Recipe for Awesome (Tiny) Chicken House

This last weekend, I went back to KZN for Frosty's birthday on the farm. We had an awesome dinner and get together with some of his family and friends and he got some awesome presents. But I think the present that will keep him busiest was a chicken called Cheesecake, so named by the lovely gift-giver, Shells. According to one of the guys with us, it's a Black Australorp chicken and Frosty is hoping that it turns out to be a girl so he can have eggs for breakfast every morning, maybe he'll even get a few more so he can invite friends over for breakfast!

Anyway, even though this little chick came in the most beautifully decorated gift box, we decided it needed a bit more room to grow and jump around and thus we decided to build an

Awesome (Tiny) Chicken House

Ingredients

1 x baby chicken (or a few more if you like)

1 x plastic box (with a lid)

1 x brick with hole in the middle for water

1 x plank of wood, similar in size to your brick

1 x small flower pot

1 x piece of large paper (newspaper works)

a few handfuls of paper cuttings, sawdust, wood shavings or grass

2 x small glass bowls

1 x pen

some water and baby chicked food (we used future life)

Tools

1 x jig saw

1 x hole saw (attaches to your drill)

1 x sander (with sandpaper, you could just use sandpaper as well, it just takes longer)

1 x boyfriend who is willing to show you how to use power tools :)

Method

1. Wash your box, box lid, flower pot, little glass bowls and brick (just a rinse to clean off any dirt that may have accumulated while they were sitting in the garden, gathering dust). Leave them to dry.
2. Put the wood plank over the brick and mark out where you'll be cutting it.
3. Take the jig-saw and cut where you marked out.
   
   
   
4. Take the hole saw and drill away two holes - make sure that your 2 glass bowls will fit into the holes you've drilled! (You can use the cores to make cool Christmas decorations!)
   
   
   
5. Use the sander to sand away all the splinters on your feed holder.
6. Put everything into the box as illustrated below and voila - your new Awesome (Tiny) Chicken House!

I've decided that I quite enjoy using power tools (even though I'm an engineer, most of the power tool stuff is done by my artisans) and so if anyone has any suggestions for other cool projects involving power tools, send them through!

* We weren't using any safety gear here - ideally you should wear goggles and ensure all your pieces you're working with are secured with clamps to minimise risk of injury!

It's Love When...

It's Love When...

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He got bored waiting for you to come home from work, so he folded your socks to slip on to your feet when you put them on

He messages to tell you that he's checking you in to your flight because you never get around to it and always forget

He spends all his free time with you at an overseas hospital after you had to have an emergency operation

He programs an LCD with the words "I Love You" and sends you a picture of it

He consoles you for silly little things that make you upset and doesn't mind when you get mascara on his shirts because you may have shed a tear or two

He stays up to check his messages to make sure you've got home safely - even though you live on other sides of the country

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Goko and Family

Some of the family at Goko's 85th Birthday Celebration in 2007 (I think there's only about half of us here!)

We celebrated the life of my gran, Goko, last weekend after she passed away on the last day of November. I was amazed and touched by how many people were at her funeral. All of her children were there. Her two nieces and nephew were there. All of her grandchildren in South Africa were there, along with their spouses, partners and great-grandchildren. All of the family living overseas were remembered and sent through wishes on the day of the funeral.

At the funeral I spoke a bit about Goks - my sweaty eyes may have got the best of me, but here's what I said for those who may have missed it the first time and family who live far away.

As a tiny tot I remember going to visit Celeni; playing witchy-witchy with my cousins
using the extra-long hose-pipes that Goks used to keep her garden looking beautiful.
I remember walking through the garden with Goks, pulling up carrots and searching for
poppers, then sitting down for tea and crumpets.
When she moved to Golden Pond we would go for walks around the pond, searching

for ducks eggs and fishing for tadpoles. 

When I was in high-school, about Grade 9, Goks came to collect me from school one

day. She zoomed up to the front stairs in her little blue bakkie to collect me. As soon
as I had dumped all my paraphernalia in the back and got into the bakkie, Goks attempted

to zoom away again. However, instead zooming away from the stairs, we found ourselves 

zooming up them instead! The little blue bakkie got lodged half-way up the stairs, with

wheels spinning in mid-air and unable to move. Luckily a bus-load of girls had just pulled

up seconds after we got lodged on the stairs and in a combined effort a bunch of 

us managed to heave the little blue bakkie back onto solid ground. Goks thanked the 

girls for lending a hand and then we zoomed off, with not a hint of embarrasment.

Goks approached and overcame life's challenges like we overcame our encounter

with my school stairs - head first, quick to make a plan and once the problem

was solved, it was forgotten and life as normal carried on.
She didn't suffer fools and I was told on a few occasions to "stop being such a galoot" 

when I was being particularly foolish. She is also the only person I know that called

armpits, "quaps" - I hope that this has rubbed off on some of my family members.

Goko was an incredible grandmother and all of us knew that she would be there for

any important events in any of her grandchildren's lives - from birthdays to weddings

to school grandparents days, we knew Goks would be there. I think the fact that so many of her grandchildren have travelled huge distances to be here today is testament to the love

that each of us received from her.

In her last few years with us Goks lost a lot of the energy and spark that

characterised her and I think the whole family felt this. Goko's death is the end of an era

for our family, however she will live on in our hearts. In mine she will forever be a 

spritely, energetic, no-nonsense, rusk baking, white-haired grandmother

who helped to shape my life as well as the lives of all my cousins, leaving a legacy

that is up to us to continue. 

After the service we all gathered at Anna, my late great-aunt's house to celebrate a special gran, honour her memory and enjoy special family time together in a style that Goks would have been so proud of. That gathering was just like every other family gathering - kids were running around, playing up a storm and exploring the beautiful fairy-tale garden. The grown-ups were chatting up a storm, catching up on family news and enjoying each others company. The only difference between this event and my family memories is that this time I was one of the grown-ups whereas in the past I was usually one of the kids. Whether the past or present, the one constant was the feeling of family and belonging to a group of people who will be there for the milestones in one's life. I hope that as time goes on we can continue and pass down that strong family bond to the generations coming through.

Goko and Anna had such a strong sense of family that my dad's cousins are like aunts and uncles to us and their kids are like cousins to us. I feel so lucky that my family really do enjoy spending time together. We all have our differences and we don't see each other all that often any more, but when we get together we have such fun and share stories that keep us laughing for hours. 

We were taught by Goko and Anna the importance of presence. For important family event Goks and Anna were there. Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, weddings, births, christenings and other events were all occasions to celebrate and come together as a family. That presence allowed us to build our relationships and is the reason that at the time of her funeral, so many of us made an effort to be there. 

I think that many of us began to miss Goks even before she passed away. In her last few years she slowly morphed into someone who battled to recognise family members and spent most of her time sleeping in bed. Her death was a blessed release and now allows us remember her as she is in our memories - a lively old lady and beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and friend.

At Goko's 90th Birthday in 2012 - surrounded by family and friends

Goldiblox Toys

A friend forwarded me an awesome advert for Goldiblox - engineering toys for girls! I'm all for encouraging more ladies to enter the more technical professions, and I absolutely LOVE this concept!

Started by Debbie Sterling, a mechanical engineer by trade, these toys and books encourage young girls to explore engineering concepts with toys that are slightly more attractive than the leftover Lego blocks from my boy cousins that I used to play with as a kid.

Hopefully we'll see these hitting the shelves in South Africa at some time!

Why Do You Call Your Friends Derogatory Names?

Dear ladies out there,

I would love to know why you would call your friends (who I'm assuming you love and respect) names like "bitch", "slut", "ho", "bint" or any other number of degrading words that I see when I log onto my facebook account? I would also like to know why you let your friends call you these names?

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I would be mortified to call my lady friends those names and I would hate it if they called me those names. 

I've always been bothered when I've heard any women referring to their friends in such a derogatory manner. "It's only a word," you may think. But that's where you're wrong, they are so much more than just words. No matter how much you think it's only a word, all words have certain connotations that are linked to them, especially words like the ones above.

Let's dive a little bit deeper into this. If you really don't believe me, I'm going to list a few words and I want you to think of what that word means to you in your life.

"giggles"

"friendship"

"beautiful"

"woman"

"lady"

"slut"

"bitch"

I hope you took a few minutes to get a few images in your head that are associated with those words. Here's what I associate with them:

Giggles 

I see myself and my little sister sitting at our Goko's dining room table, unable to stop laughing and unable to tell her what we find so funny. I see myself and a friend at a leadership camp, sitting behind a little old lady who had fallen asleep during presentations. Every snore brought forth another fit of giggles that we had to contain so that we didn't disturb the group that were presenting on stage. I see little kids, playing wildly, heads together laughing at some secret, inside joke.

Friendship

I associate friendship to the faces and actions of my friends through my life stages. The ones from junior school who knew me when I had a sister and who comforted me when she passed away. I see the faces of my high school friends, who became like sisters to me. We shared our secrets, excitement over boys, tea and coffee on my veranda while they bunked out for an afternoon. I think of the boys I studied with at varsity, the late night study sessions before difficult exams where my notes would be photocopied by at least half the group and the way they would apologise to me when they swore because I was the only girl in the group. I see the friends who I don't speak to very often, but who will always hold a special place in my heart. I see the people who I work with, who have shared in the frustrating times and the victories with me.

Beautiful

Imagine sunsets where the sky gets painted a thousand different colours during the change from day to night. Sunrises when you've been pulled out of bed to get an early start to a long day. Inspirational photographs, paintings, art and stories that are all around us. A bride on her wedding day. A look of love that passes between a couple, full of secret meanings and memories. 

Woman

I think of my mum and how she's set an example for me. I think of the rest of my female family members and how each of them have helped to shape me into who I am today. I think of the strength and grace that accompanies a woman who has been through a tough time. I wonder what type of women the young girls I know today will grow into.

Lady

The ladies that I know are always full of support and comfort and wise words and fun activities. They have grace and love to laugh. They embrace others in their lives. They call their friends beautiful names and make sure that they tell those around them how incredible they are.

Slut

I think of a woman who will sleep with anyone. Someone who dresses like a prostitute. I imagine a person who is unsure of her own value. In my mind, she is someone who seeks comfort in physical closeness without emotional attachment. A person out to have a good time on an extremely superficial level.

Bitch

I think of women who don't have anything nice to say about anyone. Who can't understand why drama follows them around. Women who seek to make sure that those around them are miserable. A negative person who wants to drag others further down than herself so that she can feel superior. Someone who manipulates others and leaves people with a sour taste in their mouth after they've left.

The first 5 words on my list all have more or less positive connotations for me. I'm willing to bet that they have more or less positive connotations for you, the reader, as well. Those words leave me feeling happy. If any of those first 6 words were used in relation with me, I would be completely comfortable with that. It would make me feel close to my friends and make me feel loved and cherished.

Now, lets move on to the last 2 words. If anyone were to link me to these 2 words, I would feel ashamed and degraded. There's no way I would lift my head proudly or walk tall. And if I used these word to describe my friends, even if it was just in jest, I would feel terrible and I'm sure they would too.

I know that a lot of people use these derogatory words to describe their friends or group in a joking way, but I really can't see how those words are meant to show your friends that you love them and care for them.

My plea is that the next time you think of using insulting words to address your friends (or your friends use insulting words to address you), you stop and think of the actual meaning of these words and what connotations they could bring up in the minds of others and instead try to find a more positive alternative. It may not make a huge difference in your life, but maybe it will...

It's Not Personal, Just Business

This week my factory colleagues and I went away for an over-night trip so that we could reflect on our year and plan how we can ensure that we set ourselves up for a good year next year. It's been a tough year for the factory, however, we're starting to see a more positive trend and want to be able to carry that trend into next year and exceed expectations by pushing our limits and the limits of those around us.

I got to interact and chat with people that I don't talk to very often. The most rewarding of these chats was during breakfast on the second day. I was sitting with a group of ladies and two of them shared with us painful experiences that were incredibly similar. Their outlook on these experiences and the faith that they displayed while telling the rest of us their stories was incredibly inspiring. They both believe that things happen for a reason and that there's a bigger plan that God has for each of us. Even if it didn't make sense at the time, they've put complete faith in Him and feel no bitterness towards the events from their past.

I came away from that breakfast with new admiration for two women who I don't know very well. It made me realise that even though there are people that I work with every day, there are many people who I know only on a work-related level. This time away gave me a chance to connect with some of my colleagues on a deeper level that we just don't get to do when at work.

Sometimes it's easier to not know someone's story, especially in a work-related environment where it's "not personal, just business". But when you know someone's story, it's much easier to understand him or her as a person. In the end, you're working with people, not robots. Even if you work in a factory full of machines and computers. By understanding the person you'll be able to get that much more out of them by pushing them to achieve in a way that they will understand and react to. If you can get each individual to achieve and push their limits, then the group achieves. And the business is happy. 

So, it may be "just business". But I hope that by pushing myself to get to know my colleagues at a more personal level, I'll be able to do better business that if I knew them at only a superficial level.

Let your colleagues inspire you!

What's Your Closet?

Have you ever watched TED Talks? They're short 5 - 20 minute talks given by people on every single topic under the sun. Some of them are scientific. Some are funny. Some display skills that blow your mind and some relate advice for living life and being awesome. They generally leave you inspired and mind-blown! Yesterday I watched one given by Ash Beckham, take a look at it here.

If you're too lazy or don't have a good enough internet connection (the joys of living in Africa) here's a summary:

Ash compares all difficult conversations or situations to coming out the closet. She knows about these difficult conversations, as she literally had to have her own difficult conversation when she admitted to her family and friends that she was gay. She urges people to stop ranking their difficult conversations, trying to out-do each other in "hardness". Difficult conversations are hard, full stop. She recognises that whatever closet you come out of, you will be challenged and you will need to take a dose of courage to do it. She encourages us to sympathise with others, instead of judging them as every single person has their own closet to come out of. 

She shares some awesome bits of advice, that all came to her after an interaction with a little girl at the diner that she worked at. This little girl asked her whether she was a boy or a girl and even though she was ready to go all hardcore lesbian on this tiny little girl, she instead gave her the answer that she was more of a comfy pj's girl than a pink dresses girl. The little girl responds by describing her own pj's and then asking for her pancakes. Easiest hard conversation ever.

And the advice she gives when you have to have a hard conversation of your own?

1. Be Authentic
2. Be Direct
3. Be Unapologetic

I think it's definitely advice we can all relate to. She finishes off by encouraging people to never apologise for being true to yourself. Any expectations that others have of you, are ultimately their expectations of you. And if the reality does not live up to their expectations then they need to manage their expectations of you, as long as your expectations of yourself allow you to stay true to who you are. 

When having difficult conversations of my own, I've found that the easiest difficult conversations have always been ones in which I've followed the advice above (or when others have followed that advice with me). Be sensitive to the way that you convey your information, but don't pussy-foot around something so that by the end of the conversation you don't actually know what the point was - you'll just have to have that conversation all over again.