New Places

I cannot believe we have been her one and a half years and never found the beautiful dam that was pretty much on our door step.  A few months ago I heard a rumour or two about it, but life got in the way and I never went to see if it existed.  While I was away Luis and Lola found it and then this week I have taken Lola.  Literally four minutes away is the perfect walking place for Lola well and anyone really.  

It is so peaceful and calm and a nice change from the more crowded high season beaches.  Also it is always nice to find something new.

ERRRR IKEA

A few months ago our friend Luke rented our second house and within about two minutes his house looked like a home and ours still a holiday villa.  Since then I have really wanted to transform our house into a home and decided since our return to do this.  We hired someone yesterday to put proper picture hooks in our cement walls so I could hang the paintings, we went to IKEA on the weekend to order furniture and today was building day.  We made such good progress on the guest bed frame and I was going to be so happy to post pictures of our new improved home.  But no, IKEA forgot to send one piece, or it was missing from the boxes or whatever, and a major piece.  So frustrating!  It means the finished pictures of the house are delayed but we did learn that we are a great flat pack building team, even Lola joined in.

 Okay, Lola didn't really do any work but she did stay in the room for moral support.

We had the bed almost complete within an hour, with no mistakes (I have learnt over my many IKEA years to now read everything carefully before beginning).  It looks like another trip tomorrow (I will try and keep my cool).  On a positive note, my first day back to school was not as horrible as I expected, I may even try leaving my classroom tomorrow!

Back in Phuket

It feels so strange to be back here where everything is the same but everything is so different.  I have just finished unpacking all the stuff we brought back and it is so weird to see my parents paintings and treasured items scattered in the house.  It was hard to say good bye to our family home, but also it did not feel like a goodbye, I suspect that will feel real when the house sells.  I cannot believe only six weeks ago I was just arriving in Canada, even then I was still fairly optimistic or naive or more likely just not willing to accept what was coming.  It has been a busy, heart wrenching five months and I suspect some of the real pain is yet to come.  I am thankful to have such a brilliant sister, so many people have asked if there were problems (just from their own experiences dealing with these situations), and I can honestly say that during this horrible time we got strength from each other and just worked out everything together.   In fact, I can say I had a wonderful time with her and miss her hugely now. I am also thankful to our husbands who did so much to help during this time, we could never have cleared the house without their help, not to mention the incredible emotional support.  And then I am so thankful for Freda who gave us a reason for smiling and laughing over the past weeks.  I guess normal life needs to commence again on Monday, although I am not sure what this looks like and know now that everything has changed, my mother and now father have left a big hole in my life that can never be filled.  But I know I will cope and happiness will come again.

 A last cool sunny morning in our back yard.

Boy, I am going to miss this guy.  He was one of the greats that is for sure.  I just found this beauty of a picture, what a handsome young man he was!

Happy 2018

It is no secret that I am happy to see the end of 2017, at least the last half of it anyways.  The last five or six months have been draining in every sense, emotionally, physically, mentally.  But it is over and I am looking forward to starting a new year.   And so happy I got to bring in the New year with the fabulous five and our hubbies.  Amy wanted to go to a dinner show restaurant downtown and we all jumped on board and we did it in style getting a limo there and back.  We then all went back to Mandy's to see in the New Year with the kids.  It was a lovely night and a brilliant way to bring in 2018.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2018.  

Dad's December 30th Party

I think my Dad would be pretty happy to know we still had his December 30th Christmas Party, music and all.  The next few days are going to be tough (well just as tough as the last five months I guess), there are a lot of good byes to be said and it all feels too soon.  My parents had some fantastic friends and over the years I have enjoyed coming back and visiting them.   They have been so fantastic over these last years and especially the last month.  I hope that each of them will make it to Thailand or our next spot for a visit.

Marlene had the house looking amazing, Colleen made a fantastic chilli, Luis was a great bar tender, it was a great night.  Now, we are getting ready for a night to end this horrible year with the fabulous five.  Bring on 2018.

Full House Again

After a week of the four of us organising, packing, cleaning, the house has filled up again, luckily not with stuff but with people.  Karen and her friend, Arno, and Marlene have all come to help get the house ready and have a visit.  

 Paddy making his delicious curry

 We love downstairs, wish we had used it a lot more

 Nicola, Paddy and Freda leave tomorrow, I cannot believe it is our last few days here.  It is going to be heart breaking to go.

Christmas down Memory Lane

We woke up to a beautiful cold snowy winter wonderland Christmas morning.  The sky was blue and the snow sparkled in the sunshine.  This to me looked fantastic from the inside but was a little cold for me to venture out for too long.  We had a nice morning, just the five of us, then played in the snow (some longer than others) and then went to the Duimstra Christmas party.  The Duimstra's, are our neighbours and friends, they are people that we spent many Christmas days with, New Years parties and many more events together.   Fred and Donna were very good friends of our parents and their three boys use to torment me growing up (made me catch frogs and snakes, etc).  I have very fond memories of our times together and it was so nice of us to invite us again this year.  Fred is the only one left out of the four, Mum, Donna and now Dad dying way before their time.

 My ten minutes in the snow

 Freda's first Christmas

 Ritchie, the eldest Duimstra son and host of Christmas

 Me, Fred, Nicola and Freda

 There was a huge hockey game going on down stairs.  

 Me and Scott.  We use to walk around holding hands all the time when we were very small

It was such a lovely evening and I am so happy that we went.  It made Christmas a really nice day.