#365grateful Post 26

Today’s little slice of “happitude” is...

My Daddy's Best Pancakes in the World...

Ask anybody in our family or our closest and oldest family friends... My Dad makes the best pancakes in the world! He doesn’t make them often but when he does it’s the biggest treat... What’s the special occasion for the pancakes below? I was home from Cape Town and my Dad loves me.

I’m the luckiest girl in the world!

Image property of Candice Curtis

#365grateful Post 25

Today’s little slice of “happitude” is...

Arriving back from holiday to my fabulous parents... I'm so blessed to have such loving and supportive folks!

I’m a fairly independent person... I like to come and go as I please and do things in my own time and whatnot... But whenever I’m trying to deal with big change or uncertainty in my life, or if I just need to get back to neutral, I go home to my folks.

After a lovely holiday full of adventures and plenty of fun there was nothing better than stepping out of the airport into a big hug from my Dad. He’s my hero despite all the things that we disagree on and all the things that we’ve done to disappoint one another. And my Mom really is the very best. She and I have had our fair share of fights and arguments but at the end of the day I know that I can go to her with almost any problem and she’ll do whatever she can to help me make it okay.

I came home and told my folks all about my day of self reflection on the beach and I asked them just to give me their thoughts and opinions. Most people my age wouldn’t really be bothered with letting their parents into their personal decisions the way I do on so many occasions. But for some reason, talking to my folks and hearing what they have to say gives me a sense of clarity that I just don’t get anywhere else. Hearing them say, “We’ll love and support you no matter what you decide”, never gets old and always gives me the final push I need to actually go ahead and make a decision.

They are a blessing and a treasure and I am grateful for them every day.

Image property of Candice Curtis

#365grateful Post 24

Today’s little slice of “happitude” is...

A JC Le Roux champagne and meringue pairing, girls’ night, red velvet cupcake making and Peche Royale last night in Stellenbosch...

If there is one thing that I love to do in Cape Town, it’s a JC Le Roux champagne pairing! And that’s just what we did on our last day of holiday... Make sure to make a booking for these pairings because there are always loads of people interested. And again, a taxi is best if you plan to do more than one pairing. However, JC Le Roux does offer a non-alcoholic champagne tasting as well so give it a shot if you like that sort of thing.

After a wonderful visit to JC Le Roux, we went home and had a girls’ night where we baked some super tasty red velvet cupcakes, had classic mac ‘n cheese for dinner and polished off some more champagne (Peche Royale) between tons of laughter and general girlyness...

Image property of Candice Curtis

And then the packing for the trip home began... 

#365grateful Post 23

Today’s little slice of “happitude” is...

A yummy sushi dinner and catch-up with my lovely friend... Friendships where you don't see each other for years and can pick up where you left off are the best!

I met Issie when I was a first year in res... She was by far one of the most intimidating and frightening people I had ever come across and I actually only gathered the courage to chat to her near the end of my first year in res... I’ll never forget what she said to me when I told her how afraid I had been of her... “No man Candice... what is there to be afraid of? I only spit acid!”

She became one of my dearest friends, always offering kind words of advice and a shoulder to cry on when I needed it. Every time I take a trip to Cape Town I make sure to have a good old catch-up with her over an all-you-can-eat sushi dinner and a good laugh. Our friendship is one of those great friendships where we only see each other maybe once a year but when we do it’s as if we never parted and we can immediately pick up where we left off.

Such a special way to spend my second last evening in lovely Cape Town!

Image property of Candice Curtis

Last few holiday posts to follow...

#365grateful Post 22

Today’s little slice of “happitude” is...

A lovely sunny morning at Gordan's Bay beach; scrunching my toes in the sand and rescuing drowning ladybugs - a real treat...

The Greek and I took a little drive out to Gordan’s Bay to spend the morning on the beach. It was a beautiful, sunny day and it was sheer bliss to sit on the beach, scrunch my toes in the sand and read a magazine... That’s what holidays are for, no?

I also decided to finally do a bit of self reflection. The Greek hung back and watched our bags and I took a long walk along the beach... I picked up sea shells as I walked and waded into the water and just stood there for a while. I listened to the sound of the waves kissing the shore and let the hot sun beat down on my shoulders for a little while. I thought hard about the things that matter most to me and the things that I want out of my relationships, my career, my life. I faced a few harsh realities standing there in the clear blue water. I realised that I wasn’t half as happy as I’d allowed myself to pretend to be for just the longest time. I had to make some difficult choices and it would mean a lot of pain. But if I was brave enough to make those choices and if I could endure that pain and if it meant that I might be a little closer to real happiness in the end, it would be worth it. But I didn’t have to make those choices right then and there. It could wait just a bit longer...

So, I splashed some salty ocean water on my face and walked back to the Greek. We chatted about lunch and normal everyday things and waded into the water together... I noticed a ladybug floating on the surface of the water and we tried to rescue it from drowning... It seemed to be okay for a while but then it fell back into the water and our rescue mission began all over again. Eventually we carried it onto the beach and set it down on a sea shell to dry out in the sun. I’d like to believe that we saved the little creature but my heart of hearts knows that we probably did more harm than good! Oh well... it’s the thought that counts?

Image property of Candice Curtis

Stayed tuned for the last two days of holiday posts...