We all need one...

I thought I needed one now more than ever, sometimes I think I'm the only person that needs a cheerleader...but yesterday I was talking to a friend at work that needed that little bit of encouragement. I didn't realize how down she was feeling and I am not sure if I helped her or not but it felt good to chat. 

Her day was terrible and apart from having to cope with the death of someone very close to her she was stressing over what I called a 'hobby'. 

Turns out it's not just a hobby but something she takes very seriously, it's a life goal and personal commitment and it's one of those sports that really needs a cheerleader. I am sorry I can't be at her races. 

But Bo if it helps at all - I will cheer you at your next one.

We all need a Cheerleader in life!

A friend with kind words and a kind gesture, someone that can encourage you. Someone that compliments you when you are down, and try's very hard to make you feel good about yourself. It's a bit like having a trainer in the boxing ring with you telling you to get up and to keep punching. You are going to win! Don't give up!

Look out for those moments when you can 'cheer' someone up and encourage them with pom poms and a cheery war cry. We all need a Cheerleader in life!

   xoxo

Punctuation

Eats, shoots & leaves _ I started reading this book last week while I was still lazing around by the pool. It’s a book on....wait for it........punctuation!

I know, what was I thinking? The English teacher at my sons’ school lent it to them, to help improve English writing. Don’t laugh at me for saying this but it is a lovely little book, honestly! 

The writer is a stickler for grammar, and rightly so she is a writer. She hates that people use the apostrophe in the wrong place or that they totally forget to use it. If you use this little thingy  ‘  in the wrong place it changes the meaning of a word and even the whole sentence. Here is a phrase from the book that she uses to prove that punctuation is everything!  

A woman, without her man, is nothing.

A woman: without her, man is nothing.

Lovely isn’t it? I thought so too :)

I am sure I have used the apostrophe in the wrong place many times too. This book took me back to school and remimded me of when I was learning English, it has reminded me of my teachers and how they struggled to get me to pronounce certain words correctly never mind spelling and grammar. 

There are grammar rules for every language and the English language is no exception. I am not one that corrects people’s emails all the time and likes to point out grammatical errors. But sometimes it really does irritate me how some people write.

I can only really comment on the English language that is my first language although I speak & read Afrikaans and Portuguese writing in these two languages doesn't come naturally. I am also not a teacher or a writer or a stickler for the apostrophe or grammar but there is one thing that really drives me insane....

Huh? 

Huh? What language is that?
This was taken from some facebook comments I have seen (and there is plenty more where that came from) and this was simply a copy/paste job. I didn't change or add anything. Yes these comments are made by kids but I just can’t understand why they insist writing like this. The caps and lower case in the same word *argh* it's too much for me. 

Am I that old that the kids need to roll their eyes and tell me to ‘get a life’? My reply to them would be 'grow up'!

Honestly when I see this type of writing I try very hard to suppress actual screams. 

At work I take some time writing emails, check and double check that my tone is not aggressive or rude, I check spelling and then read again before sending. It's the same with this blog, takes a long time to put thoughts down in writing and I'm going to be a stickler with my writing from now on, making sure the 'apostrophe' and other important language and grammar pieces are always in the correct place. 

If you spot a mistake, please be nice, forgive me, I am learning and trying to forget years of bad habits.

  

   xoxo

Perfect Blue

Every year after Christmas we usually head down to the coast for a holiday by the beach, but this year we stayed home. I think it's the first time since I can remember that we have not gone somewhere for a year end holiday. So our holiday was spent at home by the pool. 
Perfect hot summer weather with refreshing summer showers every afternoon. It was a relaxing holiday lazying around by the pool. 

If it wasn't the perfect blue pool...

It was a book on the grass...

...or I was staring at the perfect blue sky

I think we have the most amazingly beautiful blue skies 

I love staring at the sky...

So this was my 'perfect blue' holiday I feel rested it's back to work on Monday and I better be ready to face the new year that is already moving and picking up pace! New challenges await us! Happy 2012!

Claim to fame

Just the other day I moaned about my beach bum. Now that very same one who we call Moo is to be praised for his achievements.

We got up early this morning to go out and buy a newspaper with the matric results. I don’t know how they do it in other countries but here in SA it’s printed every year at this time; all the schools in the country and every single child that wrote grade 12 final exams get their names printed in the paper if they pass. If you achieved university entrance (and every kid wants that, or most anyway) your name will have a symbol next to it. If you have achieved distinctions (above 80%) in a certain subject then the subject name appears next to your name. The actual certificate with the results you have to collect from the school a bit later in the morning, so the anticipated newspaper is the big excitement from about 05h30 in the morning.

Where am I going with this? 

Well of course Moo did well, very well...all I’m asking is who claims the fame?

Is he gifted or a genius? Maybe, we never tested him for that; and he doesn’t have all the characteristics of a genius; like he’s not scared of the seams in his socks :)

Who does he take after in the family? My side or husbands side?   *at least he has my looks, that's all I'm saying...*

So who deserves to be congratulated?
Speaking to one of his teachers this morning he congratulated Moo and us the parents.

And yes I do agree we should get some credit for it, we raised him and have been teaching him from his first 'ma-ma' syllables. Putting a child through school nowadays is very expensive and a lot of hard work. So I accept the congratulations.

We are so very proud!

Some of the teachers are really dedicated and right from primary school they too deserve some credit for their hard work and dedication in the classroom. Mr Amod who taught life sciences (biology) is my favorite teacher and although he says that teaching Moo was a reward for him in his profession I really think we were lucky and privileged to have known him. And I will take his advise and 'bask in glory' as he says. It is every parents dream to give good parental support and just have an honest hard working gentleman leave the house one day.  

But I had a good laugh today. Even wombat wants to claim her bit of fame too. Wombat (my mother) different to the one in Spud but just as crazy....She says that her grandfather was very clever! LOL!

I’m sorry if you don’t find that funny (it had me in stitches) read Spud and you’ll understand how funny this is.

But seriously now...the claim to fame must be his. 

For every night burning the midnight oil, drinking tea or milo and playing classical music that kept me awake
For every weekend in his room busy with tons of homework or studying

Every Saturday evening when we were in the lounge watching movies and eating popcorn and he was in his room - busy with homework! 
For every weekend that we couldn't go out without his timetable permission. Where does all that school work come from and why is he always doing so much studying?

Results show us where all that hard work has gone. He took seven subjects (some kids can take extra if they like) and he got all seven distinctions!

So Moo, CONGRATULATIONS, you do deserve all the credit, your hard work and dedication has paid off. Well done my boy. 

We are so very proud of you!

   xoxo

My Beach bum

Some time ago I posted about ‘why animals eat their young?’ I came close this morning. Very close. I was hungry maybe that explains my grumpy mood.

So Moo is ready to leave the house, we bought him pots, plates, cutlery etc etc. Spent a fortune this December getting him ready for his move and almost independent life in an apartment flat just under my cousin’s house.

He leaves at the end of this month for his new adventure and new life in varsity in Cape Town.

And so many and I mean so many people tell me he’s going to be ok, I must cut the apron strings, I must let go, he’s a grown man. Blah blah blah.

This morning he asked me to make his ‘bed nice’ in other words make his bed up. Then he came to the kitchen to make his cereal and left the soya milk container open on the counter, the cupboard was open the cereal box out of the cupboard unclosed on the counter the bowl was left on the floor next to the sofa...must I go on?

Yes I flipped, how can he be ready to leave and be independent when he can’t get simple things straight?

I love making his bed nice, and that he asks every morning, I want him to want me and to need me and to feel like he can’t live without mom. But sometimes the laziness just drives me insane, beach bum with no beach!

*sigh*

Any way that was the morning we ended off the afternoon with a good swim all three of us and I look forward to tomorrow morning.  We made peace! Let’s see if the cereal box finds its way back into the cupboard. Should I hold my breath?

New Year's Resolution

Ok I know this is corny and maybe a waste of time because hardly anyone sticks to the resolutions they make. But you have to give yourself a boost and some hope of starting the new year differently, doing things in better way and doing better things.

This is a commitment that I am making to myself and hopefully they are lasting personal goals, they are of some advantage to me so this should keep me motivated. Right? Yeah whatever!

Anyway it’s only five, simple little things and I’m saying them out loud -

Learn something new

What is that ‘something’? Well I am not 100% sure yet and if I have an idea or a dream about learning something new for now it’s a secret and shall remain that way until I’m ready to share it....sorry can’t say more.

Improve my blog

Enough said, it is new and needs a lot of work. I admit I need help. Would love a volunteer.

Be more organised

I used to be a super neat organised freak, use to drive my sister crazy or she me. What I had before - crazy neat freak - was some kind of an illness, to be so pedantic. I just don’t know what happened. I have become sloppy untidy forgetful and very very unorganised. I want to go back to my old crazy self. I don’t care if it drives them insane at home they can join a support group.

Read more books

I do love to read and have a thousand books. Every time I see another new book I just want to own it so I can read it at my own leisure, but I am still sitting with thousands of GOOD unread books. This year I have to read more!!

Start raw vegan detox diet

Had to leave this one for last. Four letter words are swear words and I just used four really ugly words all in one sentence. This is the one resolution that will probably last three days give me a massive migraine and I’ll grab my pills, overdose and eat like a piglet again. I already hate January it is starting to sound like blue Mondays. I need help!!!

This shows how consistent and committed I have been, so I am sure this year will be better than the last ones - 

2005: I will get my weight down below 70

2006: I will watch my calories until I get below 190
2007: I will follow my new diet religiously until I get below 75
2008: I will try to develop a realistic attitude about my weight
2009: I will work out 3 days a week
2010: I will work out 2 days a week
2011: I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week

2012: ha raw vegan what???

It's January 2012, I will stay away from woolies, all pies and crips and try and stick to number 5 on my list...or at least to one of my five resolutions. 
Just remember that hungry people are grumpy people, all support and encouragement is very welcome!


thanks and good luck with your new year resolutions :)
xoxo