Mr C and his Big Adventure

Mr C went to South Africa last week.

He went for one week.
His parents were moving from JHB to Cape Town and his mum had never moved so far in her life.
She was taking a lot of strain and her stress was really upsetting him.

He is a really good son and a really kind person, so he decided, he wasn't going to let his mother suffer. He booked a flight and off he went to save the day.

And save the day, he did.

Naturally his mum tried to feed him constantly, between nagging him repeatedly and generally driving him nuts, although with great quantities of love and gratitude. He took it in his stride because he could see she was on the verge of a mini-meltdown.

Between them, they got everything done and ready for the movers, and Ma and Pa C are now hopefully enjoying the sun and the beach in the fairest Cape.

It wasn't all work for Mr C, though. He did manage to see some of our old friends and to spend some time with my mum and brother.

Driving around JHB was not a very happy experience for my husband. The state of the city would apparently make me sad. With power cuts and potholes, crime and disrepair, it is not an easy place to live. The people are still warm and friendly, the weather is still idyllic; It's just a pity about the management.

Despite this, he also got to do a little bit of shopping, when the shopping centre had electricity (he went with an empty suitcase), including buying me the most beautiful cashmere pashmina I have ever seen. Nice and warm for UK winter. So soft and lovely. I can't wait to wear it. Mr C has incredible taste (which is a problem because I generally try to force him to go shopping with me and he hates it).

The week without my sweety pie was not easy. It was also not the end of the world. We Skyped and Whatsapped every day, which makes one appreciate technology so much.

I missed him very much and I am very glad he is home.

He isn't allowed to go away again for a while. Mr C has a very clingy wife.

FYI - I really like my mother in law - I am one of the lucky ones who scored with a nice husband and a lovely mother in law.

I will definitely show you the beautiful exquisite blanket Ma C knitted. Oh my goodness! I have never seen anything like it. She even chose the colours based on the palate I like. Plus she sent me her boy back in one piece - tired, but whole.

Thanks Ma! *hugs n' kisses*


That's all for now.
Bye

Time Flies and a Giant House Moan

I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I have even thought about this blog.

I really want to keep it going and not give up on it and I do feel guilty when I neglect it for so long.

There has just been so much going on that it simply falls by the wayside.

We had Pugsleigh spayed a few weeks ago and that, coupled with the move and changes in our lives has sent her into a bit of a behavioural tail spin. She is not being a total terror, bu she seems very hyper/anxious and does not listen too well. She also is not eating like she used to.

The very is not concerned about it so neither am I. It is just a bit annoying. I am currently working on trying to get her to be calm and to listen when I call her or tell her to leave the cat (or the stones/leaves/twigs/snail shells/anything remotely chewable in the garden) alone.

I worry that she is bored, so she has too many toys. I try to take her for walks regularly (we live by a park) and that works well but the weather is not always accommodating.

The cat has been out in the garden twice (with a harness and lead, poor thing) as I am still afraid that something will happen to her. She is not a fool, but we now live on a main road and the drivers are selfish and inattentive so she is housebound and unhappy about it. We have had a few vomiting incidents to drive the point home. To her dismay, these have had no effect whatsoever.

The house is still not ready. It has been so difficult; I cannot actually express the revulsion and frustration of trying to get this place cleaned to a liveable standard.

I cannot believe the estate agent chalked it up to the owner being a first time landlord. I also do not believe for one iota of a second that they had professional cleaners in, let alone twice, as they claim.

When we moved in, there were those obnoxious air freshener things all over the place and it took a few weeks to get rid of the sickly smell. To be honest, that should have been our first clue.

I don't think the owner of our home has ever cleaned his house at all. Everywhere just grime. The washing machine was so full of grime and slime, I burst into tears!

Slowly, but surely, I have managed to resolve the dirt issues I have found. The only problem is that I keep finding new ones.

The latest little gem is that the kitchen skylight leaks really badly and the kitchen sink has gunk in it so it doesn't drain well. Oh, and the dishwasher doesn't work. Awesome!

We still need to paint the black walls and I still need to come to terms with the black carpet. I am starting to think that wearing shoes on the stairs will soon cease to be an option - it's a drst trap like I've never seen.

Over all the house is not that bad and I quite like it, despite everything. It's homey and just the right size to make it comfy.

We have spent an insane amount of money at Ikea lately, but I am more than happy with the pieces we have bought.

I doubt I will do a house tour because I can never manage to get the low level clutter totally under control; there always seems to be a corner in each room where things just accumulate.

Just so you know, I am not a clean/neat freak, Just sayin'...

House winge over!

See ya!