Shopping and SHOPPING!!!!!!!

So much has happened in the last day or so bringing mixed emotions, highs and lows....

Starting with the good, we have a brand new stove....gas...another victory over the rising electricity bill.  I am so excited about this new addition and have been planning this investment for so long.  Now to learn how to use it, both the plates and the oven part, and I already have plans for baking etc.  We bought a new gas bottle at the same time, bigger than the others we have for emergency cooking when the power goes off.  It is a 9 kg bottle....but having it filled was another story that had Johan in stitches.  NiQi and I went from town out to the small shopping centre near to us as we knew they have gas bottles.  They say you should never assume anything on what you hear or see and this proved to be one of those cases.  I went into the general trading store and paid to fill a 9 kg bottle with gas, went round to their stock yard, hauled out our brand new bottle and asked them to fill it up.  Well the chap didn't say anything, took the bottle and shortly returned with ANOTHER gas bottle....filled yes, but definitely not my brand new bottle I had handed over.  I looked at him in shock and said to him, I don't want someone else's second hand, dented and rusted bottle, I want mine - filled.  He must have thought me fairly stupid or something because he looked at me with a 'I don't understand' look on his face, then told me they don't fill gas bottles there, but swap an empty one for a full one.  So I politely told him I wasn't interested, to give me my bottle back and I would ask for a refund.  Marching inside I told them I was sorry but didn't understand the whole filling up a gas bottle story and would like my money back.  No quibble, I was given it back and we returned home, only to tell Johan the story later and he thought it was hilarious.  Thankfully this morning Johan and I went back to town and we found a gas supplier who filled it for us.  Yah, now Johan can connect the stove and bottle and voila I will be able to create new dishes to eat...hopefully not burnt!!!!

NiQi and I also started our Christmas shopping yesterday....so exciting I must say.  I went with a list filled with people's names and suggestions for possible gifts...  I am happy with my purchases, not huge, but things I know those on my list will like.  Christmas is a very special time of year for me, I just love it.  Decorating our home is an all day affair and usually takes place on the first Saturday in December.  There is only one year in all our years together that I decorated so late and with no thoughts of what I was really doing...I only did it because NiQi insisted and she wasn't even at home.  It was 2011, just two years ago...Matthew and Jess stayed in KZN that year, as did my mum and it was only going to be the 3 of us, but that doesn't normally deter me.  2011, NiQi was in hospital for much of the year and she ended up staying in during December and January 2012.  It was the week between Christmas and New Year she had a collapsed lung and we, her doctors and the nursing staff thought she would not pull through.  Well you all know she did, but it wasn't a great Christmas for us that year at all.  Besides that though I really get wrapped up in the reason for Christmas, I love the Carols sung around the birth of Christ, the Sunday School plays and the Church build up to the 25th December. I honestly don't care for the critics who look for the paganism in every little detail, I don't believe as they believe and my heart does not put the same meaning to things as they do, so they can say what they like, they will not stop me from enjoying the season of love, peace, joy and goodwill to all mankind....God gave me a heart to celebrate and celebrate we do.....