9 Q's and A's

Here is my version of F2F's meme challenge:

1. If I could sing well, I would love it: it would be like flying with my voice.

2. In my kitchen cupboard . . . oh man! do we have to go there? Ok, in my kitchen cupboard, things are less organised than I would like them to be.

3. On my desk lies my beautiful shiney new red laptop.

4. Image in my head always outdoes action in my body.

5. In the middle of my to-do list, I am likely to put it down and do something else.

6. I am dreading the process of getting my fitness levels up but know that it will be worth it in the long run. (Ug, don't even want to think about long runs!)

7. Right now I want someone else to make supper.

8. I think I'm going to be disappointed about that

9. Going to ask my hairdresser to do something different with my hair this week; I'm thinking something a tad radical - need a change.

Conundrum

I'm not sure how long this will last so I'd better blog about it while it does.
I have broken out of some of my boxes - you know what I mean by boxes, hey?.
One of them I have believed was:

I can't function without lots of personal space.

The challenge came recently: "So alison, what do you actually do with all this 'personal space' "?
There is no escaping these questions when they come: they plunge straight to the core of my beloved mindsets and blast them into smithereens.

The answer to the question?
I waste lots of time, have nothing much to show for it and I feel exhausted at the end of the day after doing not much at all.


After being confronted like that, and realising what I have bought into, I have found my days effortlessly filled with things to do, the desire to do them and find that I am far less tired at the end of the busy days,
Go figger!

Start Here

There is a TV ad that ends:

"Start with what you hope for."

That's a pretty interesting suggestion, don't you think?
It has caused me to try to identify specifics.
Can you?

Nearness

Some of our blogbuddies are going through very deep waters at the moment: waters of anxiety; waters of grief and bewilderment; waters of emotional turmoil.

It is hard to find words to say to people you care for at times like these.

But I have found that God often soothes our troubled souls through His glorious creation.

Just sitting quietly in the tranquillity of a summer evening, we can sense His nearness; His deep compassion; His sovereignty.

May you who are struggling now, sense His close Presence during this season of your lives.

Laptop Liturgy

I realise how irritating this post will be to some of you.
I do.
But I *need* this whinge.

The good news - the new laptop has arrived in all its red glory.
(Pic will be included if (a) blogger plays ball, and (b) laptop plays ball.)

The frustrating part is - so many glitches with this swop-over!
Partly, I spose, cause they have loaded Windows 7 but, oh my hat!
Everything is demanding passwords: network, skype, my email won't deliver unless I produce one either.
And I have no idea what any of them are!

I have just spend a while with the technician trying to iron out the problems: the scenario is not pretty.
Apparently they might need my old computer to get certain info.
My old computer has gone to a new home about 1000 k's away.
Gloom.

Its really great that FB and my blog can be accessed easily - at least I can vent here.
But at the mo, I have a few really important emailsto deal with (oh, plus a whole wodge of received emails - from April last year till a couple of days ago have just vanished from my inbox. Its pretty disastrous cause the important stuff is linked with those incoming ones.)

I have just discovered that downloading my photos is going to need a university degree with this new set up.
So, no pic of shiny red laptop yet
Double gloom.

But, hopefully, the senior boffin will arrive later on his white charger to rescue me
And I will be a very happy camper
And will post a boastful pic of my new toy

Till then.

Different Birthday Bash

Today we helped celebrate DH's Mom's 75th birthday at a breakfast held in a Simonstown eatery.

DH's bru and sister flew down from the northern regions for the occasion.

There they are in this pic - all looking very pleased with life.

Being with this family is an experience: loudly and proudly Afrikaans, they all talk at once. Full volume. All the time.

And if the venue is a restaurant it makes no difference at all.

I was stunned when I first met them 35 years ago, as DH's new love interest - a 30-something, uptight English speaking SA cit, who spoke not a word of their mother tongue.

Our family was kinda Brit in their habits; stiff upper lip, reserved, cagey - so you can imagine the culture shock!

Over the years I have come to love these folk deeply: salt of the earth; funny; outspoken; interested in everything (which is a pretty way of saying "inquisitive about everyone's business") :-)

Mel (DJD) was the only granddaughter from our side of the family able to make it today - we found that we were in both in jeans, same shoes (Ipanema - my "sleep shoes"!), and very similar design tops.

Clearly Mel is a woman of great taste *grin*

Fragments

First - Mel (DJD) says she will kill me if I post the pic of her and me taken yesterday.

Which is not the sort of talk I usually tolerate from my young.

I must be losing my edge.

Since I am quite partial to being alive I will refrain from doing so.

Which is a pity, cos I look lovely in it *grin*

So, no pics (blegh)

But just to say, she spoilt me rotten, as so many people wished for me for my birthday yesterday.

She took me out for the whole morning: we had breakfast; shopped (for clothes!); chatted a hond uit 'n bos (a LOT); drank coffee; and shopped some more. It was wonderful.

Oh wait a minute - I have a pic of my new shoes.

Hang on. . . .

These are not to sneezed at: they are the range of no less a person than Gisele Bunchen -

These sandals are the most comfortable ever.

I sleep with them on.

They look great with jeans cos then all you see is the "jewel" thingie. It looks as if they stay on by magic.

The fact that my feet are lily white is not helpful but, trust me, numerous coats of self tan are going to be applied to these feet pronto.

Anyhooo

A really fun morning with great company (even if she does threaten her DM (dear mother).

More news:

DH has decided to give a laptop to a needy cause.

Mine.

My laptop, not my needy cause.

Which I may have had issues with

Except . . . . I am getting a new one tomorrow (SCREAMS OF JOY LIKE THE AMERICAN AIRHEADS)

And it's RED!

* Hands up all who believed I slept with my new shoes on.