Some photo's I took in Canada last month - I can't believe I was actually there. It all seems like a beautiful dream now.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Some recent journal pages....when I packed up all my stuff to put into storage, I included all my art supplies. In the chaos of moving, and planning an overseas holiday I decided to take a break from art and art journalling, but when I moved in with my in-laws I missed the art journalling too much so I went out and bought some basic art supplies.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
There's been a lot of change in my life over the past few months. We sold our house, the new house we were supposed to go to fell through at the last moment and we ended up having to temporarily move in with my in-laws. We decided to do some travelling and because of the timing we didn't want to move into a new house and then leave it empty for a month while we were away - the high crime situation in South Africa makes it risky. So I'm still with the in-laws, we got back from overseas three weeks ago.
My whole life just about I have dreamed of going to New York....and that's just what we finally decided to do, and it was the most incredible, fabulous experience. We stayed in Manhattan for two entire weeks, we rented a little apartment in Chelsea, and afterwards we we went to Canada for two weeks, to Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. I'll write more about my travels and post some pics in future posts.
I share cooking dinner with my mom-in-law and it's actually quite nice and sociable. While it's obviously better to have your own home and space, I'm finding out that there are benefits to being part of an extended family, especially when they're really nice and you get along with them. As far as in-laws go, I am truly blessed. Sometimes we take turns to make dinner, sometimes we cook together, last night was my turn and I decided to go Indian and did a Balti chicken curry. It came out great, very tasty.
My dog Bandit, who's also staying with us and who lives up to his name. He loves to "help" out in the kitchen waiting for tasty tidbits to fall on the floor. This dog will eat just about anything and there's nothing more he enjoys than a good, strong cup of coffee in the morning. I'm one of those people who can't function in the morning without a cup of coffee - I have to be careful where I put my coffee mug, if I go away for a minute, by the time I get back the coffee will have disappeared except for the giveaway splashes on the table.
.....enjoying the warm Summer days......
My whole life just about I have dreamed of going to New York....and that's just what we finally decided to do, and it was the most incredible, fabulous experience. We stayed in Manhattan for two entire weeks, we rented a little apartment in Chelsea, and afterwards we we went to Canada for two weeks, to Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. I'll write more about my travels and post some pics in future posts.
I share cooking dinner with my mom-in-law and it's actually quite nice and sociable. While it's obviously better to have your own home and space, I'm finding out that there are benefits to being part of an extended family, especially when they're really nice and you get along with them. As far as in-laws go, I am truly blessed. Sometimes we take turns to make dinner, sometimes we cook together, last night was my turn and I decided to go Indian and did a Balti chicken curry. It came out great, very tasty.
My dog Bandit, who's also staying with us and who lives up to his name. He loves to "help" out in the kitchen waiting for tasty tidbits to fall on the floor. This dog will eat just about anything and there's nothing more he enjoys than a good, strong cup of coffee in the morning. I'm one of those people who can't function in the morning without a cup of coffee - I have to be careful where I put my coffee mug, if I go away for a minute, by the time I get back the coffee will have disappeared except for the giveaway splashes on the table.
.....enjoying the warm Summer days......
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Sold
Some random pics around the house - which is now sold. I'm happy about that and also have a bit of trepidation about what the future will hold. We have until the end of August to find another place to live and so far still no luck. If the worst comes to the worst we will have to put all our stuff into storage and move in with my in-laws temporarily. Which actually as far as the worst things happening is far from the worst all things considered, just not an ideal situation. My main worry about living with the in-laws is that our poor cat will end up in the kennels for a while and he hates going there.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Mental meanderings
I have been a bad blogger, I am finding it harder to write about myself and talk about my life than I thought. And also I am not in the best mental space right now and I don't want to be one of those people that are always complaining about how bad things are and then never get off their butts to do anything about it. Half of my problem I think is that I'm not working full time at the moment and I have too much time on my hands and spend too much time alone during week days. When I have the opportunity to go out and interact with people I feel a lot better.
Anyway the good news is that I am going on holiday down to the ocean tomorrow for a week with my husband and some friends.....and when I get back I REALLY have to sort out my life and my headspace and fucking well move on!!!!! I WILL get out of this rut I'm in, and I WILL find some gainful employment or volunteer for a worthy cause....and I am going to sign up for the Photoshop course I want to do!!!!
Anyway the good news is that I am going on holiday down to the ocean tomorrow for a week with my husband and some friends.....and when I get back I REALLY have to sort out my life and my headspace and fucking well move on!!!!! I WILL get out of this rut I'm in, and I WILL find some gainful employment or volunteer for a worthy cause....and I am going to sign up for the Photoshop course I want to do!!!!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Saturday
This morning we went out for a girls only tea for my sister's birthday. We went to The Westcliff, a really lovely hotel. It was great, wonderful food, but the best part is the amazing view looking over the city. Johannesburg is known as the world's largest man made forest, and you can see from the view all the beautiful trees.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
66 Third Avenue Kew
A large part of life is about memory and forgetting. The things you choose to remember, the things you try to forget. Sometimes we remember things the way they really were, sometimes we remember things the way we wish they were, sometimes we remember things the way we think they were. Sometimes the things we try the hardest to forget are the things we remember the most, and sometimes the things we thought we had forgotten weave themselves into our dreams and we awaken to sense distant fragments of pain and the taste of bitter ashes in our mouths.
66 Third Avenue Kew is the house where I grew up. I lived there from 1975 until 1982, from the ages of five to thirteen. It's the place of my happiest childhood memories, and the place where my parents started fighting, got divorced and my whole safe world fell apart. Sometimes I remember the bad stuff, not as much as I used to, but mostly when I remember 66 Third Avenue, the sun is always shining, I'm playing happily in the garden with my little brother, or playing Marco Polo in the swimming pool with my friends, or eating fruit from the beautiful fruit trees we had, plums, nectarines and apricots. In my memory, no fruit is more delicious than those ripe, juicy plums and nectarines we ate on hot Summer days, the juice running down our chins, our fingers sweet and sticky.
Today, I was working for a client in an area right next to my old house, so I decided to take a drive past. I had driven past a couple of years before, so I knew what to expect and that the area had become completely rundown over the passing years. When I lived there it was a typical well kept upper middle class suburb, in my memory how it was, has become a perfect Wisteria Lane, without the secrets and drama's.
I took some photo's, and the grey, dreary weather only served to make the place look even more seedy and desolate.
This was my road. My old house is the second one behind the fence on the right, where youu can just about see a bit of white wall. The area has become a crime hot spot and is now fenced off for security purposes. I wanted to drive past the house but all the roads leading into the suburb are fenced off like this. I ended up driving just about around the whole suburb before I found a small road that was unfenced and managed to make my way to the house.
Electric fences with razor wire behind more razor wire for safety against crime
Desolation row
My old house, 66 Third Avenue Kew. When we lived here, the electronic gate wasn't here and the driveway was open to the road. We didn't have this huge big wall either, there was a small waist high wall separating the garden from the road. Back then it was a safe area to live in, none of the houses had high walls like they do now. We used to ride our bikes with our friends in the road.
This abandoned car service station is just before the security fence in the top photo at the bottom of the road. It belonged to a couple called Bob and Glenda, my parents were friendly with them, they had kids our age and it was a great place to rollerskate and ride bikes over the weekend when it was closed. In those days it was all open and unfenced.
Well, that's the end of my little trip down memory lane. I'll always remember it as it was, and not as it is now.
66 Third Avenue Kew is the house where I grew up. I lived there from 1975 until 1982, from the ages of five to thirteen. It's the place of my happiest childhood memories, and the place where my parents started fighting, got divorced and my whole safe world fell apart. Sometimes I remember the bad stuff, not as much as I used to, but mostly when I remember 66 Third Avenue, the sun is always shining, I'm playing happily in the garden with my little brother, or playing Marco Polo in the swimming pool with my friends, or eating fruit from the beautiful fruit trees we had, plums, nectarines and apricots. In my memory, no fruit is more delicious than those ripe, juicy plums and nectarines we ate on hot Summer days, the juice running down our chins, our fingers sweet and sticky.
Today, I was working for a client in an area right next to my old house, so I decided to take a drive past. I had driven past a couple of years before, so I knew what to expect and that the area had become completely rundown over the passing years. When I lived there it was a typical well kept upper middle class suburb, in my memory how it was, has become a perfect Wisteria Lane, without the secrets and drama's.
I took some photo's, and the grey, dreary weather only served to make the place look even more seedy and desolate.
This was my road. My old house is the second one behind the fence on the right, where youu can just about see a bit of white wall. The area has become a crime hot spot and is now fenced off for security purposes. I wanted to drive past the house but all the roads leading into the suburb are fenced off like this. I ended up driving just about around the whole suburb before I found a small road that was unfenced and managed to make my way to the house.
Electric fences with razor wire behind more razor wire for safety against crime
Desolation row
My old house, 66 Third Avenue Kew. When we lived here, the electronic gate wasn't here and the driveway was open to the road. We didn't have this huge big wall either, there was a small waist high wall separating the garden from the road. Back then it was a safe area to live in, none of the houses had high walls like they do now. We used to ride our bikes with our friends in the road.
This abandoned car service station is just before the security fence in the top photo at the bottom of the road. It belonged to a couple called Bob and Glenda, my parents were friendly with them, they had kids our age and it was a great place to rollerskate and ride bikes over the weekend when it was closed. In those days it was all open and unfenced.Well, that's the end of my little trip down memory lane. I'll always remember it as it was, and not as it is now.
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