The big 50 - kilometers in walking that is ...

Back a few years ago and being an avid race walker, doing ultra walks was all part and parcel of what I did. The Gaterite was nothing different and for me was just another challenge. What made this one different was you only had to complete 3 in order to obtain your permanent number. The race only started in 2004 and I had done the previous two. It was always held the month before the Ilembe ultra 50km, so was quite a challenge doing two 50km races within a month of each other. Nevertheless I did. This is the layout I did of my final Gaterite 50km race and achieving my permanent number - number 18. The journalling is as follows:

"The Gaterite 50km is a tough, hilly race. It starts in Verulam with a steep climb into the town and then undulating all the way down to Umhlali and along the promenade. We then head up to the old main road and into La Mercy constantly climbing as we go through the residential area. We go under the freeway to the beachside and then cross the freeway again and continue along the bad camber road into Tongaat. From Tongaat we head on back towards Verulam but at Canelands we come off the main road to go through the residential area. By this time people are out shopping and the roads are extremely busy. The last two years' races the weather was boiling hot and this year was no exception! This is the one race where Reg has walked with me the whole way until the end when my "scorpion tail" kicks in and he can't keep up!!! This particular race was a special one for me as when I finished it I would get my permanent number. My finish time for the 50km was 7h22:23 (my best time for this race) and I received permanent number 18. That means I was the 18th person to have done all three of these races so far. Janine and Sharon also did this race but I don't know their times. After a long and hot race like this, ice lollies go down very well!!!!"

This was also one of the few where the organising club arranged plates of breyani (an indian rice/curry dish) for all the finishers and it was worth having walked 50km to have some.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Ultra marathoner signing off ....

Been busy crafting

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had gone to the Ceramic Craft Studio in Northdene with my friends, Shelley & Rayna and started painting a plate. Well, I eventually finished it and had it glazed and this is the end result. I am sooooo impressed with myself as I have never seen myself as a painter (even though I copied this). I had fun doing it and I might just surprise myself and do another plate or something else that will be useful.Two weeks ago when we went for another lesson I decided that I wanted to make this welcome plaque to go on the wall next to my front door. This was done using the dry brush method of painting, which I really enjoyed. I finished this on Saturday at our lesson.

I have already reserved a nice big bull frog for my next lesson in December. I won't be going to any lessons during November as Leanne (my daughter) is arriving from Wales next Monday and will be visiting for a month, only going back on 4 December. I can't possibly go crafting when we will have girlie things to do. I am sooo excited to see her and am literally counting the sleeps until she gets here.

Thanks for looking.

Excited painter signing off ....

Another bloom

This is the other bud on my Clivia that recently opened. Very different colour to the previous ones that bloomed. There is still one more to open, so I wait in anticipation to see what colour it is.

Bloomer signing off ....

JHI Relay scrapped layout

In November 2006, wWhile I worked at Morrison Murray, we entered 3 running and 3 walking teams in the JHI Relay. Dereck was part of a mixed team which was called the "M & M Flyers". It started raining as I started and this gave me the extra reason to walk fast. We started on the field behind the ABSA stadium, went down NMR Avenue and back onto the field to hand over to the next member. I managed a time of 37 mins 36 secs for 5km. Overall our team finished 50/467 walking teams. We were the 16th mixed team, the 4th mixed team in the Accounting category and the 5th team overall in the Accounting category. Afterwards we met at the gazebo and had drinks and boerewors rolls.

This is the last of all the layouts I have done recently. I still have some more to do and will show you them once they are completed.

Thanks for looking and have a great week.

Relay walker sining off ....

Scrapping Layouts

I have been really busy these last 2 weeks, just getting on a scrapping photos that I had printed a couple of years ago. This first one is from the Ilembe Ultra walk that I did in 2006. It is a 50km walk starting at a school in Umhlali, then going towards the beach, through a serious dirt road, through sugar cane areas up a really mean hill that just seems to go on forever and then back down, onto the main road and back to the school. This was my 5th one that I had completed and need only 1 more to get my permanent number. I managed a time of 7 hours 29 mins 22 secs and finished in 159th place out of 568 walkers. This next layout was from the Spar Ladies race in June 2006. Reg always dressed up and this year he was a French Maid. Sharon and I had gone to Pietermaritzburg to do the 10km Run/Walk for Wildlife around Scotsville racecourse. I managed at time of 82mins 53 secs. Once we had finished we changed and then drove back to Durban in time to start the Spar ladies 10km. With that warm up, I had a brilliant race and finished the 10km in 78 mins 54 secs. I don't normally like flat courses, but on this one despite the crowds, I flew and really had a great race.

In July 2006 Run/Walk for Life head office decided instead of each region going to JHB for the annual convention, each region would have one in their own region. We had ours at the Westville Country Club and I was awarded a certificate for "Special Service Award". Matthew Grossett is the owner of Run/Walk for Life and is seen here presenting the certificates to each of the deserving managers.

This layout is from the prizegiving of the 1000km challenge for the 2004/2005 year. Walkers have to do 500km for bronze, 807km for silver and 1208 for gold in official races and finishing within the cut off time from the day after comrades of the one year up to and including comrades the following year. No mean feat and it meant racing every week-end and sometimes 2 races over a week-end. Anyway, I managed to complete 832.9km earning a silver medal. This was my 5th challenge completed.

This was the Friends of the Comrades fun run/walk that is normally held over the week-end before Comrades. Sharon and I were chasing mileage and had gone to PMB at about 4am to do the Run/Walk for Wildlife around Scottsville race course. I managed a time of 78mins 42 secs for 10km. When then changed and drove down to Kingsmead cricket stadium in Durban in time to do the 5km Comrades fun walk. I managed a time of 41 mins 21 secs. We then changed again and headed off to Ushaka to take part in the TNT walk for Hunger. This was an 8km from Ushaka up to the Suncoast Casino and back again. I managed a time of 63 mins 47 secs. All in all a most enjoyable day.

Oops, don't know why this is going this way, but this was when Dereck and I celebrated our 20 year anniversary and he took me by surprise down to Plettenberg Bay. One of our outings was to go to Knysna and then also to Monkeyland. I have a fascination for monkeys and really enjoyed watching them here.

Well after seeing all these layouts I am sure you will forgive me for not having updated my blog in a while. I finished off another single page layout last night just as Carte Blanche started, so it was too late to take a picture. So, you will just have to wait for the next update.

Thanks for looking.

Scrapping up a storm signing off.

My Clivia

When my brother Malcolm and his family moved to New Zealand I asked them what they were going to do with all their lovely pot plants. He said that I could have them if I wanted and one of them was this Clivia. He explained that it flowered once a year (I think that is what I was told). I found a spot on our front verandah and a few weeks ago noticed another stalk emerging. As it grew, I realised that it was going to be a flower. Just as it was due to flower, my dog Zippa knocked it right out of the leaves as she tried to jump against the wall to bark at the dog that gets into the pan handle property next to us. I move the container around and watched the plants flower. They really are lovely plants and I think I need to get some more planted in my garden in groups as they really do make a lovely show.

While these ones that have flowered are slowly dying off, there is still one that needs to flower, so I will still have a bit more pleasure in watching it grace my garden.

Flower power signing off ...

My Poor Car - 17 October 2009

On Saturday I had taken Dereck down to the rugby. Grant and Lauren were also going, but not as early as Dereck, so they left at about 1pm and took my car as Dereck would have met them after the game to get a lift home, saving me having to go back to fetch him. A few minutes after they left, I got a phone call from Grant saying "mom, I have just crashed your car into a wall down Lesley Drive - I am so sorry". I can't tell you how I felt, as I still don't know how I feel. I had been busy making my lunch and just quickly grabbed my cell, got the keys, locked the dogs inside the house and walked (very fast) down the road to see where they were. I was so relieved to see both Lauren and Grant were okay (just a bit shook up). As he was braking he hit some water on the road and lost control and as he tried to right himself, I think oversteered and went across the road onto some soft, muddy grass and straight into the wall. We helped the owners of the property to put up some blocks to keep their dogs in and then Grant tied up all the parts with string so that we could drive the car home. I made Grant drive home and I walked. All the outside parts except the bonnet are plastic so hopefully it won't be too long before I have my car back again. This is a close up of the inside where you can see how the bumper bent.

The airbags were not released, so it wasn't too bad an impact. I think if this had happened many years ago, I would have been angry, irritated, annoyed, but I am not. My thinking is that accidents happen, the car is a material item which can be fixed with a bit of an inconvenience and the most important thing is that Grant and Lauren were not injured at all. They say most accidents happen close to home - well this was probably 500m away from our home.

It was towed away today directly to the panel beater and we will hear tomorrow what the cost of the repairs is and how long it will take.

No car signing off ....

Izzy and the Hadedas

Most mornings I crumble old bread and then throw it out for the Hadedas. I have to be careful that our dogs don't see me as they then go out and try and eat the crumbs. Last week Thursday, Izzy saw me and went running out to eat up the bread crumbs. The Hadedas decided that they weren't going to wait for this little dod to go back inside and promptly joined her in eating "their" crumbs. She just ignored them and once she felt she had enough, she just trotted on back into the house. Notice the bird bath, filled with two big Hadedas.

Desire, you will note to the left of the birdbath is where I have planted my Fever tree and another further to the left of it. With all the rain we have had recently, they are both growing nicely and have lots of new green leaves.

Crumbled signing off.

Been busy Scrapping

This layout was comemorating my completion of a 42.2km walk and achieving my permanent number. I am one of a handful of walkers who have achieved this, so I am really proud of this fact. I got the layout idea from Desire from one of her layouts she did titled "Fun in the Berg". It was a great race and is my absolute favourite even though it is a double lapper. I finished this race with 3 minutes to spare being the last official finisher and received a plaque with the bronze, silver and gold medals on it. There were 7 runners behind me who did not make the cut off time. In February 2007 while I was reading the Runner's World I was dosing off and when I awoke and turned the page, there was my picture advertising the 2007 race to be held in March 2007. What a surprise I got and it was the picture that had been taken of me under the finish banner in 2004!!!! This layout below is one from the my first year as a Run/Walk for Life Manager. The journalling is as follows:

Late November 1999. It was my first year as a Run Walk for Life Manager and Wayne and I decided to have our prizegiving somewhere other than at the club, so we had it at Sherilyn Stevens’ house in Westville. Wayne was due to move into his duplex and Shelley & I made up a survival pack for him, consisting of things like toilet paper, disprins, piece of string, ear buds – to name a few, with comments on what they were to be used for!!! We were hysterical as he read them out. We had a great evening and once all the formalities were over the party goers danced up a storm. Some of the members:
Top L – Steve Beckerling, Auriol Diedricks, Nick Schutte
Middle – Me, Wayne, Shelley
Bottom L – Sean Coleman, Nick Schutte
Top R – Julie Oxenham, Me
Bottom R – Sean Coleman, Nick & Heather Schutte, Me, Shelley and Eddie Goldblatt

This layout is from the Medihelp Relay in which took place at the Yellow-wood Park club. It was a 7km walk through the nature reserve and back to the field. The various Run/Walk for Life branches joined up for this one and we dominated the field as well as the prizes. The day started off well, but by the time the 3 and 4th walkers got onto the road it had started to rain and became very unpleasant. But while the sun was shining a great time was had by all.

This layout is the Wings 15km which is a route on the Bluff. Rather hilly, but an enjoyable race.

This layout shows all the people from my branch who took part in a fundraiser walk to raise money for Choc. The journaling is as follows:

4 November 2006. We each paid R20 and got a set of shoelaces and then at our Run/Walk for Life session we walked 10km in aid of raising money for CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation). Taking part were:
Back: Donna du Toit, Jenny, Me, Jeanine Johnson, Sally Nahman, Ronnie Amm, Reg Groves, George Smith
Middle: Dave Coetzee, Jeanette Smith, Lyn Gonzaga, Nikki Bosman, Charmaine, Sharon Fuchs, Googs Mulder
Front: Eileen White, Saras Naiker, Terry Warren, Ros Schafer, Janine le Febour

Friday night Dereck and I and some of our friends had booked to go and attend night racing at Greyville, but due to all the rain, it was cancelled. So, we ended up going to Waxy O' Connor's for a drink and then something to eat. Most enjoyable as I haven't done that for a while. Got home and did a bit of scrapping.

Saturday morning Rayna fetched me and we went off to the Ceramic Craft Studio for some therapy. Rayna carried on painting her plate and I started painting a "welcome" frog using the dry brush technique. I must say I really enjoyed doing it and will certainly do some more. If you make a mistake, you just paint over it - a very forgiving craft. I haven't finished, but will hopefully finish it in 2 weeks time when we have another lesson. Saturday afternoon I carried on with my scrapping while Dereck watched sport on TV.

Sunday did a bit of shopping and then when Dereck went out to take part in a Blues festival to get into the Guinnes Book of Records for the most number of guitarists together, I went to visit my friend Audrey who had a birthday on Saturday. It was good to see her and catch up with her news. I had lunch with her and got home at about 4:30pm and carried on scrapping. I even managed to pull myself away from my scrapping to watch the Sunday movie on TV!!!

All in all a busy, but relaxing week-end.

Scrapped up a storm signing off ....

General Update

Last Thursday was a public holiday here in South Africa and I had also been given the Friday off. On Thursday, Dereck and I fetched Lesley and we went up to Summerveld to watch "Biddy" training. She is a lovely looking horse and we have been told that she is training very well. Here she is in action ...

After that we went to Dieters nursery and had a yummy brunch. After dropping off Lesley at home, we came home and I got on with some scrapping. This is a layout from Grant's graduation that I finished.

On Friday I took Grant and Lauren to the Pavilion while Dereck worked and then we fetched him and went to the Spur in Kloof for lunch.

On Saturday Shelley, Rayna and I went crafting where I finished off a plate that I painted. Just needs to get glazed and then I can take a picture to post here. We then went to Knowles to the Nibble and Natter restaurant and had lunch. Bit of a laugh as when the waiter brought Shelley and Rayna's food, he dropped them both on the floor, shattering the plates and food flying everywhere - he he!!! They eventually got another plate of food and we just sat chatting there long after we had finished eating - great company and plenty of time to just catch up.

On Sunday, Dereck and I went to Gateway and saw the movie "The Taking of Pelham 123". Was a great movie with two of my favourite actors - Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Was also nice to see the USA - getting familiar now.

Came home and carried on scrapping - finishing off another layout of when I completed a 42.2km race and received my permanent number. Still need to take a picture of it, so that will be another blog post. Then started on a single page layout which I have almost finished - just need to type out the journalling and stick down the title. Certainly been quite busy and it has been a nice feeling getting these pages done.

Happy scrapper signing off ....

Leanne's 21st collage - framed

When Dereck and I went over to see Leanne in Wales, in May this year, I had remade her 21st collage for her. I had stuck everything down except the middle photos and once I was in Wales, then I joined everything together. Leanne then took the collage in to a framer and she collected it yesterday. This is how it now looks - framed ....

I must say, they really did a great job and I am sure it looks even better in real life.

For those of you that don't know, for Leanne's 21st I had done scrapbook albums since birth to 21 for Leanne which was a total surprise. About a week before while having lunch she came up with the suggestion that I must make a collage for her. I gave her some lame excuse that I didn't want to cut up all her baby photos and that we would scan them and just print them out on paper and I would make a collage. Little did she know that there were no baby pictures to scan as they had all been scrapped into her surprise album. Once Leanne wasn't around, I gave the albums to Dereck so that he could scan them and then once they were printed, I quickly cut them out so that she couldn't see that they had been scrapped and made the "paper" 21st collage. I must say she was very pleased with the end result and I just felt that I had cheated her a bit and decided to reprint the photos properly and do an original collage and take it to her in Wales. Because of cutting it out properly, I had space and put other pictures in that had not been in the original collage, so that was also a nice surprise for her when she saw it again.

Impressed mom signing off ....

Rak up for grabs

Hope over to Scrap{a} Tale and see the lovely RAK the Queens of the Castle are giving away. All you have to do to be in line to win all these goodies from "Art from the Heart" is to become a follower of their blog. So hop on over and become a Royal follower ..... Royal follower signing off ....

Some more Scrapping

After getting back from the Drakensberg Sun on Friday afternoon, I had some inspiration to get another page done from Leanne's 21 album. There are a few pages that still need to be done and I have all the photos and paper waiting. This layout was about the band "Westlife" who I saw in 2001 while Dereck and I were staying at Sun City. While we were waiting for our lift, they came out of the "Palace" hotel. They were one of Leanne's favourite bands (Dereck's name for them was "Waste of Life" as he always said they were "one hit wonders", much to Leanne's annoyance. It was easy to do that page as I had just finished off the one below of Wisconsin in the USA and the photos were the right shape for the same layout. Well, I just have to do a page of journalling and then that is the first week of our USA holiday scrapped. I feel so good about having done this and a huge THANKS has to go to Desire for her layout ideas and paper selection.

Scrapping getting done signing off .....

Drakensberg Sun Getaway 9 - 11 September 2009

Dereck decided that he would like to go away somewhere and that I would accompany him, so on Wednesday afternoon we headed off to .....We left home at about 1:30pm and arrived here at about 4:00pm. The drive was good, but there were some serious pot holes in places and after our last trip to the Berg and having to replace 2 tyres, he drove with extreme caution!!!
The weather was not very nice, but we had both brought our books along in case of bad weather.
After checking in, we sat in the local pub and had a drink (or two) and then went back to our room to unpack and check what was on offer. We had a nice supper - a buffet - and then after supper just read our books and watched tv in the room.

Thursday morning was really miserable and after a nice breakfase we took a drive to the local shops and just had a look around. When we came back, the weather was a bit drier, so we took a walk around the resort area. This is the view from the pool area looking up towards the hotel.
This is from the hotel looking out over the resort and in the direction of where one would go and do a walk - I was certainly prepared for a walk, but it was too risky in case of rain.
Down by the dam we found this little spot that had this bench overlooking the dam and was surrounded by trees - quite cosy I must say.
A bit further on there was an enclosed pond with probably 4 ducks!!! Last time I was here, there were plenty of them. This one let me get quite close to it, but it kept its eye on me the whole time.
It kept tilting its head when I tried taking its photo - maybe it was posing - he he
Nearer the timeshare cottages we came across a monkey family where this one had found an old loaf of bread and was not letting the others have any of it. He wasn't too impressed when Dereck got a bit closer to take his photo and grabbed the bread and moved onto the road which was nearer me. Everytime I moved to take a picture, he would carry on eating, but watched me the whole time. Really funny.
A lovely little bridge just past the timeshare cottages and behind the bolwing green.
After our walk about, we had lunch and then spent the afternoon in the room - me reading a really great book and Dereck watching tv. Supper again was a buffet.

Friday morning we had breakfast late and then checked out. We left there at about 10:15am and took a leisurely drive along the Midlands Meander and popped into the Linen Loft at Mooi River. I bought two nice bath mats and then we carried on along the Meander to Currys Post, got back onto the freeway and arrived home at about 1:00pm. Dereck had some work to do, so I unpacked and then scrapped a single page for Leanne's album.

All in all a lovely relaxing two days.

Chilled out signing off ....