Heart Op

Francis went imto theater at 6pm last night - they found three problems so he ended up with three ablations. They also found another problem which hopefully has been fixed.

 

I am not coping so well, I have the flu which is making me groggy, snotty, exhausted and emotional, I am having a reaction to ciggy smoke and my throat is so swolen that my necklace feels too tight...in other words I am not coping. I am not a super heroine who can stand passively by and not show any emotion, I called Francis to check on him and ended up blubbing into the phone. sigh. I just want to go home with my family, sleep in my bed and be looked after till I feel better. Instead I am 600km from home, I have a demanding baby, a very heartsick hubby and no hope of being looked after!

 

Sands x

 

 

 

I haven't laughed so hard in days...

For a really interesting read (this lady is a great blogger and her humour is great) http://www.alittlepregnant.com/ her name is Julie and I stumbled across the blog by mistake - its a gem.

 

Sands x

My Polly-Anna Glad List

After reading Cris' blog I was inspired to try this out - I have had the crappest year in history (apart from giving birth to my gorgeous baby girl) I have had to deal with stretch marks, Haemorrhoids (over-share) from birthing, post birth dramatic weight gain, my husband being n a horrific accident, having two operations in two weeks, having to be a "single" mom because hub is too sore to help much9has been mush better lately), having to wake up all night to see if he's still alive because of his heart condition, coming up to Joburg for his heart Operation (today) and then helping him recover from that and gain the full use of his legs (he still can't walk properly) and build up his confidence again. 

 

So it's understandable that I have found myself becoming increasingly pessimistic, depressed and lethargic. My gym membership has become non-existent since the op and although the new Blood type diet is helping I am still battling with my weight and feeling really saddened that I am so much bigger than ever before. 

So saying, I am going to try and find a few things to be thankful for:

 

1. I have a beautiful home, I love living in it.
2. My businesses are flourishing and earning an income – whew!
3. I am being allowed to raise my baby the way I have always wanted to –  to be a hands-on at-home mom.
4. I am still very much in love with my husband, my best friend.
5. I have a wonderful little girl who has learned how to make me laugh and does so daily. Clapping with me, blowing me kisses and saying "pop pop!" because it makes me giggle.
6. I have a good maid who loves my baby and is a good helper.
7. My dogs are only partially insane this year.
8. I have great friends – people who are around me supporting me all the time – always a phone call, field's hill or driveway away from me when I need them.
9. I've published my books this year – a lifelong dream.
10. I've set up my studio at home – filled with instruments, sound equipment – heaven in a room.
11. I've found my art style and have painted some of my best pieces since having Sav.
12. I am happy that my post pregnancy floppy dead hag hair is giving way to normal shining hair again!

 

That's the best I can do. I tried and it feels nice. Sigh. I'm hoping for more things to add to this list.

 

Sands x

 

Savanna Crawled!

I am a proud Mum. My baby looked at me, rolled onto her knees and crawled to me...Great to know that her first proper crawl was towards me, with a wet grin and laughter like soapy bubbles!
Sigh.

My other firm favourite is that whenever Sav is finished her nap and wants me to come to the room and fetch her she calls out "Ma mum, Ma Mum!" and when I poke my head around the door and smile she gives me a big wet toothless grin and says one last "mu-ma" love it! She is trying to talk - copying words that I say, following commands and understanding things like "uh uh sav thats not allowed!" She smiles and moves away from the thing that is out of bounds. If I tell her that her Dadda is coming she looks all around for him. If I tell her that "Octavia is here" she starts wiggling and looking for her at the back door. My clever thing.

One last thing - last night She came with Franc to fetch me from a Class in Glenwood and when she climbed into my arms (out of the arms of a student) she just sighed and pulled my head forwards, resting her forehead on mine and closing her eyes...then she pulled back and smiled at me running her fingers down the centre of my face.

I.
Could.
Just.
Pop!

Sands x

8 Months Today!

My baby Girl is 8 Months Old today! I still can't believe it! Almost as long OUT as she was IN =)

 

The show went well last night, no forgotten lines, no botched wardrobe changes - yay - all in all a great night.

Got home after 10pm (again) so a little tired today.

Going to be phoning schools today to book my Puppet show so I'm hoping for bookings!

 

Sands x

Goodbye Corky

Well, the verdict is in.
After raising our fence, using poles which I sawed by hand, adding additional rope after he chewed through the first, second and third attempt at re-enforcing the fence...after adding a sheet of hardboard (a new canvass that is now destroyed ;( so that he couldn't see out (and jump) after the 6th escape and rampage, we have to take Corky to the SPCA.
We've given him as much time and effort as we dare, and at the cost of losing relationship with our neighbours: He has to go.

He is such a loving dog, a great (excellent) watchdog - I have slept better since having him here, and a very good friend to Skip and Oscar who love him dearly.

I must say, the dog food will last longer but we have really loved having the gorgeous brute living with us - no one can say that we haven't tried our best.
I can be brave, put on a silly face and say things like "strike three you're out!" but the truth is that I will miss him. He has the warmest eyes and I thought that at last...I had a dog with no issues.
Spoke too soon 'fence jumper'

I am also feeling so run down, I need a break. I have been burning the candle at both ends and feel like i'm teetering on the edge of doing something stupid like closing my business just for the sake of sanity. Sometimes I feel like I should just join the hamsters of the world and get onto the treadmill, sit at a PC, listen to East Coast Radio every day, get my pay packet at the end of the month. Lose out on the better part of my baby's day; and then I look around me at the business of my life, the creativity and flexibility that I have. I look at the three months of holiday that I get each year, the awesome people I work with. I get to lie in bed in the morning cuddling my girl till 8:30am I get to lie on the floor with her whenever I want, playing hide and seek with her, or clapping to her music with her. I can set up my equipment and play guitar all day, or set up and paint something huge. I get to write, create and use up my creative urges till I'm dry.

I need a holiday - that is for sure, but I also love my life. It really is a catch 22. egh. I need a hug.

Sands x

Cristines Baby Shower!

Well, it happened. It's kinda made it official - CRISTINE IS HAVING A BABY OMG!!

The party was one of the most beautiful I've ever been to - I cried a good couple times.

Cris - you are so blessed my friend, it's been amazing to see how God has opened doors for you and made a way for you and Ry to start your family.

 

I am waiting with so much excitement to meet my "unofficial" niece =)

 

Sands x

My First Puppet

Her name is Drucilla. She Scary.

Sands x

Sav's "New" Cot and Other Things...

Well, life has certainly taken a turn for the busier...
I have altered my childs cot (see pic) and lowered it a little so that
she can't climb out of it like she was doing...
I very happily and excitedly used a cash present to buy all of my
sound equipment for my acting team and a stunning sound set up for
myself to use at gigs and shows (yay!!)
My Paw Paw Show is taking off soon so I'm waiting for my three actors
to return their signed contracts and we're A-4-away! I have had an
incredibly tiring week - i've worked non-stop from 7am - 10pm daily
auditioning actors, running around doing final paperwork for the
tender, sitting in banks, purchasing equipment, running my music
school, and even had a fun rehearsal for a show i'm in on tuesday
night for my church - its called Sex, Gardening and God. It's fun so
far. Good laughs.
Now in the middle of this I've had to look after a very active 8 month
old, cook for my hub and I (i'm on a special Blood Type Diet) and have
some kind of relationship with both Hub and Bub, whew!

Anyway, I'm now on a new adventure - I have written a script (2007)
and I am in the process of pricing and making n entire cast of ...
puppets. I'm also in the recording studio doing all of the voices
(jamaican nogal) and putting the entire show onto CD. I'm hoping to
run teh show in the month of November - it will give us some extra
cash when we head off to Australia for our holiday in December.

Exciting times!

Sands x

PS. Oh ya - my X-tra dog, Corky, is a compulsive run-away thats how we
got him...he ran away from his previous owners... and as I arrived
home with a GINORMOUS branch in my boot for my special friend Kimmi's
birds I recieved this message " Your dog killed my birds =(" needless
to say I rolled down the hill, left the branch, paid my condolences,
shoved the murderous offender into my car and rolled back up the hill.
Sorry Swanses. Corky has had one strike. Two more and hes out.

--
Regards,


S. Doherty-Bigara
Paw Paw Productions
Pinetown
Durban
www.pawpawsa.blogspot.com
Cell: +27 72 227 3075
Fax: 0865115166
a/h : 031 700 5114
Mail: PO Box 1161
Kloof
3640

"Education through drama, action, dance and laughter"

The thing with flan is...

Ok so i'm going to make the flan.
It's in the name of Science.

Sands x

The AB Blood Type Diet

GOOD	BAD!
Weight loss: Tofu Seafood Dairy Greens Kelp Pineapple (Bran Flakes allowed 1 bowl p/day)	Weight Gain: Beef Kidney beans Lima Beans Seeds Corn Buckwheat Wheat
Meats Poultry Seafood Hake Rainbow Trout Tuna   (Small portions of Chicken, mince allowed 2x per week)   Lamb Mutton Turkey	Haddock Crab Crayfish Shrimp Bacon Beef Chicken Ham Pork Veal Venison
Dairy Eggs Oils Fats Cottage Cheese Feta Goat Cheese Ricotta Yoghurt Olive Oil Fat free Milk Cheddar Gouda	Buttermilk Ice Cream Parmesan Full Cream Milk
Nuts seeds Peanuts Peanut Butter Walnuts	Poppy Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Tahini (Halva) Sesame Sunflower seeds
Beans Soy Beans Green lentils	Kidney Bean Lima Bean
cereals Oat bran Oatmeal Rice Bran Puffed Rice	Corn Flakes
Breads muffins Brown Rice Bread Fin Crisp Rice Cakes 100% Rye bread Rye Crisps Rye Vita Soy Flour Bread	Corn Muffins
Grains pasta Oat Flour Rice Flour Rye Flour Basmati Rice White/Brown/Wild Rice	Barley Flour Artichoke Pasta Noodles (soba)
Vegetables fruit Spinach Leeks Celery Onion Garlic Mushroom Baby marrow Carrot Cabbage   Apples Kiwi Pawpaw Papaya Watermelon Grapes	Artichoke Avo Corn Black Olives Peppers Radish Mung Sprouts   Banana Coconut Guava Mango Orange
Juices and fluids Glass of warm water with ½ lemon daily Cabbage Juice Carrot Juice Celery Juice Black Cherry Juice Cranberry Juice Grape Juice Papaya Juice	Orange
Spices condiments   Sweet chilli Mayo Robertson's spices	Almond Extract Anise (liquorice) Malt Capers Cornstarch Syrup Gelatine Pepper Vinegar Ketchup Pickles Relish Worcestershire Sauce
Beverages Coffee regular and decaf Green tea	Soda Black tea's

 

A discussion with Cris...

Well, I like the earth. I'll be sad to see it go Wednesday.

After a skype chat with Cristine I heard some rather interesting news... apparently, red is the new blue.

I know! I'm baffled as well.

Ok ok just go read cris's blog to find out what the heck i'm going on about.

 

Sands x

 

Heaven in a dish

1 x Tin Condensed Milk

1 x Tin Coconut Milk

5 x Eggs

 

Oven 180' for one hour in a dish standing in a water filled tray.

 

Voila! Flan amazing!!

 

Sands x

My Latest Painting

This is my latest painting, I did it for Rachel B x
Sands x

Practice Practice!

I'm busy rehearsing at the moment for a gig in Durban North next Friday morning.
My Mom has signed me up to perform at her school in the Church theatre – amazing venue for shows and stuff, restaurant and latest sound equipment! I can’t wait to let loose with my Santa Fe Guit!! I’m rehearsing like mad and my fingers are swollen (yuck) but it’s worth it – you know when you are a busy person it helps to have a definite point to prepare for, otherwise your playing becomes lax.

Oh yesss!!!! Two of my books arrived from SPAIN today (scuuuze me) and So far only a few minor mistakes in the one book = ) I am a happy girl. I’m going to iron out the hiccups and then order a whole stack of books to sell here.

Savie is well on her way to crawling, today I put her on the carpet in my music rooms in Glenwood and she promptly got up onto all fours and started crawling…well half of her did. The right hand goes forward, then left hand, then right leg goes forward then…nothing. She hasn’t worked it out that far yet. The left leg just kinda droops, haha. I reckon she’ll be zooting around any day now. At this point she is pulling, rolling, sliding and moving around the entire lounge, getting her fingers in everything and even finding her way under the piano stool a couple times!
We have her toys in a basket now so that there is at least some order…she takes everything out of the box and I put it all back, that’s the order (repeat 100x) She has also decided that she prefers sleeping with her head near the window. No matter how often we turn her so she’s head-by-door she just climbs around and lies the way she wants to. I’m not fighting her, she obviously likes seeing the doorway.
Bath time is a real hoot – she loves her baths, sitting on her own playing with her banana toy and splashing like crazy – I love it. I sit in my chair and supervise while she sings, kicks, laughs and has a jol. I really am so blessed to have such an amicable baby. She is so good during lessons and only has a minor thrombosis once in a while.

Francis is doing well, he is growing stronger everyday. He is booked for his heart operation on the 29^th September in Johannesburg. Nervous but expectant of good things.

Keep well all,
Sands x