Blog – Page 18 – Nyamazela

Bitter sweet musings on a rainy evening in London

Posted on 29 Jul, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

“It was a shock to me to turn from the wonderful smoky beauty of a sunset over London, with its lurid lights and inky shadows and all the marvellous tints that come on foul clouds even as on foul water, and to realise all the grim sternness of my own cold stone building, with its wealth of breathing misery, and my own desolate heart to endure it all.”

Dracula by Bram Stoker

How is it possible to love your family so much and yet be ready to let them go back to their home, far far away after just three and a half weeks … and then the minute they leave, immediately wish you could have them back? Continue reading Bitter sweet musings on a rainy evening in London

Rain, puddles, splashes and rest

Posted on 25 Jul, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.”

Dr Seuss, The Cat in the Hat

This house has been a hive of activity since returning from Wales.

Apart from running around three small girls and sightseeing till we’ve almost dropped, the Secret Seven have been most productive at home. My hubby and brother have trimmed the hedge; got rid of a fox mess; bought seafood at Billingsgate Market; gutted and cooked prawns, scallops and squid and made a delicious paella. They have bought a brew kit and begun brewing; put up a wooden parasol on the terrace and accomplished various other household tasks.

Continue reading Rain, puddles, splashes and rest

Having a Wale of a time and other such stories

Posted on 16 Jul, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

(The Secret Seven driving along the A470 towards Caerphilly.)

S-J: Where does uncle Gary live?
S: In Caerphilly.
S-J: Is he the same colour as us?
(6 of the secret seven, mouths open suppressing a giggle.)
S-J: Is he peach?

My observations: my family in action.

Four adults. Three children. The Secret Seven have taken South West Wales by storm.

On Friday last we took a leisurely drive from London to our cottage on a working sheep and cattle farm out among the hills, hedges and narrow roads surrounding Monmouth. A converted barn was the only place that could house seven of us. Continue reading Having a Wale of a time and other such stories

Family fun

Posted on 7 Jul, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

S-J: Mommy I don’t want any more.
M: Have three more beans.
S-J: I already had five beans.
M: Just one more then.
(M takes dinner plate away.)
S-J: Mommy, can I have a roll?
M: No, you can’t have a roll. If you’re still hungry you can have some more supper.
S-J: I don’t want supper, I want lunch.

My observations: my family in action.

Yes, they are here – the Zambians have arrived. There is a growing pile of small shoes at the door, a tent in the lounge and Lego EVERYWHERE!

The thing I love about family and especially children are that they keep you on your toes. You can never let down your guard because there are ‘flapping’ BFG-type ears everywhere picking up ‘stompies’ (that’s cigarette butts for non-SA’s). Continue reading Family fun

Going mad in the heat and dans le noir

Posted on 30 Jun, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

“If we don’t go mad once in a while, there’s no hope.”

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

London is ROASTING.

There is not a cloud in the sky, not a breath of wind. It’s 37 degrees on our terrace, 31 degrees in our kitchen and another week of swelter is predicted. Yes, these are the numbers at 18:30 in the evening. Yes, this is London. No we have no rain or cloud to offer at this time – out of stock.

Continue reading Going mad in the heat and dans le noir

100% Thumbs up!

Posted on 25 Jun, 201530 Jan, 2018 by nyamazela

“So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

These are wonderful inspiring sentiments from two writers whose works I admire exceedingly.

Random commonalities: The writer’s names both have double initials. Both books describe the adventures of fantastical creatures or at the very least animals that talk, ponder and expound surprising and irrefutable animal wisdom – and charm.

Continue reading 100% Thumbs up!

Back to the gym

Posted on 24 Jun, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

“The room door opened, and Mrs Waterbrook, who was a large lady – or who wore a large dress: I don’t exactly know which, for I don’t know which was dress and which was lady – came sailing in.”

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

I’m sorry to keep coming back to Dickens, but this one was a priceless nugget under a pile of clippings which I have fished out on the auspicious occasion of my return to the gym.

I also love a giggle and thought you might like this description.

For a very good reason, Continue reading Back to the gym

Life’s little contradictions

Posted on 23 Jun, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I started writing this post on Monday. It began with:

“Devastated. Test taken. Test failed.”

I walked away from that draft to do something too unimportant to mention and when I came back to it this morning, I find myself removed from the lines I’d written. It’s a strange anachronism to be confronted with my very own ‘ghost of Christmas past’ – ‘Nyamazela yesterday’ was ready to give up, ‘Nyamazela today’ has picked herself up again. There is no rhyme or reason to this. Continue reading Life’s little contradictions

Tea and the waiting game!

Posted on 16 Jun, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

C.S. Lewis

“Under certain circumstances, there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. From five o’clock to eight is on certain occasions a little eternity; but on such an occasion as this the interval could be only an eternity of pleasure.”

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

Still waiting and counting the days. 5 days until the big ‘test’. 7 days until building completion and I can finally clean up my house. 11 days until my birthday – I thought I’d include that, but I’m not really counting. 18 days until my family arrives. I wait, I wait, for a very important date!

The only way I’m able to deal with the current wait is to pop the kettle on and have a cuppa. Join me if you like.

p.s. Though frustrated, I’m trying not to wish time away as I firmly believe it’s the only time we have. It’s precious.

Continue reading Tea and the waiting game!

Waiting … still … and tea … always

Posted on 10 Jun, 201531 May, 2016 by nyamazela

“Whereas a woman – whether she is interested in babies or microbes or husbands or poetry or servants or parallelograms or gardens or Plato or bridge – is fundamentally and always interested in clothes.”

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

Have you ever played the waiting game? If you are part of the human race then most likely you have. I am on day 3 of a 2 week wait. So far it’s not been too bad. I’ve laid low as per doctor’s orders and done next to nothing, but I’m not very good at that. I’ve followed the suggestion to ‘Be still and know that I am God’ as the psalmist says, but I’m not very good at that either. I’ve made myself some yummy food, which has been pretty successful actually.