NiQi has been home for a week now and has been eating like a horse....and if we look at how our horses are continuously munching, then she is definitely no different. There has certainly been plenty to eat too with the fridge full of leftovers and loads of chips, biscuits, cakes, dips, pudding, sweets and chocolates, although I know with her, she would rather leave the sweet stuff for 'ron'....lateron and eat anything savoury.
Before she left hospital, she weighed and was very happy that she had picked up 3 kg. It was the biggest gain she has had, in the shortest time, for ages. All the 'doing nothing' and eating, eating, eating really paid off for her.
So Sunday the scale was taken out of the cupboard to see how much she has gained since coming home....there was no question in her mind that she had, it was just a question of how much... Horror of horrors, move the scale around, take it off the carpet and put it on a tiled surface, turn it off and on again, stand on it once more,open the eyes and look....and look again....oh no!!!!!!!!Our scale says she has lost weight, a full 1.2 kg!!!!!!
How can that be possible after all the food she has consumed and the extra shakes too. We now have not one disillusioned person in our house but three, for if our scale is wrong and the hospital scale is correct, then both Johan and I both weigh 1.2 kg more each....
Life today with memories of years gone by...Larkwood has been since the beginning of our life together as a family...
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
New Year's Resolutions
Never being one to make New Year's resolutions I do find myself at the beginning of each year wondering what the coming days and months hold for me...I also tend to look at my life realistically and think about what I would like to achieve or change, because as with most people I am weak willed and by the end of the first week into a new year, I would already have cheated on a diet, skipped washing the dishes one night before going to bed or even not made the bed at all one day...lol
I can make a wish list or a bucket list at any time and it certainly doesn't have to be at the start of a new year, but I know that any one of those things are likely not to be achieved in the foreseeable future...so instead I assess my life as it is and set myself goals that I think are 'doable'...
This is my list for 2014 that God willing, I am hopeful of achieving:-
1. Read more....
2. Sleep more...
3. Wake and get up later than 4 am...
4. Speak to Matthew and Jess more instead of texting and whatsapping...
5. Continue to phone my mum every week...
6. Contact my brother (Simon) more regularly...
7. Contact my sister (Sara) more regularly...
8. Write letters, at least one a week and post them
9. Make more handmade gifts....timeously...
10. Start sewing again...
11. Bake more...
12. Spend more time on fundraising for NiQi's fund
13.Write a short story...
14. Start a travel blog...
15. Be more kind, patient, gracious, show self control, humble...
I think that's all I can handle for now and these may seem simple things to some but to me they are definitely going to be a challenge....
I can make a wish list or a bucket list at any time and it certainly doesn't have to be at the start of a new year, but I know that any one of those things are likely not to be achieved in the foreseeable future...so instead I assess my life as it is and set myself goals that I think are 'doable'...
This is my list for 2014 that God willing, I am hopeful of achieving:-
1. Read more....
2. Sleep more...
3. Wake and get up later than 4 am...
4. Speak to Matthew and Jess more instead of texting and whatsapping...
5. Continue to phone my mum every week...
6. Contact my brother (Simon) more regularly...
7. Contact my sister (Sara) more regularly...
8. Write letters, at least one a week and post them
9. Make more handmade gifts....timeously...
10. Start sewing again...
11. Bake more...
12. Spend more time on fundraising for NiQi's fund
13.Write a short story...
14. Start a travel blog...
15. Be more kind, patient, gracious, show self control, humble...
I think that's all I can handle for now and these may seem simple things to some but to me they are definitely going to be a challenge....
Monday, December 30, 2013
Baby Bunnies
There is always new life to celebrate here at Larkwood and most recently was on Christmas Day with the appearance of 5 brand new black bunnies who braved the chill of the air and popped their noses out of the burrow they have called home for probably the last 5 or 6 weeks. One is definitely more adventurous than the others and whilst they chose to stay close to home or in the shadow of one of the adults for protection, this little one has ventured far and nibbled on the grass as well as tasted the leftovers from the bird suspended cages.
Farewell Mr Peacock
As I have mentioned we have had more rain so far than expected, while it is definitely hoped for, sometimes too much of a good thing can have its drawbacks. In this case, it was certainly so for our adult peacock who ruled the roost here at Larkwood...strutting up and down wherever he felt like, chasing the chickens and forever preening in front of his peahen. It has been a delight over the years to see him with his long tail of feathers, fanning it out and posing for anyone who wanted to give him the time of day. Sadly, with his rain soaked attire he met his match in our dog/s recently when he was too heavy to be able to pick himself up and fly away from their grasp... I didn't see it happen and I didn't hear anything either, but I walked outside in the late sun drenched afternoon to find tail feathers all over. On inspection I found the scene of the crime and a rather large body the size of a turkey, left alone but surely only for a while. As Johan said, where man's caring and nurturing suffices, nature eventually takes over. We will miss his presence and remember his antics fondly.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
On the search for a new church
Anyone who knows us as a family know that we are a family of believers in the Bible and have over the years attended church on a regular basis...I have been told in the past that I am arrogant when it comes to religion and what I believe in and maybe to some it might appear to be that way, however I would rather choose to say that I am rather passionate.
Johan and I were married at Holy Trinity Church in Pietermaritzburg...it is one of many Church of England in South Africa congregations and we were married there because of my family church background. That is not to say that my family had ever attended this church, because we didn't...in fact as a youngster after moving to Pietermaritzburg from the UK, we children attended Scottsville Baptist Church which was just down the road from where we lived, and this was only because they presented great holiday clubs which we went to to keep us occupied and I reckon also to keep us out of my mother's hair...haha. No, our ties with the Church of England stemmed from the days before we moved to South Africa, but sadly when we arrived here in the early 70's, there was no congregation to go to. Then in my matric year, the Church of England started a congregation in Pietermaritzburg and that was the beginning of great things for both the church and for us too.
So after Johan and I became engaged and we had to decide where we were going to be married, we decided on Holy Trinity. Johan was a regular at the Evangelies Gereformeerde Kerk which you will no doubt deduce to be an Afrikaans church and it was...(still is). However after we were married we moved over to his congregation for some years where he served as an sidesperson, and because he attended Bible College for a year, also ran a Bible study and did some lay preaching. We didn't stay for too many years though and decided to leave when Mark was 2 and Matthew, 4, so that they could grow up with more continuity and have an easier understanding for God's word. It is difficult when you have two parents from different backgrounds, religions and cultures, to marry the two and raise your children the best way you know how. Anyway our decision was one made purely on language ability, as at that stage the boys heard and spoke more English than they did Afrikaans. So it was that we went back to the Church of England, and until recently we have stayed there.
Moving to Pretoria we discovered that there are two congregations in the city, both of which are very small and both of which have deep seated problems of which we were made aware even before moving. We did however give both congregations a try, only to leave after a year or two in each because of the problems that abound. It is sad to say, but it so often happens in small congregations that there is too much church politics and when you start to become involved you have to decide whether to accept things and turn a blind eye to things you know are wrong or get out...we decided to get out. We did however stay within the Church of England and joined the congregation at Midrand...some 60 km or so away from where we live. We had a lovely two years or so with them and then sadly decided to move on. The decision was not made lightly and was simply a matter of economics. Johan was unemployed and it became too costly to travel so far...now with the toll gates it costs even more than it did two years ago. So for the last two years we have been searching and visiting and trying in vain to find a new spiritual home and we thought we had found one earlier this year when a new congregation of a world renowned church started close to home. We were quite enthusiastic and once more began attending church on a regular basis, however after some months the hype began to wear off....this church is a lot more charismatic than we are used to, but that was okay, we went with the flow, but then their worship time became boring and predictable singing only from their own song repertoire and not even considering any other songs of worship...we did in fact sing the same songs week in and week out, over and over again. But still that isn't the reason we decided to leave...we left because they allow women to preach and I'm sorry if I offend some women's libbers who feel its alright for women to do the same things as men, but we are old school and have been taught that where a woman may give guidance and council within the church environment, that it is not her place to preach....that's just the way it is.
So we are once more on the search for a church that we can attend where we will feel at home and welcomed and be able to learn and grow in our spiritual well being....otherwise we will have to make a plan to get back to Midrand where we know we were happy...
Johan and I were married at Holy Trinity Church in Pietermaritzburg...it is one of many Church of England in South Africa congregations and we were married there because of my family church background. That is not to say that my family had ever attended this church, because we didn't...in fact as a youngster after moving to Pietermaritzburg from the UK, we children attended Scottsville Baptist Church which was just down the road from where we lived, and this was only because they presented great holiday clubs which we went to to keep us occupied and I reckon also to keep us out of my mother's hair...haha. No, our ties with the Church of England stemmed from the days before we moved to South Africa, but sadly when we arrived here in the early 70's, there was no congregation to go to. Then in my matric year, the Church of England started a congregation in Pietermaritzburg and that was the beginning of great things for both the church and for us too.
So after Johan and I became engaged and we had to decide where we were going to be married, we decided on Holy Trinity. Johan was a regular at the Evangelies Gereformeerde Kerk which you will no doubt deduce to be an Afrikaans church and it was...(still is). However after we were married we moved over to his congregation for some years where he served as an sidesperson, and because he attended Bible College for a year, also ran a Bible study and did some lay preaching. We didn't stay for too many years though and decided to leave when Mark was 2 and Matthew, 4, so that they could grow up with more continuity and have an easier understanding for God's word. It is difficult when you have two parents from different backgrounds, religions and cultures, to marry the two and raise your children the best way you know how. Anyway our decision was one made purely on language ability, as at that stage the boys heard and spoke more English than they did Afrikaans. So it was that we went back to the Church of England, and until recently we have stayed there.
Moving to Pretoria we discovered that there are two congregations in the city, both of which are very small and both of which have deep seated problems of which we were made aware even before moving. We did however give both congregations a try, only to leave after a year or two in each because of the problems that abound. It is sad to say, but it so often happens in small congregations that there is too much church politics and when you start to become involved you have to decide whether to accept things and turn a blind eye to things you know are wrong or get out...we decided to get out. We did however stay within the Church of England and joined the congregation at Midrand...some 60 km or so away from where we live. We had a lovely two years or so with them and then sadly decided to move on. The decision was not made lightly and was simply a matter of economics. Johan was unemployed and it became too costly to travel so far...now with the toll gates it costs even more than it did two years ago. So for the last two years we have been searching and visiting and trying in vain to find a new spiritual home and we thought we had found one earlier this year when a new congregation of a world renowned church started close to home. We were quite enthusiastic and once more began attending church on a regular basis, however after some months the hype began to wear off....this church is a lot more charismatic than we are used to, but that was okay, we went with the flow, but then their worship time became boring and predictable singing only from their own song repertoire and not even considering any other songs of worship...we did in fact sing the same songs week in and week out, over and over again. But still that isn't the reason we decided to leave...we left because they allow women to preach and I'm sorry if I offend some women's libbers who feel its alright for women to do the same things as men, but we are old school and have been taught that where a woman may give guidance and council within the church environment, that it is not her place to preach....that's just the way it is.
So we are once more on the search for a church that we can attend where we will feel at home and welcomed and be able to learn and grow in our spiritual well being....otherwise we will have to make a plan to get back to Midrand where we know we were happy...
Sheep...
A year ago today our flock of sheep were stolen during the night...it was a night I will not easily forget and still today I miss them.
Just a few days after Christmas...Matthew, Jess and my mum were still visiting us. Johan had already retired for the night and the rest of us were playing a board game. I think it was Scrabble, but I'm not sure. We were having loads of fun as we usually do when playing games, trying hard to be quiet so we didn't wake Johan...suddenly we became aware that there were sheep bleating. I recognized it to be one of the newer lambs and for a while we ignored it because sometimes if they become separated from their mother they carry on bleating until they have found her. We continued to play and the sheep continued to bleat, until it became both annoying and concerning. It wasn't usual for them to make any noise at night time, so I thought I would go and investigate. Matthew said he would go with me to have a look. I turned on the back outside spot light which shines very far...past the birds, past the pigs and right to the back of our plot where the sheep were kept at night. Matthew and I then went out, torch in hand, walking round all the outbuildings until we reached the top camp. I shone the torch into the camp, first under the shelter, where I saw the offending lamb together with another sheep...then I shone it further back and saw the rest of the flock standing further afield and closer to the boundary fence. Everything looked alright and while we were there shining the torch on them, they were all quiet. Matthew and I turned and left to go back into the house and to sleep.
The next morning when we woke, the sheep were all gone, bar two which were on the other side of the fence in our neighbour, Belinda's property.....the police were called as well as the stock theft unit but we never got any of them back. I could kick myself for not being more observant the night before and when thinking back there were a number of things that I should have noticed and questioned and in all probability woken Johan up about. Firstly, the fact that the lamb and one other sheep were alone under the shelter and not together with the others was unusual as sheep normally huddle together. Secondly, sheep don't stand and sleep, they usually lie down and all of them were standing. Thirdly, it wasn't usual that our flock were so far away from the gate and the shelter and as close to the boundary fence as they were that night. Not much to go on maybe, but in retrospect it was a lot.
We realized that in all probability when Matthew and I were outside shining the torch, the thieves were already there and had been busy all the while and that is why the sheep were so unsettled. Putting on the spot light was a stupid thing to do when all I had wanted to do was shine light as far back as I could, but in reality I tipped off the thieves that something was up...when the spot light was put on they would have hidden behind the huge pile of felled trees lying in the corner of the camp. It was around these trees that a makeshift camp had been made where the sheep were then herded and through the back fence between us and Belinda. They were taken all the way through Belinda's plot and through her front fence before being herded along the road and then being picked up...or so the police and the stock theft unit reckoned.
As I said, I miss our sheep but I won't replace them, we don't have the money and we worked out that we must have lost close to R 40 000 in sheep....and why get more that can just as easily be stolen!!!!!!
Just a few days after Christmas...Matthew, Jess and my mum were still visiting us. Johan had already retired for the night and the rest of us were playing a board game. I think it was Scrabble, but I'm not sure. We were having loads of fun as we usually do when playing games, trying hard to be quiet so we didn't wake Johan...suddenly we became aware that there were sheep bleating. I recognized it to be one of the newer lambs and for a while we ignored it because sometimes if they become separated from their mother they carry on bleating until they have found her. We continued to play and the sheep continued to bleat, until it became both annoying and concerning. It wasn't usual for them to make any noise at night time, so I thought I would go and investigate. Matthew said he would go with me to have a look. I turned on the back outside spot light which shines very far...past the birds, past the pigs and right to the back of our plot where the sheep were kept at night. Matthew and I then went out, torch in hand, walking round all the outbuildings until we reached the top camp. I shone the torch into the camp, first under the shelter, where I saw the offending lamb together with another sheep...then I shone it further back and saw the rest of the flock standing further afield and closer to the boundary fence. Everything looked alright and while we were there shining the torch on them, they were all quiet. Matthew and I turned and left to go back into the house and to sleep.
The next morning when we woke, the sheep were all gone, bar two which were on the other side of the fence in our neighbour, Belinda's property.....the police were called as well as the stock theft unit but we never got any of them back. I could kick myself for not being more observant the night before and when thinking back there were a number of things that I should have noticed and questioned and in all probability woken Johan up about. Firstly, the fact that the lamb and one other sheep were alone under the shelter and not together with the others was unusual as sheep normally huddle together. Secondly, sheep don't stand and sleep, they usually lie down and all of them were standing. Thirdly, it wasn't usual that our flock were so far away from the gate and the shelter and as close to the boundary fence as they were that night. Not much to go on maybe, but in retrospect it was a lot.
We realized that in all probability when Matthew and I were outside shining the torch, the thieves were already there and had been busy all the while and that is why the sheep were so unsettled. Putting on the spot light was a stupid thing to do when all I had wanted to do was shine light as far back as I could, but in reality I tipped off the thieves that something was up...when the spot light was put on they would have hidden behind the huge pile of felled trees lying in the corner of the camp. It was around these trees that a makeshift camp had been made where the sheep were then herded and through the back fence between us and Belinda. They were taken all the way through Belinda's plot and through her front fence before being herded along the road and then being picked up...or so the police and the stock theft unit reckoned.
As I said, I miss our sheep but I won't replace them, we don't have the money and we worked out that we must have lost close to R 40 000 in sheep....and why get more that can just as easily be stolen!!!!!!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Time to bring out the tractor
How awesome is it that we have had as much rain as we have so far this summer. We certainly waited long enough after having two particularly hot and dry summers before this one, and now comes the part where both the grass and the weeds are in constant need of attention. Johan doesn't know which way to turn at the moment, without noticing how much work needs to be done.
Today he borrowed the community tractor to mow down our driveway and under the fruit trees...it almost reminds me of living in KZN where it is so wet that as Johan has often joked, if you plant a broomstick it will shoot and grow. This can be a really pretty time of year with all the bushes flowering and adding colour to the garden...and we don't have many flowering plants because we are usually so dry and having a shallow borehole we don't want to waste water.
When we first moved here we had no idea that we needed to be so careful with our water as we did not have access to municipal water and were entirely reliant upon our borehole. Imagine my dismay when one Sunday morning in early September 2005, I turned on the tap in the kitchen and no water ran out...our borehole had dried up and we didn't know. We had to cart water in 25 litre drums for 5 months before the rains came and our borehole was filled again. Thank goodness one of our neighbours who has a much deeper borehole than us, and my brother who lived in the city, were willing to share their water with us. Every weekend we would go to one or other of them and fill 10 drums with water which we used through the week. It was for dishes and laundry, bathing and cooking. I remember we bathed in the absolute minimum bit of water which was awful considering that I love to wallow...lol Ever since then we have been very frugal with our water usage because that first year here is never far from the back of our minds.
So for now we enjoy every droplet of rain and relish in the dampness of the ground and as much as it may pain us to have extra work to do, we feel blessed and happy to be in the situation that we are right now...
Today he borrowed the community tractor to mow down our driveway and under the fruit trees...it almost reminds me of living in KZN where it is so wet that as Johan has often joked, if you plant a broomstick it will shoot and grow. This can be a really pretty time of year with all the bushes flowering and adding colour to the garden...and we don't have many flowering plants because we are usually so dry and having a shallow borehole we don't want to waste water.
When we first moved here we had no idea that we needed to be so careful with our water as we did not have access to municipal water and were entirely reliant upon our borehole. Imagine my dismay when one Sunday morning in early September 2005, I turned on the tap in the kitchen and no water ran out...our borehole had dried up and we didn't know. We had to cart water in 25 litre drums for 5 months before the rains came and our borehole was filled again. Thank goodness one of our neighbours who has a much deeper borehole than us, and my brother who lived in the city, were willing to share their water with us. Every weekend we would go to one or other of them and fill 10 drums with water which we used through the week. It was for dishes and laundry, bathing and cooking. I remember we bathed in the absolute minimum bit of water which was awful considering that I love to wallow...lol Ever since then we have been very frugal with our water usage because that first year here is never far from the back of our minds.
So for now we enjoy every droplet of rain and relish in the dampness of the ground and as much as it may pain us to have extra work to do, we feel blessed and happy to be in the situation that we are right now...
Friday, December 27, 2013
Christmas and Boxing Days...
I have to say that this week has gone so quickly that yesterday I realized that I had lost a day...lol I couldn't for the life of me think what day of the week it was, I knew it was Boxing Day, but wasn't too sure if it was Wednesday or Thursday...NiQi soon reminded me though and I still had to try and figure it out again. Anyway, now that I am finally clear on this I cannot believe that Christmas is over for another year...and it's a good thing that I can still remember the reason for the celebration any time I like and don't have to keep it to the 25th December only.
We really had a good time this year, we missed Matthew and Jess of course, but otherwise it was a relaxing time spent with Johan's sister Mariana, hubby Bryan and son Bryan Junior. I am sure that the excitement of NiQi coming home on Monday helped with the whole vibe too. The feeling I had was one of great excitement, more so than in the previous few years, where NiQi's health dampened our spirit and generally left us wondering if there would be a next year to celebrate together. Happily this year I don't feel that way at all and anticipate many such Christmas's together as a family.
There have been some years that I have not felt like being around other people at this time of year and those were the years we opted to be on our own. I remember Mark's last Christmas with us in 1994 and we then had a feeling it could very well be the final one...what we didn't know at the time was that it was also to be Johan's mums last Christmas with her family as she and Mark passed away just 7 weeks apart, she aged 59 and he aged 9. More than anything I remember that Christmas as the year that Mark woke sometime between we putting the presents out under the tree and waking in the morning...he had gone through to the lounge and fallen asleep again on the carpet under the Christmas tree. It was most unusual and you have to know that none of our children have ever woken before Johan and I on a Christmas morning, we have always had to wake them. When I walked through the house that morning from our bedroom and saw that tiny little curled up ball of a boy lying asleep, I was overcome with emotion, especially because he had become so frail from continuously being sick. His excitement and anticipation did not waiver in the light of his health...he was so to say, 'as keen as a bean' to see what might be wrapped up for him. Whether he actually looked at any of the presents lying there under the tree to see how many there were for him, I will never know as we didn't ask and he didn't say. The next few Christmas's after that were quiet, my decision I'm afraid to say and I wonder now whether I wasn't perhaps being selfish, wallowing in my own self pity and dragging my family to my 'pity party'. I can't change the past but I can make the present better. We grow with time and acknowledge our mistakes, endeavouring not to repeat history, but to take lessons from it and make things better.
So this Christmas was wonderful and Boxing Day too, which we spent with Kyle's family...getting to know them as NiQi has done over this last year...the photo's tell a story...
We really had a good time this year, we missed Matthew and Jess of course, but otherwise it was a relaxing time spent with Johan's sister Mariana, hubby Bryan and son Bryan Junior. I am sure that the excitement of NiQi coming home on Monday helped with the whole vibe too. The feeling I had was one of great excitement, more so than in the previous few years, where NiQi's health dampened our spirit and generally left us wondering if there would be a next year to celebrate together. Happily this year I don't feel that way at all and anticipate many such Christmas's together as a family.
There have been some years that I have not felt like being around other people at this time of year and those were the years we opted to be on our own. I remember Mark's last Christmas with us in 1994 and we then had a feeling it could very well be the final one...what we didn't know at the time was that it was also to be Johan's mums last Christmas with her family as she and Mark passed away just 7 weeks apart, she aged 59 and he aged 9. More than anything I remember that Christmas as the year that Mark woke sometime between we putting the presents out under the tree and waking in the morning...he had gone through to the lounge and fallen asleep again on the carpet under the Christmas tree. It was most unusual and you have to know that none of our children have ever woken before Johan and I on a Christmas morning, we have always had to wake them. When I walked through the house that morning from our bedroom and saw that tiny little curled up ball of a boy lying asleep, I was overcome with emotion, especially because he had become so frail from continuously being sick. His excitement and anticipation did not waiver in the light of his health...he was so to say, 'as keen as a bean' to see what might be wrapped up for him. Whether he actually looked at any of the presents lying there under the tree to see how many there were for him, I will never know as we didn't ask and he didn't say. The next few Christmas's after that were quiet, my decision I'm afraid to say and I wonder now whether I wasn't perhaps being selfish, wallowing in my own self pity and dragging my family to my 'pity party'. I can't change the past but I can make the present better. We grow with time and acknowledge our mistakes, endeavouring not to repeat history, but to take lessons from it and make things better.
So this Christmas was wonderful and Boxing Day too, which we spent with Kyle's family...getting to know them as NiQi has done over this last year...the photo's tell a story...
not sure if 'Santa' needs to put his glasses on???
Always a kid when it comes to presents...
Surveying the lot...
Johan's paper...
Appropriate wording given by Matthew and Jess
When her cousin is around there is always fun and lots of smiles
contemplating pudding????
Even Tod sneaked in a lick or two and helped with the 'clean up'
Chef...
Carver...
NiQi's plate...
Aaaaah this is what Christmas is about...
Toasting marshmallows
a tortured dog...peering through a crack in the wall at the neighbour...
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