The Real Jenty

Don’t you also get flash backs of memories when you eat or even just taste certain things?

That happened to me this morning, and in fact happens every time I eat Otees cereal.

Otees’ cereal is one of Connor’s favourite type of cereal, and I had a few while I was getting his breakfast ready this morning.  Not the fancy strawberry or chocolate flavoured one, just the plain one.

Just the taste of them sets off my memories.

I immediately remember being on holiday, as a child, at my grandmother’s house in Harare, Zimababwe.  I thought it was a huge treat to eat that type of cereal when we visited her that time (no idea when that was, but I’m sure my mom will give the answer in the comments to this post). I loved it, the cereal that is

And every time I eat it now, I immediately picture myself eating them in her diningroom.  I also remember the cuckoo clocks, and the kitchen, and the enormous garden with big trees… and the private road that they lived on, that for some reason fascinated me.

Isn’t it funny how such a simple taste can bring back so many memories?

Sleepy Jane posed a question on her blog:  What, for you, would be a really great day?

My great day would include:

• being able to sleep in late and not have to clean the kitchen from the doggy doo’s
• kids not fighting once
• going shopping for a new Macbook and new wardrobe without having to worry about budget
• having lunch with friends at a nice adult food restaurant with a fabulous play area with fantastic service and a brilliant kids menu too (now that’s a mystical place… there isn’t a place like that in JHB especially with the service!)
• taking photos of friends and family without them running away
• going to bed early without having to edit said photos

I can dream…

It’s been a rough week.  I’ve heard terrible things, and spoken to friends and hugged friends both virtually and in real life…. there are terrible and sad things going on in my world.

Let me give you a run down of just today’s conversations… and yesterday and the day before was no better

• Someone’s mom died
• A blogger/tweeter’s mom is seriously ill
• A friend went for surgery to remove a cancerous tumour and I’m following her progress on Facebook
• Another blogger/tweeter’s grandfather is seriously ill
• I visited a home and discussed a baby which might not make it
• I spoke to a friend who had been in an abusive relationship and I never knew at the time
• I spoke to another friend about getting help after she did a terribly frightening thing 2 days ago
• A friend’s family member is in hospital after having a cancerous tumour removed
• Someone I’m close to has got to go for a biopsy

I did a lot of crying today

I can’t believe the difference that only 6 years can make.

I read my mom’s blog post that she wrote yesterday about my grandmother.   I now have tears in my eyes.

It was Granny Sylvia’s birthday yesterday, and she’s living in a home in Somerset West.  When I saw her 18 months ago, she didn’t recognise me at all.  She had no idea who I was.   **I can’t actually believe it was so long ago that I went to CT, jeez! Just realised as I typed that sentence!  I have to do something about that!**

Just as my mom wrote in her blog post, I won’t remember my granny the way she is now.  To me, she’s a free spirited lady who always dressed impeccably and was always ready for action.  I remember her playing tennis and bridge and doing flower arranging and loving life.  I’ll always remember the birthday where she wanted to go white water rafting down the Zambezi, but went on a trip to London on her own instead.

And this photo that I took from my mom’s blog says it all… mucking in with playing with Bradley…

Granny and Bradley in 2004

Belated happy birthday Granny!

Oh and remember I told you about all the hair that Bradley had as a baby… check out the last photo on my mom’s blog post!

1. I confirmed that if I drink red wine in the evening, which is my favourite past time, I am guaranteed to fall asleep at my PC while editing photos. It’s a really sad state of affairs considering how much I love my wine
2. Even though he wanted the puppies so badly, Bradley was a little uneasy with them the first few days. The dogs woke Bradley up at 4:30am on Saturday, and I found him cornered next to the front door, with Kimo bouncing in front of him… trying to get at his slippers. LOL! It was quite funny.
3. Doing a family shoot with 14 people is not easy… especially when you can’t place the one person… I could not for the life of me understand where she fitted in… and she wasn’t listed in my brief.
4. Our house needs a serious revamp… that photoshoot yesterday was at my dream kind of house… and I’m now itching to change my home!

I’m not in a good space today.

Bradley’s been acting up a bit at home and school recently, he’s not concentrating and the teacher says he’s being disruptive in class.  Yes, the same child that’s normally a star and got merits etc etc.  Oh and he was bullied by a girl the other day in class, she called him names, so he hit her on the shoulder so he got into trouble for that too!

Anyhoo, Lance asked Bradley last night whether something was bothering him.  It took him a while, but eventually he spoke to Lance before he went to sleep, and said that he misses playing with us.

We don’t play with him anymore.

I suppose he’s right.  I’m forever working.  I’m either at work, or editing or at photoshoots.  Lance is always pottering around on his laptop.We’re not really spending time just playing with them.  Lance plays cricket with them in the afternoons, but that’s instructions again, and organised play, it’s not play!

It’s not fair.

Something is going to have to change.

And this blog is getting boring, and seems to me like I’m always moaning lately

As soon as I took this photo of Connor yesterday, my mom commented that she had a similar one that she had taken on my 3rd birthday.

So, she got my dad to scan the photos for me.  LOL isn’t that funny!!

And I have to show you one more of me… how short is this dress?! Sign of the times I suppose considering it was 1975

It’s been a week since my role changed and I moved to a different company within the group, and I feel like a different person.

It’s the smallest detail that’s made the most difference.   OK, I’m not that busy yet, but it’s getting there, and my intended role has already changed… but that’s ok… I’m learning new stuff and that’s never a bad thing in my books.

The biggest difference for me in the last week is time related. The fact that I don’t HAVE to stay in the office until 5pm when the market closes has made the world of difference.  The fact that, in fact, you don’t have to wait until 15 minutes AFTER the close of the market before leaving or else you get odd looks and frowns has made an enormous impact on my life.

I can actually leave earlier, and get to see my boys and play with them a bit before rushing with supper and homework and bath and bed time.

Because of this change, I’ve started going to work earlier now too.  Because I actually feel like being there earlier.

Leaving after 5pm in my old role meant that I only got home at 6:30pm if I needed to stop and get the basics at the shops on route home.  That’s very late to start supper with grumpy kids and a grumpy me.

And already, I’m less tense about life in general.

I’ve seen this Friday Fragments meme on a few blogs recently, and it’s just perfect for today… so without further adieu, here are my fragmented thoughts for this cold and rainy Friday evening.

• The party I was going to go to tomorrow has been cancelled due to the crap weather… so I have a free day that I hadn’t planned and I’m already feeling at a bit of a loss.
• Think I’ll go shopping though for a new handbag
• I’m going to finish my nieces pressies to send to New Zealand and hopefully they get them before Xmas! I’ve been very slack for the last few years so I’m DETERMINED to get them nice gifts to make up a little!
• Oh heck, I suppose I’d also get the school teachers presents too, considering the schools break up soon.
• Lance finally found a car!! Woohoo!! So we’ll be a 2 car family again from next week   Yay I have my freedom back!
• I’m eyeing out a new lens.  I really really want to get a 70-200mm f2.8 IS, but… it’s freaking expensive… but I am doing quite a few weddings next years that’ll pay for the lens and I need the lens for the weddings… and I’ve had an offer from someone in Europe to bring it back for me so I’ve worked out I can save R5000 by buying it there, rather than in SA.  But… it’s a LOT of money.
• Madi’s husband is doing some work at our house at the moment and breaking down the massive carport that we’ve never used and which is rotting.  Now I have to redo part of the garden! Fun, but again expensive!
• I got asked today whether I was OK, and almost started crying.  I can’t think about my feelings right now… I can’t handle it.  So, I walked away and didn’t say anything, it’s better that way.
• I’m so very cold… I should really go to bed and sleep but the photos… they won’t edit themselves

I’m obsessed with money at the moment, can you tell?

We went to visit Lance’s mom in Parys on Sunday, and for some reason Bradley asked me whether she worked at all. I replied no, she just stays at home.

So then he carried on talking… “so you work, and Daddy works, and Papa works, and Lainey works and granny works”
Me “No, Granny doesn’t work either”
Bradley replies “Oh yes she does, she does Pilates and Yoga!!”

So there you go Mom, all your exercise is work

* Papa = my dad
**Lainey = my sister
***Granny = my mom