A good reference has come through!

Reference from Sarah-Jane, mum of E

E was with Jen for about 6 months and during that time was very happy.
Jen took the kids on outings to Wimbledon common, did craft projects with them
and even managed to get them all baking.

Jen's house was always very clean and tidy (despite having 3 toddlers messing
it up all the time) and there was always a welcoming smile and hug when E arrived.
I can recommend Jen as a very caring and considerate childminder who is
committed to seeing children develop through play and fun. 

10 Feb 2008 ~ VT Meet

Tower Bridge

Met up with some pals, had some good food at The Hide, then took a stroll along the lovely old vs new London south bank, photographing the illuminated buildings, bridges and ships along the way... twas a lovely day!

The hungry people!

Natalie and Jo

Holger, Sue and Jo

New York, what a juicy big apple!

New York is a city I have always wanted to visit.

Hubby and I went for a week in mid winter (Jan 2008), after having spent Christmas with family in Hickory, North Carolina.

To say that New York was a culture shock is an understatement! We arrived on New Year's Eve and it was madness... transport was down, there were millions of people and police around, and here were we, two South Africans with 2 huge red suitcases, trying to find our way through the throngs to our hotel, weary, hungry and cold.

This photo is an artistic moving shot my hubby took whilst we were on the open top bus at night, in the freezing cold.. we love this shot! Step inside my virtualtourist page and see what our week in new York meant to us! :)

New York City Travel Page

Nature walks

Exercise and playing in the fresh air is important. We go out at least once a day (dependent on the weather), if not twice, and go for walks and play in the garden, park, common and community. This is not only a time of exercise, but also a time of learning.

I have a love of birds and all things nature, and use this time to teach him/her about the trees, leaves, the birds, the rabbits, the horses, the dogs, the ducks, the sky and the clouds etc. We pop on our sun cream and our hats and out we go!

I think it's important for children to develop a love for, and appreciation of, nature from a young age ~ coming home with feathers, seed pods and leaves with exciting veins for creative activities when they reach a certain age!

Babysitting... to do or not?

I provide a babysitting service for my mindees primarily. If I am unavailable to babysit I have two other trusted childcare workers I highly recommend. One is a qualified primary school teacher (my sister!) who is currently nannying, and the other is an OFSTED registered childminder. They both live locally to me.

I am actually so busy thouhg - I am keen to help the parents, but aLSO KEEN not to, if that makes sense? At least I can pass the work onto others...

25 Jan 2008 ~ VT meet

angie, sue, jo, carl, kristi, gillian, kat

Met up with a group of pals, and ate and laughed and ate some more!
Kristi is doing an interesting squat in this shot... hmmm.
Carl was a big surprise for me!
What a delight to see him, and everyone else... especially, of course, my dear Kat and Kristi.

gillian and kat

I love this shot of this awesome woman, Kat.

jen and iris

How do the pennies come in?

I am a Graphic Designer by trade and have been doing this since I qualified (with a 1 year full-time stint at mum's nursery-school, working as a teacher). I worked part-time at the school during afternoons and school holidays for 4-5 years previous to that too.

So, when I was 21, I packed up, moved back to my birthplace, Cape Town (settled in Fish Hoek), and started my business, a design company, making recycled paper products. There is more about this in my a touch of natural link.

After 5 years of this, I closed it and we emigrated to London. Here I freelanced for a bit, working at places like HSBC, Goldman Sachs etc. and then landed a freelance job at F (publishing co). Was there a few months and then went to McDonald's HQ, where I was offered a 6 month contract. When this ended a full-time position was offered to me (was actually created for me) at F, so back I went.. and stayed there for 3 and a half years, till my post (along with others) was made redundant in April 2007. The company closed it's doors on 22 June 2007.

Such things happen in life, and the redundancy didnt phase me, but what was upsetting was the way in which it was done. And here I'll have my little whinge... Working with a confrontational, bullying person was not easy and only in retrospect have I realised what utter nonsense I put up with there. Anyway, bridge under the water, we live and learn! And, because I wanted to go back to my first love, children, plus it was advisable as I had tennis elbow (due to being overworked at said company!), I registered to become a Childminder!

Within 2 weeks of being registered all my vacancies (3 per day) were full. God certainly answers prayers! There has been so much to do, get a playroom and all equipment etc. arranged, insurances, registering with various bodies etc. I do this 4 days a week and on Fridays I keep free for freelance work. I have an ongoing freelance relationship with a fabulous company outside Windsor. What a pleasure to work with a manager that isnt in a bad mood most of the time and who actually cares about the staff! He is a light hearted, warm and hard working boss. What a pleasure to work with!

I always treated my staff well when I had my own company, and was shocked how staff were treated at said company. Not even caring how everyone was on 7 July 2005, when the bombs went off. I was 3 tubes behind the Piccadilly one actually, and some staff were visibly upset... and there was no care forthcoming at all. Money, money, money, that's all that mattered. But I am a firm believer that if you are a good boss and care about your staff, they will care about you and be more loyal to the company, and work even harder... the wheel turns! I was far too loyal to a company that didn't deserve it. I was so very silly and wonder still why I didn't get out earlier.

So, all in all, the work situation has changed for the better in every way. Better working environment, doing different things (both which I love), earning more money (and being paid for overtime!), and working from home too for most of the week. This will be super for when I have my own child to look after.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Always treat people with respect.
Life is GOOD.

Newsy post for friends

Last Christmas was lovely, spent with Lance's family and my own. This Christmas will be a tad different as all our family will be in South Africa. Unfortunately I couldn’t get leave over this period as it’s our busiest time of the year. London is lovely this time of year (albeit chilly), the windows are spectacularly dressed and the Salvation Army play on the corners. It is quite magical!

We finished (after 2 years!) renovating our Wimbledon home, sold it in May, and moved into a lovely (and bigger!) place across the road from Wimbledon Common. We are very happy there and thank God for His continued provision in our lives. We bought a car too (after 4 years of commuting everywhere), and this has made all the difference in the world. We still commute every day to work on the bus, but use the car in the evenings and weekends. With winter and the chill upon us, timing is great! Job-wise, we are still in the same jobs.

Les, Clara and Cayla went back to Johannesburg in March of this year and all is well with them. Les has a great job as a business consultant (a big change from global risk banking that he did at JP Morgan in London!) and Clara is doing wedding co-ordinating. Little Cayla is as gorgeous as ever and we can’t wait to see her again. She is learning to talk and says the cutest things.

My mum left Fish Hoek after a year (which she thoroughly enjoyed. She was quite involved in St Peters), and is in Johannesburg. She is principal of a nursery school (250 kids), is teaching, and loving it. Her and Judy have recently bought a home in Randburg. Judy is coming out on holiday to Jhb in December. Shaun and Becky are well, looking forward to their time in SA in December, and the arrival of their little baby in May. Exciting times as Lance and I become uncle and aunty for the second time!

Our time in SA last month was very brief and hard-pressed for time. We bought a townhouse in Johannesburg on a buy-to-let basis, and the sale is progressing smoothly. We hope to get tenants in as soon as it goes through. Who know, when we come in January again we might get to crack open a bottle of bubbly there if there aren’t any tenants in it yet! We also had quite a few business things to get sorted. There is only so much one can do with online banking. We had four days in Cape Town and in that time we went through all our storage of three years ago and got rid of a lot of things (given to Masiphumilele). We also moved furniture out of Ithaca as mum has had a full-time tenant move in. We had our 5th year wedding anniversary on the weekend we were in Cape Town too, and were spoilt with a lunch at The Nellie. What a treat! We spent whatever free time we had with family and did bump into a couple of pals, which was great!

We are so looking forward to seeing everyone and meeting the babies we have yet to meet, although, having seen pictures and heard stories of most of the kiddies, we feel like we have already met them. Thanks so much for this continued contact, it is wonderful and means SO much to us stuck on the other side of the globe! Even though we had a lot to do in SA, there was another main reason for coming. It has upset my family tremendously, and we pray that God has His hand on the situation. We need your prayers friends. We (siblings) are being sued and are involved in a could-get-ugly court case.

In SA there is a law where parents can sue their kids for maintenance.
My father (from now on referred to as H Snr) is suing us.He is 61 years old firstly. Hardly old. He has rubbished his life away with women, drink and partying and looks 20 years older than he is. He is a fraudster and a bad egg basically.

He had 4 kids with my mum and then when they divorced 24 years ago, he divorced us too. We have never known him. He never paid maintenance, acknowledged Christmases, birthdays etc. We grew up in a single parent family, and mum worked very hard to ensure we had food in our mouths (albeit with church food vouchers often) and clothes (albeit second hand) on our backs. Not surprising I guess, seeing as we aren’t dependent anymore, that H Snr should come to us asking us for money for medical, dental etc. plus a monthly maintenance cost. Totally out of the blue - not wanting to say he’s sorry and he wants to get to know us now or anything. Nope, he just wants our money. We said no, we would give him groceries only if he was in need of it (which we have done on several occasions in the past), as he is an alcoholic and we don’t trust he’ll spend the money on food, plus we honestly don’t feel we owe him anything because he deserted us as kids and we have NO relationship with him. He is a total stranger to us. This is a HUGE slap in the face for my mum who sacrificed so much to raise four kids on her own (we were 4, 6, 8 and
10 when they divorced).

To say we are furious and angry and upset and feeling all upside down re this is an understatement. The fact that two of us are in the UK, and one is in the States, means
that my brother in SA got the court letter only, and he’s having to deal with this on our
behalf. There’s enormous pressure and strain on him and his own little family. This was the chief reason we went to SA, to support him and put the case together. We have an advocate working on it for us. She is doing it for us at a lesser cost she would normally charge due to the notoriety of the case. She wants to take it on. This case is setting a precedent in the country apparently as there have been a couple of cases where parents have sued for maintenance before, but never before has a parent sued who is a parent in name only.

The case starts on 20 November 2006 (this Monday!!!) and should it go any
further after that, I will have to go there myself for future court appearances. It’s just
such a mess and I feel like pulling my hair out in frustration and helplessness, being
so far away. Monday is a big day, when it’ll be decided whether the claim is thrown out of court,
or a court case will proceed. Please could you pray for strength and wisdom for the
family, especially my brother Les, at this time.

At the end of January we come back again, this time for a holiday and some rest!
We are going to Johannesburg, Sun City, Pilansberg, driving through the Karoo,
Cradock, doing the Garden Route (staying for a while at Wilderness Nature Reserve),
and then on to Cape Town. We cant wait! To travel in our beautiful land, plus to see
family and friends.

Save the date:

We do hope those of you in Cape Town you will be available to see us on the evening of Saturday, 10 February, when we will be having a bring-and-braai get together with pals in the valley. If you could keep this date open that would be great. We will email you closer to the time re
arrangements. Sending you all much love.Please pray for Monday’s proceedings!!!!

Thought provoking...

A father passing by his son's bedroom, was astonished to see that the bed was nicely made, and everything was picked up. Then, he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow. It was addressed, 'Dad.' With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter, with trembling hands.

'Dear, Dad.
It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing to you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mum and you.

I've been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is so nice, but I knew you would not approve of her, because of all her piercings, tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes, and because she is so much older than I am.

But it's not only the passion, Dad. She's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a caravan in the woods, and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves, and trading it with the other people in the commune, for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want.

In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS, so Stacy can get better. She sure deserves it!

Don't worry Dad, I'm 15, and I know how to take care of myself. Someday, I'm sure we'll be back to visit, so you can get to know your many grandchildren.

Love,
Your son, Joshua.

P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Jason's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the school report that's on the kitchen table.

Call when it is safe for me to come home.

2007 travels ~ 2 countries, 24 villages & cities!

Hout Bay, Cape Town ~ 27 Oct 2006

We had a SPLENDID trip to sunny South Africa!

We went to Johannesburg, Pilansberg Game Reserve, Lost City & Sun City (for 3 nights, and over my birthday!), the Karoo, Cradock (stayed at the renowned Die Tuishuis), did a good section of the Garden Route (3 nights at Wilderness Nature Reserve), plus the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, and then went on to Cape Town and all her wine tasting, mountain climbing and cultural beauty.

We also saw dear family and friends and all their new little kids.

March 2007

A last minute getaway to romantic and historic Stratford-upon-Avon :)

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

I have always wondered about this town, and longed to visit. Shakespeare was a favourite study in English Literature, his writing is to me like poetry, and I so enjoy digging into his writing and seeking the true meaning beneath the musical words.

The weather was nippy but clear, spring time is always a good time to do some gallivanting!

It's quite easy to get caught up in the lovely character of the town, the charm of the architecture, the beauty of the River Avon... one needs to remember though what this town is about and why it is so well known.

Much of this town is dedicated to the memory of a man who had an enormous impact on English literature, and literature as a whole.

His life may have been over many years ago, but to me his memory if very much a living one, every time I read one of his poems, sonnets or plays, he comes alive! I learnt a lot about him at school, where we studied one play a year, and think it is a pity that many schools no longer do this. Here is a man with an unsurpassed talent and depth, with a gorgeous town heritage to boot.

Sitting in your bookshelf :)

May 2007

We took a delightful trip to a few towns and villages in Dorset, a beautiful green county in England. We stayed in Cerne Abbas, and visited Dorchester, Weymouth, Swanage, and Corfe Castle.

Renowned for it's *giant* chalk figure

We briefly saw Studland, Lulworth Castle and Poole too.

This was the little village we stayed at when we visited Dorset.

We fell in love with it!

From its winding roads to its impressive church and abbey, from a very interesting cemetary (I love cemeteries!) to its renowned Royal Oak pub with its own Master Chef of England - with it's huge collection of teapots and tea cups hanging from the ceilings, which is also a couple of hundred years old!

The cream teas we had here were so delicious - we couldnt watch the calories for fear of passing out... - they were so good we had them twice! Tons of history and a pretty, neat little village.

Definately a thumbs up for Cerne Abbas :)

June 2007

Explored Dover in Kent, and it's fortified castle with Kristi (VTer Dabs)!

~

Had another super day trip to Portsmouth.

HMS Victory ~ fought in the Battle of Trafalgar!

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will go again in a few weekends time with my sister and a friend, to go up the Spinnaker Tower, go on a boat trip, do some shopping in their MANY shopping outlets, go and explore the historic ships some more and basically enjoy a day out! Having lived near Simon's Town (South Africa's naval town) so long, we both really appreciate and enjoy anything naval... me adding in the naval officers too ;)

The photo is of the HMS Victory, which is permanently docked at Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard. What a magnificent ship!!! There are a couple other historic boats, some war-time boats, a ferry, some sailing boats and even a giant carrier! All very exciting and fun to see :)

July 2007

Red Bull Air Race in Central London

Red Bull Air Race

An exciting air race... used to be held at Longleat, England, but this year was held in Central London... good move!!!!

We would love to go to one of the air races overseas, especially the one at the Grand Canyon! :)

Aug 2007

Wkend away to Somerset ~ staying at a 17th Century B&B and exploring Cheddar, Burnham-on-Sea and Wells!

Wells is the smallest city in England!

Bishops Palace, half ruin, half palace in Wells.

It is absolutely charming.. has all the charm of a village still though. It has various churches, a palace, and a cathedral.. the latter being it's claim to being called a city!

Mr and Mrs Flower at the wedding

We then had a week long trip to Cape Town for brother-in-law's wedding! (and a surprise flight to Jhb to see my fam)

Gosh, 3 trips to South Africa in under a year :))

Oct 2007

Visit to Arundel Castle and Brighton for our wedding anniversary!

We were spoilt by the B&B owners, who had a cold bottle of champagne on ice for us when we arrived :)

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting both places... Brighton for it's sea charm... excellent architecture and flavour... and Arundel for it's village charm with the smoky castle overlooking it.

The Hollyhock flower, plenty at Brighton!