Dear female slave

*after some thought and consideration i've deleted the first part of the letter.  Ultimately this is what i wanted to tell her...so this can stay*

You're heading back home to go live with your parents.  Johannesburg hasn't been good to you, and i think at heart you remained a small town girl and never adapted to the big city.  I honestly hope that you are happy.  I pray that you find a job where you are happy with people that understand you.  I hope that you are successful and that life turns out good for you.

Best of luck to you!
Ruby

Dear Readers

As per a previous post I've done, inspired by Being Brazen, I will answer a few random questions, then you will also answer them in my comments section.  I had so much fun doing the last one, and you guys participated so nicely I figured i would do another one:)

I am....going through a bit of a lonely patch...very unusual for me and I'm not exactly enjoying it
Right now....I'm quite sad as a friend of mine that was 5 months pregnant lost her baby:(
Love....can be so overwhelming and powerful and yet so gentle at the same time
The greatest thing....we can ever have is to love and to be loved in return (courtesy of Moulin Rouge)
Recently.....I acquired a tea box...yayness!!! it's so pretty and it's gonna look awesome in my new kitchen:)
Happiness....is something you have to make for yourself, it's not going to just find you.

Now off you go my lovelies:) You complete the the sentences now:)

Love
Ruby
xxxx

Dear Angel and Neels

yay!!!! And then there was ONE :) Congratulations guys! Finally finally the big day of #AnGlugWedding arrived. 24 July 2010 will forever be a fond memory in my life.  The that two of my friends, who just happen to be two of the most incredible people i know, Angel and Neels, finally got married:)

What a love story it has been.  Meeting 'online' and carefully plotting and building until an absolutely beautiful relationship emerged.  A relationship in which they accepted each other with the Knucklehead (who looked ridiculously handsome at the wedding just so by the way) and whatever they had in their pasts.  A relationship where love ruled and will forever rule.  A relationship that makes me smile every time i think about it.  You guys are so ridiculously perfect for each other:)

Congratulations my friends, I am so incredibly happy for you.  Angel, you looked absolutely gorgeous!! The decor was spectacular and everything was just so naturally you that i couldn't help but smile every time i noticed something.  Glug, you looked so very handsome! and your smile knew no bounds.  I wish you guys only love and happiness and many blessings and a life together filled with beautiful memories that'll last forever.

The cupcakes were yummy....as always:) And the photo booth that you guys rented for the night was definitely a hit.  I'm not sure in how many pictures i appear in total.....lets just say...erm... A LOT! but it was fun and the whole idea of putting copies of all of those pics along with little messages in a book for you guys was absolutely brilliant!

Finally got to meet Acidicice and BecauseI in person:)  Don Packett was the MC for the evening and he kept us all entertained:) The place was filled with twitter and blogger people and Don at some point jokingly said that if the place were to implode for whatever reason the twitter world would be A LOT quieter.  Thanks a LOT to my date, Claude, for being a sport and helping me out when i was in a bit of a pinch...muchly appreciated honey:)  And of course i sat at the absolute BEST table with Phillygirl, Doodles and Louisa....thanks girls...always a pleasure!!!

Can't wait for you guys to come back and I can't wait to see all the pictures Jenty took at your wedding.  Enjoy the honeymoon!!!! *wink wink*

So much love

Ruby
xxxxxx

P.S.  Attached are some of my favourite pics from the evening from my camera(the hair shot is courtesy of Wenchy) and the photo booth.....enjoy:) They include pics of us and of the cupcake, the centre piece on the table and of me and the gorgeous bride!

Dear Nicklecreek

You have been one of my favourite bands for a very very long time.  This specific song has a very special place in my heart and I decided to share the lyrics with my readers to show them a little piece of my heart:) Enjoy!

"When You Come Back Down"

You got to leave me now, you got to go alone
You got to chase a dream, one that's all your own
Before it slips away
When you're flyin' high, take my heart along
I'll be the harmony to every lonely song
That you learn to play

When you're soarin' through the air
I'll be your solid ground
Take every chance you dare
I'll still be there
When you come back down
When you come back down

I'll keep lookin' up, awaitin' your return
My greatest fear will be that you will crash and burn
And I won't feel your fire
I'll be the other hand that always holds the line
Connectin' in between your sweet heart and mine
I'm strung out on that wire

And I'll be on the other end, To hear you when you call
Angel, you were born to fly, If you get too high
I'll catch you when you fall
I'll catch you when you fall

[Bridge:]
Your memory's the sunshine every new day brings
I know the sky is calling
Angel, let me help you with your wings

When you're soarin' through the air
I'll be your solid ground
Take every chance you dare

I'll still be there
When you come back down
Take every chance you dare,
I'll still be there
When you come back down
When you come back down

Love

Ruby

xxxxx

Dear Ruby

OK chicky....seriously...you need to start looking after yourself somehow....or you need to seriously speak to the environment around you....or you need to start living in a zorb, as suggested by a friend, cause you can't go through life abusing yourself.

But wait....let me back up and explain a little bit.  So as you all know, the week of my birthday i was sick as a dog....but the week did end with an awesome awesome party on the Friday night:) Thank you again to all who attended:) Then, last week i was on study leave as i was writing exams this past Saturday.  So on Wednesday i got to the guesthouse by the university and as I'm unpacking the car i drop the car keys.  As i swoop down to catch them in a move that would make Jonty Rhodes jealous, my beautiful car decides it's time for the doors to close......which meant that the corner of the car door and the corner of my eye met with quite some force...and I've been walking around with a gorgeous black eye since then. 

Funniest part by far is that most people don't actually believe me when i tell them what happened....in fact, most strangers come and advise me to get out of my abusive relationship. Sweet in a way....but disturbing that people automatically assume that you're in an abusive relationship.  Sad that this is what our world is coming to.

Here's a picture of my eye the day after it happened:

This is what my eye looks like today....5 days after the 'incident'.

Then, on Saturday night...after a tiring day of writing exam and watching skydivers, I decided to have a nice long bath.  AND of course i just HAD to slip and fall on the tiles in my hallway. Falling solidly on my tailbone and lower back. So not only do i now have a black eye, i also have an injured wrist, a bruised hand, a bruised upper arm and an injured back. *sigh*

Above is one of the billions of bruises on my upper right arm.

Please at least try and look after yourself from now on....pretty please.

Love
Ruby

xxxxx

Dear Ruby

Happy birthday to meeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *attempts to do happy dance, almost passes out and decides to rather sit down*.

Right, so not the most awesome way to have a birthday...but it could have been worse.  On Monday morning at 2AM I woke up with a temperature of 39.5 degrees and a throat that felt as if somebody decided to cut it out and replace it with a combination of a fire, raw flesh and acid.  After unsuccessfully trying to lower my own temp and feeling awful I finally relented and took myself off to the doctor.  Turns out, I've got acute tonsillitis, ear infection and the beginnings of flu.  Great start to my birthday week don't you think.  So, for the last 2 days I've been in a medicine induced coma, and I will admit, I've been feeling pretty miserable at the thought of spending my birthday in bed, alone and sick.

But i should have known better:) I've had so many amazing messages, phone calls, tweets and FB messages sent my way that there was no chance for feeling down and out.  And an amazing friend took me for brunch/lunch and some quality time to make me feel less miserable about the situation....Thank you so much! you know who you are:)

Anyway, so as a birthday post i figured I'd list a couple of things I've learned this year...from this day last year to today.  Things about myself, other and life in general...so bear with me:)

1.  My faith is what keeps me going most days...without it I'd be lost.
2.  I'm not perfect, I know this better than anyone.  There are so many things that I'm working to better and change and improve on in my life.  But at the end of the day, I'm the only one of me I've got...and I'm doing what i can to be the best me i possibly can.
3.  Sometimes happiness can be found in the most unexpected places
4.  A beautiful sunrise/sunset makes my heart warm and lifts my spirits
5.  It's OK to not always be OK.
6.  I have the most amazing family.  My parentals are super supportive, loving and they've always given me the opportunity to be the best that i can be.  My brother and sister in law...man i love those two, even if they are so far away.
7.  My friends form an incredibly important part of who I am.
8.  Chocolate may not fix everything..but it will def improve my view of the world, even if it is only for a very short period.
9.  I've rediscovered the magical effect of an awesomely hot bath in my new home
10.  I love my new home!!!!!
11.  People are people and will therefore most probably disappoint you at some point....they will break promises and they will hurt you.  The important thing is not to let this get to you (I'm still working on this one).  Focus on the beautiful in people instead...nobody's perfect.
12.  Hugs are awesome...OK, so I've always known this one...but it's been reaffirmed.
13.  You can't always control your heart with your mind or your brain....sometimes it has a life of it's own.
14.  I started salsa dancing since my last birthday and i fell totally in love with it.
15.  I found friendships in the most amazing places:)
16.  I got to witness the miracle that is the Victoria Falls with my own eyes...what a humbling experience!
17.  I've also learnt that being accident prone is not something you outgrow as you get older....apparently
18.  Quality time with the people you love is way more important than anything else you could ever give them
19.  I've become a total apple fan since my last birthday...who would ever have thought
20.  These days all my new shoes get cleaned with spirits before i wear them due to the lovely acid burns i received after buying a pair of sabotaged shoes from a very upmarket store in JHB.
21.  It's entirely possible to be deliriously happy and very sad at the same time.
22.  The trauma of having to see your friend's dead body will stay with you forever...even after the hurt fades
23.  I got to ride an elephant:)
24.  Even with the everything that's happened...I'm lucky enough to have a pretty fairy tale style life...I'm grateful, I'm happy, I'm me :)

I considered doing as many as the years I'm old, but abandoned that idea somewhere along the line :) So, here's to an amazing year ahead.  Thank you to each and every one that's been a part of it.  I appreciate every single one of you!

Love
Ruby
xxxx

P.S. have added a whole bunch of random happy snapshots from the last year....enjoy:) Happy times! #HappyRuby!!!!!