TUTT (+1) - Guy Fawkes

Well, late again - just for a change.....I have also totally forgotten which week we are in....I just know it is more then 52, which I think is pretty good going - we (should that be I) may not always get my posting done on a Thursday and in fact sometimes, do not get my photo to my partners on time....;but to have kept on with the challenge (and still lovin' it) is a pretty good achievement, so here is a pat on the back for myself and my special "full time" partner, who has grown photographically and personally on this journey and also a big thank you and pat on the back to our two "extra" partners who have added a sparkle to the challenge in the past few months....
Our theme this week was suggested by Mariette....Guy Fawkes...every year Trev and Mariette and Maxine, buy some fireworks and have a little private fireworks display - Maxine gets very excited every year...This is Mariette's favourite photo: -

In Claire's corner of the world, they have an annual community fireworks display on the rugby field close to them...so she had lots of scope and she read up on fireworks photography prior to the event, so she set up her tripod and this is her favourite of the resulting pictures: -

For as long as I can remember, we have always been able to see some fireworks display from our own back garden, despite the fact that it has been illegal in SA for some years to set off fireworks in a residential area....every year we have had pets (mainly dogs) running away or jumping through glass windows in a terrified effort to get away from the noise...Anyway, I thought it would be easy to see some fireworks, and guess what on the night nothing, absolutely zilch/zero/neder.....so I had to improvise...My grandmother (my moms mom) was born on the 5th November - brilliant, here is a scanned picture of my mom's family, my granny, grandpa and my mom, my mom's youngest sister (my Aunt) and my mom's younger brother, (my Uncle)...My mom is the young girl with her hair in a upswept style...

Whilst I was going through, old family photos, I came across a letter, which I read without embaressment or guilt - it was not a love letter, it was thank you letter, (dated 1st August 1972) from one of my cousins to my mom and dad, thanking them for the birthday gift of $1 (Rhodesian dollar)....

what really made me chuckle and think was his comment "it came in very handy, believe me you"....First of all, I ask myself, what is considered "handy"...did it go towards paying rent in an otherwise tough month, how much petrol could he have put in his car or motorbike with it, how many groceries could he have bought with it....Considering that the Rhodesian currency no longer exists, if the dollar had kept in mint condition, what would it be worth today AND how much would a person need to recieve today, in order for it to be "very handy".....I guess like with so many things it is relative to the person and their needs at that moment in time...
That's my post for this week, next week should be challenging - Claire has suggested "DESK"....hmmmmm, thinking hard about this one....
Lots of love

A little bit of English fun...

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and there would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

 If Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop.???

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
Neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing,
Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,
What do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

We ship by truck but send cargo by ship...
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
In which your house can burn up as it burns down,
In which you fill in a form by filling it out,
And in which an alarm goes off by going on.
And in closing..........

TUTT(+1) - October - Week 54

I chose the theme this week...October...
October is really a beautiful time of the year in South Africa...One of my favourite things in October is that it is when the Jacaranda trees, flower....The flowers are a beautiful mauve/blue colour and this beautiful canopy of blue is created when there are lots of trees together...When the flowers fall, the make a huge mess on the ground, but they are so beautiful, they are well worth the mess....Well to be honest, I have not ever had to clean up after a jacaranda tree, so I really should not comment...

I think Mariette struggled this week - she eventually turned to trusty old Mother Nature for her lovely picture: -

And Claire - Claire went Halloween on us: -

October is the last full month that my mom was still with us - Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of her passing - the last of our "firsts"...I keep thinking of what we were doing this time last year....or rather 52 weeks ago...Fifty two weeks ago, today she died...We had spent so much of this weekend last year at the hospital with her...Hoping and praying for a miraculous recovery, which was not hers to have, and at the same time trying to prepare for the worst....For me it was not a shock when she died, in some way I was relieved that her suffering was over, I am grateful that she did not linger on for months and weeks, hooked up to a ventilator and feeding tube, she would not have wanted to be like that, and she would not have wanted my dad (and the rest of us) to go through the agony of seeing her like that day in and day out for months on end.

When she died, my biggest concern was for my dad, what would he do without my mom...I think in focussing on trying to make sure that he was ok, made me stronger...I did however feel totally lost and alone in those first few months after she had passed away...Mike and the kids were amazing (and still are), but coming to terms with her going, was something I had to do on my own....I think of all the sad times in the last year, when I have thought of her at odd moments, when something reminded me of her, when we were doing something that the last time we had done, she had been with us, of all those moments, my birthday was the worst - I knew that she would not be phoning me, and that made me sob, my mom (and dad) had always been around for that day (more then any other day) - I mean, let's face it, without my mom, I would not be....all of that had a huge effect on me.

So here I am, a year later, carrying her in my heart (where she can never die), my dad is doing amazingly well - he has his sad moments, but he gets through them....I am proud of him and know that my mom is too....I love and miss you, mom, and always will....

Lots of love

My Top Ten Favourite Movies....

This is just a quick little bit of light hearted fun - bonus post...
I love movies, although if we watch movies at home, I generally fall asleep in them....and/or I cry in them....Mike gets a bit frustrated when I fall asleep and Brad and Kayla-Fern never cease to be amazed that I can watch the last fifteen minutes of a movie and end up crying...I cry if the movie is sad, happy, cute whatever...My mom always used to tell me, that when I was three, we watch "Born Free" together....and all through the movie - I cried....I cried because Elsa (the lioness) was going to be bitten by a snake and I cried at a whole lot of other things....Elsa did not die in this movie, but at the end my mom thought - "Thank goodness the movie is over, Linda-Maree will stop crying"...Well guess what, I burst into tears because it was finished...That is just me....
Anyway, my top ten movies are: - Only the first one is in order...the rest are just as I thought about them...
Pay It Forward - My all time favourite - (with Helen Hunt - I love her) I cry every time I watch it
I Am Sam - (With Sean Penn) - Beautiful story - I cry every time I watch it
Sotheby (with Richard Gere and Jodi Foster) - Fairly old movie and not one that was huge at the box office (I don't think)- but a really good story...I might have cried in it
A Perfect World - (with Kevin Costner) - also not a well known movie but a moving story - I think I cried
Dances with Wolves (Keven Costner) - a lovely classic
The Patriot (with Mel Gibson) - Mel Gibson is my favourite actor - This movie has lots of brutality in it, but shows, a man's conflicting beliefs and actions in a time of war - some humorous moments and very touching moment - one when his little daughter (who is autistic) says to him "I will say anything you want, just don't go" - Well - I cried....
What Women Want - (with Helen Hunt and Mel Gibson - again - very cute funny movie - I did not cry.
Indecent Proposal - (with Demi Moore and Robert Redford) - Thought provoking - made me think about what different people would do for money, why and the effect it has on them and the people around them...I did not cry
Ghost - (with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze) - Lovely movie
The Green Mile (with Tom Hanks) - Based on a novel by Stephen King - This is not a horror...It is a drama I guess, Stephen King has got to be one of the most talented authors of our time...I have no idea where he gets his ideas from, but it must be be very interested and sometimes frightening to have that much imagination.
There are of course many others, which I have loved...but these are the ones that I can watch over and over again....
Lots of love

TUTT(+1) - Vintage - Week ?????

Hello Blog....My name is Linda-Maree and I am your creator/writer, I feel that I had to re-introduce myself because you may have forgotten who I am, since I have not been around for so long....Anyway, now that the formalities are out of the way....Let's blog....

Our theme for the last week of October (I think, and I think it was Week 53, )....was Vintage suggested by Claire...She took a truely lovely photograph of her beautiful daughter Skyla....

Mariette took a photo of a 2005 "vintage, dessert wine..given to her a few years ago by a friend...I love that you took the picture in black and white - gives an authentic vintage effect....

I struggled a bit with the theme...I did think of wine like Mariette, but did not go there....On the Wednesday evening that the photos were due, I suddenly realised what an idiot I had been - Mike has a collection of model aircraft, his passion is bi planes....and he has.... yes, you guessed it - A VINTAGE Tiger Moth - It is hanging up in our lounge....Mike and Brad were out, and since the plane is fairly large, I could not take it down on my own, so I stood on a chair and tried to take pictures of it whilst hanging up - they were not successful, so on Thursday morning, when it was just about time for us all to leave for work and school, I decided it was worth it for me to be a bit late for work, so I asked Mike, who was not yet ready, if Brad (who was nearly ready) could help me take the plane down so I could take some quick photos....Anyway, to cut a long story short, Mike also helped, he insisted that the plane be cleaned as it was dusty and he insisted that the plane get carried outside - BACKGROUND IS SO IMPORTANT - and then for good measure Mike also took some photos....The result was, I did manage to take a lovely photo of a clean plane with a realistic background, AND we were all VERY late for work and school...

Anyway, that is my blog for another week....The next theme, suggested by me is October.
Lots of love

TUTT (+1) - Contrast - Week 51

I am so very far behind in my blog, that I do not know if Contrast was the theme from last week or two weeks ago - I know that we all ran extremely late with photos and Mariett is the only one of us who updated her blog with Contrast...but anyway, Contrast was the first week in a while that all four of us participated....Claire felt ready and able to re-join us...but it will also be the last week with all four of us participating - Pam's "little" (perhaps not so little) organic vegetable is growing in leaps and bounds...and being Pam she has committed herself to a lot of different things....and she begged for a respite...I always try to remember that we do this weekly challenge for fun and if it starts adding to our other life pressures then the situation needs to be reassessed (sorry, it is late on a Friday night and my spelling is probably terrible)...Anyway, Pam, hope the break does you good and hope you can return to us soon, hang in there dear sister in law....
Mariette's photo first, since it was her theme: -

A beautiful picture Mariette, and so vey fitting for the theme.
Claire and Pam also turned to nature - Claire, Pam and Mariette are all experiencing fall or autumn at the moment, so nauture in their parts of the world lends itself to this theme....
Here is Pam's

And Claire's

I did not go the natural route - we are going into summer in South Africa - no in fact Summer has rushed up to us very quickly...and we have experienced really lovely hot highveld weather - the pool is almost warm enough for me to swim - Mike and the kids have swum most evenings this week...Anyway, summer time in SA does not lend itself to Contrast...so I had to choose something different.
After years of renovating, we are finally almost finished...and are now just doing finishing touches...
My contrast picture is of two walls in  my bedroom...the photo frame is one of five, which will be filled with photos of flowers which I took from our white theme and hung above our bed (on the darker wall)..The little candle and candle holder, just match our colour scheme so beautifully and it is the first scented candle I have ever bough that makes the whole room smell pretty - I love it ...This weekend - we are hoping to put the new curtains up and the photo frames - I am very excited...I have a picture in my mind of how it will look - I do hope that I will not be disappointed...

Well that's my Contrast blog done....Our next theme was suggested by Claire - Vintage....
Will be updating that real soon...
Lots of love

TUTT(+1) - Heritage - Week 50

In the week of 24th September, (shew, is it that long since we have posted - sorry, to all my valued readers....), it was my turn to suggest a themw and since SA celebrates "Heritage Day" on that day, I suggested Heritage as my theme...  I also thought it would be interesting to see what Heritage meant to three girls in different parts of the world (remember Claire was taking a bit of a sabbatical).
What I did not think about, was that although Mariette and Pam have relocated to new countries, they are still born and bred South Africans, so is their "heritage" South African or their new country's.... I think that since their formative years were spent in South Africa, South  Africa will always be part of them ...there is a saying "You can take me out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of me"...but I think slowly over time as they adapt to their "new" countries, part of that heritage will rub off on them.
Mariette, showed, very clearly that SA is still a big part of her, and particularly "Pap and Wors"

Pam, showed the second part of my theory and that is that the "new" heritage will rub off in some way...Her picture and one word "Thanksgiving" say it all, I don't think you can get more American then that...Clever picture Pam - and your comment made me laugh

I chose a picture of a rhino, not actually taken for this theme, but our wildlife is a huge part of our heritage and rhino's are currently a threatened species due to the high demand for rhino horn in Eastern countries and the poaching of rhino has reached drastic levels...Rhino horn currently has a higher price then gold.  I always thought that the main reason for the demand was that rhino horn is an aphridisiac, but I read an article this morning which claims that this is not the most common use, it is however believed in certain areas that rhino horn is a cure for cancer (this believe apparently has no medical basis) and numerous other ailments (headaches/fevers etc).
Rhino poaching seems to be a very lucrative business, there have been over 200 rhinos poached this year - many of them bleeding to death after having their horns hacked off.
Is there a solution to the problem - I don't know, the fact that trade in rhino horn is illegal, has not made an iota of difference, all it has done is drivin the price up on the black market, so that it becomes viable to take the risks, to poach these poor animals, which the banning has tried to save.  Some people (game rangers and game park owners) are suggesting legalising the sale of rhino horn which would enable, the authorities of the various parks and ranches to dehorn their rhinos (humanely), (which would deny the poachers the prize that they require) and, then the owners could legally sell the horn, thus bringing the black market price down, so poachers would not have a market, and then the money made from that could be channelled back into fighting the poaching problem...Great idea in theory, but would it work in practise.  What about trying to stop the demand???
So many possible solutions....
Anyway, here is my picture: -

I will be updating again a bit later - hopefully today, our next theme is "contrast", so check back ok...

TUT - Almost Fallin' Apart...

Well not really - we all just had really hectic weeks the last few weeks - Mariette has still done posts...just on random thoughts and issues....well done Mariette.
As for me, I did not do a heritage post and then last week we all took a TUT break, but this week the theme was "Contrast"....I will be back later do catch up on both TUT posts.... so come back and take a peek, will you...Lots of love

TUTT - Week 49 - Daily

  

YAY...The whole stadium was in an absolute uproar....Mexican Waves and Cheering - Never in the history of sport has there been such excitement over one simple event...The Stadium goes quiet, as I prepare for this, the ultimate event of anyone's career, SILENCE.....The absolute concentration AND THEN IT HAPPENS - the stadium erupts in a single gasp of adoration.....I have just won the.....OH NO not really - just managed to get my blog done on time this week....

Pam suggested our theme this week "Daily" - a really simple challenge...just find something that you do, see or hear daily....One of my initial thoughts was BREAD as in "Give us this day, our daily bread"....I am glad that I did not actually go that route because Pam did...

Pam says that they bake bread every morning and if coffee is the morning fix for other people, then this is hers.....Add some "slap chips" (French Fries) and make a chip boetie and you can not really find higher comfort food, can you....

I went in another direction totally....

If Pam has her daily bread - I have my daily tempation - this is one of four vending machines at work and I pass this one every morning on my way to my desk - I made the mistake once of giving it my phone number and now it calls me - ALL THE TIME.....yes, that is why we were taught not to give our telephone numbers to strangers....The biggest temptation is peanuts or peanuts and raisins and if the vending machine is well stocked and I happen to have some change - well the vending machine is a definate winner...fortunately, more often then not, Kayla-Fern cleans me out of all small change, so quite often the vending machine is the ultimate loser....
Mariette, also went in a totally different direction then Pam and I ....

I absolutely love this picture Mariette - the colours and the depth and the interest in this picture is AWESOME....I love it for the same reasons that I loved your transport picture (of the busy "intersection" in Venice) and then there is some added attraction to the picture that I really can not place...I also love your message about, missing out on so much of the beauty the God has created, just because we are so busy rushing around in our daily lives....For that reason the empty park bench in this photo is a critical element and also makes it a slightly sad photo, until you realise that we do have the choice and we can make the time to sit on a park bench and take pictures - just like you did Mariette....To take time out to catch our breath and notice the beuaty around us, is not always easy, but when we do it, it is well worth the effort it took and we come away feeling refreshed and restored....

Claire has decided not to join us for a while, so we are back to TUTT (+1) - please note, the +1 is still there - missing but not forgotten...so hopefully you will be with us again soon Claire...Miss you my dear friend....

That is my post for this week - Short and Sweet, but at least on time...I suggested our theme next week - we need to go back to our roots and re-discover our HERITAGE...Hope it will be fun and interesting....Remember, to take time out to appreciate and savour all the wonderful sights and sounds around us, is in your control  - JUST DO IT....I have taken a few days off and fully intend to follow my own advise...

Lots of love

TUTT (+1) - Week ???? - Berries

OK, OK – I know I am late again....This week, as I said last week the story was born when I first saw Mariette’s theme “BERRIES”...

My first thought was BLACKBERRIES – no not because they are my favourite fruit....but because Blackberry Torch/Curve or Bold is a hot topic in our house a the moment....It is funny, when you own a teenager, it is amazing how one week something can be a matter of life and death and the next week, it is almost a non-existent issue....

Bradley has an old hand me down phone – it is an ok phone – it has a camera and he can get Mxit on it...He can’t get the internet or BBM (Black Berry Messaging) on it and that for him is a big problem,because “....mom, my social life is suffering, because no-one goes on Mxit anymore”....

So Brad has been miserable for the last few weeks, ...So miserable in fact that Gramps (my dad) noticed and questioned why...a couple of days after I had told my dad about Brad’s desperate need for a Blackberry, my dad phoned me and asked if Brad would like to help him do a job on the weekend...R100-00 an hour was what my dad was offering – Brad was smiling – they worked for 19 hours....it was not hard work – in fact it was helping out on a surveillance, so it was actually pretty boring and by the end of the weekend Brad had had enough of sitting in parked car, doing nothing, but he now has  almost enough for his Blackberry....This morning Brad said to me, that he may not go for a Blackberry – R2000-00 is a lot of money to spend on a phone and the only person he really needs to speak to is Tamaryn (his girlfriend), and she goes on Mxit for him.. “Say What!!!!” – Oh, I give up – I will never understand teenagers.....

I took my photo of two borrowed Blackberries with a map as the background – I did try to get the two phones/Afica/UK/and North America in the photo to depict that technology is indeed making our world smaller and bringing us closer together, and it seemed fitting to include all the areas where the TUTT(+1) girls can be found, but I could not get it all to fit nicely – but you get the idea anyway...

Kayla-Fern also wants a Blackberry, not because it has any bearing on her social life (and in fact her social life still involves chasing each other around a field – she actually does not need a cell phone at all except to phone me when another little girl or little boy is bothering her...)  Kayla-Fern wants a blackberry because she says she is being teased because she has an old fashioned phone...This really makes me wander about where we are going with technology and how materialistic our society has become....I think as adults, life is much easier, to be in constant contact with our loved ones, travelling has become easier and international business has become easier, but it is a trade off....It means that a boss or business partner or customer/client can contact us any time of the night or day, what happens when a cell phone rings when the family is sitting together eating dinner????  What is happening to family life????  I know that for children being exposed to technology – computers/cell phones etc is a vital part of their development and we as parents are doing them a disservice if we deny them access.  I just find it sad that my ten year old daughter is more worried about what cell phone she has then whether she should do her hair in a pony tail or pig tails and that my teenagers social life is so reliant on technolochy (cell phones/facebook etc)....and I do worry that they have lost the value of a decent face to face conversation or the sentimentality of a hand written letter – using full English words and properly formed sentances. or the simple joy of playing a game of cards or a board game together.  It is all about trying to create a balance.

Pam’s photo is of their Rottweiler Budgie called Blueberry – who teases and taunts the cats all the time - funny how Pam and I both went off the beaten track a little bit this week...

Mariette and Claire stayed with the “traditional” interpretation of the theme....

Well done girls, both are lovely photos....

Claire, may be opting out of TUTT(+1) for  awhile – We will miss you Claire, but we understand and hope that you return to us soon....

Pam has suggested our theme for next week - it is all about what we do, see or hear "daily" - sounds like it is a theme that we could take of almost anything, but it is proving to be challenging about what is the "right" anything....

Lots of love

TUTT (+1) - Week 47 - White

Sorry my blog is so late this week - I really do not know why I have been undable to do my blog this (last???) week... Sure, not all the photos were on time last week...but Mariette still managed to get her post done (on Friday) and Pam managed to get her post done (yesterday) - so there really is no excuse that it is Wednesday and I am busy trying to do my post that should have been up last Thursday - almost a week late....Oh well - normally, my "story" that goes with my post is born as I am taking the photos for the week....sometimes my "story" happens when I see the theme suggested for that week which is what happened this week - but more about that on Thursday....
Back to last week - Our theme was WHITE, suggested by Claire...I did wander when she sent the theme through whether she had a wedding shoot lined up over the weekend or a washing line full of lovely white baby clothes (for her soon to be born grandhcild) - When I queried with her, she confirmed that indeed when she suggested the theme her washing line was full of white baby clothes...but she sent through a different picture...

I did wander when Claire sent the theme through, whether she had a wedding shoot lined up over the weekend or a washing line full of lovely white baby clothes (for her soon to be born grandhild) - when I queried with her, she confirmed that indeed when she suggested the theme her washing line was full of white baby clothes (I know you so well..) ...but she sent through a very different picture...
I love that fact that she has taken such a strunning photo of an every day item...the close up shows the textrue of the laundry basket perfectly...
Do you see the connection between the laundry basket and white baby clothes hanging on the line...

Mariette took this lovely picture of a swan...

I LOVE it - the beauty and grace of the swan captured so beautifully...this photo is begging to be printed and framed and hung in my bathroom...

Pam also took a picture of a swan..although she created a golden light within her photo..Beautiful - Pam admits that she did not take this photo this week - she says she had lots of other ideas, but by the time photograph time came, all she wanted to take pictures of was car smashing things - Pam did not have a good car week - you will have to check her blog to find out why..

I also went to nature and took pictures of flowers - spring has arrived in Jo'burg sp there are lots and lots of pretty flowers in all colours blooming everywhere - it was cinch to find some white ones....

Oh - I do so love this time of year - we have jasmine in our garden and the smell in the cool of the earl morning and evening is too amazing...
Here are some other white flowers I took...

Ok - I did kind of have a story (about happiness and childhoods) ...but it is getting late and I really want to get this post finished...so the story on happiness is going to have to wait for another posting - Tomorrow is Thurday (AGAIN) - I promise to be on time (or at least do my blog post by the weekend this week) and I do think my story is BERRY interesting...So call back later - ok..Lots of love

TUTT(+1) - Week 45 - Faces

I'm so confused - I really am not sure if we are on week 45 or week 47 - don't even ask me where week 46 went...Oh well...Seems Hurricane Irene managed to confuse Pam as well as disrupting her life and electricity a little bit...Pam thought it was Mariette's theme this week and managed to convince Claire that it was Mariette's theme...Confusion reigns..
It was my theme this week - FACES - When I suggested the theme, I knew exactly what I wanted to do...Get really creative with fruit and vegetables...Well my creative talent does not really run to the masterpieces that I imagined I could create - after all my limit when it comes to faces is smiley faces { :-) }, often with a somewhat crooked smile...So that is exactly what I did - smiley faces on eggs...It was a lot simpler then I though it would be, and I loved the results.

Claire's is of her four girls, all together last year for the first time since Claire and Lance and Meagan and Skyla left for Wales....
This is what she says...

"When Christy was visiting last year I took the opportunity to take loads of photo's of the four girls as they were all together and hadn't been since we left South Africa.  You can imagine by the second week they were a little sick of all the posing so decided to prank me!  When I said SMILE they had decided to pull funny faces - what they didn't know is that I kept my finger on the trigger and kept shooting!  I have a LONG series of wonderful photo's and it was so difficult to choose!  This cheered Lance and I up so much this week.  We decided that they were worthy of printing and framing for our new TV Room!  They will hate us but we will have a chuckle EVERY DAY!"

Isn't it a really fun photo - Nice to look at these kinds of photos - never fails to cheer us up.
Go read Claire's blog to find out what else she has done with this photo - Awww - revenge (on her girls for messing around) is sweet...
Mariette took a beautiful photo of Maxine, whilst she was engrossed in her nintendo...Look at the total concentration on that little face - well done Mariette (I see you are also starting to take more photos in black and white - it give a totally different effect doesn't it)....Mariette says that she did not originally intend to use Maxine as her subject - go check her blog out for other wild faces...

Hurricane Irene swept past Pam's part of the world - lots of wind, some rain and left them without electricity - cold showers and stuff UGHHH...Anyway Pam, even though with your normal busy life and the aftermath of Irene.....you still managed to get a photo done - even though it was a little bit late...It was well worth the wait - we knew it would be...Pam's photo is of pizza box from Capone's Pizzeria - well done...

Pam's blog is very interesting this week - she talks about a change in legislation in her part of the world and it ties up to our theme and her photo very nicely this week...Go read it... I must admit I had a lots of fun with the theme this week...here are some more pics...

Anyway...this post is already very late...And I have someone nagging to use "GOOGLE" so I must dash...Next week there are no grey areas - only WHITE...

Lots of love



TUTT(+1) - Week 44 - Cycle

Pam's choice of theme this week - her picture up first...

Pam - How did I not guess or know that you were going to use the theme to showcase your new baby chicks that you have been talking about for weeks...I actually think I did wander how you would incorporate baby chicks into the theme....But my mind did not go to where yours so cleverly went...Sorry a slow week for me...

Mariette's picture next:-

Once again a lovely picture - Mariette you really do, do the "small part" or "less is more" type photo really well...I am so proud of you and I really like your photo this week - pop across to Mariette's blog and check out her other pictures this week - she says that she took LOADS of photos this week - a sure sign that she enjoyed the theme - Well Done

Claire - aced it this week...

She did cycle of life - specifically depicting motherhood...Claire's stepdaughter is 33 weeks pregnant with her first baby, so she was an ideal model for this weeks theme - Funny how the cycle works from babyhood - when you worry about is your baby too cold too hot, hungry/thirsty etc through the toddler stage, first day at school, leaving school through to where Claire finds herself with her own daughter - wanting to spread little wings and find their own place in the world...that is the way cycles work Claire....each phase with us for just  a short period of time and it seems like it all happens in the blink of an eye...Our relationships with our daughters are constantly changing and evolving, and that is the Cycle of Life....

Good luck to Kay on the arrival of your little bundle of joy in the next few weeks....and just remember to enjoy and treasure every moment - this is not advice that you will always find easy to take (none of us treasure each moment the way we know we should - well at least I know that I don't)....but really our children are little and dependant for such a short period of time..

Next to my talented TUTT(+1) friends...I really felt that my picture this week was quite boring....

It was actually my second best picture of the week...It is an ice cream bicycle - which I am fairly certain my ex-South African partners do not see in their new homes in Wales, England and America...So I hope I bought some fond childhood memories of long lazy summer days in SA...and I hope you went "AHHHHH" and smiled softly...I actually love this photo because it is a visual indication that summer is nearly here - Yay -to the end of winter...

My first photo should have been this:-

Ok, I know that you really can not see it clearly, so I will explain it...We had an outside braai (another summer thing) at Homestead Dam...We were sitting chatting and this older guy rode past on a UNICYCLE...I sat and chatted on and then some half an hour later he rode back - perfectly balancing along the bumpy track...Once he had past us...I shouted to Mike "That is a UNICYCLE - I need a picture" - grabbed my camera and ran, but alas he was already too far away..so I had to find an alternative...I actuallycropped this out of my chosen picture - so you see compared to what I should have had....my picture this week is pretty boring...I could say that I was a complete IDIOT, but I instead I am going to blame it on the sun and outdoors and lazy Saturday afternoon in the company of good food and good friends.....

Anyway, that is it from me for this week...I have chosen next week's theme...Should be interesting to see how we FACE the challenge...Lots of love

Best of the Year....

Today - 19th August - Mariette and I have been doing TUT for a year....We have not done 52  posts, because we have had some weeks break in between...BUT STILL - A YEAR ----- I think that is an achievement worth commerating....
I had suggested doing a commerative post, before we became the blogging SPCA...then it would have been a case of Mariette choosing one of my photo's and her choosing one of mine...But with our special, lovely and talented little puppies we devised a different plan - We electronically "CHING/CHONG/CHA'ed" for who would choose whose picture...
I got to choose a picture off Pam's blog - It could be any picture...and it did not have to be the best technical photograph - It could be the most meaningful photo...BUT the rule was that we can only have one favourite photo....
When I went through Pam's blog - it was really tough to choose one picture only. I love so many of her pictures and each and every one has a special story told in a unique and special Pam way....but the rule was only one photo could be chosen....
After much deliberation - I thought that I knew exactly which photo I was going to choose - I loved Pam's take on Pink, which she had written a message to her sister (Miss you, Stinks) on a pad with a pink pen - I loved the meaning and the message and it was just so Pam....So until last week...that was my chosen picture...but then Pam blew me away with her self portrait...

I love this photo - not only because it is (I think) a great photo photographically...BUT also because it is "Pam"....I love that she included Mark, her marriage  and her children as part of her essence ...I also love the addition of the greenery (sorry Pam - don't know the real name) - It just shows her classicness and her love for simplicity and colour and flowers and the great outdoors - I truely think she outdid herself with this one...
I have loved being on this journey, first with Mariette - It has bought Mariette and I closer then we ever were, I have watched Mariette grow in leaps and bounds as a photographer....and I have loved the creative outlet it has provided for me.
I am also loving having Pam and Claire with us....It has added a different element to the challenges each week and Mariette and I can learn so much from both of these talented photographers.  It never ceases to amaze me, how we all do the same theme each week and we all  interpret it differently...
The other bloggers each chose from someone elses blog - so pop across to them all to see who has liked what...
Well, South Africa is still fairly cold...although the days are warming up quite nicely, it is still cold at night and our study is one of the coldest places in SA...so my feet feel like ice blocks and my finger tips have frost bite...so before I succumb to hypothermia - I am going to call it a night and pop along to bed, so until next week ...Lots of love

P.S. - I know that it is still half an hour to go to Friday here, and that we are the first to reach Friday...But ----- Oh well - this early post will make up for all the late posts in the past and in the future....

TUTT (+1) - Week 44 - Horses

It was Mariette's suggestion this week - and it turned out to be a lovely theme...
Mariette took photos of what she thinks is gypsey horses...Her photo shows a shy, gentle soul - Lovely...

Claire - was supposed to do a horse photo shoot on Monday - how convenient would that have been - but due to inclement weather...the photo shoot was cancelled and she rushed out today (in the pouring rain) to take this beautiful picture..

Pam (who is the horsiest amongst the four of us - the rest of us admit to varying degrees of afraidness)...said she had hundreds of photos to choose from - but that is not the point so she specifically went and took photos for this challenge - Well done Pam...A very different picture - for a lovely head shot - you will have to gallop over to Pam's blog...

Kayla-Fern has been horse riding since she was about four years old - I do believe that passions like horse riding or music are inherent... Mike and I have never done anything to sway Brad and Kayla-Fern's interests one way or another and Kayla-Fern is absolutely passionate about horses (Brad's passion is cricket)...Aunty Pam may have had some influence with Kayla-Fern at some stage, but I believe the passion was already there - waiting to be nurtured... I must admit to being a little scared of horses - they are just so big....
On Saturday, I took Kayla-Fern for her horseriding lesson and I took my camera with - Ideal opportunity, don't you think...Kayla-Fern was helping one of the other kids, by holding the horse, when the horse clumsily put his front foot down on Kayla-Fern's foot....Kayla-Fern screamed "Mommy, help -" - In my panic I grabbed Kayla-Fern and tried to wrench her from underneath the horses foot....HAHA...It seemed like I was pulling and tugging my crying child for an eternity...I guess it was really a couple of minutes...then a horse person rushed over and gently shouldered the horse off her foot - fortunately there was no real damage and Kayla-Fern was able to do her lesson and I took my photos...
Here is my chosen photo, chosen becacuse I love the "Less is More" element....

Some other pictures.....

Well, that is about me for tonight - It is still Thursday (only Just) so I did my post on time this week - Tomorrow is a special day....so we are celebrating with a special post - pop back and see what we are doing - We are still waiting for Pam to give us our theme for next week - but knowing Pam it will be fun (and challenging) and seeing how we are alldoing at the moment, I have no doubt that we will rise to the challenge and take some stunning pictures once again ...LOTS OF LOVE...

TUTT(+1) - Week 43 - Self Portrait

Because Claire was our newest member (and when she joined we already had a theme) - she had the honour of choosing a theme this week - SELF PORTRAIT......Gulp - I think this theme was tough on us all, (most of the time women feel awkward in front of the camera....)But what the heck Claire had chosen the theme and we had to do the best we could with it....

I am not sure who is more camera shy between Mariette and I....She thinks that I  pip her and I think that she pips me...But in any event, she took a lovely simple picture sitting on her couch, in her favourite black top with her Basset Hound on her lap...

I had Kayla-Fern's help (Thanks, angel-face)....I wore a lovely newly purchased top which I got on sale (winter sales are on here - means summer is close YAY) for R90-00 less 25% - that sure works for me....I think if I had to state what kind of style I follow - I think that "romantic gypsey" would be my description...this top sure is that...I know I am not smiling in this picture - I always think pictures of me where I am smiling look posed and cheesy - so this is an "accurate" picture of me...

Claire's photo is very clever - a real self portrait showing Claire doing one of the things she loves the most.....Claire had a really emotional week - I thought my week was bad last week, until I heard a bit about her week...(we need to talk my friend and soon), so she did not actually take a photo (in fact I doubt if she even picked up her camera)...she used one that she had taken before....





I love Pam's photo this week - Pam took a photo of a photo of herself her black horse - Johnny Walker Black..then she added her wedding band and little buttons of R and A for Ryan and April - She said that all three elements (the horse, the wedding band and the buttons) make up part of her essence...Yes, Pam those things are all you....But the photo also tells me about your love of flowers or all things green....The flowers also symbolise the country and the outdoors AND your love for simple pretty things...Your picture this week tells a real Pam story...

Here are some more (rare) photos of me - taken only because I had the camera out anyway....

Well, that is pretty much me this week - it was an interesting week - and along with Self Portrait came lots of self searching and analysing - I was originally tempted to paste a picture of some beautiful woman onto a paper bag and put that over my head for my self portrait, but that would not really have been right...and when I thought about who I would choose as the picture - I realised that I do not want to be anyone else but me and to all my TUT(+1) partners - remember we are all beautiful - no-one has the right to tell us anything different....And I hope that we are all learning that lesson and passing it on to our daughters......

Next week (Mariette chose the theme) and we will be "horsing" around....Do hop along to Mariette's/Claire's and Pam's blogs sometime on the weekend - it is always fun to read what other people have to say on the same topic....