50 kinds of gorgeous papers. what a lot of love.

Many of you do know that when I turned 50 in January, my daughter turned 21, and came home from Cape Town for our joint celebration.  When she left to go home, and I returned from the airport, there was a glass jar on the dining room table.  Beautifully and colorfully decorated .... and marked in front in silver koki ... "50 Things About You".  My Jess had decorated this jar and inside were 50 slips of folded paper, to be opened and read one at a time whenever I felt like it.  And on each of the 50 papers she had written some memory - funny, poignant ... whatever, that she had of me. 

Friends have asked me what kind of things these slips said .... which I read out to my hubby and son, much to their amusement.  So here are the ones I have already opened - you will learn something about me .... and share in my joy at the same time. If you think you know me really well ... did you know all this? So ... as written by my daughter to me -

1. One word "crispy" - you sometimes forget things on the stove
2. You have such a beautiful handwriting ... you often start a form all perfectly in the beginning and then towards the end you are scribbling
3. You are now 50 years old and becoming part of the penshie club (pensioners) so you do not have to feel bad about getting pensioner discount (which a supermarket offered me at the tills when I was 45)
4. You constantly check up on me, even though I live in CT, and you still "mom" me
5. You are glitter and bling mad
6. Saying to us you are "3 mins away" from where you must fetch us ... but we hear the dogs barking at our home
7. You still think skinny dipping is ok - which it isn't
8. We love you even though we know that you DO cut your own fringe
9. You try and "guilt trip mom" us sometimes 
10. You make the best ever mac 'n cheese
11. You take us on spontaneous trips to Mc Donalds at 11pm for Mc Flurries - in our pyjamas
12. You ALWAYS manage to mess on your top when you eat - always
13. You throw your whole heart into everything you do 
14. You taught me about hygiene and taking good care of myself from a very young age
15. You own a 1000 different pens, but use the same 3 every day at work till they are finished
16. One day you accidentally waxed my entire eyebrow off mom #enoughsaid
17. You know the absolute true meaning of sacrifice
18. You buy a Beeld every day, without fail, for 30 years
19. You make the BEST chip dip
20. Remember the endless soapies we watched since I was small like Ally Mc Beal, Fraser, 7de Laan and Isidingo (I still watch the latter after 15 years - K)
21. For the endless speeches you helped me write and listened to over and over and over again
22. When you pour something cold in a glass, you fill it, immediately drink half, and top it up
23. You grab any glass at the basin when you want water
24. You get irritated by dogs barking, even if they are 5km away
25. You cannot go to the movies without a regular popcorn and a LARGE slush puppy
26. You had Alvin and the Chipmunks as a ringtone a couple of years ago
27. We have a fun family "gang sign" like The Force be With You.  You cannot do it with your fingers
28. You cannot drink or read anything unless you have established where the middle of the cup/glass/book/mag is
29. You took Zumba classes with me in your late 40's and really shook it up
30. You wrinkle your nose up when you laugh
31. You randomly bust loose with your own songs and raps - loudly
32. Before you eat a bowl of icecream you add 100's and 1000's and 5 other types of Nicoletta toppings - stars, silver balls, choc bits
33. You are so brave - more than you can ever realise
34. You are a pro at hair buns for ballet and getting the hair perfectly smooth
35. You are so completely centered in your Faith and such an example to us with this
36. You were at almost every soccer match, hockey match, cricket match, netball match, swimming gala etc when we grew up - and we loved it 

And so I still have 14 to open.  So what did you learn about me that you never knew? 

till soon 

c'est la vie 

xxx