I love deep intimate relationships and honest emotions, even if they sometimes cause me pain.
I love holding hands with my husband as often as possible, and cuddling with my daughter, even though she is 19. *Grin* I love happy fun conversations with my sons, and the warmth that fills my heart when I see them… still little boys that I love and nurture, while being grown men learning the responsibility of adulthood, sometimes with struggle, and often with maturity that I never imagined possible. *Smile*
I love quiet, reflective time… especially when I can hear the leaves rustle in the trees as the wind blows gently through the swaying palm leaves.
I love the sound of giggles… and my family’s laughter.
I love my husband’s happy face when he walks through our front door after a long, hard day at work… I love that his face brightens and his eyes lighten with love for me, even after 27 years of marriage. I just love that he can’t wait to come home to me… and that he always wants to be with me… even when I’m not human and behaving like a dragon flicking her tail. *LOL*
(Or having a volcanic tantrum, *Sigh*).
I love the sunrise… that first hint of a new day, and that I can feel the Earth take a breath as the dawn slowly breaks the night. I love the unexpectedness of dusk, and how it’s always unique and different. I love the night… and I still have to try not to work too late anymore, as I love the peace of a clear night sky with a sliver of moon so I can see the stars… and I love the full moon as it lights the night so I can see across my garden dappled in its silver glow.
I love people’s faces… and I still have to catch myself so as not to stare. I love watching couples together in that first hint of love… and people who have been married for a long time, and that they are still in love with each, and are so comfortable together that they are like two halves of a whole…. and I feel greatly blessed to know them.
I love the energetic bustle and vibe of Durban… the colours… the smell… the beaches and the ocean. I love the beauty I find even in places of seeming squalor. I love uShaka… and the aquarium and the seals and the penguins and I love the dolphins… especially Gambit, who I have been visiting since I was 13 years old. *Grin*
I love Kwa-Zulu Natal… and the people who live here. Their diversity and energy… their laidback vibrancy and how much they love and celebrate life.
The love the languages… the races… the colour… and the invisibility to colour.
I love the quiet peaceful haven where I live… above the clouds …and that on clear days after the rain, I can see the ocean and the harbour where my husband works 37 km’s away. *Grin*
I love the new variety of ‘Lace Spinach’ that is growing in my garden… because they are being eaten by the gorgeous brightly coloured caterpillars who will be the butterflies I can watch and chase in a couple of weeks…. and I love that the bunnies don’t care that we have ‘lace spinach’ …they eat it anyway… and I’m intrigued that they turn their noses up at spinach bought from the shop.
I love my five year old, baby Jacaranda tree, even though it’s not a real Bonsai, it’s special to me.
I love our new venturing into online shopping and that we bought 48 cans of soup and got 24 cans free… an unexpected blessing when I was inspired to check a retail website, and shop online for the very first time. *Smile*
I love post and deliveries… and I can’t wait for our online shopping packages to arrive. Considering I hate shopping… and leaving the house, as I’ve only left home three times this entire month of November… three times in October, and only once in September… I could easily become a full time online shopper. *Huge Grin*
I love online banking. It must be one of the best, quickest, easiest, most convenient online services ever conceived and provided. No cheques to write and post… no queues to pay the telephone bill… the electricity and water bill… the bond… the school fees. No debit orders to mess with my budget… and the bank charges are the coolest saving I have enjoyed for years… and I love Pick n Pay Smart shopper points and Standard Bank rewards… I love filling the car with Petrol – R647.00 and it’s paid for with our Standard Bank rewards, not every month… almost every second month… double bonus because I get points for shopping from Pick n Pay and Standard Bank on the same shopping.
I love my bank manager… Kim is simply awesome, and she knows so much, and fixes all the ‘unfixables’ …and she replies to my emails, answers my calls and returns my messages. Kim you get my best service provider of the year award, you are amazing, and I’ll drop off your gift, as soon as I can. Please promise to always be my personal banker. 🙂 I wish I could bottle what Kim provides and give it to all my service providers… although they would probably splutter, and spark, and smoke and steam as they are all inhuman nonhuman electronic these days.
I love books and would still rather read a book, than an electronic version. Snuggling with my pillow under the duvet reading a device… just isn’t the same. I love the internet, my old hormonal, menopausal computer… and my inexpensive phone even though it doesn’t get photos. *LOL* I love my modern conveniences… automatic washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer, vacuum cleaner, and plumbing with taps. I don’t mind washing and cleaning, and I’d rather iron than cook or do the dishes, I love gardening, even weeding and cutting the grass… but I’d hate to have to go and draw water at the well… like so many millions of Africans in Africa that are so grateful for clean water, they inspire me with their humble gratitude for such an incredible blessing in their lives… that I take for granted, and don’t even think about the dozens of times I wash my hands in just a day.
I love candles and their soft romantic light, even when we are having a blackout… and I love electricity, for the dozens of things it makes work. Clutter busting would take on new meaning in my home without any electricity. I’d be left with my bed to sleep in without electric blanket, chairs to sit on, tables to eat at… and books to read… and no time to read them as I’d have to wash laundry and dishes by hand. I’d miss music playing, and probably the TV when I am having a marathon series fest. *LOL*
I love my books… my many, many books, even though I lament how much dusting they need, and wonder at my sanity in keeping so many books.
I love unexpected smiles from strangers, and polite gentlemen… and sincere greetings from cashiers… I love buying them chocolates simply because I can, and receiving their sincere gratitude for such a simple unexpected surprise.
I love the smell of babies… and how they feel and the softness of their skin… and I even love their cry… and I’m grateful that it never, ever bothers me.
I love writing and the pleasure I get from sharing… with family and friends that I love… and those I’ll never meet… with the hope that as I allow you to see into my heart, yours will be touched by the experience and you’ll have the courage to share with me… and if you don’t, that’s really ok… and I’m grateful that I’m strong enough to feel that way, and courageous enough to be this vulnerable in trusting you to share my heart anyway. *Smile*
I love long distant phone calls, especially from my mom… and that we chat every week. I love that she still sends me packages in the mail… and I hope with all my heart I get the birthday gift she posted in September this year, and that it will still arrive.
I love the intricate, delicate, amazing, wonderfully creative things my daughter makes… Kirigami paper lace, that I didn’t know existed until she made some this week… they are gorgeous. Macramé bracelets, ribbon woven wristbands, 15 stranded friendship bracelets… Macramé beaded light catchers… handmade, sewn wreck it journals… painted fun artwork… poetry that inspires me to laugh, and letters that make me cry.
I love that she challenges me…. fills my heart with love… and shares deep tender moments with me, cry’s in my arms, gives me the best hugs and is my best friend.
I love hugs… and I love my family… and I love my friends.
I love our wolf, dogs, cats, bunnies and tortoise.
I love our animals, those still with us… and those enjoying Heaven.
I love my life, and that my body animates my Earthly experience through everything I see, hear, taste, touch and smell… I love Nature and the beauty that surrounds me… and I love the relationships that I share with each of you, filling my heart with love and a rich, vibrant, wonderful amazing experience.
I’m grateful for Thanksgiving, even though I live in South Africa, and for all my American friends and family, who have shared this tradition with me.
I’m grateful for all that I love… and that I have remembered… and I’m especially grateful for so many blessings that I can’t count them all… those already received, and those already on the way, because my Father in Heaven loves me… and knows me… and knows all that I need.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Love and stuff… and hugs and smiles,
Mands
Thank you Mandy xx
I love that u see the positive in so many things, when so often these days people only focus on the negative.
Love Kim xxx
Thanks Kim… for visiting the website, reading and commenting. It’s so easy to see the negative and get frustrated and upset, and I must confess, sometimes, especially during 2014, it was much easier to do that. In September I started a Gratitude list which I titled “A 1000 Blessings” and endeavoured to add to it every week. This was a culmination of trying to see and acknowledge the blessings in my life… and I’m very grateful that as I sat down to write, the words just followed. Thanks so much… Lots of love and blessings to you and yours, Mands