Jeandre's Christmas Edition

This is for my family. Merry Christmas.
This is one of Jeandre's Favourite Songs.

Pictures taken by Claudelle Bender (except for the last 3)
Claudelle is available for photo shoots in the Cape Town, Somerset West area

Be Back Soon

Just having a short holiday from blogging. Will be back soon with my working wardrobe for 2008, updates on my website (there has been add page so check that out), hopefully I would have completed my 100 ideas swap and who knows what else.

Photography

Create a Free Slideshow

Digital Scrapbooking

Remember the problem I mention in Playing around with Photoshop . I had my friend Claudelle showed what to do on her computer. When I got home I still struggled a bit. And then the sweet taste of success. It was actually so simple it is embrassing but if you don't have the knowledge and experience ..........

Snow White and Reindeer

WW Tuesday's Christmas Edition below.

Featured post of the week: Growing up in South Africa

Christmas is coming to Town

WW (Tuesday Edition)Photo taken by Claudelle Bender
Western Cape, South Africa
(claudellephotography@gmail.com)

Where have I lived?

Where have I lived?

Durban Kwa Zulu Natal:

1. Sydenham (3 different homes)

2. Newlands East

Other Places Kwa Zulu Natal:

3. Piertmaritzburg ( in a flat and a house)

4. Annerly near Port Shepstone

Johannesburg :

5.Boksburg

6.Heidelberg (2 different houses)

Western Cape:

7.Somerset West

Overseas:

8. Live for one year in the USA - one month in Connecticut and 11 months in New Jersey

When I was a baby we lived somewhere in Mapumalanga for a short while.

Random Fun

Click here for my Unconscious Mutterings meme: Free Association 9

I picked this idea up from Wakela's World

Here are the rules: Type the answer to each question into a Google image search, and you pick an image from the first page of results…easy peasy…and fun!

1. The age you will be on your next birthday. (33 in Oct 2008, my husband is a linux fan think he like the fact that I chose this picture from the first page.)

2. A place you would like to visit. (Europe)

3. A favorite place to be. (So many.........close to water - river waterfall)

4. Favorite Food. (macronic and cheese pasta, Beans curry and roti with carrot salad)

5. Favorite Animal

(Butterfly - which is technically an insect - so animal I would have to say Dolphin)

6. Favorite Color (Blue)

7. The town you were born in. (Durban, South Africa)

8. Name of a past pet. (Tammy - actually my sister's dog - I never wanted a pet)

9. Name of a past love ( Jeremy Duncan - summer romance - we became pen-pals for 4 years discussing our relationships and experiences. We dated at the same camp I

actually first noticed my husband)

Jeremy Piven

10. Your first name (Simone)

11. A bad habit (procrastination)

12. First Job (working in a factory that made beauty products - it was horrible - I determined that I would never contemplate ever not getting an education)

13. Grandmother’s name (Ida)

14. College Major (Education and History)

Free association # 9

Unconscious Mutterings host by Luna

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

1. Interview::job, audition
   
2. Army :: slave, fight, die
   
3. Unwrap :: sensual, eat
   
4. Evolve :: develop, become new, change, butterfly
   
5. Bus :: car, travel, fun
   
6. The real thing ::honest, truth, rare
   
7. Streak ::butt naked, stripe
   
8. Gorge :: eat like a pig
   
9. Spicy :: Indian curries (yummy), interesting, makes life worth living
   
10. Course :: study, path
    

Reflections on this past week

Wow. What a productive and great week.

I have been walking ever afternoon with my husband.

I took my daughter and some friends to Canal Walk - photos of this adventure below and more coming up soon. We were there from 10am till 3:45pm. Kids ages 1,3 and 6. They played on pirate ships, Jeandre dressed up in princess clothes, met Father christmas, Winnie Pooh and Tigger. Check out a new place - . We really felt it was worth the visit and the cost. definitely go there again despite the long drive (45min-60min depending on traffic).

Thursday we baked cookies together and watched a movie.

My new blog and weightloss program has gone well. 4 Day Win.

I have worked on my 100 Ideas swap, digital scrapbooking and website building.

Completed reading two romance books and knitted the 4 piece the poncho. Now I need to block - something I have never done before.

I am very pleased with myself. I got this morning, Exercised and drank two glasses of water.

10 Christmas Activities for Families

By “The Whack-E-Doo Mom”

For children, Christmas is magic. It’s wonder and excitement. Often times, for grown-ups, it’s mile long shopping lists, mile long lines in department stores and mile long credit card bills piling in after the first of the new year. Don’t allow the hassles and stress of the holidays to diminish your Christmas spirit! Christmas is a time for memories, not migraines! Here are some fun ideas for you and your family to regain the true meaning of Christmas.


1. Ambush your kids with a surprise late night drive around town to see lights and decorations. Get them all set for bed, in nice warm jammies. Then, right when you are about to tuck them in, scoop them up, bundle them in blankets, buckle them in the car and go cruisin’! Be sure to have Christmas tunes ready in the car to sing along to. Older children will especially get a kick out of this special holiday adventure!


2. It’s important to teach your children that Christmas is not just about presents under the tree. Have your children decorate an old shoe box with reds and greens and ribbons and bows. Then talk to your children about gifts that don’t come wrapped, gifts that you can’t touch, such as love. Help your children make a list of all the gifts that they are thankful for that can’t be wrapped and put under the tree. Put the list in the box and place the box in a prominent spot in your home as a reminder of this life lesson. You can pack the box away with your holiday decorations and add a new list each Christmas.


3. Lights, camera, action! Act out your family’s favorite Christmas story, such as Frosty the Snowman or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and record it. Everyone knows how the story goes, only rehearse your skit once, then capture it on film. You are guaranteed tons of laughter and a great memory!


4. Start a Christmas tradition that each year your family will do something new, something that your family has never done before to celebrate the spirit of the season. It can be anything – ice skating, caroling – have each member of the family come up with an idea for a first-time activity and write them down, then throw all the ideas into a hat. Then write each member of the family’s name down and throw them into a separate hat. Mom or Dad can choose the name out of that hat and whoever they pull out gets to pull the activity out of the other hat. Maybe your experience will be a one shot deal (we had a skiing fiasco in our family last year) or maybe it will be something your family wants to add to the Christmas traditions you already celebrate each year.


5. Get out of the house! Check your local newspaper for community Christmas events that you and your family can enjoy together – going to see a high school production of “The Nutcracker”, joining an organized caroling event or attending a live nativity scene.


6. Put together a time capsule to be opened on a future Christmas. Have your child include their Christmas Wish List, holiday crafts that they’ve made in school and whatever else you’d like to add as a Christmas memory. Mark the box with “Christmas” and the current year and then the year you’ll uncover the time capsule – how about five years from now? Your then eight year old will be horrified to learn she wanted a Barney tape when she was three! You don’t have to actually bury your Christmas Time Capsule – unless you want to – it will stay much safer up in the attic or hidden away in the garage.


7. Tell your children the story of the birth of Jesus. Explain to them that the baby Jesus was born poor and homeless and that even though that was many, many years ago there are still babies born today who don’t have what they need. Take your children to the store and have them pick out gifts for babies born like baby Jesus. Take your children with you to a pregnancy center or woman’s shelter to donate the items. Say a special prayer at bedtime that night for the babies who will receive their gifts.


8. Expose your children to Christmas traditions from around the world. Do some research online or check out a book from the library and educate yourself on Christmas customs from different cultures. Then share your new knowledge with your little ones. One of the traditions you learn about may speak to you and you may want to incorporate it into your own family’s holiday traditions.


9. Hear ye’, hear ye’! Create a family newsletter to send out with your Christmas cards or through email this year. Tell about what’s happened in your family in the past year. Each member of the family can have their own message, older children can write their own and younger children can dictate to you what they’d like to share. You can even include photos, recipes, a word search – whatever you’d like.


10. Many families give their children’s school pictures or a family portrait in a frame as a Christmas gift. Why not add a really personal touch to an already personal gift? Help your children decorate the frames in any manner they choose. You knew you’d find a use for those odds and ends craft scraps of yours!


Hope these suggestions have been helpful. Don’t try to do all of the activities or you’ll wind up more stressed than before, just pick those that spoke to you. Christmas can be a magical time full of wonder and excitement, even for busy grown-ups. Don’t lose sight of what matters this time of year and don’t pass up an opportunity to make a special Christmas memory. Even the seemingly simplest activity can create a special Christmas memory for your child. Maybe even one they will share with their own children someday when they’ve turned into a busy grown-up and need to rediscover their Christmas spirit.

Happy Holidays, here’s to the memories…

Free Articles for Your Website

WW # 31

What's Your Spiritual Type?

Belief Net Quiz: What's Your Spiritual Type?

You scored 69, on a scale of 25 to 100. Here's how to interpret your score:
25 - 29		Hardcore Skeptic -- but interested or you wouldn't be here!
30 - 39		Spiritual Dabbler -- Open to spiritual matters but far from impressed
40 - 49		Active Spiritual Seeker – Spiritual but turned off by organized religion
50 - 59		Spiritual Straddler – One foot in traditional religion, one foot in free-form spirituality
60 - 69		Old-fashioned Seeker -- Happy with my religion but searching for the right expression of it
70 - 79		Questioning Believer – You have doubts about the particulars but not the Big Stuff
80 - 89		Confident Believer – You have little doubt you’ve found the right path
90 - 100

Playing around in Photoshop

So I have finally started to play around and I feel I am starting to learn something. It amazing how much time one can spend on one project and in the end feel like you have made little progress.
But from experience I know that the "mistakes" I make now will prove useful later.
using a free layout I downloaded and a photo taken by Claudelle Bender. One of my favorite photos of my daughter on my husbands bike.


What I would really like to accomplish is to get the picture behind the flower and the words. I wish there was a button that I could click says take picture to the background.

Copy Right

Things are so readily online especially photographs and pictures. Most of us just see something we like and we use. Recently I have become more and more aware of this. The picture I had in my header I found using google search engine, there was no clear copyright on it but I felt more and more uncomfortable using something to represent me and I was not sure if I really had the right to.

So, today I did a search for copy free pictures and clip art. Using photoshop, MS Picture Manager and MS PowerPoint I design a new header using my own photograph.

If I could just learn photoshop, I am sure i could just used one program.

Free association # 8

Run by Luna Nina.

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

1. Master::and Commander
   
2. Tour ::holiday, fun
   
3. Input ::output
4. Downtown ::Uptown Girl
   
5. Pricey ::expensive, probably not worth it
   
6. Acceptable ::by whose standards?, relative
   
7. Terrace ::garden, beautiful, romantic setting
   
8. Sunday ::Breakfast in bed
   
9. Payoff :: Pay it Forward
   
10. Jack and Jill ::went up the Hill (I can't help it, its ingrained)

Movies and songs seem to be theme in my thoughts this week.

100 uses for Tin Cans

I am participating in a swap where we have to use 5 things to do on Keri Smith list 100 ideas.

Now i wondered if I could think of a 100 uses.

Here we go:

1. container for jam
2. Pot plant
3. Candle holder
4. Toy - Telephone (I made this when I was a child - googled for a pattern click here)
5. Money box
6. Pencil holder
7. Glass to drink water
8. Bin
9. Tie them at the back of wedding cars
10. Recycle it
11.From the DIY network

Tin Can Border

Edge out your garden with recycled cans.

12. Use as a lunch box
13. Gift box.
14 Store Biscuits etc...
15. Soap container
16. Use as skittles
17. Use food cans as free weights f0r exercise
18. Small stilts
19. Make a utility belt.
20. Christmas tree ornaments
21. Trick or Treat cup: batman treat cup, cat cup
22. Wishing well
23.Gift Bag (Christmas Snowman Recycled Tin Can Gift Bag Containers)
24. Tin Can People (instructions)
25. Lantern (instructions) (How to Make a Tin Can Luminary )
26. Picture frame

Follow ideas from (Clever Tin Can Uses)
27. Tomato juice cans covered in pretty fabric or ribbon make great wine holders for gifts
28. Make a picnic holder from two coffee cans and four soup cans. Spray paint them in fun colors and hot glue them together. Place paper plates and napkins in the large cans and flatware in the small ones. The wind won't blow them away.
29. Make a decorative umbrella holder from four coffee cans. Open both ends, hot glue them together end-to-end, and cover them with adhesive-backed paper. Leave the end on the bottom can for a base.
30. Use a large coffee can to make "round" bread. Remove both ends and lay on the side while baking.
31. Olive can electric lamp.
32. Use as sand pit toys.
33. Nuttoes - cook-in-a-can.
34. Make a musical instrument - shakers
35. Make a musical instrument- drums
36. Fill them with little rocks and use them as maracas.

Form a pyramid like figure with a bunch of cans to throw balls at them and win teddy bears
37. Target practice for BB guns or sling shots.
38. Body of a rocket.
39. Hot Air Balloon
40. Body of a toy car
41. Fill with sand and use as a door stopper.
42. Use to make christmas pudding or bake bread.
43. Time capsule
44. Incense Stick holder.
45.

Any more ideas???????
HELP
Thanks

ICE CREAM

It has been nine years. Yes NINE, since I had this ice-cream. I am not sure when we started to import it. I have not bought ice-cream for ages. Today I decided to treat myself. I was so excited to discover Häagen-Dazs. Divine.

A cup of coffee and microwave popcorn.

Tomorrow back to eating healthily. But think I found my once a week treat.

Therapeutic Reflexology

I am so excited. I met a lady, Heather, studying Therapeutic Reflexology and she was looking for case study subjects. Next week I will have a "trail" session and then if I still want to do it I will have 10 sessions over 5 weeks with her next year.

This is the information she sent me.

Therapeutic Reflexology is an effective, holistic form of foot massage. It is based on the principle that the feet represent a microcosm of the entire body. Through relaxation techniques and specific finger pressure applied to the feet, stimulation of each organ system is achieved, triggering an involuntary response in the body. Increased circulation and deep relaxation are also achieved. These factors allow and encourage the body to release built up toxins, and re-balance itself.

As it is a holistic treatment, details are recorded of medical history, diet and lifestyle. These details will help the therapist to check for contra-indications, and also create a clear picture of the person as a whole. Records will also be taken of all treatments.

A treatment is +- 60 minutes in length, with the first one being longer to allow time for completion of documentation. The treatment is mostly pleasant, but some areas could be sensitive if out of balance.

Treatment reactions vary form person to person, though some of the things that one might experience are:

Increased urination (darker & strong smelling)

Flatulence and more frequent bowel movements

Headaches

Nausea

Aggravated skin conditions

Increased mucus secretions

These are all normal reactions to the body's healing process and should abate within a few hours. Drinking plenty of water helps flush toxins more quickly. A nap or rest also helps.

As this is a case study, treatments cannot be skipped, or cancelled, as I need to make sure that the treatments are at regular intervals. I will also need to take photos of your feet, so that the accuracy of my treatments and findings can be checked.

Contra-indications would be:

Those suffering thrombosis (in the last 6 - 8 months)

Insulin-Dependent diabetics

Pregnant women in their first trimester

Patients with lymph cancer, leukemia, osteoporosis or epilepsy

Anyone with any kind of internal bleeding

Anyone with any inflammation of infection of the veins

Knitting

Here is my new computer chair. Yay !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I am on the third of four panels for poncho for my daughter for next winter.
Then I plan on making her a bag. I am busy looking for a pattern to make myself something as well.

Inspirational Poem

This afternoon I was given the gift of being an angel. My intention was to visit a friend but instead I drove into town to buy a book to read. An acquaintance spotted me with great relief and asked for help. I was able to help her. She said I was an answer to prayer.

Found this poem on Monday Morning Power. I think this is a great message that we need to be reminded of every now and again. I needed it.

Thank you Mel.

Only You

Whatever may happen, by accident or plan;
Whether by nature or whether by man;
No matter how terrible you feel you've been hit
Look for the seed of a much greater benefit.

With every adversity, failure, and heartache;
With more bad news than you think you can take;
And all seems lost with nowhere to turn;
Take a deep breath, look, listen and learn.

Recovery and success are out there to find.
Believe in yourself and have a clear mind.
Stand up and stand tall and know that you will,
With courage and faith, conquer that hill.

Be sure of yourself and know you won't fail.
Leave the doubters behind as you blaze your own trail.
Only you know what it is that you need.
Only you can decide if you fail or succeed.

(An original Poem by Mel Kaye)

Posted with permission.

Dealing with nasty

Yesterday I wrote about the trouble that I caused. I did not go into details, cause really wants to look back and remember something like that unless maybe to learn something from it.

Well someone really got nasty and called my apology and my attempt to "correct" it , smoke and mirrors. Now I am sitting and crying wondering I should just remove myself from the group. Then someone else put into words my intention so beautifully.

There is always a danger of getting hurt and should I really let this incident ruin the good experiences that I had.

Right now I am feeling emotional, so its probably not a good state of mind to make any decisions. But if something is no longer fun, my feeling is that I should move on. What are my options:

1. Ignore and carry on as normal
2. State my opinion one more time and then forget the matter.
(I have sent one person a message, but I am not sure I want to see the reply)
3. Remove/delete that particular section.
4. Remove myself completely from the group.

Put my foot into it

WW # 30 below

I have done it again. Caused a storm without meaning too. Have you ever done something that you thought was a great idea and then others turn on you and really get mad. I seem to do this at least once a year - then I find myself apologising and feeling really embarrassed.

Part of the problem is that I sometimes don't an idea through properly - I spontaneously implement it eg. Invite someone to an outing/party...........

Then I wonder if I should really contain myself, others seem to get a way with being rude etc..... Why can't I get away with being "nice" or kind.

I have always felt that we should celebrate differences.

So despite being wrapped over the knuckles I hope that my subconscious will continue to forget the hurt I feel and that I will continue being spontaneous and fun-loving. Of course I want to still be sensitive to the needs of others.

WW #30

Looking for inspiration?

Two activities that I am participating in that inspire.

100 Ideas from kerrie smith illustrations - Swap Bot - swap organise by teresa

Last day to signup/drop:	February 29, 2008
Date items must be sent by:	April 30, 2008

Manny and Addie . You need to highlight(bold face) everything that you have done. Along the way you might get inspired to try something new or not.

Manny has suggested checking out our lists in five years time. I remember participating in a Youth Leadership camp where we wrote letters stating what we would like to achieve in 5 years time. It was posted to us. What a great surprise in five years time when I received my letter and I had done everything on my list!

So is my list - I have decide to put things I that I will never do in red and things I would like to try in gold.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken (is that possible?)
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (What's D&D? guess if I don't know I have not done it)
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (in the process)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (do fish count?)
137. Skipped all your school reunions (technically none have been organised)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Free association # 9

Unconscious mutterings by Luna Nina

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

1. Music :: peace, love, joy
   
2. Insanity ::all over again
   
3. Curtain ::arghhhhhhh
4. Nickname ::Mona Lisa
   
5. Container ::contain - stifle
   
6. Roast ::chicken and potatoes
   
7. Thong ::panty
8. Purple ::royalty
9. Holidays ::fun, party
   
10. Christmas tree ::tradition, do I really have to.......
    

Holidays

O joy. My holidays have begun.
And the plan yes i have plan is.............
exercise or stretching in the morning, checking e-mails, swaps and blogs .......

For the first week some year planning and major office clean up
Then for leisure reading, swimming, knitting, visiting friends and playing with my daughter.

Twice a week chilli wraps. Home facials and foot spas.....

This year I am not expecting any family for Christmas and my hubby is working so we cannot travel to them.