All things considered

It was a good festive season. Christmas Day with the family was so superb. The Home Spa weekend was total relaxation with just one blip on the screen.
We settled down Christmas Day at around 8.30 pm to watch the traditional movie, I opened the cupboard and horror of horrors, Love Actually was actually not there. Oh No! I searched the house and couldn't find the DVD. Clearly someone borrowed the disc and didn't return it, beast!
Instead we watched The Soloist. Fate just has a way of speaking to us. In the midst of our good fortune we're reminded of the misfortune of others. It's a darned good movie, highly recommended.
We worked the days between Christmas and New Year but in that time I was lucky enough to speak to my mum, sister, brother, niece and my cousin in the U.K. Bonus time for me.
I was shopping in Woolies and I heard a tiny voice call my name, I must be imagining it. Again a tiny "Louise", I turned and there stood the famous blogger Purple Ronnie who I hadn't seen since her first pregnancy. What a lovely surprise and how good to catch up, no matter how briefly.
On New Year's day we took a drive. It was raining but that didn't deter us, I packed a picnic as promised and we set off for Simon's Town. I was so nice to see the Peninsula wearing a soft coat of rain, We bought some calamari and chips and parked outside the Scratch Patch to eat. I enjoyed snoek pate, the much anticipated aubergine cheese spread and my favourite Wheatsworth crackers. We had strawberries, fruit cake etc. Nice.
I went into the Scratch Patch to buy some Red Jasper for the workshop and of course came out with more than that, one stone being Peacock Chrystopyrite, for me. I don't take my purse when I enter that den of temptation, just a couple of notes in my pocket.
We drove along Chapman's Peak road, through Hout Bay and finally into Sea Point. It's always like a visit to another time, families walking along the promenade and a general sense of wellbeing. Through the Waterfront and finally on to the highway to head for home. My old gripe once again, we could have bought any number of new or used cars that day but had to park on the roof of Canal Walk to go and buy Marcelle's frozen joghurt in the shopping centre. Sad!
I had been mumbleing on about the cad who had our movie so I had one last search and there it was, behind my belly dance DVDs alongside five other titles I'd forgotten about (really, how could I forget Chocolat?). The end to a perfect day!
Finally, Kelly's duvet cover is finished, we were embroidering fairies on the front but (no complaints) were so busy with other people's embroidery that we kept putting hers to one side. I'll reattach Danielle's unicorns eye this week and we'll be slightly ahead with our many home tasks.
I'm listening to Cat Stevens in the car, music is so evocative. I always picture Sumayah who I met when we were taking our Reiki 1 classes, she was so surprised that I knew Yusuf Islam. She's such a good soul. My favourite is Father & Son, I think that track is worn out on the CD. Whenever I listen to Eric Clapton Unplugged I immediately picture our old friend Steve who died far too soon, I can see him strolling into the room, playing guitar along with the CD.
Frank Sinatra, well, I think of my mum of course, his biggest fan, I refer to him as my godfather. It's not just trumpet music that reminds me of my dad, Rowland and I often listen to something on the radio and agree that he would have like it and how excited he would have been about modern music. I can't hear the name Kim Wilde without reliving the nightmare of Sion and Timothy playing Checkered Love on their tape decks at the same time but with a slight time lag between the two. Aagh.
Finally, the New Years Honours List. When will Richard Curtis get the nod, his movies are like watching a little piece of British history.
Happy New Year to each and every one of you. I feel it's going to be a good one.