I've been Scrooged

Check it out - this is quite cool

http://www.scroogeyourself.com/?id=9616069846

Scrooged signing off ...

I have been Elfed

This is so cool - check it out

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9618660667

Elfed out signing off ....

Our Back Garden

After we had finished building our cottage in the back garden, Dereck's friend Jennifer Simpson advised that her and her sister Patricia would landscape it. They have a business called Trijen landscaping and wanted to use our garden as a dummy. Jennifer came round and decided on what plants needed to go where and gave us a draft plan and a list of the plants to buy. Dereck went out and bought all the plants and a few days later Jennifer and Patricia came round to get started. Above are the pictures taken before we did anything and below are the pictures after their handiwork. This has made a huge difference and the plants are growing nicely.

Garden lover signing off ....

I've been {Tagged}

Yip, I have been tagged by Sopia .

Here are the rules:

Link to your tagger (see above), and also post these rules on your blog.

Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some ramdom, some weird.

Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

Let them know they are {TAGGED} by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here we go, 7 facts about me:

1. I love creating things, which is probably why I enjoy scrapbooking so much.

2. My favourite breakfast (and you will probably go yuk!!) is a hard cooked fried egg on toast with peanut butter.

3. I have a great sense of humour and to the disgust of my family, see the funny side of most things (including people's misfortunes!!)

4. I take great pride in anything that I do as I want it to be "right".

5. I enjoy socialising.

6. I love dancing and can party all night if need be.

7. I love life. I have realised that time is going by so quickly, that I need to enjoy and make the most of every possible moment.

Now to tag some others:

Desire Fourie

Leanne Ramsay

Claire Mc Geer

Lisa Bearnson

Karen Burniston

Wilna Fistenburg

Karin Botha

Tagless signing off ...

Grant's New haircut

Last night Grant asked me to cut his hair. While he was getting everything ready, he then said that he wanted a "number 4". Lauren was having a good laugh at the thought of this and he then decided not to. Me, having heard this, egged him on and said that he should. Of course I had to take photos as I was cutting and leaving bits and pieces.

Here they are:

The end result - Lauren had a good laugh as she was not used to seeing Grant with so little hair, and Grant had a problem as his beanie was now too big!!!

Mom the hairdresser signing off ....

Hadedas

Hadedas are really strange birds and I enjoy watching them. Everymorning when I feed the dogs, they come and sit on the wall and wait for them to leave their food, so that they can come and eat the chunks. Once they have taken a chunk they go to our fountain and they dip it into the fountain before eating it. They are starting to get very brave - well three of them at least - and yesterday I watched as one of them flew down on to the grass while Zippa - the Ridgeback - was eating. This bird walked towards the other dog bowl, and then quickly turned and walked away, but a few seconds later it turned and came a bit closer. Eventually after 4 efforts like this (and all this while I am standing in my pj's at the front door with camera in hand to capture the right picture!) it eventually came and ate out of the one bowl while Zippa was eating out of the other. I could not believe it. The morning before, they were doing this while Izzy (the sausage dog) was eating. Anyway, this is what I managed to capture:

Hadeda watcher signing off...

Birthday lunch

It was Shelley's birthday on 5 September and Kathy, Rayna, Nicky and I and obviously Shelley, met at Rayna's house for a wonderful lunch.

Louie (Rayna's man) made the most divine lamb curry. There was also basmati rice, lentils and onions, green salad, chopped banana, tomotoe and onion, mango chutney, a yoghurt chutney, pepperdew chutney, chicken & corn samoosas, potato samoosas, roti's and pappadums. It was a feast of note!! To quench our thirst we had red wine as well as a selection of fruit juices. After eating, I think we all could have gone for a lie down!!! Kathy brought pudding which was semolina and baked custard tarts. For me the semolina was like eating sweet flavoured noodles! It was very yummy.

We still managed to leave a small space for coffee and some divine Lindt chocolate balls - compliments of Louie. Thereafter we just sat chatting, listening to music (when Rayna managed to slap her player into control!!) and looking through her scrapbooks - again. This is something I really enjoy doing and we had looked at them when we got there.

Got home at about 6:00 (I think) and tiedied out my study as I had bought myself a huge self healing mat and needed the space on my desk. What a difference it has made.

Sunday, I decided that I was not doing any racing, but got up early anyway. I did 4 loads of washing, helped Dereck stick down some posters and then did a decoupage rubbish bin with all Winnie the Pooh characters for Leanne. I had bought this a while ago and just never got round to doing it. I will put up a picture this evening - so watch this space. I must say, I was quite pleased with the outcome and even Dereck and Grant commented on it.

Curried out signing off ...

Muffin makers

Last Saturday at RWFL, Dereck decided that he would make muffins for session this Saturday. I get an Ina Paarman newsletter and it had carrot muffins on it. I gave Dereck the list of ingredients and he went off and bought them all and last night we cooked up a storm. While he was grating carrots and apples and soaking raisins, I was mixing all the other ingredients. The mixture was put into the paper cups and into the oven and we literally watched them cook!!

I made the icing and before I went to bed, iced the muffins ready for the morning. We took them to RWFL and after everyone had worked off what they were going to eat, they tucked in. Rave reviews were received!!

Here is the recipe (makes 24 muffins):

Preheat the oven to 180 C and adjust oven rack to middle position. Remove the raisin-bag from the foil packet and pour boiling water over the raising to plump them up. Drain immediately and set aside to swell.

2 Extra large eggs, 125 ml canola or sunflower oil, 250ml plain yoghurt, 250ml milk, 1 x 700g Ina Paarman's Muffin Mix with Raisins and Bran, 10ml ground cinnamon, 500mlgrated carrots, 1 apple coarsely grated with skin on, 125ml chopped pecan nuts, paper cups.

Line two muffin pans with paper cups (we did ours in two batches). Beat eggs and oil for 2 minutes on high speed until well blended. Add yoghurt and milk and beat for 1 minute on high speed. Add contents of pack, cinnamon, drained plumped raisins, grated carrots, grated apple and chopped nuts. Stir by hand with a spatula +- 40 times until uniformly blended (DO NOT BEAT). Spoon one heaped tablespoon of mixture into muffin pans. Fill the hollows only about 2/3 full. bake for about 20-25 minutes until nicely risen and browned.

Cream Cheese Icing

60ml butter, 2,5ml vanilla essence, 250g sifted icing sugar, 125g low fat creamed cottage cheese, extra nuts and orange zest to garnish.

Cream butter and vanilla, gradually add icing sugar until you get a dry, crumbly mixture. Add the cream cheese. DON"T BEAT THE CHEESE, just fold it in gently by hand, as it becomes watery when over mixed - the icing must still look slightly lumpy. Ice muffins when completely cooled. Garnish with chopped nuts and orange zest.

HINT: Most cream cheeses have quite a high water content and must be dripped in a sieve lined with kitchen paper or muslin before used in the icing. I used Spar Low Fat Smooth Cottage Cheese (Plain) and it didn't need to be dripped.

Muffined out signing off ...

Ilembe Ultra Marathon (50km)

Yes, that is what I did on Sunday!! Got up at 04h00 to get ready and arrived ad Umhlali for this gruelling 50km race. Dereck did the 23km. Whilst I have not done much training for this, it was a race that I had to do as when I completed it I wold get my permanent number for having completed 6 of these races. I was given an hour aromatheraphy massage from PULSE from Reg, Jeanine and Sharon to thank me for having seconded them on the Gaterite 50km in July (I will do a blog story about this very soon). This was the best massage that I have ever had and I think it was thanks to this that my legs are not sore or too stiff after the 50km . It was really really hot and I have got seriously burnt and for me that is the sorest part.

This race for me, was not about doing any fantastic time, or where I came - it was about finishing it to get my permanent number - I did and my number is 137. I took 8h09:06 and was really glad once I crossed the finish line.

As I crossed the finish line, I made a decision that this was my last ultra and that I would not be doing distances longer than 25km in future. Training for that sort of distance is achievable. I feel that I have achieved what I wanted to in my walking career - in particular - permanent number for Postnet 42.2km having completed 5, permanent number for Gaterite 50km having completed 3 and now permanent number for the Ilembe 50km having completed 6.

A huge thanks to Dereck for being my seconder after he had completed 23km, to Big Dave who was seconding various people after he had completed the 23km and was at the right place at the right time with the right refreshments, and to Sharon, Little Dave, Antoinette, Reg & Jeanine who all encouraged and supported me.

Happy Ultra Walker signing off ...

An Unwelcome Visitor ...

Yesterday was a fairly quiet day for me. I got up at 5am to get ready to assist my club, PDAC with registration for their 10 and 21.1km race. I wasn't racing as I had a rather stiff ans sore back. Once I had finished with registration I sorted and rolled up socks for the participants and then tallied up all the boxes of money. I helped the tea ladies cut up the cake for the athletes and then came home.



I worked on a collage that I am doing for a friend's daughters 21st. At about 13h30 Dereck went out to his friend, Darryl's place to watch the Grand Prix. At about 14h10 while I was in my study the dogs started barking frantically (the sound when someone or something is there). My heart jumped into my mouth as I thought someone was in the house. Imagine my horror when I came through to the lounge and saw this ......

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a total fear of snakes, including the toy plastic ones!!! I was due to go to a Tupperware Party at my friend Karen's house at 15h00 and there was this snake in my house with no-one to help me. I managed to get the dogs away from it as once I came into the lounge they were trying to get it. I phoned Dereck, who was by now in Glenashley and knew that he could not come and help me, but I had to tell him. He informed me that I must get a broom and let it hook onto the broom and then just take it outside - me get a snake on a broom!!! what if it turns round and comes up the broom?? While I was talking to Dereck, the snake turned around and started looking at me - that just did it!! I tried to phone my brother, Malcolm who lives in New Germany, but they were out. I phoned Grant to see what time he was coming home and that was only going to be later. As I went a little closer to see this snake, it turned around and slithered behind my wall unit. Ok cook - now how was I going to do anything and with me going out, it might have come out of there and then anywhere in our house! I tried sliding some newspaper along the wall whilst shining my cell phone light onto it, but it just curled up tighter into the very very small space. Time was fleeting and I went to get changed and when I came back, its head was sticking out from behind the wall unit, but facing into the lounge. When it saw me it went behind the unit again. I locked the dogs outside and went to my Tupperware party and when Dereck got home he sent me an sms and informed me the snake was not behind the unit!! I told him he just had to keep looking for it! I then got another sms stating that he had found the snake. It has slithered accross our door and was in the opposite corner behind the curtain and Jemma our sausage dog had sniffed it out. Dereck put it onto the broom and very kindly took it out into the garden where it very quickly climed up the Yellow-wood tree. Relief!! In between all this, I just had to take a photo - don't know what I would have done if it had slithered towards me!!!!

Snaked out signing off ....

And a Dash of Speed ..

Well it was the inter club ladies time trial league race last night. This time it was at Forest Hills. It was a 4km route which was fairly flat, but some gentle inclines that "bite" your legs when racing!! Sharon fetched me and then Nicky and to avoid a traffic jam we had heard about on Fields Hill we went via Wyebank. Got there with plenty of time to register and warm up. We started a bit late due to the traffic jam, but then we were off. Sharon did 27 minutes and came fourth, I did 32 minutes and Nicky did about 34 minutes. I felt really great and had racewalked the whole race, which for me was a very good thing considering I have not been "racing" much over the last few months.

Speedy signing off....

The Movie Experience ...

I belong to the Edgars Club and they had a preview on Thursday evening of the movie called Äre we done yet?" It is about this guy who is married to a women with two children and they live in his one bedroom apartment and how he wants to get a house of their dreams and everything that happens. It was quite funny, but not the best that I have ever seen. Anyway Dereck didn't want to see it so Grant came with me. It was out at Gateway and when we arrived there as we turned to park, this guy in uniform indicated to me that I could park in a designated area. He lifted the chain and usshered me in! We had a good laugh at this thinking that the guy must think we were some dignatories or something. We got our tickets and then had Barccelos chicken for supper. We got 2 free boxes of popcorn and then bought a coke. After the movie I drew some money as I knew that I did not have any cash on me bar a few coins. The machine only gave out R100 notes. We went to the machine to pay our parking ticket and I said that I didn't have any coins - Grant said it should only be about R5 which I did have. We put the ticket in and it wanted R8-00. Out came all the coins and I only had R7-50 as it would not accept 20c or less. We had a problem as I was not going to put in R100-00 and get R5 coins as change!!! I ended up asking the guy next to us for 50c. Grant and I just packed up laughing - he could not believe what had just happened. The guy who gave us preferred parking ended up getting a handful of coins as his tip. Every now and then I just packed up laughing at our experience and we said that we should have phoned Dereck to tell him that we were 50c short to get out the parking, but we both decided that he would have just said "so what do you want me to do?" Anyway, we got home ok.


Short of change signing off ...

On a sad note ...

We found out from Leanne yesterday, that although her first day at work was great, it is currently door to door sales and until one makes a sale, here is no income and one has to pay all costs ie travel and meals while trying to make a sale. So.. for a first time job needing an income, this is not a great option at all.

But the worst thing is that she twisted her ankle on the week-end and with all the walking on Saturday doing training as well as on Monday, it has got worse and she was not able to go to work yesterday. She ended up going to the local hospital and it is a grade 2 sprain, is strapped up and she is on crutches and has to rest for at least a week - no income! On top of that she has what looks like a spider bite on her shin which is adding to the whole swelling of the ankle/leg look.

So, my baby girl is just not a happy person at present. She has another job interview lined up for a live in position at a sports centre, so please pray hard that she is able to get this position.

Sad mom signing off ....

News Update

Well, the great news is that Leanne has landed herself a job in London, starting this morning. It is a Sales/Marketing position in the sports field. She is very excited about it and we wish her well in the start of her working career.

Wednesday evening Dereck and I went to see Die Hard 4.0 - if you like action and of course Bruce Willis, this was a great movie. On Thursday, Rayna, Nicky and I went to Hobby-X. A big disappointment from last year. There were not half as many stands like previous years and I think there were only 2 big scrapbook stands, but were so crowded, you had to be desparate to buy something from them to wait inthe queues - even just to look at their products. Rayna treated us to something hot to drink and a HUGE piece of lemon merangue pie - it was really yummy!!

I had taken Friday off and at about 08h15 Dereck and I decided to go and see the Bourne Ultimatum. There are three movies that follow on from each other, and this was the third. Excellent - lots of excitement and adventure. I then went and had my hair cut and did a bit of shopping at Makro.

Once home I carried on with a collage that I was requested to do for a friend's daughters 21st coming up in September. I have almost finished all the cutting out of the photos and now just need to do a few more then stick them all down. I have really enjoyed doing this and will post a picture once it is complete.

Saturday, I spent most of the day doing my collage.

Yesterday whilst reading the paper, I saw a notice that the Black Mamba - Directors Cut was having their last show. I fetched Dereck's sister, Lesley and her son Nicholas, and we went to the Heritage Theater to see if they had any space available. They did and made up a table for us. Saw Rayna and Louis there too. What a great show! The food was good - I had the peri peri beef strips as a starter - others had butternut soup and vegetables and for main 3 of us had calamari and the other 3 had lamb shanks (me, Grant and Lauren, Lesley, Nicholas and Dereck). For pudding Lesley and Nicholas had creme brulee, Dereck had cheesecake and Grant, Lauren and I had chocolate overdose - very yummy!!

Got home and cooked some mince for later while Dereck and Grant took Lesley, Nicholas and Lauren home. Sat and watched TV the rest of the evening.

A great long week-end having achieved quite a bit.

Collager signing off ...

Photographing and Scrapping at Cathedral Peak

Well, we are back from a fantastic 4 day photographing and scrapping extravaganza at Cathedral Peak, organised by Desire Fourie (the teacha). We (Dereck and I) arrived on Thursday morning and met Shelley & Rayna on the terrace for morning tea. We sat around chatting until everyone else arrived - Sheila, Carolynn, Desire, Conroy, Denise, Henry, Bev, Graham (who only arrived much later), Retha, JC, Karen and Riaan. We had a buffet lunch and thereafter started with our photography lecture. This was to enlighten us on how to compose the "perfect picture". We were all given a worksheet of what photos to take, with hints and tips to assist us. We had a buffet supper, sat around chatting and had an earliesh night, ready for the morning!

Friday morning, we all met for our buffet breakfast at 7am and then met again afterwards for our hike to "Neptune's Pool". This was a 5km walk (as advised by Desire!) but it was actually about 9.5km. We had a fantastic guide - Moses - who always made sure we knew where we were going and waiting patiently for us as we stopped to take our "required" photos. Here are a few of the view on the way to the pool.

At the pool we sat and ate our picnic lunch, took some more photos and then headed back to the hotel. A few more adventurous people took a slight detour and saw some cavemen paintings - Dereck was one of them!

After tea, the next serious part of the getaway began - a new scrapping layout. This is my end result - it was when I went to a scrapping week-end in March at the Bundu Safari Lodge. I flew there and this layout is of the airport which had a very rustic feel to it.

Everyone was quiet tired after the looong walk and fresh mountain air, so after our buffet supper, beds were calling.

Saturday morning after breakfast, Dereck went to play a game of golf, and the scrapping ladies went to a spot at the bottom of the hill to take portrait pictures. We had loads of fun. Once this task was complete, we had tea and then started on our second layout. Mine was of Grant and Lauren at her Matric Dance. This was the end result.

Met the guys for our buffet lunch and then went back to scrapping our third layout. Mine was of the makeover we had at the Bundu week-end away. We had a complete makeover and photo shoot, which was a lot of fun and certainly a new experience. This was the end result.




At 4pm we met the guys to go to the golf course to take photos of reflections. But before we got there we had a group photoshoot outside the little church and then in the dip of leaves - this really was fun as we started throwing leaves in the air and of course they landed over everyone!!

After another buffet dinner, the ladies went back to finish off their scrapping projects.

Sunday morning was a sad one as it was time to go home. After breakfast, we all packed and then checked out of our rooms and met in the conference room to finish off any scrapping and then to crit our photos that we had taken over the last 4 days. This was good fun as we could see where we had gone wrong in creating that perfect picture!

We arrived home at about 4pm to lots of licks from the dogs - Zippa, Jemma and Izzy.

Happy Cathedral Peaker signing off .......