What the heck was that? October was one heck of a crazy ride, emotionally and physically for me. It was filled up with:
- 4 Birthdays
- 1 The day being told 1 uncle in ICU and another had a stroke
- 2 aunts from the UK in SA
- 1 Uncle died
- 1 Kitchen tea
- 1 Baby shower
- Prepping for a wedding
- 1 Wedding
- 1 Memorial
- Family visits
Oh, and did I happen to mention shopping, lots and lots of shopping for gifts and then for things to do with the wedding. I am suffering from the backlash of all of the activity going on. October 2019 had been a brutally emotional month for me.
However, I did treat myself to a manicure and pedicure thanks to the wedding and knowing there would be photos.
The 4 (technically 5) birthdays
October every year is a hub of activity family-wise. In le boyfriend’s family, his sister and her 3 kids all have their birthdays, one week after another. This October I had also been invited to Fandom is Awesome’s very own Jhonathon’s birthday braai. Instantly my October weekends were already booked up for the month. Starting with the youngest nephew, followed by le boyfriend’s sister’s birthday and then the twins birthday party. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I had been unable to attend Jhonathon’s bring and braai.
The day that shook me
Tuesday, 15 October 2019 I was busy at work, with work on my phone going through facebook while at a class. My Whatsapp is set with push notifications so mid-scroll I get the message from my mother letting me know that my uncle David is in ICU and my uncle Denis had a stroke. All on the same day, they were even in the same hospital.
I had known my uncle David was poorly, they were checking his liver but it had not been ‘ICU’ worthy concern, or as far as I had known it wasn’t. My uncle Denis and his stroke had also come as a shock. I got up and left the class. I told le boyfriend all the news and quickly made my way to the car where I hid for the remainder of the class. Once the class wrapped up, we made our way home where my mom and I tried to wrap our heads around things.
It was only after talking with my mom that I learnt that David had been diagnosed with cancer on his liver. He had meant to start chemo treatment on Monday, but sadly had not been quite up to it and by Tuesday he was in ICU.
I had also discovered that My uncle Denis had had the stroke on Friday and had left the hospital on the Monday, the day David had been admitted. He was at home with my aunt Sandra, relaxing and recuperating.
A sad day with a bittersweet reunion
I had taken Wednesday 16 October off work. My mother and I were on our way to visit my aunt Heather and her one daughter who had come over from the UK when we phoned them to let them know we were on our way. We were told not to go as the hospital had phoned and that they were going there. Already in the car and on the road, my mom turned the car around and we headed to my aunt Sandra to visit and see how Denis was.
We were there for barely an hour when my aunt heather gave us a call to let us know that my uncle had passed away.Ā Thursday my uncle’s firstborn arrived in SA, too late to see her dad.
What do you get for a kitchen tea?
I love shopping when I know what to get a person, or when I know what the event calls for. Le boyfriend’s brother is getting married. Which means it was the future sister-in-law’s kitchen tea. What do you buy for a kitchen tea? For someone, you don’t really know well (my fault, I’m really awkward). I eventually went with really pretty dinner placemats. Her kitchen tea is on the same day as Jhonathon’s bring and braai. Yay, another double booking, however, due to my uncle passing, I declined the invite.
The kitchen tea was fun and it was good to see some people again for the first time in a long time. 12 days till the wedding!
Building excitement
MY BEST FRIEND IS HAVING A BABY!
I am honestly so excited and happy for her. The day I found out, I went and found a Totoro babygrow and bought it for her. Cause you know, I am going to influence that child as much as I can, hehe.Ā Then actually closer to the baby shower I went hunting for a couple extra things to gift the expecting couple. The baby shower was cute and filled with sweet memories and exciting hopes for the future.
Preparing for their big day
The week of the wedding was busy, to say the least. I was on the flower crew. Which meant I had been volunteered to help out without my prior knowledge. I can honestly say that for my wedding I want no roses. None, zip, zilch, zero. I spent a week trying to keep roses alive, bathing them, feeding them, deflowering them and beheading them.Ā I had never been to Flora Mart before and now I have spent too much time there. My fingers were stained, I had been stabbed (by roses, multiple times) and my sinuses did not appreciate the daily pollen assault.
Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to help out and will happily do so. However, the flowers were collected too early and keeping them alive was a struggle, often resulting in removing petals that were browning, removing the petals completely when the flower was clearly done for and throwing away rotting stems from being in the water too long.
Once at the venue, the set up was fun. I enjoyed this part of it all. Also doing the final touches and tacking ‘behind the scenes’ sneak shots was amusing.
Their big day
I danced the Macarena. I count the day as a success.
On a serious note though, the bride was stunning and the groom was handsome. The couple together are really lucky. I obviously know them personally and have known them for well over 7 years and I sincerely congratulate them. While the venue was pretty and the food was good, I was there for them. To really share a day that will hold special meaning to them for the rest of their lives.
A fond memory
The morning after the wedding, we quickly packed up all our stuff and the things that we needed to return from where they had been hired. We rushed through this so that we would be able to make it back in time for my uncle’s memorial. Yip, it was time to say farewell and share in the memories that we had with him.
He will honestly be missed and whenever I smell a cigar I will think of him. Always have and pretty sure I always will.
A month of family
With everything going on, I have spent so much time with family, direct, extended and indirect. While it was honestly great to see everyone, I wish it had all been for happy reasons and a tad more spaced out.
I am now all peopled out and am looking forward to a really quiet and do nothing November.
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