2011: A year of parties, bruises and housework

I'm not too sad to see the back of 2011 - it's been a long year in all respects. We've now spent one whole year in the Caribbean, we've survived it and now we're ready to move on....

Firstly for a Taurean who dislikes change as much as I do, moving from one side of the world with 3 children, a geriatric cat, a parrot and a 40 foot container has its moments.

Secondly, this has to have been the year of living dangerously or more specifically weird accidents. In March I wrote the car off and 'did something' to my neck. In May I managed to tip a roasting pan just out of the oven (with chicken) all over my back sustaining 2 & 3rd degree burns. In August, whilst trying to rescue our boat which had drifted during the night and was headed out to sea - via rocks - whilst we were camping on a deserted island, I managed to crunch my leg on the transom (?) and still have the bruises and now finally, just to finish off the year in style - a large barbell rolled off a table on Boxing Day and bounced on my foot, crushing my big toe. All deeply glamourous, not. All deeply freaking painful. I'm a bladdy cripple.

The past few days have been quiet (nursing the swollen toe) and we've been home a lot. Tonight we are packing up a picnic and taking it to the beach to toast marshmellows by moonlight. We may go off to Trellis Bay Fireball Party. [Postscript: We did head off and it was a lovely evening. Spectacular fireworks and Caribbean razzmatazz].

Trellis Bay Fireball New years Eve 2011 and Moco Jumbies

We are very focused on setting up the bakery now and are speaking weeks and no longer months. It's going to be tough for the next few months whilst we both work 2 jobs and keep the show on the road - but we're preparing ourselves for the marathon. One of our key projects is still to get a good website up and running as our main marketing/shop-front for the first few months, which I'll link to this blog.

Speaking of which - I've enjoyed writing the blog. It's quite cathartic sometimes and I can mull over things and get a bit of perspective on life. I'm conscious that I seem to whitter on about the same old crap most of the time (housework, sailing, taxi driver) but it's still Shock of the New.  Soon I'll be going on and on about how exhausting it is to run your own business or whatever, but in the meantime thank you for reading my ramblings and for all your lovely comments.

We've made some wonderful friends on the island and we've taken to the close-knit community. We've had incredible acts of friendship and generosity, for which we are truly grateful. The support and goodwill for our new business has also been heartfelt and appreciated.

We have family in Ireland, England, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia and so we will raise a toast to absent freinds and family tonight, wherever you are. We wish you peace and prosperity for 2012.

Our our love
The Dawson Windies
x

Happy Christmas

It's Boxing Day and I'm still in bed, albeit with a nighty and an apron on, as I make sporadic attempts at tidying up the hellhole that is downstairs. I'm reading one of my Christmas presents (Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking) catcing up on emails and Face Book and the world and chatting to my Ma and others on the phone. Tyler is, of course, working. The boys are charging around with walkie talkies shouting things like "send the full army NOW" and "turn DOWN THE VOLUME on your walkie talkie to SURPRISE THEM' and such like. We even have some neighbourhood kids as well, wading through about 2 weeks worth of washing (on the floor) and making more mess.

Someone once mentioned that South Africans generally stop whining about housework after about a year. She said she wasn't sure whether it was because they just got use to it or if their standards radically dropped. It's most definetly the latter. It would never be the former!

Christmas day was lovely. We went to midnight mass on Christmas Eve at our local St Georges (just keeping the continuity with St Georges Cape Town, St Georges Parktown and now St Georges Road Town!). A lovely service, all 2.5 hours of it (!) which saw us stagger out of church at 12:30am. We still managed to fit in some midnight shopping to top up with a few things (like presents...) and Tyler put the ham in the oven when he went to bed at 2am and took it out of the oven when he got up at 4;30am. Extreme cooking, or what?
We had our neighbours in for drinks at 1pm with lots of smoked salmon and champagne and we finally ate lunch at about 5:30pm, after Tyler got home from Scrub Island. We then went next door for pudding and more champagne and then collapsed into bed around 9 and slept like the dead.

To say that the last 2 weeks has been a bit of a marathon is to put it mildly. I honestly dont know how Tyler has kept going, but he has. We've been thrilled with the response to our first efforts and now are champing at the bit to bring in our big ovens and get the factory up and running.

2012 is going to a beeeegg year for us. We're going to try and buy a house, start the business and keep standing. There are also a few over sideshows happening, but we wont dwell on those just yet!

We're off to the Blakes for a mid-afternoon barbecur/braai (can't get use to saying barbecue but no-one knows what we are talking about when we say 'braai') and more eating and drinking.

Hope everyone, everywhere had a lovely day yesterday and are enjoying their holidays. I'm certainly looking forward to mine.

In the meantime there's a few hours of washing up to get through!



A 100 Stollen later....

Our first day as a 'family' business - me clutching a Red Bull  

OK, a quick post whilst I wait to put in a new batch of mince pies into the oven. It's Friday evening - the 23rd. We've cancelled on the party we were meant to go to in order to bake and fill orders which have been coming in. I think Tyler has literally had about 10 hours sleep max this week and we've just heard that he has to work on Christmas Day. This has me hitting my lowest point here, to date - mainly driven it has to be said, by sheer exhaustion.

However, we count our blessings:

Firstly, and most importantly - Greg is out of the danger zone and it looks like he might be out of hospital, as of about an hour ago. Can't tell you howmuch joy that brings us.

Secondly, after about 100 stollens, 500 gingerbread men, 500 mince pies, and about 1000 Christmas biscuits - our first little outing as a bakery business has been wonderfully supported and very positively received. It's been so long in the planning that it is hard to believe it is finally happening. But it is, even as I type - Tyler is baking sourdough loaves in our tiny little kitchen and I need to go in and make 30 gingerbread girls and 30 personalised gingerbread hearts.

I think we may be having Chinese take-aways for Christmas lunch, as so far I've not managed to get to the shops. An interesting place to be in about 24 hours before Christmas, especially on an island (things run out quickly). We might have to do one of those quirky 'alternative' Chritsmas meals that bored Food Editors dream up and nobody makes (spaghetti bolognese for Christmas anyone?).

Thirdly: It's been winter here this week. Fabulous! I think I've managed to wear a long sleeve T Shirt every night. We've even switched off the fans and the boys have their duvets on their beds.

Finally: We're happy, we're all healthy, the boys are thriving and we see a great future on the other side of all this hard work and sacrifice. We miss our friends & family most desperately. My heart aches with it. But here we are, our second Christmas away (this time last year our container arrived today and we unpacked all of  Christmas) still standing.

Happy Christmas everyone, joy be with you and yours.

Family & Life

Early Friday morning a friend of ours living here on the island had a heart attack and is now recovering in Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Greg was only moved into ICU a short while ago, and it sounds like the recovery will be a long process.  Although we do have a hospital here and 2 small private clinics, the cardio team had to fly down from Miami to try and stabilise him before he could move. It took ages to sort out all the visa nightmares and he finally got to Miami almost 24 hours later. 

Greg is a fit, rugby-playing Saffa, so more's the shock. It has been awful to watch hopelessly as he went from the laughing Dad we all saw on Thursday afternoon at the school Christmas market to fighting for his life a few hours later. It would seem that the very worst is over, but we have all been waiting and watching anxiously for news - using Facebook to keep in touch. Belinda, his beautiful wife is with him and their best friend is flying over from South Africa, arriving tomorrow. Luckily various people from the island are in Miami and have been able to spend time at the hospital and help out. It makes one realise what a tight-knit community we are here, and how we are all effected when things like this happen.

On a lighter note: Our first sale of 'family' food on Wednesday was sold out in under an hour. We were overwhelmed with the response, but so tired it barely registered! We had baked through the night on Wednesday to make sure we had enough, but we were still not able to go onto 'house' after the school market, as we had nothing left!. We have a stall on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday this week at 'house' and we really are fired up now. 

This time next year we hope to be selling all our wonderful goodies from our own outlet with a restaurant kitchen as well. The main reason for calling the business  'family - food & bakery' - is that it says exactly what we are about - our family business making food for family and friends. And there sitting in the corner of our beautiful little bakery this time, next year - sipping champagne hibiscus cocktails and eating organic turkey sandwiches will be Greg, Belinda, Zoe and Joss - fit, healthy and happy.   

Getting there slowly

Christmas cookies

I only have about 5 minutes to post this as I need to jump in the car and pick up the kids, drop them off at piano, do the shopping, come home and make supper and carry on baking (is everyone already in a coma with boredom, because I am).

I've been loitering around at home today with flu - or whatever a swollen throat, achy body and thumping head is called (exhaustion?).

Anyhow it did give me the opportunity to take the photos' for the famous website that never seems to get finished. Since we actually start selling on Thursday (DON"T REMIND ME) it would seem fairly critical at this stage.

Anyhow I'm quite pleased with the results with my first attempts at food photograghy, given that I hardly know how to use Tyler's fancy Nikon and coudn't even get the tripod open let, alone use it. Also had to chase chickens and push the cat off the table several times and got very dizzy standing on the table looking down on the biscuits to get all those professional-looking shots but think, in the end,  it was worth it. Have to keep reminding myself that's this is meant to be a dream and not a nightmare.

Stollen

Coming back fighting

I wish...

Jane said today that she had nearly eviscerated her family yesterday after doing 3 hours of laundry, which made me laugh so much I realised I must be cheering up. I love articulate mothers.

Since the only way is up, here's what I'm listening to at the moment to get over myself:

I LOVE this song. I do keep wondering if I'll ever grow up (along with wondering if I could manage longer than about a week without alcohol) and when I hear music like this I couldn't care less and just flow: Drake's 'They Know'. Play it loudly in your car for pure joy.

Oh boy I think I may love this song even more. Katy B could be the kind of girl that I might want one of my boys to marry oneday. Maybe. Magnetic Man's 'Perfect Stranger' featuring Katy B. So sweet.

This is what I listen to when I'd rather be eviscrating someone, but put on my Skype headphones instead and play this VERY loudly. It puts my Happy Face back on. The Used's Burning Downing the House. (yes it is the old Talking Heads song). Works every time.

Here's an oldie that still puts a smile on my face, Lupe Fiasco's Superstar. Yep, a song has already been written about me (hahahha).

Also need some Empires of the Sun. This one's for you, Susie G. Missing you : (

OK, some MJB because she's a S.U.R.V.I.V.O.R. I've had this song on a loop before and it features 50 Cent who is also fabulous. "I'm gonna shine until my heart stops".

OK, we also need some airline music since I've just done about 60 hours of flying (that's all the movies, all the playlists and the Duty Free magazines a few times). Kazabian. Very Brit Poppish.

Right, need to go and cook the supper, do the homework, sort out the laundry, finish the webpage for family and remember to smile.

Another day

I feel a bit like the kid in the background

I'm going to spare you yet more birthday parties, beach outings, sailing expeditions to Sandy Spit (George) and whingeing on about howmuch there is to do.

Since that's what we did for most of the week, there's not much else to write about.

The christmas tree has already gone up and we trawled off to 'Christmas on Main Street ' last night which is a cross between  going to see the lights in Regent Street and a large Christmas jumble sale - but nicer. Casting aside all the 'Made in China' stalls, there were gems of local produce (soursop ice cream, guavaberry liquer and tamarind paste for example) and some delightful crafts, beautiful straw hats from Jamaica, lots of fried chicken and henna tattoos. As you all know, shopping here is a challenge. We have also set ourselves the task of getting most of our christmas presents 'on-island' - so luckily I did see a few things last night. We also went to visit Jane who was having her first exhibition. Jane paints images of Caribbean life and I love her 'Festival Angels' series.

Jane Clatworthy

I'm feeling a bit flat post-trip and also with starting up the family business, which has to happen in the afternoons, at night and early mornings. We are doing a small range of goodies like Stollen, biscuits and rubs which we are selling by order. I'm also meant to be finishing off the website today but am feeling too tired to have the patience to fiddle around with photos of biscuits and tinsel. It's also about as wintery as it gets here - rainy, gray and cooler - so the kids are indoors driving me nuts.

I'm off to have tea with a friend and hopefully my mood will improve for a chattier blog next time.

Bitter Sweet

Nothing like travelling half way around the globe, for a bit of perspective on things.

London, was London. I always do rather normal things like have lunch with girlfriends at the Peter Jones Brasserie and shopping at Jane Asher - these things make me happy. South Africa was wonderful - dare I say it booming in comparison to the rest of the rather dreary recession-bound world and then I get back to here - which is, well, here.

So first things first: It took me nearly 2 weeks to miss the children. This will not elevate me to the Motherhood Hall of Fame but in my defence, it took the boys about the same amount of time to miss me. I know as good mothers we are meant to miss the children somewhere between dropping them off in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon, but I usually dont - I'm quite relieved to get into the office in the morning and sit down for a few hours.

It just so happenend that we all started missing each other on the one day which also coincided with the day T got back home with the kids and Skype at 7:15pm in the evening - which was 1:15am for me in South Africa. By this stage I'd drunk more than my fair share of wine, had listened to loud dance music (on headphones) to stay awake and had amused myself making sarky comments on Facebook until I even got bored with that. And then suddenly one is confronted by a picture of 3 little squirmy, tired, hungry children about 8000 miles away and really these are not Cadbury Magic Moments. And then their father and I actually managed to have a Trans Atlantic squabble - on Skype - then followed by IM - which is really evil for arguments as one can be very rude very quickly without having to run away ( @#$% you. %$#@ you too. I'm going to bed. Well %$#@ off then. You too. etc).

Anyhow - familys do survive these things - amazingly.

Seeing one's friends rips at my soul. I also don't get round to seeing all the people I would like to, as  work commitments are pretty demanding too. Six of my close girlfriends this year (Kath, Susie, Ailsa, Jo-jo, Sal & Amy) have all lost their fathers during the past year. All of them are strong which makes me love them even more. There is no gettting around it though - long distance relationships suck. One chooses ones friends because you like them and they make you laugh and feel good, and this fact is always, unsurprisingly, hammered home when you are together. I usually cry from about Cape Town to Beaufort West, Joburg to Pietersburg and London to Isle of White as I lament all of this. Then I have a stiff drink and watch a movie.



Anyhow I got back to a new government on the island (the one we voted for) and some more bearable temperatures, it being winter. No children had been expelled from school, the cleaner was still on the payroll and T and I kissed and made-up.  We went sailing with our wonderful neighbours on Sunday, and we really sailed (ie with sails!) which was bliss.

It was William's 6th birthday on Wednesday. T went over to the US to buy him a bicycle and he got a Playmobil Pirate Ship, a remote control car and a snorkelling kit (lest you think our children miss out on anything stuck on an island). The "boogie on a board" party (Williams idea - surfing & disco music - quelle horreur) is on Saturday.

Not so fab was no water in the cistern and no phone or internet, as the new, over-enthusiastic gardener had swiped through the telephone wires with his machette. Another day in paradise, you mutter to yourself.

Anyhow back to there being absolutely no time to feel sorry for oneself, let alone philosophical. We're trying to pull some Christmas things together but it's not proving easy.

Last night all the stars did align however. John Legend gave a concert on the island - which was just sexy and fun and slick and professional and just brillianty grown-up and normal. I could tuck some of my sadness away and be grateful for my life on this little green dot Pluto - this place we call home.

Balance is fleeting

Scarecrow

OOoooh, it's been a long week. Oh my goodness.

We've all collapsed in a heap today (apart from T of course  who is working) and are re-charging our batteries, getting ourselves ready for the next wave of trick or treating, hotdogs, mayham and tidying up. I also need to think about the tsunami of work-work, Christmas presents, childrens arrangements for 2.5 weeks and everything else which needs to be organised before I leave on Wednesday. Packing is going to be easy as I've come to the conclusion that I need an entirely new wardrobe. Pretty much everything I own is frumpy and a lot of it (hallelujah) no longer fits me.

This is of course Halloween weekend. Yesterday was the annual Cedar School Halloween party at Nanny Cay (except we're very PC so it's called a Costume Party). We fielded a Scarecrow (lots of raffia and our old dining-room chair covers) Charlie Chaplin (full kiddies tuxedo from the Thrift Shop for $4) and a Hells Angel (denim and tattoos).  As usual there were brilliant and original costumes, lots of stalls and dunking of Headmasters. It's a really big event and much loved by all.

I've continued with my rather strict bee pollen and aloe vera gunk regime during the week and have not been imbibing anything alcoholic or caffeine-related. Of course after 2 glasses of warm, box wine yesterday, I was showing off on the Hells Angels bike (rather embarassingly). Bit sad, really - but it's so hard to get the balance right.

Hells Angel & Charlie Chaplin

I've always been a fan of Nancy Mitford and loved the Pursuit of Happiness. I really wish she was still writing her ascerbic and rather snobby observations, although now I think her book would more likey be entitled the Pursuit of Balance. 

You'd think that if you lived in a tropical paradise, worked in a stimulating part-time job and had eventually managed to find an excellent cleaner - you would be as close to living as balanced a life that there is to be had?

Urrr, not so.

I'm increasingly beginning to believe that this place called Balance is some mythical nirvana that dos'nt really exist, and if it does, it certainly dosn't feature in my version of Google Earth.

When I run out of good ideas for runaway weeks like the one I've just had, I'm inclined to search for articles like "how busy mothers remain  sane". It's the management consultant in me.
In this excellent article by Kari Henley in the Huffington Post, she writes that balance is a fleeting thing and one should rather have fun instead. A wonderful idea, but not one I experience much when looking at the wreckage of a small bathroom used by 3 little boys, for example.

After Shirley 'Superwoman' Conran in the eighties and Nigella 'Domestic Goddess' Lawson in the nineties, this decade dosn't seem to have thrown up the poster girl for getting it right yet. So after not finding much on the internet, it's back to balancing hedge funds and halloween, sobereity with relaxation, mornings with afternoons and 'Cirque de Soleil'- quality juggling acts. I seldom feel balanced, am rarely calm and often feel a bit unhinged.  I do enjoy reading other people writing about it though. It's like reading a grown-up Agony Aunt Column ("Dear Susy. My life is unbalanced, what should I do about it?") with the theory of relativity thrown in for good measure (balance is not equal to zero).

I need to go and butter 30 hotdog rolls and get out of my pyjamas. Thank goodness it's all fleeting.

It's quite hard to do nothing



James

I'm quite proud of us. After a very bad start to the day (couldn't find car keys, shoes and a long assortment of other things) I decided to actually cancel the day and stay at home and do nothing.

Well not quite nothing - the house looks like a hell-hole after a long weekend with piles of laundry to sort for the week and other domestic delights, but I just felt very tired of organising things and trying to be on top of things. In fact we all just felt tired.

So when my neighbour phoned and said "would you like to join us for a spritzer on the balcony" (I think the word 'quick' may have been in there somewhere, but after so many spritzers I can't actually remember) around Noonish, we accepted  - probably a little too hastily.

It has been a great day. We watched the channel, we drank spritzers until the club soda ran out and we carried on after that anyway, the kids played somewhere, things happenend in the background, nobody got fed but nobody died because of this, the house didn't get tidied, a long list of "To Do's" never happenend, the afternoon trundled along  and we were all very happy.

I know I'll pay for ths later somewhere along the line, but today it was just very nice to do bugger all.



Boys sailing in the Channel

PTA-types



Paris, October 2009


My Mother* was 34 years old when I was born, which was considered old for having children in those days. Not being in the first flush of motherhood when I came along and after a 13 year gap from rearing my brothers, she did in fact have a rather jaundiced view of it all, swiftly dismissing a long list of things such as camping, kiddy birthday parties and school sports days with a shudder saying she’d already “done her bit”.

She also did not have too much time for the mothers of my peers. High on her list of irritating mothers were “The Young Mums” who only spoke about babies at birthday parties (boring). Special horror was reserved for “PTA-Types” whom she found equally boring and slightly alarming. But at the top of the list were “Pushy Mothers”. Her much-used example of a Pushy Mother were the ones who would sit with stop-watches at my brothers Western Province swimming training, haranguing their children to do better. This my mother viewed as rather scandalous, not to mention a bit vulgar. The concept of Tiger Mothers would probably render my Mother speechless.

Needless to say, I did not grow up in a fluffy fug of Barbie Doll Cakes, although I did have my fair share of ballet and Guides and all that. Nothing then to explain this born-again motherhood thing which I'm currently experiencing and am struggling to reconcile. Even as I write this, I’m wearing my Halloween Witchy earrings, having just finished a Halloween Costume Sale at the school in my role as a Grade 5 ‘Class Parent”. I’m hanging around waiting for a PTA “meet the Board” meeting – practicing my Count-to-10-Deep- Breathing-excercises, on the off-chance that I may find the meeting a little bit patronizing. I am ‘transitioning’ the experts will tell you from my old life to my new one. I read these things on the Internet, so I know. I  may however, just have become my Mothers worst nightmare, and I havn't even factored in the Sunday School teaching bit either.

"Did I move to a tropical island to join the PTA?” I ask myself, late at night. It wasn't quite what I had in mind. I was thinking more Cowboy-hat-wearing-yoga-on-beach-Mom when I got here and then I went and joined the PTA.  What was I thinking?

It is true that I have a sneaky admiration for Tiger Mothers (although I’m frankly too lazy to be one myself) and I don't feel productive unless I've tried to enhance or improve just about everything around me and then worried about the kids future SAT scores - but does this make me a Pushy PTA Mother?

The biggest compliment that women seem to pay each other these days is to say that “so and so is really organized”. We all glow with that kind of affirmation and feel like we're actually getting somewhere in our rather chaotic lives.

Maybe I've detoxed just a little too much, and have become far too balanced. Happiness is actually quite a tricky state of mind to be in all the time. You sort of worry that you arn't worrying. So then you go and organise something else and pile it on, in order to give yourself something to worry about. It's like writing out lists only so that you can then cross out the things you've aleady done. I do things like this.

I realise that I definetly need to get to a big city fast** and go shopping for random girly clothes and stop worrying. I'm starting to scare myself.

* My mother reads my blog,and since this is all true, she will not be offended, hey Ma? 
** I arrive in Cape Town on November 4th and Joburg on the 9th November.

And the pan-pipes played on



Cane Garden Bay

It's funny how sometimes the perfect weekend can just sneak up on you and happen just like that. It all started going well on Friday evening with a very funny movie called 'Paul" (if you are fans of Sean of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, it's by the same people) and was exceptionally funny. It also took my mind off the fact that I was starving, but more on that later.

Nanny Cay Beach: Beach Bar

Saturday started with a party - of course - down at Nanny Cay to welcome the new Kindergarten families. A gentle start to the day. Georgie then had to be dropped off in town for another birthday party, which was a treasure hunt up Mount Sage, topped off with chicken wings & cake at the local nightclub dive called 'The Batcave' which is a child-friendly restaurant during the day, though scenes from Little Miss Sunshine do linger.

As a mid-detox treat Tyler had organised a massage for me on Saturday afternoon at the beautiful spa at Scrub Island. Even better, I was able to take the boys as they could play in the little pool in the Spa villa, whilst Mama's pressure points were being pressed and she endured the ubiquitous 'aromatherapy music' (harps, pan pipes, tweeting birds) just loud enough to drown out the Caribbean surf. The massage was welcomed as I've not deviated from my detox program even once the whole week. Can't say it's been easy or that I've enjoyed it or that it has anything to recommend it, apart from the fact that I've lost about 2 kgs (5 pounds) and feel calm and focused. Sadly, alcohol and caffeine clearly leads to loud voices in your head, although we all get very good at living with them. I finish up on Tuesday.

Back to the weekend: After a very, very relaxing Saturday afternoon we had an even funnier film in the evening 'The Perfect Host'. Fall-off-the-sofa funny. Stars Frasier's (TV series) brother. Clever and twisted, you just have to watch it.

Sunday was Canadian Thanksgiving (you didn't know?) and we were invited for lunch. I frantically worked out howmay calories turkey and stuffing was (I am allowed 600 calories a day) and took along my Lemon Perrier . A lovely afternoon with our 'Island family' and lots of food and babies and kids and chatting (the local elections are coming up and we've registered to vote, so we're having a crash course in local politics). It was such a lovely afternoon that we decided to continue the day  down on the beach and men were dispatched off to fetch paddle boards and cozzies. I would like to say that everyday is like this, but it isn't.

We had a wonderful hour or so paddling at sunset, kids jumping off the pier, no-one around but our friends. It's a good life (if you ignore the housework, which I generally do).



News for the rest of the week. William lost his first tooth and James's football team, Cedar U12's won the BVI FIFA School League.  Our family company was incorporated and this week we'll get our trade license. The hunt is on for premises, but we do have our little factory to get on with some things. All things are possible after such a lovely weekend, or is that maybe just the bee pollen talking?

Party # 24

Georgie at 9

It was Georgies 9th birthday yesterday, his second one already on the island. We held it at a hotel with a large, sparkly pool and slide which I know seems a bit odd when we are surrounded by crystal, turquoise bath water, but it's considered a big treat by the children. So 18 kids spent 3 hours tearing around the pool, dined out on hotdogs and fruit punch and a happy time was had by all.

All of this was justified, I felt, after another late class party on our balcony, Thursday evening. A tiny rivalry may have developed between Grade 3 and Grade 5 in that the latter stayed longer, drank more and was all round slightly more dishevelled on Friday morning. 

Twenty fourth time I've done this already.....

One friend yesterday mentioned that now that her youngest child had also reached nine,  the big parties had come to an end. She also has 3 kids and had worked out that she had stuffed over 4000 goody bags, made hundreds of cakes, sung happy birthday more times than she could count and had done her bit. As you can probably see, I quite enjoy parties, but I did feel a moment of deep depression when I worked out I had 22 years of baby albums to catch up on. My other thought is that if I don't do it pretty soon I'm probably going to have to make most of it up (First Words: urrrrrrr "juice"/"I started crawling when I was"......urrrrr, 8 months?). It could get silly.

The rest of the week disappeared in the usual boiling hot blur of work, PTA meetings (yes me, do not laugh) and the daily afternoon dance of piano-tennis-sailing-judo-football. The low, low season of September is now over and things will start to pick up again. Must say I've rather enjoyed having the island to ourselves during the summer, but tourists make the world go round.

I've started a rather serious detox programme today (well wouldn't you if you had this lifestyle?). I get to live on bee pollen tablets and aloe vera gel for 9 days.  I'm OK at the moment, but it's only 11am in the morning on the first day. I made the boys pancakes and Barefoot Contessa hot chocolate for breakfast and have to do the chicken roast later. It's pure, pure masochism, really.  Anyhow it needs to be done and only I have  to look at any photograghs taken from about Christmas onwards, to feel totally motivated. It is not going to be easy. I really don't want to think about my first glass of Pinot Grigio or my Monday morning coffee in the office, and will save my bee pollen pills for those moments.

Anyhow thought I'd look at a few food blogs today to make me fell like I'm doing something on the family food business front and totally torture myself with. Then I'll get out the Christmas Album. Then I'll have a bee pollen pill and do some ironing, or something. Maybe I should plan a Detox Party for the middle of the week, when I'm really taking strain?



The Big Boys



A Special Day



Franschoek, Cape Town 1999

 When Georgie saw this photo, he asked slightly alarmed  "what's the black stuff on dad's head?" That will be hair, George.

It's our wedding anniversary today and amazingly Tyler got the day off, so reason enough in itself to celebrate. Not that we need another party.

Last night we went to the islands answer to Truman Capote's Black & White Ball held in the 60's, although ours was just white it was equally as glamorous.  This island is very good at enjoying itself. On Wednesday evening we had our Grade 3 class parents round for a drink (I'm Class Mom) on the balcony and despite a power failure and a heavy storm, everyone only went home when the wine ran out. On a Wednesday...

The boys are cooking dinner for us tonight, and I can hear much debate and planning going on in the kitchen at the moment (I've just heard James say "I need some stations"). We have provided the roast beef bought in St Thomas (US Virgin Islands) a few weeks back but the rest is up to them. Tidying up is also part of the treat. William is determined to make an apple pie and Jame's wanted to have chilli con carne as a starter, until we explained that beef folllowed by beef was a bit much. Now I think it's nachos. I've also noticed that there's a bottle of Lanson in the fridge, so who's worrying?

It was exactly 2 years to the day that we decided to move back to the BVI, where Tyler was born and grew up. We had a big 10 year anniversary party in our Johannesburg garden (frankly we never thought we'd see the day, so a party was definetly in order) and at 5am sitting in the bedoiun tent, winding down after everyone had left, we thought "what next" and here we are.

Although the move has been a huge test on our relationship and we have our 'moments'  like everyone else - things have been good. The role reversal has been a shock and Tyler's hours as a chef have been gruelling for all. I've ended up doing a lot of single parenting and still struggle, in my post-modern feminist way, with the housework & endless Driving Children Everywhere. However I have a strong sense that we'll survive (despite dinner tonight) and hopefully grow old gracefully together.

Love you T. Thank you for a wonderful life. xxx

Fun is a Tonic.

Bimbo & 'Hippy Goth'

After a long week of trying to get back into homework and routine, I felt ready to resign as a mother. In fact I did, but since nobody was listening (for a change) I had to remain in the job. So I just sulked in my (air conditioned) bedroom, occasionally coming out to say some very un-PC things to my children, who had a bypassing interest in the fact that I wasn't the happiest mother on the planet. Also didn't help that I was reading Hilary Rodham Clinton’s autobiograghy, which unsurprisingly failed to cheer me up much.

Anyhow all of this was forgotten on Saturday night, as we went to one of the most enjoyable parties in a long time and had a huge amount of fun. It was an Eighties bash as both the husband & wife had recently turned 40 (40+ 40= 80, so any excuse, in other words). What I love about here is that everyone goes to a huge amount of trouble to dress up. It’s kind of the honourable and expected thing to do, way beyond 'singing for your supper'. What also helps is that most of the clothing shops here still stock a huge amount of 80’s type clothes (lacy, neon-y, flashy, animal printy etc) so there was no problem finding anything plus all the accessories (punky belts, wigs, crucifixes) to go with the 80's mash-up.

Ross & Rachel Munro

So we were joined by Wham, Boy George, multiple Madonna’s, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Axl Rose, Kraftwerk (eyeliner, white shirt & tie) Adam Ant, Super Mario, two Rubic cubes, Jane Fonda, Margaret Thatcher and as many 80’s characters as you could imagine. Very, very funny. Everyone danced for hours and we all knew all the words. Quite a bit of air guitar was also noted. Babysitters did really well that night.

It been here, we then had to get up at some ungodly hour on Sunday to go staggering off to mountain bike, but at least this time it wasn’t on another island, just Beef island. Even Rachel (one half of the party throwers) was there, admittedly looking a teensy bit blurry. Platinum Prize for Motherhood, Rach. Don't think I would have managed.

Ross & Rachel are an amazing couple (you can read more about them  here and pledge some money whilst you do so!). Ross was diagnosed 18 months ago with Non- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (as was my cousin Clare). With his family's support and the Royal Marsden Hospital, Ross has successfully fought it, and now he, Rachel and several others are running the Chicago Marathon in 3 weeks time, to raise money for Cancer Research UK and Hands on Volunteers, a local charity which is focused mainly on raising funds for Haiti. A group of teachers from Cedar is running for Haiti (this is their blog & also details for donations) and we are all very proud of them. When you watch the race and see Team BVI, give a big cheer as we will all be doing on our little green dot. Better still, please donate!

Sunday afternoon was spent collapsed in a heap, humming “Karma Cameleon” and letting the children 'get on with their own devices' in other words ignoring them. Not that they noticed.

Tropical Stormers*

Tyler has been up half the night - joined later by James (pictured left) watching the Rugby World Cup and had to leave for work about 10 minutes before the end of the England/Argentinia game (just after the missed penalty) with much grumbling. We are watching ITV live streaming with Francois Pienaar on the commentary panel, so not too shabby. We'll all be up tomorrow for the South African game (power better bloody well not go out) but wont be blowing the  vuvuselas until afterwards, as it will only be 4:30am here when the game starts.

We're under Tropical Storm warning again this weekend (Maria) which is meant to be arriving later today, according to the satellite trackers. Having never been quite so well prepared before (everything's charged up, rummy cards are out, freezer food all made, water by the loos) chances are not too much will happen. It's a beautiful day so far with the odd squall and Tyler will be home at Noon as Scrub will close until the all clear is given - so can't complain really. James is meant to be camping out tonight, which could be heroic. One just sort of sits around, waiting for it to happen. Sometimes it does, sometimes it dosn't. Sometimes it just rains a lot.

It's been a funny week. Having stated our intention last week to conquer the world, most of this week was spent cowering in our (air conditioned) bedroom feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. Then I watched that heart rendering piece on the Australian X Factor with the Iraqi chap and gave myself a stern talking too. There's now been a flurry of activity in the Dawson household and the dining room table has been colonised by sewing machines, homework, material, laptops and the like and we've had to relocate dining to the balcony table. This may be interesting in a tropical storm.
William had a huge week - having started both piano ("do rockstars actually need to learn to play the piano?") and tennis. He's been itching to do all of this, but I can't help but feel a tiny wrench as our 'baby' (luckily he can't read yet) grows up so quickly.

The island seems to be getting back to it's old self with 3 party invitations sitting on the fridge door - an "80's" 40th, a "all in white" 60th and a champagne baby shower brunch in the next  few weeks. It's a good way to pass September which is the hottest, windiest, buggiest month of the year and which needs turning on its head a bit.  Georgie is 9 at the beginning of October and then there's Halloween - so off we go on our party rollercoaster. Blink and it will be Christmas. 

The factory has now been leased and Tyler is busy looking at ovens and equipment. It's too exciting, but we are anxious to just get up & running. One can only look at foodie blogs for so long.

Speaking of which - the screeching parrot needs to put out on the balcony for some airtime before the storm arrives and my legs are being chomped by mozzies. I also really need a coffee - having been up so early biting my nails (golly England, what happenend?). There is something deeply surreal sitting in the Caribbean - waiting for a storm, whilst watching British TV (the boys are fascinated by the adverts, as we dont have them on BBC) being broadcast live from New Zealand. That something so awsomely global is being played out in such a fiercely regional way, must remain one of the few things that hasn't been conquered or branded or re-packaged by the likes of Wal-mart.  For this (and those gorgeous new rugby shirts they all wear now mmmmm) I love it.  Pray for power though.

* Our rugby team we support in South Africa is called the Western Province Stormers - so pun most intended if not a little obscure

Happy Boiling Hot Day

It's been so hot over the past few days I think my brain has fizzled out. Whilst the rest of the world has been wishing each other Happy Spring/Fall Day, we've all just been melting and sweating our way through the week. Consequently I've been seriously grumpy and had a major energy dip. The kids went back to school on Wednesday, not a minute too soon.

Anyhow enough moaning, as we certainly have enough to get on with. I feel like we have projects in every direction at the moment.

Could do better, coming up.

Tyler is on-island Tuesday & Wednesday this week, and a big push is needed on the family business. We need to get going and start baking within the next few weeks. We will hopefully have a leased 'factory' for this. I'm busy teaching myself food photograghy as we want to set up something on-line whilst we look for retail premises. Paula is busy conceptualising design ideas for us (love the name and dying to tell everyone - but it's still only reserved and not registered yet) and packaging needs to get printed. We are also preparing a range of Christmas & holiday goodies, which all needs to be ordered, made, wrapped and bottled.

Road Town Kids

Road Town Kids

I've also decided to bring back Road Town Kids, the clothing range I had for two brief seasons in SA, before time and energy forced me to put it on hold. We're having a trunk sale at the end of this month to sell off the last of my small stock and so am making some extra little things like hats, bloomers and tote bags with the leftover gorgeous Kaffee Fasset material. Quitely excited about this, as the clothes do fit in here and I'm feeling all inspired again. 

Looks like we are going to be staying in our house on the Hill of the Barking Dogs, until we get our own place, so we are doing some DIY to build more storage and I need to let wrip in the garden (just not today, please). It still feels a bit like Tortola's equivalent of Lonehill, but it's conveneient and manageable and we "get the breezes"  to make it more bearable.

A Pirate does his scales

The biggest project of all of course remains the boys. William starts tennis, sailing and piano this year, which makes last year look like a dress rehearsal. Speaking of which the older two are preparing for their RCM exams and have also upped their sailing to Wednesdays and Saturdays. James informed me today that now that he is in Grade 5 he needs an art shirt and deodrandt for Monday. Georgie has a very nice, new teacher so I volunteered to be Class Mom.

OK time to get back to just-sitting-on-the-balcony-it's-so-hot. We may have some effects from Hurricane Katia later today and tomorrow, but some wind and rain would be quite nice, actually.  Could do without the enivatable power cut that usually goes with however.

Hurricanes 101

I came across this today, whilst sitting on the balcony sofa trying not to move, it's so hot: The Official Hurricane Centre Guide for the correct pronunciation of 2011's hurricanes, just what everybody needs.

We are now watching  'KAY-tyah' which is meant to go far north of us on Monday, so normal hurricane alerts out but we'll only get some wind and rain.  Not sure what happenend to 'ho-ZAY' - where did that one go?  This time last year we were only on E (Earl pronounced Er-LL?).

Wonder why there arn't just simple names like Fred & Amy?  It's also not very diverse is it? We need a few Amils and Fatimas and Mpho's, dont't we?

Arlene ar-LEEN
Bret bret
Cindy SIN-dee
Don dahn
Emily EH-mih-lee
Franklin FRANK-lin
Gert gert
Harvey HAR-vee
Irene eye-REEN
Jose ho-ZAY
Katia KAH-tyah
Lee lee
Maria muh-REE-uh
Nate nait
Ophelia o-FEEL-ya
Philippe fee-LEEP
Rina REE-nuh
Sean shawn
Tammy TAM-ee
Vince vinss
Whitney WHIT-nee

One year today



Leaving Johannesburg, 27 August 2010

It’s been a year today exactly since we arrived on the island.  

After a really late night last night (good 40^th birthday party) and a very early start (5.30am mountain biking on Peter Island) I’m not feeling very sparkly, in fact I’m downright shattered. So here’s a collection of some fairly random thoughts about the last year which touch on a few themes:    

Meteorology

We arrived on-island last year the day before Hurricane Earl (category 4) hit and we’ve just gone through another hurricane this  week (Irene – category 1). One already feels like a bit of an old-hand and my knowledge of meteorology has exponentially increased alongside tropical waves and depressions.

Weather in the Caribbean is generally very predictable:  Hot, Freaking Hot, 80 to 100% humidity, wind, rain, storms and flash floods  - apart from at Christmas when one’s  mother is visiting, and Cape Town, notorious for variable weather at Christmas time, was warmer….but that also has a certain predictability to it. 

Isolated enough to be more connected

Gone are the Robinson Crusoe days when living on an island meant being a castaway. The reality of high-speed broadband internet ( a phenomenon not yet fully experienced  in South Africa) means that our internet connection is on day and night, and our computers are our main source of everything: news, communication, shopping, entertainment and education.

So much so, I feel that a large part of this year has seen me gorging on the internet and catching up on what I used to think was only useful for online banking. We watch BBC live with our iPlayer, blast out BBC Radio 3 and 5FM on streaming audio and  read the New York Times online. We Google absolutely everything under the sun,  follow Facebook, scan the weather radars and watch the satellites and most late afternoons will find me on the sofa on the balcony, laptop on my knee and a glass of Pinot Grigio beside me. I feel enormously connected to the rest of the world and not in the least bit marooned.   

Finite living

I read a blog the other day of a fellow South African gal who moved to Austen, Texas about the same time that we moved here. She wrote that life was settling down and that she had  “ found a doctor, a dentist, a hairdresser, a chemist, a nail bar, a eyebrow bar, a paediatrician”  and that familiarity was bringing normality. Unfortunately I have not found many of these as most of them don’t even exist on the island – but I have found a flipping good cleaner – which I would happily trade all of the above  for (especially the eyebrow bar).

Living on an island means that pretty much everything is finite. Eventually you will meet and get to know just about everyone and them you. They will know everything about you, your children, your habits, your work and your plans. Likewise money is also finite here and this place is very expensive to live. So when the cash runs at out by the end of the month just about the only option open is to ask the children for their pocket money back.  Eventually we will also know every nook and cranny of this place. Space on an island is also finite.

I find all of this strangely reassuring. It’s simple and gives one an excellent platform for a good life. Of course it becomes claustrophobic and too intense sometimes and we all whinge and moan about the same old things but it’s not the ‘rat race’ , more like a playpen.

Are the children better off?

I ‘m no child psychologist and the children have adapted very quickly to constantly interrupting me and standing on my feet like I don’t really exist in human body form ( ie already taken for granted) but I do think children are probably only happy when you are. It’s not something to measure or even see, but I sense that as I start living a life that I enjoy – the children are secure that a saner mother is a good thing and that having a chef as a dad is super-cool.

Having endless sun-filled days sailing, playing tennis, catching lizards and chasing chickens dosn’t hurt either.

The Burning Question unanswered

“Was this the right move?”  people tentatively ask us. Will we survive all of this without bankrupting ourselves, getting divorced and eking out a marginal existence on the fringes of civilisation?

Occasionally it does feel like all of the above may apply, but the answer to whether this was the right thing to do for our family, is unequivocally, yes but I couldn’t really tell you why.

We’ve never worked so hard in our lives before, Tyler is rarely around on the weekends, I continue to resent housework (although it does seem to be getting easier) and we really do live on a scruffy third world dot which can drive one bats.   

We only have even more hard work to look forward to as our new business kicks in and it’s going to take us at least 2 years before we can move into our own home. It’s not for the faint-hearted and it is by no means an ‘opt-out’ type lifestyle, as we slave to put the kids through international school and worry about things like medical insurance.

It’s been tough and harder than we could ever have imagined. Just after I had burnt my back and Tyler had twisted his leg, we both slipped badly on the slimy driveway after torrential rain had caused more power failures.  The next day I was so stiff I couldn’t brush my teeth and had to do it sort of sideways and Tyler couldn’t even get his socks and shoes on. We just looked at each other and packed up laughing. We laughed again even louder that night when we were telling friends at a party, who after several glasses of Verve, thought it equally funny as we reanacted the morning. The blog that day would have been called “Too old for Paradise” – but we got through it.

San Juan, August 2011

Hurricane Irene and Winslow Homer

We still await news from the Bahamas, post Hurricane Irene which should have passed over by tonight, onwards & upwards. We were pretty lucky here in the BVI and things are already back to normal.

I've been collecting Caribbean ephemera for some time, which was not always the most obvious or easy thing to do when living in Africa.  I'd long been intrigued by these beautiful, slightly bleak images that kept cropping up. So much so, that when I finally decided last week that I really wanted to know/buy/pin down who the artist was, I actually Googled "retro 1950's Caribbean hurricane paintings" on eBay,  as you do.

Amazingly, I found my images. More amazingly they were by Winslow Homer, the 19th Century American 'romantic' painter, who most people - including me, would probably associate with slightly over-blown heroic sea pictures with people clinging to boats and rocks. Stuffy yacht club pictures.  

However Mr Homer must have spent some time in the Bahamas with his water-colour kit (and possibly some rum?) and produced these wonderful paintings that still resonate even today with our modern day Caribbean hurricanes. 

Sadly, although I had optimistically looked them up an eBay,  finding out that they are by Winslow Homer rather rules out any possibility of acquiring one. I might just however, be in for buying my first 'print'.  I really love them.

Tropical Storm Mix

Hurricane over the Bahamas - Winslow Homer

Tropical Storm Irene [Postscript: Irene subsequently was upgraded to a hurricane as it passed over us] makes for a nice excuse to stay at home today to fiddle around. The boys are tired from a busy week: James had a full week of cricket clinic, put together by the West Indian Cricket Board and Georgie & William went off to pottery lessons. We only have 10 days left of holidays and I'm counting down now. Three boys constantly calling:

"MAAAaaaaaarrrrrrrrrm, MOM, Mommylook, mom mom mom mom, LookMommylook look, MOMMMMEEEEE, Mum? Mom? Mooooooooooommmmm!!!!, MOM, Mom?, Mummy!!Moooooommmmmmmeeeeeeeee, ma, MUM, mommy where are yooooouu?"

has done my head in. Anyway, nothing like some good music to soothe the soul (and drown them out). Here's what I'm listening to at the moment:

Even though the song is about a kid who shoots up a mall (the youth of today, eh?) it's rather catchy. In fact the whole album is brilliant: Foster the People - pumped up kicks

In the same whistly vein is a brilliant UK band Metronomy with "The Look". I have a bit of a thing for girl drummers, they always look so cool. I've always really wanted a drum set.

OK, time for some grown-up dance. The type of music when Tyler does sometimes wonder who he married, and James (the 10 year old) says he prefers Classical, thank you. Calvin Harris - Feels so close (Nero Remix).  Love this.

If you didn't like Calvin, you'll really hate this: Magnetic Man's I Need Air. You need to skip the first minute (boring) but then it explodes (especially on headphones). Like I said before - definetly don't watch the video. Looks like it features some of CCTV's favourites. Sacringly Hoody heaven. 

OK, something softer: A brilliant South African Tasha Baxter - Ebb & Flow is going to go far. Clever girl.

My niece in Melbourne who runs half marathons along with looking after 3 girls and being a very talented illustrator, loves Adele. Hometown Glory is my favourite. She reminds me of Alison Moyet

The boys are bleating for breakfast, so I'd better get going. Happy Hurricanes.

Perfectomundo*



Our last night. Prickly Pear Island, North Sound

I have a few quiet hours today to gather my thoughts and memories of a truly wonderful holiday. We had the usual dramas and some maybe not so usual - like transferring all the Puerto Rican holiday money into someone else's bank account and our boat drifting it's anchor during the night on an isolated tropical island, which would have left us as real castaways had Tyler not paddled across the bay to rescue the boat from the rocks! We also had all the requisite holiday injuries including twisted backs, bruised legs, stubbed toes, bee stings, jellyfish stings and countless scrapes and bruises, but we will not dwell on any of this. It was, in short, a perfect holiday.
Just a very brief summary then: We spent 5 days in San Juan, Puerto Rico - which has shot into my Top 5 Best Cities list, up there with Paris & Rome. Old San Juan is an almost unaltered 16th Century Spanish Colonial fortress town - like a very posh Maputo (Portugal in Africa) which has just gone through a recent $800m facelift. Most of Old San Juan is a World Heritage Site.



Old San Juan

Not too many palm trees, no ersatz 'Caribbean' food, it is crammed full of little 17th and 19th century plaza's, bars, tapas restaurants, boulevards, elegant buildings, statues and is amazingly urbane in a Caribbean European way, but also part of the US. Extraordinary and highly recommended. We are just thrilled that it is right on our doorstep and will happily return again & again.

We shopped till we dropped, ate till we burst and enjoyed being pampered in our uber cool hotel La Concha which is situated on the Condado, San Juans equivalent of Miami's South Beach. Whilst very trendy the hotel still managed to be family-friendly and the kids were very happy to be there.  We eat some magnificent food; the best dim sum/tapas ever at Budathai, a truly memorable evening at Marmalade and fabulous tapas at El Convento. Tyler was one happy chappy.





Looking cool at La Concha


On Sunday the boys flew kites at the old fortifications El Morro (see photos on this flickr link) along with many other San Juan families which was a very special afternoon. 


Epic kite flying session, El Morro

We also spent an obscene amount of time at Plaza Las Americas working our way through a 2 page shopping list, buying 3 of everything per child (3 pairs of shoes, 3 shorts, 3 shirts, 3 backpacks...) which went on and on. We went to hairdressers, opticians, Toys R Us, Apple stores, book stores, Macy's, Sears, Walmart, Zara's, Mango, Old Navy, Sephora and got to sample the dubious delights of Dunkin' Donuts and Taco Bell (urgh and urgh) whilst the boys got to play lots of island yokels, gawking at things which they hadn't seen for over a year!


'Down Islanders'

We then whipped back to the Virgin Islands, missing Tropical Storm Emily luckily and jumped onto our little boat for the island-hopping part of our holiday. We had a rather relaxed travel itinerary (start in the south, sail north) and we'd left the camping/hotel question open, to see how it went. This is a flickr link for the photos of the island-hopping part.

Money Bay, Norman Island

Our first night was spent on the windward side (ie big seas) of Norman Island, which was lovely but had a few exciting moments (particularly off Brown Pants Point, which is fairly self-explanatory) and which tested our rusty sailing skills considerably and left us strongly concluding that we should putter and zoom on the leeward (Channel side), as opposed to rocking & rolling on the south seas.



Fascinating Salt Island

On Day 2 we stopped off at Salt Island to meet friends for lunch and ended up staying the night. Tyler went diving with the big boys and we ate delicious paella for dinner, made on the braai.

Day 3 saw us meeting up with more friends at The Baths on Virgin Gorda, which we nearly had to ourselves. We then went up to the North Sound of Virgin Gorda, which has to be my favourite part of the Virgin Islands and the perfect family holiday spot.


The Baths

Saba Rock

We stayed in a hotel on the Sunday night (bed, shower bliss) had dinner at Saba Rock and then on Day 4, after puttering around the North Sound a bit,  we found the perfect little spot on the back of Prickly Pear Island, overlooking Necker Island and hung out there for three days - snorkeling, fishing, paddle boarding, snoozing and generally doing very little.

*A very happy family Summer holiday in the islands. What little William in his Spanglish calls "perfectomundo". 

It was.



Prickly Pear Island



Eustacio Island in the background

About 9pm, ready for the tent