Yep, the glass shelves are up! As my Mom said, our bathroom is the nicest room in the house. I have to say I LOVE it - makes one want to sit on the toilet for hours just staring at the shelves. I know I’ve said it before, and will probably say it again - but we really need to have more visitors round, because it’s the impetus we need to get things done. Had friends over Saturday night, the shelves were put up an hour before they arrived. If you look really closely on the left hand side there are 3 little bottles, tiny story behind them too.

(figured I’d make life easier for you - and save the eyesight)

I think we single handedly keep the bottle banks going with all the wine, beer and cider bottles we dump there every week - the last time Wouter went to off load some he came back with two of the little bottles shown in the picture. Seems a hospital had dumped them, well I took one look and decided I had to have them. They really are the cutest little bottles and so versatile. So the next time Wouter went to dump our bottles he came back with about forty of them. Some might think we’re odd, but you have to admit with a little ribbon around the neck and some glass pebbles inside - they don’t look half bad, and we’re doing our bit by recycling them! They’re also great as candle holders and were put to good use during earth hour, I reckon one should turn the lights off more often and light candles - not only is it saving energy but it is really flattering too.

The other highlight from the weekend was Jessica’s involvement in Kontiki 2009, she’s been involved before but this was the first time she was old enough to be a part of the crew and stay on the water for 24 hours. The other side started her involvement in the whole Brownie/Guide thing and I haven’t really been to many of the things they’ve done, but I’m really glad I went to watch them bring the rafts in. It was tremendous fun and the work they do to make their rafts is quite amazing. Jessica’s team had a hard time bringing their raft in because of the wind - it was howling, but with a lot of team work and able assistance from her father, they managed to come along side without too much hassle.

I took this picture from the top of Boyes Drive - the wind didn’t make it very easy.

Their’s is the little brown one in the middle, number 17.

It was quite remarkable to watch them dismantle it as well - a lot of squealing when they had to jump into the water to help lift it onto shore - but after the initial leap they acted like pros.

And now for something completely different - it would appear that Bagheera needs a bit of kitty discipline - this is what she said to me when I told her to get off my counter.

(as an aside if you clicked on the link…. spray bottles only work if the cat doesn’t like water)

We celebrated Tamsyn’s birthday a day early yesterday (which just so happens to coincide with Wouter’s birthday as well) and had a family braai with very nice steak, chicken, salads etc. Fun time was had by all. However in the wee hours of this morning Jessica came through to me complaining of a very sore stomach, now I had one as well (and as per usual was chalking it up to the inevitable burst appendix - one day it’ll happen!). So I gave her two comprals and sent her back to bed.. not to be outdone Tamsyn then woke up complaining of the same thing. Three women all struck down with really sore abdominal pain. I figured I couldn’t stay with the one and not the other so I lay down on the floor twixt their rooms figuring they’ll then be able to see me - nope Tamsyn then joined me on the floor and then a few minutes later, Jessica. So there we three were lying on the floor each one of us figuring our pain was worse than the other and wracking our brains trying to figure out what we’d eaten that the others hadn’t. A trip to the doctor this morning and he reckons we have a virus - bloody sore one let me tell you…Wouter on the other hand must have the constitution of an ox. Not the nicest way to celebrate a birthday…. Happy Birthday anyway, Tamsyn.

<— been feeling decidedly grotty last few days - and as I don’t get ill often I tend to over dramatise things when I do so I initially figured I had a stomach ulcer, then moved onto acute appendicitis but alas nothing as dramatic as that… just a common garden variety stomach bug. Wouter very sweetly told me to drink Jigsimur

OVERDOSE:

Excessive use may cause severe stomach cramps. These problems are symptomatic.

Blimey probably should have read the warnings before taking the stuff, after all it’s because of stomach cramps that I took it in the first place! As an aside, the stuff tastes vile, we’re talking more vile than even the vilest medicines, now that’s vile!

Speaking of the man he’s been busy in the kitchen again we now have our cupboard above the sink - looks damn fine.

Try to ignore the messy sink.

What else? Well Gymmie is now officially being labelled a disturber of the peace and I’ve told Wouter he needs to be incarcerated every night for the sake of everyone’s sanity (mainly mine). Not only was I outside in the middle of the night hissing ‘Gymmie’ at a loud whisper, but the next door neighbours were also out mumbling choice phrases under their breath - it got so bad at one point that the other neighbours let their dogs out…. effective I have to say…. not one but two cats came catapaulting (hehehe) over the fence and streaked off into the darkness.  He doesn’t look like he could disturb anyone, does he?

Bagheera on the other hand  is a pain in the toosh if you’re trying to scrapbook when she wants to play, in desperation I kept throwing things onto the floor for her to chase around. Turns out all I really needed was a bunny. Awhile back Wouter found a bunny (stuffed, as in toy not as in something someone might have shot, stuffed and placed on a shelf) in our room and I couldn’t figure out how it got there. I thought perhaps Tamsyn had brought it - but no turns out Bagheera has claimed him as her toy and carries him around all over the show.  She also enjoys sitting on ones chest.

 

I decided to take a trip down memory lane and looked at some of my old report cards - oddly enough, I didn’t seem to do too well in school (could be because I didn’t really try all that hard.. *gasp*) what is amazing though is Tamsyn’s teacher appears to have been my teacher too when I was in Grade 4 (Std 2 in my day) - which must make her at least 104. I gave my report card to Tamsyn to find out if it is her, ‘cos golly that means the woman has been at that school a helluva long time.

Bagheera assisted by pointing out all the crummy results I got.

We had our official housewarming this weekend - went off rather well, had enough food, plenty of bubbly and lots of chatting. In fact we’re still eating leftovers, and likely to be for awhile.. especially the carrot salad (which was yummy, I might add). Wouter’s Mom very kindly brought two salads, not sure who she was expecting - but if the entire army, navy and airforce had arrived, we’d still have some left over.  We’ve decided to hold these parties several times a year because they force us to finish things that might otherwise have been put on hold for months. Don’t suppose we’d get presents each time though. Speaking of which we did receive some lovely housewarming gifts, pot plants, towels, candles, bottles of wine. I’m a tad worried about the plants - figure if I put post-it notes all over the house reminding me to water them they might just survive.

Unfortunately we weren’t able to finish off the things we wanted to before the party - the cupboard people let us down badly, and the glass people ran out of glass *sigh* so I couldn’t have my shelves up in the bathroom. Still things are starting to take shape and one of these days….. our house is going to look damn fine.

Speaking of not looking damn fine… we had an impromptu braai last night as the folks popped round and Wouter had something fly into his eye. Much poking about with an earbud later and all I could see was what might have been a tiny cut on his eyelid. So we covered the eye and I got to sleep with the Dread Pirate Wouter.

As an aside…. Wouter figures I’m dreadful because I forgot completely to take photos of the housewarming but I was instantly taking pictures of him looking like this. In my defence I was so busy running around at the housewarming that I completely forgot I had a camera.