Winter chills

Winter has arrived.

It hasn't knocked on the door. It has not been invited in. It has rudely gate crashed.

Hee-bee-gee-beez it's cold.

Here are some ideas to keep you warm this Winter:

Save a penny (no need to buy a hot water bottle) and allow your dog to sleep in your bed. I am adopting three dogs, so that's five in total (five hot water bottles in my bed).



Avoid your heater chowing electricity and build a fire. We have a fire place in the new house so we pretty much sorted in this respect.

Kill two birds with one stone - use the oven. When cooking dinner or your favourite roast chicken meal, open the oven door slightly and warm up. Chicken gets cooked and you get warm. Hey presto!

Make your past clothes present. Rummage through your old clothes that are pushed at the back of the cupboard and starting to smell of moth balls, and put them on. The more the layers the better. You'll look like a snow man or the Mitchelin man, but hey you'll be warm. I need to get some clothes, I have no Winter coverage.

Cuddle. No need for an electric blanket, use your partner. Chris, my hubi, is like a walking heater. One minute under the covers and it's nice and warm. Who says body heat doesn't work?

Well, now we can look forward to snuggling under the covers, drinking hot chocolate and freezing our balls off everytime we have to crawl the bathroom to pee at night. (Ladies, winter is a bitch esp when the tiolet seat is cold)

Winter is here, enjoy the Winter willies.

Country Liv'in

I'm going country.

Over the past few days my world has changed 360%. In a nutshell, I have been volunteering at HAWS (animal shelter) and have been thinking about adopting dogs. Living in an estate, this was not happening. So I sat my parents down (like a teenager sitting down with her parents about to state that she's preggers) and said that I was thinking about moving out somewhere in order to be able to foster and adopt some dogs. I wasn't planning to move out yet, maybe in a few months...

But life is a funny thing...

I went the next day to view a house on a farm (for shits and giggles - like a wanna-be bride trying on wedding dresses just to pass time) and it was luv at first sight.

I found my dream home.

Porch around the side and front of the house, massive garden, old wooden floors and pine doors, four large bedrooms and the owner said I could have many dogs. It is on Pecannut farm and the views from the house are breath-taking. There's also a fireplace too (I'm blessed). Is this not a universal sign?

It took me ONE hour to decide.

So I'm movin to the country... well... farm.

I'll be planting herbs and doing up the garden - in true farmer style with dirty pants and a plumbers crack.

Making chutneys and pastry from scratch.

Living with the bugs and the bees.

Listening to the quiet sounds of nature.

I'll also be adopting 3 dachshunds - Milton, Lady and Odis. They are gonna love it.

I'll be terribly sad to leave my folks but at least I'll know that I'll be giving these dogs a good life.

I look forward to country liv'in.... I'm sure I'll make a damn fine farmer's wife!

I know

I'm a person who has, throughout my almost 25 years of living, continued to search for 'myself'. I've always looked to books, spiritual courses, other people's opinions etc to find out who I am. I have always thought "Okay, if I read this book or if I go to this course I'll know who I am, and by the end of the book or course I'll have the answer to the question I have always been asking.... Who am I?"

I spoke to this man one night at a pub, and he gave me the key that unlocked something in my brain.

He said: "You already know. You already know that you know. You know."

I have always been hard on myself and have always thought that I needed to struggle, or go through a hard journey, to figure things out. I consciously put myself through these journeys thinking that only after such soul-searching then I would have the answers. It's like I could never have had it easy. (Notice the past tense). I could never be one of those people who had it all, and had it easy.

Well I am NOW one of those people. I have come to the realisation that I don't have to go through soul-searching to know who I am. I already do.

I know that I know.
I accept that I know.
I KNOW.

I have always felt that I was 'missing' something in my life. That I was missing 'me' as I didn't know who I was. But now that I know, I don't miss anything. I makes me feel happy.

I am content.

I am content because I know.

It's hard to explain, but just know that for the first time in my life, the weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I no longer feel that I have to struggle to find 'me'.

I know who I am. I know that I know. I accept that I know.

Customer service

This is the look I got from the person behind the desk, after waiting for long in the line at SARS (South African Revenue Services); having been notified that my request can not be done as I don't have the correct documents...



Well it wasn't a man, but it was the same posture and same emotionless expression.

Woman: You do not have the proof of residence documents so we cannot process your request

Upset Me: Are you fuck'en serious. I have waited in the line for so long and now you only tell me that I don't have the right documents. Why doesn't anyone tell me what documents to bring?

Woman: There's nothing I can do. Blank stare.

Angry me: I am going to go to your manager and tell him that this is bullshit. Noone tells anyone what to do or bring.

Woman: Shrug. Blank stare.

Vexed me: So there is nothing I can do? (a tear almost came out due to sheer frustration) What a waste of my time

Woman: Blank stare

This is the response I have been getting from a lot of people during the time of registering my business.

They don't help. They don't offer solutions. They just shrug and stare. I am sick of the stare.

I should have said: "Listen here you stupid woman, it's not my fault that working in this boring, cement-like enclosed office dulls you of any emotion."

So, winner of the best starer when it comes to no help, no solutions, no customer service goes to the emotionless woman at SARS.

The blind side to HAWS

I watched such an inspirational movie last night - The Blind Side. I recommend it to each and everyone of you.

The movie is about a white women who adopts a black boy. A movie that depicts such hope, such kindness. If everyone can be like that lady - the world is sure to be a better place.

It put firecrackers up my arse!

After watching, I spent the night in bed thinking about how I can help the world; how I could make a difference.

I decided to go to HAWS today - The Hartbeespoort Animal Welfare Society, where they keep stray/abandoned dogs and cats. I bought dog food and cat food. I did my good deed for the day. Everyone should do ONE good deed a day.



Now honestly I am the wrong person to go to a dog/animal shelter. I cry. I get attached. I feel bad for them. I swear, if I could take all those dogs home with me I would. When I have my own place, I'll have so many dogs (and geese, because of the fois gras I spoke about in a previous blog). All 97 dogs will sleep in my bed. (I'll have to get 3 double beds to have the space.)

There was this one dog, Camile. She was an oldish dachshund with a scar on her back. She broke my heart. On first glimpse I cried. I miss her. I wish I could take her home. In my heart I know one day she will be mine. My hubi bonded with another young dachshund, Milton. We'll get him too.

It's just disheartening because no one likes to adopt an older dog. Let alone an older dog with a scar. It's like old people - they are left in an old age home to wither and rot away. I will adopt her though.

Someone said to me: "Why do you put yourself through this, when you know seeing the dogs will only make you sad."

My reply: "Must I be like everyone else and turn on my blind side - turn a blind eye? I'll help HAWS, even if it means I'll be in continual heartbreak.

But I need to be committed to a cause - and HAWS it is. I thought of a great idea: the dogs need blankets, so I'll I'll cut up my old clothes in the garage and make blankets out of them.

I'm going to the shelter tomorrow.

I'm going to see Camile (I now call her Lady) and Milton and all the other dogs.

I'm going to go do my bit. I don't turn a blind eye. I hope you don't either. I hope you help in some way.

http://www.haws.co.za/