20 Questions Swap

Hosted by the Swapchatter group

1)What are 5 items in your refrigerator?

yogurt,cheese,milk,juice,tomatoe

2)What does your favorite "you" outfit consist of?

jeans and a comfortable top with either takkies (sneaker/trainers) or boots

3)Where do you spend most of your time on the web?

mmmmmm hard one to answer it varies from time to time but mainly google ,blogger, swap-bot and synthasite

4)What is the greatest lesson you've learned so far in your life?

Never to give up

5)If you could pick any TV show that has been off the air to come back for one more season, which show would you pick and why?

The Class - I thought that it was really funny, I also loved that it was only 20min long so it didn't like you wasted your time in front of the television.

6)What are some of your favorite (or not so favorite) summer memories?

Young Life (Youth camp) 1991- summer romance and inadvertently formed my first opinion on my husband to be but only officially met him 7 years later.

7)What would you do if you were invisible for 24 hours?

Not a clue.

8)Do you have any odd nervous habits? If so, what are they?

I don't think so. if I do then I am unaware of them.

9)If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

French coast or an island

( I just moved to Ireland - but I am thinking one in the warmer regions)

10)What's the most important thing to you?

Love

11)Do you lose your temper easily?

no

12)What do you buy often?

groceries and coffee

13)What is your least favorite colour?

pale green and pink

14)What is your favorite candy?

Whispers (if that counts as candy)

15)What are your favorite tv shows?

Dexter, CSI, After You've gone, Amazing Race

16)What movie always makes you cry?

Sisterhood of the travelling pants and Sense & Sensibility

17)What are you currently swapping?

• Not Your Typical Newsletter Traveling
• 20 Questions Email Swap #3
• email swap. pics of us :) international
• One Week Challenge
• What I Love Photography
• Celebrate 100
• Why I Swap ESWAP
• Home Is Where the Heart IsPen Pal ESWAP
• 100 Answered Prayers
• Digital Denim Diva ATC (e-swap)
• Bible Bookmark Swap
• Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
• 100 Positive Affirmations
• Leaf Printing
• Photo Hunt
• ** Digital Swap ** Fall Leaves/ Scenery** Photo Sw
• Handmade Christmas Postcards
• Christmas/Holiday E-Card Swap
• Happy New Year E-Card swap

18)How do you relax?

Read a book, listen to music, go for a walk, sip coffee and look out the window

19)What star-sign are you?

Libra

20)What is your talent?

Teaching

Gone Camping

We are going camping for 2 nights and three days. Full report with photos next week. Plus I will be sharing some of the wonderful ideas I got from my Don't Be Bored in September Swap.

1 September will be Jeandre's first day in her new school. I have a pap smear and will hopefully going knitting in the evening - Chick with Sticks group.

The plan for Monday is a picnic on our lawn or an indoor picnic (I Live in the land of rain).

Two Needle Slippers for Charity

This is what I am busy with at the moment. Knitting for an old age home in Hillsborough (Northern Ireland) with CHICKS WITH STICKS knitting group.

PATTERN

These slippers have been around in one form or another for decades, and there is a reason why - they are fast (takes an hour per slipper!), use little yarn (less than a skein!), worked on 2 straight needles (no double points needed), and they fit any size foot (even my hubby's!)

There are a bizzilion and one patterns out there for these slippers, and here's our take (because you can never have enough free patterns!)

This pattern is free

About 150 yards of Worsted or Aran yarn
Size 5 needles for kids, size 6 needles for adults

Directions are for Children, with Adult sizing in parenthesis - ( and )

Notes - SSP is a slip as if to knit, slip as if to knit, purl the two slipped stitches together decrease. If this is too much for you, simply purl these two together through the back loops, without twisting or slipping.

Cast on 76 (86)
Knit 14 rows of garter stitch.

Decrease row 1 - K 35 (40), K2tog, P2, SSK, K 35 (40)
Decrease row 2 - P 34 (39), SSP, K2, P2tog, P 34 (39)

Continue working these two decrease rows, keeping the decreases on either side of the center 2 stitches, until there are 40 (50) stitches left.

Work 7 rows of garter stitch. For a fold down cuff, work additional rows. Bind off with a size 8 or 9 needle (keeps the cuff from being too tight) and seam back and sole.

Wordless Wednesday

Mutterings Meme

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Cry :: movies, sad, expression, feel good afterwards
   
2. Stretch ::in the morning
   
3. Efficient :: use of energy, time, space
   
4. Brunch :: Lunch, every Sunday
   
5. Afro :: hair, the sixties & seventies
   
6. Preheat :: oven, baking
   
7. Delicious :: food, mouth watering, tasty
   
8. Global warming :: can be stopped,, is a reality
   
9. Actions :: speak louder than words
   
10. Ride :: horse, hitch a ride

Hosted by Luna Nina

Lovely gifts from Hubby

Today I got spoilt!

Got two novels and a little coffee machine.

We were looking at plungers and discovered that the machine cost the same price!

Got
A time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury
the Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers
and
4-6 cup Kenwood coffee machine (actually only makes 2 mugs)

Butterfly Inspiration

Random Daily Inspiration

Shine brighter than the sun and liken your heart to the flight of a butterfly. Attitude makes a big difference. Lord, help me to change that which I can and appreciate the blessings which I already have received.

What have I being up to?

Its hard to believe that the week is almost over. Just one more week and Jeandre' will be starting school.

Started the week off by listening to an accordion band at Scarva tea graden and going for a walk. Spent two days of this week I spent on filling out a job application. It was a major endeavour. Met a friend at a coffee shop to catch up. Did a lot of reading and cooking. Spent some time doing house work and ironing (this is a new experience for me).
Wrote a test today, in order to join a volunteer organisation. Now my forms will go to their head office.
Spent time on swap-bot (creating swaps and chatting on the forums). Play some games on Facebook.

All in all a very productive week. Looking forward to a busy Saturday (having people over for lunch). I have made my favourite food macroni and cheese, bake beans and sweetcorn casserole. I hope they will enjoy it.

Knowing the Day

Knowing the day

i have nothing left to say
and nothing left to learn
i've done my deed
placed my seed
got nothing left to plead

my dues are paid
my life conveyed
and love cant turn around
my sight is blurred
my life defferred
yet not one can be proud

the date when love and hate collide
is the day i shall fade in peace
and me and you can both run free
beyond the point of the sacred place
where all our greatest dreams will all be faced

now its time to go run wild
before that sacred day comes round
until that time of life and death
ill have you until my last breath

Peter Rademeyer
(Grade10)

Life, Love and Fate

Life, Love and Fate

I see the life in loves great body
not seeing the love in lifes great journey,
we go from day to day
knowing the pain will go away
we think of all those in need
and the pain of us shall all receed

I see the light beyond the cave
not knowing what life will pave
we go through life knowing the fate
will we go through heavens gate?
or will we burn beyond and below
we think of life and all it's themes
hoping someday we'll accomplish our dreams

but are our dreams made too great
or will our dreams come just too late
with love my dream is now fulfilled
and with your beauty my heart is drilled.......

Peter Rademeyer

This was written by a grade 10 learner in South Africa. Published with his permission

Well done Peter, I am looking forward to reading more of your writing.

Win a Birdie says Mug

My daughter is all about pink and princesses.
She loves this mug.



I on the other hand like this one....
Not because I drink a lot of coffee
minimum. 1-2 cups daily)
I think this one is really cute.

You can read more about this give away here: Birdie Giveaway

Northern Ireland flood adventure

Click here for Scenes of flooding in Northern Ireland

Yesterday, we were driving home from Larne, totally unaware of the chaos waiting for us in Belfast. A trip that normally takes us an hour and twenty minutes took over 4 1/2 hrs. We were on the M1 and had turn around and try and find a way off the motorway and then through the streets of Belfast. Woman with kids in her car bumped us and just continued to drive on. We got her car number plate. Its not a bad bump ......

My daughter thought that this was all terribly exciting and disappointed that she could not go and swim in the water.

After a while we were hungry, all needed the toilet and my headache was becoming unbearable. We finally found a petrol station but alas it had no public toilets. We got sandwiches and headache tablets. I had to forgo any coffee for fear of not finding a toilet.

We managed to get on another part of the M1 and found a portable toilet along the road. It looked very precaurious. Weiers braved it first. By the time I was done, many people had stopped their cars to make a bealine for it.

Listening to the radio we heard about some homes that were flooded in banbridge and wondered if we were going to be able to get home. But we did and it was not raining anymore. It was almost hard to believe that it was flooding badly and we had just managed to escape the worst.

Post number 600

Sjoe. I have reached a milestone. I wonder how I should celebrate. Write a long reflective post? List my favourite photos or post over the last 599 post? Do a giveaway?

None of those ideas grab right now. So instead let me tell you about what I am up to.

I had an inter with CAB - Citizens Advise Bereau, to be a volunteer. I have to fill in another form and then do a test next week Friday. After that I have to do a one day a week - 12 week training course. Then I have to work at least 6hrs a week.

I am also busy filling out job applications. One is to be a Drama teacher - they offer training - also 6-8 hr a week job, so I could still volunteer. The other is with a community organisation and the contract is only for 6 months. I am also looking at jobs that are totally out of my field of experience eg. waitress, shop assistant etc. So we will see how that will pan out.

Apparently it could take up to 7 months for me to register so that I could teach in a school. I have not started the process. I have registered to be a supply teacher or teacher assistant. I want to take things slowly. get Jeandre' settled into school and get to know the system before I committ to teaching in a classroom.

I would love to work in a community organisation, doing training and other stuff. I really like working in that type of environment in South Africa.

Thats whats on my mind at the moment.

Butterfly Quote

"How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." ~Trina Paulus

Walking in Northern Ireland

This weekend I had the priviledge of doing to great walks. One along the Larner promenade (3 mile circular walk, I am not sure we did the entire distance)and the other Slieve Croob (Morne Mountains, 2.4 miles/almost 4km).

We got soaked on our way back down the Slieve Croob path, but the view was worth it. We will probably do that walk again. Unfortuantely I did not take my camera with me. I was not sure that it worked after the fall it had day before avoiding a bee. The LCD screen has not recovered but it still seems to be taking photos. We could see a 360 degree panoramic view over County Down and what we thought was the Galloway coast of Scotland and the Isle of Man - we later confirmed that is was.

Chaine Memorial Tower

Situated at the mouth of Larne Harbour, and reached via Chaine Memorial Road (access off Curran Road via Bay Road), the Chaine Tower is a memorial to James Chaine, a former Member of Parliament for the area and the man who developed Larne's short sea route to Scotland as well as establishing the town as a transatlantic port. The memorial, built in 1888, is a replica of an Irish Round Tower. Read more about the the Town of Larne.

Here are some great photos of various sections along the Mourne Mountains taken by Ryan McD. Click Here to view in Flickr.

Free Association Weeks 289

1. Month to month ::Mouth to mouth
2. Adjusted ::fixed, well-adjusted
3. Prank ::a joke that is not really a joke
4. Mop ::floors, hair
5. Clarity ::clear, understood
6. Parenting ::loving it
7. Glenn ::Close (Actress)
8. Fingerprint ::police
9. Pineapple ::curry powder and salt - Durban Beach Front
10. Attorney ::lawyer

What a day!

You know when have one of those days and you have no-one to blame but yourself - ARGH.
That was yesterday for me.

It actually started the night before. I chatted myself out of sleep, then decided to read a book, I could put down. Before I knew it was 5am the following day.
A couple hours later my daughter was torturing, well that might be an exatgeration, she was trying to wake me up. Eventually she gave up and her dad got her ready for Summer Scheme. When I did get up I realised it was too late to make her lunch. So I semi-brushed her hair and gave her money for lunch. She left without her jacket or bag!

The just got worse, the printer would not work, my takkies (sneakers) fell apart in the washing machine etc. etc. A lot small things that just felt bigger because I had not slept.

Sadly we had to spend money to replace my sneakers, we are going walking this weekend. Could have bought a lot of other stuff for £50.00. On the bright side it was on special and feels comfortable. Also got a rain-coat on special,YAY!

Made sure I got early to bed!

WW - Thursday Edition

Bangor WW

Reflection on Manners

Manners,traditons, customs whats the differnce? There does not seem to be a major difference.
When I think of manners I think that many people at some stage have rebelled against at least once. Mine was carry my chair and opening my own door instead of letting the a guy or my boyfriend do it. For me it was a matter of principal from a young age. When I was seven I decided that blys had more fun and that was not fair. I determined to do things for myself and to have fun. Later on I decided I would not let my boyfriend open the car door for me because when he stopped I would read too much into it and it ruin our relationship unecessarily. But mother despaired.

I think it is quite amazing to her that I am quite "lady-like".

I have also learned to respect other peoples manners, traditons and customs and find that there are a few I actually want to observe. It makes me feel like I belong to something. It is comforting at times.

One of my favourite musicals is Fiddler on the Roof and I think that the opening song: Traditions (U-tube below) and the movie/play very nicely put into perspective that PEOPLE/RELATIONAHIPS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN manners/trations/customs - sometimes manners facilitate those relationships and other times we need to really question what is more importatnt the act or the person.

Photo and Quote Swap # 2

A Sunday in Belfast

We started our day at the Belfast Tourist information center at 11am (that is when it opens). In our browsing we discovered that there was a Spur. Unfortunately it had not address or telephone number so I had to stand in line to get information. The man behind counter had no idea but very helpfully looked them up on the internet and then called them. We found out that it was just one block down. Armed with a few more activities for the day we took off.

We found also Nandos and Pizza Hut in the mall. Then we stood outside the Spur waiting for it to open about 15min after opening time someone came out to find out if we were okay - ARGH - we finally went in. Many people have complained about service in South Africa but I have to say that after a month here and in the UK, the food and banking service in South Africa still come out tops in my book.
We will not discuss how this meal cost. Suffice to say it will not be a regular occurrence.

After the meal we did some window shopping on our way to watch an outdoor theatre performance. Rain threatened to ruin the event but we persevered and the Juggling show was great. Jeandre' was highly amused. The weathered cleared up nicely.

We drove to look at the murals in the Belfast Shankill district.

Weiers finally got his choice of going to the Botanical Gardens but by then Jeandre' had had enough, so we only saw half the gardens.

Ended the day off by going to the very large Toy R Us store where Jeandre' was allowed to choose one toy that was £15 or less.


Photo taken by Jeandre'

Antrim Coastline