Baby Ben

"Nephews are the children that we borrow"-Unknown

My first nephew (who doesn't like me much). :) Words cannot describe him;he is simply breath taking. Boodie,you have produced a little miracle. This is baby Ben,three months old.

Dear Nobody,Letter #1

"Even Nobody is Somebody"~Anne Castle

The one thing I miss the most about living at home is being able to come back at the end of a day and report everything to my mother and sister. So I started a silly habit where I can use the most ridiculous English and sound all deep and mystical. I'm not,really,I just enjoy using the language in odd ways. Here is one of many Letters to Nobody. Because telling nobody is somebody. And if you read it,you can be my nobody.

24 October 2011

Dear  Nobody,

My day today was rather dull. If it had been a colour,it would have been puce. Puce looks alright but the sound of it is rather horrid. I slept until ten,not because I was tired and not because I had nothing else to do. Just because I could. When I finally woke up,it was to find a dozen pairs of eyes staring down at me from my cream coloured wall. That is not their fault. I stuck those photographs up there. After stumbling down my step ladder,I stared at a rather bleak face in the mirror for a few moments. The me of the night takes little care of her appearance. I washed my face and changed my clothes and examined my fingernails until I felt a little more awake.  The sound of the kettle woke the cats and I fought them off my milo-soaked rusk and scratched their little velvet ears for about thirteen and a half minutes.

After opening my blinds and considering making my bed,I typed away on my little laptop and uploaded some photographs that will be forgotten in a few weeks time. I spent a few moments on facebook,but there were very few faces and neither pages nor chapters.  My camera got my attention for the next half-hour. Though no images were captured,the weight and feel of it made me smile. Lunch consisted of a chicken wrap and a mug of milo. I turned on the TV,not because anything interested me,but because it’s what one ought to do on one’s day off.

I entered a brief moment of panic when I realized how far behind I was in my journaling. Days had slipped past without being immortalized on the pages of a well-worn notebook. I was forgetting to remember. Armed with several pens and yet another mug of milo,I ventured out to the tiny tree-house in the back yard. I spent the next few hours flat on my back,staring at the roof while my cell phone sang sad tunes that made me remember not so much the actual events of the past year,but rather the feel and smell of them. Not one day was recorded,but myriads were relived.

When my family of sorts returned in a flurry of bags and wet swimsuits and requests for snacks,I found myself back in the kitchen.  We,the “adults”,had coffee and a chat. I am not big yet,I thought to myself,I’m still just one of the children. I confirmed that within myself by playing tag with the little girls. When the mother went shopping,I helped the boy with his homework,feeling very mature and smart. He wanted to run around too,so we did until I lost my breath. The house was silent again;the children had rediscovered the joys of the trampoline. Flying through the air gives one a fresh perspective on life. Time passed once more and I helped bath the little girls and learned that fairness is based on the order in which hair is washed. Dinner followed ablutions and I chose water over juice for no particular reason. Juice is a silly sounding word when repeated.

Now,after tinned apples and chocolate mousse,I am back in my little piece of the house,typing away so that you might know what I did today. It’s raining a little and the glorious smell of wet earth drifts through the window on my left. If I part the blinds slightly,as they do in movies,I can see the rain drops splashing down into a puddle lit up by the outside light. If the reflection of the sun is sunbeams,the reflection of the bulb on water must be liquid light. It’s a lovely thought,even if it isn’t true.

So now I sit here on my wooden chair,sipping my decaf coffee (a pointless drink indeed,what is coffee if not caffeine?) and ponder your existence. You are no one,but I am glad I could share my day with you. Mondays are indeed like the colour puce;the sound of them is horrid but the reality is indeed quite bearable,if rather dull.

Poetry,Pintrest and All Things Purple

"The more His we become,the more ourselves we become;more our true selves."~Stasie Elderedge,Captivating

Because I no longer live at home,I feel as though I have taken the first small step into adulthood. This,along with a series of not so unfortunate events,has made me ponder the subject of growing up. It is my unprofessional opinion that there is no such thing. I don't think we grow up,I think we grow into ourselves. The closer we grow to Jesus,the more we realize who our true selves are. I have,over the past few weeks,begun to see the fine line between the me people see and the me I really am.

I don't actually drink sugar in my coffee. I think twirling skirts and tea cups make the world a better place. I hate potatoes. I love winter. I don't like coke and I think Nicknacks are the vilest chips ever created. The first thing I do in the morning is check if I still have all my teeth. When I try clothes on at Mr Price,I dance around in the change room. I have never been kissed. I read at least a book a week.Car engines fascinate me. I believe that real men cry. When I'm nervous I bite my nails. I write letters to my future husband. I am a Twilight fan,and yes,I am Team Jacob. I put raisins in my tea. I actually don't like chocolate. I can stay up till two in the morning looking up things like "window seats" and "porch swings" on Pintrest.

I like the rain,blogging and weird earrings. I think Winnie the Pooh is the most quotable book ever. I take photos and journal every single day because I am horrified at the thought of forgetting even one day of my life. My hair is long because I like it long and I have no desire to cut it. I like hippies and peace signs and 1974 VW vans. I want seven children one day,five of my own and two adopted. I like dandelions,cats and the colour purple. I think daisies are the most beautiful flowers ever and that orchids are extremely overrated. I like all kinds of music,except for heavy metal. I don't care about politics and I think graffiti is an amazing art form. I love drawing,dancing and odd nicknames. I don't know how to swim. I know that my friends are the best in the world. I miss my mom more than I have ever missed anyone or anything. I'm scared of geese and crossing roads.

I love Jason Miraz,John Mayer and Taylor Swift. I think hand-written letters are the most thoughtful things on earth. I believe that you are never too old to enjoy swinging. I think poetry that makes little sense is the most enjoyable. I am utterly in love with Jesus my King and the future He has planned for me. I might never grow up,but I will keep growing into myself. Unashamedly and openly ME.

Mawma

I have no illusions of being able to write poetry and didn't spend hours correcting the meter and rhythm,I merely wrote in rhyme to make it a little less sad and a little more interesting.This blog post is for you,Mawma.

I miss you Mawma,it's been a while

Since I saw your lovely smile.

It's been been a few days that I've been gone,

But it feel like ages,oh so long.

Sometimes in secret,I shed a little tear

Coz I wish,oh I wish that you were here.

I need you Mawma,I'm still just little,

My life's all wobbly,like a skittle.

There's so much stuff I still need to know

But such is life,we both had to go.

There's a special little whole for you in my heart,

If you stay in there,we're never really apart.

I love you Mawma,more than I can say

You're the very best Mawma in every way.

Dan the Man

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another."  ~Anatole France

Ever since I can remember,my older sister Rebekah has been planning her wedding. From hundreds of dress designs to sample invitations and a list of characteristics of her Prince,she's had it all figured out. Like any good sister would,I looked through picture after picture,discussed whether a dark-haired man would have preference over a tall one and diligently scanned my peers and random strangers for a suitable beaux. Little did I know that reality would be completely different from the fantasy. I never really thought that day would arrive. Her prince had come. And I hated it.


When Rebekah left for Australia,she was completely against finding a spouse there. She hated the country,hated their accents and hated their way of life. One man made the country amazing. One man made the accent beautiful. One man made their way of life idyllic. One man named Daniel Willsmore stole my sister from me and captured her heart.

Daniel hails from a small town called Mt Gambier in Southern Australia. He lives on a dairy farm with his parents,three brothers and a sister. Yes,he milks cows for a living. On the bright side,sound engineering is his career of choice. Dan is tall,lanky,blue-eyed and blonde-haired with a nose you cannot miss. Even though they've only been dating for a few months,he came and met the family,lived in our house for a month and proposed to her. When I first met him,I was not impressed. His accent is weird,he laughs at everything,he calls Rebekah "Bek" and he is only 19. Even though now I've only known him for six days,I am completely sold. It has taken some interrogating,a few silly arguments and some inside jokes,but I am convinced that Dan is indeed The Man. He makes amazing tea,he's funny,he loves Jesus and Rebekah,he acts like he belongs and his accent is actually quite cool. He has an amazing ability to calm Rebekah down and nothing seems to offend him. He is completely opposite to what she thought she wanted and exactly who she needed. Mr Daniel Willsmore,you paw paw,you have my approval. Even though you have turned my life upside down and stolen my closest friend,our snot bridge is strong,you can stay. Fair Dinkum

Just For Today

While paging through a journal from 2009,I stumbled upon one of my rare "sharable" entries. I had written it for the church magazine,but the poor unfortunate remained in the confines of a scruffy,silver paper covered notebook. Until now. Though somewhat edited,as Geography exams no longer plague me,what I will post here is just about what I scrawled down around this time two years ago.

Just for today I will not fret about yesterday's awkward moments or worry about tomorrow's *Theology assignment. I will get rid of fear and past experiences and discover God's will for today.
Just for today I will not try to appear perfect. I will feel free to cry,to doubt,to laugh until I hurt. I will think less about pleasing people and more about pleasing God. Just for today I will be a good listener. I will comfort others and keep my own opinions at bay. I will love others for who they are,not what they are.

Just for today I will take time to create a memory. I will take a walk at sunset,pick a flower,greet a stranger,talk to a child and read an entire chapter of my Bible.
Just for today I will trust God for the "impossible": a friendship healed,a bad memory erased,a sin forgotten.Just for today a will quit a bad habit and replace it with a good one. I will not minimize or justify my wrongs-I will say "It's my fault" and take the heat for my behaviour.
Just for today I will act out my faith in very everyday,ordinary ways and trust God in very extraordinary ways.I will stop telling people I'm a Christian and start showing them.

Just for today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.


*Originally Geography exam


The sunset I did indeed view while taking a walk.



Tumbling Along

How I have neglected you,oh my dear,perhaps non-existent,cyber space readers...

On Friday night at youth,between a conversation about what the world would be like if coughing sounded like laughing and an indepth discussion about magic tricks and popping balloons with lasers,this blog of mine was remembered. The lengthy conversation between two men of few words and unsound minds went like this:
Kevin:    When are you going to blog again?
Richard:  You have a blog?
Kevin:     She does. It is a bit of a tumbleweed situation.
Richard:  Are you impressed by my *rubik's cube skills?**

I'm not quite sure what Kevin's opinion of my blog is. Either the way it starts and stops relates to a tumbleweed's sporadic movements,or my blog is dry,crunchy and moved along by random gusts of wind. Whichever one motivated his remark,the answer to Kevin's question is "now". I promised a blog series on my fellow yoyl goers and friends like Kev and Richy provide numerous bloggable comments. The winds of writing and inspiration are blowing once more,pushing my blog into motion. We are tumbling along...

*Yes,that is how you spell it. Google told me.

** I am impressed by your skills Richard.

Band of Brothers(and Sisters):The Beginning

The Yoyl team of 2011 consists of fourteen strange,unique individuals and one leader. Those joining me on this ridiculous journey are,in alphabetical order,Carmen,Cathryn,Chelsea,Eugene,Jodie,Lisa,Madhvi,Manon,Matt,Matt,Petra,Shaydene and Tooks. Our great and mighty leader goes by the name Grant. On the 17th of December 2010 I took a bus down to Durban where I spent the weekend with Cathryn's family,with the intention of confirming the fact that I did not want to do Yoyl. On the 19th I attended Redemption Point Church where I met the afore said Grant as well as Chelsea and the first Matthew. By the end of the day I was fully determined to return home with a very positive NO. That evening I flew home somewhat unsure,went to sleep undecided and woke up knowing there was no choice but to return to Red Point. The day I left Springs I was positive I'd made the biggest mistake of my life. On the 24th of January,I met the rest of the team and by the end of the week I never wanted to leave. Now,nearly 5 months later,I am already dreading the day I must leave these amazing people who have become a huge part of my life.

Over the next few days or weeks I will introduce you,oh cyber space,to my Band of Brothers and Sisters who have forever changed my life.

Yoyl Team 2011.
From left to right:Carmen,Shaydene,Jodie,Matt D,Tooks,Matt T,Grant,Cathryn,Me,Madhvi,Chelsea,Petra,Lisa.

(: Happy Friday :)

Friday the thirteenth. I love superstitious people. They're such fun to laugh at. This poor,unsuspecting day that falls on the 13th as well as a friday has become a day of fear and dread for such people. In honour of them,and those of us who believe in more than bad luck ladders,we at Salt and Light youth made today Happy Friday. Instead of dressing up as grotesque creatures of the imagination,we adorned ourselves with smiley faces,bright colours and silly grins. I even wrote the word "Happy" in eighteen different languages on my sleeves. Our evening passed without any hint of misfortune or bad luck,despite the fact that my black cat ran in front of several times today. Happy Friday the thirteenth dear cyber space. :) :) :)

Just Keep Walking

Even though my last post ended with me choosing losing my mind over the current crazyness of life,I am fully determined to walk on through it. I have formulated a small list of things to keep me walking on the sane path instead of skipping over to the fields of insanity.

Going to youth;there's is something amazing in worshipping with people as crazy as yourself.

Running through piles of leaves.The sound and feel is almost theraputic.

Taking photos of random objects,such as shoes and eyes.

Tea,especially when I don't have to make it.

Reading New Moon,even though it is highly overrated and doesn't end the way I want it to.

Having smal,random crazy moments,like pulling faces in the mirror or laughing at nothing.

Recalling moments of intense laughter with my non-related relatives,namely Uncle Rob and Aunty Lou

Blogging.

These small,seemingly insignificant things keep me walking on. Walking,walking always walking...

Walking in red

Walking in black

Walking in yellow

Losing My Mind By Enhancing It

"The more we study the more we discover our ignorance." - Percy Bysshe Shelley


Over the past six weeks I have journeyed back to November last year and pulled out my Biology textbooks. The more I study,the less I seem to retain. I am starting to believe that twelve years of school is all any brain can take. Whatever the case,I soldier on in chilly Springs,anticipating either a victory or my demise over the next three weeks. As Margaret Thatcher so wisely states,"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." So I'm still fighting,fighting,fighting. I will either win this battle or it will win me. I will hope for the former no matter how much the latter looms. Losing my mind seems a happy alternative at this point...

Joyfully losing it..

Home is Where...

As my few readers will know,I have been in Pinetown for the past two and a half months. I came back to Springs in April for two months to rewrite my Biology exams. While writing events onto a calender,I made the mistake of writing "home" on the day on which I return to Pinetown. My little sister was quite disgusted and has not let my small,unconscious blunder go.The fact that the day I arrived in Springs is marked with the same word meant little to her.

Where,then,is home? Is it where your family is? Is it where you grew up? Is it where you have the most memories? I have friends in Pinetown who are as close as family. Spending every minute of every day with people does that. I like to believe that I've grown up a little since leaving and I've made more memories in those few months than the whole of last year.

I think home is where the people understand you. It's where they don't question your obsession with polka dots and Chinese babies. It's where they like you even when you're grumpy. It's where they've seen you when you've just woken up. It's where they know your "I can't believe you own that" outfits. It's where a certain look can bring on a hug and a cup of tea. Home is where they've held you when you cry. It's where you have so many inside jokes you could form a new language. It's where you don't have to be polite all the time. Home is where people really know you and,for reasons unknown,still love you.

I firmly believe that Pinetown is as much my home as Springs is and Springs is no less my home than Pinetown is.

A few of my Pinetown "family" members.

My real family in Springs,at a Wild West dress up.

Pictures of things

Dandelion Dew

Pink Flower

Spiderweb

Weathered Dandelion

More Spiderwebs

Webs in the Grass

Yellow Flower

Spider in Disguise

Yet Another Wet Web

Within the Yellow Rose

George Is A Very Strong Man

George. The name of a old man who wears tweed and smokes a pipe. Our small,fat,female jack russel cross corgie. A slang term that means "you mixed the words in your sentence up and sounded like a fool." In Pinetown,amongst my dearest YOYL friends,this third George is a man we are all very well aquainted with. The combination of fatigue,coffee highs and typical teenage giggles have all made this George an old friend. We have even made a wall in honour of his ever present influence. Here are some of our best Georges.

"She has feet all the way down to her hair"-Shaydene,speaking of Rapunzel. Those knots will be tough to work through.

"I will come in the beach bag with you"-Manon,when saying she will join me on the bean bag. In her defense,she is Mauritian.

"Yesterday I had three cups of sugar"-Shaydene,apparently trying to say she had threecups of tea,with five sugars each. Either one explains her mood.

"I did not did it on purpose"-Madhvi,who is also Mauritian.

"We are fish of men"-Chelsea,on the fishermen preach at youth.

"I tried to spitted on her"-Shaydene,who tried to spit water on me.

"Do not be domestic violence!!"-Shaydene to Matt,who was pinching her.

"I better put my phone away before God comes"-Jodie,breaking Grant's no phone rule. What would Jesus think if He returned and you were holding that evil piece of technology?

"Just imagination it"-Shaydene,who is very close friends with George.

"Look whose stick is better than now"-Matt O. Who knows.

"What did Shaydene said?"-Tooks,in asking about Shay's George,makes his own.

"I have knees on my freckles"-Shaydene,who we are beginning to suspect is the feminine version of George.

"Always I say sometimes"-Matt P. And sometimes he makes sense.

"Stop making laugh of me!"-Yours Truly. I blame the effects their teasing has on me for my mistake.

We are not mentally disabled or uneducated. We do think before we speak and we do word our sentences correctly at times. Still,there is no denying the fact that George is indeed a very strong man..

A Week in the Life of a Yoylie: Threnodic Thursday

Threnodic is a word used to describe that which is mournful. While there is nothing particularly grievious about a Thursday,it seems to be the day on which certain Yoylies MOAN,making it a mournful day. Also,threnodic starts with "th",keeping the alliteration going..

5:30 Alarm goes off,but on Thursdays it isn't heard.
5:45 Alarm goes off again with the same effect: none.
6:00 Wake up.Jump out of bed. Wash face and brush teeth.
6:10 Get dressed.
6:20 Wonder why you are always late on Thursdays.Go downstairs.
6:30 Sit on couch watching Morning Live.
6:45 Realize that you haven't eaten. Go make milo and scratch around for a rusk.
7:00 Remember that you need showering things. Go upstairs and collect toiletries.
7:10 Go all the way down to wait for lift.
7:15 Remember that you need an extra change of clothing. Run upstairs like a ninja.
7:20 Run downstairs while packing clothes into bag. Stop long enoung to grab a packet of noodles.
7:25 Sit down just in time to have to get up and get in the car.
7:45 Arrive at church. Negotiate with a fellow Yoylie on who should make coffee.
7:50 Decide not to argue and make coffee for self and aforementioned fellow.
8:00 Go down to the Yoyl Room with coffee,bag and shoes that were never put on.
8:05 After putting bag away,run for the red bean bag. Everyone knows red bean bags are the best.
8:10 Grant comes downstairs and tells us that we are going to start. Several times.
8:15 Once everyone is over the latest joke,Grant finally assigns people to the day's tasks.
8:25 In case we might have misheard,Grant repeats himself.
8:30 After reading duties off the board,disperse to prepare a play,wash an entire kitchen,bake shortbread,make cards,cook food,move chairs,do DIY or make all the office staff coffee.
12:30 Go down to Yoyl Room to fetch lunch.
12:35 Swop sandwiches,fruit and other edible items with fellow yoylies. Pour juice for self.Sit down.
12:40 Get up to pour juice for lazy friends. Sit down on counter.
12:45 Finally,after more swopping and pouring,eat lunch.
12:55 Finish eating and wash glasses,plates and bowls.
13:00 Sit on counter hoping Grant has forgotten about us.
13:10 Get called by Grant. Go down to Yoyl Room.
13:15 Wait while Grant divides us into groups for the afternoon's activities.
13:30 Collect items such as rope,bottles,bricks,magazines,soccer balls,20 litres of juice and 100 plastic cups.
13:45 Run to parking lot shouting "JODIE!!" as Jodie's car is the favoured mode of transport and,being an uno,can only accommodate five yoylies.
13:50  Climb triumphantly into the back of the Uno. Smile and wave at those climbing into the bakkie with Grant.
14:15 Arrive at the school in Tshelimnyama. Unpack cars and wait for school to end.
14:20 Watch as about 100 grade 7s get welcomed to Life Group,our weekly discipleship program.
14:30 Lead the children to a field where they are split into groups to play tug of war,french cricket,ultimate frisbee,dodgeball and volleyball.
14:35 Play one of the above mentioned games.
15:00 Go into the classroom and pour 100 cups of juice.
15:10 Try not to be trampled as 100 children rush to the table.
15:15 Look for a tissue to wipe spilled juice off leg and feet.
15:17 Give up and sit down.
15:20 Take photos and listen to Grant give a lesson,with Tooks interpreting.
15:45 Hold up hands for Hi5s as the children leave.
15:50 Pack up and go home.
16:10 Arrive back at church. Wash cups and refill juice bottles.
16:20 Meet in Yoyl Room to give feedback.
16:30 Get dismissed.Run for the shower.
16:35 Shower
16:45 Make noodles. Climb on church roof.
16:50 Chill on roof either throwing stones at a glass bowl,throwing stones at one another,throwing stones over the edge of the roof or throwing stones onto the corrugated iron part of the roof.
17:35 Get down from roof.Run to Yoyl Room to make Milo before prayer starts at 17:30.
17:30 Run to the kitchen for milk, trying not to be seen be seen by Grant.Get seen.Get called.
17:35 Sneak out of prayer to fetch 1 to 5 mugs of Milo.
17:40 Pray
18:30 Prayer ends. Go down to Yoyl Room to collect bags.
18:35 Stash bag under cappuccino counter. Wash Milo mugs.
18:40 Get ready to go.
18:45 Remember that Cathy (house mate) is on band.Put bags back under counter.
18:50 Make tea for self and other unfortunate whose lift is also on band.
18:55 Chill on counter trying to hear above band practice noise.
19:10 Look in the fridges for something to eat.
19:15 Give up and eat old rusks.
19:20 Sit on counter and talk about the day's funny moments,annoying people and other interesting things.
20:00 Make coffee. Stay in kitchen where noise level is more bearable.
20:10 Insult one another's faces.mothers and pets.
20:25 Wash mugs and go back to sit on cappuccino counter.
20:30 Get bags and go home.
20:50 Arrive home. Take bag upstairs. Collapse on bed.
21:00 Go downstairs and eat dinner.
21:20 Wash plate and hands. Check Facebook.
21:35 Make Milo.
21:45 Wash mug. Go upstairs.
21:50 Fall asleep.
22:00 Wake up.Brush teeth,log onto Mxit.
22:20 Pack bag for next day. Read.
22:40 Draw.
23:10 Read.
00:00 Check that alarm is set and get into bed. Fall asleep.

Horribly long and extremely tiring,that is Thursday in a life of a Yoylie.

A Week in the Life of a Yoylie: Wonderful Wednesday

Wednesdays are one of the best YOYL days. Firstly,because Wednesday isn't Tuesday. Secondly because we have theology class. This,ladies and germs of cyber space,is what a Wednesday looks like...

5:30 Alarm goes off. Sit up in bed and look around.
5:40 Get up and collect things for a shower.
5:45 Remember there is sport today,making showering pointless at this moment in time.Get back in bed.
6:00 Get up and pack backpack with shorts,Theology notebook and extra hair elastics.
6:10 Read Bible.
6:30 Go downstairs and eat Pronutro while watching Morning Live.
6:45 Look around for ever evasive lunch bag.
6:50 Find lunch bag in pantry as usual. Pack lunch.
7:00 Go downstairs to wait for lift.
7:05 Journal and Mxit to pass time.
7:20 Get in car.
7:45 Arrive at church. Take bag down to Yoyl Room. Due to extra items,bag is unable to fit in locker. Stash bag under table.
8:00 Sit on bean bag waiting for Grant.
8:05 Give up waiting and boil kettle. Make tea and coffee for various friends and whiners.
8:15 Engage in intelligent dicussions,such as the funny moments in an asfd movie or the newest addition to the Wall of George.
8:25 Realize Grant is very late and break the rules by playing music on a cell phone.
8:35 Have more coffee.
8:40 Race to hide cell phones under bean bags,in lockers and,occasionally,in shoes as Grant descends the stairs.
8:45 After hi5s all round,Grant tells us who will be sharing during Devotions.
8:50 Devotions,followed by prayer.
9:20 Everyone gets changed into shorts and puts sunscreen on.
9:30 Get told by Grant to put more sunscreen on.
9:35 Team captains get assigned and teams are picked for soccer,Ultimate Frisbee or Tails.
9:40 Rejoice in not getting picked last and the games begin.
10:15 Water break,during which Grant makes me put more sunscreen on.
10:25 Games recommence,with a few players down due to injury,illness or laziness.
11:25 The game finally ends and everyone goes inside to drink more water,wash dusty feet and change into regular clothing.
11:30 Drink juice in Yoyl Room and collect Theology notebook and Bible. Book a space on a bean bag.
11:35 Jam arrives. After making sure everyone has their Bibles and notebooks and dispensing black dots to those who don't,he starts the lesson.
12:30 Theology ends,homework is given and Jam departs. Everyone jumps up and runs to lockers to gather lunch.
12:35 Go upstairs to kitchen to get water/juice/leftovers.
12:45 See how many people can be crammed onto one picnic bench. Swop one or two lunch items. Eat food.
13:00 Make noodles for those too pathetic to do it themselves.
13:10 Eat some of some one's noodles.
13:30 Grant come and call a meeting in Yoyl Room.
13:35 Congregate noisily and try hear as Grant explains the rest of the days activities.
13:40 Try to look at Grant without laughing as he explains again.
13:45 Just smile as Grant writes the activities on the board as he explains them.
13:55 Watch the less fortunates prepare to babysit,wash three cars,bake shortbread and make the entire office coffee. Go up to office and wait on the couch.
13:15 Take over office duty from the secretary,Ruthie. Fold booklets/check email lists/blog.
13:20 Answer anything between 4 and 28 (the record highest,held by yours truly) phone calls,including a few prank calls. Answer intercom and attempt to open gates.
16:00 Switch phone to night mode and go down to Yoyl Room.
16:05 Make coffee. Collect bag,shoes,phone,notebooks and other random items.
16:10 Hang out in foyer listening to music and talking about nothing and everything.
16:25 Leave
16:45 Arrive home. Go upstairs. Dig through bag looking for something edible.
17:00 Give up and go downstairs for an apple.
17:30 Journal.
18:00 Set table. Eat supper.
18:45 Wash plate and hands. Go upstairs.
20:00 Shower.
20:15 Read. Log onto Mxit
20:45 Journal.
21:15 Unpack backpack
21:20 Re-pack backpack.
21:30 Try decide what to wear the next day.
21:45 Give up and lie on bed.
22:00 Fall asleep.
22:30 Wake up and brush teeth.
22:45 Read
23:00 Tidy room.
23:20 Place floor fan on chair right by the head of my bed.
23:30 Remember things not yet packed in bag.
23:45 Finally get up and pack things like CDs and books people want to borrow.
00:00 Get in bed and try stay awake to talk to overseas sibling who appears to have forgotten the 8hr time difference.
00:30 Fall asleep.
1:15 Wake up and apologize. Reply to messages received in the mean time.
1:30 Log off Mxit and go to sleep.

Wonderfully unTuesday and gloriously full,that is what a Yoylie's Wednesday consists of.

A Week in the Life of a Yoylie: Typical Tuesday

Tuesdays come soon after Mondays. For a Yoylie,the week begins on this particular day. It comes with a lot of coffee,tiredness and wet clothing...

5:30 Alarm goes off.Wake up and put on snooze.Go back to sleep.
5:35 Get up.Collect things for a shower.Realize some one has beaten me to the bathroom. Sit on bed trying to stay awake.Fail.
5:50 Wake up and rush to the shower.
6:05 Pack backpack with the day's essentials such as batteries,2 minute noodles and hair elastics.
6:15 Read Bible.
6:45 Go downstairs.Eat Pronutro while watching Morning Live.
7:00 Go downstairs (to ground level) to wait for lift.
7:05 Run upstairs to collect various forgotten items.
7:10 Go downstairs to wait for lift.
7:15 Wait.
7:20 Wait.
7:25 Wait.
7:30 Get in the car.
8:00 Arrive at church and make coffee.
8:10 Go down to the Yoyl Room. Put things in locker. Take off shoes (if indeed wearing any)
8:15 Grant arrives and gives the day's schedule...twice. Grant writes the schedule on the whiteboard and explains it again.
8:30 Stack about 300 chairs and move them from the small hall to the auditorium. Arrange chairs incorrectly.
9:15 Mix 20 litres of juice in large bottles. Stack 150 plastic cups. Set up 2 trestle tables with 5 jugs of juice and 50 glasses.
9:30 Get called back to rearrange chairs. Collect tennis balls,soccer balls and cones.
9:45 Go down pre-school and collect a group of about 20 6 and 7 year olds. Teach them to throw,catch,kick and run. Play duck duck goose and tag.
10:15 Return group and collect about 25 5 year olds. Repeat exercise with less success.
10:30 Return group and collect about 15 2,3 and 4 year olds. Show them how to catch a ball. Stop them from running away. Comfort crying ones. Give up teaching them to throw. Play duck duck goose.
10:45 Return group. Go back to the Yoyl Room. Have coffee. Wash dusty feet and pack away equipment. Eat a few bites of lunch.
11:00 Tidy and vacuum 5 storerooms.Wash 2 cars. Get a bucket of water thrown over me. Have coffee.
12:30 LUNCH TIME!!! Have coffee.
13:00 Go down to Yoyl Room and wait for Grant.
13:15 Vacuum behind curtains in small hall.
13:30 Have coffee.
13:40 Wash 3 cars.
15:30 Go down to Yoyl room for coffee.
15:45 Check church grounds for litter.
16:00 Meet up in the Yoyl Room to be released. Unpack locker.
16:10 Make 2 minute noodles. Hang out on cappuccino counter till waiting for lift.
16:30 Leave.
16:50 Arrive at home. Shower.
17:10 Find something to eat.
17:30 Read.
18:00 Eat supper.
18:45 Wash dishes.
19:00 Chill upstairs.
19:30 Home group.
21:30 Have Milo and Rusks
22:00 Go upstairs. Log onto Mxit.
22:15 Journal.
22:45 Get in bed.
23:15 Get up and brush teeth.
23:20 Get distracted by Blue Like Jazz.
00:10 Put book down and go to sleep.

And that,dear cyber space,is what a Yoylie does on a typical Tuesday.

Yoyl Room Wall

A Week in the Life of a Yoylie: Mundane Monday

Because of Sunday being a full working day,we yoyls get Mondays off. While the rest is welcome,Mondays are fairly boring..

5:30 Wake up.Realize it's Monday. Go back to sleep.
6:00 Wake up and panic. Realize it's Monday.Go back to sleep
6:30 Jump out of bed. Realize it's Monday. Get back in bed. Go back to sleep.
7:00 Wake up. Realize you've done it again. Go back to sleep
8:00 Wake up.Get fed up with waking up. Get out of bed and read.
8:30 Wander around.
9:30 Go downstairs and eat meusli,because today there's time to spend hours chewing through oats and seeds,while watching TV
10:00 Wash bowl.Check facebook.Load the week's photos.
10:30 Read Bible and journal
11:30 Put on a kilogram of subscreen and walk up to the university for the free lunch hour concert.
12:00 Realize we left early again. Hang around trying to look like students instead of loiterers.
12:15 Watch concert.
13:10 Start the long trek home.
13:30 Arrive home and collapse on couch
13:35 After downing too much water,eat lunch while watching something constructive and stimulating,such as the cricket or Tube.Log onto Mxit
14:00 Tidy room.
14:15 Discover the wonders of long lost bubble mixture and floor fans.
14:20 Stop filling the room with bubbles and tidy.
14:30 Read some of a book I thought was lost
14:40 Tidy room
15:00 Journal,try catch up on the whole week's activities.
16:00 Reply to emails.Check facebook..again..
17:00 Set the table for supper.
17:15 Fall asleep.
17:30 Read.
18:00 Eat supper
18:30 Chill at the table.
18:45 Wash hands and clear up.
19:00 Shower
20:00 Watch Survivour.log onto Mxit..agin
21:00 Have Milo while discussing Survivour.
21:30 Brush teeth.Read
22:00 Log onto Mxit
23;00 Fall asleep.

 And that is my Mundane Monday..

Coming Soon To A Blogspot Near You

I have neglected this little spot of mine for some time now. Why is this,you may ask. The answer to that question is the same as nearly every question asked of me lately. YOYL. Where did you get that bruise? YOYL. Why are you so tired? YOYL. What have you been up to? YOYL How does one paint a wall,a ceiling,wake at 4:30 to cook,stack 500 chairs,wash 200 dishes,make a 3D heart,bake 27 batches of shortbread,visit an orphanage,learn how to lay carpets and burn CDs,wash 5 cars and teach ball skills at a preschool all in a single week? YOYL. YOYL stands for Year Of Your Life. It is a year given wholly to the service of a church called Redpoint. Over the next week I will cast some light on my current situation in a series of blogs I have named,oh so originally,A Week In The Life of a Yoylie. Coming soon to a blogspot near you..

Eagle has left the nest...

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you.”-Winnie the Pooh

My whole life in a few suitcases..

Unlike most people,I never wanted to grow up and leave home. I was never going to take a gap year or leave home,until I was married. By some strange twist of (God orchestrad) events,the opportunity to study fell through. The job I was going to do instead became unavailable. Rather than take a lazy year,I am now doing a gap year in Pinetown and living in Durban. Despite all my earlier desires to remain at home,I became the first to leave. With my entire life packed into three large suitcases and four small bags I left Springs for a a home across the country. I exchanged friends for strangers,dry air for water logged air,my family for a rag bag collection of 13 people aged 18-20. I swopped absolute dependence for total independence,Spring's paleness for Durban tan and lay days for 8-4 work days.I miss my cat,my ragged couch,my crazy,amazing little sister,my beautiful Mawma,my obsessed father and brother and my best buddy,my Twilight-comrade,late-night chatterer,absolutely awesome older sister. Like a pilot carries a photo of his sweetheart in his plane,I carry my family with me on my journey. .Even though my metorphorical wings of independence are small and rather weak,this birdy has flown the coop. It's going to be a glorious flight...

Out of the mouths of babes..

By doing babysitting and Toddler's Sunday School (pretty much the same thing),I get to see a glimpse of the smaller species' inner workings. They have the most amazing opinions on love,food,hairstyles and ife in general..

"I had lunch! Gum is lunch coz you chew it."- Dominic,5

"When we're done here,are we going to another planet?" "Heaven" "Yeah that planet"-Dominic

"I will love my sister so much,I'll let her scribble on my bed..with pink"-Dominic

"I gotta die next week,coz I never saw Jesus.But I'll come back"-Dominic

"Is Gavin gonna marry your sister? He gave her a hug today,and he used both arms"-Troy,8

"We buy food at Lick n Pay!"-Kirsty.4

"I love that game with the baked beans!"-Robyn,5  (bean bags)

"Zoe is like her hairstyle,all bouncy. It's like you,you have long thin hair.."-Che,9

"The boat is like Jesus,it can walk on water.''- Gemmah,4

"If the dog jumps on you,say 'bees'.Everyone is scared of bees"-Dylan,5

"Go away now!I want to take my pants off"-Mark,5

"You always wear the same scarf.Are you poor?" Kirsty,4

"I weared the pink dress coz you like pink and now we can be friends and I can follow you around"-Jordan,6

They're amazing.

There goes one...and here comes another

Step back
Stop the world
Stop the time
It's always running
Just trying to catch my breath
Just trying to take it in

Unfold and calculate
Concentrate and reach for something

Here's to the good times
The bad times
The times that could have been
To the wrong times
The right time s                      -Prime Circle

2010...from starting matric,to the world cup to losing two amazing friends and making even more,ladies camp,nights at the duck pond,and more studying than anyone should have to endure,trips down to George and Pinetown,double Christmas and a very wet new year's,it's been a roller coaster ride of note. The soccer was not all that exciting to me. Matric,despite all the encouraging it's-not-so-bad comments,was H.A.R.D. Final exams were awful. People I thought would be around for forever left. People I thought I'd never talk to became closer than family. Some memories I'd like to erase,others I never want to forget. I never wanted to finish school,but 2010 didn't listen,it just kept going. The world did indeed keep turning. Last night in the rain,the year left,and in came another =) happy new year oh cyber space =)