I found it a strange time of year to take holiday, and the first time I have done so (I think?). Unlike our usual summer beach holidays the days were not nearly as hot, but still much nicer up North (close the Botswana border) than here in Gauteng. Seems like so much has changed since I last sat down & wrote, and I don’t really know where to begin.

Let me try to recall all the events in chronological order… I was sick last week – bronchitus, was booked off for two days but ended up spending only one day in bed, sleeping. I got a fantastic prezzie from my husband – a brand new laptop!!! How cool is that?? I went on holiday, close to the Botswana border, where there is no internet access, and also no mobile phone signal! It was actually quite a nice break during which read a book. We celebrated my Father’s 65 birthday while on holiday!

Apart from the above mentioned which pretty much consumed my mind & time not much else happened. We got home safe, and now I need to try my best to catch up with blogging, washing clothes, tidying the house (which I am forever obsessed about). Oh yes, and then ofcourse, I still make time to explore my new toy – at 1:42am! …Bed time for me!

Phew.  I’ve been back for a whole week, and can’t believe that I haven’t had the time to sit down and write something.  Anything!!

What I did do during the past week though, was pretty interesting   I’ve posted a couple of ads online selling things (for the first time yes – so its a bit of an experiment).  So far I’ve had a couple of queries even!  What am I selling?  Puppies amongst other things!  I am so happy that they are not MY puppies though, I’m not sure I’d be able to remain sane with animals in our home :S

Other than that I’ve been trying to catch up on work, and though I did that I found it particularly hard this time round.  This is the longest holiday that I’ve had in a couple of years, and I guess my brain just really switched off – which isn’t a bad thing while on holiday, but I tend to struggle to work without my brain functioning…

The holiday was absolutely amazing.  We had such a good time, the best weather, plus I learnt to do a couple of new things…  For  the first time I managed to snorkel without becoming completely phobic!!  I also flew a power-kite, though sometimes it felt as if the kite was flying me! It was still GREAT fun. We also had our second anniversary on this holiday, and I discovered again that I have the most amazing husband ever!!

If you’d like to see pics, have a look on my web album, below is a sneak-peek

Good News … Well for me I’m going on holiday today!! How amazing is that?!  I cannot wait anymore!  I didn’t really have a holiday in December so I am completely exhausted, worn out, and just plain sick of the city rushed routine.  I cannot wait to walk in the shallow waves, and dig my toes into the sand!!

Saturday morning my view will look something like this…. (we’re staying at the same place – same room than last year!)

So if you don’t hear from me for the next couple of days (I know this is not something strange), but at least it will be for a good reason now!

I’ll be back soon, but hopefully not too soon!!

Wow I had a hectic week, and I am so thankful that its weekend!!  I was SO pleasantly surprised when my husband came home with a bouquet of lovely roses on Friday!!  How romantic

Today its Sunday, and nearly time for the new week… I must admit I am not too excited about the new week, and would definitely not have complained if the weekend was a day longer!!

I am sooo looking forward to our beach holiday, but March is still some time away…  I know time will pass quickly, but can it ever pass fast enough if you’re heading for a holiday?

A few weeks ago we were planning for a trip to Mozambique.  My friend was getting married there, and we were planning to fly there ourselves, with a small aircraft.  This almost sounded too good to be true, I got my dress ready, and my husband did the flight planning. We did some research and got extremely excited about snorkeling in the tropical turquoise water.

We made sure that our traveling passes were in order, and found out that we had to drink anti malaria medication. We watched the weather with a hawk’s eye, hoping that it will be clear enough to fly.

I’ve never been to another African country, so for me this was a huge event. Everything was all set for Saturday morning’s early rise. On Friday my friend phoned and let me know that she forgot to get the groom a belt, which I could luckily still buy, and also did.

Friday evening came, and as I started making my lists of all I had to pack, and do before going to bed something told me that I shouldn’t forget my passport. I knew the expiry date was still good, cause I checked it just two weeks earlier. As I opened the cupboard where all our legal docs are kept, I realized with a shock that everything was there except my passport. Needless to say I was in a frenzy, tipping anything and everything over to try and find it. I unpacked boxes with paint which I haven’t used in the past ten years, I turned the everything upside down and inside out. Twice. And nothing. I tried thinking. Still nothing. I had looked absolutely everywhere in this house, and I can guarantee that it is not here. Now. Firstly this meant that there’s no legal way for me to get over the border, which obviously meant that we missed the trip, and my friend’s weddings. And secondly it meant that our flight adventure was canceled.

The trip can still be retaken, but a wedding is a once off thing, and I am so sad and angry that I missed it. I still have no clue what happened to my passport. It pretty much vanished?! I guess someone had to have taken it. Just a pity that their timing sucked so badly.

As much excitement Valentine’s day holds for couples in love, so much loneliness does this day represent for those who are single. I’m lucky to have someone to celebrate this day with, but I know of many people who haven’t had a special someone for a long time. They dread this day of red roses, cards and gifts, and cannot stand the site of other couples cuddling in public. They avoid all the Cardies stores for a few weeks prior, and another afterwards. It hurts to be so harshly reminded that they’re without the love of their life.

Valentine’s day was meant to celebrate the love we share for each other, and though some people do, some are just celebrating another commercialized holiday because everyone is doing it. Yes, its DEFINITELY overrated!! There’s a lot of people who refuse to celebrate it for this reason. I don’t think there’s any harm in celebrating it though – if you do it the right way.

Its always been my intention to keep this day as little commercialized as possible. To not buy extravagant gifts to prove love. I usually make a card myself, and we just have dinner together. Its so much more personal, and says a lot more than any expensive gift can ever say.

But for those of you who are single, don’t let this day get you down. I know it can be depressing, but you’re not the only single person on the planet – even if it might feel like that. Try to make friends with other singles, not necessarily cause you’re looking for a relationship, but companionship instead. Spend V-day with your friends, and don’t be too worried about getting flowers or any of that – its all so commercialized, and doesn’t mean much. Take time to spend with yourself even, and indulge in something you really like. Cook yourself a nice dinner, have a long bath, and watch a movie. For girls its pretty easy to do something like this with their friends, and its bound to be fun.

Hope you all enjoy the preparations. I’m not preparing much, other than painting our new home, and moving in bits and pieces.
Which, by the way, is pretty romantic for me, but maybe I’m weird

Whether you’re going away on a business trip, or looking for a ideal holiday destination, you might just find what you’re looking for on Dial-A-Flight’s website. You can get a flight to Australia, Madagascar, Thailand, wherever you want – even exotic locations such as Mauritius for a bargain price!I visited Mauritius a couple of years back, and it was an incredible experience. I would love to go there again, but then again, there are so many other amazing places which I haven’t seen yet. If someone had to tell me I could go anywhere in the world, I wouldn’t know where to pick.

One day, instead of retiring, I want to spend time travelling the world… Still, where would I start – I dont have the vaguest clue – probably some tropical island!

So I finally got the courage together to clean up my shells!!!

On Sunday I had some help from my boyfriend, and we washed all the shells carefully – picking out some of the rotten dead snails within in the “pumpkin shells” – that was probably the grossest thing I’ve EVER done.
But I’m all done now, and they’re all layed out on newspaper covered table OUTSIDE – I’m leaving them there a while to get rid of the ocean smell.
I’ll soon spray paint them with varnish – makes them look wet, plus it hardens them a bit. Now I have to find something to do with them afterward though…

Any suggestions?