Team Up Thursday - Week 33 - Time

It was my choice of theme this week – AND it was not one of my favourite topics…None of the ideas I had even came close to what I wanted…
Mariette on the other hand, absolutely cracked it – Another lovely photo and she thought out the box in her photo of a flowering Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow….I love her posting this week - if you want meaningful this week - you have to read her post  – It bought tears to my eyes…….Absolutely lovely.  Glad that the topic got you thinking….

I settled on a picture of clocks depicting the different times in different areas of the world….

For some reason I was hooked on getting the different time zones...I think maybe it is because I am feeling a little bit blue this week - so much family and so many friends have moved overseas and no longer live down the road...visiting for a quick cup of coffee and a chat is no longer possible and I miss them all...Maybe I needed to remind myself that they are all still around - just have to contact them now via Skype or e-mail or blogs and we have to be conscience of the time differences.

I have collegue who loves watches and has a collection of 17 watches and he wears them all (not at the same time…..of course).
He very kindly brought them to work so that I could photograph them - here is his collection: -

I intended to do a more meaningful posting about TIME, but I just can not pull myself towards myself to try and make any sense in what I want to say, so instead I am going to “cop out” and ask you a trivial question: -

Question:  -  What bird does not make it’s own nest –

Correct Answer:  -  A cuckoo doesn't make a nest of it's own. Instead it lays an egg in another birds nest. The cuckoo relies on the other (smaller) birds to raise it's young for it.

Corny Answer:  -  Cuckoo birds lay their eggs in clocks. I thought everyone knew that.

OK sorry, I know that is very weak, but it is all I have this week and that is my indication that it is TIME to call this post DONE and DUSTED…Next week's theme is a bit more cheerful and I have already seen some great ideas Mariette - Watch this space - Next week is going to be GREAT...

Lots of love

Reflections on Team Up Thursday....

Last week Wendy (Fit, Fab & Forty Plus - http://www.iamapear.blogspot.com/) asked what TUT was all about in my comments...

I have answered the question (simply) in the comments of her blog, but her question made me really think about TUT and what it means to me...

My inspiration in doing TUT was my longest standing best friend - Claire in Wales (Inspiration for the Soul - http://www.mcgeers.blogspot.com/)  - she has been blogging for a long time...and like most bloggers there have been periods of inactivity, however, I started noticing that every week she was doing a TUT post....Claire is a very talented photographer...and I have never really been interested in photography....(Mike is the photographer in our family and I have never felt the inclination to pick up the camera) - BUT I loved the pictures that Claire was creating and I liked the idea of having a theme to guide me - Also - this type of photography was not Mike's standard stuff - so I would be creating my own photographic space.

She told me that all I needed to do was to find a partner and start a blog - the rest followed very easily.

I chose Mariette as my partner (http://www.mk-appreciatinglife.blogspot.com/), because I sensed in her the need to do something totally for herself..As time has gone, I have realised how spot on I actually was and indeed we should all be making time to do something that is totally selfish once in a while...Because TUT is a partnership, you tend not to want to let your partner down, so you don't fall off the wagon as easily as if there was no partner.  Mariette's confidence and creativity has increased every week, and she has taken some beautiful photos...It has also enhanced our friendship - from having a fairly patchy e-mail correspondance we now exchange an e-mail at least once a week and along with our photo we include some news - It has been great to find out more about my far away (UK) friend through our weekly e-mails and TUT.

I love doing TUT and even if no-one was reading it and leaving comments, Mariette and I would both carry on...for our own benefit - It has helped my photography, and has given me a creative outlet in a time that I have really needed to focus on somehing completely different each week.

My sister in law, Pam, (http://www.live-life-as-a-play.blogspot.com/) in America and her sister Heidi, (http://www.hidesignphotography.blogspot.com/) on the other side of the world in New Zealand, also recently teamed up and are doing some fantastic stuff...The fun thing about teaming with someone in a different part of the world is that the seasons and time zones as well as cultures and way of life are different and it shows in the photos....

Lynette (Work in Progress - http://www.creative-moments-lynette.blogspot.com/) used to do it - Lynette I still read your blog and love it, it would be nice to see you doing TUT again..

So Wendy, and anyone else, choose a partner and join - It is a lot of fun.

NOW for some fun of  a different kind...

25 Get to Know You Questions

...from Wendy's blog....Play along if you want...

1. What time did you go to bed last night and were you alone?
At about half past ten...Mike and I went to bed together - And the cat jumped up in about two seconds and hassled me all night by being very affectionate - Tickey joined two minutes after the cat and slipped under the duvet and lay at my feet as she always does....

2. If you could be given ANY gift what would it be?
Anything that someone has put thought into and gotten especially for me...from flowers to jewellry to whatever, particulary special if it is unexpected - An "I Love You" gift.

3. What was the last film that really moved/disturbed/thrilled you and why?
Don't know what the last movie was - But the all time movie has got to be "A Whale for the Killing" - I saw it as a teenager and would love to see it again.....A disturbing movie because of the creulness and greed of human nature and a lovely movie because of the beautiful relationships humans can build...

4. What is your favourite TV show of all time ie you've seen them all, can watch it over and over again and quote lines from it?
Probably Two and a Half Men...

5. Whats your favourite way to wake up and whats the first thing you do?

I love waking up in Mike's arms - warm and snuggly...I snuggle for as long as possible and leave getting up to face the day to the last possible minute...

6. What would you call yourself if you could choose your own name?
I have grown used to my name and now quite like it - BUT I think I would have preferred to have been called Sarah...

7. If you had to do a bushtucker challenge (you have to eat insects/grubs etc) what would be the worst thing you had to eat?
I could not eat any of those things - and knowing this, would never willingly put myself in that type of situation 

8. Whats the worst/most embarassing CD/Album you've ever owned and do you still have it?
I am not embaressed by the musice I like or own - Someone else may be embaressed to admit that they love Air Supply - but not me
 

9. What would be your dream vehicle (bikes, cars, boats, batcar and millenium falcon is allowed!)?
Don't care - As long as it gets me to where I want to go...I am happy with my little car...

10. Whats your favourite fantasy people sandwhich?

What????

11. What characteristics do you dislike in yourself?

Too many to mention - but they are all minor little irritations - probably the most irritating is that I can not do anything straight and I also can not see when something is not straight - Makes scrapping challenging...
12. Your favourite item of clothing and why?

My PJ'S and Dressing Gown - Soft and snuggly and warm - I am also a sucker for soft jerseys...

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be and who would it be with?

Holland with Mike and Brad and Kayla-Fern - would be nice to have other family and friends join if they wanted
14. If you could have any animal/creature, what would be your ultimate pet be?

I love all our pets dearly, but it would be awesome to have a baby hippo...

15. What did you want to be when you were little and do you think you ever will be?

Oh, I wanted to be a choreographer...I never will be because I have absolutely no sense of rhythm and beat at all - I still love to watch beautiful dancing - but it must be two people who are in love....

16. Whats the next planned event you're looking forward to in your life?
A weekend break just Mike and I - not planned yet...but will be soon

17. What were you doing before you started this?

Eating breakfast

18. What was the last thing you ate that you really shouldnt of ?

Slice of bread and peanut butter and a crunchie ...

19. If you were an ice cream/haagen daz/ben an jerrys flavour what would you be?
Anything Fruity 

20. Who was the last person you spoke to that you didnt want to talk to?

Someone phoned on my cell phone to offer me a new credit card


21. What was your favourite toy as a child  . . .and now?

Can't remember, but I loved reading, (I would hide away so that I could read inside instead of having to go and play outside at boarding school) so books were always popular and now ...mmmm....


22. When was the last time you cried laughing and why?
Monday - When a collegue told me about his wife who is an optometrist who refuses to test his eyes and why she refuses to test his eyes...

23. What is stashed under your bed/mattress?

Nothing


24. What did you dream about last night?

Can not remember

25. What are you really afraid of?
Being lost in the dark
Hurting the people I care for (unintentionally, of course)

Team Up Thursday - Week 32 - Home

Mariette suggested the theme this week...HOME - we both thought it would be  a great theme...AND I was touched that Mariette chose it, because I thought it would give me the opportunity to take pictures of some newly finished parts of my home....BUT, there is not one area that is completely finished yet - so we are still living in chaos and dust...
The theme did make me think though - What does HOME mean to me?
Mariette also asked herself the same question, and she came up with the answer that her home would not feel without home with out her animals...so here is a picture of Bruto waiting at the front door to welcome his family HOME..Sadly Bruto passed away last year.

So what does home mean to me...I have always said that my favourite places is in Mike's arms, I feel so loved and warm and safe and protected when he holds me close...When he holds me in his arms after a business trip - I always say to him that I feel like I am home...Where ever my children are, is where I want to lay my head AND of course animals as Mariette so rightly said make home more homely....So although having a "nice" home is lovely - for me "Home is where the heart (love) is"

The message is written in dust on my kitchen counter - if you look carefully you can see how lovely the kitchen wall tiles are...

To prove that animals do indeed make home more homely...Here's Misty making my kitchen shelf look really comfortable.  Cats are amazing that they can be comfortable almost anywhere....

This picture gives you some idea of what our bathroom is going to look like...OK - maybe it is still too "unfinished" to give you an idea - I will have to take photos and post them when everything is done and all clean and tidy again.

Lastly....Since we both thought of our animals this week - Kayla-Fern's little dwarf hamster "Nibbles" has a growth on his side...He has pulled all the fur around it out and it looks quite sore...She was very concerned, so this evening I took her and Nibbles to the vet...Turns out that the growth is not a tumour, which is what I was worried about....It seems to be a skin condition, perhaps from a little flea bite or some kind of iritation - so now we have to give him medicine (0.1ml - I think) twice a day...it is actually dog medicine that has been diluted by one part to a whole lot (he weights around 25 grms, so the vets had to do some serious thinking) and we have to bath him once a week in a cattle dip (also diluted a whole lot)... Total cost R217-90 - for a hamster that originally cost R35-00, but it is not the cost of the hamster that is important, it is the cost of not breaking a little girls heart....Animals do indeed make up part of the love that we need at home.

Lots of love

Me

TUT - Week 31 - Food

As I told you last week – our theme was FOOD – suggested by me and because I was feeling so relaxed when I had to suggest that the theme – I took a short cut and piggy backed on Andrea and Claire’s theme from the week before…

I chose my picture mainly because most people can relate to chocolate cake (a lot of people’s ultimate comfort food) – the coffee (cappucino) and chocolates are just a bonus….Do you notice something about my picture – It is “INSTANT” -  Instant  chocolate cake/Instant coffe and instant cappucino sachets….At least you know if you phone me to tell me that you are coming to visit for coffee and chocolate cake in an hours time, – there is a good chance that it will be available when you arrive.



Since our building/tiling etc is still happening, I ended up taking most of my pictures in my grocery cupboard – it was the least dusty area and the background was not some half tiled ungrouted wall….Never mind hopefully, next week I will find some fab areas to take pictures in….I think it fitting anyway, that I took pictures for a FOOD theme in a FOOD cupboard.

Mariette’s picture is of crumbs of cake left on a plate – you see I told you most people relate to cake…Well done Mariette – Lovely interpretation of our theme…

 

Here is Kayla-Fern’s ultimate comfort food – believe me if she could eat only this she would….I have no idea where she gets her sweet tooth from…

My ultimate comfort food is Lemon Merinuge Pie or Fudge and  my ultimate weakness is strawberry jam….I think one of Mike’s favourite things is scones and cream and jam – although he also loves custard slices and doughnuts or chocolate éclairs.

Ok, maybe I do know where Kayla-Fern gets her sweet tooth from…

For my birthday last year, Brad cooked me a fantastic birthday dinner of Risotto/Roast Chicken and Vegetables and  It was AMAZING - Here is Chef Brad hard at work...

There are many quotes about food – but one of my favourites is “Food for thought – is no substitute for the real thing”

One last thing…Please if ever I tell any of you “Mike and I are thinking of doing some renovations…” Please, Please remind me that I said I would NEVER do this again….My concern is that Renovations are like childbirth, once it is over you forget how bad it really was”…

Anyway, that is my post for this week – I do hope next week finds me in a less dusty home and in a less “building depressed*” state of mind…

"*" Didn’t you know that there was such a thing as building depression- well there is and I have it…It is when you think you will be physically sick if you so much as look at another tile and you just can not bring yourself to dust any furniture because tomorrow it will just be dusty again and you have to force your self to eat and brush your teeth because all you can taste is dust…..it really is not a nice condition to have, but the good news is that as soon as the building is done, all the symptoms disappear and you forget how awful they were because you are loving the results of all that hard work. It will all be worth it in the end.

Lots of love

Me

 

Taking a Break from TUT --- Because....

Hello everybody...Well, from ending last week feeling happy and relaxed...this week has been a mixed bag of emotions...
I really struggled to decide on a theme for this week...AND only sent my suggestion through to Mariette late on Sunday (normally I try and do it on Wednesday when I send my photo, cos then we have the whole weekend to "play" - which also does not happen often) - anyway, I knew that Monday was a Public Holiday in the UK as well as here....I chose FOOD (piggy backing on Claire and Andrea's theme from last week) because I thought...Oh well, whatever we are doing, we still need to eat, so there should be lots of scope - Well one thing lead to another (see below) and I did not take on single photo, not one.....so had to send a desperate e-mail to Mariette this morning, pleading a headache or some such story....
Why I could not do TUT this week....
After five to seven years of renovating our house...the last two weeks have seen a huge flurry of activity.....in getting all the last finishing touches done (this seems to be every bit as hectic and busy and expensive and chaotic as the whole process has been)...Mike has been fairly stressed and has not stopped running and writing cheques....But we have finally tiled our large entertainment area/kitchen walls/our bathroom is fitted with bath etc and now awaits tiling/the guest bathroom is planned and tiles have been chosen and bought and the patio has been tiled...It is finally coming together and the finish is just around the corner....I am so excited...it is going to be so lovely once it is all done...I also feel a twinge of regret that we have lived in semi chaos for longer then we should have and therefore have wasted time that we could have been enjoying our home...BUT - that is just the way things have panned out. I don't have any pictures yet of the chaos, but believe me it is CHAOS....
In addition to house renovations, both children had fairly tough projects to do - Brad in Grade 10 had a science project and decided to build a solar powered car....it is now finished and he will set it up at school tomorrow and get marked for it.

Kayla-Fern in Grade 4 has to build a bridge that can take a load of 500grms...Hers is due in stages...she took a write up to school on Tuesday and needs to take drawings of her bridge in next week and then the actualy bridge is due on the 20th of May - All in all I am all projected out.

Lance and Meagan visited SA from Wales and it was wonderful to see them and see how Megs has changed and grown into a lovely young lady and how Lance has not changed at all...He is just become Walealised and is as wonderful and positive and spontaneous as ever....They left last night to go home to ....I am still feeling a bit sad at the goodbye, but know that they are safely home where they belong with Claire and Skyla and Luke - Thank you my friend for lending them to us for a while....

Am also feeling sad because tomorrow it is six months since my mom passed away....I miss her terribly and sometimes the strangest things things remind me of her - Today it was black Arum Lillies - I just stood looking at them for the longest time, rembering her love for her garden and flowers and things that were out of the ordinary from black Arum Lillies to making Avocodo Pear Cake (I kid you not), to planting an avocado pip and giving it to Brad when he was small...We planted it in our garden (when he was about eight) and  now, seven years on, it is a huge tree - tall and proud, although it has never borne any fruit...I think I read somewhere that avo trees grown from pips will never bear fruit - Pam (http://www.look-to-the-land.blogspot.com/) my resident fountain of knowledge of all things healthy and organic and "green" perhaps you know why....now there's a challenge for you. 
I realise how much of my mom is in me...and often hear her voice or laugh whispering in my own and it makes me stop for a moment and listen harder...and then I smile softly and sadly.....and I just savour the moment and remember all the wonderful things about her.
Sunday is Mothers Day....I think we are going to light a candle for her and I will sing my version of "Amazing Grace" for her and only her - my family do not appreciate my singing ability ....May is also the month of her birthday, so I think that is going to be a hard "first"...but we will find a special way to commemerate it, and we will get through it....It has been harder on my dad then anyone else, but he is trying hard to carry on with his life and although he has some bad days, he has been amazingly strong - much stronger then I would have ever thought he would be - I am proud of him and I know my mom would be as well...Oh well guys that is about it from me this week - so until next week....Take care and lots of love.
Oh - one final picture - we were very fortunate to get tickets to see The Parletones (SA band) on Saturday night, it was an awesome evening out...If ever you get a chance to see them live where ever you are in the world - it is a performance you will not want to miss I assure you...

TUT - Week 30 - Bubbles

Hello Everybody .....
Well I am doing my post before Mariette AGAIN....Just need to start e-mailing her my picture by end of Wednesday and not early Thursday...sorry Mariette....
It was Mariette's choice of theme this week - BUBBLES..... And once again, she took an amazing picture - She says that the reason she chose this picture this week is because it captures Maxine beautifully...

Well Done Mariette - I love the concept and the picture and the colour and clarity....

I also took  a picture of a bubble bath - I woke up with a sore back on Friday morning and later in the day, Mike ran a special bubble bath for me ...... It was wonderful - AND my back felt a lot better on Saturday morning....

I must admit - all these holidays ***have made me feel very relaxed and peaceful...Good stuff
 ***In South Africa we had all the Easter holidays - like the rest of the world...then yesterday was another Public Holiday - Freedom Day....the day 17 years ago that SA held it's first ever democratic election...then on Monday we have another public holiday.

A couple of weeks ago I posted that my sister in law (Pam) in America had Teamed up with her sister (Heidi) in New Zealand to do TUT ---- Here is the link to their blogs....Visit them - it is well worthwhile...(I hope that the links work)...

http://www.live-life-as-a-play.blogspot.com/

http://www.hidesignphotography.blogspot.com/

Since Mariette and I started to TUT, I have tried to make my posts fun and always to have a meaning or story behind the fun - This week, I really do not have anything - My mind is blank, empty,  - Does this mean that I have had a meaningless, not so fun week - NO, I don't think so...I think my mind is just very, very relaxed and chilled... A good place to be - Don't you think...So I am going to go with the flow and let my mind rest for as long as it wants....Dear Readers, I do hope that some of the other blogs you follow have some fun or/and meaningful stories this week....AND, if my blog is the only one you follow (why thank you)  - BUT, you need to get out there and start following some others...There are so many bloggers out there, with funny stories/tragic stories/meaningful stories/stories of fashion and beauty and beautiful beliefs/stories with stunning insight and all sorts of stuff-  and the list goes on and on - Try it - I assure you, you will not regret it.......Just be warned though...you can go from my blog to Pam's blog to Mariettes blog to Claire's blog to Lynette's blog (and you can follow links from all of their blogs to Andrea's blog and Heidi's blog etc) then back to mine and then you can follow some of the peoople who have commented here and find other spots AND before you know it...The afternoon is gone and you are feeling comfortable and enriched and soul restored and craft and hobby and fashion pacified...And dinner is not cooked and the bath is not run and homework is not done...Am I speaking from personal experience - Heck - yes of course - But I have had fun and I hope you do as well....Which brings me to another question - Is my life lacking something because I find so much enjoyment from reading about other people's life stories - Of Course not...My life is great...But it adds another dimension to my being to know that there are other people out there in different situations with different points of view and interests....So until next week - Lots of love 'n' BUBBLES...
P.S. - because I am just so relaxed - I have no idea for a them for next week - Please help...

TUT - Week 29 - DOWN

Wow – Second week in a row that I am doing my Thursday post on Thursday….

I chose the theme this week – It seemed a natural progression from Mariette’s “UP” last week….

I love Mariette’s picture – taken whilst crouching “DOWN” in the garden – It is pretty and simple and very elegant ….Also a lovely clear picture…

I took my picture looking down from a second floor office window at work….From this angle you can see the haphazard way that the “leaves” of the cactus (???) have grown –I also love the little bit of water collected in the one “Leaf” from some earlier rain…I was a bit disappointed that the picture does not really show how high the office window is ...

I also like this photo – taken looking down at the reflection of the moon in a puddle of water (also from rain) on our unfinished patio…Kind of interesting I think…

Then last but not least – when I let our dogs out the other day (cold rainy afternoon) for a toilet call….Ticky (my little Jack Russelle) suddenly started barking like crazy – I raced outside to see that Romanni had fallen DOWN into a trench that Mike had dug for some piping…Poor old girl could not get out on her own, but I could not let the photo opportunity pass….(much to Kayla-Fern’s disgust)..Poor Romanni looks very sorry for herself.

I have had a lot of odd thoughts on my mind (which have nothing to do with our theme) and I think my musings were kind of nutshelled together when Kayla-Fern phoned me after I had dropped her at school and was well on my way to work – She borrowed a friend’s cell phone (she does not have her own) to phone me and tell me that she had forgotten some tins that she needed for school – which I had known about…she told me about needing them once on Monday…At first I was quite angry  - just such a disruption to my morning, but being a good, dutiful mommy, who felt slightly guilty at not having remembered in the first place, I turned around and went home and organised two empty tins – as a result we are having tomotoe and onion relish with our wors rolls tonight..I then dropped the empty tins off at school and arrived at work – Late…I was telling a collegue about my terrible morning and he said “Are you sure she needed empty tins – Maybe she needed tins of stuff for a comminty type project – mmmmmmm.

My random musings that have been formulated from this experience are:

What would my mom (or anyone else’s mom) have done in a similar situation -  the fact is that she would not have been in the situation… I don’t think cell phones were invented yet… and you only got to use the office phone in life or death situations – No I would have had to admit that I had forgotten the tins and taken the consequences.  And would my mom have felt guilty after school when I told her about what a terrible day I had had because of it.  Should I have made a plan so that Kayla-Fern could participate and not get into trouble…Would it have been that serious a situation anyway, especially considering that there is a chance that they did not even get time to do the exercise….How am I going to feel if indeed she needed full tins – and will I be able to enjoy my tomotoe and onion relish tonight, if it should have gone to someone who needed it more then me…These musings are very random and I thought I would figure out a point to them as I went along – but I haven’t, so if you are still awake after wading through this nonsense…Thank you – but you can go and take a nap now….From a very confused me who is clearly in desperate need of a long weekend (thank goodness we have one this weekend) and some major chocolate input..There are few things in life that chocolate can not make better – Don’t know who said that, but it was someone wise….Lots of love and Happy Easter.