Monday 9 November 2009

My Blog's Over The Top!!! {as is my life...}


Or so Desire tells me! *wink*** ;-D She gave me an award this week...thanks Desire! Now I'm not always very good at following through & acknowledging such, posting it on my blog, etc, so if I've done that to you, please accept my apologies now while I remember to give them LOL! To be eligible for this award I need to answer certain questions so here goes...

1. Where is your cell phone?
Right here on my desk.

2. What style is your hair in right now?
In a messy bun gathered up with a scrunchie!

3. Where's your mother?
She lives in Cape Town.

4. Where's your father?
With her!

5. Favourite food?
Savoury & salty...

6. Last dream?
My youngest daughter all grown up on a modelling assignment leaning against a pillar snacking on a packet of crisps?!?

7. Favourite drink?
Coke Zero.

8. Which room are you in?
The passage.

9. Your hobby?
Scrapbooking {doing it & learning about it over the internet}, photography & photo editing.

10. Your fear?
That I may give up on my ideals.

11. Where were you last night?
Out for dinner.

12. Something that you aren't?
Stingy.

13. Muffins?
No thanks.

14. Wish list?
See previous post...

15. Where did you grow up?
Salisbury, Rhodesia, which became Harare, Zimbabwe in 1980.

16. Last thing you did?
Burnt photos to 2 DVDs then to my EHD then deleted them off my hard drive.

17. What are you wearing?
An Ed Hardy lookalike Tshirt & a sarong.

18. Your TV?
Doesn't interest me much...

19. Your pets?
Daisy Bucket & Cocoa Blush.

20. Your friends?
Scattered.

21. Your life?
I'm very much in it...

22. Your mood?
Anticipatory.

23. Missing someone?
Yes.

24. Your vehicle?
Chrysler Voyager.

25. Something you're not wearing?
Jewellery.

26. Your favourite shops?
2 Peas & Blue Moon.

27. Your favourite colour?
White.

28. Last time you laughed?
Just now.

29. Last time you cried?
Probably in a movie within the last month...

30. Your best friend?
I love her!

31. One place you like to go over & over
Bed...

32. Facebook
Yawn ;-o

33. Favourite place to eat?
At home {when DH is cooking...;-D}


And if I comment on your blog a lot that's a sure sign that I think it's over the top, so take that as your cue to reward yourself with this award should you so wish!

Now for a bit of news...This weekend was rocking...really...I had a bit of an upset some weeks ago & it was a kismet {blessing in disguise} for me {looking back now...} because it made me realise that I need to enjoy life more {live more "in the moment"}. Practically speaking that's not always so easy to do so I decided to start with the weekends. To implement this I a) put a "loose" ban on internet/e mail activity {for myself only...} meaning that I'm not to spend hours surfing, etc, but sending a quick reply from my phone is "allowed" for example...over the weekend that is... b) decided that I should try to have some quality time with EACH of my {4} children {alone & separately} over this time {any quantity so long as it was quality} c) that I should try to do the same with my husband & d) that I should prioritise friendship over the weekend too {in other words, accept invitations instead of staying in, make those phonecalls, fulfill those requests, whatever...}

Now perhaps all these things go without saying for many of you but my life during the week {& parts of the weekend too} is very busy. For various unavoidable reasons my kids are at several different schools & each one has certain "extra-murals" {activities/hobbies/etc} that are necessary for their development & part & parcel of their lives & I am the designated driver & administrator {their PA so to speak}. Our family is fairly unusual in that we all have A LOT to do with each other - we chat/communicate/debate all the time - & it can be quite exhausting, but DH & I both came from families that where everyone was "on their own mission" so we made a pact to do things "our way" & we are now paying for it, lol! Just kidding...wouldn't have it any other way... ;-D but come the weekend I want {& need} some quiet time for myself. Going out can be "a schlep" but I want to live life too & enjoy relationships I have while I have them so I'm trying to be more social, etc, as I could happily create & get lost in my own world for hours & days on end if left to my own devices.

Well several of these "new style" weekends & I have to say I could become addicted. Who knew things could be so much fun!? This weekend alone we've had a great big family dinner {along with DD's boyfriend who is an only child & doesn't come from such a happy home so he is loving coming over to "ours"}, a hilarious dinner out with "new" {post Zim} friends at a very trendy pukkah Durban hang out, and a lovely long walk along the Promenade, followed by a meal out with some very dear, very old friends visiting from Zimbabwe. In between it all I've got some Christmas shopping done, enjoyed some special time out with my little girl, helped each of my sons with their school projects {one being to make an Egyptian mask out of papier mache...for history nogal...I mean really...} & taught my DD how to make a delicious savoury rice salad for her lunches this week {I'm trying to "expand her repertoire" before she leaves home to study...} & enjoyed a good "private" chat all along the way...

Life is definitely good...and even when it seems bad...if you can turn it around for good then at the end of the day you've turned a bad situation around to work in your favour...and there's nothing sweeter than that...




12 comments:

topkatnz said...

Sounds absolutely excellent Helen - good on you! Our lives all need a shake and a tweak every now and then:)

Shayne said...

SOunds like a good weekend was had.

I try and do the same - week days are for internet, weekends my family.

Looking forward to seeing your LO from Iris' class!

Desire Fourie said...

Glad you accepted the award and it was great learning a little bit more about you. Your family sure are a close-knit one ... you are very blessed.
Hugs
Desire

tania said...

hmmm, i might just take your advise helen, although we always try and spent time together, it seems in this hectic life of ours, togetherness can never be TOO much.x

Michelle Ramsay said...

Enjoyed reading about you. You have a great family and it is wonderful that you are able to do so much with each of them. I know that I can also get carried away in my own world and it is nice to do something different with someone else every now and again.

Helena said...

Loved this post! I'm happy for you!

Ella Swan said...

Thanks everyone! I think things come by to force us to change direction sometimes & if they didn't happen then we wouldn't get the blessings God has in store for us. IMO relationships shouldn't be taken for granted & all involve a certain amount of work, give/take etc & I want to maximise my good relationships & dilute the ones that aren't paying dividends after all my investment. Life is too short not to live in the moment & capitalise on our blessings. My monitor seems to have given up the ghost...I can get no picture out of it at all so am on DH's appallingly antiquated machine with none of my information on it so can't post again 'til I get my pc sorted. I have lots of new layouts ready to load on it so watch this space...

Penny said...

Love your new banner!

Lynette Jacobs said...

Interesting info on you. I also try not to spend too much time on the internet over weekends...that way I get some scrapping done.

Also waiting to see your layout from Iris' class...the one with the fabric...come on now...SHOW TIME!

Cindy said...

Hey Helen, its been a while since I popped over. Now I realise what I was missing. I love your blog - it is so newsie. I feel like I get right into your life. Anyway I too have the Over the Top Award for you at my blog - so you get it twice. You are truly loved.

Ella Swan said...

So many comments on my news! You're right Cindy - I do feel truly blessed...thanks for the compliment Penny {I blinged up my blog a bit on Monday morning but it is pretty subtle...just changed the background to white - from cream - and the text to green from blue & inserted a header of my favourite line at the moment}. As it is heading into summer here I felt I needed something more "Springy"...Cindy so nice to have you pop in again - I will pop on over to yours & see how you are getting along - I read all about your new job a while ago so was sure you were busy readjusting...hope you are enjoying!

Diana said...

I'm usually here for scrapbooking inspiration, but this post was inspiring in a whole different but wonderful way.