{scraps of jacki's life}

sometimes i wish...

... i could work from home.

i would love to do some blog-designing and writing work. and i would love to do it from home.

why?

well, i could work on my laptop. in bed. in my pajamas.

discipline would not be a problem, because i have a supervisor:

her name is snowy. and she is a strict taskmaster..

she sleeps with her head on my keyboard. and since i don't have the heart to disturb her, i don't move.

of course, sometimes i have to share her with sean.

maybe then i could jump up for a quick shower, and to get some coffee.

i posted about her here before. she is the princess in our house.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

spring day celebrations...

yesterday was spring day here in the southern hemisphere. as is tradition, we dressed up in bright summery clothes to celebrate the coming of spring.

i took my camera out, to see how spring was being celebrated in my neighborhood.

 

ah, the fruit trees were looking just peachy!

 

a beautiful pink outfit makes her look so fine..

and this tree is wearing a perfectly summery combination of pink and green.

 

mr and mrs duck were also in their spring-best. she even has purple

lipstick on her beak to match the purple in her skirt.

and mr duck was looking especially colorful.

die vere maak die voel, se hulle...

mr rooster had his hair done to impress..

 

and of course, there is always a show-off, who just has to look better than everyone else...

 

the budgies were dressed for ro-mance....

 

of course there are always those spoilsports who think these celebrations are just a ploy of retailers, who commercialize days like this for their own gain. so, ms cat rolled around in the dust to show her disdain.

 

and there are those who do not read the memo...

 

and who refuse to pack away their winter wollies until they are sure there are no more chills on the way...

but fortunately those who love spring

 

really went all out to celebrate!

what did you do?

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

mushrooms

we have had some very rainy weather lately. and suddenly these started appearing:

 

they have been popping up all over our property.

 

in the lawn.

 

between the shrubs.

 

all shapes and sizes.

some are huge - the size of dinner plates!

 

they look as though a family of fairies is hiding there somewhere.

 

and they are all different!

each cluster is unique.

 

some are tiny.

 

some are red, some are brown.

and some are very white.

 

as i said, they are popping up everywhere.

this one came up INSIDE my bedroom...

aren't they awesome?

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

ducks...

look who we found in our pond this morning...

we didn't even know she had eggs!

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

praying mantis

on sunday sean got a new little friend.

"hey, little friend. nice to meet you!"

"let's see you up close"...

 

"oooh, you are tickling me!"

 

"let's pray together, my friend".

and to prove that i actually do some work around here...

what do you mean scrapbooking isn't work? it is for me - i have a scrapbooking shop.

it was another tough day at the office...

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

christmas book...

yesterday i went to a class with melani. we did a christmas book. it was really a lovely morning, thanks melani. you can see what she said about it here.

melani is a wonderful person, and one of the most talented scrappers i have ever met! i love attending her workshops, as her style is so artistic and informal and different. shabby chic.

she sometimes needs my help on her blog, and i am so relieved, because at least there is something that i'm better at. in almost everything else she is just amazingly awesome...

thanks melani, for letting me learn from you a little sometimes!

after i left melani i had to run lots of errands, and my car's airconditioner is out of order. i nearly died in this intense heat! i was not feeling well when i got home last night, i think i had a mild case of heatstroke.

over the weekend, freak winds during a storm, blew a large shack that is temporarily stored on our property, quite a few meters in the air, before dumping it it on it's roof.

 

the right arrow shows where it stood. the mess you see around it, is actually where the man stores scrap metal, and building materials. not quite a tornado, but freaky for us.

and the night before, someone came through out electric fence, and stole 4 of our sheep.

interesting times...

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

camping

going on holiday is not an option right now, so sean has been camping in his tent in the garden.

 

you see that door just to the right of his tent? that is our bedroom. he is closer to us in his tent, than when he is when he is sleeping in his own room.

 

a twelve-year-old's version of independance...

edited to add: he has slept there a few nights, cathy. and yes, kota, my 22 year-old lives in a flat on my property too, and he is only a little further away from us. during the week he lives on campus, though.

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

we all need a helping hand sometimes...

on sunday morning our worker came to tell us that there was a problem. when we went to look, we found this:

she had gone into labor during the night, and in the morning when the sheep were let out, she made it this far.

do i hear you saying eeeww? you shouldn't. it's a miracle of nature.

see? not eewww. a tiny little lamb. we thought it was dead. it was very still, and it's tongue was hanging out.

the man started pulling it out. then, suddenly the lamb shuddered. it wasn't dead! that meant that he had to pull more carefully, because now he didn't want to hurt it.

see those hands? those are the hands that hold my hand. no more hand-holding until those hands are washed...

he soon realized why the lamb was stuck. it's one little knee was catching inside. the man had to reach inside to straighten the leg. believe me, this wasn't pleasant for the poor mama.

after quite a long struggle, it just slid out. the poor lamb and the mama were exhausted! our one worker was moved to tears. he said it made him sad to see the mama suffering like that. when he said that with a catch in his throat, it moved me to tears too.

hello little lamb. welcome to the world. i hope nothing will ever be this difficult for you again.

the mother sheep licks the baby clean, and eats all the afterbirth. this is to replace all the blood and minerals she lost in the birth. now, this is eeww..

come on baby! you can do it! i know you can! you see? a miracle!

sometimes we spend so much time looking for a miracle, that we do not even notice the 'every day miracles' that happen around us.

after this, our cup of morning coffee outside in the spring sunshine seemed to taste so much sweeter!

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

new addition to the family...

during the night we grew 3 lambs richer. 3, in one night! what a blessing. our first set of twins, and another.

all together now: aaah cute!

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

domestic bliss...

this is a typical winter's evening in our house. see the roaring fire in the background? ok, not so typical. usually we are out of wood. the men lying around, and the dirty dishes and the general messiness, now that is typical. the only thing missing, is a few cats and dogs. usually, the man has a cat lying on his chest. we have 4 cats, 3 dogs, 9 sheep, and a large assortment of ducks, guinea fowl, turkeys, and other birds. ah yes, domestic bliss...

on wilna's blog she has a link to this awesome layout. i think is is fabulous too. so i thought i would share it with you. also, i am linking it here, so that i can find it myself if i want to look at it again...

did you see how sexy donna downey is? she lost weight, and looks great. no more skinny poses for her...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

surviving ronnie-week, and what i did for twelve-of-twelve

it started yesterday morning as a crankiness, and a distracted feeling. there was a tightening in the solar plexus. a little later the crankiness became irritation, the distraction became a full blown inability to concentrate, and the tightening became a stomach ache. it felt as though nothing was going right, and everything was a battle. a headache started to form. the neck muscles started to bunch, and the jaw began to tighten. the breathing became shallower, and the heartbeat quicker. at about 2pm, when i went to fetch sean from school, i was in the middle of an anxiety attack. i had to go to the bank, and wait in the queue, and while i was standing there i realized what was happening and tried to calm myself. when i got home, i took a painkiller with a muscle relaxant, and relaxed a little.

i am now officially in what i call ronnie-week. it starts on the 14th, on his birthday. it continues past the 19th, the anniversary of his death, and only ends on the 26th, the date of the funeral. actually more than a week then... and it always hits me harder than i expect. that's not quite true. these days i have learned to expect that it hits me harder that i expect. so i expect it. but, even if you expect it to be difficult, it is still difficult.

thanks to all of you who sent me messages, emails, and comments of support. i appreciate it. i am ok, i really am. i'm not writing about all this because i'm overwhelmed, but, as i have said before, because it is my way of processing, of thinking it through. and, as wonderful as the manis, and while i can really talk to him about anything, this is something that he doesn't really want to share with me. he gives me space, and i spare him the details.

so, on a lighter note, i thought i would share my photos i took on saturday, for the twelve-of-twelve thing i wrote about on friday.

here are 12 photos taken on saturday 12 april 2008. they tell the story of my day. they are not 'pretty' or well shot, or of some memorable moments, just an ordinary day in my life. that is the point.

 

i got up at 07h12. a little later than i should.

 

it was dark outside, and raining hard.

 

the chickens and ducks and turkeys were making a noise, as they do every morning, as they were waiting for their breakfast. it is so special to hear them every morning! they live right outside the bedroom window.

 

the man pulled the pillow over his head, and swore loudly when he saw me pointing the camera at him. this is not so special to hear in the morning...

 

sean was lying in his bed, reading his harry potter book. he is not a big reader, so i love this!

 

in the shop, liza had a class.

 

as i left the shop in the afternoon, i looked back to take a photo of the centre. it was sunny then.

 

i put the finishing touches to the tin i made for tian, for his birthday.

 

and finished his card too.

 

we had frozen pizzas for supper, that we add extra toppings to before we pop them in the oven.

 

the man fell asleep on the couch, as usual.

 

i HATE photos of myself, and this one is no exception. but, the rules of twelve-of-twelve say that you have to include a photo of yourself. it is about MY day, after all..

i went to bed earlyish, about 10pm. and i didn't see francois at all until after i was in bed.

so you see, an ordinary day. an ordinarily happy day. but in light of the fact that i am this week remembering the day my husband died, i have learned that an ordinary day is great!

 
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

sandpaper, plot life, and getting organised!

When you have to put up with mean people, think of them as sandpaper. They may scratch you and rub you the wrong way. but eventually... YOU end up smooth & polished, and the sandpaper....? It'd be worn out and ugly! Makes you think, doesn't it?

we got a new addition to our family this morning:

it's name is jannie, after our next-door neighbour, who is the father owner of the ram who is the father. we do not yet know if this lamb it is a ewe or ram. the mother has rejected her 2 previous lambs, so we are leaving her alone for now. she does seem to be taking some interest in this one, so it seems like she will accept it.

i am by nature quite organised, and i function better when i am organised. i like neatness and things to be in place. but it seems like my life is always out of control. and i blame the kids, the man, my long working hours, not enough cupboards, the fact that i moved from a big house to a smaller one, to a tiny plot house with a man who had everything that i had. and i know i need to organise more, but i am overwhelmed because it is such a big task. then, yesterday i found Marcia, Organising Queen's website and blogs. i spent some time reading her blogs, and i found that while i was waiting for the pages to load, i was tidying my desk. i dug out my filofax, and started looking through it it, so i could start using it again. i found a notebook to make one list, and threw away all those post-its and little square notelets. even long after i switched off my computer, i was still organising little things. while i was brushing my teeth, i was rearranging the medicine closet. i am completely inspired! a lot of her tips i already do, but there were plenty new ones too.

i always tell the kids that it is more work to drop the laundry on the floor, then pick it up later to put in the basket, than to drop it in the basket in one go. but this principle applies to so many other aspects in life. i found that filing is something that i just can't keep up with, no matter how hard i try. so i invested in lots of those little 'buddi' system A4 size drawers that you get at waltons or macro. they cost me a small fortune at the time, but filing has never been an issue since! as i open statements, accounts, etc, i drop them straight in the right drawer, and they are filed! if you find a system that works for you, then stick to it. and then, adding a new system every now and then, makes life just a little easier. thank you mercia , for inspiring me. you will see me popping into your blogs often! she also does e-courses on organising and time-management.

next up, i am going to organise my inbox. being more organised will make me happier and more productive! i need to go now, i have to make a list of goals for the week. and maybe compile the menus for the week too!

tell me what you do to be more organised. we can learn from each other...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

vegetables again

in general, my children refuse to eat anything that hasn't danced on television. Erma Brombeck.

you know how sometimes you scrap a page, and the whole process, from beginning to end, is just a pleasure? it doesn't happen that often, but i just love how this one came out!

i used treasures and colormates cardstock, and the patterned paper, rub ons and embellishments are from karen forster. the flowers are from prima.

the wooden letters i bought loose at a shop, and painted with heidi swapp paint. i used a white gel pen to make the stitch effect. i love the little rub on snails!

on the little tag with the vegetables on it, tucked behind the photo,  i will write the story, as on the blog entry of early january. anyone interested in reading it, can pull it out.

as always, the photos don't do justice to the real thing. but this page will be one of my favourites for quite some time!

love, jacki

SCRAPPIN TIMES

plot life, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.  ~Oprah Winfrey

it is such a pleasure to live on a plot! yesterday afternoon my parents and my brother and his family came to visit, and we picked lots of fresh vegetables for them to take home.

little marni helped me so happily! she helped pick beans, gem squash, spinach, beetroot, onions and carrots. she also helped carry it all to the plastic tub.

when she saw what they were getting to take home, she jumped up and down, and said: "jaaay, we're getting food!". don't you feed your kids, boet? afterwards, she was quite happy to pose like a little supermodel! thanks, marni, for changing a chore into a happy memory. you made my day!

now, if this is not a good advert for healthier eating, i don't know what is..

what are you doing for new year? we are going to our neighbours, jannie and amelia. no roadblocks on the way home..

so, to all of you, happy new year! may 2008 bring many happy memories!

love, jacki

you can see the layout i scrapped with these photos here.