Memories of 2009 on Sues journey

I have been thinking of moments that I have encountered during this past year. Here is a listing of what comes to mind in no particular order. As things come back to me I will be updating this list so keep coming back to have a peep....


*New Years eve spent with mum (What a blessing to have her with me again seeing another year in)
*My swim in the lake in Bettys Bay. I clearly remember while swimming making the decision to do the Midmar mile and it was during that swim that I mind mapped my intentions for 2009 and now when I look back I am smiling. I have achieved or touched on all that I wanted for myself.
*Midmar mile

*A ride in Aroons Chev with my brothers
*Experiencing a traumatic evacuation from our home due to fires on the mountain

*Long street expeditions
*Many hikes in the Cape

*Almost 2 months of up-routing my life and being in a state of uncertainty while trying to gain more independence. Yes this was not the fondest memory but I took only the good out of this experience.
*Special moments and moments of truth with mum during her April holiday
*Hosted Stephen and Xavier for breakfast
*Moving into my abode on my own (LOVING IT)
*My bookclub nights
*Biggest Loser challenge and the Biggest Loser Finale weekend (Having Aroon here and all the activities we got up to was priceless) I won the challenge and reached my goal.
*Many special Biscuit Mill trips with friends and family


*A 2 week holiday in Durban(watched a few soccer matches where Aziz played brilliantly,special moments with friends,my birthday tea party,having Adhil there was a bonus


*Kirtis fun dress up 18th birthday party

*Meerlust wine and dine evening with Adhil,Ilana and Chantel
*Channies 30th birthday celebration @ Caveau-Newlands
*Britte spending a day with me while visiting from LON
*A fun ride in Anus' dream car
*Tatum spending a weekend with me in CPT

*Spending time with playa
*Dinner cooked by Tatum for Cashel,Yas and I
*Dinner with Zac and Pooh at my place
*Meenas 30th birthday(What fun thinking of ideas for her gifts)
*Top billing and dinner nights with Pooh @ her place
*Adrians engagement party
*More to Life weekend (WOOHOO!!!!!) Life changing-I got my sleep back and lots of other things too!!!!!
*Yasmins 21st birthday surprise dinner
*A week at the Westcliff for work-got to spend good QT and lots of special moments with Zsa and family-bonus that my mama dearest was there
*Halloween with the Berrisfords and connecting with my JHB friends

*A few days of absolute QT with Aroon (this was an amazing few special days-I cant explain it)

*A special much needed catch up with Meena @ Quarters
*GHD photo shoot-thanks to Yas
*Watching Cats and the fun of having Yas dressed up


*Receiving a pink stone from Aziz sent with Mum
*Starting a new gym challenge
*News that Lana is expecting a little baba
*News that Tatum got engaged (28/12)
*Commiting to doing two miles @ Midmar AND signing up for a triathalon in Durbs which is next month

Cats came out to play

I had yet another beautiful weekend! It was well balanced with spending time with different circles of friends and a good amount of time with family. On Saturday morning I went to one of my fave Saturday morning spots "The Biscuit Mill" where I was very good this time and only had the fruit salad,a coffee and a strawberry mule.I think mum gave the Biscuit Mill good business as in the last 15 minutes there mum managed to fill up her green P&P carrier bag with enough to go for a picnic somewhere. It was so good to see mum relaxing and enjoying herself pottering around the stalls and sampling goodies. That evening we went to the long awaited performance of "Cats". Whenever I hear of this production I think of a girl by the name of Simone back in drama class in school who had watched this production in London and didn't stop going on about it and since then I have always wanted to watch it. Aside from the excitement that I was at long last going to watch Cats I was so thrilled as this was also Yasmins' 21st birthday suprise. Poor girl has been waiting patiently since October for this suprise and it sure was worth the wait. I went to Tinka Tonka toys(my fave toy and dress up shop in Gardens) and got some cat costume stuff and I got her a pink cupcake from the BM for her in-flight meal. Yas was clueless as to where we were going. I dressed her up in the car and she was not allowed to look at herself in the mirrors. It was great fun and even when we got to the Artscape she had no clue of what show we could be watching.Yas was such a sport and wore her cat ears and bow tie into the show. Cats was entertaining however to be honest I created too much of a hype in my mind and I expected more of a lively show. The stage set was great-the dancing was great-interaction with the crowd was amazing and all in all as I say entertaining.
On Sunday night Dills and I got to have mum accompany us on our Sunday night date to the movies.We watched "The visitor" and ate of course at Anat as we do on a Sunday night. I was naughty and indulged in a few indulged in a few fries. HEEHEE I have reviewed the movie on my other blog.
Lastly I must tell you that I have my first underwater watch!!!! Dills brought it for me as a Xmas pressie. I am so thrilled with it as of course you know I am training for the Midmar Mile in Feb 2010 and I am doing two events. I am aiming to shave off 3-4 minutes off my last time. I know I can do it!!!!! I am giving my watch a test run tonight-woohoo!!!!! Guess what colour is it????Wait for it.......PINK!!!!!!!!!!! Can you imagine my excitement. YES I AM ADDICTED TO PINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pink gem

What a special gift!

Mum arrived on Sunday night and I got to see her on Monday night. Yes it was strange for me not picking her up from the airport-I was at the Killers concert in Paarl. On Monday night I got to pop in to see mum. She is looking oh so good. Mum presented me with a pink stone all the way from Durban from my dearest nephew Aziz!!!!! I was so thrilled. Apparently he came to her saying he found it in the garden and it was from America and he gave mum one and asked her to please bring me one. How fitting that it was pink. I now keep it in my handbag to remind me of him.It was really such a touching moment and I called him yesterday to thank him and the cutie pie said "Youre welcome." AAAAHHH!

Farewell to a beautiful young lady

Yesterday was the funeral of our dear friend "Someshni."
I went through waves of emotion prior to the funeral and I was so grateful to have lunch with Adhil just before heading to the funeral as this kept my emotions at bay. The small intimate funeral was a beautiful send off and I felt there was this magic in the air despite it being a difficult time for all emotionally. Nersan (Someshni's husband) managed to stand up and say a few words as this was Someshni's wish and the courage and the strength he had was truly amazing. He said in his speech that he learnt so much about strength from her in these past few months and I think we all sat there agreeing that Someshni soldiered on despite her pain and was strong in her being for those around her. Someshni has come to rest at a very young age and I am absolutely thankful that our journeys crossed and we got to share some of lifes experiences together.

"The glamorous...glamorous"

Yasmin has won many fab competitions this year and then to top it off wins a GHD makeover for her and four friends!!!! AND....I was invited. I rushed out of work yesterday to change and dash to the studio in Woodstock with Yasmin. I wore a yellow dress given to me by Tatum and Yas looked oh so funky and flirty as usual. On arrival we were offered vitamin water complimentary as well as a choice of bubbly. When we stepped into the studio it looked amazing. A make up station on the left with make up from "Benefits" stocked by Woolies. I love the range. (www.benefits.com) What a fun girly range. We took a seat on a white couch with canapes in-front of us.(Namely mini bagels with salmon,assorted Lindt choc balls and other little yummy canapes) I was taken to make-up first and the rest of the ladies went to have their hair done. The lady doing my make up was very enthusiastic and wanted to make sure I am enjoying the experience. I was most impressed as they are contracted for two afternoons to do face after face and I guess they do at some point stop engaging with their "model" if I can call it that in this case. LOL When my make up was done I went over to the hair station and the rest had their make up done. Their hair looked glamorous. I initially was tempted to have curls put in to make me a "Curly Sue" but then I was nervous that my face would look rounder so opted for my hair to be flicked out. To my surprise they gave me a GHD goodie bag with two full size products and how can I forget to mention that while doing my hair I couldn't help but notice the range of GHD's around me at the hair stations! All sorts of colours. I still love my fuchsia colored one though.
Once the ladies make up were done we went to check out the stylists table of fun accessories and the fun began. We were allowed a limitless amount of pics and we were given a remote where we operated the camera when ready. There was a huge mirror infront of us so we could see how we posing and then the image came up after the "click" on a screen to our right. ABSOLUTE FUN and I thought what a great idea for a party of sorts.

Unknown number

I absolutely avoid private or unknown numbers on my mobile these days due to there are far too many people wanting to sell you something. As soon as you answer you can hear the din of the call centre behind you and then the person says in the most rehearsed voice "Good day mam how are you today?" By now I have heard enough. That person is really not keen on hearing how I am and is anxious to get to the next thing on the script. I often say that I am at work and ask them to please call me after 6pm to which they usually get so gobsmacked as their shift ends at five. Mind you I have had some call me back after 6pm as a follow through. Here is how todays went as I was a little bored(dont tell my mum I used that word-oops mum you might be reading this)

Me: Hello

Call centre: Hello mam its Kaveshni from Cell C calling

Me:I am at work at the moment-please can you call me back after 6pm

Call centre: Can I call you at 5pm?

Me:I am working till 6pm so 5pm will not be suitable

Call centre: What time can I call you tomorrow-what is most suitable?

Me: After 6pm daily however if you are selling something I am not interested(said in a sweet tone)

Call Centre: But mam I am going to be selling you a package on a better call rate ("Greater call rates"-made me think of that line from the Indian Xmas jingle on You tube) What is your name?

Me: You should know my name as you called me

Call centre: Mam your number is selected from a system and no names are available
(I was thinking "I am way more than a number" LOL)

Me: I am so sorry but I wont be taking the package

Call centre: Okay thank you

I feel really bad that these people have people putting the phone down on them and getting irritated are trying their absolute best and this is their means of making a living but come on receiving these calls gets a bit much when you have so many providers calling you.

This is actually a banana and not a pawpaw

Yesterday I popped in at Checkers in Kloof street during my lunch break and as usual I selected my fruit and went to gone have the items weighed. As I approached the gent weighing the fruit and sticking his labels on the bags I saw a customer smiling to herself and then I clicked why. The gent who was weighing the fruit who has been working there for many years always has the same joke up his sleeve when weighing your items. I was so thrilled to see how this gent was making this girl giggle and smile. When you place an item on his scale eg: a banana he would look at it and say out loudly "What is this-this is a pawpaw". He would always call out the incorrect name of item deliberately to make you smile or react. He does this every day with all his customers to add some excitement to his day and even though I have encountered this many times with him I always amuse him and beat him to it where I place the fruit on the scale and call out the incorrect item which makes him smile.
I can only imagine how monotonous his job must be unpacking and packing fruit daily however he chooses to make it fun and make a difference to his day. We can all draw inspiration from him in some way.

Our journeys crossing each others paths

I had such a great evening at the More to Life mastery classes on Wednesday night and was most delighted when "Gill" arrived. Gill is about 70 years old and has a daughter my age. She and I had an instant connection over the weekend of the More to Life course and both giggled to one another as we both discovered a positive outlook to life in each other and drew inspiration from one another despite the lifeshocks we encountered and didnt play the victim. When I arrived for the 2nd lesson of the MTL mastery classes I looked out for Gill who didnt attend and I thought well maybe she didnt sign up for the classes however a few moments later there she arrived and I was so excited. Seems she attended the first class when I was in JHB and she couldnt make the second class which was my first. She really touched my heart as she said that she has been thinking of me so much since the course and was inspired to have met a young person who had such a zest and positive outlook on life and in turn I had thought this lady is getting older and older and typically the older generation tend to get bitter with life and she having lost her hubby this year in a most unpleasant event was just so positive with life.

The very next day I had to gone meet a guest at work to discuss possible rates for next year. I went through to meet the guest who I sat with in the lounge. As we approached the lounge we both took a moment to admire the beauty of the sunshine and the flowers through the doorway leading out to the gardens. We both had a deep sense of appreciation for that view. We proceeded to sit down and there was this instant connection. This gents manner and being was amazing and before you know it I found out that he is a professional life coach and writer who is about to go back to London where his third book will be published. He is also a professional photographer and captures infrared images. Next thing you know he brought me a book from his room and wrote a note in it to me and he said we were meant to meet and presented to me as a gift.It was such an overwhelming experience and I was so moved.
The book has such beautiful photos and captions written by him. His name is Andrew Machon-google him and check out his books!

Isnt it funny how our journeys cross paths in life which bring about these special moments.....There are so many human beings in this world and we walk past each other as complete strangers daily-who knows if those people could bring something into your life however I feel the universe directs certain people to you.

Sue has completely arrived

Well well well......I have done this great course last weekend called "More to Life" and I was pleased to see that there were alot of things that I practice in my life already.Life is sure beautiful and life is live so you got to make every moment count. This past weekend was super special for me having moments with my sister and her family and my dear mum over Haloween prep and dress up. I had such memorable kodak moments and also this evening over dinner. Those cute smiles that Zara and Xavier give me and the way they jump all over me....priceless.
The week at work here in beautiful surroundings are breath-taking and the jacarandas add splashes of purple to the view. Its as if these blobs of purple dropped out of the sky. Wish I could write more but off to my room now to catch up with my dear friend Meena over the phone and mentally prepare for tomorrow.

A wrist watch

Gee-just reading through some of my posts and I need to work on my writing a tad.
I write very long sentences not placing in the appropriate grammar hence some of the sentences don’t make sense! This I find bizarre as I am so quick to correct others in their style of writing. ANYHOO-I was just thinking isnt is amazing that when one does not wear a watch for the day you feel an extra sense of relaxation. One gets so used to glaring at your wrist every now and then and this of course adds on the pressure to your day to get things done. I recently had my battery die in my watch that I wear to work(yes I have a week day watch and my weekend range ;) ) and I had to manage a week without a watch on at work. I have memories of this happening before and I couldn’t beare a day without a watch feeling so lost. It seems at this time in my life it was more of a positive while at work as I felt I still got my stuff done but not feeling as pressured. Yes I do have the time on my pc and the wall clock in the office but somehow this wrist watch can have such an influence on your day. How do you feel about this?

Persistence in positive thinking in believing in what I want

Well I have been concentrating and persisting at mastering the art of living in the moment and for the day and embrassing what this life has to offer. Of course with the help of reading quotes and snippets of Robin Sharmas' books it aids me along.
This past week I have had some awesome moments of reaping the benefits of lots of positive thoughts in the morning as I drive to work and I have been talking to myself(no I aint crazy) telling myself what I want to achieve from my day. This week seemed so magical AND my director called me in with two snippets of fantastic news to do with me in the workplace. Patience and hope I feel really pays at times.

Last week I had a really special and peaceful time in Mossel Bay at my aunty Maryannes. We had lots of deep conversations and discovered alot about each other. It was so good to see that my aunt has retired and is spending her time in a beautiful place which she deserves. I had such an amazing time watching sunrises,walks on the beach,watched the cooking channels,watched other sorts of fun programmes and got to read my book AND got spoilt with my aunts good food.

I am so thrilled so see my mum in such a beautiful place right now-she is beaming and is a totally different person since the good news re her health and she is loving her time spent in JHB.She also got to spend a weekend of QT with Aroon and Zsa and it seemed to be good for each of their souls. I so wish I could be there for Adam and Zaras bday celebrations this year but I am afraid it wont happen but I am going to strive for planning for next year. My nephews and niece are growing up so beautifully and I cant wait till we next meet.

Another beautiful weekend

Well I sit here and can feel I over indulged this week on the eating!!!! Oh well got to be strict on myself this week BUT ok ok I have to indulge at the fine dining dinner on wed night. ;) On friday night I got to go to fashion week on the spur of the moment and got to scout out some smodels and some local celebs. Saturday I spent with my boet and good friends at a braai which took us till our next invite at Maheshs place for games and pizza. A lovly fulfilling day yet again. Today I gymed(did a yoga class after a while) and a small burst of cardio. Spent the day watching "Valkyrie" and had a good nap and now am on my way to "dinner and a movie' with my boet. Yippeee!

A posting on the incorrect blog from the 1st Aug

I dont get to check my mail often or log onto the internet but just want to say all is well and I am doing fine. Mum has a few things creeping up here and there with her health which is rather concerning but I am coping with it better than I thought and I guess its because we have such a great support system going with a good driver to the finances etc. (Thanks Zsa) Been out shopping for groceries for bookclub for this week so am pooped as I was up at 6am-dont know why!!!!! Going home to hang washing now and chill. Cant wait! (Seems I posted this onto the other one in error)

Another beautiful weekend in Cape Town

This awesome feeling carried through this weekend as well! Is it the vitamins,my little bit of gyming(cant be as I have slacked this week)or is it my new aproach this week of making an effort more so of living in the now and being more conscious of speaking my mind and spreading Sues love out there to those that matter??Well whatever it is lets hope it lasts long. I somehow feel like I have these new eyes-weird but true. I have always been one to be positive,cherish my loved ones,set goals and all of that but more so this week I have had this injection of all these things again. LOVING IT! My gratitude journal is going well and I have found it has been awesome at the end of the day to sit in bed and reflect on all that one was grateful for during that day and by doing this I think more its in my face and a reminder that one must cherish these lifes pleasures. This weekend was well balanced with spending time with friends,baking,a bit of gyming,me time over a coffee watching the passing scene in Kloof street and today a bit of cooking. It was awesome to cook up some breakies and be creative with my dish and share this with my boet. Pure bliss! We finished off with a movie today and this evening we have a siblings conference call. Fingers crossed that all goes well ;).

What a beautiful weekend

I had that feeling after a long time re-surface in me where I had constant company and I am not sure if its a feeling of security or what it is?? How does one describe it? Anyhoo it was total fun and being at ease with a good friend.My long weekend kicked off with hosting bookclub on thursday night. A successful night of chicken pasta,farmhouse brownies and good company and wine. We finished off real late as we spent a lot of time chatting and chatting and then reviewing more books than usual as some had not been the month before so reviewed more than the usual amount of books.My very good friend Tatum arrived the next morning and so our girly weekend began. A weekend of pure decadence and indulgence in wining and dining. Wow what a time we had and sealed it off with some pampering at the Librisa Spa. It was so good to have a girlfriend spend some time with me-I really miss it. We chatted and chatted and chatted and with Tatum we talk a lot about the meaning of life and reflect and share a lot about our lives. Today Adhil has come back from 5 weeks away and it was awesome to suprise pick him up at the airport and then have some lunch and a catch up with him and his buddies. My LONG weekend is drawing to an end.....oh well.....I have had a lot to jot down in my gratitude journal which I started this week. I intend to each night jot down 3 points that I was grateful for during the day.

2 weeks in

Well it sure has been 2 weeks in my place and it is slowly starting to feel like my home. I have been enjoying it. I have learnt that I aint always going to have energy to do that hand washing on a week day night so best I start saving incentive points!!! Its not all that bad though as its mainly my uniform and weekend clothes but I tell its the towels that take it out of you but I look at it as an added calorie burner! LOL This last week has been great with a bit of yoga,gym and I had a friend over for dinner. I am also learning how much to buy for one or two when cooking but seems you cant totally avoid waste.I was so thrilled to hear that at last Aroon and Adhil got to see Zsas' place and she had then over for yummy croissants and breakies. I SO wish I was there. You know how much I love family time which reminds me I have not heard from both my boets too much for a while now. A few words here and there with Dills but I miss having him around. Anyway hoping to hear from them soon. Glad Zsa and family are in Durbs who I have been in touch with. Mum must have having a good time spending time with her kiddies and grand children. So relieved that mums flu is on its way out! I was starting to really worry. Anyway a new week awaits me....time to go home now after that amazing ashtanga class and cook a stir fry with my left over veggies.Thinking of watching "Frieda" Or "Amelie"(for the 7th time or something silly) now.

Sue in the city more pics

Sue in the City

Well I am all settled in and have spent two nights in my new place. The first night as anticipated I hardly slept getting used to the new noises and to top it off I left my ear plugs at Highcape. Last night I slept solid and got up with a smile on my face as I didnt have to rush off to work. I made my may to the gym at the Lifestyle centre in the building and almost stumbled when I saw the amazing veiw of the city bowl and the harbour and city from the gym. It was beautiful. I cycled for a while and did some other exercises. I then did some handwashing(I forgot how tiring it can be) and then headed to the city centre to experience the neighbourhood and check out where Game is. It was an interesting meander through the streets and I thought let me treat myself to a coffee at Josephines only to find out that they had moved this weekend! I settled for a coffee shop called "Bread,Milk and Honey" where I noticed some familiar biscuits that I have seen for sale at the Bicuit Mill. Nice little vibe going there. I sat and watched the monday morning crowd and felt so good and at ease thinking I dont really have to rush anywhere. It does feel good to have my own place and it feels different but it is also nice to know that my crazy boet is up the road and Yas is around the cnr. I dont think its going to be too much of an adjustment living on my own as Adhil travelled alot while I was living with him for just over 5 years. I do enjoy time alone and being able to do my own thing. I guess I should enjoy for now as you never know how much closer my Prince Charming is to finding me ;). I aint in no rush so please dont take that sentence in the incorrect context. I am feeling so positive and proud that I finally have stood on both my feet and have my "big girl panties" securely on;)

An exciting adventure begins...

So I picked up the keys to the apartment I am moving into today and it was nice to have Dills with me to come scout out the place and the area. It felt oh so right once again going in there for the second time. I feel that I have really made the right choice and I cant wait to explore the city on foot. I am so excited that the "Book Lounge" is in walking distance,there is a coffee shop at the entrance to my place(with wireless-yippee)and Yas lives around the corner. I am going to miss the sunrises,sunsets and living with my boet at Highcape but its time to start new adventures and look at other beautiful sites. I am going to take it real easy moving into this place as I think I have moved a bit too much in a little space of time so for my sanity I think this is a wise move;). I have my buddies coming through tomorrow to help me move the bulk of my stuff and then the bed etc next weekend and Saturday next week should be my first night in the new place. I am off this wednesday so looking forward to unpacking a bit and making my place homely.
Keep an eye out for pics soon. Is anyone still reading my blogs??????

Back home in CPT

Well it was an interesting holiday this time around. I got to spend some decent time with everyone and got some insight into how mum is really doing right now. It was tense at times ironing out her transition and re-assuring her that all will be fine and that we do understand how she feels. On this holiday things did get a bit much where I couldnt handle listening to mums frustrations any longer and I think what makes it more stressful for me is that in the back of my mind I keep thinking this of course is not the way we wanted mums life to turn out and now she is going through all of this and one cannot undo it. We had it out a bit here and there and this is of course not what I want. I want only for her to be at ease and as comfortable as possible right now however she herself is finding her feet and routine after retiring full time. It was heart breaking to have mum give me some crockery to bring back to CPT now-I know that she is only thinking ahead and giving away her sentimental stuff now as we dont go to Dbn often however I could not help feeling a little down when mum was telling me about the crockery pieces and parting with it. Aside from the frustrations I did get to spend some family time with Aroon and family despite the busy weekends and I got to spend time with my friends who I miss dearly. I dont have these type of friends in CPT so when in Durbs I have to fill my soul with these special moments. I managed to host an afternoon tea with my glfs for my bday which was something special as well on this trip. How I miss the girly time! Keep an eye out for some pics that I will post soon.

Durbs....good ol Durbs......

I am blogging this morning sitting in Durbs at Aroon and Heidi.Boeta Dills gave me a lift to the airport-had fun yesterday morning as Dills made me laugh as as him and I say "lorf". All in all I had a good flight-I am getting slightly better with managing my nerves. I was not as anxious as I usually get and the flight was beautiful and smooth. The man sitting next to me did mutter something about the plane not sounding too healthly before we hit the runway but I blocked it out when the noise subsided. I listened to the rest of "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama and narated by him and the last part looks at his family life. He also had his challenges ;) I was met at the airport by Aroon(Mr.Incredible) and mum and Aziz. We did a bit of pottering @ Windermere cnt and then......stopped for bunnies at Brittania. I didnt expect to have the bunnies on day 1 so this was a bonus. :) We sat together and "crushed it" at home and settled in for the afternoon. It was a good relaxing evening watching the cricket and chilling together. I have decided that this trip I am going to take step by step and not make it so jam packed that I go home feeling like I need a holiday-well lets see how it turns out. I am glad I am going to be with mum for this birthday-one just never knows what the next year holds so when I can I would like to spend as much time with her.

Another new chapter opens

So I guess the wanting to move out and find my own TWO feet and not live with boet and give him his space fell flat BUT was a great experience for me and guess what......I didnt allow the wheels to fall off my bike. I kept riding. I look at the 2 months as a learning experience and I didnt walk away without any gain. I think I grew up a little more and I got to spend time with Toby. It taught me more discipline and commitment to a degree and while I looked after Toby I truly felt this was a bit of insight for me as to when one has a kid! At times I felt like my life was not mine anymore and everything I did was focused around his eating plans etc. I embrassed the change in my life and I got to spend more time with Mariette walking the dogs in the morning and in the afternoons AND I discovered a beautiful walk in on my doorstep that I would not have discovered if I didnt have a dog to walk with Mariette. Moving back to Adhil was not as stressful as I thought as I had such a great group of friends who helped however this moving can be a little unsettling to a degree. The good news is I found a stunning 1 bedroom place in Roeland street. I move in there towards the end of June. I am so excited as it is a place I had envisioned and its just the location I wanted. I now get to start building up my very own collection of household goods-I know it will take a while to build up but its worth it. I feel like a great new chapter of my life is about to begin and it all starts now with me going on leave tomorrow to Durbs where I get to celebrate with 29th bday with my mama dearest and family.

Honesty is the best policy

I am sitting and wondering at this hour.....are we always honest with one another-friends,family,collegues?? When it comes to things that you wish you could tell or ask one but then you always guard yourself from possibly facing the truth or guarding another persons feelings as you are unsure if all will turn out well or not.
In my opinion us humans guard each other and live with much not known as we would rather live in a fantasy world.

The anxiety one feels waiting....

So today I took a half day to take mum to get her bloods done and have a check up with the oncologist. Sitting in the waiting room mum took out a book to read and I guess this was to distract her thoughts. I noticed mums right hand shaking on the page and I asked her if she is ok-she didnt look at me but said "I am worried about what this doctor is going to say." My heart sank thinking all this time mum put on such a brave front and now here she is nervous. I felt helpless but so glad I could be there with her. We after a long wait as you do in a doctors room met Dr. Davids. He was pleasant and had a calming aura around him. Mum seemed fine and after a check up on the chest mum and I were all smiles to hear the doc say "Your chest sounds remarkably good!" Mum was so thrilled and repeated to me what he had just said. We then had the bloods taken and of course the anxiety still lingered as one still has to wait on the phone call to say that the blood count is all good and mum can come in for her scheduled chemo. The chemo suite where mum had the bloods taken was not as smart as Dbn or others mum has been to but of course it was pleasant in appearance. I could not help it but I kept glancing at this young boy sitting there with his mother and sister it seems and a family friend who had brought him easter eggs. This boy looked about my age and I could not help but think how long has he been having treatment and how much longer will he live. Mum and then went to the Pick and Pay and stopped at the Nandos for a little bite. I was exhausted by this time due to a rocky nights sleep. I dashed out to the gym and could not help but think the whole time that I only hope to get home to good news that the chemo is on track and to my relief it is.

Settling in

Well my settling into the new place is taking shape nicely. Still working out things here and there but each day its getting better. Learning to bond and consider Toby has been interesting as one has to now shift your pattern of thinking of you and you alone. I really feel as much as this takes from me to adjust in the bigger picture it is teaching me to be more responsible as well as I am conquering my underlying fear of dogs. We doing well so far-I feel more so under pressure at times as toby is a Lab and Labs needs lots of TLC. Yesterday I did so well and walked him on the morning route on my own as well as took him to De Waal park on my own. (pat on the back for me ;) ) Mum arrived on Friday night in high spirits-very high spirits I should actually add and Dills, mum and I went for sushi. Lots of fun had and of course was most special more so that Dills was only going to be in our company for 2 days. It was so good having mum show such an interest in the place I am staying in despite her being hell of a tired. Mum insisted on seeing it on Friday night which made me feel special. Dills and mum ended up sitting for a while watching tv and it was so good to feel a homely feel around me. Mum ended staying from Friday night-on Saturday morning we went to do our threading and then picked up Dills to go to the Biscuit Mill Neighbours market. Mum and Dills sure enjoyed the vibe and we had a good time. I so LOVE it there and would love to take Aroon there when he comes to CPT. I then took Toby to the park while mum and Dills had naps....oh and it was also good to drive around mum and Dills in my new fire engine or "red chilli pepper" as a work colleague calls it. Mum and Dills then convinced me to go to the jazz with them and I am so glad they did. It was such a fantastic experience and more so warmed my heart to see mum in her element jiving like a youngster. It was priceless being together and I sat there thinking " I sure hope we can do this next year with Aroon and Zsa." I felt such a sense of unity at this concert and there was such a vibe I cant explain. We ran into Mr/s Brauns there who are looking so so well and they mentioned having seen me in the mango magazine on their flight in to CPT and I felt so touched when Mr Brauns said that I am doing so well because it made me think it actually all started because of Mrs Brauns having worked at the Hilton Hotel and having offered me the temp work! The evening was a long but memorable one which funny enough started off with us not having tickets but thanks to Mardia persisting we got in after some wheeling and dealing. LOL. Today mum cooked a yummy chicken a la king and we invited Dills over to brunch-we watched the cricket and once again it lovely to have my mum and boet with me. Dills flew off to London today-he is back on friday in time for the Biggest Loser final weigh in and in time to run the half marathon! Can you believe we are at the finishing line of the Biggest loser????? Watch this space for results.

An interestingly well written article which I related to

"When evacuation leaves you longing for wine"
On Tuesday 17 March I was in the unfortunate position of having 10 minutes to decide what matters most to me. I was being evacuated due to the fires that raged against the slopes of Devil's Peak and Table Mountain during the night. Waking up to sirens, looking out of the window and realising that your possessions (meagre as they might be) are threatened by an enemy that you are absolutely powerless against is, utterly, traumatic.

And the question that arises, what do you take? Because no matter how much you take there is always going to be something left behind...

Rushed out of my flat (situated at the absolute urban edge of the City Bowl) into my car and watching from afar how flames are licking the borders of my house, I was disgusted at the people taking pictures - a terrifying reality as I, as a journalist, have often taken pictures not asking, or thinking, about the misery I am capturing. It is weird that I did not think of taking pictures of my own misery. And this morning I regret not having any to show.

Having grabbed what I could (some pieces of art, jewellery, ID, passport) I fled to a friend, keeping an eye on the flames in my rear view mirror. That, I know now, must the worst drive anyone can ever undertake.

I arrived at my friend high on adrenalin, and immediately expressed my regret at not having grabbed a bottle of wine. He nodded, and in turn expressed his regret of not having any. "But I have vodka", he consoled.

Standing outside on the communal balcony looking at Table Mountain, the infamous Salt and Pepper Pot towers and my flat submerged in fat orange clouds of smoke, watching the flames work their way into the suburb and in-between answering calls from relatives and concerned friends, my dear-dear friend was feeding me Pravda - and I was downing it like Oros.

While he momentarily left the balcony to top-up my glass, his neighbour the fashion designer offered me a small bottle of sparkling wine. I declined, realising that there are indeed occasions that bubbly can't be justified. I was actually in the mood for a very old bottle of red, thinking that my bottle of Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 in my corner cupboard would have been just about right.

Returning with another glass of Pravda, my friend, who was supportive but contemplative during the ordeal, revealed the reason behind his somewhat distracted mood.
"Prinses, you had some time to grab your things, right?"
"Yes...?"
"So you took your art and ID and stuff?"
"Yes...?"
Pointing to my shoes, and taking a big sip of Pravda, he asked "and those are the shoes you took?"
The fashion designer agreed with a stifled laugh.
I am back in my flat, cleaning out soot, keeping an eye on the still-burning spots, shaking my head at the sight of the once-green, living mountain, talking with the fire and rescue team camping outside my complex, and rethinking reasoning. What we decide to keep till later and what we decide to have now.

Tonight I just might open one of my "special" bottles - and I'd be wearing my stilettos.

A bit of loneliness that comes and goes...

Its actually difficult for me to write about this as I am always brushing it under the carpet....I have faced the fact that yes I need to not hide the fact that I do go through bouts of loneliness and a strong urge for family time or just a call here and there to hear my siblings voices or nieces and nephews. I do have some sort of longing in me and I want to say almost an insecurity if I can even call it that. I long for that feeling I recall I used to have as a youngster when Dad was still alive and I felt entirely safe and secure in my environment. Of course one grows up and faces the reality that Dad was not really a real super-heroe nor mum a wonder woman and they too dont have the answers to all lifes obstacles and questions. Mum did a hell of a good job as being my shield and guiding me and now I battle to see my mum going from the person who had the answers and was such a rock to a person who does not want to deal with the reality of life and switches off when everything gets too much.As each day passes I feel more and more for her and long for her time here to be longer than we expect-I cannot think of what I would do without my mum around-mum and I have had a stronger relationship build when I moved to CPT-I know I dissapointed her big time even though she didnt say it when I moved here-she was thrilled that I was making the move just not with the right person. Of course my mum was so suportive and I clearly remember standing at the door leaving and we shared a very special moment where she said a little prayer and told me that her door is always open if things dont work out in CPT. I cant beare to think of my mum missing out on the exciting things still to come in my life.....however I cant avoid this subject and pretend so hopefully when I do have to face this reality one day mum I will feel at peace with the adventures we have shared since her diagnosis. Mum is now spending a little time with each of us between treatments and of course the time spent is more golden now-it always has been golden but of course this is just a little more golden and special. I look forward to our month together next month in April. I mentioned the loneliness which I go through more often than I would like and I crave a chat with a sibling or a chance to hear my nephews or nieces voice and the timing of course is not always right to get in touch and more and more these days everyones lifes are getting busier and busier and I feel like the days are flying by at times where we dont talk.Yes there is e-mail and facebook but we dont get down to decent chats. I had a long day battling with the reality today that in the time of need who really is there???? Of course I know if I called a family member or friend someone would be there for me however I really felt it after the nasty experience I had having woken up to the smell of smoke and mayhem outside not knowing what was going on and being alone-I managed it better than I thought and when I got out of the complex my mind ran wild re contacting thethe family to alert them and know someone is with me in mind. I text Adhil knowing it was a decent time there and he kept in constant contact which made me feel so much better and I felt I had good support during a frightening experience. I made the wise decision of not calling the rest of the family as what were they going to do but I did expect a call after the news broke to see if I was ok and chat to me-yes I know that they heard I was fine and our home however I felt my expected concern from friends and family were lacking and here again I ask-is it because our lives are too busy or is it because of one lack of understanding of the situation I was in? I dont doubt for a moment the love and support I have from family and friends who were just not present in this moment-they would be there in a flash if I called-I just think that me personally long for more contact from friends and family now and then.I cherish my family and I love family time spent with each other and if I had a choice I would love if we could all meet more regularly however of course lifes path takes us seperate ways due to different things we want to experience and accomplish in life. We cant have it all. Please dont get me wrong by this post in anyway-my mum has raised a close knit family of relationships I love and cherish....I personally just long for more interaction. I am moving this weekend and I have been avoiding thinking about it too much-I am most positive about it and think that it will open up lots of new experiences in my life however of course I am anxious and am going to miss coming home to knowing Adhil is around or at least his stuff;) Its been 5 years of support from Adhil and good memories of living together so I think I can feel a little like this?I have to put my big girl panties on and do this and stand firmly on both my feet and as difficult as it is going to be financially for me I got to achieve this step and make lots of sacrifices and hopefully soon one day beable to pay back all my bail to my family who have and are helping me out. I am going to end this post here for now as I am really sleepy.
"Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul."

Embracing that thing called "CHANGE"

What an awesome year it has been thus far and I am looking ahead into 2009 oh so positively. Change....well....I had to trade in my Spark and took a red corsa lite. Love the colour and it makes me think of my mum(She loves red cars) and the colour will make me think of her more so. Its cute and a fun car however of course totally different to the spark-so far I am feeling a much better drive on it but of course I am still feeling weird with the change and it will take a little while to adjust after bonding with my spark for over 4 years.....
The other change is that I am taking the plunge of standing on my own 2 feet after 5 years of living with Boeta Adhil and will be moving out and living with a girl from my bookclub and her beautiful Labrador Toby. All feels weird here again but in no time I am sure I will shake this feeling off.
The other change is I have made a drastic change to my hair do and I have lost 4kg thus far.....exciting.
A new Sue is hitting 2009............I am going to keep my chin up and embrace all the positive changes....more on this later-off to work I go-and no changes there yet but watch this space.

Time out.....

Well the year has started off on a good foot on a personal note however I have this uneasy feeling with this first part. I of course really want to pursue my goals and have made the relevant enquiries to start the step but with the economic situation all seems to be on a freeze for now. I had given myself until the middle of Feb to sit in hope before making any other plans or re-thinking my journey for 2009 however I feel it is clear that a mission is abroad is on hold for now.
Cpt is awesome and I am loving the activities and hub bub however I always miss family. I longed so much over the past few weeks to spend time with mum and some time with my big boet and his family and to get away from it all. Here I am now earlier in Durbs than expected to come and assist mum with her admin and give my assitance as I am feeling so helpless on the financial end. I live from check to check and have a great plan with my budget and start to make my brothers pockets a little lighter as they have carried me a great way through the years.
On the work front my team have somehow dissapointed me time and time again and I think after 5 years of giving my passion to the hotel and new people I need to re-think my mind set or make a change. I love the MNH and have grown in leaps and bounds however I have very high standards and my patience is wearing thin. I have started feeling like I am becoming another person at times at work and I think this is one of the many factors nudging me to make a move.
On my fitness level I am so in the front lane on this. This morning I jumped on the scale at Gateway gym and YAHOO I have lost 3kg! BRING IT ON! It was so good to be in the setting of a different atmosphere and different people in the gym here in Durbs. It was interesting to observe the different occurences at that time of the morning compared to my gym in Gardens. The pool here was empty vs a packed pool at 5h15 back home. There were suprisingly a good lot of peeps there. Nice to see! It was an awesome start to my Monday morning and my mental state. Being here with Aroon and family is so comforting and special-I dont think they know just how much I long to see them-one misses out on the moments of the kids growing up and the goings on in our siblings life.
SO looking forward to having Dills back this week. He arrives in Durbs soon and then we swim the Midmar mile-we going to miss Zsa who is going to kick our backsides next yr I guess as she is swimming like a mean machine these days.
Wow what a good space I am in this morning also having chatted to Xavier and mum on the phone. FAMILY-just love them.....
Sitting and chatting to Aroon last night about books and movies-priceless I tell you and he has without a doubt inspired me to write a blog on my reveiws of books and movies I have read.

Good bye 2008....2009 awaits

Well when I look back to the year behind me a few things come to mind:
-the new year I spent with mum from 2007 into 2008. A memory that will stay forever sitting in our pjs watching the fireworks from the balcony in Highcape and watching the music on tv. We had such a special time more so that mum had just been diagnosed.
-Going to the Westcliff hotel to problem solve and implement procedures-a planned 3 month stint turned into 4 months and for me was a great achievement personally as this pushed my abilities and I gymed like you will not believe-was fantastic having a gym at my residence :). I met some interesting people at the hotel, got to spend time with friends I do not get to spend time with as well as of course got to work on my relationship with my sis and her family. I spent my bday there at "Soi" with friends and family.
-My long awaited overseas trip and it was to Bali. Had the time of my life and I got to spend it with Adhil as well. This was God sent I tell you.
-I went back to JHB for Zaras' 1st birthday and spent some good time with mum while there.
-We all gathered for mums birthday in Cape town in Cape Town and had a memorable afternoon at Olivello.
-Durban was a gathering point for Aroons 40th bash-what a time we had re-kindling relationships with lost friendships with relatives.
-Getting to hash some time off to spend with everyone during the Xmas period which is rare for me-a very stressful period at work with a newish team that really sapped me but of course I conquered.

All in all a positive year with many achievements personally and of course this was just an indication of more to come.

2009 I wish to spend more time with my family that I miss very much and I wish to achieve more.