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Remembering 9/11
Each year on the 10th September, I set my alarm for these times. Each time the alarm rings, I sit in silence and remember.
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Harley
Tears welled up in my eyes when I saw the picture above. Harley came to us 13 days before Fluffy died. He popped up online, looking exactly like Fluffy and just in time for my birthday. Fluffy took to...
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A very strange day
Drinking coffee in the sun as though life were normal I had a rather interesting day today. And the weather was spectacular. A perfect crisp autumn day – green and gold with a very high sky. Today was...
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Fluffy portrait by Crown & Paw
Fluffy was my ‘special one’. The kitty love of my life. From day one he slept tightly against me. He loved to cuddle and had the loudest purr. He loved everyone – from neighbours to the vet, from...
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Extra planner pages during a busy week
This is another way I add extra calendar pages during busy week – lined notepaper with updated bookings lists for each day. I book quite a number of lessons in advance. Closer to the time I have...
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This week in plannerville
Parliament was in recess this past week, so my schedule was not so tangled. I did have to rewrite part of it due to many changes in bookings. I really must invest in erasable pens or a nice pencil… You...
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Losing my citizenship
I am a citizen of several countries – by birth, by foreign birth, and by naturalisation. I am half German, half Irish, have lived in Sweden for decades, and was born in South Africa. I have also lived...
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Pink products in October
Every year in October I buy several Swedish Cancer Society pink ribbons – one for each coat. A different Swedish designer creates the ribbon each year. Almost all the money from ribbon sales goes to...
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The power of water
I have been reading quite a few articles lately on the calming and healing powers of water. Apparently, during lockdown, many people took up wild swimming and found it very good for their mental...
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Me looking small
This is the biggest pineapple in the world, located in my area of South Africa, which is pineapple country! Taken in Pretoria. For some reason I found him hysterically funny!
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Cutting and colouring curly hair
I had about 15cm cut off my hair a few days ago (above). I made a deal with my hairdresser (who I have been going to for 15 years) that after the summer I will let her cut it to the length below,...
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Embarrassing moments
Well, I have a couple of doozies and one belonging to my friend… My friend and I were country bumpkins when we were younger – not sophisticated at all and very inexperienced in the ways of the world....
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About leaving your homeland
The sculpture above is by Frances Bruno Catalano, and symbolizes the hole created by leaving your country, your people, your life, everything you know. No matter the reason. Nothing has encapsulated...
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Words of Wisdom from Older to Younger
I am a mature woman now and there are many things I wish I could have told my younger self. Enjoy being a kid. Don’t be in a big hurry to grow up. Play with toys and believe in Santa Claus and dress...
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Today’s thoughts, written with a touch of sadness
I have seen my South African family once since 2011, in July 2018. I don’t have parents but I have a wonderful family – my uncle, aunt, and cousins – who took me in and loved me like one of their own...
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Strangers you remember forever
All of us have people who made a difference in our lives. Family, good friends, colleagues – people we spend time with and/or know well. But I am guessing we also have people we will never forget, who...
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A quieter week this week
After three hectic months, this week has been way calmer and I have had time to catch my breath. On Wednesday I have time to have a cholesterol test, and I am hoping to be able to have my hair cut as...
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Imperial vs Metric measurement systems
South Africa was a British colony until 1961, so the imperial system of measurement was standard. When the country achieved independence, the metric system was adopted. We also changed from the South...
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Living in these times
Unlike most years lately, 2021 has seemed to drag on endlessly. I have been working from home since March 2020, with a few brief (probably four days total) forays into working in the field before the...
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