Julie the "Neatness freak"

Once again the end of a year, and once again the battle with myself to get my house as neat and organized as possible before we leave for Mauritius!
O, how I wish I could just change this once aspect about myself. It would be so much easier if I could just be a slob. Imagine for one year (just one cause that's all I would be able to bare) I could just grasp a couple of outfits from my very chaotic wardrobe and plonk it into a suitcase, get on the plain and go on leave, forgetting about........

• curtains that needs to be washed
• carpets that needs to be cleaned
• cobwebs that might be in the corners of my lounge
• cupboards that needs to be washed out
• my daughters disaster zone called her room
• a washing machine that needed to be taken apart just to make sure nothing blocked
• a grocery cupboard not perfectly packed in neat rows
• and a list of things I cannot even think of now

I doubt that in my life time this will ever happen, that now the part were I go on leave without working myself into a state to just proof to myself that I am a Neatness Freak. I mean that's what my mother tried to achieve with me, wasn't it ?? I had so many hidings and shouts regarding my bedroom when I was a teenager, it had to make an impression on my mind.

So I started on my dinning room last night ................................ wish me luck as I will need it, still some time to go before 19 December!#Q@$W

Xmas - yippie!!

I just so much love Xmas........... I just do!!
I start celebrating Xmas by 25 November, when I take out my Xmas tree and start decorating my home and the office. The staff at work have their own Xmas tree and we also tie a string across the office for all the Xmas cards we receive.
Xmas to me is a time to show how much you care about those people who are really close to you. We have always had this agreement in my family to only buy gifts for those you are with on Xmas day. We are usually overseas on Xmas day, which makes it so easy.........

The three of us would always go out for a HUGE supper on Xmas eve and then attend a church service at 12 o'clock. After that Hananja (my daughter 17) can not wait any longer........... so we would return to our hotel and start opening gifts. Its her turn first and we watch and enjoy every gift she opens with her, then my husband and then myself. There has never been a Xmas without a Xmas tree or a gift in my family................. how simple or small did not matter.

I remember...... we were on holiday in Sun City and stayed in a very posh hotel. There was a Ficus Benyamin in our hotel room and I bought Xmas decorations and it worked out that this was most probably one of the best Xmas tree we have ever had. We also hide the presents that year and Hananja had so much fun finding it.

So regardless of people forgetting what Xmas is all about, me and my family still enjoy celebrating it in the old fashioned way. Eating until you are tired, sleeping until you are hungry and rejoicing that Jesus was born for us...

Friends

I started my day walking with my friend Leslie, who lives next to me.
I had breakfast when I thought of my friend Danielle, who's mother died on Saturday.
I was driving to work when I phoned my friend Luzenda, who is feeling ill today.
I arrived at work and opened my friend Sue's blog, who's husband is in hospital at the moment.
I had my tea and my friend Fay phoned me, who's daughter got married on Saturday.
I opened my e-mail and my friend Theuns has send me a message.....................

It's hardly midday and I have made contact with 6 friends! What would my days be like without them? I can hardly imagine my life without my friends. Who would I support when they are down, who would I laugh with when they are happy and WHO would be there for me.......... but THEM.

Thanks to all my friends, who means the world to me.......I love you all !!

Rag Dolls

My one friend Anene is expecting her first baby and they are so excited. Unfortunately there is complications and it seems like she will not be able to carry for her full 9 months. Never the less we are looking at the bright side of things and know that she and Mieke (she has the name already) will be doing just fine. I have done so much shopping for this baby and is so excited that I can hardly wait. So every time I'm in the shops and I see something remotely pink, I buy it. This rag doll was obviously one of those moments where I just could not help myself. Ag, come on, a girl has to have a rag doll!! My daughter, Hananja (17) had one, and named it "Lemon", quite appropriate, as the doll had a yellow dress and yellow hair. She just loved this doll and took it everywhere. Well one Sunday afternoon while we were walking down the walkway along the beach in Sea Point, she dropped it as she was falling asleep in her pram. Unfortunately nobody noticed and only when she woke up and realized that Lemon was gone, chaos took place. Needless to say we went looking for Lemon, but could not find her. I bought another rag doll, even more cute than the first. Hananja however will never forget Lemon..............nothing like your first rag doll.

Gifts

I just so much love to give ............. its like the best thing for me to go shopping for a gift.

I do hate it when I open my dairy in the beginning of a month and realize that there is hardly anybody having a birthday or anniversary that month!

November is not to bad, my Brother turned 54 on the 2ND and although he stays in Johannesburg I had great fun shopping for a book on the Internet about Namaqualand (cause that's where we were born).
My hairdresser is having her birthday tomorrow and I bought her the most divine necklace of shells and gold beads. She is just going to love it...... best of all was looking for the card. I found a pink card with a Persian cat all dolled up with hair roller. So appropriate for a hairdresser!!

Birthdays at work is the best. I always bake everyone something special and ask for a list of gifts they would like. Double the pleasure for me. Erik our store man for the last 13 years turns 39 on Thursday and wants a chocolate cake with caramel and cream. I went shopping for him yesterday and bought him a stunning shirt and perfume gift pack. He is going to love it.

Giving a gift to someone makes me feel so happy and appreciated it just GREAT.

Angels

I have always had this "thing" about Angels! So I have recently decided since they intrigue me so much........I am going to start collecting them. So far I found 2 that really made me feel happy and yesterday I found a string of fairy lights at the shop. Of course couldn't wait to put it around my Xmas tree and needless to say it looks fab. I have gone totally "angel bonkers". Before I use to go shopping for clothes, as that is one of my passions , but now I look for Angels first. My Therapeutic Reflexologist told me its a good thing, I have a angelic side to me, gosh I did not know that?? thought I was more of a little devil than an angel!! Well anyway I know have this love for angels and seek them everywhere...........