january brings changes

The first week back at work is all but over.  It is always a bit difficult to ease yourself back after a holiday but what a way to start by inviting your mom, step dad and sister-in-law to attend at your warehouse and count cases of wine.  It was not the mammoth job that I expected (many hands do make light work).  Now there is some admin to attend to and then to get the show on the road again.  Hopefully your livers have recovered and your wine stocks are low and you are ready for your next order.

With a new year always comes change and there is quite a bit of that going around.  Kelly will be starting high school.  It was so sad to see the devastation and saddest on her face on her last day at Oakhurst.  It had been her nurturing little nest for 7 years and she is one who loves her "comfort zones" more than most.  Rustenburg looms next week, luckily she has a big sister to look after her and suddenly the questions are flying and the excitement is mounting. Oakhurst is almost forgotten. Amazing how "getting lost" is always the biggest fear with starting at a high school.  Good luck Kelly - with your tennis racquet, hockey stick and spunky and honest nature you will have lots of new friends and having all the teachers loving you in no time.

Another change has been for Gareth.  He had his first day at a his "new school" on Monday.  Sports Illustrated, a magazine that we supported from the very beginning 28 years ago, has pulled out of South Africa. Really sad that the life of the magazine seems to be ending - Femina, Shape, Sports Illustrated with many others struggling to keep afloat.  However, with changes come new challenges and he is now working for Arena Sport and has some time and incentives to do the freelance writing he is so good at.  Please take a look and "Like" their Facebook page.  It is sports news site with a difference and I like the fact that you can pick the stories you want to read. They have some amazing video clippets that you would not usually see.

So this is what social media is all about - how we link our friends and family and keep them involved in what we find interesting.  When you click on a button, your network becomes interested in what you like and suddenly you have opened yourself up to a whole new audience.  I have had a brief lesson in Twitter and Gareth is going to give me an advanced lesson this week so that I can start being "really well connected".  It was amazing how he "tweeted" my post about Nic being the Positive Troll and suddenly, on this blog that averages about 150 reads a day, I have had over 900 "hits".

Gareth's lovely girlfriend Hayley is also changing jobs.  She is moving to a private girls' school and they are going to love her.  She has a smile that splits her face in half, is loving and caring and has enthusiasm that is contagious.  Good luck Haylz!!!

So my love and full support to my family who are facing new challenges and changes.  I know that you are all there for them too.