September 2008

I am the luckiest person I know. I really do lead a charmed life and have been so fortunate. I have the most amazing people in my life and every day I am reminded of how blessed I am. I am a spoilt brat and I just love this life!

Tarryn
She decided after much discussion and deliberation to resign from the job at the airlines. She hated being away from home and also not being able to plan each day and week down to the last detail. She worked her notice month and was really fortunate to have received an offer to work at a hotel and conference centre for a 3 month period doing secretarial, events coordinating and general office work. Hopefully she will find out what type of work she wants to do, perhaps study next year or else decide to go overseas and have some fun for a year (my suggestion).

Kiara
Has just had the whole month of August off for school holidays and spent a week at Crystal Springs with her friend Amber and her family. She is such a happy person these days and walks around singing and smiling. She is really enjoying this year and brought home the most encouraging comment on her report from the headmaster saying that she has the potential to set the world alight. (Obviously, only if she decides to put some effort into her undertakings).
Ice skating and boys are definitely her top 2 past times at the moment.

Devin
Is just Devin, he has such an amazing sense of humour and is so much like his dad. He comes out with the most appropriate comments and has us in stitches. He still loves BMX racing and was very chuffed that he has a photo with Sifiso our BMX champ that made it to the finals of the Olympic games. He got an 80gig ipod from Singapore and has it glued to his head at all times.

Mom
She is doing very nicely and seems to have more good days than bad ones. Her garden is looking beautiful as is her cottage. She is having fun with her new friend Val and still sees her cousin Merolyne every week. She loves getting out of the house and uses any excuse to go shopping. She still cooks our evening meals for us during the week and is an absolute star at helping me with the fetching and carrying of the kids in the day. She also does doctors visits, dental check-ups, vets, BMX and sorts out all the maintenance people that need to work at my place on a regular basis. She is such a help.

My brother
Lawrence and his girlfriend Lynn went to Mauritius the same day that we to Phuket. They also had a great holiday and came back with the exciting news that they got engaged over there.

Patsy and Roger
Just after I had posted my last blog update, Patsy (my mom-in-law) was diagnosed with cancer. She has been going for chemo and is unbelievably brave. Roger (dad) has been an absolute star and has been at her side through everything she has had to endure. It is so encouraging to see them so happy together after all these years. It makes it a bit difficult having them living in Ballito now and we are trying to get there for a weekend soon.

The Boyfriends
It feels quite strange to have a section for this now. Costa and I have been seeing each other for a year already and Tarryn and Trevor for 18 months! Kiara is dating Matthew at the moment but he lives in the south and it is a bit of a challenge for them to get the parents to facilitate their meetings. On the relationship front, as with everything else, we are all doing very well and having a great time.

Phuket
I don’t know how to describe the 2 weeks that we spent in Phuket. I told my friend Perren that it was 2 weeks, 9 girls, pure bliss, but he said that sounded too much like the title of a blue movie!
We had an absolutely amazing time there and I loved every minute of it. Our hotel was perfect, the food amazing, prawns almost every night, plenty of alcohol, sunshine, laughter, shopping and nightlife. My best place was Rock City where a different rock band played every hour and they did covers of my favourite bands.

We also went on an elephant safari, and a fantastic canoe trip in the sea that became a starlight spiritual experience that words could never express. “The Hong by starlight” adventure is a must and I would recommend it as the number 1 “must do” item in Phuket. I loved spending time with my special friends and will always treasure the memories of this perfect trip.

Work
I work with such nice people, some of them are crazy, weird and plain dumb asses (no names) but they are all great and as unbelievable as it sounds, I love going to work. Sure I love Fridays just as much as the next person, especially the lunch and red wine ritual with Al, Herman and Pieter, but I am glad that I can come back moaning and groaning on a Monday morning. I was also lucky enough to win tickets to the soccer 2010 World cup through a work competition.

Diving
I am starting my diving course in October and we will be going to Mozambique for a long weekend in November to do our qualifying dive. I am quite nervous especially after having a problem snorkeling in Phuket, but have eventually committed to going. Tarryn is going to be doing the course with me.

Scrapping
I am really trying to make time for my favourite hobby, but the days just fly by. I can’t believe that it is September already and we are discussing plans for Christmas!

Holidays
Our next major holiday is a trip to Cyprus planned for Easter next year. Costa, all our kids and I, plan to stay in a villa at the beach for 2 weeks.
The travel bug has bitten me again and I am really looking forward to that trip, We will probably not be doing anything too exciting in December and anyway I enjoy being home for Christmas.

I am so glad that spring is here and I can’t wait to swim and laze around the pool again. Thanks for all the mails, keep well.
Love
Tasha

It looks like February was the last time that I updated my blog…

Devin

He is doing very well. He is playing soccer at school and loving it, he got a new BMX bike that was built up from parts ordered in the USA. He has not done much riding though, with going away and getting the flu that has been doing its rounds. He rode in the SA’s in Natal in March and the 2 of us flew there. I was not very happy about the flying thing, but I survived.

Kiara

She has a lovely new friend Amber and she is still enjoying being in high school. Their weekends consist of going to youth on a Friday night and then spending the rest of the weekend at the ice rink. I don’t know how much skating takes place but I do know that her phone list has tripled with BOYS numbers. She is also playing soccer at school and seems to love that. She also started netball and water polo. She gets home exhausted every night and never does homework! Her room is still a disaster zone and I am not sure that will ever change.

Tarryn

She is now a fully qualified air hostess with wings to prove it. I was so proud when she passed her final exams with 95%. She has already had 2 overnight stays in Cape Town. She says she will be very bored doing international flights, but she has committed to completing her year with the airline, while she decides what to study going forward. She is still dating Trevor and he spends most of his time at our place. He is at college doing a 3 year graphic design course.

The folks

We had a lunch at their place to say goodbye to them and their house. They have packed up and sold the house and settled into the Ballito place. It seems very strange to realize that I will never go to the old house again. I have been part of that property for the past 27 years. When I started visiting there, Richard’s brother Scott was still in primary school and now he has children in primary school!

Mom
She is doing ok, hating winter and can’t wait to get stuck into her garden in the spring. She has redecorated her house inside and it is looking good. She is struggling to come to terms with her loss but manages most days pretty well.

Work
Doing ok there. Still enjoying work. I am going on 2 really nice courses next month A Quality Management course for a week and then a 3 day assessors course so that I can give training. We are also going on a teambuilding that will consist of Frisbee golf, treasure hunt, target shooting, a cave tour lunch and a game drive, so that sounds like fun.

Sun City
For my birthday, we went to Sun City. It was a long weekend and I booked a 3 bedroom chalet. My mom, my kids, Costa, Trevor and Tarryn’s friends Caroline and Ryan were with us. I enjoyed every minute of it and was thoroughly spoilt with gifts and messages. Costa made an amazing braai and the meat was superb. The kids made a great breakfast on the morning of my birthday and Michael and Tracey came to join us for that.

Scrapping

I have done quite a lot of scrapping lately, went on a scrapping weekend with my cousin Lee Ann this month. We went with a whole bunch of ladies to Sparkling Waters, a lovely resort and conference centre. We started our weekend off with a hot stone massage at their health spa. It was an awesome weekend and I had loads of fun. I won the catty shooting competition and Lee Ann came second. At least she as the excuse that she grew up on a farm! We won huge rugs that need to be in a room with a fireplace, I have not collected mine yet.

We also did a weekend at the scrapping shop where we did 8 layouts. That was exhausting but I loved it too. I made a mini album for my boyfriend and am busy with a mini album of Tarryn’s birth.

Phuket
We got our air tickets when we were at supperclub last week and all of a sudden the trip seems real. I am so excited. 6 weeks to go.

And
I am still having such fun in my life. Taking lots of photos, still loving Facebook, the friends I have made and the scrabble games that I play online. I have been going to movies quite a lot and eating far too much sushi. Went to a “eat as much as you can” sushi feast with Tarryn and Melissa yesterday and we really did well. We had 15 plates! What bliss.

I can’t wait until this cold weather is over. My hot water bottle is working overtime. Looking so forward to spring.

Have fun and keep warm.

Love to all

Tasha

Check out my Slide Show!

February 2008

Christmas and New Year
Have come and gone so quickly. We had a lovely family lunch for Christmas and spent New Year at home too.

Devin
He bought an Arsenal soccer ball at the mall this weekend (I know, really bad choice!) and left it at a food outlet that has tables in the mall’s open area. He only discovered this when we got home and we told him to just write the ball off. 2 days later he convinced his sister to call the Juicy Lucy outlet and they let him know that the waitress had found the ball and kept it for him! I was so impressed at finding there are still people with good values in South Africa.

Kiara
Started high school and absolutely loves it. She is like a different child and comes home smiling and full of enthusiasm. The new Grade 8 class (standard 6’s) went on a 3 day camp near the Vaal with the prefects and some teachers and she came back with the comment “Mom, I go to the best school in the world!”

Tarryn
She had a nice long time doing nothing but spending money on my credit card until last week. She has started a course, training as an air hostess and so far she is doing brilliantly. They completed their paramedic week and she was top of the class with 100% for her practical and written tests! I was so proud of her.
By the time I added this, she had completed her training, gone for 2 interviews, got the 1st job and is at the final interview stage for another airline. How amazing is that?

Ballito
We spent a super week at my favourite holiday spot and although I had to work down there for 2 of the days we had a fantastic time. The weather was terrible for most of the week but I got lots of reading done, we played poker, took photos, went for walks and I caught up on much needed sleep.

Colin
The day after we got home, my stepdad Colin got dressed for work and then did not feel well. I heard him and my mom leaving and a while later I got a call from the hospital to say I needed to get there. Mom drove Colin to the hospital and he got onto the bed in casualty and had a massive heart attack and passed away. It has been a very difficult time for us, my mom is struggling to come to terms with it and it brought back painful memories for all of us. It was really nice to see how family and friends rallied around and made me realise how lucky we are to have such special people in our lives.

Work
We have had some restructuring at work and I have been fortunate to be given the Quality portfolio, strategies, processes and standards. I am also assisting with a graduate program that we have set up to train up test analysts.
Attended an awesome conference at the Emerald Casino and met a bunch of great people there.

Scrapping
I created a scrapbooking page this weekend for the first time in about 5 months and was so glad that I did. I realised how much I have missed playing with photos and journaling. I will make time for this.


‘Basco
Is the new dog that we got from my brother who is moving to a new place. We were the lucky winners of his German Shepherd puppy that chews everything he sees!

And
I have renewed an interest in gemstones and their properties and meanings
Between the kids, supper club, book club, Facebook, Devin’s BMX, skateboarding, scrabble, friends and my boyfriend, there is not much time left for blogging.

Hopefully I will be more organized in the coming months.

Love to all
Tasha