So here we are already 2 weeks into the New Year!  Wow – time flies.  I trust that everyone had a blessed Christmas and an enjoyable New Year celebration.  I hope that 2010 brings you much happiness and success.

So much has happened in the time I’ve been away I’ve been struggling to decide what to blog about first.  I decided to start the New Year off on a positive note and blog about friends, love and appreciation.

While we were away I was really battling with a signal of any sort.  There is an Edge/GPRS signal in Badplaas but just barely.  Vodacom did install a booster aerial but it causes more hassle than it’s worth.  It boosts the signal from 2 bars to just about full Edge, but it also causes the signal to bounce between 2 towers which either results in total loss of signal and dropped calls or timeouts with internet.  To say that I was frustrated with this state of affairs is an understatement of note.

However, as with all things in life there are lessons to be learnt.  I spent quality time with my son.  We swam, we played Scalextric, we fished, went looking for “goggas” and it was wonderful.  I learnt to appreciate him as a child with his inquisitive mind and incredible insight all over again.  What an awesome son I have.  I also realised just how much my blog and twitter friends mean to me.  Not being able to be a daily part of your lives was akin to being in jail.  I felt cut off from the world and my friends.  I was lonely and missed the daily interaction more than I anticipated.

While feeling sorry for myself, I would sit on the stoep in the early morning before the staff got to work and switched on music and vacuum cleaners, I would enjoy my coffee and do some bird watching.  This is the view that I wanted to share with you on those glorious mornings.

View to the left of my chair

View to the right of my chair

There was a Kingfisher that used to sit in the tree opposite my chair and catch goggas.  I didn’t really have the proper lens but I tried to get some shots of him to show you.

Kingfisher in the tree opposite my chair

During this time away I had lots of time for reflection.  I learnt:

• I love my son very much and he is truly the most precious gift I have ever received in life
• I am blessed by having so many “cyber” friends in my life who show an interest and take time to talk to me and comment on my blog
• No matter where I find myself in this world, despite any difficulties I might perceive I have, they are far outweighed by the blessings in that same situation
• Above all, people matter.  Words of encouragement or sympathy may seem so small, but they can change the course of someones day
• Be quick to forgive and love, it will always result in blessings for you

Thank you my cyber friends for being a part of my life.  I love and appreciate you all.