GOOD BYE SHADOW

ON THE GOOD SIDE TODAY:
Here is our daughter Maria with Hannes in China 2 years ago. We were there to support Kearsney College choir at the Choir Olympic games. I will speak of Maria very often in the blog and now at least you have an image of her.
I have stacks of foto's of her bur this was the first I could lay my hands on now , so watch the space fer her updates too.

ON THE BAD SIDE:
Today was a very difficult day.


Our dog Shadow has been with us for the last 14 years. She was a staffie and so full of personality and bounce. She was the only dog the boys knew form very small. She used to bungi jump with the boys out the trees.


She ate apples. She dug holes in the garden and always took my pot plant holder an hid them from me with great glee.


She was a useless watch dog as she loved people. She spoke to people through the gate BUT she had a fantastic personality.


In the recent months she has been very sick and uncomfortable at night. I think she had cancerous tumours as they appeared on her body and she cried at night as if she was in intense pain.


I waited for the boys to return home for the holiday to be able to say goodbye to her.


Today Dian, My mom and myself took Shadow to the vet and she was put down. Due to age, health and she was going blind.


I know these are all good reasons but hey it is still not nice.


If it was not for Dubai on the horizon we would have maybe treated her with stronger meds or stuff, although the vet said it is for her own good. Still feels very shitty.


Cornel (our other dog) is walking around the house like a lost fart....Poor thing. Not explainable to him....





Going to Rotary tonight, and my mom and boys are home alone. Rossouw is on cooking duty...


He cooks well....


Had more people in the house yesterday to see if they want to buy it......... Still feels weird.





I am a little out of sort after the shadow ordeal so I am going for a long bath and will chat again tomorrow.


Was so cool to have Maria (our daughter living in the UK) send comments yesterday.


LOVE YOU LOTS MY GIRL AND MISS YOU STACKS.....; love MD

IS OUR HOUSE GOOD ENOUGH ???

Just a few images of our house inside. This is dining area and part of kitchen. The whole house is 528 square meters. A very large house.
More of the kitchen to show the colouring.
Corner on the veranda leading to the pool area.
Now you may ask Why am I asking this question.
We had the first potential buyers to come and look. We have been living here for 13 years..... Is it good enough for buyers????????? All these crazy questions as I never once in the last 13 years thought was it good enough I just knew it was the best for me BUT we have to sell our beautiful home and it feels very strange to have people come and look and maybe judge or maybe say NO IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH...
This feels creepy and it is but the first of many potential buyers.

Well Rossouw and I went to our local shops today for grocery shopping and he had to have his hair cut. He looks very dishy with his new hair cut. We invited Hannes to lunch and these men of mine just sat back and had me pick up the bill. Don't know why I am amazed as I am the only one with money in her bag........ Lunch was good but coming home to unpack groceries is really a no brainer and not a "lekker" job. Luckily in Dubai ti will be small buying on daily basis so unpacking is not this major issue.

Tomorrow I have people coming to look at my car ( sob sob) This car was my favourite and the first one in my life which I could pick and take it out the box. Brand spanking new. That was such spoiling but I only hope the next owner will be just as excited as me to have the car.

I now walk through the house and am very critical to everything in a way of "are you a keeper or must I get rid of you?" All my stuff is sentimental and has a history so in the end i think that I will keep the lot.

Well all for today

PHOTO'S OF MY BESTEST FRIENDS

This is Clydene my dear friend who will be so badly missed, as she will sit and have coffee from early evening until the birds fart in the morning . She will always have a bowl of pasta (which is to die for) on hand and has a hart the size of the world. She is one of the Bali bitches I spoke of yesterday but forgot to add the image.... She has tremendous style and a wicked sense of humour. She is the race horse stock who all the breeders want to show what style and poise is. ( Will explain horse theory later)
This is Marietjie who is the wisdom amongst us. She will be so badly missed as I can really "loose it" some times and go completely nuts. She just has so much wisdom and never judgmental but gives such interesting perspective on any subject. And she is good looking too............ with a wicked sense of humour. She is the best organiser I have met. Anything at the drop of a hat is done. She is the trainer race horse to show all how it is done is life..
My dear friend Gesie..... She has a very soft hart and is so loyal. Cooks like a dream. She is the thorough bred race horse amongst us who every body want in their stable . I will miss her dearly. We also tend to chat all through the night. She is an excellent mother of all from her kids to me too at times.

Ok now you have seen my dearest friends which are actually like family.. We are the Ya Ya sisters, the tight clan ( touch one of us and we go for the kill mafia style)
This type of friendship is what books are written about.
We all met on our travel through life. Clydene started a dinner club and we were the founder members and still are as tight as snot on a pavement.................. We have been through troubled teenagers stuff, husband antics, births and deaths and travelled and laughed our arses off at and about each other.
Lets get to my horse theory.
Ladies are all horses it just depends on your category.
There are race horses , work horses and donkeys. Well all four of us are in the race horse category. That means top of the log. Not that we cant work hey. All of us work hard and play even harder but hell our men have race horses on their arms. We do not come cheap and are worth every cent.
I am the stubborn race horse who they all try to "break in" or tame. Some how I do not tend to go for that but never give any one the idea they cannot try. So I am challenging and I think entertaining.
The girls I explained at their photos.

Clydene thanks for you comment my dear friend and yes my tears are also running at the thought I just try and keep the smiling paw paw face on to entertain. I am shitting myself fir this excursion.
Last night looking for accommodation again on the Internet..... Oh boy and I have to now go and do all the cleaning washing and ironing myself..... That will be interesting......
I saw in Hannes last night some apprehension to this move. he is also shitting himself in excitement and fear I think. Will keep you posted on that one.
Well Rossouw my second son is home today fro university for a holiday and I am looking forward to seeing him. Have planned a nice dinner..........
Well let me get to work and cooking up a storm.

WHAT A WEEKEND

Dear All
Wow it was my birthday this last weekend and what a blast. We joined all our family in Umdloti and had lunch on Sunday at a wonderful Portuguese restaurant in Balito. It was a blast I am really going to miss these dear friends so much when we are in Dubai. We have had years of friendships and hardships and have never had a fall out ...... That is unique.
Dubai accommodation seems to be difficult to have as the prices are so high but we are in for an interesting and frightening ride.
Hannes is still over the moon with his decision and can't wait to go to Dubai. I am very glad for him as he has always put himself last in the ques for happiness.
My 3 days at Phinda forest lodge last week was also fantastic. Hannes has given the green light for me to take Gesie, Marietjie and Clydene to Phinda for 2 nights as a last blast. We four girls are known as the "Bali bitches" after our trip to Bali and the Lanki lani's"after our trip to Lankawi .
I have to wonder what we will be in Phinda.
I has numerous messages on face book and e-mails and the cell phone did not stop ringing. I had thought that I was maybe not so well liked but hell you only need a birthday to change that perception.
On the not so nice side:
A very good friend of mine who's father was murdered on his farm 2 months ago and only his cell phone was taken, also phoned last night. She is devastated. The murderers (4) were arrested and have all received bail............ How on earth does this work. You stab a defenceless person 27 times (he was over 60 years old) in his bed and get caught and then get bail for a ridiculous amount.......... I have to say that episode after he was stabbed was a catalyst for our move to Dubai or any where more safe............. This just seems so brain dead.................
Well we will have to make the most of what ever we do in Dubai. The estate agents here are starting to bring the buyers to see our house and I just hope and pray it sells soon.
We got our international drivers licenses and I just think I will do the taxi number in Dubai. Apparently they have very high statistics on accidents.. and as an expat driving on the wrong side of the road wow I will be a huge danger too......
Well all for today.

HANNES BACK FROM DUBAI INTRODUCTION

Hannes came back last night and he is very very excited and frightened. this image is of Dubai Marina wjere we would like to stay. Dubai seems to be any big world city on steroids. I would prefer to stay where I can see water as I am a water star sign and need the water to feel alive.

This was an image on Jumeira beach. We are not far from it if we settle in the waterfront. It is very dusty this time of year as all the wibd blows from the desert and also as there is so much constraction going on in Dubai. How exciting to have a camel ride on the beach !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the hospital where Hannes will be working form 1 August 2008.

It is being finished now so he canstart in a spanking new hospital. All the floors are marble and inside looks beuriful he says.
This is the high rise appartment buildings on the entrance to the palms. We decided not to stay on the palms and rather in the waterfront.
Hannes on the beach with Burj al Arab in the background. I will be going to Duabi in August for 14 days to spend his birthday on the 28th with him. Maybe we will bokk into this lani hotel for his birthday. I am really looking forward to this experience.
This is a foto of the waterfront ground floor area which has shops and shopping on the bround. The flat we are interested in is in the building rising on the right of this image.

I had a wonderful rest and stay at Phinda forest lodge. It was 3 days of total african bush and wild life. Had veru good sighting of cheetah and leopard and all the usual zebra ,elephant,nyala ect.

I am on my way to Durnab as my car needs some attention and also to arrange the international drivers licenses.

I am so glad fro Hannes to see some exitement for him. He has worked so hard to keep all of our faimly needs intact that he now can take a little breather and start doing something for himself.

My gift from Dubai was a fantastic manual of Dubai so I am going to get studying right away.

Speak to you later

HANNES ARRIVES DUBAI

I just had a call fron Hannes who has arrived in Dubai. Seeing him off at the airport last night was so special as our best friends Gerhard and Ria arrived specially to come and say bon voyage.
Hannes was so excited he could not wait to see what is waiting for him in Dubai.
He will be back on Wednesday and i am sure very tired. As another friend of ours explained this is an exciting and frightning experience.......
I am on my way to Phinda for 3 days as I do not feel safe alone at home.
I am packed and camera's loaded for this safari.
One thing that has now jumoped into my mind is my pets, and I have many..... I will really miss them and have to start thinking of what to do with them.
My mom is coming for a visit from Cape town. She is 83 and still going strong........
O and in Dubai they drive on the right hand side (we drive on the left here) so I may just take taxi,s or walk................
I though a mini cooper would be nice but apparently everyone drives massive 4x4 so that they can utulise the desert area as well....
Well bon voyage to me for 3 days.
Chat to you on Wednesday or Thursday

I have been absent for a while as I was in hospital with kidney stones that had to be removed. WOW that was not such a great experience. I was in hospital for 3 days. had the whole aneasthetic and drips and stuff .
But I am home now and all OK.
Hannes is leaving for his first visit to Dubai tomorrow for 3 days. He has to do a personal interveiuw and see what our new life is about. We will be relocating to a big city with all it's plusses and minusses.
Both of us are very excited.
I am going to Phinda forest lodge for the 3 days which is a passion of mine ( the african bush and wild life.) I do not feel safe at home alone......... So sad to live in such circumstances...........
Before we have even left South Africa we have been invited to a concert in dubai of South African afrikaans singers. We have friends in Oman and they are making sure we fit in even before we leave to Dubai.
We will go to this concert I am sure with already missing our home country. I will have to fly to Dubai for this concert as I will still e SA based. But it is only a flight away.
So many thoughts are racing trough my mind now. Will my boys cope on there own in SA?
Will our house sell intime?
Will my friends truly miss me?
How is my life going to chnage?

We really plan to do some bit of trabelling when we are there as Hannes has never been to Thailand (I love Thailand and its people) and it will now only be a 6 hour flight instead of 12.
Eqypt is on our travel wish list as also the Maldive islands.

Just some explaining I did not do before.
We have a daughter maria who is in the UK. She is from New Zealand. She landed in my life as an exchange student for a year. Well we are still very much in contact and she is regarded as the daughter I never had. She is very special and makes so much effort to keep in touch. I love her very much.
In the foto is Myrtle an ex girlfriend of JC my eldest son. She is still very dear to me But this was the only foto I had of all of us together. Normally I am behind the camera doing my amateur stuff. I plan to change that when I am in Dubai. I want to get my fotography up to high levels..................

So at least you know know why I was silent for 3 days.
Talk to you later.
PS. Please excuse any spelling mistakes as I am the worst speller and tend to type fast and not check......

Hannes has a happy face when hearing that he is on his way to Dubai for 4 days to "check" it all out. And this on his own.

"Loreta" very cheesed off not to go travelling again as this is my passion.

I am so glad that Hannes now has the chance to do something for himself in life. Just think ,paid days leave. WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This after working for himself for years.....

Dubai here we come

This is my diary on relocating to Dubai from South Africa.
We have decided to relocate to Dubai in the Middle East. WOW what a change. We are a South African family....
Hannes is a medical doctor and needs some change in his life.
Dubai seems to give all the answers here.
I have 3 sons as you can see in the picture. They will be staying in South Africa to complete there studies.
I will have to commute between South Africa and Dubai until our house is sold. This is going to be a difficult number as houses do not sell easily now. The econimic climate is very bad.....
I love travelling so the commuting will be qreat BUT to stay alone in my house will not be great as crime is so rife in SA now. I will get a house sitter to stay with me.

So many thought go through my mind now. I was always the one to say I will never leave South Africa but so many bad things have happened very close to me that I rethink my personal situation.
I love this country and would wish nothing more for it to be great as it has everything you can wish for. Good climate, great people ect.
BUT
I am looking forward to the challenge. It is only the dear friends that will be sorely missed. The world is very small and everybody is only a flight away.
THINGS TO DO
Firstly it would be to sell our house.
So I now wait for the estate agents to do their thing. It is a beautiful home and has given us many many happy moments.
Well diary,all for today. Chat to you tomorrow