Sunday, August 31, 2014

Top 5 regrets of the dying

 
 
I have been meaning to share this on my blog for a while.  In honour of a young man in our company who passed away earlier this week, here are the top regrets of the dying...



Top five regrets of the dying

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives.
 
Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. "When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently," she says, "common themes surfaced again and again."
 
Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:
 
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it."
 
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."
 
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."
 
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."
 
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."
 
 

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

New wheels

True story - I went to the Honda dealership last week to have the windscreen wiper blades on my car replaced, and walked out an hour later having bought a new car!
 
My Honda CRV was getting a bit long in the tooth and needed to be replaced by the end of the year.  I traded it in for his younger prettier brother on 20 August.  I felt very sad to leave my faithful old Honda at the dealership and drive off in the new model. The Credit lady said that she often has women crying in her office about 'abandoning' their old cars.  Probably not something that men can understand. 
 



the sales lady, Shurzell Louw


Old and new
 
Anyhow, after a few days and 2 long road trips, I'm loving the new wheels
 

Monday, August 25, 2014

Turning 5

Elizabeth had a birthday party at the Spur on Saturday, and the rest of the day was filled with prezzies and lots of cake - the perfect recipe for turning 5.






My friend Tanya (from Blooming Beautiful Bakes)
made this gorgeous Barbie cake for Elizabeth






Happy 5th birthday Elizabeth!!
Love you to the moon and back.  Always and forever 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Scrapbook layouts

Here are 2 layouts that I finished on Sunday....


This page was designed by Retha van der Walt from Artzy Girl (visit her on facebook)

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Weekend in Review

I had plans on Saturday to visit several nurseries and garden centers to gear up for spring.  But the weather was persistently cold, wet and gloomy with some very early spring rain, so other than doing a few errands in the morning, I spent the weekend scrapbooking at home. 
 

I collected this 'box of happiness' from Lara at Scrapbook 'n Things
(visit her on facebook) - it is filled with 12 scrapbooking layouts


a few new supplies - Tim Holtz mini distress inks and a border punch



and then I started designing a scrap kit for our Scrap Addicts weekend in September.  I'll show you the completed layout after our weekend
(we like to keep our designs a surprise)





Lynn popped in a for a few hours on Sunday and while we scrapped,
Princess Ruby curled up in a ball and snoozed

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Crochet scarf

After my first crochet blanket, I dawdled over a simpler project - a soft blue scarf.  I've eventually finished it, now I just need some cooler weather so that I can actually wear it before summer arrives!
 



I'm still learning about crocheting but totally in love with "hooky".  When I get to heaven, my granny Mary and I are going to sit under the trees, sip sweet tea (poured from a tea pot which is covered with a Scottish tea-cosy, and always milk first into the cup Alison), nibble on delicate pieces of all-butter short bread, and crochet together.  Miss you Granny!
 
 

Friday, August 8, 2014

Market Day

I visited the Irene Country Market in Pretoria a few weeks ago.  I love getting there early before the crowds arrive, sipping hot coffee and strolling among the stalls.
 
  
These beautiful old trees line the road leading to the country market




 
This lady from one-of-a-kind yarns hand dyes her own wool / cotton, and I loved this gorgeous basket that she was crocheting.  Of course I bought some yarn and I'm attempting to crochet a little basket of my own
 












South African proteas are truly little pieces of exquisite art



a few of my finds from the market... washi tape, baby meringues,
crocheted pot holders and a little hand made bag




and I bought some cute summer T-shirts for my girls -
the sillybilly cycling club and windmills
as well as 2 princess finger puppets