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.

A Visit to the Farm for a Celebration (or Two)

On the 15th of June, my grandparents celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary (massive applause and congratulations to them). A union spanning fifty five years is no small feat in today's world, and wanting to share in this special occasion with them, my mom, William and myself traveled to their farm on the outskirts of Nelspruit to spend a few days with them. Not only was it their wedding anniversary, but also Father's Day.

The farm is situated in the Schoemanskloof valley, which is approximately forty five minutes drive to Nelspruit, and two and a half hours from Benoni. My grandparents spend about two weeks out of every month on the sprawling expanse of land, and have become good friends with those that reside in the valley permanently.

Grandpa showed us his well tended gardens, and took us onto their neighbor's property to view some of the game they keep. Unfortunately we went at the hottest time of day so the animals kept low profiles, although we were able to see Tsongi, the neighbor's tame female kudu. Hand raised from a baby, Tsongi has become used to people and we fed her apples.We had a lovely roast lunch on Sunday to celebrate the two special occasions, prepared by my mom.

It was a beautiful weekend of good weather (the temperatures are much warmer than those of Johannesburg), delicious food and excellent company. Better yet was the fact that the cell phone reception was almost non existent, and we were able to fully enjoy our time together. 

The farm has been an institution in our lives for many years, and I know some friends can share a memory or two from the good old days. Swimming in the Crocodile River, picnicking in the Sappi forests, visiting one of the many stunning waterfalls in the area, the kids collecting firewood each evening, and roughly twenty adults and children sharing ONE bathroom. Somehow we managed, and we had tons of fun in the process. In 2000, the grandparents knocked down the original farmhouse and rebuilt a more modern structure. It now sports DSTV too! Things may have changed, but the essence of the farm hasn't and it was wonderful to escape for a few days.

Thank you to my mom and William for a lovely weekend, and congratulations once again to Mr & Mrs Littleton, circa 1959. We are so proud of you, and lucky to have you as our family matriarchs. We love you beyond measure.

Together for 55 years.

The old water wheel.

The new farmhouse (left) built in 2000 and the original Rondavel, built 1973.

The green lands

Braai area

Old tractor

My mom and grandparents

Three generations

William and his future family

Watching the France vs Hondouras soccer game

Tsongi, the tame kudu

Keeping a Dream Diary

Dreams have always fascinated me, partly because they are our sub conscious' creations, and partly because so much research has been done on them.

Our brains are so amazing in that they can throw the weirdest dream at us, and true, it may contain a tiny portion of relevance to the day leading up to the dream but they can also bring suppressed thoughts forward. Things we'd prefer not to think about during our waking hours. And our conscience protects us by pushing those thoughts to the subconscious level. With nightfall comes sleep, and that is a no holds barred event. We are at the mercy of our sub consciences.

Many websites will encourage their visitors to analyse their dreams, and find some deeper meaning. It is not an exact science but I believe there is some truth to it. Firstly, here are some facts about dreams

• You can't read or tell the time while dreaming;
• You can have up to seven dreams per night (the average is three to five), depending on how many REM (rapid eye movement) cycles you have;
• Dreams can last anywhere from a few seconds to 45 minutes, and it has been suggested we dream two out of every eight hours worth of sleep;
• Blind people dream too. Their dreams are as interesting as ours, except their dreams involve senses other than sight;
• You always dream, but don't always remember it.Up yo 60% of people are unable to recall their dreams;
• Approximately 12% of people dream only in black and white.

So I decided to keep a dream diary for one week. I kept a notepad in my bedside drawer to record my dreams as soon as I woke up. This is what happened...

Friday, 3 January

The dream: I was at my longtime friend's wedding, in Australia. Stephanie (Angelo's bride) was wearing a beautiful deep purple wedding gown, and the ceremony was held in a jungle. You may think it odd but writing down what I experienced in my dream does it no justice. I guess you just had to have been there.

Background: Angelo and I have been friends since high school, and he got engaged to Stephanie in 2012. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the wedding due to financial constraints (it was actually held in Melbourne, Australia), so I followed the updates on Facebook from South Africa. 

What I think it means: My subconscious was obviously aware of how badly I wanted to attend the wedding, so I was treated to this glimpse of the big day. No, Stephanie did not wear a purple gown on her wedding day and no I'm almost positive the ceremony wasn't held in a forest/jungle setting. 

Here is a photograph of the newlyweds on their special day. Angelo and Stephanie - I wish you many mnay years of happiness together. Please don't forget my invite to your 50th wedding anniversary!

Saturday, 4 January

I could not remember my dream when I woke up that morning. I willed my brain to produce something, anything, but no. I fell into that 60% category that night. I do remember that it was a broken sleep though. I kept waking up at odd hours, and it didn't help that a fellow resident was letting off fireworks at midnight. The really loud crackers that sound like a bomb has detonated. If only those people understood what they were doing to the animals in the suburb, but that's a story for another day.

Sunday, 5 January

The dream: William and I were living in Durban, and we woke up one morning to find a little girl of about eight years (dressed in her finest frock and with a ribbon in her hair) standing at the foot of our bed. She told us that the house next door to us had set alight during the night, and a part of our roof had also burnt. No one had been injured in the blaze but the family had lost all their belongings. Afterwards, my mom and I went to Computicket to buy two tickets to the rugby game taking place later that day to raffle off for the benefit of the family that had lost everything.

What I think it means: I'll be honest, this one unnerved me a little and I have no idea why I would dream this. A house in Atlasville burnt down in November last year, and I was on scene so possibly the dream was related to that?

Monday, 6 January

The dream: Chantel and I had lunch (and cocktails) at this beautiful restaurant built on stilts in the middle of a crystal blue ocean. The restaurant was made of wood, and a thatch roof. It was enclosed in glass providing the most breathtaking views of our surroundings. I have no idea where we were, but picture a beautiful Maldives resort. That's what I experienced.

Background: I met Chantel through Courtney way back in 2008. The pair had been friends since Courtney met Chantel at Dream Nails and the two have been inseparable ever since. At her brother's wedding in the UK last June, Chantel met the man of her dreams. They got engaged a few months later, and Chantel moved to the UK to live with her fiancee. The couple are to be married later this month, and Chantel recently announced she is pregnant. Congratulations Chantel and Andrew, we wish you all the best and may your little bundle of joy bring you much happiness and joy.

What I think it means: Gosh, aside from the dream being totally off in that Chantel couldn't have been drinking cocktails since she's pregnant, I have no idea. Ha ha! It was nice to "catch up" with you Chants.

Here is a photograph of the happy couple with Chantel's godson Dylan, taken at Sun City when Andrew holidayed in South Africa last year.

Tuesday, 7 January

Another night I was unable to recall my dream. No strange occurrences during the day, maybe I was just tired.

Wednesday, 8 January

The dream: We (my mom, William and I) were on holiday with my grandparents. We were on a cruise (not sure if it was the one we went on together last year or perhaps another one) but we soaked up the sun, swam in the pool and just relaxed. It was wonderful.

What I think it means: Need to go on another holiday/cruise! Below is a photograph of the five of us in Athens in June 2013.

Thursday, 9 January

The dream: I was in some warehouse, it was deserted and in a desolate area. Gregg & Courtney came in and told me they intended selling some storage space. They then took a cardboard box off a shelf and opened it, but it was empty. Gregg then said that that (the cardboard box) was what he intended selling.

What I think it means: Absolutely no clue. It was very random and it makes no sense at all. Courtney, Gregg and Dylan, below.

And that concludes my dream diary. Granted, a professional may delve a bit deeper into the meaning of the above dreams but the purpose of this post was merely to recall my dreams and let any of the people featured in my dreams that I do think of them, even if only subconsciously.

Have you ever kept a dream diary, or have any remarkable dreams that you'll never forget?

Happy Friday everybody, have a fantastic weekend.

Simone

Angie & Roger tie the Knot

On a happier note, my good friend, Angelique Jooste recently became a Mrs when she married Roger Dias.

Angie & Roger met three years ago at a work social, and got engaged last October. The wedding date was set as the one year anniversary of their engagement, being the 26th.

The venue, Soli Deo Gloria Boutique Hotel, is situated in Northriding, Johannesburg. 

The ceremony took place in the hotel's beautiful garden, and thankfully the weather held out. There were a few ominous clouds that threatened to move the vows indoors, but by the time the ceremony began the sun shone beautifully in the afternoon sky.

The maid of honour, Jackie and bridesmaid Fatima, wore beautiful plum sweetheart cocktail dresses and Angie wore a stunning mermaid style dress with beading on the bodice. I doubt there was a dry eye in the house when the father of the bride shook Roger's hand and presented his daughter to the groom.

The service was conducted by an Irish priest, and comprised a good deal of humour which the congregation enjoyed.

Instead of having a ring bearer, the rings were transported down the aisle in a different manner...

The reception followed in the evening, and what an amazing job Angie and the decor team did. The colour scheme was purple and red and whilst one may think these colours would normally clash, they actually complimented one another and produced a breathtaking sight.

The cake (and some of the decor) was centred around the couple's love of nature and the "guestbook" was wood from a tree trunk. The cake was a beautiful three tier (chocolate, vanilla and fruit cake) and the toppers were monkeys. Anyone that knows the couple is aware that they affectionately call each other macaco (monkey in Portuguese).

Later in the evening, the DJ announced that the cake toppers had been taken and kindly asked whoever had taken them to please return them. Roger's mom, Emilia, later explained that the stealing of the cake toppers is a Portuguese tradition, and whoever takes them must return them to the married couple on their first wedding anniversary and take the couple for lunch/dinner. Fascinating!

Once the speeches and formalities were finished, Roger & Angie opened the dance floor with more than the usual one-two-shuffle they told us to expect (nice one guys). Rather the newlyweds did twirls and dips and looked so happy and at ease. 

What a lovely wedding it was, one that the guests will remember for years to come.

Wishing the new Mr & Mrs Roger Dias a lifetime of happiness and love.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

This past Saturday was Angie's bridal shower, and what an awesome day it was,

Jackie (Angie's sister) and Fatima (Angie's future sister-in-law) pulled out all the stops to ensure fun was had by all, and more importantly, that Ange enjoyed her last night out as a single woman.

Grapes (a well known bar and restaurant situated in Western Extension, Benoni), was the venue for the festivities and Jax & Fatima decorated the room beautifully.

Decor

Food

Fatima (bridesmaid) and Jackie (maid of honour)

The first part was of the afternoon was the Kitchen Tea. Ange was suitably dressed in an apron, and "doek" in preparation of fulfilling her role as the cook and cleaner in the Dias household. Just kidding:)

We played some games such as Bingo, match the celebrity couples, pin the cucumber on the man and roll the orange over the finish line using nothing but a banana attached to a string around your waist. As you can imagine, these games provided a good few giggles.

The second part of the day belonged to the bachelorette party, and were we in for a few surprises or what!

Whilst Ange opened her gifts, a bachelor gate crashed our party. Meaning well he probably just wanted to introduce himself and wish his fellow comrade in marriage well, but it started a chain of events that provided some...entertainment, if you will.

One of the bachelor's crew decided to do an impromptu striptease! He casually walked over to Ange and proceeded with his routine, taking off his shirt and shorts. Ange was a good sport and played along until this Chippendale wannabe faced her and started to remove his underwear. Now I don't know exactly what Ange saw, but it was enough to scare her and she ran away. Thankfully no more of the man's anatomy was revealed and he quickly gathered his clothing and left. This may have not been too bad if Ange's gran wasn't in the audience! I reckon all of us ladies had a blush on her behalf.

Later in the evening, Jenna, one of Ange's friends that does pole dancings treated us to a basic pole routine. The ladies practiced the moves where they stood before taking turns to try it out on the pole. Some ladies surprised us with how naturally they took to the pole, but others (like myself) had to basically be dragged up there. Afterwards, Jenna did a demo of one of her advanced routines and we were AMAZED. She climbed to the top and hng upside down using only her leg to hold on. It was something quite astounding and one doesn;t understand the enormity of the situation unless it is viewed first hand. Well done, Jenna, we thoroughly enjoyed your performance!

Jackie and Fatima hired a jukebox for the evening, so we ended the party off dancing till late.

Thank you so much to the ladies for such a fun afternoon, we had a ball!

Oh, and Ange - just one more song! Ha ha :)

A Mosaic Tray for Jenny's Birthday

Firstly, allow me to apologise for my absence and subsequent non existing blogging. I have been writing end of year exams which have just about consumed me. I wrote the last one today so at least life can return to normal now.

Onwards (march!)

Earlier this month, my close friend Jenny celebrated her birthday. We met at high school (Ashton College) in 2000 and became fast friends. Since then we have shared good times and bad times, and as it happens we've even drifted apart for a while but we'd always reconnect. Jenny is an actuary (yes my friend the genius!) for a well known short term insurer in Centurion, and is married to Bevan (salesman of high repute) who originally hails from East London.

Jen & Bev were married on the 31st of December 2009 at Mangwa Valley Game Lodge near Hammanskraal. Yes, a new year's wedding and it was absolutely stunning. Being mid summer the heat was something else but that didn't deter Jen and she remained in her wedding gown the entire evening. Guests admired the beautiful table centre
pieces, and who could forget their legendary first dance? Well done team Webb, we loved it. 

In January 2012 I took up mosaicing. After starting out slowly, with chipboard animals I progressed to trays. And yes, they must be used to serve. I have made a few couples a tray as a gift in the past and reckon it's becoming a tradition. 

So I made Jen a tray as a birthday gift.

Step one: boarder and heart and photographs

                                                              Step two: filler tiles

Step three: grout, paint and seal.

Unfortunately the flash reflects off the glass surface hence not being able to produce a decent photograph.

Hope you like it Jen, and Angie - your tray is coming soon!