Christmas Day 2008

So Christmas day finally arrived, Emily only went to bed just before midnight on Christmas Eve, she fell asleep in the car on the way home from Joe & Carla, but woke up when we got home and insisted on a bed time story before going to sleep. Needless to say I was actually awake before her, but she was up by 9, daddy came down and we all opened presents.

Well Em's face was just to sad when she opened the first present and it wasn't a bike or something equally as exciting, just learnt don't give kids clothes for Christmas. Derrick then told her to look at the big thing under the blanket, well when we saw the bike we did not stop smiling the whole day.

So we put the roast on, went for a shower and no sooner did Lisa arrive with her new partner "laughing Elmo", he was so funny. Lisa spoilt us with lots of pressies, I got Jamie Oliver's cook book and a book about Rathfarnham, Dundrum and Stillorgan which is so interesting.

We ate and drank and by 4 o'clock were so stuffed that we decided it was time to go for a walk and Em could take her bike. The picture here is of the road at the back of our house that leads up to the forest and the mountain. Emily part took of a Christmas day spaghetti bolognaise meal! I don't know where the day went but no sooner was it 8 pm and time for Em to go bath, another Christmas over!!

Christmas Eve 2008

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Pillay house

The pots were a cooking, with much of a rouse

The stockings were hung by the Chimney with Care

In hope that the Rowes and the Rules would be there

Then in not time at all the doorbell did ring

And who should be there the Rowes in their bling

When out in the driveway there arose such a clatter

we sprang from our chairs to see what was the matter

There opening the car door was the rules

with all of their tools

And then in a twinkling we heard with a boast

Come and get it said Carla, here is the roast

We sat at the table all hungry as mice,

Not a murmur was heard just the tinkling of ice

With all of us fed on Butternut Soup

With thought that Joe was going to jump through a hoop

The veggies & roast were just the best

And then we were told you have to wait for the rest

All Emily wanted to do was open some gifts

That Kris Kindle had brought and left with some sifts (?)

We all opened our presents with much glee

And oh wait a pity they weren't all for me

Next to the pudding we all did suppose

The Chocolate mousse was made all by Rose

But little did we know that Carla had made

A ginger pudding which was just the best -wade

We spoke not a word and went straight to our work

Our bellies were filled with o such a jerk

And Natalie, Malcolm, Jessica and Kirsten were all filled with glee

and said who is first to go upstairs and pee!

Then Derrick, Emily and Rose said oh my Jeeves

It is so unfortunate but we must leave

Joe & Carla did exclaim as we drove out of sight

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight!

THANK YOU JOE & CARLA FOR A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS DINNER!

Carol of the Bells

Tracking Santa

Lisa sent us the web site to see where Santa has been, so we thought we would share it with everyone: www.noradsanta.org

The Lost Christmas Eve - Trans Siberian Orchestra

Merry Christmas 2008

To all our friends and family, we would like to wish you a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2009.

It's amazing how another year has crept past so quickly, yet so much has happened, this has been both a trying year and indeed a very successful year for us, we have lost dear friends but have made some new ones.

The year did not get off to a very bright one, and in February my new boss who never really liked me offered me a voluntary redundancy, anyway to cut a very long story short I was absolutely devastated, although I should have seen it coming as every other person who had worked with me before he arrived, had left either by him convincing them that there was no position in the company for them or by just not renewing their contract.

It was absolutely amazing how my friends rallied around me offering me sound advice, and just being there for me. People who have been around for the past 7 years, I got really ill as well and got the worst bout of bronchitis since I gave up smoking 3 years ago. Anyway after loads of discussions with the Director I left the company at the end of June.

In March we went over to the UK on the ferry, decided to spend a week and see old friends, we saw Eric and Margaret who I had met in Australia in 1998 and had not seen them for 10 years, I had been promising them I would visit, Eric who was 82 had been diagnosed with Emphysema and actually passed away a few months later, so it was all part of the big plan for us to see him before he passed on. We also stayed with Guy & Wendy and had snow, since then they have parted company after 10 years but are still good friends. We saw the city of Bath which was amazing, and saw my half sister who is now 88 and her family in Manchester.

In April we went to the Isle of Man, which was very different.

Then in May by sister Irene came over for a holiday, it was a bit of a stressful time for me as I was on Garden leave, trying to pack up house and just in general unsure of what was going to happen to us. However I managed to spend some time with her and we got to see a few places, she also flew over to Manchester and Edinburgh.

Before Irene arrived we had to find a house to buy as there was no way that the bank would give us a mortgage for what we wanted if I was not working, we looked at loads of places and some I was keen on and Derrick wasn't and vice verso. Eventually some time in April we came across the house we are in now, I can't say we fell madly in love with it, but we decided it was the most practical and nicest house we had seen, and best of all it had lovely views of the Dublin / wicklow mountains from the back and was not over looked. So the process began and we got the keys for the house on the beginning of July. Emily was at summer camp for 2 weeks so I could get all the cleaning done and we could move over slowly.

My adoptive mother Irene S. came over in July and gave us a helping hand with the move, we had the worst summer in Ireland as it rained practically every day, and trying to move with the rain is just a bit of a nightmare. Irene was such a help as we had furniture delivered and when I could not be in two places at one time she was there to help out. We finally had the place looking like home and moved in. Irene went off to do some more travelling and a week later D's folks arrived from SA.

We had booked to go to Croatia in January that year, not knowing what was going to be ahead of us, and the tickets & accommodation were paid for so there was no way we were not going to have the holiday, besides by the time the holiday came around I really deserved it and was looking forward to 2 solid weeks of Sunshine, away from the miserable Irish weather, which we got!

We were in Croatia for 2 weeks from the beginning of August and we all loved it, the accommodation was perfect we were across the road from the beach and could go down anytime and swim. We did loads of sight seeing and decided it is on the list of places to go back to.

We were barely back in Ireland when D's folks left to go back to SA, and 2 weeks later Emily started her first day of school. D's folks were a huge help to us and his mom sewed on practically every label on Emily's school uniform.

While we were away on holiday in Croatia, I got a call from a company who wanted me to come and work for them on a contract basis, however they wanted me to have my own company as that way they would not have to get the approval of a headcount from their global head office. So I looked into starting my own company and got all the paper work together and got that off, so that is how Rowe Consultants was born, I decided on the name, so that if D decided at a later stage he wanted to consult he would not have to open his own company but could just work for me ;-) !!!

I put together my first business proposal ever and sent it into the company and it was accepted, so I started working there the middle of September, the great thing is I get to set my own hours (most of the time), so I work from 8 - 1 or 1:30 and then pick up Emily from school and take her home, it all works out well, at the moment anyhow.

The last couple of months have been pretty hectic, with work, school, etc.

Emily is doing very well at school and her teacher is surprised at her ability to learn Irish as neither D nor I speak Irish, she is apparently very good. I think or should I say I hope that she has a flare for languages as she has already learned a bit of Spanish from "Dora the explorer" and can count to 8 in Spanish. I do hope she decides to either to Spanish or French at school.

Her swimming is also coming along really well and the teacher said she may be able to take off the arm bands after Christmas. She participated in her class concert that we went to see, and yesterday at the Christmas Church service at St. Bartholomew's Church in Ballsbridge, she came in holding a candle. Hopefully next year she will be part of the choir as she has such a wonderful voice.

We went to quite a few concerts this year, Def Leppard in Belfast which was amazing! Derrick saw a few of his and then we saw, Swan Lake at the Gaiety and the South African production of the Magic Flute which too was absolutely brilliant. We saw Bruce Springsteen at the RDS what a man!

The best was however Amy's Angel at the Olympia in which Emily took part both as a ballerina and singing. Emily is really talented and loves the Drama, singing and also enjoys painting and drawing.

On Sunday we are going to see the pantomime Cinderella and that will be the concerts for this year, however we already have a few tickets lined up for next year as well as a trip to London on the 14th of February, to meet up with Gwen on the 17th who is coming over for a few days. So folks I have probably left out a whole lot of stuff that we did this year but I am sure that this is the just of it.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and looking forward to catching up with you all. May 2009 be happy, healthy and prosperous for us all!

Lots of Love

RED

xoxoxox

Emilia Rocasso

Our budding artist come home with another beautiful picture today! By the way she actually signed her name backwards and it is not the scan.

And the explanation of the picture is: The one with the long curly hair is Em because she wants long curly hair and then there is a BIG flower and then the boy she met today.

Santa Baby ...

Well there was great excitement today, Eugenie phoned me up and said lets take the kids to see Santa at Dundrum after school, so we met up at the school and it was decided that we would not say anything to the kids until they were safely in our cars, otherwise they would get too excited.

So only when we turned left down churchtown road instead of right, did Em actually say to me, Mommy are we going to Dundrum and I said Maybe! Then we turned right into the road to Dundrum and into the parking and Emily said, Mommy is that Maya in the car in front of us, so then I just told her, yes it's Maya and we're taking you to see Santa.

Well the screaming and excitement, I nearly had an accident.

The queue was long getting to see Santa, but we finally did, then went for coffee & Ice creams.

Slide Show

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Snow Globe

Make a Smilebox greeting

Amy's Angel

I found some clips on YouTube from the performance that Emily took part in, unfortunately non of them are of her, but they are good in any event.



If you go onto Youtube and type in Amy's Angel there are a load of videos, however be warned some of them are not very well recorded.

Sunday ...

Well we managed to have at least an extra hour lie in this morning, I had volunteered to man a stall at the JS Christmas Fair, so I got up early to start the washing and get myself ready. I also had to give Em a bath and wash her hair as she had about a can of hairspray and glitter in her hair from the Matinee at the Olympia.

Em was quite prepared to stay home instead of coming with, but D decided he wanted to come with, so Em had to as well. It was freezing cold, not quite as freezing as the previous day but practically just as bad. When we arrived at the school they were selling Gluvine, so that was the first thing I did, have a gluvine - this is what Christmas is all about, Breakfast of Bran and then Gluvine, if they had an Irish coffee it would have been even better.

So in we went to look at all the stalls, like most Christmas fairs they have some great stuff and then some really cr*p stuff, I did not end up buying anything except Em's school photos. Carla, Lisa and Natalie came along to lend their support and Natalie ended up going home with the Evil, rugrat and a bottle of wine.

I must say that the hour that I manned the stall was not too busy at all, but after I left and Eugenie took over they were absolutely mobbed, oh yes we had the teddy tombola and tattoo stand.

When we eventually managed to leave, after Em and Maya had gone to story telling time, Em just loves story telling time and if we want to punish her we just have to tell her that there is no story tonight and she gets very upset. She also has a wonderful imagination and can tell great stories herself. Anyway to get back to the leaving part, we stopped in Milltown to by our Christmas tree.

When we got home, I started decorating the tree while D got Em ready for her next performance at the theatre. I did not go with and ended up falling asleep on the couch while D took her. They only got home at 9:30 pm and we had to be up at 6:00 the next morning ready for school.

I was very thankful that the whole performance was now over and no more Song, dance and drama again till next year.

Emily's Stage Debut ...

After 3 months of rehearsals, not only does Emily know the words to swinging on a star off by heart but so do mom & dad.

The concert was absolutely fantastic, and Emily was a little star but then so was every boy and girl that took part. But let me tell you about it.

Firstly can you believe that I am up at 06:15 on a cold -6 degrees and frosty morning, but I guess my body has just become so used to getting up early this week that it can not lie in. Well what a day yesterday, I had to be up early and leave home at 8:30 for my exam but Derrick left at 8:00 to get Emily to the theatre for dress rehearsal, I think he really enjoys taking Emily on a Saturday morning, seems he has become friends with a load of the moms and listens to them gossip about there husbands. Well I guess it gives me a break anyhow.

So the exam I think went well, we had a theory from 9:30 to 10:30, which I know I will have passed but then the practical which was all the tax calculations and computations was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be that was from 11:00 to 13:00 and I handed in my paper 10 minutes before the time, without finishing the last question because I had just had enough, anyway I may scrape that one, otherwise I will have to repeat it next year, we get our results in 6 weeks time.

I got home and Emily, Derrick and I went into town, Emily was doing the matinee, Ballet, however she was first on at 15:00 but we couldn't pick her up until 16:30 and interval and then she had to be back at the theatre at 18:30, so there was actually no point in going home first.

Derrick and I went for a nice Italian lunch together, something we have not done in a long time, and then walked the streets of Temple bar and then back to the theatre to fetch Emily.

After we picked her up we walked up towards Grafton street to go and see the Christmas lights, the place was absolutely jam packed, then we took Emily to Eddie Rockets for a burger and milkshakes, and all too soon we were back at the theatre but this time we had tickets. When I booked the tickets I thought I had booked for the middle, but it turned out we had front row seats.

We was actually amazed, we thought that the show would really be amateurish but overall it was absolutely fantastic, we were going to stay for the whole show but decided that it had been a long day and we all need to go home to bed, so we picked Emily up and went off home. Tonight is her 3rd performance, we don't have tickets for tonight but I know she will be a little star again, I was so amazed that none of them even had stage fright.

Enjoy the photos.

Mariah Carey - All I want for Christmas is you 1994

Do they know it's Christmas - Band Aid 1984

Slade - Merry Christmas 1974

The start of the silly season ...

I sometimes wonder why I blog because no one really reads it anyway, but none the less I suppose it is just to put down on paper what I am thinking when I have no-one to talk to. D has gone to see the Remnants of Thin Lizzy tonight and I am home alone, with Em - who I need to feed, put to bed and then study.

So yes the start of the Silly season, Christmas shopping, parties and more although I must say that the Christmas parties have toned down this year due to the recession. This week-end is going to be a mad one, it starts tomorrow when I have my office Dinner, we are going to a restaurant called Venue, never been there so I will let you know what it is like. Then Friday I have taken the day off work to Study.

Saturday I have my exam at 9:30 until 13:00, then Em is on the matinee show at the Olympia which I am not sure if I am going to make yet or not. In the evening she is on in the evening show which I got tickets for, our company Christmas party is the same night but I had to chose the most important.

Sunday we have the School Christmas fair and then Emily's concert in the evening again, and back to work on Monday - in between all this I have to fit in the shopping and the washing and Ironing some where!

Well roll on the following week-end we have a girls shopping trip planned, Carla, Nats and I are all going up to just past Newry, there is a retail outlet and also a huge Sainsburys a bit further. The exchange rate against the pound is so good at the moment and everything in pounds is cheaper anyway, but besides that the VAT in Ireland went up by .5% on Monday yet it came down in the UK by 2.5%, so effectively everything in the UK should be 40% cheaper now and it is only an hour and a half drive away, so off we go.

Then the following Saturday 20th, I am getting together with all my old work mates, including my first boss Michele, and we are going for lunch at Cafe Leon on Exchequer street, there are 15 of us going and I am so excited because they really are true friends, and really more like my family - I have been so lucky that when I moved to Ireland I really made some great friends and we are all still friends today!

Then last but not least we are going to Carla and Joe for Christmas Eve, this should be really good fun, we have known Joe & Carla for the last almost 5 years and they have been such good friends to us. Whenever we were all feeling a bit down and looked for some home (SA) company we all got together. And then it's Christmas day!

But until then it's still dinner & study, so long for now.

Winter - photos by Owen Higgens

So I thought it was cold in October, and nothing really prepared us for this winter - you see the thing is being in an apartment for the last 8 years with neighbours all around us, we were known as heat thieves, we hardly every had to put our heating on because everyone else around us did. But now that we are in the house we are feeling the cold, and to me it really does feel like the coldest winter we have had in 8 years, yes this is our eighth winter in Ireland. Also being so close to the mountains and the forest does add to it being extra cold.


The last few days have been really really cold, and Saturday we woke up to ice, outside - I will post a picture here once I have downloaded them, in the meantime Owen took some brilliant photographs which I am going to post one or two here, but you can see all his photographs either by clicking the link Owen Higgens .

This morning while driving to work I had to be really careful, it was -1 when I left home at 7 this morning and there was black ice on the road, in my own little world I was wondering, how people managed to keep warm before we had the modern day living, especially the tribes. I had this vision in my head of a Zulu warrior with his animal skins over him, because even though Africa is hot, it gets damn cold in winter. But the animal skins did not completely cover him and there was a lot exposed to the elements, yes they built fires and had their huts but did they feel the cold like we do.


Are we just spoilt that we have central heating, blankets, cardigans, coats and all kinds of stuff to keep us warm that we have become too protected, and should we not have these anymore we would certainly die of cold. Whereas if our bodies became a bit tougher to the elements we would be stronger and not get sick etc.


I then started thinking back to my school days when I was a girl guide and how for some reason we only seemed to go camping in the winter, two camps came to mind one was in Louis Trichard back in 1975 OR '76 when 500 guides got together and we had a rally at a guys farm. It was July / August - the coldest months of the year in South Africa, we had to sleep in Bell tents and the farmers animals would roam around the camp and drop land mines right outside the door, especially the sheep. But I remember leaving a bottle of water next to me and waking up the next morning to find it frozen.


The other camp was also on a farm in Irene, near Pretoria, also in July - it was so cold that we sewed blankets inside our sleeping bags and in between the blankets we put in newspaper, because someone said to us, why do you think the hobos all put newspaper over them when they go to sleep, because newspaper is warm and it acts like an insulator and traps the heat in. I think that was the last time I ever went camping in Winter mind you - not so brave anymore.


Well hopefully we will get snow this year on Christmas day! By the way our grass was still frozen at Midday today, so I guess it did not go much above freezing.

One of the photos here that Owen took, is the forest behind where we live it's probably just a mile up the road.

Rockstar - Nickelback

Reasons...

My Dinner Party ...

I was listening to the radio on the way to work this morning and they were talking about a dinner party, if you could invite any 10 people in the whole world to your dinner party who would they be and why...

Well I will probably start this post but finish it tomorrow, my choice would be:

Brad & Angelina
Bono
Bruce Springsteen
Nelson Mandela
Gwen
Michelle Pfeiffer
Robert DeNiro
Prince William
Julia Roberts

This may change ... it would be a whole different ball game if I could include "dead" people as well!

So here is the Why?

Brad & Angelina, they look like such a fun couple they are Americas Royal couple, I would love to just chat to them about their kids and their plans for the future. I think Brad could be really mischievous and add some fun to the dinner party.

Bono is the person that everyone wants to meet, I would love to find out what he does in his spare time where he hangs out and most of all, what it was like being a teenager in Dublin in the 70's and 80's.

Bruce Springsteen but I really love the mans music and it would be cool to have Bono & Bruce jamming away after dinner when we retire to the lounge.

Nelson Mandela because everyone wants to meet Nelson and he will probably have met everyone at dinner except me, I love to hear his views on the New South Africa and how he sees the situation 20 years from now, what can be done about the crime?

Gwen - Firstly because I have not seen my best friend for almost 2 years and miss her dearly, and how could I have a dinner party with all these celebrities and not invite her, that would just be wrong.

Michelle Pfeiffer & Julia Roberts they are my two favourite actresses and Derrick will need some eye candy and someone to chat to as well.

Robert DeNiro one of my favourite actors, I would love him to do his keep Emily entertained as he is such a big kid himself and just get to know more about him.

Lastly would be Prince William, I would love to ask him what it is like to be a prince? and to be a prince in the 21st Century also his memories of his mother.

Now for the Meal, what am I going to serve?

Wait for the next post ...

There are only 6 of these left for this year ...

Africa

STARDUST

I had a lazy Sunday afternoon yesterday and lay on the bed with the Portable DVD player and watched this movie, under the blankets with a 5 year old cuddled up to me. If you haven't seen it, it is worth seeing.

U2 could know someone who knows Bono

I haven't bought the Dubliner magazine in a while, but yesterday when I went to the doctor - Emily and I stopped in at the Cafe next door and it was at the counter staring at me so I bought it. While waiting to see the Doc, I browsed through the magazine and came across an article called: "The greatest Dubliners" as voted by you, and of course number 6. was Bono.I had to laugh because I had told Natalie this story on Sunday, but the reason why I laughed is because the write up about Bono had this to say: "When people find out that you are Irish or from Ireland they mention Bono and if we're sober we respond with a pinched smile, as if to say - Ah, yes, the little chap in the boots, I do wish he'd stop calling. If we're drunk we launch into a well rehearsed anecdote that bears almost no relation to the truth, went to school with him, next door neighbour, Stole my cowboy hat!"

So here is the story about Paul Hewson and U2, Emily was invited to a birthday party on Saturday, one of the school kids in her class. The party was close to town where I never even knew houses existed, so we went to drop her off, when M opened the door of her Georgian house it revealed white marbled tiles, I so wanted to be invited in, but did not insist. Then on the way home I called D to see if he was still at Mouse watching the soccer, if so he could pick up Em, but he was at home but said he would fetch her anyway.

So later off he went to pick up Em and came home to tell me all about the house, he was invited in and on the wall were some framed U2 records, so D being D not shy says to M, wow where did you get that, so she quizzed D about why he wanted to know and he told her that they are one of his ultimate bands, so M say well B her husband is the security guard for U2 - has his own security company.

Also on the wall he had an electric guitar signed by The edge (who by the way's Aunt worked with me in my last job). He said that Bruce Springsteen had offered B 100K for the guitar and he turned it down - so now we know somebody who knows or has met Bruce Springsteen too!!!

Monday

Inside every older person is a younger person -- wondering what the hell happened.

- Cora Harvey Armstrong-

Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out But I can usually shut her up with cookies. (Unknown)

The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.

-Helen Hayes (at 73)-

I refuse to think of them as chin hair. I think of them as stray eyebrows.

- Janette Barber-

Old age ain't no place for sissies .

-Bette Davis-

Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.

- Caryn Leschen -

If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.

-Catherine-

I'm not going to vacuum 'it til Sears makes one you can ride on.

- Roseanne Barr-

Behind every successful man is a surprised woman

- Maryon Pearson-

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.

-Eleanor Roosevelt-

When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!!

Sorry Mam ...

For every little thing that I did or said wrong, for not listening to you when I know you knew best, I'm sorry. I always remember my friends mom asking me how she was getting on with her teenage girls (she had moved away from home), and I told her that they were giving her a really hard time, expecting her to be worried or offer some soundly advice and all she said was: "GOOD, now she can have some of her own medicine back!"

Wow, if this is what Em is like at 5, I don't want to be around when she is 15 - because I remember giving my mother a hard time when I was a teenager and it is all going to come back to me, but I don't remember giving her a hard time when I was 5, so why oh why am I having to deal with this. Is it our own fault! It really is hard being a mum, but I guess this is what life is all about and if she wasn't around life would be pretty boring ... or no wait it would be wonderful, we could travel, we could blah, blah, blah! *weep* *sigh*

So to my mother, who is hopefully up in heaven and not laughing at me, I am really sorry if I gave you such a hard time when I was growing up, if I promise to make it up to you one day do you think you could turn on a good button for Em or something please!

My Friday Song - Crawfish

I am sure by now most of you know that my favourite singer is Elvis Presley, I don't think there is anyone in the world who could actually make music without having any instraments like Elvis could, to me he has the most beautiful voice in the whole world!