Monday, February 25, 2013

Slowly dying of heat

It's been a week since i wrote- a hot week, a week of mornings spent hiking up a hill to my classes and having to stop for a drinks break halfway up, a week of cleaning in the afternoons, and having the whole house smell of fabric softener (Graham says I use too much but as far as I'm concerned if the clothing is clean then it's good enough) and a week of incredible excitement.

   

Definitely the most exciting weekend i've had this year so far. Friday my mom and sisters arrived and we got takeaway burgers from Pashas, took them to the beach for a sunset dinner and then spent the rest of the evening feasting on my wonderful chocolate cupcakes. In the morning we went to get my wonderful sparkly mini cooper (that I have been waiting for for five years!) and it looks just like a marshmallow-beautiful! We took it up to petermaritzburg for its maiden voyage, we had a romantic lunch there and then raced back to go house shopping (we bought a dining room table, so we can finally have people over for a dinner that doesn't involve sitting on the floor). Seeing them was wonderful and it made me look forward so much to a months time when I can visit Cape Town again.

   

As for the cooking, last week was my first real cooking disaster. I tried to make one of my favorite dishes for Graham, stuffed jacket potatoes with bacon, and the potatoes just wouldn't cook and then I think I over-cooked them so that they were practically rubber. Graham came home and found me crying and then proceeded to insist that not only was my food edible but it was really nice, and he ate all of it. This week I am going to attempt roast chicken and vegetables. We might end up having 2 minute noodles.

   

 Off to bed- dreading the 6am wake up where I have to leave graham happily snuggled up in bed to go and fight people on the roads.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Perfect

 

"Thanks for all the times you've said yes: to go out with me, getting engaged, & at the altar. Can I ask you something: will you be my Valentine, today, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives? x"

Happy Write-a-note-day

Valentines Day and I feel like I'm floating on a cloud. This morning Graham woke up to a handwritten note and a beautiful bottle of wine, I woke up to tea and a heart-shaped card (and the promise of 'something else'). Still have to do the cupcakes.

  

Valentines Day can tend to be very commercial and trashy (eek, but really it can) I think, however, that if you put effort and thought into something you can make the day more special and less gaudy. And for all of you out there saying that you don't need a day to show someone how much you love them because you can do it anytime, do you? Do you do it anytime? Probably not. Suck it up and write him/her a note. People love notes.

   

This morning over tea and rusks Graham and I talked about past valentines days and what made them stand out and decided that people (us included) should make more of an effort to celebrate friendship as well as romantic love. The Valentines Days that I have enjoyed the most were ones where friends brought me heart-shaped muffins just because, or have written me letters telling me how much our friendship means to them, or have made cake to share (in addition to graham taking me on lovely picnics). 
So today I challenge you, make the day special for someone besides the Love of your life.

 

Have a magical one 
[oh and If you want to see wedding photos go to the link on my Facebook wall!]

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

How my life is obsessed with cooking

Good morning- it's an absolutely amazing day outside [which incidentally means that it's going to be 40 degrees in the shade and i'm just going to have to live with the sweat running down my back] Wednesday is my sleep in day but this morning Graham's car wouldn't start and my urge to sleep left me somewhere in the middle of pushing the car out of the parking lot.

 

Last night I made the most wonderfully amazing meatballs with pasta. The meatballs were easy to make [I used my pestle & mortar for the first time!] and juicy and the pasta was buttery and delicious. It was serious comfort food. I have to, however, give all the credit to Jamie Oliver who came up with the recipe. Jamie, thanks to you my husband thinks that I can actually cook. BUT having said that, on Friday I made incredibly tasty breakfast burritos that were my own recipe. Yes, you could say that I am the cooking master. I haven't had a chance to bake yet but with valentines day being tomorrow I regard it as my moral imperative to bake at least one batch of cupcakes.

   

And Graham expects it too. For the last two years i've made him his favorite cupcakes on valentines day-this year i might try something new though. I'm all about trying the new things, this is a year of new things. I've decided, 2 new recipes every week. 
So this week: 
1. Jamies' meatballs and Pasta 
2. Amazing cupcakes made with best friend's decadent cupcake recipe 

 
Have a good day x

An overwhelmed Lynsay

Move into new house on saturday,the hottest day of the year so far, spend day and night cleaning, clean the next morning, panic because university begins tomorrow, clean, panic because university begins today, eat half the bowl of cereal-leave the rest to go soggy and stick to the sides of the bowl, follow graham to university, get lost, sweat, have latin lecture, spend time in library, drink coke, fill out a form, make the terrifying drive back home, be terrified, lie on the tiles in the living room, clean, kiss graham as he rushes out to the beach, make dinner, eat, clean, latin homework, bed.


This is my life. Although today I didn't have the safety blanket of Graham to help me drive to University. But I made it- and in the process I learnt that my memory is better than I thought and that I can do this- even though it feels unnatural and awkward. I also learnt, along with other english 101 students, that this place is really bad at admin. In my search for the english tutorial room I bonded with other frightened, lost first years and then went traipsing around until we were told that the seminar was off. Lame.


[This is what I wish I had eaten for breakfast] Which I could never have, obviously, because I get up at 6am and no human is functional enough to make something like this at 6am. I did however make a smaller bowl of cereal. 

So from feeling pretty rubbish about life yesterday and early this morning I now feel like I can actually do this study at UKZN thing.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

A bushel and peck

Happy Thursday everyone. It's been a crazy week organizing the move (happening on Saturday!) and registering for University (eek! starts this coming week). And tomorrow is a wonderful lovely day, because tomorrow Graham and I have been together for 2 years (and have planned something tricky but amazing).



Last night I made 20 grilled chicken burgers for biblestudy-my cooking skills have indeed progressed and have been greatly challenged by watching Julie & Julia over and over (and over)-I'm slightly obsessed. I cannot wait to move into our place and BAKE, how fortunate is it that Valentines day is just around the corner.



Courses signed up for: Classical civilization, Latin, Comparative literature and culture, introduction to english studies and philosophy & ethics from ancient to modern. I am excited beyond belief.



And finally, this song has been stuck in my head for days: 
I love you a bushel and a peck 
A bushel and a peck though you make my heart a wreck 
Make my heart a wreck and you make my life a mess 
Make my life a mess, yes a mess of happiness 
About you, about you 
'Cause I love you a bushel and a peck 
You bet your purdy neck I do



I'm going back to bed.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Please do come over for dinner

Dear everyone, I would like to happily announce that no longer do I have spend my time on gumtree, or trawling around damp-infested flats, or traveling in-between houses to get shoes/clothing/underwear because we have a HOUSE. Well a flat, in the shape of a house. A place where we can put up our own paintings, unpack all our wedding gifts, unpack all our boxes.


The feeling is indescribable. I also feel incredibly grateful to the people who have housed us for the past two months (yes! we have been married for two months today) The Hovils, my parents, grahams mom and Chris and Linda, I have no idea where we would have been without your generosity. And now we can reciprocate- yes!



[But since Graham is out tonight I think i'm going to take myself out to the movies on a date] x