Running on South African time ...

Jake has arrived in the Republic of South Africa and is having a wonderful time. He's busy acclimating himself to 80° weather and getting used to the different languages and dialects of South Africa. He's living with two other students (a Dutch girl and boy from Wisconsin) in this house ...

His is the little house on the left, behind the bush LOL. If you go to either google maps or google earth and punch in 154 Station Road, Capetown, South Africa, you'll get a much better photo! His room is about 18x18 and looks out on the garden. I'm anxiously awaiting pictures! The three of them share a backyard with three others, another American from Wisconsin, another Dutch student, and a German student. Sounds like they all get along pretty well, hopefully that remains the same!

Jake says that the scenery is beautiful, and he was unprepared for how wonderful it is. He's been on a bus tour around Cape Town, seeing Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope, some beaches, a community center, and a Penguin Colony. He and his roommates have plans to go camping on the Garden  Route next week, a trail that goes through the National Parks. They're also planning to go back to Cape Point and visit the beaches at the end of the week. Jake says that Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope are "something straight out of a dream."

Everything in South Africa runs on "South African time" ... which apparently means that everything is literally 15 minutes late, LOL. One of the popular sayings is "I'll be with you now" which means that they'll be with you shortly.

My Momma's heart is peaceful now, knowing that he's safe and having the experience of a lifetime! The girls can't wait to write him a letter, and I know that they're anxious to skype with him as well. Not sure how often I'll have more information, but I'll update again when I do :)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Games From Your Childhood

My brothers were quite a bit older than I was (9, 13, and 17 years) so by the time I was old enough to actually play games, they were pretty much gone! That left me & my Mom, and sometimes my Dad. I remember wanting to play cards with my brothers when I was 5 or 6, and I always fell for "52 Pick-Up!" Needless to say, that is NOT on my list ...

1. Gin Rummy/Rummy 500 ... my Mom and I would play these for hours. ... still love it!
2. Cribbage ... my Dad was super good at Cribbage. I always was amazed at how he just *knew* the point count without having to say, 'fifteen two, fifteen four, a run of three ...!'
3. Monopoly ... this was usually reserved for when I had a friend over, as my Mom hated Monopoly!
4. Scrabble ... still my favorite game. Ever.
5. Hopscotch ... even though I could never remember how to draw out the squares, I would grab a stick and try to scratch them into the dirt of our side yard.
6. Trouble ... loved that 'pop' sound the little bubble made!
7. Parchesi ... still like this game :)
8. Operation ... it takes a steady hand ... and I so didn't have one!
9. Rack-o ... another game I played with my Dad. I used to watch him & my Mom playing with their friends on Sunday evening card/game nights and wish I was old enough to play. I still love this game!!
10. Clue ... I was thrilled when I got a Clue game for Christmas one year, and tried to get my Mom to play with me every chance I got. She hated it, though, so I generally only got to play when a friend came over. And then it was hard to choose between this & Monopoly!

What a great way to reminisce about childhood :) So many awesome memories of playing games w/ my Mom, my Dad, sometimes my brothers, and friends. Also brought back alot of memories of watching my parents play with their friends. Ah, game night, a timeless classic!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Ways To Be More Organized

Ah, organization ... it is something I strive for, yet seldom achieve. At least not in my own frame of reference. To be sure, if I take on a job, I get it organized & get it done ... so I have the appearance to others of being organized. Yet my inability to lay my hands on that note that I wrote yesterday, that lies amongst the other notes on my desk, says otherwise.

1. Make a list ... you know what has to be done, sure! But if you make a list, you won't "forget" that one thing that would really be better off completed! Same goes for the trip to the store ... while it's glaringly obvious while standing in your kitchen that you have no milk, on the walk around the grocery store perusing the delights on each shelf, it's easy to forget that mundane staple.

2. Prioritize ... some things are just more important than others. Like ordering the gift certificate for the wedding you need to attend in a week or two! Using the canned air on the keyboard can wait while you finish up that more important task ... just sayin'!

3. Chunk it down ... lots of tasks become intimidating if we let them. Cleaning the garage/basement/playroom ... OMG, how can I possibly accomplish that? Yet if I spend just 10 minutes tidying up at intervals throughout the day, a dent is made. I use the 10-minute (or 15-minute if I'm feeling particularly ambitious) rule ... and I bribe myself ... it's much easier to tackle something I hate for 10 minutes if I know I have 10 (or 20) minutes of a rewarding activity on the other side.

4. Put everything in its place ... yeah, yeah, yeah. My desk is a monument of piles and folders. So much easier said than done, yet if you think about it, isn't it easier to take the extra 10 seconds (or 10 steps) to put that item in the correct file/drawer/shelf space than it is to move it 50 times during the day while you're looking for something else you didn't put away?

5. Menu-plan ... lots of other things seem to get more attention when I take care of this one tiny (monumental) detail. If I know what I'm making for meals throughout the week, I'm able to create shopping lists and pare down the stress level. It also saves money, since at 4pm I'm more apt to actually cook the chicken I took out of the freezer at 8am than I am to order pizza!

6. Throw things away. It's easier to find that piece of paper w/ the important info on it if you have thrown away the other 100 pieces of paper that came across your desk today! It's easier to find those comfy black pants in your closet if they're not crammed in with the velvet dress you bought for a wedding 10 years ago (and probably no longer fit into, nor will ever fit into again)!!

7. Keep a central calendar for important dates and appointments ... whether it's hanging on the wall in the kitchen/office, in a date book in your purse, or an electronic version on your computer or phone, if everything is kept in once central place, you're less likely to miss that doctor's appointment you don't want to go to anyway.

8. Spot cleaning works! Who knew that if you just used a cleaning wipe on the sink & toilet several times per week, it would eliminate the need to hire a hazmat crew once a month! It's so much easier to go through the living room each night before bed and pick up/throw out those scraps of paper from the craft-making-marathon than it is to wait until it looks like a preschool art program threw up in your house!

9. Set limits on the things that drain your time/energy ... this can be either the things that you dread doing (like cleaning the basement or garage, or purging your closet & dresser of all the clothes that you won't wear) or the things that you love doing too much (like playing on FaceBook, or answering e-mails or (gasp) knitting)! Sure, it'd be great to finally get the basement in order and be able to walk through without a map ... but if it means that you won't do anything else for several weeks, then wouldn't it be better to space it out? If you open FaceBook at 9 a.m. to 'just check in and see what everyone is up to' and then wonder how it got to be dark so quickly, then you need some limits! Try only allowing FaceBook while you drink your first cup of coffee ... or answering e-mails only AFTER you accomplish your first to-do list goal ... anything that enables you to get to what really needs to be done!

10. Shine (clean out) your sink! Yes, fly-lady works (if you keep at it) and I really do feel better each morning if I don't have to get up to face an overflowing and dirty sink. So take 2 minutes at the end of each day, put the dishes in the dishwasher (or, gasp, wash them) and suds up that sink ... you'll feel better tomorrow :)

2010 Knitting ReCap

As you know, I learned to knit in 2010. I've been knitting for 12 months. Can you believe it? I have knit alot of things ... A. LOT. Most have been gifts for people, but a few have been for little old me. I intend to knit alot more things for me in 2011.

Inspired by my friend Carole, I decided I would make a collage photo of (most of) the knits I made during 2010. I say most of because I had an issue with figuring out how to make the collage larger than 5x5 ... so I was limited to 25 of my items. Go figure, I knit more than 25 items in 2010 ... that's more than 2 per month!

So, without further ado, here's the collage ...



 

To list them out, I made ... 3 Traveling Woman Shawls (one for me, one for Jana, and one for Alicia); a lace scarf (for Thelma); a Sari Silk Scarf (for Megan); a Moonlight Mohair Scarf (for Kayla); a cotton shrug (for my Mom); four pairs of socks (all for ME); two Mickey skirts (one for Katie & one for Kenzie); two summer tank tops (one for Katie & one for Kenzie); two summer sleeveless sweaters (both for me); a baby blanket (for Taylor); a Baktus scarf (for me); Drifty mittens & hat set (for me); an afghan (for Katie); a hat & scarf set (for the little girl across the street); 7 dishcloths(2 "man" style for Jake, 1 for Nana, 1 for my secret prayer sister at church, and 3 for me); 7 hats (one each for Jake, James, Taylor, Olivia, Collin, Eva, and Jack); and a striped hat (for me)! The official tally comes to ... (drumroll please) ... 39!!!! Holy Smokes!

Now granted, alot of these project were easy ... dishcloths, hats, and scarves ... but hey, I just learned to knit! I'm still working on a sweater (for Shawn) and another pair of socks (for me) that I started last year. I am already planning another shawl (this time with beads knit in) and a pair of socks for each of my guys (Shawn, James, and Jake). I also want to knit a cardigan for myself, but haven't found a pattern I like enough yet.

I didn't have any goals for my knitting in 2010 (other than to simply learn and knit something LOL), but I have formed a few goals for 2011.
1. Knit socks for Shawn, James, and Jake
2. Knit a cardigan for me
3. Knit a shawl with beads
4. Knit myself 2 more pairs of socks
5. Become more adept at binding off and seaming

So, there you have it. My 2010 knitting recap *and* my knitting goals for 2011. Cheers, and Happy New Year!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Wouldn't Want To Live Without

So, the caveat to this week's list is that people don't count. Not that they don't *count* ... but you can't use them on the list. Well, there goes my #1 and #2 answer, family and friends! So, with that in mind, I will plow ahead ...

1. Running water ... seriously? Walking to a water source and carrying home a bucket? Yeah, so not happening!

2. Electricity ... we lost power for about 12 hours after the blizzard and that just reinforced my love for electricity! Sure, we could live without it for a while, but I don't want to!

3. Computer ... it's how I met one of my closest and dearest friends, and how I keep in touch with a bunch of friends spread far and wide. So, while I can't use friends for a list item, this is kind of the same thing :)

4. Knitting ... my habit is now one year old, and I honestly can't imagine not knitting! The feel of the yarn, the comforting click of the needles ... yeah, I'm hooked!

5. Books ... whether they be paper and ink or on my eReader, I love to read. I can't imagine life without books!

6. Smart Phone ... I love my droid! I love that I'm connected (pretty much) wherever I go, that I can check in on my favorite blogs while on the road, and that there are so many fun apps! Did I mention that it's a great gadget when the kids are fidgety?

7. DVR ... I love my shows ... Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY (are we sensing a theme?), Lie To Me, and American Idol ... there are others, but none more essential than those! I love that I can be out doing things (like bowling or Kiwanis) and not miss my shows. Love that I don't have to have a blank video tape (remember those?) on hand & actually remember to put it in the VCR! Love that I can set a series recording & not have to think about it. Ever. Hmmmm, this might have been better higher on the list.

8. Automobile ... yeah, I could walk or ride a bike. But really?

9. The Lake House ... the most peaceful place on earth. Seriously.

10. Modern Conveniences ... a pretty broad category, with sooo many entries! I don't want to keep my food in a cabinet & have to worry about ice. I don't want to have to wash my clothes in a stream using rocks. I don't want to have to start a fire to cook my food. I don't want to hang my clothes on a line to dry (unless I want to, which is silly). They all make our lives easier, and I love them :)