Ma Wa Gray

My first experience of ever really loving children inside and out was when my legendary high school English teacher, Moira Lovell, read 'To Kill A Mockingbird' to the class and introduced us to Scout and Jem.  I can still hear her commanding voice change into that of six year old Scout, making that fiesty little creature come to life in a hot Maritzburg classroom. It's a skill I was to later share in life with my Westville girls in our oven of a prefab classroom. Those lessons reading Mockingbird are still some of my most treasured.  And now, its several years later and an English colleague got me thinking about my favourite novel again.  Our conversation began with me explaining that this holiday Eva taught herself to read and write. She's a January baby and let's just say that she's whizzed through all her milestones. Being a second born, a girl and having a brother four years older than her helps. As a teacher I'm well aware of the burden literate kids ca...

Last night as Stephen and I were getting ready for bed we got a message from our security company, Ensure, to say that there was a porcupine at the bottom of our garden. The message came with the above picture. While we scrambled to put shoes and coats on we watched the elusive creature rummaging around with the help of our camera monitor. By the time we got to the bottom of our garden it was gone.  We then got a message from our security company (who obviously watched us trying to view the porcupine) saying that we must be careful because they are dangerous creatures. They were also worried about our dogs. We assured them that the dogs were locked inside.  Two nights ago our dogs went berserk in the middle of the night and I immediately contacted our Ensure team who did a quick reconnaissance of the footage and confirmed that it might have been the security guard walking across the Kearsney field who kick started their response.  Our Ensure team also warn us when it's go...

Goodness me, and like that I'm nearly done. One more blog to go tomorrow and I have honoured my Lent commitment.  I've just read over my 42 blogs. That's over a month of thoughts. Thoughts that I would normally keep to myself, or thoughts that are so fleeting that they barely cross my consciousness.  It amazing what can happen in 42 days - I started at the end of a very torid term (aren't they all?) and I ended with a huge adventure. In between there has been loss and difficulty, and rashes and recipes and RnRs.   When one starts to document one's life day by day one starts to notice that, if we take the time to stop and reflect, God has designed moments for us in everything we do, even the hard stuff. And sometimes the moments are glaringly obvious, and sometimes they only shyly sneak out as we write a sentence.  I suppose that's actually the best way to describe a relationship with God - sometimes He's so obvious that He is physically tangible and sometime...

Today Eva and I set off to fulfill Gray's request for a Squishamellow for his birthday. Eva's outfit was made up of various layers of clothing, all with varying prints, colours and patterns. She looked like a rainbow's vomit. I love her sense of style.  We ran in to various friends on our quest. I've given them nom de plumes... 1. The first friend we bumped into was Claire. She was shopping with her little girl who is the same age as Eva. Her girl was wearing bright new white shoes and looked very pleased with herself. Claire rolled her eyes and explained that her daughter 'accidentally' left her shoes at home and so had to get a new pair for her morning of shopping. I then asked after Claire's mom who is very ill and who is in organ failure. It's been a really difficult journey for Claire as she has faced several family tragedies during this time making it one obstacle after another. She explained that her mom is now starting to lose the plot and is tal...

First of all I want to state that I thought Lent was supposed to be 40 days. It would appear that a sneaky three days have been added. I'm sure in the greater workings of the cosmos three days isn't a lot... but three days, in this particular Lent story, are actually universe changing. Three days start with death and end with everlasting life.  I'll tell you someone else who is finding the days to be a bit long in the tooth - my Gray. It's Gray's 10th birthday next week. I can't believe that my boy, the one whose whole existence changed my reality and being (and inspired the name of this blog) is hitting the double digits. Like I said many years ago in a blog - having a son is like going through a very slow breakup. As they grow they get more confident and strong and independent and dad starts to be more important and that's how it should be. But a mom will always treasure that soft little vulnerable thing whose first love will always be her.  I must say thi...

When I sighed and said I needed to write my blog Eva suggested I write about the following conversation we had in the bath this evening... Eva (in a perfect Southern accent), 'Hello, my name is Naked Terror and I'm going to give you a foot massage.' Gingerly stabs one foot with her index finger. Me in my best version of a southern belle accent, 'Hello there I'm Blanche and I haven't had such a good massage since I left Belle Reve.' Eva looking at me judgementally with a raised eye brow, 'Blanche?' Me, 'Yes. It's the name they gave me on the plantation.' I stop for a moment to listen to what I think is gentle rain starting to fall. Me, 'Is that rain outside?' Eva, 'No sorry ma'am, that's just my accent.' My how we laughed. 

I watched the sunset from our verandah this evening. After ten busy days of holiday it was quite something to get home, unpack, do a load of laundry and have a cup of tea.  I always find it interesting to get home after a long absence. I see the house with fresh eyes. I notice things that are not where they should be, I'm suddenly ruthless with nick nacks, I see spots that could do with a new coat of paint or some TLC. I generally do a mental inventory. And Stephen starts to sweat because I'm the ideas person, I'm not the person who makes the ideas come to fruition. And when he gets home all he wants to do is read his book. The poor guy had to restring the washing line this evening.  While watching the sunset and making mental 'to do' lists I decided to listen to my Lectio app- something I haven't done for too long. And then, to my shame, I realised that it is Palm Sunday. I had no idea. I've been very out of time for the last while. I suppose that happens w...