a mask for anger

Denial is avoidance of honesty

Silence is indigestion of feelings

Numbness is intolerence for thoughts

Disease is a pure self-punishment

Self-pity is a hidden lack of self-love

Distress is a result of high expectations

Confusion is a sign of endless judgments

Courage is a risk worth taking

Intuition is a gift worth following

Forgiveness is the means to inner bliss

Gratitude is the beginning of wisdom

Openness is changing a victim mindset

Flexibility is trying over and over again

Strength is overcoming the fears and doubts

Growth is learning from the pains with joy

Health is a relative term and goal

Healing is a never-ending process

Wellness is the reward of the journey

Wellbeing is the experience of peace

Patience is a reliable test

Will is a powerful measure

Trust is never the question

Love is the ultimate answer

Silence

My family left this afternoon @ 2pm. It was a time of absolute abundance with many stories to be told, memories to bring up and love all weekend long! I felt spoilt. This morning my best friend, A and her husband A came along for breakfast and I felt as if I was flying above all the clouds...being spoilt with having people who love me just for who I am, and who I love, around me!

Then tonight, when the house was cleaned and all the evidence of family and loved ones packed away...in came the silence...and the mind starts jumping....like skipping with a rope, but getting your feet caught inbetween the rope with every jump. It's as if the whole world close down on you and it's only you and your mind...this is a place I don't like. In here I feel scared and lonely...I sent my friend a message telling her how I felt and she just replied with...'you ARE enough'...which opened the world again...but I find it difficult to be who I want to be every day.

I wonder in times like tonight why I'm scared to alone with myself - I use to love it. Think it has something to do with allowing the universe to talk and me receiving whatever it is giving to me..

I came across this website tonight which started 'stirring the mind'. At first it was all positive and energized emotion because I sometimes think this is what I want to do...then I think of my best friend and husband who would never in a million years do it...then I wonder am I suppose to 'not do it'...will I be able to do it is someone phone me now and say pls join us? Then I wonder what am I suppose to do!!! I think of this amazing brave women who are doing it and not waiting (like me) for 'things to happen'. I wonder so many times what made her decide to go, how did she pack up and left for Afghanistan and then I wonder what traits do you as a human being have to have to be able to work in extremely difficult conditions.

I think I'll just go and sit with 'silence' for a while...maybe if I sit long enough, and listen I'll receive an answer...good night!

xox

Family

my little sis, Sue, my dad - Big Dad, me &

my brother, William

me & my very courage mom, Daphne

my fabulous father-in-law, Dan, my hubbie M3,

lovely mom-in-law, Marion & Super Sister in law, Angel

me, my brother, William, Morgan & my sis Sue

(photo taken on Williams' wedding January 2007)

Sebastian

Mala

Gordon

My aunt, Truida and her husband, Heinz, are visiting me this weekend! While making breakfast this morning I just got the urge to show you all my 'family'. This is not yet everybody, but will post the others a bit later...(time limited today). I think I will take each of them and discuss their place in my life and what they mean to me...for today I will talk about Gordon, Mala & Sebastian..our dogs alias our children! M3 and I've been struggling for 7years to get pregnant...(not yet our time). After the 3rd ICSI (implant) we went to get some groceries and this little face above was there...I still told M3 we buy whichever puppy there is and take him/her home. Gordon was the lucky one (or we were the lucky ones?). He has filled a need and place in our lives which is difficult to explain...and there they are...our 3 beautiful dogs...each with their own personality.

Have to run..but will be back! Taking my family to an Art Festival in Winchester. Yummie!

Whispers...

"Did you know that whenever you whisper, "I'm sorry..." to someone quietly in your mind, someone over here sheds a tear and healing begins?

Did you know that whenever you whisper, "Can I help you..." to someone quietly in your mind, someone over here sheds a tear and an army of angels are sent?

And, did you know that whenever you whisper, "I love you..." to someone quietly in your mind, someone over here sheds a tear, healing begins, an army of angels are sent, and 10,000 bells are rung?

Actually, you even have your own marching band that follows you everywhere....

I love you,
The Universe"

I received this message just now from the UNIVERSE!

I've been surrounded by my own marching band today...and I only realised it now!

Sun shining through...

My sweet husband just got on a plane for Kuala Lumpur...I'm missing him already...

I thought I'd get up early (6am...no children....late sleepers!:-), to take some more photographs of the sun shining through the trees...but there is no sun today...just dark clouds...and the wind blowing through the trees...so here I am...thinking about the sun shining through each of us...??

Why are we scared to let our gaurd down and the sun out?

Why do we try to be perfect?

Since we've moved countries I've been "holding it all together" so that everybody thinks the sun is shining through..where in the meantime I'm missing EVERYTHING of my life back home...then I ask myself the question? Do I have the courage to change? And looking back on the past 8 months I would say absolutely YES!...but I'm not letting the sun through out of fear that I might not shine that bright.

Aha! I know what I must do? EMBRACE. Embrace every aspect of the change, of me, of my feelings, of the country...I have to embrace myself...and just let the sun shine!

Are you letting the sun through?

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a womanPhenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.

I say,It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.

I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a womanPhenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.

I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,'
Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

-Maya Angelou-