Biker boy

Buuusy weekend.  So I didn't get to play with my new slice, because I had older brother and 7 year old nephew to stay for the weekend.  We bought Theo his first bike.  Such a clever boy - by Saturday evening, he was riding on on his own. I was so sad when they left on Sunday afternoon...

Building the new bike

Ready..steady...GO!

Hold me grampa!

I can ride by myself!

Theo and grampa (Michael)

Happy 7th birthday, big guy

SLICE

I am sooo friggin happy!

Finally received my Slice Elite and hands-free kit

Can't wait to play with it this coming weekend

Will share the results next week

:-)

Layout to share

Had such a great weekend - planning a trip to Italy in October with my friend Leonie, and then scrapping with the Scrap Addicts on Saturday.  We also visited Scrap-a-doodles factory outlet in Pretoria - a MUST-see for all serious scrappers.

I LOVE to travel and I travel a LOT, both for business and pleasure.  In 2010, I did 24 flights and was away from home for 52 nights!  I therefore scrap a lot of travel pages.

Boston USA is once of my favourite cities, and my love of the city is reflected in this layout.  As usual, I like to add lots of photo's to my layouts, and I always tell the story through journalling.

The lacy edge below the photo's is done with a Martha Stewart punch

Labelling done with a Brother P-touch office machine

Hello Friday

just trying to hang on in the craziness at work

starting to plan Italy trip with Leonie and Ali Edwards in October

comforted by mangos, litchis and yoghurt

scrapping with the Scrap Addicts tomorrow

I'm sooo behind on my Soul Retreat e-course

Rhythm and Routine

"Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could; some blunders and absudities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely"
                                    ***Ralph Waldo Emerson ***

Just as there is a natural rhythm and routine in nature - night turns into day, winter into spring, so too is there a natural rhythm in a large part of our lives.  This is usually around ordinary day to day tasks such as shopping, doing chores, making meals, working at a career, bedtime, taking care of our family and so on.  In the frenzied busyness of our lives, creating routines to manage the endless number of tasks and chores each day helps to restore a measure of order and control, and may take away some of the guilt around the things that don't get done.  The idea is to find a daily/weekly/monthly routine that suits you by listing all the things that need to be done.  Creating morning, evening and weekend routines helps me to get through the craziness of everything that I need to do.

Routines create a small piece of calm in our busy lives, so that by the time you turn off the light and drift off to sleep each night, the bulk of your daily / weekly chores are done.  Try it, and you may just begin the new day serenely.

                                                              Taken from my unpublished book "Whispered Comfort"

Layout to share

Just a little layout to share ...enjoy!

Comfort

5 things which are comforting me right now:

1. my SOUL RESTORATION kit has finally arrived from the USA www.bravegirlsclub.com
2. slippers
3. hot coffee
4. my kittens chasing each other in the garden  - sooo cute
5. going through my December holiday photo's and discovering this heart wall-art, made by Anita from Vetmuis Kombuis in Richmond/Karoo - barbed wire, chicken mesh and pebbles - awesome!

Resolutions

It's the time of year when we think of what we want to change in our lives, how we want to make it better.  This piece is taken from the 2011 edition of Our Daily Bread...

What if we asked God what He wants to change, improve or begin this year?  Perhaps he would tell us to:

• Demonstrate more of the fruits of the spirit in your life, which are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control" (Gal. 5:22-23)
• Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44)
• Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15)
• Be content with such things as you have (Heb. 13:5)
• Walk according to His commandments (2 John 1:6)

May you have a blessed day

11 things on 11 January 2011

1. I'm loving Michael Buble's new CD "Hollywood"
2. I'm loving my new Zutter bind-it-all which makes mini books
3. I have just read "Julia's chocolates" by Cathy Lamb - an awesome light novel about women standing in their power
4. I'm loving a little book called "Living a charmed life" by Victoria Moran
5. I'm now reading "Tears of the desert - a memoir of survival in Darfur" by Halima Basheer
6. I'm loving Clarins products right now
7. Today, I'm joining a 6 week e-course by Melody Ross called "Soul Restoration" (based on Brave Girl Camp)
8. Another 6 days of being 45 years old and then the scale tips over to lean closer to the big five-oh
9. I'm hating my blackberry phone - am having endless problems with the 2nd new phone in 3 months
10. I'm booking a trip to Italy in October
11. I walked for 20 minutes yesterday and did some yoga stretches - go me!

Rain

It has been raining in Johannesburg for several weeks now.  I love it. 

I ignore those people who moan and complain about the endless rain. 

Yes it's wet and soggy but it's also gorgeously cool and soothing.  And the dams are full.  This is Africa remember - a VERY dry country.  I welcome the rain as a blessing.

I have been 'forced' to relax on the couch with my kittens and some popcorn, and catch up on some of the movies on my PVR - total COMFORT.  Some favourite movies have been 'Everyone's fine' (Robert de Niro), Stuart Little 2, and Mighty Heart (Angelina Jolie).

It's my choice

"Every morning when I get up,
the first thing I decide is:
What do I want?
Misery or Bliss?
And it happens that I always choose bliss.
It is my choice.  It is my life"
                                      ***Abdullah***

This weekend I choose bliss, gentleness, comfort.  I choose to go slow.

What do YOU choose?

Sunshine, freedom and flowers

"Just living is not enough,
said the butterfly.
One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower"
       ***Hans Christian Andersen***


This little verse is so reflective of how I am feeling right now - positive and excited about 2011, but also reflective of last year and where I am right now.
I love setting goals for each year (call them resolutions or intentions or whatever); my view is that even if I only achieve half of my annual goals, I'm still better off than having set no goals for the year.  Case in point - one of my 2010 goals was to create a blog and voila!  Done - success - yay!

Right now, I'm mulling over 2011 travel options (Italy or Israel?), moving more and eating less (see http://www.cathyzielske.typepad.com/), maybe taking some cooking lessons, trying out new restaurants and balancing things just a little bit better than I did last year.  And finding regular ways of enjoying sunshine, freedom and flowers.

What are YOUR goals for this year?

a

Welcome to 2011!

As expected, Christmas raced by and we're already into 2011. 

Just a quick look back to the end of 2010...  9 hours' drive to Richmond in the Northern Cape, a gentle Christmas day with family and friends, and an even gentler slide into 2011. 

Here's the proof...

At the NG Kerk in Richmond

Siblings : Alison, Michael and Rose-Marie

Michael's daughter - Spike

New Years' day at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens

with Lynn & Richard

Blessings and light to you all for an awesome 2011!