Is it time to resurect my Coffee Shop?

So much time has passed since I was here and so much has happened in my life! I look at this little old blog that was my life for so long in the depths of my Zambian life and I realise how I've moved on and how much I have changed. I really enjoyed writing this blog and I wonder if it may be time to resurrect it and start again? Time to document my fast changing life, my amazing steps in higher education and my desire to become so much more than I thought I could be! Yes, I still drink too much coffee and eat too much cheesecake. lol  I've learned many new skills, hopefully I write better too?

So, my new scholastic year resolution! To come to this place and learn how to make it work again. To document my life and to have somewhere to come back to in the years ahead when I wonder why I did it, where I came from and, maybe, just to figure out where I'm going.

Be back soon! :)

Can we go back?

I've always been a believer in moving forward but just lately I've been suffering from a serious dose of homesickness and a overwhelming desire to go back to my roots. Back to the familiar places and the old friends that played such a big part in shaping my life over the years. England is such a lonely place. Making friends is almost impossible - you don't make friends, you make acquaintances!  It's also very hard to trust people here, seems to me that everyone is out to get what they can from you and then, when you have nothing left to give, they cast you aside and move on to the next unsuspecting victim. At least that's what it feels like - everything, including friendship, has a monetary value. How can you place a price on the value of friendship?!

Being ripped off is the English Condition!

Can I go home now?

please!

My Rules to Live Your Life By .....

I have a friend who insists he only has 2 rules to live by and, while in themselves they are very sensible rules, I personally think they are very limiting. There are so many things in this life that a person should do in order to be happy and, by being so, make others happy. I've compiled 8 Rules of my own that I truly believe make for a happy and fulfilled life and are well worth living for:

1. Be happy – happiness is a journey, not a destination! It is a part of every waking moment and makes every daily trial bearable. Don't expect others to make you happy, you are the only person who can make yourself truly happy and, by being happy yourself, you make those around you happy too. Just as misery breeds misery, so does happiness breed happiness. Make time to smile and laugh every day, laughter really IS the best medicine!
2. Admit when you're wrong, and apologise – some people see admitting they are wrong as a weakness, I see it as a great strength! The man (or woman!) that can accept that they are as often wrong as they are right and can say those two little words “I'm Sorry” with a sincere heart, has a gift beyond compare.
3. Be honest and tell the truth– honesty is always the best policy in all your relationships, both personal and business. Having a reputation for honest dealing is worth a lot.
4. Do unto others as you would they do unto you – being able to walk in another man's shoes and to see a situation from his point of view is a great gift. Tolerating and respecting each others differences is a great place to start. Be kind to people and, just as importantly, be kind to yourself – none of us is perfect, we all make mistakes.
5. Learn to listen – being a good listener is not always easy but it is always appreciated. Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on now and then and someone to just listen when they need to unburden themselves. If you're always too busy talking, you miss so many opportunities to be a friend.
6. Don't let a disagreement destroy a great friendship – real friends are very hard to come by, they are worth more than gold. Nurture them!
7. Take responsibility for your life – it's easy to blame others and rail at the world for the bad things that happen in your life but it doesn't solve anything, all it does is piss people off! Admit that bad things happen, admit that sometimes it's your own fault and then move on and find a solution. You can't change things if you're always in 'victim' mode!
8. And finally …. HUGS are what keep body and soul together, hug often and whenever  you can!

Porching it ... :D

Today was fun!

In the interests of making sure the husband's latest obsession is in fit and healthy state for his return, today I took The Porsche for a spit and polish and then the First Born Son and I hit the highway. Oh what joy to thunder down the A27 in the sunshine with the sunroof open (testing!) and my foot on the gas (testing some more!). We stopped at the Farm Shop on the way back and bought some yummies for later consumption and then did the Polegate bypass to see how fast I could actually go (definitely testing!) - a few brief moments at 100 (apparently there are no speed cameras on this section of road!) and then back to steady 80 - what can I say but . . . . . . .  WOW ?

I LOVE THIS CAR!   :D

Friendship!

It was in the cause of friendship that brought my poor old Blog back to my attention - is it really nearly 3 years since I was last here?! And I used to have so much fun in this place - sadly, I suppose, we all move on?

How do you define friendship? 

"Aristotle describes it as ".... A single soul, dwelling in two bodies"   Psychologically speaking, friendship may be defined as 'a dynamic, mutual relationship between two individuals.'

True friendship is perhaps the only relationship that survives the trials and tribulations of time and remains unconditional. A unique blend of affection, loyalty, love, respect, trust and loads of fun is perhaps what describes the true meaning of friendship. To experience what is friendship, one must have true friends, who are indeed a rare treasure.

Friendship is a feeling of comfort and emotional safety with a person.  It is when someone knows you better than yourself and assumes to be by your side in every emotional crisis.  Friendship is much beyond roaming together and sharing good moments, it is when someone comes to rescue you from the worst phases of life. Friendship is eternal. It is when you can sleep fighting and get another morning with a better understanding. They say a person who has found a faithful friend has found a priceless treasure. 

Different people have different definitions of friendship. For some, it is the trust in an individual that he / she won't hurt you. For others, it is unconditional love. There are some who feel that friendship is companionship. However, any relationship needs constant nurturing and development from all the people involved, friendship cannot survive if one person makes all the effort to sustain it without any mutual recognition from the other."

(extract from iloveindia.com)

So, what is a friend? I'm quite picky about who I allow into my inner circle of very special people. I count on one hand my true friends that I have gathered along life's highway - one is from my childhood, another from my days of growing children and yet another from my days in Zambia. All have proved themselves to be far more than friends by the conventional definition - they are the family that I got to choose for myself, they are special people in every way that I know I can rely on to always be there for me in times of trouble and to always help me celebrate in times of joy. I would do anything for them - and often have. My friends are as important to me as the air I breathe.

So, it is always very hurtful when a friend lets me down. When my expectations are higher than they can achieve, when I feel that I have, perhaps, chosen unwisely. It's hard for me to give up on a friend, even when in my heart of hearts I know that my definition of friendship is beyond what they can manage, or even understand. No-one likes to feel that they give everything of themselves to a person who sucks it in and doesn't even realise that they do it. 

There is no room for 'SELF' in a friendship!

and, moving on, I shall try to come here more often. I remember now why I started this blog to share my life with friends - to shout about life's injustices and to share in those moments of great mirth and joy. Also, every now and then, in sorrow and despair. Thank you to all my friends who have kept me going - you are indeed the true treasures in my life :) 

Oh poor neglected blog . . .

Where is the time to simply play
as once I used to spend my day?
To greet old friends and say hello,
a place to come when I felt low?
It isn't often that I find the time,
to pop in here and write bad rhyme.
I'm sorry to neglect you so,
because I'm busy, as you know.
Selling computers for a living,
isn't conducive to artistic giving.
In fact I think I'd have to say,
I'm just too buggered at the end of day!
So please accept my sincere regrets
for my unfortunate neglects!

DELIGHTS OF CLEANING A FISHPOND!

For some strange and bizarre reason I decided to clean out the fishpond the Sunday before last. To be honest I'm not really much of a fish person and I'm only the 'owner' of two rather elusive goldfish due to the unfortunate circumstance of inheriting a fishpond, complete with fish, when we rented our current property a few months back.

The first thing I noticed when we moved in towards the end of a rather cold English winter was that the fish appeared to be dead and unmoving in the bottom of the conveniently placed pond, just outside the lounge window. I have to admit to being quite concerned about those dead fish until I was told by Mr Expert Who Lived Across the Road that this was normal behaviour for fish when the water temperature is below 4 degrees. Apparently Mr Expert had previously agreed with our landlord that he would take over the three Koi, leaving me with only three little goldfish to look after. Pffft! How hard could that be I thought?

Now I must tell you a little about Mr Expert - a delightful local chap who lives and breathes for his spectacular pond full of giant sized Koi fish. We got to know him quite well on his several visits to catch the Koi. He fondly became known as The Koi Man, a very friendly and effusive gentleman who seemed not to have developed much skill in netting fish. Rather strange considering his passion. After several unsuccessful but rather amusing attempts he eventually brought a friend, Mr Jolly Expert Fish Catcher from Down the Road, to help him and soon the deed was done and the Koi went gratefully off to a new and better place. This left me with three extremely paranoid goldfish who had not taken very well to be chased round the fishpond in mistaken identity!

With the warmer weather came the delightful green algae - it blossomed and grew in joyful abundance. No amount of skimming the pond and scraping its sides could keep it at bay. It bubbled and frothed and bunged up the filter, it settled in great green globs around the reeds and took on a life of its own. It was truly a fearful sight (to say nothing of the smell that began to intrude into the lounge!). Hence the decision that fateful day to clean out the fishpond.

I decided that as I hadn't actually seen the fish for at least a week or two, the easiest thing would be to start pumping out the water and only catch them when the water was low enough to make visibility a reality. Thus is was only several hours later that I realised I only had two fish in the pond! I'm still baffled - a passing seagull perhaps? Needless to say, the goldfish were even more paranoid than normal as I hurtled around the pond in my attempts to catch them. They ducked, I dived, they dashed, I slipped - on my butt! Cold water, green slime - what better way to spend a Sunday? By now the whole family had come outside to join in the fun with shouts of encouragement and proffered helpful advice. I was less than amused which probably explains why they all disappeared back inside once the fish were safely placed into a bucket where they immediately sank to the bottom in a giant sulk.

Seems it was to fall to me to finish bailing out the last of the slimy water. It seemed appropriate I suppose since I was already pretty green and smelly anyway by this stage! Much scrubbing and dubbing later and filled with beautiful crystal clear water, the pond was a delight to behold by the time I'd finished. I even rushed off to the Fish and Pond Place down the road to buy a very expensive water lily in celebration.

For three days I continued to beam with pride. On the fourth day I noticed it looked a little cloudy and zapped it with a dose of 'Kill the Algae but save the Planet' powder that I'd been sold when I bought the water lily. By the sixth day it looked like pea soup and on the seventh day? I gave up and threw more fish food in. Even the water lily looks as if it's decided to expire in disgust.

But....at least the fish are happy!

AND . . . this is the reason that I insisted on buying an apartment in my 1/9th of a converted church with only a small, paved courtyard and absolutely NO room for a pony!

lol

Jayne :)

Driftwood Horses

So clever and beautiful, I just had to share this astonishing artform with you!
Apologies - seems my link to the news article went to a strange and weird place - aren't computers the pits?? I have repaired it - you are all too kind not to have mentioned it! LOL

Laugh and the world laughs with you?

Christmas blues hit the High Street!

One thing the Great British Public haven't lost, thank goodness, is their sense of humour!

Strictly Come Dancing goes Strictly Political!

Who could possibly forget John Sergeant's Paso Doble? Or, for that matter, most of his other dances with the gorgeous Kristina Rihanoff over the past few weeks? I think it's a crying shame that he feels pressured to leave the competition after last weeks Results Show and a few nasty remarks made by the judges and the booted off competitor.

We watch John and Kristina because they make the show fun and entertaining. They prove that not only the young, good looking and fit can have fun learning to dance. We love Kristina's amazing choreographic skills that compensate for John's lack of dancing ability. Basically, the Great British Public love to watch someone like John go out there and do what many of us would secretly love to do if we only had the courage!

As for the judges saying that this is a dance competition, I dispute that! If the public's opinion wasn't wanted, then they shouldn't give us the opportunity to vote for our FAVOURITE celeb! This is as much about being a popularity contest as it is about the dancing - past shows have proved that when people like Julian Clary were voted back in show after show despite his poor dancing skills - even worse than John's I would say. If the celebs can't accept that they are not as popular as they perhaps thought, then they shouldn't put themselves up for a contest like this. If the judges are unhappy about a non-dancer getting through week after week, then they should change the nature of the show and not ask for public opinion.

A sad farewell to John Sergeant then - I think the show will loose much of its sparkle as a result of his decision to leave. Sure there are many better celebrity dancers still hanging in there but none as much fun nor as obviously popular with the public as John. Please watch the video clip as a Lasting Tribute to John Sergeant and the Incomparable Kristina Rihanoff - and enjoy!

(please excuse the size of the embedded video clip - I don't seem to be able to edit it!)