I have a new food passion – Edamame! For someone who loves Japanese food, I didn’t even know they existed until recently, when I tried some at my cousin’s house.

It was love at first taste. (more…)

Mumsie and I had our first official “Mumsie Day” last week and, since the weather was lovely, we decided to visit one of her favourite gardens.

We arrived just in time for lunch (perfect timing by Mumsie) and enjoyed a delicious variety of salads. After lunch, I borrowed a wheelchair from the garden office, thinking Mum would need it since there was a lot of walking involved – some of it uphill. But I ended up pushing an empty wheelchair while Mumsie enthusiastically walked and walked and walked…. (more…)

How many times have you heard it? Or, for that matter, how many times have you said it? “I’m so busy that I can hardly find time in the day to do anything I really want to do.”

Well, I’m guilty – I say that all the time. “I’m so busy…I’m so busy…I’m so busy….” For goodness sake, it’s turning into my mantra! (more…)

It’s surprising how yoga can transform an acquaintance into a friendship so quickly. Perhaps it’s just a matter of two or more individuals finding common ground and connecting over something that we enjoy.

As I mentioned in my last blog, Hubby’s cousins from Portugal stayed with us recently – seven in all, which made for a full house (mild understatement)! Hubby hadn’t seen them for quite a few years and I’d never met them, so it was a matter of getting to know one another. They’re all lovely and we got along remarkably well right from the start (just as well, seeing they were staying with us for two weeks). (more…)

I’m a Libra, so it’s all about balance for me…except that these days it’s more like IMbalance!

We have visitors staying with us again – seven in all this time. My sister and her family left a couple of weeks ago and we had just a few days’ break before Hubby’s cousins came. And while they are wonderful and easy going people, there’s still a lot to do and there are times when I’m not sure which “cap” I’m wearing (chauffeur, tourist guide, chef, etc). I also have to take Mumsie into account to make sure she’s not overdoing it or encouraging me to overdo it. As I think I’ve mentioned before, she’s from the old school of hosting, so she thinks it’s only natural for me to add “personal slave” to my already full repertoire. Bless her – she tries her best to help but, at 92, there’s not much fetching and carrying she can do. (more…)

Okay, I’ll admit it. I hold grudges. If I want to, I can cling on to a grudge like you wouldn’t believe – barnacles on rocks have nothing on me.

I know, I know – we can all get upset about things said or not said at any given time, but some people manage to shrug it off and forget about it. Me? Not so much. I mean, I remember something insignificant that my sister did to me when we were kids, for goodness sake, and I still feel that twinge of a grudge… (more…)

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love having my family here. We all get along really well and it’s wonderful to watch Mumsie literally basking in the glow of being surrounded by her whole family.

But life is busy and chaotic with a houseful of people. Our days are filled with “what shall we do today?” or “let’s meet up with xxx” or “let’s go to the mall (or the park or wherever).” Then there are our conversations – we’re a family of chatterers and we ALL like to debate endlessly and share our opinions ad nauseam. Fortunately, Hubby is not only able to take all this in his stride, but he can also match us without any trouble. (more…)

Oh my gosh…I’m so sleepy these days! I just can’t seem to stop yawning and am struggling to keep my eyes open. Even as I’m trying to write this blog, I’m losing my concentration – all I really want to do is put my head down on the desk for a snooze (excuse me – just give me a few minutes…)

Life is quite chaotic with my sister and her family visiting, so this constant drowsiness is really quite disconcerting. Conversations seem to pass me by, with everyone participating while I sit there desperately trying not to nod off. During dinner the other evening, for example, everyone else was having a fascinating conversation about strategies for making our homes green. Usually, I’m right in the middle of these conversations – especially as this is one area that’s close to my heart. But this time, my contribution was zero as I was too busy concentrating on staying awake. I finally couldn’t hold back any longer and emitted a long yaawwwwnnnnn…satisfying for me but it certainly stopped the conversation cold. (more…)

Life is chaotic at the moment – and that’s an understatement! My sister and her family are visiting from abroad and, while it’s a lot of fun, we’ve also been busier than usual.

Fortunately, they’ve been here many times so we don’t have to do the “touristy” things. However, we have relatives and mutual friends who live here and of course they all want to get together, usually over a meal. So that’s mainly what we’ve been doing – eating, eating, and eating some more! (more…)

I love Mumsie dearly – I think that’s obvious whenever I blog about her.

However, I also get frustrated with her occasionally. Nobody can push my buttons faster than she can. It’s such a blessing that at 92, she’s still incredibly fit, both mentally and physically. That said, however, she has slowed down considerably in her movements. She can’t do as much as she used to – and this is where the frustration sets in for both of us. (more…)