The view from up here

I've been struggling with anxiety out of all proportion to my situation for the last couple of months and when I wake up on a Sunday and have a view like this one, I take a moment to just be glad I'm alive, with family, and with time to relax and enjoy the day. Those tiny white specks on the sea are yachts. My camera is just a leetle one and doesn't really do justice to the stark contrast between the white sails and the dark blue sea. 

Luckily for me, my husband is the photographer in the family and when we go on holiday we come back with a couple of family photos by me and a stack of stunning photographs of scenery, buildings, animals and insects by my husband. One mistake we made on our last holiday overseas was not to take a photo of the two of us together. I'm not going to make that mistake again...

Won't you be my Valentine?

I've always thought that Valentine's Day is commercialised even more than Christmas. Those folks over at Hallmark must be laughing all the way to the bank. Yesterday, I saw single red roses selling for R15.99. It seems that there's this huge pressure on just this one day for people to declare their love (which is measured by how much money was spent).  My husband and I meet for lunch every week and those 52 lunches are worth much more to me than an hour in February spent shopping for jewelry, perfume, flowers or a card.

PLEASE NOTE: This image is not real.
It has been created using computer graphics software.
No cherubs were harmed in the making of this photo.

Some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel

My friend has been to see a specialist and it appears that what she has is treatable with medication.

Water flooding over dam wall. Image from here

I feel such a huge flood of relief (see left) washing over me when I think that she will be alright. I've been worrying about her diagnosis for how it will affect her life, but now I can say that I've been worried for myself because to lose such a good friend who is understanding and non-judgmental would be heart-breaking for me. My life would have a great empty hole without her in it.

Still holding on and holding out, but in the meantime...

While my heart remains stuck in my throat waiting for the results of my friend's blood tests, I'm thinking of some lines from Macbeth which often pop into my head: "To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day" William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 5, scene 5. These lines manage to describe exactly how I feel when waiting for the results of something important. It's as though time is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g out. 

Meanwhile (in other news) I visited I ❤ Market on Saturday, and must say that it was super-cool. I got some great gifts for family and friends and got this "Blogging Tea & Cupcakes" badge (left) for myself from Cupcake Couture who also presented me with one of her ribbon rosettes in exchange for the buttons for her Button Hunt. The crocheted headband bought from Freshly Found (right) will be a gift for my niece when we eventually get our trip to the UK planned. I chose the butterfly because my husband photographs insects (macro photography) and so the gift represents both him and me.

Funny how life turns around and smacks you in the face

From left to right: Red Blood Cell, Platelet, White Blood Cell
Image taken from Wikipedia

My best friend has just been telephoned and told that she has a high platelet count. It's Saturday morning and she has to wait until Monday to go for more specialized tests. She is like a sister to me, we have known each other for more than ten years, sharing the many ups and downs of each others lives. Today we were planning to go shopping together and instead she has been given this frightening news. Life is strange. I'm constantly stunned when it seems that bad things happen to good people. I have no way of easing her fears and I can do very little to help her but hope for the best and encourage her to not think the worst. And I know even when I say this to her that this is hollow advice because I know that I would think the worst if I were in the same position.

Balmy and Breezy

Yesterday

Today

The weather peeps have promised rain all week but the garden is still dry. Then again it's I ❤ Market on Saturday so I'd rather it remained balmy and breezy for that! It can rain on Sunday.

Bright, bright sunshiny day

Lyrics again today. This line courtesy of Johnny Nash's "I can see clearly now" released in 1972. It seems that my mind is full of snippets of songs and I'm reminded of them so often in conversation. 

But to return to today being a bright sunshiny day, It's searingly hot out there (thank goodness for aircon) but I can hear children's voices at the nearby junior school and it sounds as though they're all running around (must be break time) and enjoying themselves. I wish I could have saved some of that energy from when I was small so that I'd have some in reserve when I need it now.