Dear Pink Hair Girl

Wow! thank you so much for the awarding me the Beautiful blogger award in your latest post. Such an incredibly sweet thing to say..the award and the beautiful words were very much appreciated:)

For the award I have to tell you 7 things about myself that you do not know and then pass it on to 7 other bloggers that I think are beautiful. A tough one, considering the various meme's that have been completed on this here blog, but i shall give it a bash anyway:)

1. I have a dream of having a school for fine arts one day. Dancing, singing, acting, music..all of it. To promote the love there of in the hearts of the youth and those not privileged enough to be exposed to it all the time

2. I have moments of extreme loneliness...I'll be surrounded by people who love and care for me and yet i feel like I'm all alone in the world, like nobody knows me. I'm grateful that these moments are very rare though:)

3. There is something about me that only a very limited amount of people know. Most of them respect it, but very few of them understand it.

4. I have a fascination for knives and swords. I own a swords and a couple of knives too :)

5. I'm a bit of a Pyro

6. I love children. Child abuse, starving children and other bad things that affect children really hits me in the gut. I used to volunteer at the government hospital while I was studying and visited the children's ward once a week. I'd play with them, tell them stories, sing them to sleep, hold the babies, help feed them and generally give them the attention the nursing staff couldn't give them, even though they wanted to. Some of those kids had been there for weeks and weeks on end with nobody coming to visit them. I always went home in tears and generally spent the rest of the evening feeling as if somebody ripped my heart out.

7. Today is the 10th anniversary of my favourite uncle's death. He was an incredible human being. The last thing he said to me while i was visiting him in hospital was 'you are beautiful, everything about you is beautiful...don't ever lose that. You're so passionate about life, i wish i could see where you will be in 10 years' He died that night. Well my darling uncle, today is 10 years later...I hope I can say that you'd be proud of the person I've become:)

So now i get to award it to 7 other bloggers:) Many of you have already been awarded this specific award, so if you get a second one from me....deal with it ok?
So my awards go to:
1. Louisa - Fantastic and super interesting person. Doing the single mommy thing and generally making life fun and interesting :)
2. Being Brazen - she has the most insightful posts, often learn things over weekends and is a sweet and wonderful blogger person
3. Jessica - a lovely lady that I'm grateful I've gotten to know. Truly beautiful both on the in and the outside.
4. Phillygirl - my beautiful and darling friend, *hugs* you're incredible:)
5. Doodles - A girl after my own heart...she's like my carbon copy, and if i win the award so does she:)
6. Arkwife - My friendster...i love you...you are beautiful:)
7. My terrivle twin - one of the most amazing and interesting people ever...she is awesome and beautiful and you'll love her to bits!

Love
Ruby
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P.S. Gauteng is empty without you hun:)

Dear Readers

So this week hasn't all together been a good one, to be perfectly honest. A good friend of mine, who lives in CT, committed suicide last week Sunday...he shot himself. It's the second friend this year I've lost in this way. I guess this time i should be grateful that i wasn't nearby, that i wasn't the one who found him and and that i didn't have to stare death in the face like i had to at the beginning of the year...small miracles i guess. I'm not entirely sure i would have coped with that....once was more than enough.

I received the news on Sunday night while i was at a restaurant having fun with a couple of friends of mine. I managed to put up a brave face, hardly telling any of them at the time as i didn't want to put a damper on their fun evening...in hindsight i think that was silly. They're all good friends of mine who would gladly have supported me...but instead i sat there trying to be happy while i was breaking inside.

The funeral was Thursday, needless to say, it was a tough day all together. I'm kind of grateful that i was racing against time in order to reach a Friday lunchtime deadline, otherwise it would have been pure hell. It's funny, at the time I thought i was fine. I even told my best friend that i was fine, and i wasn't lying...but now that i look back on this week i realise that i wasn't quite as fine as i thought,....i was sad and confused. Confused, because I've never ever felt really depressed. Because i don't understand how it feels to get to a point where life just doesn't seem worth living anymore. Confused because i was blessed with a sunshiny personality that bubbles over even when I'm going through tough times, because no mountain has ever seemed to high, because even in my darkest times my life is filled with hope and optimism.

I've come to the conclusion that depression and suicide will never make sense to me. My heart truly goes out to people who go through this deepest of darkness. The people who reach a place in there lives where they just don't feel up to living anymore. My heart truly breaks for them..but i don't understand it, and this makes me feel really helpless. All I can do is love them and support them and make sure that they know that they are appreciated and cared for. And i promise to do that to the best of my abilities.

So rest in peace my friend...you will be missed.

Love
Ruby
xxxx

Dear sexy date friend

Happy happy happy birthday honey!!!!!! *gives many hugs and birthday kisses* I hope that you have an incredible day and that the year ahead will be more amazing than all the years you've had so far. I pray that your life will be filled with many blessings, lots of love and bucketloads of happiness:)

In the years I've known you, you've been a good friend. Your heart is pure, your sense of humor slightly twisted(much like mine) and your love for music and your passion for all things you love all come together in one incredibly handsome package. (and yes ladies....i mean VERY VERY handsome)

Thank you for all that we've been able to share thus far, and i look forward to knowing you and being part of your life for many years to come.

Lots of love
Ruby
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxOne of my boys:)


Yes, we're total posers:)
Giving the bouquet i caught at my chamber's wedding some loving

I TOLD you he was super hot!


As my sexy date at my chamber's wedding:)

Dear number 19

Wow! I can't believe I'm actually saying goodbye and moving on. It's been 3 years, in fact, this weekend....the very one that I'm using to move out.....it will be exactly 3 years since i moved in.

It's been an eventful 3 years, I won't lie. Filled with happy and sad times, but finally, after 3 years it's time for me to move on. You've seen many funny things, tears, moments of hysterical laughter, quite a few boys, many friends, many prayers, a friend committing suicide and many memories.

I will never forget what i was going through back when I moved in. The hasty departure from my previous place of residence and the many tears shed during those first couple of weeks. But then you started holding me close in your brick arms, pulling me into your heart and making me part of your character. After a while even the brute and I got along fine and she loved me in her strange way:)

Your owners have become like my second set of grandparents. They gave me love and support and looked after me when I was sick. They got worried when they didn't see me for long periods of time and never once complained about the fact that I'm out until all hours of the early morning. And the male owner killed more than one gigantic ninja spider who was out to get me:)

I'm very sorry bout the bathroom door which got a tiny little bit chowed by my dog when i was looking after her while the parental unit was in the States....but you know...these things happen:) It is with a heavy heart that I say farewell to you, my dwelling place. But at the same time I'm super excited about the new place, and about the things to come. I hope your new occupant and you will get along as well as the two of us did:) oh, and just so by the way....I'd appreciate it if you could keep all the spiders here....I'd prefer not to let them accompany me to my new home.....for obvious reasons.

Love
Ruby
xxxxxx
P.S. I've included some random snapshots for you to remember me and our fun times by:)
When i just moved into the house during my housewarming:)


The Brute! trust me....she's scary scary scary!!!!!!!!

Fun times with braais by the pool:)

Alcohol was not something we had a shortage of

Sleepy time! ok, so it's a posed sleepy time....who cares:) Hands up everybody that love my shoesies in this one :)

Dear Muso

Happy happy birthday honeypie!!!!!!! I hope you have an amazing day and that the year ahead is a happy and blessed one:) I hope you find what you're looking for and reach some of those goals.

The two of us have been through so many things. Ups and downs and happy times and fights. We even shared a house for 2 and a half years shortly after i came to live in Joburg. Those were happy and carefree days:) You were there for me after the accident...giving me love and support and helping where you can.

Your heart is good, your faith pure and your passion for your music something incredible to experience. So here's to you love....happy birthday!

Love
Ruby
xxxxxxx

Dear Chamber

Happy happy happy birthday my darling best friend!!! I hope you have an absolutely incredible day and that the year ahead will be filled with love and happiness and blessings and laughter and good memories.

We've been through so much in the last 9 years. Lots of good laughs and tears and good times and bad times...but all in all the past 9 years have been amazing. I love you so much and I wish i could have joined you today in celebrating this big day:/ But i hope to see you soon my chamber.
Lots of love
Ruby
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Dear Jess and Sproutsmom

I saw this little gem on both of your blogs(sproutsmom & Jessica) and thought it was a lovely idea:)
The whole idea is to have this list of 99 things you could have done and to put the ones you have done in bold....so here goes:)

1.) Started your own blog
2.) Slept under the stars
3.) Played in a band
4.) Visited Hawaii
5.) Watched a meteor shower
6.) Given more than you can afford to charity
7.) Been to DisneyWorld
8.) Climbed a mountain
9.) Held a praying mantis
10.) Sang a solo
11.) Bunjee jumped
12.) Visited Paris
13.) Watched a lightning storm
14.) Taught yourself an art from scratch
15.) Adopted a child(I adopted a child in africa to support financially...does that count???)
16.) Had food poisoning
17.) Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18.) Grown your own veggies
19.) Seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre
20.) Slept on an overnight train
21.) Had a pillowfight
22.) Hitch hiked
23.) Taken a sick day when you’re not sick
24.) Made a snow fort
25.) Held a lamb
26.) Ran a marathon
27.) Went skinny dipping
28.) Rode in a gondola in Venice
29.) Witnessed total eclipse
30.) Seen a sunrise or sunset
31.) Hit a home run
32.) Been on a cruise
33.) Seen Niagara Falls in person
34.) Visited the birthplace/home of your ancestors
35.) Seen an Amish country
36.) Taught yourself a new language
37.) Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38.) Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39.) Gone rock climbing
40.) Seen Michelangelo’s David in person
41.) Sung karaoke
42.) Seen Old Faithful erupt
43.) Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44.) Visited Africa
45.) Walked on a beach by moonlight
46.) Taken a ride in an ambulance
47.) Had your portrait painted
48.) Gone deep sea fishing
49.) Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower
50.) Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
51.) kissed in the rain
52.) played in the mud
53.) Gone to a drive-in theater
54.) Been in a movie
55.) visited the Great Wall of China
56.) Started a business(does my roaring hotdog and fudge business i had in school count?)
57.) Taken a martial arts class
58.) visited Russia
59.) worked at a soup kitchen
60.) sold Girl Scout cookies
61.) gone whale watching
62.) gotten flowers for no reason
63.) donated blood, platelets, or plasma
64.) Gone sky diving
65.) Visited Nazi concentration camp
66.) Bounced a check
67.) Flown in a helicopter
68.) Saved a childhood toy
69.) visited the Lincoln Memorial
70.) eaten caviar
71.) pieced a quilt
72.) stood in Times Square
73.) toured the Everglades
74.) been fired from a job
75.) seen the changing of the guards in London
76.) Broken a bone
77.) Been a passenger on a motorcycle
78.) seen the Grand Canyon in person
79.) Published a book
80.) Visited the Vatican
81.) bought a brand new car
82.) visited Jerusalem
83.) had your picture in the paper
84.) Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
85.) visited the White House
86.) Killed and prepared an animal for eating
87.) Had chickenpox
88.) Saved someone’s life
89.) Sat on a jury
90.) met someone famous
91.) joined a book club
92.) got a tattoo
93.) had a baby
94.) Seen the Alamo in person
95.) Swam in the Great Salt Lake
96.) Been involved in a law suit
97.) owned a cell phone
98.) Been stung by a bee
99.) Swam in the Black Sea

47 and 2 maybe's out of 99...not too bad me thinks:) So much more in life that i want to accomplish, and most of them aren't even on this list. I can't wait to see what the future holds:)

Love
Ruby
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