The card that brought mr.Mojo back.

This is the card that I made the stamp I recieved from Heather yesterday. I just love this stamp. I coloured with my Copics and then used making Memories glitter glue over the fishie. The backgroung was done using three different colours of Colorbok inks. I really like how it turned out.
It looks like I am going to be very busy the next couple of days, because everybody that sees the notebooks I covered, seems to want one. The grade 10 RE techer has asked me to make one for every girl in grade 10 to use as journals! That means 90 journals to cover - JIKES!!! what was I thinking???? And then I fight with my son when he can't say no! LOL

Bet you thought the hole wasn't this big!

We had a terrible storm today and it rained for most of the day, so the pile of mud is a lot smaller than yesterday - most of it is lying somewhere in the roads close to our home! The hole was full when I got home. At least I know that we have good drainage. I wonder how long it will take to fix it? Or... horror of all horrors, if they ARE going to fix it?
My poor son is still working and it doesn't look like he will be finished soon. I actually think his previous boss is taking advantage of his kindness. He asked Juan if he would consider doing some work for him on a part time basis when he left the company. Juan, thinking it would be VERY part time, said yes and now his is working almost 4 hours a day for this guy! He is earning some extra money, but the poor child has a very demanding job and needs his rest more than the extra money at this stage!

Mr. Mojo was waiting in my postbox.

When I came home from school yesterday there were two things waiting for me. The one was a crater as big as a child's splash pool and at least 1 and a half meters deep right in the middle of my driveway. A pipe had burst and the municipality decided that was a good place to start looking! We live in Africa, so you know the outcome - found the leak, patched it temporarily, left the hole, said it was somebody else's job to fix and then they promptly got in their little van and left!!!!
Once I negotiated my way over the mountain of mud, I found mr. Mojo sitting in my postbox. I knew he had gone on holiday, but didn't realise it was all the way in America. No wonder he took so long to get back! I recieved this beautiful card and stamps from Heather at http://www.inkonmyear.blogspot.com

for being a runner up in her blog candy give away. As soon as I saw that stamp, my mind was racing. I finished a card last night, but with all the rain we are having the lighting has just not been good enough to take a picture. Will try this afternoon when I get home. Once mr. Mojo and I got going, there was no stopping us - I made another card and covered another note book.

I have to run now if I don't want to be late for school. Wish me luck getting over that mountain of mud in my drive way!

Didn't post, was hoping to calm down, Isn't happening!

I have been wanting to vent since Monday, but since I decided to choose happiness and positivity this year, I waited and waited for the anger to go away - but... not happening, still angry!
As those of you who know me, knows, Anke, my DD is a incredibly talented sportswoman. She was just chosen for the SA Water Polo team. She had a very serious knee injury last year as a result of Netball and had to have an operation that kept het from the sportsfields for 9 months.
She followed dr's orders to the letter, went to physio, gym and a bio=kinetisist. She started playing Water Polo in September last year, but had to wait till January to play Netball.
Her first game back at Netball was two weeks ago. She is still playing with an orthopedic brace.
OK, I promise I will get to the point! This Monday she goes to the indoor Arena in Benoni to play 3 games. First game went off without a hitch. Second game comes and her opponent is a long time rival. The two of them are very equally matched and Anke actually loves playing against her, because she finds it a challenge. They play and as usual it is not an easy game for either of them. Difference is, since Ankie's injury this girl was pretty much queen of the court and she is not used to working hard for every ball. Then it starts, she starts playing dirty. Now, don't get me wrong, my child is no pushover. The harder this girl plays, the harder Anke plays. Half time comes and when they walk back on the court, the girl turns around and says to my child (loud enough for everybody, including the umpires to hear): "I am going to take you out!"
She then proceeds to trip my child. The umpire smiles and gives the ball to Ankie's team. Then. Anke jumps in the air to intercept a ball, gets to the ball, catches the ball beautifully, but when she comes down, this girl has purposefully moved in under her. She bends down and when Ankie lands on top of her, she stands up and flings my child onto the ground on the injured knee!
As if that is not enough, she turns around, laughs at Anke who is crying from pain, and says:" I told you I am going to take you out!"
The umpire stands there laughing! I am so angry, I can chew bricks! My child can not afford to be injured now just as she has been chosen to represent South Africa in Water Polo! When I went to the Arena owner to complain, I was told that this was not the first complaint about this girl!!! Why is she still allowed to play?
Anke started playing Netball at the age of 7 and she is 21. In all those years I have never complained about anything, because I realise that every sport has its injuries and that accidents happen, but this is just not on!
You have to wonder how some parents raise their children? I have always told mine that if you love a game and you have skill, there is NO need, NOT EVER to play dirty! I thought that all parents felt the same way.

OK! Vent over. Good news is, that the brace did protect her from serious injury and that it is only a slightly stretched muscle!

This is such a small thing compared to the worries of some of my friends. Please remember my cyber friends in your prayers. One has just gone for a biopsy for her breast and another's SIL just lost his business and her DD is pregnant. Please pray for good news from the biopsy and a good job for the young man and his family.

So much has happened!

Since school started on Wednesday I have been super busy. It feels like I haven't just had a month long holiday. I have been busy preparing lessons and planning for the SRC and Cheerleaders. Then my car broke down and it was a logistical nightmare to get to school and back every day, but we survived and hopefully my car will be fixed by Wednesday!

My DS has been talking about moving out for some time now and has finally found an apartment less than 5 minutes away from work. He is currently spending a minimum of 3 hours a day stuck in traffic, so it is going to be a lot better for him. I understand that he does not want to stay with mommy for the rest of his life (he is 24 after all), but I am actually quite sad at the thought. I am going to miss him terribly. He is the only one that can make me laugh when I am hopping mad or very sad. I am going to miss the fresh vegetables from his garden - everything I plant, seems to die!

My youngest DD, Anke, has just walked into the house, after a weekend in Durban at the senior national training camp for Water Polo. She is exhausted, but very happy. She has been selected for the squad that will take part in the Commonwealth Games and the World Champs. How we are ever going to afford to send her I don't know! Please say a prayer that we will be able to do it somehow.

Those of you who know me will know that she had serious knee surgery in April last year and was not allowed to do any sport for 9 months. I am so grateful that she is able to play again. Last Monday she played her first Netball game in more than a year and although she played with a brace, the knee held up beautifully and she played like always.

While she was away we went to her apartment and finally put up the curtains that she got as a present for her birthday! she does not know yet and I can't wait for tomorrow when she is going back. Wonder if she will like it?

Tomorrow is another day from hell. Got to teach, then have Cheerleading practise for an hour and a half and then I have to take Hannah to fisio. So no time to create again.... hopefully things will slow down soon and I will be able to have something to show you.

I hate bland school stationary!

School starts tomorrow. Every year I have a journal in which I record the memorable days and moments of the year. It can be pages long or just something inspiring that I hear on the schoolgrounds, but these journals are the story of my career as a teacher. I guess the compulsion to write everything down, comes from being a language teacher!

There is nothing more uninspiring than a bland uncovered notebook! I hate them, they always make me feel like nothing I write in them could have any real value. This year I covered a black hardcover notebook.

I used papers from FabScraps, ribbon from my stash and rhinestones from Kaiser. Yet again, no purse was harmed in the manufacture of this object - it all came from my stash!

I took my journal with me to the staff meeting this morning and everybody that saw it, wanted one! So I guess I can safely say, it came out really nice!

Using up my stash!

I have succumbed to the Valentine spirit that seems to have taken over everybody else. I made two Valentines cards. Both uses Coredinations cardstock. I can't remember what the green patterned paper was, but I found it in my box of paperscraps (Must say, I am rather proud of myself! I didn't buy anything for these cards - good hey?) The ribbon is also from my stash and the little heart brad is flocked and from doodlebug designs. The stamps are from Upikit and they were coloured with my trusty Copics.

Look what I got and see what I did with some of it!

This is the blog candy I won on Candice Greenway's blog. How cool is that! The stamp is awesome and there is so much ribbon, I don't know how she fit it all in the box. I used a lot of it on my LO and I can't fit it all back in the box. Then she sent me some real candy too!

The moment I opened it, I knew exactly what photo's I wanted to use. I registered my grand children on a website where Santa sends personalised messages to each child. When the e-mails came we all sat and watched. Not the best photo's I know, but you can clearly see there amazement and joy on the photographs.

I use Coredinations cardstock. The little Santa was cut with my Cricut and Paperdolls cartridge ans the title with Mini Monograms. The ribbon is all from the Candy I recieved from Candice.

The little note in the envelope reads: Dear Hannah and Luke, please check your ouma's e-mail, I sent you a message. Make sure that you send me your e-mail address so that I can e-mail you directly next year. Love, Santa.

Inside the folders it says.

During this year Hannah Webber was, naughty, nice, a little bit of both. with little boxes next to each one to tick.

Still not sure if I like the LO. It feels like something is missing, I just don't know what.

Who wants pumpkin?

This is my DS, Juan, harvesting his first pumpkin of the year. Since he was a little boy of 4 or 5 he has always had a vegetable garden. It seems like everything he plants, just grows. These Hubbard Squashes were nearly swept away in a terrible rainstorm we had, they were hit by hail and yet, he still managed to grow amazing pumpkins. This one weighs 3.8 kilo's and he is like a father that has just had his first son. The stupid pumpkin is on display in my entrance hall for goodness sake!

He hates photographs and yet, I was told to fetch the camera and take pictures to document this momentous occasion! He even told me to please put it in my blog, so please ladies leave him a comment and tell him his pumpkin is the best pumkin you have ever seen! LOL

He even told me he would pose for any photo I wanted if I promise to scrap the pumpkin. My DH took him to the local Supermarket to have it weighed and the owner told him that he would buy his crop from hin if he wanted to go into farming. The upside is that I got really nice pictures to scrap, so watch this space, you might just see a first ever. A LO dedicated to the relationship between a man and his pumpkin!

I scrapped today, but with this photoshoot I haven't had time to take pictures, will try tomorrow.

Lessons learned from and random conversations with a 4 year old

This is my other grand daughter, Hannah. I am the luckiest granny alive, because Hannah and I go to the same school, which means that I get to see her every day. I fetch her every morning before school and drop her off at home every afternoon. The times we spend together in the car are some of my most precious memories. This is where we have long conversations about the most random topics.
One Monday morning as we got school and we were walking to her classroom, she was holding my hand and skipping away. I was a little bit irritated (It was Monday after all, and we had a whole week of school ahead of us!) and asked her why she was skipping around so much that morning. Her answer stopped me dead in my tracks: "Ag ouma, my feet are just so happy to go to school!" A valuable lesson taught by a 4 year old - it doesn't help to drag youself to school, why not have 'happy feet' instead? I have tried really hard since that day to change the way I feel about getting up and going to work and you know what? Work suddenly became a lot more pleasant.

On another occasion as we were driving home from school, the following question came from the back seat: "Ouma, does God make people?' Then followed the most amazing conversation.
"Yes Hannah", a bit of silence, she was obviously thinking about that.
"Does He make everybody ouma?"
"Yes Hannah, God makes every single person"
"Oh" Alonger silence and then this gem.
"Ouma. What do the doctors do then, do they just stir us?"
Logical question don't you think?

A few weeks later, after she had time to digest all of that, came the following:
"Mommy, where does He start?"
"What are you talking about Hannah?"
"I want to know where He starts."
Mommy doesn't know what she is on about and takes the safe route. "I don't know Hannah. Where do you think He starts?"
"I think He starts with the toes first, then your legs and then your body."
By now I knew exactly what she was talking about and chipped in. "Hannah, I think He actually starts with your heart."
"No ouma, He can't do that, because then your body will be broken!" He first has to make the body BEFORE he puts the heart in!"
Who can argue with that much logic?
I hope that in the years to come we will have many more comversations like this and that she never stops wondering and thinking about such amazing things!

Been busy these last few days.

I have been very busy the last two days. All my kids are safely back at home , but that also means lots of washing from their holidays and my dear helper is not back home yet, so guess who is the lucky winner of all the housework?
My DS had to be at work at 4h30 this morning and DH got up to wake him up. South Africa is playing a cricket match against Australia, so he just stayed up to watch the game which means I didn't get much sleep after that. DD wanted to get up at 6 to go to gym. It brought back memories of trying to wake her up for morning water polo training at school. LOL You must understand, she takes after her mother, we are NOT morning people!
And then I started with preparations for school which starts next week. I also made a few post-it holders for some of my friends who teach with me. Funny thing is, the more I make, the less I have! My 'dear' children keep claiming them for themselves and their friends.The cardstock I used is from Bazzil and Coredinations. The rest is all leftovewrs from my stash and I really can't remember what they are.

How is this for family resemblance?

Here is the LO I did of my DH's family gholfday. The papers are from Kaiserkraft and the cardstock from Coredinations. I inked everything and cut the circles from the patterned paper and lifted them with pop dots. Very simple, but maybe that means mr. Mojo is coming back slowly.

The journaling is in Afrikaans and reads as follows:

It doesn't happen often that most of the Jacobs men are together since the boys have grown up. Chris stays in Tasmania and Deon lives in Bloemfontein and the rest all lead very busy lives. When Johan heard that all the boys would be home for Christmas, the idea of a gholfday was born. Everybody was very excited.

They had to play in Delmas, because all the other gholf courses were either too full or too busy. Everybody recieved a personalised bag with Gholfballs, tee's, energy bars and peanut snacks. They left home at seven o' clock after I had to beg for a photo.

They only got back home after one, burnt, tired, but determined that this should be an annual event.

Shaun won, but Deon that actually managed to hit the ball backwards was a bigger and better story!

Bits and Pieces: Look Ma, No Stampin! and some blog candy for you

Bits and Pieces: Look Ma, No Stampin! and some blog candy for you

After much thought...

After much thought I have decided to join Ali Edwards in choosing one word for 2009. I initially read about it last year and thought that it was a great idea, but somehow I just never got round to choosing my word.
On New Years Eve, while my DH and I were having supper, we were talking about it and about just how powerful one word could be. He decided to join in and is thinking about his word as we speak. Will let you know once he has decided.
My word for 2009? I chose 'LISTEN'. I am going to listen more.
Listen to my body.
Listen to my inner voice.
Listen to my DH and my children.
Listen to what people are saying and especially to what they are not saying.
Listen to what people are saying, up to and including the full stop, before I am going to answer. ( My dearest dad always used to tell me: "Would you listen to the full stop and stop interrupting me at the comma please!" )
Listen to the voice of God that so often comes in a whisper and can't be heard above the noise in my head.
The word listen requires that I should be quiet in order to really hear what people are saying and not formulate answers in my head before they are done speaking. This is going to be very hard for me, but I am going to try!

Then of course there is all the new years resolutions that we make and keep for about three seconds. LOL

I have decided to not make them this year, instead I am listing a few things that I want to do this year.

• I am starting a photography course on the 27th of January. Can't wait! Hopefully I will be able to take better pictures after that. I will never be Sam E. , but there is always hope!
• I am going to get my motorcycle license before April. April is my 50th birthday and everybody that knows me, knows that the only thing I want for my birthday is a Harley Davidson.
• I am going to try my best to find the money to go to the class Tim Holz is presenting in Johannesburg in March. Heard via the grapevine our own Madame C is also teaching!
• I am going to learn how to say no to my grown children.
• I am going to try to live healthier and to make sure that DH lives a healthier life too,

Thats enough for one year, don't you think?

I actually did some scrapping today, but haven't had time to photograph it yet, will try to find some time tomorrow.

Hope 2009 ends better than it started!

This beautiful little face belongs to my precious granddaughter, Tertia-Lee. She is 2 years old and was admitted to hospital on the 1st of January because she just would not stop vomiting.

I am so angry I could spit. My DD took her to a hospital close to their home early that morning, but was told by a receptionist that she didn't look that sick to her and that they were too busy to treat her anyway. DD must go home and wait till later that evening and if she is still vomiting, she must feel free to come back. Can you believe it?!!!

As they got home little one started all over again. Thank God DD had the presence of mind to go to another hospital. They gave baby one look and immediately admitted her for the rest of the day and overnight. She was put on a drip and blood tests revealed a severe case of Gastro.

The dr. at the second hospital could not believe her ears when DD told her what happened at the other hospital and said that baby could have died from dehydration if she came an hour later.

Thank goodness all worked out fine in the end. Little one is back home, safe and sound. Still a little pale and scared to eat, but looking a lot better!

On a lighter note, the picture was taken on Christmas day. She is wearing a dress that I made. My first time smocking, but it didn't turn out too bad, did it?