Sunday 5 July 2009

Housekeeping (both varieties!)

A while back I was given an award by my friend Cindy in Australia. I did thank her for it but have failed to give it pride of place in a post until now. So here it is for you all to see...




Cindy is a brilliant scrapbooker with high ambitions & has just entered the Memories Masters competition - open to Australian residents only. Last year she received 2 "Honourable Mentions" in the same competition (Australia's yearly talent search) so I am hoping positively on your behalf Cindy. She found me (somehow) in Blogland & we both inspire one another so thanks to Cindy! Go check out Cindy's blog here.

She has also just joined me on the Journaling Junkie Design Team. And on that subject, the very talented co-ordinator over there at JJ, Stefanie, has issued all her followers (that would be me included...) an award & challenge that I have taken up! (*Edited* - I have just seen that dear Cnidy also gave me this award! So thanks again Cindy & sorry I missed it originally - it has been a bit of a chaotic couple of weeks!)

You can find Stefanie's blog here. I am required to share 10 honest facts about myself & tag my followers, so please feel free to join in. Just leave me a comment & let me know!




1. I am a very complex person.

2. I am loyal to the back teeth.

3. I call a spade a spade.

4. I see scrapbooking as something way deeper than a happy licky sticky pastime.

5. I've gained clarity since I started blogging.

6. As each year passes so life makes more sense & I feel more comfortable to be a part of it.

7. It has taken many years for me to be able to strike a semblance of balance in my life.

8. I have an addictive personality.

9. I believe that if you don't stand for something you'll stand for anything.

10. I can't live in mess - Order keeps me focused & makes me function better.

And one random fact - just to add my own twist LOL - my parents made their living breeding thoroughbred race horses so I grew up surrounded by horses & love everything about them but particularly their smell. Mmmmm...they smell great....

And that's not all! My hilarious bloggy buddy & now great pen pal friend too, Heidi from New Zealand, gave me this award this week too! Thanks Heidi!! She reckons the comments on my blog are always a fascinating read & she's right! So thanks to all my commenters! ALL of them - even the one's that try throwing a spanner in the works - it gives us all a good laugh!



And, with regard to the "Honest Scrap" award - I've just decided (in the last 30 secs, LOL!) to actually tag some peeps for this...I know it's a hassle people but just try do it okay, 'cos we want to get to know you better! (and also 'cos you may get more hits on your blog LOL!) So today I'm tagging....

Lynette ('cos you are such an inspiration to us all ;-D)

Heidi (I know you'll love it LOL!)

Desire (if you want card-making inspiration in abundance - a great way to use up all those scraps - then check out Desire's blog for some immaculate work)

Michelle ('cos I need to coax her back into Blogland...)

And Vicki ('cos New Zealand girls rock!)

And now onto the real housekeeping! The thought of leaving Africa is now filed in the (very) back of my mind while my maid is on leave, because a week of no Mercy has been a big pain! I have nothing against washing & ironing, except that it never gets done! Just when I feel a great sense of achievement & hand out all the neat piles of clothing with the smalls on top so I glance at the wash-basket only to discover that it is full again! It is demoralizing...;-( Still...I have tidied out half the kitchen cupboards, carted all the refuse up the hill to the drop off spot - as the truck doesn't come past our gate - long story) & even washed out the bin - SO not nice!!! I have hoovered (vacuumed) & washed floors & can safely say that, while my house may not be spotless, it is neat & tidy with a semblance of cleanliness thrown in.

I just don't seem to be able to achieve much else in the midst of it all...but I do know that this seems to be the case every holidays, maid or no maid, so I try to give myself these 3 weeks off the scrappy front, as my kids are more important to me & need a lot of lifting & carrying (in the car) & I want to enjoy my time with them as it is passing oh so quickly! So I'm signing off now & heading to the movies with my daughter Chelsea. Looking forward to my first tub of popcorn in a month...slightly cautious as the last tub left a husk remnant wedged between my gum & back tooth & I ended up with a mouth infection! Still...popcorn is too good to pass up so here's hoping I re-establish our long & happy relationship ;-D

9 comments:

Jacqui said...

I promise you - the housework does get easier! it takes a while to get a good routine going and then it's manageable. It is harder in the holidays so the timing for Mercy's leave wasn't too good. Hope you enjoy the movie and the popcorn - a movie is not a movie without popcorn so go for it girl!

Stefanie said...

I see what you mean - we do have loads in common.
I would also struggle to cope without my Rumby (your Mercy) we are spoiled and used it.
Which movie did you see?

Vicki said...

Thanks for the award. Jax is right - once you get a routine going with the housework, it does get easier. But things do get a bit behind in the holidays so wouldn't be worrying about that.

Ella Swan said...

I don't find housework difficult - just neverending & tedious/monotonous...I timed Mercy's leave intentionally for the holidays so that the kids would be able to help me out & I'd have no school uniforms & sports kits to wash & no school & activity run to do. I think for me (with kids at 3 different schools) that it would be harder for me in the term & also lonelier. I like company & if they were at school & I was stuck at home alone I would be miserable! Stef - I don't really look at it as spoiled - I think we pay in a lot of other ways for living in Africa & at least this kind of evens the score for us - I make no apologies for having a maid & don't believe any of us should - if we didn't employ them there would only be more crime & poverty. As long as we treat them well...It is a "privilege" though - as I know that elsewhere daily help really is a luxury though...but then again the scrapping isn't - overseas it is very affordabel whereas here we pay 2 - 8 times as much so what you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts I think...We've just got back from watching Sunshine Cleaning - an art film at Cinema Nouveau - it was brilliant & very emotionally charged. Very thought-provoking - I highly recommend it if you enjoy alternative movies :-D

topkatnz said...

Laughing about your struggles with the never-ending nature of housework ... mmmmmm, that is a tough one there ... hope the popcorn went well this time!

topkatnz said...

oh ... thanks for the award ... now I just have to think of 10things to say!!LOL

Desire Fourie said...

Hi Helen. Many thanks for the honesty award ... I feel very honoured and will share some honesty facts about myself over at DOING LIFE soon. It was great getting to you know you even a bit better and I can associate with quite a few of your honesty facts. Hugs from Desire

Cindy said...

thanks helen for all the wonderful things you said about me, i am blushing!! i have really enjoyed our banter backwards and forwards, even across the oceans and am glad I found you in webland.

Lynette Jacobs said...

Thanks for the award...now I have to go and be honest with myself and blog it:)