Team Up Thursday - Week 37 - Tea Time/Coffee Break

Sorry there was not post/update last week...I had suggested the them Tea Break/Coffee Time...and then both Mariette and I had an absolutely awful week...Mariette did manage to take a photo which she said was "doable"...I did not even pick up my camera...but I did get a cute little e-mail message with a picture of a cup of coffee, with which I was prepared to cheat - Mariette would have none of it - "If it not a picture taken by you in the week of the theme, it defeats the object" - Thank you Mariette - you made me try harder this week....
I love Mariette's picture and the fact that she creatively looks at the whole theme and come up with a totally unexpected angle - I am impressed, dear friend...

Mariette says that her favourite tea break is top deck dunked in her tea - I will have to try that someday - my favourite is marshmallow easter eggs dunked in tea or Bar One dunked in coffee - But I only allow myself that decdent treat when Mike is away for an extended period - I kind of feel that is when I need the ULTIMATE comfort most.
My picture is of a pretty "Tea for One' - a small teapot and tea cup, combined in one neat, pretty little package...

Interestingly, I do not enjoy breakfast in bed, but bring me a cup of tea in the morning whilst I am still tucked in and warm - That is a real spoil for me - Pass the top deck please...

When I mentioned to Mariette that I have never used my tea for one, she said that we actually never take a proper tea break - it is always a cuppa grabbed on the run whilst we do a million other things...I think I need to start taking tea/coffee breaks and really savour the moment - The universe and everything in it, will wait for me - Won't it???

I have done a lot of thinking in the past two weeks...and have reached two profound conclusions...

Ally of Shybiker recently did a Dear Ally post and in it she said

"In 1764, the philosopher Voltaire wrote that "The perfect is the enemy of the good."  He meant that trying to be perfect is not be worth the effort if it costs you in other ways.  Good enough is better than failed, depressing attempts at perfection."

I think of myself as a "closet perfectionist" married to a "purist perfectionist" - By closet perfectionist I mean that, of course I would like to do everything perfectly, but I know that it is not always obtainable, so I pretend that I don't mind it not being perfect...but deep down it upsets and depresses me - I am definately going to try and change and be content with good enough when perfection is not obtainable. (Purist perfectionist by the way is the highest order of the perfectionist...)

I also just finished reading a book called "I Have Life" by Alsion who as a young woman (15 years ago) from Port Elizabeth in South Africa was kidnapped, raped and savagely attacked, by two men who claimed to be satanists.  The attack included having her throat slit and being stabbed - and then she was left for dead...She survived and later identified her attackers and her evidence in court was instrumental in having her attackers convicted.  Her story is inspirational (it is the second time I have read the book - it has a much deeper effect on me this time around)...In the book she says that she survived becasue she chose to and then, once her injuries had healed and she had to return to main stream life, she had to choose to live...She makes two statements at the end of the book ..."Being happy is a choice that every individual can make" and "You don't have to be the best - just be your best"....

We get so busy in being busy at work and at home and trying to be perfect and do the right thing all the time and teach our children to do the same that we have forgotten some of the basics...one of those basics is how to be happy - we have lost sight of the people we wanted to be and do not know how to live our lifes the way we wanted to...Instead we spend all our energy battling to exist in this huge concrete mixer that we have created...

We need to go back to basics - take proper coffee breaks (not just grab a quick cuppa on the run) and savour them, we need to get in touch with nature - stop and listen to the birds singing and the flowers growing...Did you hear that they closed a runway at JFK airport today - to let 150 slow moving turtles cross on thier way to find nests to lay their eggs - that is what we should be doing every single day - No, not laying eggs, but allowing nature to "be" and letting our lives wait for us to catch up with nature...And we should be kinder and gentler to people around us - Everyone is busy with their own journeys and we do not know how tough another person's journey is, but we should be accepting that their journey could be tougher then we will ever know and we should make allowance for that...
And our children - who seem so much stronger and more grown up then we were at their age - and they are, because they have so much more pressure then we had...but they still need gentleness and love, because their young spirits can still be crushed by a careless or harsh word from us....

Well that is my very "deep" post this week...Next week our topic is all about HAIR - it should be fun...

Lots of love

Team Up Thursday - Red - Week 36

We stayed with colour this week - Mariette chose Red...the colour of danger, passion and love.  Also the colour of Manchester United and Liverpool - no I am not a follower of football, but some things are just general knowledge {well I did have to check with Mike if Man United or Liverpool were red - I am not sure if the fact that they both are makes me super clever or super dumb???? :-)}
Red was also my mom's favourite colour and when my brothers and I were growing up, we never ate a red sweet - those were strictly reserved for mom cos she did not eat any other colour sweets....Isn't it strange how odd little facts from our childhood crop up at the most unexpected times...
Mariette's picture first -  She was away for an extended weekend and she said she suggested the theme because she thought she would see lots of red cars - she did see lots of red cars, but did not take any pictures of them - so she had to improvise when she got home and took a lovely photo of delicious red strawberries - YUM...

I did not see many "red" things during the course of the week, so I was a bit concerned by last night, BUT when I got home...Brad had built a super duper scaletrics (spelling) track and guess what - We have a little red mini cooper scaletrics car...Isn't it cute?

I collect fancy tins and remembered this beauty which originally had delicious biscuits (Arnotts is an Austrailian brand) in it and since has contained a number of things - currently it holds ground coffee...It is one of my favourite tins

I have just finished reading a Jodi Piccoult book - I love her writing - but that means the book is read (red) (ha ha) and isn't it funny how read and read, windy and windy and live and live, are all spelt the same but are pronounced differently and have different meanings - And more amazingly, our brains just know which meaning and pronounciation to pick when seeing the same word...The power of our brains never ceases to amaze me.

I think that is it from me this week - join us next week for tea and scones or coffee and cake....Lots of love

OH...P.S. - I seriously want to start doing more then just TUT based postings...am thinking of joining the WIWT (What I Wore Today) clan (I would feel a bit strange  about posting pictures of myself in clothes...better then not in clothes I suppose.  I did feel strange about TUT postings in the beginning and now it feels perfectely normal) and perhaps I would do other postings/ramblings of interest...It probably would never become a daily updated blog - but could be fun none the less...I am just not sure whether to incorporate it into "I Believe" or start a new blog - I will keep you posted....

Team Up Thursday - Week 35 - Pink

I chose the theme this week…

My Aunt (my mom’s sister) visited a few weeks ago from Zimbabwe…she had made each of my mom’s granddaughters beautiful outfits for their baby dolls…And amongst the clothes that Kayla-Fern received for Sarah, were some lovely pink outfits…

Mariette’s picture is of a pink rose in their garden – the first rose of the year....A very pretty picture Mariette – Roses are always such willing subjects…

Although, I had planned to do my picture and post about Kayla-Fern and her Baby Born – Sarah,  in her new pink outfit, I changed my mind.  I walked past a collegue having a smoke break on Monday – and I noticed her foot apparel …I had to have a picture of them – She very kindly obliged – It was nearly home time – AND this shows just how she was feeling…

Aren’t the boots stunning though – I mentioned to her that as much  as I love them, I could never buy pink boots, because I could not justify the cost versues how many times I would wear them, and she admitted that she paid R33-00 for them five years ago - Now that is my kind of bargain.
Just a little note – when I go clothes shopping for myself – I try to equate each rand to one wearing – i.e. if an item is R100-00, I need to wear it at least 100 times – this way of shopping is limiting, but it does stop “impulse” buying most of the time.

Here is a picture of Sarah and her mommy – Sarah is wearing one of her pretty pink dresses knitted for her with lots of love by Aunty Heather (Kayla-Fern's GREAT Aunt,)from Zimbabwe, Kayla-Fern is wearing a pink, lace poncho that I bought for myself for R50-00 – I guess I am going to have to share it.

I absolutely treasure photos like this that show my little girl being a little girl – She is growing up and all too soon these precious moments will be gone for good…Proof that she is growing up, was evident this week – She has decided that she wants to have her hair cut – not short, but still – It is not so much about the hair, but more about what she said to Mike…Not “will you be upset IF I have my hair cut” or “Are you upset that I am thinking about having my hair cut”, - No she said – “Daddy, are you upset that I am going to have my hair cut” – that’s it decision made whether daddy is upset or not…

Another Kayla-Fern-ism from this week:-

I was complaining because she and her brother are always fighting…It really upsets me, just like it used to upset my mom when my brothers and I used to fight ALL THE TIME….Anyway, she turned to me and said “Mommy, just remember that even when we are fighting, we still love each other on the inside” …

Well that is almost my post for today – EXCEPT to tell all my wonderful readers that I can not leave messages on your blogs (for some stupid reason)….so…here are the messages I would have left on your blogs this week: -

Mariette – I am sorry I missed you around by not sending my picture through yesterday – I was feeling so terrible that I left work early and when I got home, I climbed into bed and that was me…for the rest of the day – It was what I needed thought cos today I am feeling much better.

Guys, if Mariette does not get to do her post this week – It is all my fault…I knew she was going to France today and I did not send my photo to her yesterday, so that she could do her post before going away…Mariette – I hope you have a wonderful, lovely fantastic break – You deserve it….

Wendy…Thanks for adopting me – Are the adoptee and adopter allowed to meet at some stage, even though we are not down the road – we could still do coffee occasionally – Irene Country Market sounds like it could be a good meeting place (or is my geography of Pretoria really bad?)

Ally – I am so enjoying your blog and love Dear Ally…Keep up the good work – It would be nice if you could add TUT sometime as well …Choose a partner and join in – It is good fun….

Pam/Heidi – Hope to see a TUT post from you guys this week (ok lecture over)…

Claire – You are not in trouble (you never were) my dear, sweet friend, I just really enjoy your postings – You and Andrea are excused this week if you did not do TUT, AND if you did – well then I am SUPER IMPRESSED….

Lynette – I love your layouts…Always.

Well that’s it from me – We are staying with colour next week and no I am not seeing RED because of it…

Lots of love

Team Up Thursday - Week 34 - Yellow

Our theme this week was YELLOW - Thanks Mariette it was great theme - I was totally amazed at how much yellow stuff I saw - from a motorbike to a hummer to Kayla-Fern's hair clip - the only thing I did not see was a yellow subamarine...but I will keep my eyes open and if I do see one - I will let you know...Once again, I realised how wonderful TUT is in making us more aware of our surroundings...In McDonalds speak "I'm lovin' it"

My pic first this week - I have always loved it when Mariette take a less is more or part picture type photo, so I tried it this week - I am so happy with the resulting photo, that it is my chosen pic for this week:

I love this item - and is he just not the most photogenic happy subject that any photographer can wish for...If you can not figure out what the item is from this picture, my objective has been achieved - And you will have to read to the end of the post to see the big picture....




Mariette's photo is also bright and cheerful and so pretty ....

She says that it is a rapeseed plant (rapeseed is used to make oil - healthy oil, like olive oil) and once a year in May the fields are ablaze with yellow...Mariette I like the way you have captured the one flower in the foreground, sharp and in focus andthen the field of flowers are fuzzy and fade into the background - I know that this is depth of field....but don't think I have been able to achieve it with any of my photos yet - truth be told, I do not know how to achieve this effect, so it is one thing I have not played with - In fact I have been too nervous to play with the settings of my camera and generally just use the automatic feature - One day - I will play with manual settings - I promise...

Here are some of the other yellow things that I found this week:-

Mielies or corn on the cob

A yellow tiger moth - part of Mike's model aeroplane collection - a bit dusty at the moment from all the building - but things will start getting cleaned up this weekend

 A yellow fluffy toy...








Pretty yellow flowers - Don't you love the clear blue sky - a  typical sky for a winters day in Gauteng South Africa...
A fridge magnet from Scooter's pizza

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A yellow jug that Kayla-Fern made for me in pre-school....next to a pretty decorative plate

I know that my post this week was a day late - It is cold here in Johannesburg and the choice was sitting by the heater in the lounge keeping warm...or going to the cold study to do my post - Guess which option was preferable....The only two participants of Team Up Thursday who were on time this week were Mariette (well done partner - thanks for keeping the flag flying) and Andrea (Claire's partner) who said on her post "Claire and I are determined to keep our TUT running despite baby's imminent arrival so although today's post is late at least it is still here :0)" and guess what...the imminent baby has arrived - Welcome Elizabeth Lyn and congratulations to Andrea and family...I am so looking forward to seeing lots of lovely photos...

Anyway, Claire, thanks for doing your post {due to my lecture :-)} - Pam, hope to see yours soon....

Ok so now are you all ready for the big picture: -

Did any of you guess?????
That's it from me this week - next week we are staying with colours, and I am tickled pink....Lots of love