HAPPY FRIDAY.....

Here's wishing you all a wonderful end to the week and a blessed weekend!!!

Thanks to a momentary lapse in judgement I have committed to a challenge from Emily.

So I am going to be spending the weekend......taking photos of myself.  Can you tell how excited I am!!!  Well that's what makes it a challenge right!!!!

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY.......

BREATHING SPACE......

Do you ever have days that you feel like your bladder has taken up residence behind your eyeballs and you are ready to start doing the "ugly" cry at the drop of a hat??????


Well that is what today feels like for me, today is a very emotionally charged day and I really could use a breathing space......

CHOOSEDAY.....

Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner & purifier of silver"

I don’t know about you but I love silver…..not just the jewellery although looking at me kitted out in silver from head to toe today you may think otherwise.  I love the colour, the purity and the fluidness of it!!

I am sure that many of you have heard the story before of a group of women studying the book of Malachi and being puzzled by this verse.   They wondered what this statement meant about the character & nature of God. Now like them I don’t know much about how silver is made or where it comes from so one woman offered to find out about the process of refining silver & get back to the group at their next Bible study. The woman called up a silversmith & made an appointment to watch him work. She didn't mention anything about her reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a “hot spot”; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' (Malachi 3:3) She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

I have heard this silver analogy many times. The Bible uses the process of making silver as an example of what it is like for God to refine us. He uses the heat of life to purify us into a pure picture of him. It wasn't until I read Jeremiah 6 that I realized that not all silver can be refined. Some silver contains metals that cannot be removed with fire. The silver is rejected, unable to be purified. I was struck by this verse, "The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out."

God seeks the refinement of our hearts. He wants to purify us from the inside out, making us into His image. It is His desire to refine us. But it is our choice whether we want to be refined. We can read all the Christian books, get advice from godly men and women, sit in church every Sunday morning and evening, attend bible study and still not want to be refined. God was in essence saying to the people of Israel, "I want you to turn to me. I have peace and life to offer you, but you continue to reject me." The problem was that their hearts weren't wanting to be refined and in the end they paid the price for their choice. Today we are given the exact same choice. God calls out to us, giving us ways to grow, desiring to refine us in the fire of His love and yet we turn our backs on Him and we walk away. To be a silver that cannot be refined you have to make a conscience choice not to obey God. You have to say no to the refining process. 

The one phrase I can't seem to get out of my head is....."...but the refining goes on in vain..." it's scary and so definite.

If you are feeling the heat of this worlds fire today, CHOOSE to remember that God has His eyes on you, CHOOSE to be refined by Him and CHOOSE to enjoy being made in His image!

And finally CHOOSE to be made into silver that will reflect God!!!!!

MONDAY MELLOW MADNESS...

I hope you all had a great weekend….

Here is a glimpse at mine:

On Friday evening my dear friend Tuschka took me out to dinner to celebrate my birthday….Yes I know it was over a week since my birthday but well while not stretch out the celebrations as long as possible!!! 

We went to Karoo Cattle and Land which is a fantastic restaurant which serves the most amazing meat dishes.  I had the ribs which were fantastic….I could not finish them so I took the rest home in a doggy back and had them for breakfast on Saturday.  

YUM-O!!!! It was an awesome evening of good food, good cocktails and the odd shooter or two but the best part was spending time with a very special friend.

On Saturday my fur-babies woke me up early so in an effort to let the rest of the household sleep in I took the dogs outside and messed around with my new camera.  Freak let me tell you this is a very different story from my little point and shoot…..aperture, ISO say what???????????????

Since I was up early I decided to go to my happy place…..YIP the movies!!  I ended up making it a double feature.

The first movie I watched was This means War…….I do like Chris Pine….those blue eyes turn my knees to jelly!!!

So basically the plot is nothing out of the ordinary….two friends who are both prime CIA
 operative are put on desk duty after some covert mission goes awry.  Since the two have plenty of free time on their hands.  Tuck played by the cute Tom Hardy signs up on an online dating site and meets Lauren played by the beautiful Reese Witherpoon (when I grow up I wanna look like her).  

They go on a date and it’s a hit with plenty of chemistry and friendly banter……..but Lauren on her way home from her date with Tuck stops in a video store and lo and behold she meets FDR (played by Chris Pine).  I enjoyed the teasing natural conversation between the two.  Anyway the two friends discover they are dating the same girl but neither is wanting to back down so they pursue the relationship with Lauren. 

This is where it gets funny cause being spies they have access to all kinds of gadgets and spy-ware!!!  This leads to some downright hilarious scenes.

 I am not going to give the plot away but let’s just say I like the way it ends…..a big thumbs up to the screenwriters. The three actors have a very natural rapport with each other and it the scenes seem to flow with ease.  I found it highly entertaining, somewhat witty and just a fun movie.

Next up was the really hilarious, heart-warming and utterly charming The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The cast consists of the who’s who of British acting treasures.  The cast includes Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy and Dev Patel. The cast is awesome and that leads itself to a very well-acted movie.

Judi Dench is the lead character, and plays, Evelyn, a recent widow, and her story sort of ties the film together. Maggie Smith plays Muriel, a kind-of-racist, bitter woman who travelled to India for a fast and cheap hip replacement. Smith is hilarious and has such great comedic timing. To me her physical transformation in itself tells a story as she starts the movie looking like a drab old hag but towards the end she even wears colour. Tom Wilkinson plays Graham, a recently retired judge, who travels back to India to visit his childhood home and past. I think his story is one which touched me most because it is so bitter sweet. Bill Nighy (can I just say that there is something ummmm sexy about him….gosh that sounds perverted but there is…..) and Penelope Wilton play Douglas and Jean, a married couple trying to come to terms with a lost retirement fund. This hit home for me in a big way as my parents face a similar situation in terms of their retirement. Bill Nighy was one of the most surprising things about this film. I’m so used to see him playing a villain, a stern or smarmy character. In this movie, he’s very sweet and kind! Not going to lie, I fell a little in love with him ……there it is again a little gross but????. Ronald Pickup (Norman),  and Celia Imrie (Madge) play two singles looking for love and hopefully some wealth to come with the love. Dev Patel also stars in the film as Sonny, the owner and manager of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Sonny is a bit in over his head when it comes to “outsourcing” British old people. Patel is funny as Sonny. 

Basic plot: the elderly characters have been seduced by a brochure proclaiming the magisterial and domed raj splendour of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful. Unfortunately, on their arrival, they discover that the hotel has been photoshopped beyond all recognition and reality by its young manager (and a third favourite son) Sonny. But, as the new arrivals come to terms (or not ) with the ‘oddities’ of their accommodation, they each learn something about themselves, each other and the nature of growing old. In India, age is revered and respected, in Britain, it’s inconvenient and can be lonely. While some of the Brits search for friendship or independence, others are after something more immediate, whether it’s an old friend or a new hip. Sonny has his own battles to fight, in love with an unsuitable girl and with a rather intimidating mother. Not to mention a hotel that is falling down around him. But despite the ramshackle shape of the Marigold Hotel, most of the guests are soon discovering the India around them, meeting the locals, experiencing its culture, taboos, religion and its intense busyness.

The plot explores each character’s time in India, either together or apart. Although they do not have the experience they thought they were going to have they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past. It’s all put together nicely. The plot flows well, and we get to know, love and/or dislike each character. On top of that, I enjoyed watching all the characters trying to get accustomed to Indian culture. India was almost another character as the vibrant colours and children playing in cricket in the streets are seen in several scenes.

I particularly liked the film because, there were surprises, little shocks and moments of genuine feeling. It made me laugh repeatedly but it also made me do a fair bit of weeping. I can be a sentimental soul if the mood is right (which it almost always is) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel hits that mood perfectly. There are a couple of stories here that were much more captivating than I expected. Having them brilliantly acted certainly didn’t hurt.

On Saturday night my asthma started giving me grief and I landed up in the emergency room.  Thankfully I had Sunday to sleep and recover which my fur-babies keeping a watchful eye over me.

HAPPY FRIDAY.....

YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE its Friday and I am really hoping for a relaxed weekend after the wonderful craziness of last weekend and a pretty hectic week oh and some bad news in terms of my dad's job (I'll blog about that when I can do so more objectively) I really just want to:

Find a quite place and just read for a couple of hours.....with some lemonade, my dogs and the remaining summer rays......here would be nice..............

Oh and I need to do a little Kindle research, cause I think I need to have one!!!!!



Have a great weekend ya'all!!!!

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY.....

CHOOSEDAY......

After the last two "heavy" CHOOSEday posts I thought I would change things up a little and share with you what I CHOOSE to be grateful for today.......

I am grateful....that I still have both my parents and for the wonderful example they set for both my
brother and  I.  I love them beyond belief....

I am grateful for my photophobic brother.......we don't always get along and seldom agree on anything but as
different as we are we are brother and sister!!!

I am grateful for my Fur-Baby Jessie........she is just such a character

I am grateful for my fur-baby Charis.....she is such a cuddle bunny and makes me laugh
with all her antics!!!

I am grateful for sister friends......I have known and loved these ladies for 24 years!!
They make me a better person!!!

I am grateful for friendships.....each one unique and each one adds something different to my life.  How blessed am I!!!

I am grateful that I am able to celebrate special moments with those I love....

I am grateful for the work I do with ABBA House.....there is nothing better than being able to give back!!!

I am grateful for the company I work for....it is an awesome place to work and allows me to grow and develop in ways
I never thought possible.

I am grateful for my colleagues who  make each day fun and challenging!!! (These are only some of them)

I am grateful for friends who share their babies with me.....I always have to give them back though!!!!

I am grateful that I am able to travel and have the most amazing and memorable experiences....like getting acquainted with this baby turtle in Zanzibar

I am grateful for bucket list moments......here I am drinking and Irish coffee in Ireland!!!!

I am grateful for my local supermarket who imports Dr Pepper.......I end up paying $2.50 for\
a can which is very expensive here but it is so worth a Friday night treat!!!!!

So what do you CHOOSE to be grateful for????

Tomorrow is Human Rights day in South Africa and a public holiday so I will see you all for Thoughtful Thursday!!!

MONDAY MELLOW MADNESS........

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!!

Here is a look at mine.............

Friday was our wellness day...here is a colleague of mine getting his flu vac.  Check out his face!!!

On Saturday my friend Lydia and I went to Emperor's Palace and Casino

We stayed in the lovely Metcourt Suites

Foyer leading up to the rooms

The beautiful entrance to the hotel

Our room....Was really pretty and the splashes of colour gave me a couple of ideas for my bedroom

Main section of the casino

We had lunch at Aurelia's

Lunch!!!

Passion Fruit cocktail...YUMMY!!

Decor in the food court

David....after a couple of  cocktails the poor guy became the subject of some unlady like
jokes!!!

We had supper at this Greek restaurant 

My gorgeous friend Zukie

Zukie spoilt me with some bling earrings!!!

Lydia and I.....this is 24 years of friendship folks!!!

Some of the girls....Yolanda, Zukie, Lydia and Liesl

Cheers to me!!!!

My friend Liesl...the best hairdresser in the world.  She had a little skin cancer removed hence the war wound...

Yolanda, Me and Zuks

We then went to watch one of my favorite cabaret performers new show...its an tradition to see him for my birthday
every year.  Sasja started it when I turned 30 and 8 years later he still fails to disappoint!!!

On Sunday we had breakfast by the pool....It was a breakfast of champions let me tell you!!!

PS: Sasja was there but somehow the sneaky missed out on being photographed!!!