Books,books,books

It's time to have an update on what I've been reading.
On my List I've read
Life on the refrigerator door- brilliant but too short- which I think was the point of the book- Life is too short....
Sepulchre- blah- dont bother- I think her first book Labyrinth was better and much more of a whodunnit than this one- which tried to be romantic novel as well as detective novel- the two in my mind did not marry well here.
And I've just finished We need to talk about Kevin- not on my list
Wow!! Is all I can say- I thouroughly enjoyed it- Could not put it down. But secretly I think *shh dont tell anyone* Is that it was the mothers fault. I know a lot of people wont agree.

Four Foods on Friday

Four Foods On Friday #31 questions
This week’s meme is again sponsored by the Four Foods On Friday Players Contest winner for April - Karen.
Here are this week’s four questions. This week I’m again going with four questions that all share a theme. The theme is “barbeque”.
You must understand that bbq- or"braai" as it is affectionately known in SA- is a national pastime and passion- so here we go

#1. What is your favorite food that is cooked on the barbeque?
Lambtjops- although every now and again I also like fish on the bbq

#2. What veggies, if any, do you cook on the barbeque?
Mostly potatoes wrapped in alimunium foil- but we've also done Butternut

#3. Tell us a little about your barbeque habits. Who grills, how often, what months, etc.
Hubbie bbq's - not often enough about once a month - winter and summer time though- as we dont have rain in our winter months and our winter days are normally nice and balmy-anything up from 18 degrees celcius.

#4. Share a barbeque recipe.
This is for to bbq prawns
Wrapped shelled prawns (tiger prawns) in bacon strips
Thread 3 or 4 on a skewer
Baste with mixture of butter and garlic
BBQ until done
Enjoy with a nice fresh salad

Booking Through Thursday

What is Reading, Fundamentally? May 29, 2008
Filed under: Wordpress — --Deb @ 1:59 am

Suggested by: Thisisnotabookclub
What is reading, anyway? Novels, comics, graphic novels, manga, e-books, audiobooks — which of these is reading these days? Are they all reading? Only some of them? What are your personal qualifications for something to be “reading” — why? If something isn’t reading, why not? Does it matter? Does it impact your desire to sample a source if you find out a premise you liked the sound of is in a format you don’t consider to be reading? Share your personal definition of reading, and how you came to have that stance.
(Two weeks late for Reading is Fundamental week, but, well…)

Reading is using your imagination to make the picture up in your mind- so all of these-books,magazines,e-books,audiobooks is all reading- but of course the best reading is done in bed or siting with a cup of coffee, cocoa or wine and just savouring the book. So yes format does influence the reading- i.e I cant read an e-book in bed- but e-books are fine if I'm working on the computer.

Conversations with the kids

Andrew asked me when his teeth will come out- He's surrounded by 6 and 7 year old kids who's starting to lose their milk teeth. I told him when he is about 6 or 7
"Mom- when my teeth come out then I will sleep in my room with the light of"- Aah man how sweet.
Carmen has a mis day at school yesterday- crying for everything and nothing. She told me in the evening.
"Mommie- I cry by Agnella" (Agnella is the assistant in her class- Carmen adores her)
Why Carmen?
"It rain all day- dont like the rain"- Ag poor pumpkin

Last Night

When I got home the electricity was out- it had been out since one in the afternoon in our area. And it was freezing cold last night. So we all sat like eskimo bears on the couch with blankets on. That's were the kids fell asleep. Andrew came to sleep in our room as he sleeps with a night light on and Carmen came through about one o'clock. I got to snuggle with all my babes in bed :)

Oh and guess what- this morning we had electricity but no water- I think the water will be out for the day. Fun,fun,fun!!

Missing the kids

Today I'm really missing the kids- I cant wait to get home!!

Lazy Sunday

Spending time with some good friends. Hopefullu this week I will find some time to blog proiperly again- but I have been hectic lol

Botanical Gardens

We had a lovely day takeing the kids for a walk in the gardens. Andrew and his friend ran all the way and was rather tired at the end of the day.LOL

Four Foods on Friday

It's week 30.

Here are this week’s four questions. This week I’m again going with four questions that all share a theme. The theme this week is not a food, it’s a color. The color is white. For our purposes white doesn’t necessarily have to be white, it can include other shades as well. It doesn’t even be a color, it could represent a food like yogurt, fish and poultry. Know what I mean? I hope so. If you don’t, I probably don’t.
#1. What’s your favorite white beverage? If you don’t have one, what’s your favorite beverage with something white in it? Hot white chocolate
#2. What’s your favorite white gravy, sauce, condiment, dressing or topping?
Holandaise sauce
#3. What’s your favorite white item from the refrigerated section?
Uncoloured cheddar cheese
#4. Share a recipe for something white.
That's easy! White toast whoth whith cheddar-lol

Booking Through Thursday

Books vs Movies May 22, 2008
Filed under: Wordpress — --Deb @ 1:35 am

Suggested by: Superfastreader:
Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, what’s the difference between a book and a movie?
Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

I normally want more from a book - and are usually disappointed with a movie based on a book- a movie can never tell the full story!!

Xenophobia

With all the horrible attacks going on- most people are scared and feel helpless.
This song was sung during the apartheid years and it almost feels that we should head it's words once again

Give me Hope Johanna by Eddy Grant

Well Johanna she runs a country
She runs in Durban and the Transvaal
She makes a few of her people happy, oh
She don't care about the rest at all
She's got a system they call apartheid
It keeps a brother in a subjection
But maybe pressure can make Jo'anna see
How everybody could a live as one

[chorus:]
Gimme hope, Jo'anna Hope, Jo'anna Gimme hope, Jo'anna 'Fore the morning come
Gimme hope, Jo'anna Hope, Jo'anna Hope before the morning come

I hear she make all the golden money
To buy new weapons, any shape of guns
While every mother in black Soweto fears
The killing of another son
Sneakin' across all the neighbours' borders
Now and again having little fun
She doesn't care if the fun and games she play
Is dang'rous to ev'ryone

[chorus]

She's got supporters in high up places
Who turn their heads to the city sun
Jo'anna give them the fancy money
Oh to tempt anyone who'd come
She even knows how to swing opinion
In every magazine and the journals
For every bad move that this Jo'anna makes
They got a good explanation

[chorus]
Even the preacher who works for Jesus
The Archbishop who's a peaceful man
Together say that the freedom fighters
Will overcome the very strong
I wanna know if you're blind Jo'anna
If you wanna hear the sound of drums
Can't you see that the tide is turning
Oh don't make me wait till the morning come
[chorus]

Busy

I'm so busy today- I cant think of anything to write- so here is a pic of my two. Have a nice day!!

Menu Plan Monday

So I did a bit of pre-cooking this weekend, plus Pierre made us the most devine Jamie Oliver meatballs on Saturday- they were really njam.So much so that Pierre had them again last night. It is unusual for Pierre to have a dish two nights in a row- so it just shows you-lol

Monday- Chicken Lasagne
Tuesday- Bobotie
Wednesday- Chicken stew
Thursday-Left over JO Meatballs.

Feedback on some reading

So I've taken up Siblings without rivalry by Adele Fabe and Elaine Maszlisch agian.
They specifically addres siblings fighting .
So this is their suggestion:
Step 1: Acknowledge their anger i.e - I see you are very cross with each other
Step 2: Reflect the prpblem i.e He wants the toy cause he feels it was his first. She wants the toy cause he doesn't play with it anymore.
Step 3: State the problem with respect i.e I see one toy and two children. That's a though one
Step 4. Express your condfidence in them coming up with a solution that is fair to both
Step 5 : Walk away

So this is how it went in our house last night.
This was about a chair the kids were fighting about
Step one: Me: I see you are very angry with each other. Screaming from Andrew- YES!!
Step two: Me- I see one chair and two kids- Screaming- and shoving from both kids
Step 3:-Things are starting to fall apart now.-Sisters are for loving Andrew- as he is now shoving and screaming at Carmen
Step 4- I feel confident you two can come up with a solution- Andrew is now standing next to me crying that it is his chair. I tell him to tell Carmen not me- He gives her another shove ( I'm starting to lose my patience now)
Step 5- Me talking to Carmen- Carmen are you willing to share? She nods yes- I tell Andrew thar Carmen says she will share. He goes reluctantly and with a big sulk to sit next to her.

Sigh- So much for my kids coming up with their own solution- I had to steer the whole conversation. I wonder if they will ever come up with their own solutions. *sighs* *shakes head*

I just have to write this down

As kids come across my path and I start to know them better, I try to figure out what they will become one day.So I have to write it down before I forget and to check back in 20 years time to see if I was right :))

Jeanette's Bradley- Accountant
Connor is too young still- he's in fact himself still thinking about it.LOL
Marlise's Thomas- Dominee (that's a Pastor)- figured that one out today
Marlise's Sonja- Gynae (she will only do c-sect though and she will be so good all us old ladies will go to her for our hysterectomies.
Laura's Kiara- Physcic
Laura's Cameron- Definately manager of some kind

I cant comment on my two,because I'm too close to be objective.

Four Foods on Friday

Four Foods On Friday 29 questions
This week’s meme is sponsored by the Four Foods On Friday Players Contest winner for April - Karen.
Any regular participant of FFOF, that has played 6x or more is eligible to receive a link in my sidebar if they want one, all they need do is ask.
Here are this week’s four questions. This week I’m again going with four questions that all share a theme. The theme is “chocolate”.
This is the ideal meme for the colder weather we are having- nice wintery stuff!!
#1. What’s your favorite beverage containing chocolate or chocolate flavoring?
Hot Chocolate!!
#2. What’s your favorite chocolate bar? OR Share a pic of your favorite candy, chocolate or otherwise
Tempo's
.#3. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten that had chocolate in it?
It still surprises me to find chocolate in croisants- mainly because I dont expect my breakfasts to be sweet.
#4. Share a recipe using chocolate.
Hot milk- with a piece of at least 80% Dark Chocolate- think Lindt here- njam!!

Booking Through Thursday

Manual Labor Redux May 15, 2008
Filed under: Wordpress — --Deb @ 1:39 am

Following up last week’s question about reading writing/grammar guides, this week, we’re expanding the question….
Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not?
Do you ever read manuals?
How-to books?
Self-help guides?
Anything at all?

Jip, I love self help books and how to's. In fact I'm revisiting one of my favourite self-help Parents books. Siblings without Rivalry.

Og- too sweet man

Last night I gave Carmen some fudge. She couldn't get the word right so for starters called it Fun-Gin. To cute man- After a few tries she got fudge right.

Andrew's eczema is miles better with the help of Epimax Plus we've been using. I'm still battling to get him to take Omega 3& 6 oils- I think I'm going to try some flaxseed oil.

Very Clever-Qwill

A friend of ours helped develop this software- I think it's very clever- and that he is one smart guy!!

New online banking solution

FNB is launching an online software solution aimed at small and medium-sized customers
Banking group FNB is launching a new online software solution developed in collaboration with a group of South African entrepreneurs, and is now offering it to their small and medium-sized customers.
The solution is designed to address administrative and financial control bottlenecks commonly found in small and medium sized businesses, especially delays in producing accurate financial statements. Because of these bottlenecks, financial reporting is often neglected or delayed, however, daily financial control is critical for accurate decision-making within any organisation and a significant factor in business success.
FNB Qwill Instant Accounting solution is unique in that it taps into the bank's infrastructure, with bank statements being fed into the system daily and auto-processed to the customer's own general ledger categories.
"This means that, as transactions flow through the business' bank account, they are updated on the accounting records of the business. By way of example – when an online payment is processed by the bank and debited to the business' bank account, the payment will automatically reflect in the cash book and ledger of the business," says Warren Bond, CEO of Qwill.
"The end result is that the customers can receive their financial statements from the system including their income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and VAT returns."
Pilot studies with a few selected FNB business customers indicate that the Qwill service is having a positive impact on how the businesses operate and is improving their efficiencies.

Menu Plan Monday

Lots of leftover stuff-means I dont have to cook!!

Monday- Chicken Caciatore
Tuesday- Minesstrone soup
Wednesday- Beef stew
Thursday-Quiche

Happy Mothersday

To everyone. I got to sleep late-whoohoo,got nice brekkie and some perfume.
Pierre still wanted to take us for breakfast but I told him it would be crazy to go out- so he made it for us. We took the kids out afterwards to Gardenworld- as we knew the Botanical Gardens had a concert on.
And my mom and dad came for tea. So it was a very low key affair. Which is great as I was really not up to the crowds.

A bit of catching up to do

With everything that's happened so bear with me.

The Mothersday Breakfast was great. We had a beading activity with the kids. The boys did their beads for about ten minutes and then ran outside to go play while most of the girls sat patiently with mom beading. lol. The first pic is of Andrew concentrating on the beads. The second pic of Andrew's friend in class, Roland- whose mom was there but Rolly was not interested in the beads. The third pic is of Andrew and his other good friend in school William. Apparently these two are inseparable in aftercare as well as very naughty together. lol

And amazingly the kids understood that mom was leaving and that they had to stay at school. I was expecting some tears and tantrums. The whole tea and spread was set up by the home-ec students in the highschool. Baked, set tables, decorated as well as budgeted the whole thing. I was very impressed.

The last pic is my two friends Ronel and Jessica. We had such fun at the spa, laughing and chatting so much that we were asked several times to keep it quiet as there were other people trying to relax.lol
It was great to catch up with my friends again and just hear what is up with everyone. It is so convenient these days with e-mail and cellphones to stay connected but nothing beats talking to people face to face. Escpecially if it is people who you haven't seen in a while.
I think the quote for the day was "sunny side up"- when asked how we would like our massages done- I quipped medium to rare- and Jess decided sunny side up would do it for her- PMSL

Me and my relaxed bod was in bed by 8 in the evening (before the kids!!!- lol)

Just to make you all jelly

I have such a stunning day lined up.
Mothersday Breakfast at Andrew's Nursery School
Spa day with some friends
Then a hair appointment in the afternoon
I would have also had Bookclub in the evening- but it's been moved to a later date- so me and my relaxed bod will go home and have some wine with hubbie :))
Are you sufficiently jealous now ;P

Four Foods on Friday

Here's the Four Foods on Friday reminder you requested. It's week 28.
Thanks!
Here are this week’s four questions. This week I’m again going with four questions that all share a theme. The theme is "chicken".
#1. How do you make chicken salad?
Chicken,saladleaves,tomato,cheese,cucumber,olives,mayonaise
#2. Fast food chicken. What fast food restaurant makes the best chicken?
Nando's!! And Fontana
#3. What’s your favorite way to eat chicken?
Roasted
#4. Share a recipe using chicken or take a picture of a chicken dish.
Yoh- Roast chicken with veggies ;P

Booking Through Thursday

Manual Labor May 8, 2008
Filed under: Wordpress — --Deb @ 1:38 am

Writing guides, grammar books, punctuation how-tos . . . do you read them? Not read them? How many writing books, grammar books, dictionaries–if any–do you have in your library?

I actually do!! LOL - I love how to's then I can fully realise how unqualified I am to do something.

Woohoo

The joys of having Pierre work from home. Pierre is working from home this week, he's between sites and has a lot of admin work to catch up on. So I phoned him to ask to get us some ingredients for Minestrone soup which I would like to make. He sommer ruks out a recipe from Jamie Oliver- gets all the ingredients and cooks it for us. Apprently some nice smelling soup waiting for us when we get home. Njam!!

Roundup of last month

What with all the long weekends and us being away I completely forgot to do this.
It was an average month with the main feautures being Andrew's teacher meeting where we were told that Andrew might need to be kept back a year- he will still be further assessed and we will make a decision later in the year.
Carmen got put in the naughty corner for slapping everyone in class and then sulked for about a week afterwards. LOL
Pierre is under the impression that his life is a mess- for which he got severly scolded by me- and told to appreciate what he has got right in front of him. Men!!
And I got some nice compliments at my work for a job well done -whoohoo for me.
Our weekend away was much needed and liked.
All in all just a regular month.

Menu Plan Monday

With this cold weather it's very convenient to just stick a stew or soup in my slowcooker and come home to a warm cooked meal :)
Monday: Leftover Chicken potjiekos
Tuesday: Leftover beefstew
Wednesday: Minestrone soup
Thursday: Bobotie

Bradley's Party

Just as I was moaning that the kids social life is more hectic than mine- I'm reminded of the fact that when the kids have a party, I inevitably end up having one as well!! lol
Bradley's party was great fun and the jumping castle a hit with the kids. As the wine was a hit with the mom's :)
True to fashion, we ended up partying more afterwards at Marlise's house. It was great and nice seeing everyone again. I only realised this morning that my car is still full of partypacks. LOL
I didn't take any pics- but there is a few on Jeanette's blog

This Weather

is something else- it's just pouring!! Very unusual for May. I had a day off today. Kids gone to my mom,Pierre working. I was supposed to go for a haircut and colour today but my hairdresser has gone away for the weekend. I have a sneaky suspision he's gone of to get married. He's been planning to just slink away and do it for aaages. So I'll ask when I see him next :)
Any ways- It's nice to be chilling without munchkins around.

Four Foods on Friday

Four Foods On Friday #27 questions
Here are this week’s four questions. This week I’m again going with four questions that all share a theme. The theme is “I didn’t make this”. I’m also trying a photo challenge to see how well the photo suggestion would go over.
#1. What brand of frozen dinners do you think are the best and why? What a question- In Sa there is only one place- Woolworths!!
#2. What is your favorite frozen waffle or breakfast food?Blegh- frozen waffle- Fav breakfast food- Toast with Cheese
#3. Frozen appetizers. Which one is your favorite?I cant think of any
#4. Share a recipe or meal made from at least one frozen food.Does frozen meat count? Otherwise I like frozen creamed spinach over pasta- spinach heated up of course

An Old Friend

is visiting from the States and we are having a braai with her today. I'm really looking forward to it as I haven't seen her since - wel forever. Amazingly she was in school with two of my friends from bookclub. How's that for coincidence. And we figured it all out on Facebook. LOL
Anyhows have a great holiday today!!