And 18 years ago tomorrow, this happened:
Since then there have been birthdays:
And adventures:
Wow.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
18
18 years ago today, this was me:
And 18 years ago tomorrow, this happened:
Since then there have been birthdays:
Tomorrow my child becomes an adult.
Wow.
And 18 years ago tomorrow, this happened:
Since then there have been birthdays:
Wow.
All grown up
History was made today. Jason Bainbridge, my rapidly growing up son, FINALLY passed his learner's test for both car and motorbike!!! Third time lucky... :-)
Quite frankly, we were all not sure he would - but he studied hard, and built on correcting the questions he'd got wrong last time. This time around I waited outside the test centre, armed with my trusty emergency book (a fixture of Olivia's safe box for any times requiring a long wait). Couldn't concentrate on reading though, as I was more nervous than he was I'm sure.
But an hour and a half later, he popped out the door with a thumbs-up and the whole world went YAY!
So what's the next step?
To get a driving instructor. Both Favourite Man and I could of course teach him, but we're also likely to instill bad habits that will have him retaking the driving test again and again. (I hear at least one of us sneaks past a certain traffic circle on the wrong side if there's no cars coming) Yes, we'll provide practice sessions, which may have us sprouting more grey hairs than is necessary. And if J learns to drive in Olivia, he'll be able to drive anything!
The bike licence? That will come eventually. We're on the lookout for something mid-size and affordable in the near future.
First step is done though. Official papers in hand, giving one more teen free reign to terrorize the adults.
Quite frankly, we were all not sure he would - but he studied hard, and built on correcting the questions he'd got wrong last time. This time around I waited outside the test centre, armed with my trusty emergency book (a fixture of Olivia's safe box for any times requiring a long wait). Couldn't concentrate on reading though, as I was more nervous than he was I'm sure.
But an hour and a half later, he popped out the door with a thumbs-up and the whole world went YAY!
So what's the next step?
To get a driving instructor. Both Favourite Man and I could of course teach him, but we're also likely to instill bad habits that will have him retaking the driving test again and again. (I hear at least one of us sneaks past a certain traffic circle on the wrong side if there's no cars coming) Yes, we'll provide practice sessions, which may have us sprouting more grey hairs than is necessary. And if J learns to drive in Olivia, he'll be able to drive anything!
The bike licence? That will come eventually. We're on the lookout for something mid-size and affordable in the near future.
First step is done though. Official papers in hand, giving one more teen free reign to terrorize the adults.
Mighty Mouse
We have a Mouse. But not just any mouse...
On Friday I thought I heard a rustling out in the back yard while doing some work. I might have glimpsed something - but perhaps it was just the wind moving a few old leaves.
While I was out doing the shopping later, Favourite Man heard movement downstairs. That sneaky cat from next door perhaps, stopping by via the open back door? Perhaps. The dog was sniffing around the washing machine and storage boxes - must have been a cat.
Later that evening we're all sitting around post-supper watching a bit of TV, when there was the sound of more than just a rustle from the shelves where the dog's food is kept. We all jumped up to investigate, the boys armed with torches.
Yup, something rodenty was hiding on the shelf!
Rat? (Eww...) NOPE - MOUSE!
With a Capital M.
He's awfully cute and fluffy, all brown and white - but extremely well fed, an obvious ex-pet, and very very large. Small rat size! And boy is he scared.
However, he must out - so the chase was on. From the top shelf, to the next one, to the bottom one - everything was hauled out and poor mouse hunted down. He was found cowering in a corner, peeing himself with fear. And then he was off! Behind the storage bins, where he was chased into a box that had no hope of closing and out again.
His final move was over the feet of his two male persuers - and I watched as two grown men danced and shouted.... (we won't say screamed, shall we?)
Finally he was out the back door, leaving spots of fear-pee all the way.
So now we have a Mouse. A Mouse called Hercules (not only because he's large, but because he makes giants tremble). Who is given a handful of dry dog food each evening near where he is now residing. Rather feed him out there and keep him happy than have him coming in the window hungry and literally eating us out of house and home.
I'll still either tame him or capture him - for now he'll have to enjoy the freedom of the great outdoors a little longer.
On Friday I thought I heard a rustling out in the back yard while doing some work. I might have glimpsed something - but perhaps it was just the wind moving a few old leaves.
While I was out doing the shopping later, Favourite Man heard movement downstairs. That sneaky cat from next door perhaps, stopping by via the open back door? Perhaps. The dog was sniffing around the washing machine and storage boxes - must have been a cat.
Later that evening we're all sitting around post-supper watching a bit of TV, when there was the sound of more than just a rustle from the shelves where the dog's food is kept. We all jumped up to investigate, the boys armed with torches.
Yup, something rodenty was hiding on the shelf!
Rat? (Eww...) NOPE - MOUSE!
With a Capital M.
He's awfully cute and fluffy, all brown and white - but extremely well fed, an obvious ex-pet, and very very large. Small rat size! And boy is he scared.
However, he must out - so the chase was on. From the top shelf, to the next one, to the bottom one - everything was hauled out and poor mouse hunted down. He was found cowering in a corner, peeing himself with fear. And then he was off! Behind the storage bins, where he was chased into a box that had no hope of closing and out again.
His final move was over the feet of his two male persuers - and I watched as two grown men danced and shouted.... (we won't say screamed, shall we?)
Finally he was out the back door, leaving spots of fear-pee all the way.
So now we have a Mouse. A Mouse called Hercules (not only because he's large, but because he makes giants tremble). Who is given a handful of dry dog food each evening near where he is now residing. Rather feed him out there and keep him happy than have him coming in the window hungry and literally eating us out of house and home.
I'll still either tame him or capture him - for now he'll have to enjoy the freedom of the great outdoors a little longer.
Of Food
We've been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution over the past few weeks, raising eyebrows at the habits of those across the sea, and raising eyebrows at our own not-the-best food habits too....
So every evening when I head out to do the grocery shopping, I trawl the fruit and veg section, looking for the best stuff I can find to feed my family with this show and a couple of others percolating in my head.
And I've come to one rather horrifying conclusion. We don't actually have a lot of variety in our shops. Yes, the fruit and veg aisles are filled up with stuff, but when you look at it (going through the mental image list) you have only:
What we have in our local supermarkets are close to mono-culture. Everyone sells the same stuff, likely from the same big farms, and there isn't much difference in varietals - no "heirloom" or "farmers market" goods, just things that have gone from commercial farm somewhere out there to packaging and distribution plant to us.
Which is why the farmer's market at Lourensford Estate may just need a visit from me sometime soon, connections with other local food-growers made.... and the pots out the front need to start sprouting a lot more edible landscaping. Who knows, perhaps I'll even get that vertical garden off the ground at last ('scuse the pun).
::update::
Check these out!
Home harvest from a backyard no-dig garden
Try no-dig gardening
So every evening when I head out to do the grocery shopping, I trawl the fruit and veg section, looking for the best stuff I can find to feed my family with this show and a couple of others percolating in my head.
And I've come to one rather horrifying conclusion. We don't actually have a lot of variety in our shops. Yes, the fruit and veg aisles are filled up with stuff, but when you look at it (going through the mental image list) you have only:
- Potatoes, Sweet potatoes
- Gemsquash and butternuts
- Onions, carrots
- Tomatoes x 2 varieties
- Lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms, peppers (the last two sometimes way too expensive, and the latter only eaten by myself)
- Very pricey little items like baby corn and fine green beans, small chilis and herbs (fall under "luxury items")
- Out-of-season fruits in expensive packaging (again "luxury items)
- Bananas, apples, sometimes a bit of citrus or a handful of things like kiwi fruit, granadillas, pawpaws, avos and pineapples
- Pre-packaged chopped veg of the above varieties
- Green beans, cauliflower (usually), brocolli (usually), baby marrows (sometimes).
What we have in our local supermarkets are close to mono-culture. Everyone sells the same stuff, likely from the same big farms, and there isn't much difference in varietals - no "heirloom" or "farmers market" goods, just things that have gone from commercial farm somewhere out there to packaging and distribution plant to us.
Which is why the farmer's market at Lourensford Estate may just need a visit from me sometime soon, connections with other local food-growers made.... and the pots out the front need to start sprouting a lot more edible landscaping. Who knows, perhaps I'll even get that vertical garden off the ground at last ('scuse the pun).
::update::
Check these out!
Home harvest from a backyard no-dig garden
Try no-dig gardening
Time to vote!
Customer support can be a b*tch. A couple of days ago Favourite Man went traipsing down the road one evening to lend an internet hand, and in the dark his toe connected with the client's decorative brick edging....
The next morning it looked like this:
Decidedly purple and blue and red.
Days later it's not as colourful - but brushing against another foot in the household this evening led to yelps of pain once more!
So - your turn to vote:
And what would one do to fix it if it is...?
The next morning it looked like this:
Decidedly purple and blue and red.
Days later it's not as colourful - but brushing against another foot in the household this evening led to yelps of pain once more!
So - your turn to vote:
And what would one do to fix it if it is...?
Late night escapades
Wednesday is dustbin day in our area, and it's my son's job to take our bin down to the pick-up area on Tuesday night. Inevitably he leaves this as late as possible unless prodded. This week we managed to get him off on his duty by 10... only to have him come running back with tales of a small snake he'd seen on the road, that hissed at him when he tried to get close!
Now Favourite Man knows snakes and has handled a good few large and dangerous types in his days, so off we all trouped to go see what it was.
And found this.
Definitely a snake, and apparently a juvenile Cape Cobra! Well Favourite Man had an appropriate stick and it was quickly decided this little character needed to be relocated to a safer place. Neighbours were marching up and down with bins, and most were not quite as fond of legless slitheries as the three of us are! So he coaxed snake onto stick while I ran for a bottle to house it temporarily. During the coaxing process little snakey spat out a decent amount of venom - as small as he is, he's still a Cape Cobra, and fiesty!
Back with the bottle, we finally got snake safely on the other side of glass and wacked on the lid.
He's truly a beautiful creature!
But what to do with him? Over the wall of the complex? Too close to roads, random passers-by and a train line. We marched down instead to a neighbour who works at the nature reserve, hoping to get her to release him on the morrow - but she was already tucked up in bed and fast asleep.
Only one thing for it. We hopped in the Landy and drove up the hill to a wild place, near a dam, with long grass and natural vegetation - a good place for little snakes to find food and water and learn their place in the world. Carefully let him out and within seconds he was gone to his new environment.
I hope he grows up to be a nice big snake. Much better than being smacked over the head by a clueless human in a cement-and-brick housing development.
Of course, little snakes come in batches - we're keeping an eye out in case his brothers and sisters make an appearance.
Now Favourite Man knows snakes and has handled a good few large and dangerous types in his days, so off we all trouped to go see what it was.
And found this.
Definitely a snake, and apparently a juvenile Cape Cobra! Well Favourite Man had an appropriate stick and it was quickly decided this little character needed to be relocated to a safer place. Neighbours were marching up and down with bins, and most were not quite as fond of legless slitheries as the three of us are! So he coaxed snake onto stick while I ran for a bottle to house it temporarily. During the coaxing process little snakey spat out a decent amount of venom - as small as he is, he's still a Cape Cobra, and fiesty!
Back with the bottle, we finally got snake safely on the other side of glass and wacked on the lid.
He's truly a beautiful creature!
But what to do with him? Over the wall of the complex? Too close to roads, random passers-by and a train line. We marched down instead to a neighbour who works at the nature reserve, hoping to get her to release him on the morrow - but she was already tucked up in bed and fast asleep.
Only one thing for it. We hopped in the Landy and drove up the hill to a wild place, near a dam, with long grass and natural vegetation - a good place for little snakes to find food and water and learn their place in the world. Carefully let him out and within seconds he was gone to his new environment.
I hope he grows up to be a nice big snake. Much better than being smacked over the head by a clueless human in a cement-and-brick housing development.
Of course, little snakes come in batches - we're keeping an eye out in case his brothers and sisters make an appearance.
Two Years
Two years ago today, Favourite Man walked through my front door - and changed my life forever. For the best? You betcha! There's a lot I could say about how wonderful he is, but let me say this - he's made me a better me in every way and I love him immensely.
Happy 2 years, FM!
Happy 2 years, FM!
Sweet Sixteen
I can't remember my 16th birthday. I remember my 18th, my 19th, my 20th and 21st. My 30th, my 8th... but 16 is a big nothing. I think it was around the time I blanked out most of a year in my memory, for whatever reason (can't remember - blanked it out! :-) ).Today's my son's 16th. He's taller than me, turning into a man. He shaves (occasionally) and checks out girls (surreptitiously). All his clothes are getting too short or too small. He's hovering between kid and adult.
We've had a quiet celebration. Yesterday his uncles and their families came around for cake & coffee. The cousins got into his Bionicles in a big way!
We three had supper at the Spur - and avoided the singing waiters.
Today it was prezzie, home-made pizza and non-alcoholic champagne, with a movie on the side.
Tomorrow we're off to apply for his official South African ID document - and that opens doors to all sorts of things! Learner's car licence, motorbike licence, part-time work, travel as a semi-adult. It's now that things start to get interesting!
It's been a pretty good 16 years thus far. Let's hope the next 16 are fantastic!
(and no, he hasn't yet been kissed)
Health and Happiness
Now that I'm home-based, I (technically) have more time to cook decent meals for our family (see the bread post further down). Practically it's not always the case - work never really stops, it just pauses to refuel if you remember to...
With this potential time available, I've found myself looking anew at what we need to eat, and noticing whether or not I'm getting enough exercise / water / fresh air / fruit & veg & protein. I have to admit some days are much better than others. Thursday was a SERIOUS fresh air, water and exercise day, spent half-way up the mountain doing work on a Cape Connect high site.
I'm being a little bit more concious about life and it's fuel lately. Yet still not completely there. I know the theory, yet putting into practice is taking some hard work.
Then there's the vegetarian vs carnivore thing. I grew up without meat, Favourite Man grew up with most known forms of animal life on his plate. My son won't touch anything that looks, smells or tastes remotely of beast (though has yet to discover the joys of modified soy in the veg products...!), nor even walk through the meat aisles on a shop run - yet also won't eat a variety of veggies. No-one's keen to change their habits, so mealtimes tend to need careful planning.
I think I've gotten the hang of cooking some of the meaty basics. I can dish up a mean bit of chicken, whether in a cream and mushroom sauce on pasta, or turned to moist perfection in a pan. I even managed to sort a Cornish Hen for Xmas to an acceptable level. I can do mince for spaghetti, fry up a pork sausage or a spiral of boerewors, but am not yet allowed near steak (too expensive to stuff up! :-) ). I can whip up a tuna bake with potatoes and brocolli and cauliflower. I've even made a slow-cooked beef stew by the seat of my pants last winter. Tonight was a veg-rich stir-fry with a touch of chicken thrown in, and it wasn't half bad.
But there is still a ways to go. I'd like to get us eating a whole lot better than we have been in the rush of days flying by, catering for both the veggies and the non-veggies.
So I'm throwing this one out to the public - yup, you guys. Consider it a challenge, a cook-off online, a chance to be your own Jamie or Nigella - your five seconds of fame.
If you had to throw a meal together that was delicious, nutritious, filling and looked awesome, what would you serve? Breakfast, lunch or supper - your choice.
Go on - spill the beans (or meat and potatoes) in the comments. I'll give it a try sometime (if I can find the ingredients) and post the results here.
With this potential time available, I've found myself looking anew at what we need to eat, and noticing whether or not I'm getting enough exercise / water / fresh air / fruit & veg & protein. I have to admit some days are much better than others. Thursday was a SERIOUS fresh air, water and exercise day, spent half-way up the mountain doing work on a Cape Connect high site.
I'm being a little bit more concious about life and it's fuel lately. Yet still not completely there. I know the theory, yet putting into practice is taking some hard work.
Then there's the vegetarian vs carnivore thing. I grew up without meat, Favourite Man grew up with most known forms of animal life on his plate. My son won't touch anything that looks, smells or tastes remotely of beast (though has yet to discover the joys of modified soy in the veg products...!), nor even walk through the meat aisles on a shop run - yet also won't eat a variety of veggies. No-one's keen to change their habits, so mealtimes tend to need careful planning.
I think I've gotten the hang of cooking some of the meaty basics. I can dish up a mean bit of chicken, whether in a cream and mushroom sauce on pasta, or turned to moist perfection in a pan. I even managed to sort a Cornish Hen for Xmas to an acceptable level. I can do mince for spaghetti, fry up a pork sausage or a spiral of boerewors, but am not yet allowed near steak (too expensive to stuff up! :-) ). I can whip up a tuna bake with potatoes and brocolli and cauliflower. I've even made a slow-cooked beef stew by the seat of my pants last winter. Tonight was a veg-rich stir-fry with a touch of chicken thrown in, and it wasn't half bad.
But there is still a ways to go. I'd like to get us eating a whole lot better than we have been in the rush of days flying by, catering for both the veggies and the non-veggies.
So I'm throwing this one out to the public - yup, you guys. Consider it a challenge, a cook-off online, a chance to be your own Jamie or Nigella - your five seconds of fame.
If you had to throw a meal together that was delicious, nutritious, filling and looked awesome, what would you serve? Breakfast, lunch or supper - your choice.
Go on - spill the beans (or meat and potatoes) in the comments. I'll give it a try sometime (if I can find the ingredients) and post the results here.
Settling into my skin
As 2009 begins, I find myself in a place I've been aiming at for a very long time. Or at least the starting point, the jumping off point of that place.
Dashing out to get groceries in the middle of the day, I realized I need never be bound by office hours again - I don't need to plan around them, or conform my activities to their schedules. If I need to make an appointment for 2 in the afternoon, I can. If I want to do all my Xmas shopping from 8 to 10 on a weekday, I can. If I want to slog until 3 in the morning on a complicated website, then sleep until 9, I can. Unless you've spent your entire working life turning up at a certain time and leaving at a certain time - no matter whether you have work to do or not - you'll have no idea how liberating that realization can be! (I do still set my alarm clock - but it's for half an hour later, on my own schedule)
With this sense of freedom, I'm finding "myself" again - the me who knows her strengths, her passions, her interests and remembers her dreams. I've been delving deeply into things that inspire me, re-igniting my long-given-up goals for what life should look like, what my home should be, and what makes me happy. I'm walking the dog each day, camera in hand - both exercise and creativity had taken a back seat until recently.
I've been pondering the notion of success too. Self-employed... so how do I measure it? Is it by reaching my daily financial goals? By accomplishing my to-do list before bedtime? By being able to plot how I'm growing personally, how business is growing? And how do I classify failure - or is apparent failure simply a lesson to learn, a step on the road forward? I've been defining exactly what success for me should be, and slowly orienting my days toward that. (I still have many battles to fight, but at least now I know what I'm aiming for)
I'm finding a sense of place - working my way through the things I've put off that make these four walls more home-like, incorporating both my safe haven and office space. There's a "One a day" list on the fridge of big jobs that would take weeks if I tried to get to them all at once. But one a day.. that I can handle, can see things crossed off and completed, and can feel satisfied at my progress come day's end. My work activities are tackled on a simlar basis - one big job daily, with associated smaller tasks tying in yet not distracting from the finish line.
I'm relishing the variety that each day brings - a bit of this, a bit of that, my time my own to manage. And there is now time enough to fiddle with interesting projects, explore new directions, hang out on the Land Rover forum again, learn new skills (php takes some getting used to!), even take time out to relax with my family, meditate in early morning stillness, bake a milktart or knead up a batch of breadsticks. There's a rhythm to each day developing that fits us all.
It's been a mere week and a bit. I know I have a huge journey ahead of me as the pace picks up in the coming days. I've spent a lot of time on computer work this week, the physical stuff and some dedicated Virgin Earth focus gets a turn next. I have very big challenges to stare down and sort out, decisions to implement and long-pondered plans to put into practice.
But I'm doing it increasingly happier in my skin. More self-aware, more centered, more connected, more confident, and not as terrified of the great unknown as I was mere weeks ago.
It's a very good place to be as the new year kicks off.
Dashing out to get groceries in the middle of the day, I realized I need never be bound by office hours again - I don't need to plan around them, or conform my activities to their schedules. If I need to make an appointment for 2 in the afternoon, I can. If I want to do all my Xmas shopping from 8 to 10 on a weekday, I can. If I want to slog until 3 in the morning on a complicated website, then sleep until 9, I can. Unless you've spent your entire working life turning up at a certain time and leaving at a certain time - no matter whether you have work to do or not - you'll have no idea how liberating that realization can be! (I do still set my alarm clock - but it's for half an hour later, on my own schedule)
With this sense of freedom, I'm finding "myself" again - the me who knows her strengths, her passions, her interests and remembers her dreams. I've been delving deeply into things that inspire me, re-igniting my long-given-up goals for what life should look like, what my home should be, and what makes me happy. I'm walking the dog each day, camera in hand - both exercise and creativity had taken a back seat until recently.
I've been pondering the notion of success too. Self-employed... so how do I measure it? Is it by reaching my daily financial goals? By accomplishing my to-do list before bedtime? By being able to plot how I'm growing personally, how business is growing? And how do I classify failure - or is apparent failure simply a lesson to learn, a step on the road forward? I've been defining exactly what success for me should be, and slowly orienting my days toward that. (I still have many battles to fight, but at least now I know what I'm aiming for)
I'm finding a sense of place - working my way through the things I've put off that make these four walls more home-like, incorporating both my safe haven and office space. There's a "One a day" list on the fridge of big jobs that would take weeks if I tried to get to them all at once. But one a day.. that I can handle, can see things crossed off and completed, and can feel satisfied at my progress come day's end. My work activities are tackled on a simlar basis - one big job daily, with associated smaller tasks tying in yet not distracting from the finish line.
I'm relishing the variety that each day brings - a bit of this, a bit of that, my time my own to manage. And there is now time enough to fiddle with interesting projects, explore new directions, hang out on the Land Rover forum again, learn new skills (php takes some getting used to!), even take time out to relax with my family, meditate in early morning stillness, bake a milktart or knead up a batch of breadsticks. There's a rhythm to each day developing that fits us all.
It's been a mere week and a bit. I know I have a huge journey ahead of me as the pace picks up in the coming days. I've spent a lot of time on computer work this week, the physical stuff and some dedicated Virgin Earth focus gets a turn next. I have very big challenges to stare down and sort out, decisions to implement and long-pondered plans to put into practice.
But I'm doing it increasingly happier in my skin. More self-aware, more centered, more connected, more confident, and not as terrified of the great unknown as I was mere weeks ago.
It's a very good place to be as the new year kicks off.
Sorting out Everything
I'm too late for Spring Cleaning and too early for New Year's Resolutions, but recently I've been in "redo the nest" mode - and that's pretty timeless. This year has been a mad rush from one thing to another, hours spent working hard with not enough attention paid to my environment. But I honestly cannot function well in disorganized, cluttered and dusty surroundings - I get irritable and snappy, stressed out and simply clam up.
And that's exactly what's happened recently. In an attempt to split my waking hours between a million and one things, I haven't been attending to the very basic stuff that keeps me calmly on course. I'm an organization freak - I like to have everything where it belongs, sorted and tidy, but that's not showing lately at all.
However it can only continue for so long. Two weeks ago I started to get extremely angsty, felt like I was losing myself. Last week I spent ages on a number of websites reminding myself of what home should and could be, plotting, planning and making lists of things to accomplish once I no longer spend daylight hours in an office far away from home. I've thought through my work-from-home environment and requirements, looked at every corner and cupboard and wall with detached scrutiny, determined what needs to go and what needs to be acquired. From ceiling space in the roof to potential veg garden outside, and everything in between. I've sat in silence (when I can find it), going deep inside to discover what gives me courage and strength, and how to incorporate that into how/where I live.
This weekend in a small way I started to implement all those - starting with organizing a single cupboard's two shelves and a box of stuff in the kitchen. It may not look any different to the casual observer, but it's merely the beginning. My list is long, my resolve strong, my priorities over the next few weeks lined up - and I know that if I don't sort out what I need to sort out, I will not make a success of my plans for the year ahead. If I don't have control over my environment, I'm not going to have the self-confidence and surety I need to take on the world. I'm not going to be able to stand up to challenges or know that I have a safe and calm haven to recuperate in at day's end.
Three days left at work, full-time employed and commuting. Three days left of my time being bought and paid for by others. Once these three days are up, things are going to change in a big way - time to turn house into home once and for all and get home-base life sorted before I move on to becoming and doing what every fibre of my being knows it will be.
Genetically modified
Just had to share this.
Favourite Man recently found us a BBC programme to watch about genetically modified food. A bloke who gave up city life to farm "naturally" with heritage breeds in the UK went off on a mission to find out whether genetic modification is harmful or good - and the results were very interesting.
Well we all sat and watched it and absorbed the info.
Today my son grabs a banana from a bunch I bought yesterday (which were probably picked way too green and have ripened to a flouriness that's not particularly nice), takes one bite, and then decides he's not going to eat the others because they taste "genetically modified"!
Eish.. :-)
First human I know of who can taste the difference immediately... perhaps we should hire him out.
Favourite Man recently found us a BBC programme to watch about genetically modified food. A bloke who gave up city life to farm "naturally" with heritage breeds in the UK went off on a mission to find out whether genetic modification is harmful or good - and the results were very interesting.
Well we all sat and watched it and absorbed the info.
Today my son grabs a banana from a bunch I bought yesterday (which were probably picked way too green and have ripened to a flouriness that's not particularly nice), takes one bite, and then decides he's not going to eat the others because they taste "genetically modified"!
Eish.. :-)
First human I know of who can taste the difference immediately... perhaps we should hire him out.
End
5 words on my cellphone screen. "Gran Burgoyne died last night"
And with that the end of a life I knew too little about.
Gran was a matriarch in a line of silent women. I see traces of her in me, the tendency to shut up, head down, don't argue and leave well alone. There's the hard work "servant" ethic that sometimes has us women bending over backwards to make everyone else's lives easier - at the expense of our own. The potential for fiery emotion - well hidden while others rage. (Except for the time she threw a bowl of oats porridge at my gramps!)
I'll never know the mystery of the porcelain dinosaurs. The first things she bought that were not absolute necessities, which took pride of place in her display cabinet. And which were put away forever when her husband commented "what did you buy those stupid things for?" No-one knows why she bought them - but she passed them on to my son when she noticed his interest in dinosaurs a few years back. Passed on with a butterflies-in-glass platter for me, another of her treasures.
Her knowledge of family history is now gone. Black and white faded photographs in an old album of people whose stories I'll never know.
I remember how she loved to sing hymns on a Friday night - and bemoaned the loss of her lilting clear voice to both medication and asbestosis. Photos of her as a young woman show a beautiful girl with pitch-black hair and sparkle in her eyes. Years of hard work on their farms creased her face, leathered her skin and lined her hands.
She was born in Kuruman. She had Irish roots. She lived in Edenvale. She helped build a number of houses from the ground up and made them homes.
She worked hard. She raised prize-winning Jack Russel terriers and cared for an assortment of other farm mutts. She cooked and cleaned and worked with the animals. She raised 4 children, and buried one stillborn baby boy. She lost another child when my mother died. She saw a son move to the USA, a daughter become a single mom and then find a life-mate in her 40's, and was cared for by her baby - the "laatlammetjie" aunt who has kept the farm running.
She knew how to laugh - a deep chortle when something was especially funny.
The last years have seen her health deteriorate. She took a fall that broke a hip - another that broke an arm. She would walk outdoors to the aviaries when she could, sit in the sunshine under the mulberry trees, or keep to her room with her thoughts and her books. Her room was her sanctuary, filled with the things she loved.
How does one fit a whole life into a blog post? One doesn't. She was Gran. I bear traces of her genetics and personality, share her outlook on life in many ways, and admire what she accomplished.
She may have filled a very quiet spot in this world, but it's now empty and we will miss her dearly.
And with that the end of a life I knew too little about.
Gran was a matriarch in a line of silent women. I see traces of her in me, the tendency to shut up, head down, don't argue and leave well alone. There's the hard work "servant" ethic that sometimes has us women bending over backwards to make everyone else's lives easier - at the expense of our own. The potential for fiery emotion - well hidden while others rage. (Except for the time she threw a bowl of oats porridge at my gramps!)
I'll never know the mystery of the porcelain dinosaurs. The first things she bought that were not absolute necessities, which took pride of place in her display cabinet. And which were put away forever when her husband commented "what did you buy those stupid things for?" No-one knows why she bought them - but she passed them on to my son when she noticed his interest in dinosaurs a few years back. Passed on with a butterflies-in-glass platter for me, another of her treasures.
Her knowledge of family history is now gone. Black and white faded photographs in an old album of people whose stories I'll never know.
I remember how she loved to sing hymns on a Friday night - and bemoaned the loss of her lilting clear voice to both medication and asbestosis. Photos of her as a young woman show a beautiful girl with pitch-black hair and sparkle in her eyes. Years of hard work on their farms creased her face, leathered her skin and lined her hands.
She was born in Kuruman. She had Irish roots. She lived in Edenvale. She helped build a number of houses from the ground up and made them homes.
She worked hard. She raised prize-winning Jack Russel terriers and cared for an assortment of other farm mutts. She cooked and cleaned and worked with the animals. She raised 4 children, and buried one stillborn baby boy. She lost another child when my mother died. She saw a son move to the USA, a daughter become a single mom and then find a life-mate in her 40's, and was cared for by her baby - the "laatlammetjie" aunt who has kept the farm running.
She knew how to laugh - a deep chortle when something was especially funny.
The last years have seen her health deteriorate. She took a fall that broke a hip - another that broke an arm. She would walk outdoors to the aviaries when she could, sit in the sunshine under the mulberry trees, or keep to her room with her thoughts and her books. Her room was her sanctuary, filled with the things she loved.
How does one fit a whole life into a blog post? One doesn't. She was Gran. I bear traces of her genetics and personality, share her outlook on life in many ways, and admire what she accomplished.
She may have filled a very quiet spot in this world, but it's now empty and we will miss her dearly.
Sid
9/9/1999 to 4/8/08 - 5 days short of 9 years old. Sid, you'll be missed, you crazy, teen-nutty Schipperke dog you.
Credit where credit is due
Favourite Man is not your average bloke. He does dishes, laundry and cooking. While still remaining completely manly, of course! :-)
And yesterday he took it upon himself to gather a family meeting in the bathroom, and instruct the child in the fine art of toilet roll changing.
Namely:
Unfortunately my son coasts through life. He's bone-lazy, expects everything handed to him on a platter and throws a hissy-fit when it doesn't happen (is that normal teen behaviour or a portent of disaster?). He knows perfectly well how to change a toilet roll - he simply doesn't do it.
I guess the toilet roll is simply the tip of the paper-trail....
And yesterday he took it upon himself to gather a family meeting in the bathroom, and instruct the child in the fine art of toilet roll changing.
Namely:
- Open bathroom cabinet door
- Remove roll
- Start roll by finding the end
- Remove holder spindle
- Remove old roll
- Dispose of old roll in bin
- Fit new roll onto spindle (and here we got into an argument over which way the paper should roll... ;-) )
- Fit roll into holder
Unfortunately my son coasts through life. He's bone-lazy, expects everything handed to him on a platter and throws a hissy-fit when it doesn't happen (is that normal teen behaviour or a portent of disaster?). He knows perfectly well how to change a toilet roll - he simply doesn't do it.
I guess the toilet roll is simply the tip of the paper-trail....
Have a nice day
This morning I phoned my son to ask him to hang up the washing and vacuum the carpets. The response? "You're ruining my day!"
I don't think so...! And why?
Well not because it's simply expected of him to comply. But rather because it's not up to me how well or how badly his day goes.
It's all up to him and what's in his head. Let me explain.
Let's say my boss comes in to work one morning haven gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Since those early morning hours she's faced life with a "woe is me" attitude. Everything's going wrong, nothing's going right, and she morosely insists that she's having a bad day. Everything that happens is coloured by that belief - that her day is terrible. And thus it ends up to be! There's no chance of redemption!
Preaching to the choir here, been there, done that - kinda determined it's not a good idea.
Now let's say she decides that all these little issues and irritations are simply one-offs. They're not inter-connected, they're not going to form part of a "bad day". Even if disaster strikes, it's not going to sour her outlook. She'll merely deal with it as an individual experience and move on, determined to have a good day.
In fact, no-one can ruin her day. If her day is ruined, it's solely because she chose to see it as such.
The thing is this - life is never certain. What you plan is not necessarily going to happen, as much as you'd like it to. And me, I'm the eternal optimist. I believe in the journey - in taking every experience a set number of hours throws your way and calling it part of life. Stuff that makes life less mundane and grows you as a person.
Perhaps it's a challenge posing as an insurmountable problem - but getting past it is going to make me stronger and richer. Perhaps it's a minor irritation - where I have to put aside my plans in order to cater for others' plans, or get handed a job I didn't time-budget for. Hell, it may even be Olivia suddenly dying on the way to work (as has happened). Yes, that could ruin my day - but only if I let it. Would be a lot easier to see it as one big adventure.
In a similar vein - if others choose to have a bad day (like my son, for instance), it doesn't mean their bad day has to become mine. Nor am I in any way responsible for being the one who can make or break their day-view. As someone who doesn't like conflict, it's often hard for me not to take that kind of thing on and try make it all better... but it's really not my responsibility, nor can I actually make a difference unless the other person chooses for me to. I certainly shouldn't be adopting bad day storms as my own and letting them cloud over my own!
Granted, sharing an office with a colleague who growls like a bear with a sore butt may be less than pleasant. Stuck at a desk with a nearby thunderstorm for 8 hours straight may not be anyone's idea of fun. But still - it doesn't have to ruin your day.
And nor does having to hang up the washing or vacuum the carpets.
Now if only I could drum that into my son's head ... :-)
I don't think so...! And why?
Well not because it's simply expected of him to comply. But rather because it's not up to me how well or how badly his day goes.
It's all up to him and what's in his head. Let me explain.
Let's say my boss comes in to work one morning haven gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Since those early morning hours she's faced life with a "woe is me" attitude. Everything's going wrong, nothing's going right, and she morosely insists that she's having a bad day. Everything that happens is coloured by that belief - that her day is terrible. And thus it ends up to be! There's no chance of redemption!
Preaching to the choir here, been there, done that - kinda determined it's not a good idea.
Now let's say she decides that all these little issues and irritations are simply one-offs. They're not inter-connected, they're not going to form part of a "bad day". Even if disaster strikes, it's not going to sour her outlook. She'll merely deal with it as an individual experience and move on, determined to have a good day.
In fact, no-one can ruin her day. If her day is ruined, it's solely because she chose to see it as such.
The thing is this - life is never certain. What you plan is not necessarily going to happen, as much as you'd like it to. And me, I'm the eternal optimist. I believe in the journey - in taking every experience a set number of hours throws your way and calling it part of life. Stuff that makes life less mundane and grows you as a person.
Perhaps it's a challenge posing as an insurmountable problem - but getting past it is going to make me stronger and richer. Perhaps it's a minor irritation - where I have to put aside my plans in order to cater for others' plans, or get handed a job I didn't time-budget for. Hell, it may even be Olivia suddenly dying on the way to work (as has happened). Yes, that could ruin my day - but only if I let it. Would be a lot easier to see it as one big adventure.
In a similar vein - if others choose to have a bad day (like my son, for instance), it doesn't mean their bad day has to become mine. Nor am I in any way responsible for being the one who can make or break their day-view. As someone who doesn't like conflict, it's often hard for me not to take that kind of thing on and try make it all better... but it's really not my responsibility, nor can I actually make a difference unless the other person chooses for me to. I certainly shouldn't be adopting bad day storms as my own and letting them cloud over my own!
Granted, sharing an office with a colleague who growls like a bear with a sore butt may be less than pleasant. Stuck at a desk with a nearby thunderstorm for 8 hours straight may not be anyone's idea of fun. But still - it doesn't have to ruin your day.
And nor does having to hang up the washing or vacuum the carpets.
Now if only I could drum that into my son's head ... :-)
Family
A random scroll-past of something in my Google Reader this morning made me wonder what my family tree would look like if I drew it up in Visio (new to the programme, liking the options...).
And then I got to thinking that my family tree is actually pretty complicated, and getting more so. Gone are the days of an actual tree structure in modern society - families these days are more likely to have vines!
How exactly does one depict married-in and "father absent" relatives in a family tree? Steps and side-steps, halfs and semis... with extended family added on for good measure. Sjoe!
Still, family trees are interesting things. Mine includes a couple of military men, sea-faring types, and at least one illegitimate one. We may have something to do with a village, or be descended from war-like ones and mountain tribes. We might have arrived in South Africa via a valley.
Many years ago my mother spoke to the ancients in our family (my grandmothers) and got as much family history out of them as possible, drawing up our family tree as she went. I have no idea what happened to that. Or whether she was able to unravel our "vine" too far back. There are those who have their family history down pat, know its in's and out's and can give you a detailed pedigree. Ours - well... we're here. How we got here is almost lost in time - but not quite.
A few years ago I was Googling along and found a distant relative in the USA. There aren't many of either family names I arrived from, so there's a connection somewhere. We exchanged a few emails, then lost touch again. My dad's side of the family we hardly ever see, my mom's side only a fragment more frequently.
But I guess that's how it goes in this day and age. Families scatter. Families change - and that tree turns creeper.
There's a lot more rambling I could do on this one, but I'll spare you today! :-) Suffice it to say the concept of family is pretty much fascinating once you start to dig into it. The concept of hereditary characteristics that pop up a few generations later even more so...
(nope, don't panic Favourite Man - there's nothing lurking in my genes that you need to worry about! :-) )
And then I got to thinking that my family tree is actually pretty complicated, and getting more so. Gone are the days of an actual tree structure in modern society - families these days are more likely to have vines!
How exactly does one depict married-in and "father absent" relatives in a family tree? Steps and side-steps, halfs and semis... with extended family added on for good measure. Sjoe!
Still, family trees are interesting things. Mine includes a couple of military men, sea-faring types, and at least one illegitimate one. We may have something to do with a village, or be descended from war-like ones and mountain tribes. We might have arrived in South Africa via a valley.
Many years ago my mother spoke to the ancients in our family (my grandmothers) and got as much family history out of them as possible, drawing up our family tree as she went. I have no idea what happened to that. Or whether she was able to unravel our "vine" too far back. There are those who have their family history down pat, know its in's and out's and can give you a detailed pedigree. Ours - well... we're here. How we got here is almost lost in time - but not quite.
A few years ago I was Googling along and found a distant relative in the USA. There aren't many of either family names I arrived from, so there's a connection somewhere. We exchanged a few emails, then lost touch again. My dad's side of the family we hardly ever see, my mom's side only a fragment more frequently.
But I guess that's how it goes in this day and age. Families scatter. Families change - and that tree turns creeper.
There's a lot more rambling I could do on this one, but I'll spare you today! :-) Suffice it to say the concept of family is pretty much fascinating once you start to dig into it. The concept of hereditary characteristics that pop up a few generations later even more so...
(nope, don't panic Favourite Man - there's nothing lurking in my genes that you need to worry about! :-) )
Spidey
I had a good giggle last night.
Sometime after supper my son was walking out of the kitchen toward the lounge when he spotted a rather small but very bodily-substantial spider on the floor. Eeking and fear ensued, followed shortly by Favourite Man putting his feet up on the sofa. Yup, I have two males in the house that are afraid of spiders.
I'm not much better, but there was a can of Doom near my son's location, which he fetched and proceded to aim at the spider. From sufficient distance that it wasn't terribly effective! In fact it made things worse - the spider suddenly started to shed a multitude of little spiders as it scurried... Of course that led to more eeking and jumping around, but the poor little beast and its offspring were finally Doomed by the front door. And left for me to sweep up! :-)
Thereafter the boy refused to walk past the dead spider, and instead climbed over the kitchen counter to get where he needed to go.
I'd hate to see the male reaction in my household should something bigger than a 5c piece appear.
But on a side-note, the reason my son was downstairs at all is that his Internet access disappeared on Friday thanks to "non-compliance" issues. In the few days since he's been offline he's completely changed. He's no longer sullen, rude, reclusive. He doesn't talk back in a nasty manner. He participates in the household and does what is asked of him, without moaning. The turn-around has been impressive. And not just a ploy to regain internet access either, or at least I don't think so. He's just a whole lot more pleasant when not glued to his virtual worlds.
Which has me pondering if he's ever going to have Internet access ever again.. :-)
Sometime after supper my son was walking out of the kitchen toward the lounge when he spotted a rather small but very bodily-substantial spider on the floor. Eeking and fear ensued, followed shortly by Favourite Man putting his feet up on the sofa. Yup, I have two males in the house that are afraid of spiders.
I'm not much better, but there was a can of Doom near my son's location, which he fetched and proceded to aim at the spider. From sufficient distance that it wasn't terribly effective! In fact it made things worse - the spider suddenly started to shed a multitude of little spiders as it scurried... Of course that led to more eeking and jumping around, but the poor little beast and its offspring were finally Doomed by the front door. And left for me to sweep up! :-)
Thereafter the boy refused to walk past the dead spider, and instead climbed over the kitchen counter to get where he needed to go.
I'd hate to see the male reaction in my household should something bigger than a 5c piece appear.
But on a side-note, the reason my son was downstairs at all is that his Internet access disappeared on Friday thanks to "non-compliance" issues. In the few days since he's been offline he's completely changed. He's no longer sullen, rude, reclusive. He doesn't talk back in a nasty manner. He participates in the household and does what is asked of him, without moaning. The turn-around has been impressive. And not just a ploy to regain internet access either, or at least I don't think so. He's just a whole lot more pleasant when not glued to his virtual worlds.
Which has me pondering if he's ever going to have Internet access ever again.. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
Posts
