Tuesday 28 April 2009

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Here it is...

Hope this gives you something good to think about this week & work towards in this coming month. This is really achievable...One layout...Let me know if you take part...we have to keep our layouts under wraps until the competition is over so I can't go posting it here on my blog (or anywhere else for that matter...) but will show you all as soon as I can ;-D

So, you've probably gathered by now that I'm back....Duh!...Joburg was wonderful. It was also freezing for us, now used to the humid climes of the tropics here in Durban, and also due to the fact that my Merit student son, Jack, checked out the temps for Durban, not Joburg, when I asked him to "check on the temperatures..." when we were doing our packing! Apparently he didn't hear me say "Oh that's fine then...just the same as here!" when he told me what they were - so we arrived with one sweater each & summer pyjamas. Needless to say, we froze our butts off & I am NEVER going to Joburg again without my own king-size duvet in the boot! And a proper jacket...not that I own one...I will have to look into buying one sometime soon, before the summer stock hits the shelves again.

I now have a 3.9kg neice, called Lyra & a very happy (& exhausted) brother- in-law & wife. 17 hours of labour, the first 7 with no pain relief, & an emergency caesarean at the end of it all...Jody is a tiny girl & she pushed & pushed but baby was just too big. She was desperate for an all-natural birth, and I agree wholeheartedly with her, but it just wasn't to be, maybe next time. I had a caesarean with Chelsea, because she was breach, followed by 3 natural births, and reduced the pain relief each time, until, with Cami, I had nothing. For me, it was the best as I don't react well to medication & preferred to be totally in control. Each to his own though, as long as you have an experience that you are happy with & baby is not in distress, that's all that counts isn't it?

We missed seeing the baby, due to the prolonged labour, as we eventually had to leave Joburg to face the long drive home. We lurked as long as we could, hoping... The hockey was great & the Joburg model C schools were highly impressive. At least I know if we ever have to relocate that the schools are wonderful. Joburg was quite quiet, due to the long weekend, so even the traffic wasn't that bad. We did, however, manage to get lost, for 2 hours, right in Central Joburg, by the notorious Vodacom building, so that was exciting. I actually loved it, brave girl that I am (I have had so many "incidents" I wasn't phased) & took some great photos (scary when you have to keep putting the window up & down to avoid someone grabbing your camera & running off with it...) so that was my adrenaline rush for the week...will post my collage later in the week (when I have made it, LOL!)

I didn't win any prize in the Back Porch Memories crop lucky-draws, but did get 13 layouts done & now know how to "forum" (what's the verb? Like blog?) & post to a gallery within a forum, link back, etc, so I am happy that that is no longer a grey area for me. I actually really enjoyed it & was sad that I missed the Cocoadaisy one this weekend, particularly as I subscribe there now, I did do some scrapping though-7 hours of it (through the night as it was a surprise & I had no time to do it before I left) to get a little (70 page...) mini-album done for my new neice. I had no idea it had so many pages - preparing it seemed interminable! It was fun to do though & the first time I have ever prepared an album with no photos. I titled each page then placed a mat for the photo to go on to & embellished. I had no time to photograph it unfortunately.

It was actually a very busy weekend & I am not really ready for this week at all. I have 2 good Zimbabwean friends here that I need to see this week before they go back (all Zimbabweans descend on Durban every April school holidays...they have to get out of that place for the sake of their sanity & also to shop for boring things like food & toiletries) & am behind on my Design Team submissions for the first time this year, so tomorrow I have to get down to some serious scrapping. Today was all about school circulars, paying bills & grocery shopping, etc.

My feet took some serious strain this weekend, as I took only closed-in shoes (at the advice of my newly acquired podiatrist) as she told me the slops I wear are slowing down the healing process in my feet (long story - 3 years ago - never fully recovered). As I don't wear the shoes I took with me for long periods of time, I had no idea how uncomfortable they were & ended up with blisters all over the place!!! Those 3 pairs of shoes are now in my "to give away" space & I am back in my slops & much happier for it. She told me I ideally need to live in Crocs. I went looking for some today (when I was grocery shopping) & tried on a pair in each colour. They make me look like a clown-they aren't my style-I can't bring myself to wear them...I'll just have to have sore feet for the rest of my life. Off to soak them in a bucket of radox & hot water & read my new book...Digital Scrapbooking for Dummies...that's me! LOL!! ;-D

7 comments:

Mette Thomas said...

urghh i hate crocs i agree with teh clown feet scenario i look down and really hate the look of them - though other people all look fine in them.

Though seriously crocs are so floppy and unsupportive what differnce is it wearing them and slops?? though inm not entirelly sure what slops are, i really dont see crocs are being any good for sore feet?? who knows not me LOL
Mette

Vicki said...

I love my crocs for sore feet as they are cushioned and find mine really supportive. I wear them as slippers too cos they are so warm! What a shame you missed out on seeing your new niece. Glad you had a lovely weekend and good for you scrapping all those layouts. Its a good feeling isn't it/

Shayne said...

Try the Mary Jane style crocs - from that nice outdoor shop - completely forgotten it's name? Oh, Cape Union Mart. They're on special for R299 and they've got nice colours and your feet don't look too big and clownish.

CathQuillScrap said...

Good luck with the show story... I know I battle finding the right comfy shoes too... and I also don't do the croc thing.. though others swear by them!

I've entered the pagemaps contest too.. good luck to both of us!

Desire Fourie said...

Had a nice cuppa whilst reading this lovely post. Busy gal you are. Its funny, but we did not get that cold last winter (our first here in Jhb) since our move from Durban. Its mostly because we expected a much colder winter as it use to be when we lived in Pretoria for 10 years and the winters during the 1990's were at least 5 to 6 degrees colder back then. Also agree, can't see my feet in crocs at all. Hugs from Desire

Lynette Jacobs said...

I am sure there is a better alternative to crocs...they are so UGLY!

Glad you're back...I hate JHB...my little backwater is so much more preferable.

Bernadine said...

I bought myself a R50 pair of imitation Crocs from P & P about two years ago with the specific purpose of wearing them at the beach house and my sister and Jessica revolted.

I was told to throw them away and in exchange for my R50 spent I got a R600 pair of shoes that I absolutely loved and would have not afforded myself.