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FIFA World Cup 2014 to be won by Honduras. Please.

So we did the family draw in our house for the World Cup.

Simple system.  32 names in a bowl.  4 family members.  We draw in rotation.  8 countries each.

There are enough superb teams in the World Cup that the spread should be ok for all right?

No.  That is a fabulous theory.  Somehow the actual "draw the folded paper from the breakfast bowl" reality was somewhat different.

I held my breath each time I dipped my hand in ..... Would it be Germany?  Brazil?  Spain? (who I have supported year in and out for a loooong time now).  Would it be .... Would it be .......

In all my "would it be's" I never once mentioned the following teams:


But somehow I managed to pull them out of the bowl.  For myself.  To support.

How wonderful.  How lucky.  How Blessed.  How flippen unlikely that I will win the pool.

I did get England.  Make me proud boys.

I am begging.

So if you see someone in the mall wearing a World Cup t-shirt with Honduras on the front.  It is me.  Their supporter.  Die hard soccer fan.

And how the hell is it possible that given the countries above, Bafana did not qualify.  Hummmf. Can't wait for the next family pool.

 

Boys. Gotta love them.

There is something particularly joyful about having a 15 year old son.

I mean besides the raging hormones, quick changes in mood, opinions, looks that would kill you etc etc.

I mean the laughter, the quick wit, the huge general knowledge, the gentleman behaviour, the joy of discovering who they are.

I have decided that on my best day I am no match for my boy.  He can outlast, outwit and outplay me 24/7.  I truly have to bring my A game all the time.  Monopoly is he and I's  thing.  And we are very competitive.  Auctioning off properties to each other, slamming up hotels so fast your head spins and seeing who can take it all within a preset time.  He is astute.  He ponders and he plays a very shrewd game.  He is going to be great with property.

Then there is Jenga he somehow manages to ensure that if I am the player after him, he sets it up that it is literally impossible to move after him without knocking it all down.

The only person in the universe who loves Smooch frozen yoghurt more than me, is Nic.  He can be bribed with this quite easily.  Fetching him at the wrong time .... offer Smooch, saying the wrong thing as a mom ...... offer Smooch etc etc.  Great bargaining tool.

His defence of those less fortunate, less strong, less anything ... is legendary.  He does what our Priest calls Pondering.  Everything but everything is thought through and thought about .... processing before he acts.  He is a champion of the underdog.

Even in all his various sports ..... he plays hard.  But he plays fair.  And is a gentleman.

He regularly looks at me when I say something and comments "Really Mom" ... and he does not mean it as a question.

And he always, but always has  the last word.


c'est la vie till next time xx
 

I am fine. We are fine.

You know the jokes that go around about when a woman says "I am fine", in response to a question from a man ..... that he should know that "fine" is sort of a code word for "get away from me before I hit you in the face".

On the flip side, however, fine is also a suitable answer when you know it is the one people want to hear.  They get that glazed look in their eyes when asking how you are because when you say "fine" then they can carry on with their lives.  They don't have to take the conversation further.  Quite frankly, they don't have to care either.

Last night a young girl rode into my hubby's car.  Since the car is insured he knew that despite the inconvenience of having to be without it while it will be in the repair shop, it will be repaired.  And her insurance company will have to cover the excess.  So in his mind it was sorted.  He was really nice to and gentle with the two girls.  She was only a couple of years older than our Jess, and had obviously got the fright of her life.  At home he said to me, "that could have been our daughter, and I would like to think that if she did something like that by accident, some oaf would not stand in the street and scream at her".  Nice guy my husband.

We celebrated the unexpected end to our day by having waffles and ice-cream.  After all that is where we were headed when the accident happened.

Which leads me back to fine.  We seem to say it a lot lately hubby and I.  Because it is true?  No.  Because it is expected.  There are those that we can say it like it is with.  Who don't want to know that we are "fine".   Who give a hug, simply because it is needed.   After the accident I realised that my first thoughts were not .... what a stuff up, what a crappy way to end a lovely relaxing day.  No my first thoughts were, don't say anything on FB, don't comment, only tell 2 people, don't cry, don't let it make you sad, don't don't don't ..... because this is what I am told is the correct behaviour to make me acceptable to some.

I read many blogs, I talk to many people in my job, I hear many sadnesses and joys in any given week of my life, and it always occurs to me that very often in judging others and handing out instructions on what is acceptable is nothing more than people saying "this is what is acceptable to ME", and sadly they do not give out that statement unilaterally.  And many times they do not  practice what they preach.

So in case you wondered, I am fine.  We are fine. Serious.  Just fine. And I suppose given that this is my blog, I am entitled to say so. c'est la vie. xxx
at May 19, 2014 

Normal. What is That.


Who gets to decide what is normal in life?
Someone laughed at something I did this week and told me ... "Seriously, you are not normal".
I think I am normal.

So who the hell decides on normal?
 

remember what is most important

Most important ....

It's not having everything go right,
it's facing whatever goes wrong.
It's not being without fear,
it's having the determination to go on in spite of it.
It's not where you stand,
but the direction you are going in.
It's more than never having bad moments,
it's knowing that you are always bigger than the moment.
It's believing you have already been given everything
you need to handle life.
It's not being able to rid the world of all its injustices,
it's being able to rise above them.
It's the belief in your heart
that there will always be
more good than bad in the world.
Remember to live just this one day
and not add tomorrow's troubles
to today's load.
Remember that every day ends
and brings a new tomorrow
full of exciting new things.
Love what you do,
do the best you can,
and always remember
how much you are loved

Vickie M Worsham
at May 09, 2014 

Your cross and the results it brings

So in a few hours the voting stations open and a tsunami of South Africans will vote.
All races, all income groups, all types of supporters ... Each voting for their own reasons for the party of their choice.

But can I ask .... If you hate the waste of your tax money on the Nkandla travesty, if you ardently refuse to pay eTolls, if you were horrified at GuptaGate and the Guptas' relationship with certain Government Ministers, if you are sick and tired of the blatant corruption and overspending, the scandalous increases Eskom is imposing, the biased tenders, the appalling police commissioners, the Marikana coverup and a long list of other reasons why our country is a shadow ..... Then think about where you draw your cross.

And if you vote for those causing this, do not stand near me at a braai and bitch about eTolls .....pay, because you obviously are ok with it.

at May 07, 2014