Victims of an Armed Robbery

Foe those that don't know (or know exactly what happened), William, my mom and I were victims of an armed robbery at home on Saturday 5 December at 11:45am.

This is how it happened:

I was visiting my mom in her flat (William was on his computer in the study), and I did left the front door open and the Trellidor unlocked in the main house. You'd think you'd be safe during broad daylight on a Saturday but that was not the case. Everything was shut and locked in my  mom’s flat because I had seen what looked like the Jehovah’s Witness people walking down the road so we wanted to pretend we weren’t home and avoid that conversation. I was sitting at her kitchenette, with a view out the kitchen window when I saw a white floppy hat go passed. Knowing we weren’t expecting anyone, I said to my mom “Someone’s here” then went to look out her lounge window for a better view. That’s when I saw the first guy with the gun (a 9mm pistol we later found out). He was standing on the paving between the flat and the house looking around. Time stood still and it actually felt like I was in a vacuum. My first instinct was to shout so I screamed “What are you doing here?! Go away” He looked right at me and then I realized we were in trouble. Not knowing what his intentions were I thought he was just there to kill us. My mom and I ran to her bedroom where the alarm keypad and panic button were and we thought we’d hide there until the armed response came. There was no key in the door lock so we stood with our backs to the door to keep it closed. I pressed every single key on the keypad and nothing happened. No sound or alarm. Nothing. I can't explain the feeling of isolation experienced knowing you have one or more armed intruders on your property and there's NO ONE to help you. We had changed security companies on the Thursday before the incident so at the time we thought the link up between the house and the control room had not been done properly. Panicking I took my three week old engagement ring off and put it in my jeans pocket. My mom started screaming for help hoping the neighbors would hear and raise the alarm.

We felt the pushing against the door (later discovered that the smallest criminal had climbed through the doggy door in the sliding door to get into the flat who then opened up for the other), but the criminals never spoke so we didn’t know if it was perhaps William or the security company trying to get in. After asking “Who’s there” and not getting an answer we knew to expect the worst. They eventually kicked the door with such force that my mom was pushed into the wall and I went flying across the room. Two armed men were in  the bedroom with us and told us to take off our jewelry, and we must give them our watches and cellphones. My mom’s Michel Herbelin watch and her Nomination bracelet were taken, two very sentimental pieces that can't really be replaced when/if the insurance company pays out. One of the criminals patted down my jeans pockets but thankfully didn’t find the ring.

They took my mom’s TV, handbag with everything in it and marched us across to the main house. Their getaway car was a white Audi A4, reverse parked, engine running and doors open. William, hearing my mom screaming earlier, ran out the study and down the passage only to be confronted with a gun to the head and was told to lie down on the passage floor. The criminal with William opened the gate using our remote which was by the front door to allow the getaway car to get in. William wasn’t moving when I saw him so didn’t know if he’d been hurt. The ringleader told us to lie down on the passage floor next to William. Once down on the floor I grabbed his hand and asked if he was OK. He said he was and that we should just do as the criminals say. Midget and Didget (who never barked once) lay on top of my mom and William. The three criminals ransacked the house, asked if William’s car had a tracker so he said yes. We later found they had prepped the car to go - the garage door was open, the key was in the ignition and the seat was pushed all the way back. They took alcohol, my personal laptop, William’s work laptop, my camera and video camera, all my jewelry, three watches of William’s, his clothes, the lounge TV, my hairdryer, the kettle, George Foreman Grill, the tablet and some other stuff. They kept telling us to look down and not at them. Towards the end, the criminals had the audacity to apologize to us, saying "We're sorry about this" or "We're sorry hey". We lay in the passage for approximately 20 minutes before they moved us to the main bedroom (the only room in the house with a key in the lock) and told us to lie down on the floor.  One locked the bedroom door from the inside (it wasn’t locking from the passage side) and escaped through the bathroom window. The other two had already gone out the front door and were waiting in the car. The car pulled off (quietly, no urgency) so we waited a minute or two then climbed out the bedroom window. Luckily we don’t have burglar bars else we would not have been able to get out. William ran through the front door and pressed the panic button (which worked) and our armed response company arrived on scene a few minutes thereafter.

The aftermath consisted of giving our statements to the police, cancelling bank cards and cellphone accounts with the service providers and contacting a locksmith to open our bedroom door as the thieves had taken the key with them. William's iPhone was thrown out the car window a few blocks away (iPhones are very easily tracked and the thieves must have known this) but unfortunately nothing else.

We are so thankful to everybody that stopped by after hearing the news, family, friends, our local CPF patrollers, neighbours and so many more. Your offers of a bed for the night, to cook us dinner, draw cash, etc really resonated within our hearts and we are so grateful to have such fantastic people like you in our lives.

We are going for counselling and heal a bit more each day. People ask if it feels like we're reliving the experience when we tell the story but I personally don't. It's more draining than anything because I get so invested in telling it, so I typed out a version of the events and emailed it to some people when I was just too exhausted to tell it again. 

Thanks for all the calls, emails, WhatsApps and Facebook messages that we have received since the incident - we appreciate them all.

Stay safe everyone, those thieves did their Christmas shopping in our house and crime only seems to be getting worse in the lead up to Christmas Day.

Simone

My Weight Loss Journey

I started writing this post in 2014, hoping I'd reach my goal weight then publish it, but life happened. Being unhappy at work triggered comfort eating. Fast food, chocolates and biscuits became my coping mechanism. I put on a decent five kilograms of the twelve I initially lost (I weighed 72 kilos at my heaviest in 2011) and that horrified me. I'm now in a positive frame of mind to lose that weight again through the Momentum Wellness Challenge. It's a twelve week (starting tomorrow) program of structured eating and includes two exercise challenges. My entry weight is 63 kilograms and to mark the occasion I have taken two photographs as a means of measuring progress.

 

Here is the original post:

It's no secret that I have battled with my weight for many, many years.

I was a chubby primary school kid (who hated exercise so I was always bunking sports day), and was on Weigh-Less by the time I was 10 years old. Name the diet I have been on it. I even tried chewing each mouthful 25 times before swallowing! Then someone said I'm eating the components of my meal in the wrong order. I should ideally eat vegetables first, then starch and leave protein till last. No word of lie.

Weigh Less was particularly challenging as it involved weighing EVERYTHING I put into my mouth and wasn't very child friendly. You can imagine the hard time my mom had preparing my school lunches each day. Somehow fruit and veggies weren't very appealing when my peers had tuck money or sandwiches. Anyway, we pushed on and I attended every Thursday meeting to be weighed. My mom was a real trooper throughout. She was happy when I lost and supportive when I gained. This trend continued until I reached high school.

At 13, I gave Weigh Less up and tried out Sarah Ferguson's Weight Watchers. This eating plan was so much easier to manage. Each foodstuff is given a point rating, and the facilitator allocates each person a certain number of daily points . How one reaches that target each day is up to them, and the best part was very little needed to be weighed! Unlike Weigh Less, Weight Watchers encourages those little treats and places emphasis on the "everything in moderation" statement. This plan worked wonders for me. I followed it for years and lost a good deal of weight. 

Nearing the end of my high school career, I'd picked up a few kilos and because I wanted to lose the weight quickly (and in time for my Matric Farewell), I tried the Atkins' diet (or high protein diet). It also produced good results, but the high amount of protein gave me headaches, and permitted no carbohydrates or starches so I REALLY missed my cereal. The diet worked and I managed to slim down in time, and even kept the weight off for a few years. I was never rake thin as my African curves would never allow for such a figure, but I was less chunkier.

In October 2012, after seeing the photograph below, I decided that enough was enough and I wanted to lose the weight once and for all. I started a calisthenics class at Simply You four times per week, and although I didn't follow a diet per se, I watched what I ate and slowly the kilos started coming off. 

Have a look at my timeline below.

October 2012 - 67kgs

This photograph was taken at Shannon & Colin's wedding. Seeing my face so round was a real shock to the system and I knew something had to be done.

June 2013 - 64kgs

On holiday in Athens earlier this year. Once we returned, I started walking. At least five times per week, over distances ranging from 2 - 5kms. This cardio really kick-started my weight loss, and you can imagine my elation at finally finding something that has worked for me. I also adjusted my eating and the following was my mantra:

• Drink at least 6 glasses of water per day;
• Cut out carbohydrates at dinner time;
• Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and veggies per day; and
• To avoid tissue drowning (which also makes a person put on weight), limit liquids (other than water) to 7 x 240mls.

I love chocolate, sweets, ice cream, Wakaberry and biscuits and I never cut those items out whilst losing the weight. The key is everything in moderation. So instead of having a whole slab of chocolate in a sitting I only had 4 blocks. Two or three biscuits instead of half the packet. These small changes made a BIG difference.

August 2013 - 62kgs

At my 27th birthday party, wearing a pair of leather pants. This was a bucket list item for me.

October 2013 - 60kgs

At Angie and Roger's wedding. Almost there!

Technically I am at my ideal or goal weight, but I'd like to lose one or two extra kilograms just so that I have some room to move.

What I've lost:

• A shoe size. From a size 5 to a 4.
• 12 kilograms in total
• A bra size
• 83 centimeters across my arms, bust, waist, hips, bottom and thighs

Losing this weight has been a lifestyle change for me, and the best gift I could ever have given to myself (yes I am turning into one of those very annoying healthy people that no-one likes). I am more confident in myself, and for the first time in ages I actually look forward to clothes shopping. I can now wear figure hugging outfits and shorts, instead of the shapeless mid-calf dresses. However, anyone that was ever chunky and has lost a fair amount of weight will tell you, we are terrified of going back to the way we were and will do anything to keep the weight off. It's true that maintaining a healthy weight is sometimes more difficult than actually losing the weight, but I have found what works for me and as long as I stick to it my weight should stay stable. As soon as I stop moving, I put it back on. So now I know - don't ever stop exercising!

A special word of thanks must go out to everybody that has supported me during this journey. My mom, my gran, friends and other family. Even the ladies at Simply You who were never shy with their compliments which motivated me when my weight seemed to remain the same. I thank you all, because without you all I would have probably given up.

Bridging the Gap: December 2014 to June 2015

This will be my first post of 2015 and the first week of June has almost passed.

This is not the blog pace originally hoped for, but to say I hit the ground running this year is an understatement. 

Here are some of the highlights:

1. Changed jobs

January was the worst month for me work wise. Realising how unhappy I was at my workplace, and worse yet taking the bad vibes home with me, I decided a change needed to be made. My mom and William lived with a miserable individual that took no joy in anything. Evidently the 'I'm OK, everything is OK' facade I was fronting was ineffective. One weekend in February, I made the decision to resign. No, I did not have another job lined up. All I wanted was to get out of there. As I had not been employed at the company for a year or more, my notice period was only two weeks (which felt longer than the entire 11 months I had actually worked there). I had given it my best shot. I was unhappy from about three months into the job but thought maybe I was slow to adjust and needed to give it more time. It was tough leaving my work family, although most of them left around the same time as I did or shortly thereafter. We had bonded under difficult circumstances, brought closer together by the unhappiness most of us were experiencing. We were each other's coping mechanism. 

I'm now in the Insurance industry and absolutely loving it. The culture of the company is so much better than the previous company, and staff actually feel valued. I look forward to going to work each day, as opposed to dreading the inevitable drama.

2. Studies

I registered for my Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting Sciences through UNISA. This qualification is level one of the Honours degree and if I am successful, level two will take place next year and thereafter Board exams. All in a prospective Chartered Accountant's journey. Initially there was a fair amount of hesitation as to whether or not I would register. It had been a tough (and long) journey so far and I doubted my staying power to see through yet another difficult academic year. In the end my curiosity as to whether or not I could do it git the better of me and I registered. Two semester tests have been written so far, and two more are around the corner. Exams take place in October, and although I feel ore confident now than at the beginning of the year there is still much work to be done.

3. There have been so many happy occasions!

• Mellisa and Kriben got married in an intimate and stunning ceremony at the Oyster Box Hotel in Durban on 1 May 2015. Congratulations friends - wishing you many happy years together.

• Janine (my sister) and Craig got engaged in February and are planning their Spring 2015 wedding. I'm one of the bridesmaids and look forward to sharing in the special day later this year.

• Angie & Roger welcomed their son, Diego, into the world on 2 June 2015. Happy and healthy, Diego arrived on Ange's expected due date. Congratulations to the new parents - sure your little one is going to bring so much joy to your lives.

I definitely aim to post most regularly from now on, but until then have a fantastic weekend further.

2014: A Year in Review

2014 has been a year of ups and downs in the Gorven-Cossey household. Life cannot be smooth sailing all the time, and one has to anticipate misfortune even when things seem to be perfect.

Ups:

• William received his South African permanent residency;
• I finally completed my Bachelor of Accounting Science degree;
• William bought himself a new car;
• I started working at a multi-national courier company after three months on the job hunt.

Downs:

• Our beloved cat, Salem, crossed the rainbow bridge. We did not have enough time with her, and she is very sorely missed, even though she has been gone for 7 months; and
• William had to have a knee operation to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament following a niggly football injury

Other noteworthy events:

• Some friends welcomed their children into the world (Candice & Sheldon, Mellisa & KB, Kirsty & Guy, Carey-Anne & Ryan);
• While others discovered they are expecting (Ange & Roger);
• Other couples tied the knot (Mbali & Mpho); and
• Colleen & Fernando took the first step towards a new life together by getting engaged.

Looking into the horizon and the coming year in general, I foresee a year not without it's challenges, but one filled with hope and new beginnings. My goals for 2015 are as follows:

• Complete my Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting Science (CTA level 1);
• Tick off the last remaining item off my 2014 goal list by completing an open water scuba diving course); and 
• Fulfill my life long dream of visiting Egypt.

Wishing everybody a successful 2015!

Life Lately

Life has been... pretty busy of late.

My last blog post was at the end of August. and so much has happened in the last two (almost three months) but I will mention a few of the highlights now.

1. William has new wheels!

Meet Blue Betty

Chuffed owner

2. I'm a graduate.

Almost eight years of studying, tears, sacrifice and hardship culminated in a graduation ceremony on September 11th. This is one of the proudest and happiest day of my life to date.

3. Our house is under construction.

What started out as a simple conversion of steel to aluminium window frames has initiated an entire overhaul of the property. Painting, tiling, revamping two bathrooms and much more. It has been a long journey, and at times rather frustrating, but it is almost complete save and except for the painting of the exterior. More on this later.

4. New parents.

Our good friends Candice and Sheldon welcomed their son, Noah Sebastian Fisher, into the world on September 30th. Congratulations Fishers, may he bring you much happiness and joy. Looking forward to meeting the little guy soon.

Have an awesome week everyone!

How I Spent my Birthday

I took a day's leave from work and...

Went for an early morning walk.

Hint of sunrise

Got spoiled (flowers from Angie and the camera from mom & William).

Enjoyed some pampering at Pumula Beauty Salon.

Donated a pint of blood at the South African National Blood Service. There was also good news at the blood bank in that my health has improved quite a bit since the last time I donated in 2010. From nearly failing the iron test, and taking close on 45 minutes to fill the bag I was in and out in 30 minutes.

Then mom and I bought some blankets, bowls, collars, leads, food and harnesses and toys and donated them to the Kempton Park SPCA. We then volunteered for a few hours at the sanctuary, mainly walking the dogs, feeding them dog biscuits and giving all the dogs and cats some love. It really is sad to see that so many pets are without homes but they are in good hands at the various rescue centres around the country.

Thereafter we had some tea and cake at the Mugg & Bean.

Then ended the day off with dinner at Fahrenheit.

I had such an awesome birthday, and loved giving back to those in need. I challenge everyone to support a worthy cause on their own birthday. It does not matter how small the gesture, it will make the world of difference to those affected and effected.

There was also good news at the blood bank in that my health has improved quite a bit since the last time I donated in 2010. From nearly failing the iron test, and taking close on 45 minutes to fill the bag I was in and out in 30 minutes.

Thank you to everybody that wished me, I loved reading each and every message and chatting to the callers.

Here's to the start of a fantastic year!

On the Eve of my 28th Birthday

Another year has zoomed by (ringing some truth into the phrase that time flies by after the age of 25) and tomorrow I will be 28. Wow, when I was younger anyone over 25 was deemed OLD!

28.Two years away from the big 3-0.

It is around this time that the average person starts thinking of everything they wanted to do before attaining the age in question, but have not due to whatever reason.

This past year has been a really good one for me. I have ticked off most of my goals for 2014 (save and except for the scuba diving course that I really still want to do) so therefore it has been a productive year.

A few things I can say about getting older is that:-

1) Sleeping past 7am on a weekend is damn near impossible (and staying up after 11pm is a record); 

2) You realize who and what makes you happy (and who/what doesn't);

3) The realization that you need to look after yourself (there's no such thing as a soul transplant) Eat healthy, exercise regularly, reduce alcohol consumption, etc; and 

4) Listening to your own instincts or intuition is more reliable than any prior knowledge.

If I think of how different my life at 27 compared to my mom's life at 27, there is really no comparison. My mom had been married for six years, had a three and a half year old daughter. She was also a widow at that age. I am neither a wife nor a mother, and have thankfully been spared the heartache of losing my significant other. Our experiences up till now have been extremely different, but I am so lucky to have my mom. I have learnt ALOT from her

Goals for my 29th year on Earth:

1) Do that scuba diving course! 

2) Travel to Egypt and visit the Pyramids & Valley of the Kings;

3) Be a better person than I am today; and
4) Develop Soleil-Femme (a logo and official hosting would be a nice facelift)

Where's that chocolate cake?

Review: The Dalai Lama's Cat by David Michie

Kirsty, of Paisley and Proteas recently read the book and had only positive remarks for it. Being a cat lover with a newfound intrigue into the Buddhist faith, I was excited to read the novel and immediately downloaded it onto my Kindle.

The story line revolves around 'HHC -  His Holiness's Cat' and is narrated by his truly. The Dalai Lama rescues a malnourished and near certain death, Snow Lion (or Rinpoche as she is also known) from the streets of Delhi and adopts her. From that day, life is very different for Snow Lion as she becomes the Dalai Lama's most revered companion.

There are many an important lesson to be learned from the Buddhist teachings and principles contained in the book, and many characters are fighting their own inner battles only to find peace from a wise word as shared by His Holiness himself.

There are also some lighthearted moments (including home truths about cats and their behavior) which makes the book even more enjoyable.

Read it if you are:

Interested in the Buddhist faith;
Have cats of your own;
Looking for some guidance in life, or struggling to make a decision;
In search of a deeper meaning to yours own existence.

There is a sequel to "The Dalai Lama's Cat", and David has written a few other books on meditation, Buddhism and life coaching - check them out if you're interested.

His Holiness's Cat (breed: Himalayan)

An Afternoon of Picasso & Moonshine

Last week Tarryn spoke of an art class that her friend had recently started up. It was a casual and fun afternoon held at Glen Eagle Estate Clubhouse in Kempton Park. All art supplies were included in the price, as well as three drinks of the guests choice (ranging from cocktails to beer to wine to soft drinks).

It sounded like so much fun, and something different to do on a Saturday afternoon. I mentioned it to Angie who was also very keen on the idea, and we booked for the next class which took place yesterday.

Not having much artistic flair myself (best drawing I can do is a stick man) I was a bit nervous, however excitement overruled the nerves.

Sam, the facilitator, is such a warm and accommodating (needless to say talented) person and made all of her students feel comfortable and at ease.

We had two cherry blossom pictures to choose from, which we would then replicate using acrylic paint on canvas. Sam gave lots of pointers on how to start, which parts to do first (background and the tree) and "if your artwork doesn't look good, take a step back and then look at it again". We were a group of six ladies and two young ladies, and we all had such a great time chatting and admiring each other's interpretation of the picture (absolutely no judgement was passed!).

Ange and I thoroughly enjoyed the class and will definitely be back for the next one with our mothers in tow.

Thank you Sam, for this refreshing and relaxing afternoon and we wish you every success in the future.

Anyone interested in attending a Picasso & Moonshine class can contact Sam on 079 878 5634 or email picassoandmoonshine@gmail.com.

Ange in action

Concentrating veeeeery hard 

Finished product

Nice from far:)

Throwback Thursday: Euro Trip for Mom's 50th - Part 3

This installment completes the trilogy that was Throwback Thursday.

The last leg of our trip was Dubrovnik, Croatia. 

We arrived the Sunday evening and headed straight to our hotel. Unfortunately we could not get an earlier flight and thus have more time to explore the wonder that is Dubrovnik. A city nestled in history, and so beautiful it seems like a mirage.

The next morning we set out to discover the Ancient City, which was extremely busy given the summer season. Stalls and shops line the streets within the walled town, each offering visitors a glimpse into the life of its residents. To escape the throngs of people, we rode the cable car to the top of the mountain and admired the spectacular views. We ate lunch at the restaurant and tried to cool down - the humidity was worse than Durban!

Old Town

Old Town, Dubrovnik Croatia

View from the top of the mountain

No longer hungry (but still hot) we returned to our hotel and lazed around the pool.

Tuesday morning we decided to go on a tour recommended by the hotel. We visited an olive oil producing farm and a traditional farmstead further inland. We sampled the local poison, and other delicacies grown on the property before being treated to some traditional Croatian dancing. Our tour guide also taught us alot about Croatia's political troubles with neighbour Bosnia & Herzegovina. 

Olive oil manufacturing process

Traditional farmstead

Local Brandy

Traditional dancing

Our preview into the wonder that was Croatia taught us that it's residents prefer the simpler things in life, are proud of their heritage and pursue peace at every opportunity. We did not see a single fast food outlet during our stay, what a surprise!

Croatia covers a considerable expanse of land and due to time constraints we did not visit the Plitvice Lakes, amongst other points of interest. All the more reason to return at some point in the future!

Have an awesome weekend.

Gone Skiing

This time last week we were at Afriski, a ski resort situated in the Maluti mountain range of Lesotho.

Our friends, Shannon and Colin, whom we met on a Contiki tour in 2010, invited us to join them and six other people on a midweek ski getaway. Neither William nor I had tried skiing before, so we were keen for an adventure and always up for the opportunity to travel to a new country.

We left last Saturday, and spent the night in Clarens, a small artsy town in the Free State to break the six hour journey to Afriski. We stayed at Knock Out View Lodge and what stunning accomodation it was, and with a competitive price to match. Our cabin was beautifully furnished and had an amazing view of the mountains (as the name suggests). We lunched, shopped, watched the rugby at the local pub (go Sharks!) and eased into holiday mode.

Clarens crew

Accomodation at Knock Out View, Clarens

Everything is within walking distance in Clarens

Sunday morning we had breakfast at the Clarens Inn, before embarking on the final stretch of the road trip. We reached the Caledonspoort border post shortly after 10:30 and after discovering new laws and customs surrounding the kingdom of Lesotho, were waved onwards.

We arrived at the resort a bit later than intended, and had roughly twenty minutes to suit up into ski boots and snow proof clothing. Our introductory lesson went well for some, as they grasped the skiing concept with ease (myself excluded). We were taught the correct positioning and posture and more importantly how to stop (pizza slice). I gave up on the lesson about 15 minutes in, after my calf muscles cramped so badly due to the tightness of the boots. 

The following days were filled with fun, laughter, videos of us falling, playing board games and laughing until we cried. We ate like kings and queens. The others advanced to the intermediate and advanced slopes whilst I pottered around the beginner's slope getting more acquainted with these extra length appendages on my feet (read trying not to cross the ski tips while skiing).

By far the most fun of this entire trip was the bumboarding. Each afternoon, after the slopes closed at 4pm, guests were invited to go down the advanced ski slope on a bumboard, which effectively was a thin piece of plastic shaped like a shovel. The speeds we attained during the descent was amazing, and some spun around in circles or completely veered off course into the snow barrier. Absolutely far too much fun was had during this time.

Advanced, intermediate and beginner's slopes

Geoffrey, the resort mouse, whom I made friends with while everyone else had their ski lesson

View from the top of the beginner's slope

Our four days flew by, and before we knew it it was time to head home.

Bumboarders, day three

William and I atop the intermediate slope

Afriski crew with the resort mascot Pudi (a mountain goat)

All ten of us bumboarding on the last day

Thank you Colin for organising such a wonderful trip, we appreciate it very much. To Shannon, Cara, Mike, Leigh, Nevan, Duncan, John, William and Colin for the fantastic company - thank you. 

Reunion trip in the Alps!