Mayogi ~ Life by the Mediterranean Sea.

Friday Fun - Friday 13th

2008-06-13T12:59:00.003+00:00

Friday Fun: Superstitions Edition

1. Any extra precautions for Friday the 13th?
Nope, I don't believe in superstition. I respect people who do, I come from a very superstitious family. And besides, in Spain it's not Friday 13th that's trouble, it's Tuesday 13th. *lol*

2. What superstitions do you have?
None really but I avoid going under ladders, just in case something falls down.

3. Do you think there is really anything to superstitions, or is it something we just talk ourselves into?
I think not walking under ladders is a good rule, but beside that, I don't really believe there's anything to that.

4. The movies,… good or bad? Scary or just campy fun?
I HATE scary movies! So I haven't seen any of the "Friday 13th"-movies and I don't plan on watching them either, there are so many films I really want to watch so I think the "Friday 13th" movies will just be a plain waste of time.

Friday Fun Meme

2008-06-06T14:56:00.003+00:00

Friday Fun: The All-About-You Edition

1. So, baby, what’s your sign?
I'm Leo. "A fixed (strong and solid) sign, Leo governs will and authority. It is a fire sign, which means Leo people are grand, confident and generous, although you tend to be egocentric and can be somewhat overbearing. The Sun, the ruler of our inner nature, is enthroned in Leo, the sign of its own house, or rulership. This energy is thoroughly regal, the lion being the king of beasts, for proud Leo regards himself as the natural centre of attention - and confidently expects others to step back and pay homage when his bushy mane is displayed in the limelight... Enthusiasm, generosity and your sunny disposition inspires the affection of many friends and admirers, while turning those with less popular personalities green with envy. Though full of ambition and enthusiasm, Leo has to admit to a lazy streak and, given the opportunity, will take the easy way out, especially when a situation offers little fun or glory. This is something lazy, luxurious Leo needs to watch." Actually, I think that's quite a fair description of me. *lol*

2. If you could live in any part of your country, with money no object, where would you live? In the world?
Oh, I don't know. I think that if money was no object I would probably get myself a van and travel around the world. I'd love to spend at least 6 months in India, a year in Equatorial Guinea, a year traveling around Bolivia and Peru.... But my home base would be Spain, no doubt. And probably Granada, my favorite city in the world.

3. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
Oh, I don't know. I'm such a goody two shoes these days, I don't get many guilty trips any more. Unfortunately. A little bit of guilt every now and then means that you're really enjoying life, right?

4. Do you have any hobbies? What is your favorite? Is there one you want to try?
I have too many hobbies. My favorites are scrap booking and yoga but there just isn't any time for play these days. *sobbing* I'd love to learn how to take professional photos and I wish I could paint. Oh, I'd love to learn how to dance African dances and of course, belly dancing...

5. If you were to take a single college class right now, just for fun, what would you want to learn about?
Painting! And I'd love to learn a new language, no matter which actually. I love learning languages...

6. When it comes to shopping at the mall, what is your downfall?
Nail polish, ear rings, everything yoga related....

7. It is Friday night. What are you doing?
I'll take a nap in a little while and then I'm off to work for two hours. After the kids fall asleep I'll do a bit of cleaning and then it's time to get the books and continue preparing for September. I'll be busy studying all summer this year....

To all moms

2008-05-12T23:03:00.005+00:00

This is one of my favourite songs and I want to share it with all you wonderful moms out there. It's a golden oldie, Peter Gabriel and Youssou N'dour - "Shakin' the tree". Listen to the lyrics and Youssous wonderful wonderful voice. Enjoy!!!

Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin' the tree
Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin' the tree

Waiting your time, dreaming of a better life
Waiting your time, you're more than just a wife
You don't want to do what your mother has done
She has done
This is your life, this new life has begun
It's your day - a woman's day
It's your day - a woman's day

Turning the tide, you are on the incoming wave
Turning the tide, you know you are nobody's slave
Find your sisters and brothers
Who can hear all the truth in what you say
They can support you when you're on your way
It's your day - a woman's day
It's your day - a woman's day

Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin' the tree
Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin' the tree
Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin' the tree

There's nothing to gain when there's nothing to be lost
There's nothing to gain if you stay behind and count the cost
Make the decision that you can be who you can be
You can be
Tasting the fruit come to the Liberty Tree
It's your day - a woman's day
It's your day - a woman's day

Changing your ways, changing those surrounding you
Changing your ways, more than any man can do
Open your heart, show him the anger and pain, so you heal
Maybe he's looking for his womanly side, let him feel

You had to be so strong
And you do nothing wrong
Nothing wrong at all
We're gonna to break it down
We have to shake it down
Shake it all around

Souma Yergon, Sou Nou Yergon, We are shakin' the tree

And here's another one of my favorites with Youssou, "Seven Seconds Away".

Boul ma sene, boul ma guiss madi re nga fokni mane
Khamouma li neka thi sama souf ak thi guinaw
Beugouma kouma khol oaldine yaw li neka si yaw
mo ne si man, li ne si mane moye dilene diapale

Roughneck and rudeness,
We should be using, on the ones who practice wicked charms
For the sword and the stone
Bad to the bone
Battle is not over
Even when it's won
And when a child is born into this world
It has no concept
Of the tone the skin is living in

CHORUS
It's not a second
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I'll be waiting
It's not a second
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I'll be waiting (x3)

J'assume les raisons qui nous poussent de changer tout,
J'aimerais qu'on oublie leur couleur pour qu'ils esperent
Beaucoup de sentiments de race qui font qu'ils desesperent
Je veux les portes grandements ouvertes,
Des amis pour parler de leur peine, de leur joie
Pour qu'ils leur filent des infos qui ne divisent pas
Changer

CHORUS

And when a child is born into this world
It has no concept
Of the tone of the skin he's living in
And there's a million voices
And there's a million voices
To tell you what she should be thinking
So you better sober up for just a second

CHORUS

Welcome friends!

2008-05-12T19:51:00.007+00:00

Since it's party time over at MommyFest I want to give you a short (??!!??) presentation of myself since I guess a few newcomers will pass by my place this week. Ok, so where do I start?

Well, Mayogi is not my real name, as you might have guessed. It's short for Mama Yogi, which by the way isn't my real name either. *lol* It's just a short description of two of the most important aspects of my life.

My biggest achievement in life is becoming a mother. I'm very proud of my two sons, B who's 10 (and a former ECMO Baby) and G who's 8. I also love doing yoga which is more of a lifestyle to me than just a series of routines. Unfortunately I'm a very busy mom so I don't do yoga every day (not every week either, actually), but I try to meditate as often as I can. Living a "green" life is also very important to me so I don't own a car, I don't have a dryer and I avoid meat as much as I can. My kids actually love veggies. *lol*

We're quite a mixed family. I'm half Spanish and half Finish, born and bred in Sweden. I speak Spanish, Swedish and English fluently and I also speak some French, Moroccan Arabic and Catalan. Since I'm a total nerd when it comes to languages I've also studied German, Finish, Classic Greek, Latin, Russian and Classic Arabic. I moved to Spain in 1988, then back to Sweden in 1993 but hated every minute of it. In 2005, I took my kids and moved to Morocco, my husband's country, leaving him behind in Sweden. It's just one of those things that happen. We're still in Morocco the kids and I, although we kind of live with one foot here and one foot in Spain. The kids go to a Spanish school and we only speak Spanish at home and we belong to a Spanish Catholic church. Unfortunately we don't meet the kids' Moroccan relatives very often so sometimes I get the feeling we're not living in Morocco at all, which is probably the reason why I'm still not fluent in Arabic. Anyway, Morocco is a very interesting place to live in and I'm happy I decided to move here.

The kids and I love animals and would probably end up living in a zoo if our house was bigger. *lol* Right now we have 3 hamsters (Chiquita, Mochi and Speedy Gonsalez) and a guinea pig (Gabi), who joined the family just last week. I'm looking for another guinea pig, since they are happier when they have someone to share the cage with, so the family is probably getting bigger very soon.

I work part time as a volunteer Spanish teacher at a cultural center and I'm a full time student at a Spanish online university. Being a single mom on top of that, well, my life is never boring. I'm trying to live the Fly Lady way but every now and then I fall off the wagon and have to start all over again. I don't have much free time for myself but when I do I like to do yoga, watch movies (I love Spanish films and I hate scary movies), read something that's not school or work related, meet my friends, go to a café, go for long walks along the beach (we have the Mediterranean Sea just around the corner from our house), scrapbook or make cards, listen to music and just REEELAAAX...

Before I had the kids I worked for several years as a preschool teacher and a Spanish - Swedish - English interpreter and I also have a degree in Computer Science (I'm a webmaster actually but I've never ever worked in that field). I went back to university this year so I still have at least 4 years of studies left. When I finish I hope to either work as a Spanish teacher (I love teaching!) or become a writer.

Ok, I think it's enough for now, right? I don't want you to fall asleep. *lol* In case you're curious about something, just ask a question and I'll try to answer.

The annual MommyFest is on NOW

2008-05-12T19:34:00.003+00:00

Today is the first day of the annual Mommyfest. It's my first time participating in this blog party because I just missed it last year due to the exams and then I decided that no matter what I would participate this year. My best friend on the net, Linda, participated last year and she told me how much fun she had so I was really sad I missed it. But not this year! *lol*

Why don't you come along as well? I think we're all going to have a ball, bloghopping and participating in giveaways. If you're a mommy, then this is the place to be starting today and the rest of the week. Come on and have some fun!

Views from the hotel

2008-05-11T08:45:00.004+00:00

We had a wonderful week in Torremolinos. The kids and I had a room which really was more like a small apartment because there was a bathroom,the main bedroom with twin beds, TV and the closet, and another small bedroom which actually was the hallway to the main room. The kids slept in the main bedroom and I slept in the tiny one. It was the best ever solution because that way I could study in bed at night after the kids fell asleep and I didn't have to go anywhere else.

As soon as the kids woke up in the morning they called my parents' room to tell them they were on their way and then they headed off for the day. We had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and afterwards I headed back to the room to study and my parents and the kids went out for long walks. Usually we had the meals together but the rest of the time I was alone with my books. It might sound a bit crazy to you but to me that was wonderful! Being a single mom, student and part time teacher I usually don't have much time to myself so those days in Torremolinos really meant the world to me. Mind you, I really love my kids above everything else but you get to a point when you really need some "me-time" and just be able to be bored for a little while or just sit down and let your thoughts wander. I got plenty of that in Torremolinos and I've come back as a new me and a happier person. I wish everyone could have a week like that every once in a while.

These are the views from our room.

Back from Spain

2008-05-05T08:53:00.003+00:00

Wow, one week goes so fast when you're having fun.... We came back late last night and the kids are in school right now and I'm on a short break. We were in such a hurry before we left so we just left the house in a HORRIBLE state. And guess what? It was the same way when we came back. No house elves around these parts obviously. *sobbing* So I guess you can imagine what I'm up to today....

So far I've vacuumed G:s room and mopped the floors in his room and the bathroom. I've picked up about a hundred tiny toys and stuff and I've cleaned the shelves in the bathroom.

These pictures were taken a few days before we left for our vacation so things look a little better but I guess you can see what I have ahead of me, LOTS OF HARD WORK! So I won't write about our trip today, I'll leave that for tomorrow when my home hopefully looks a little bit better than this....

I'm going on vacations!

2008-04-27T07:03:00.002+00:00

Hooraay! Today is finally here, the day when the kids and I go away on vacations for a whole week. We're off to Torremolinos, on the Spanish south coast. We'll stay at a hotel with my parents who are coming down from Sweden tonight.

Boy, do I need this? My parents will take care of the kids and for a whole week I will just take care of --- me! I know the kids will be perfectly taken care of so I don't need to worry about them. I really need some me-time, before I have a nervous breakdown. I've been alone with the kids since Christmas, there's no one around here who can give me a hand with them and all of you single moms know what I'm talking about. *lol*

So, what am I going to do with so much time to kill? Guess what, I'm going to study, study and study.... Yup, that's what I'm going to do - prepare my exams. I guess I'll spend about 8 - 10 hours a day cramming and about an hour a day in the hotel pool and the gym. Long walks along the beach and of course -shopping! And I'm going to sleep, long long hours in bed. Oh my, do I like thatpart or what? After sleeping like 3 hours a day for the past weeks a complete night's sleep sounds like a great idea to me.

It's 7 AM and we're going today. But is my house ready for us to leave? No way! So I'll have to spend at least one hour of precious time before we go, picking up things and cleaning. Why is it that the more you pick up, the more you see? Things seem to be pouring out from beneath the furniture.... After my exams I'll have to spend a couple of days just picking things up and doing some major cleaning.

My head really, really hurts today. The lack of sleep and healthy food at the right hours are taking its toll. And the kids seem to be noisier than ever.... Oh boy, I'm NOT looking forward to the trip itself, I just want to get to the hotel. First we'll have to walk for a while, then it's one taxi for about 10 minutes, then another taxi for about one hour and then it's "border time". Uff, the border is a totally different story.... After that we'll be in Spain, but on the African side of course. Well, a bus ride and a long walk later we'll be at the port and can buy the tickets for the ferry (that's another show). Once on the European side of Spain (the mainland) we'll go by taxi and bus to get to Torremolinos and from there it's a walk to the hotel. All in all, it will probably take us about 7 hours at least to get to the hotel....

Take care everyone! I'm not sure I'll do any blogging while I'm away but I'll have lots toblog about once I'm home again. Bye bye, it's breakfast time....

FlyLady's "new" site

2008-04-22T12:11:00.002+00:00

As some of you probablyknow by now, I'm a complete FlyLady fan. I've tried so many different methods to get things to organized at home and not a single one of them has worked for me. Until I found FlyLady. Tada! It was like magic. For the first time in my life my home was in order. I just couldn't believe it! And the best part of it all is that even when I totally fall off the wagon (like right now) I know just what to do to get back on track in just a few days.

The only thing I don't like about FlyLady is the website. It's so stuffed with things and in no logical order whatsoever. It looks like a totally newbie made it and it just makes me want to cry. I mean, come on!, FlyLady does earn a few buck with the shop and everything else, so why can't she pay a professional webdesigner to remake her website and make it easier to read and find the information? That's just beyond my understanding. Many, many friends of mine say the same thing when I tell them about FlyLady -"Ok, it does seem to be a great system and I can see that it works (*looking around my place*) but hey, the website just stinks! It gives me a headache trying to find the information on how to get started."

And now she's done it again! I've read on some mailinglists that she was remaking the site and I was praying there would be improvements. I just checked it out and NOOOOOO! It's not better, not at all.... Just more colorful.... *sobbing hard*

What do you think? Do you like the "new" layout? In case you haven't visited the FlyLady site, here's the link: http://www.flylady.net

HELP! CHAOS has taken over my home!

2008-04-20T01:55:00.003+00:00

Things are really, really bad at home right now. And when I say bad I mean really, really BAD! I don't know what to do anymore. I just feel like running out, lock the door and throw away the key.My home has been messy before but nowhere near the state it is in right now...

I don't even know where to be begin to tell you because every room in the house looks like a tornado just struck. I feel so worn out, I don't know how to even clean up the mess. But I do know why it's like this.

It's spring time. I need to get out the summer clothes and wash and go through the winter clothes. It's been raining for 4 days now so the laundry room is totally full of dirty laundry. It's getting up to my knees now. That's bad,very bad. I reckon I have like 12 loads thrown out all over the floor.It's not a pretty sight.

We've had a rough week. We have gotten home after 6 PM everyday this week and I have to be at work before 7 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I just finished making dinner and left the kids eating while I was at work. And what happens when you leave 2 boys alone at home for about 2 hours? Oh yes, the house gets messy,very messy. There are toys, books, games and magazines all over the place. Add to the confusion a new job of mine which pretty much left me with no time whatsoever to pick things up and clean the mess.

Today I managed to get the drains in the bathroom clogged up so when I tried to fix it the tube just fell off and I got the bathroom flooded. It's still not completely fixed so I need to call a plumber tomorrow morning.

Aaaargh! Some one PLEEEEAAASE hand me a wand! I need to get this tidied up because tomorrow the TV repair man is coming over and I'm just too ashamed to have someone in the house. This is soooo embarrassing!

It's past 2 AM and I don't have the strength to do any more cleaning tonight. I need to get some sleep. I haven't hardly slept anything at all this week due to the storm and heavy raining. They say it's going to rain until Tuesday...

Entrecard

2008-04-07T18:44:00.002+00:00

A week ago my friend Linda told me about EntreCard, a social network between bloggers. In just a few days I became an EntreCard fanatic. It works wonders for the statics and is a fun way to discover new blogs.

It works like this: You become a member and start dropping your card on other members' blogs. For each drop you get one credit. Then you use the credits to buy ads on other blogs. TodayI have my ad on No need for ink and Off Topic. My ad will appear tomorrow on Effects of Divorce. And I still have another 4 ads that will run this week. Let's see if that will make any difference.

If you have a blog and want to get to know other bloggers, go and have a look at EntreCard, I'm sure you'll like it! See you there!!!

And no, I have not been paid to write this.*lol*

Time for new clothes

2008-03-31T13:27:00.003+00:00

I think it's about time I start buying some new clothes. Beach 2008 is coming up soon! I've had a look in my closet this weekend and that made me cry... My clothes are so old, so out of fashion and so worn out.... I really, really need a makeover of my closet! I've decided to give/throw away at least half of what's in there, maybe even more. Ok, so I'll be left with hardly any clothes but hey, I always wear the same items anyway so what's the difference? A closet full of ugly clothes won't make me happier than an empty closet, right?

I think I'll start from the inside out. So first priority, new underwear. I really really don't like buying underwear here in Morocco. Underwear are usually sold in tiny "shops" and run by bearded men. I don't know why all the underwear shops' owners all have beard. I think it's because Moroccan men believe that a bearded man is a good Muslim and therefor won't look at their wifes while they try on the bras. Well, my experience tells me that any man, beard or not, will look at a woman fiddling with a bra. And you know what, I don't want any man, beard or not, to look at me while I'm shopping for underwear. In case I find a shop with a woman selling the clothes that's where I'll spend my money. So far I haven't... So I guess I'll have to cross the border and buy my undies in Spain instead. I know, I'm really picky about this, but it really annoys me to have a man looking at me when I'm doing something that I consider "private". And not because I think I'm Miss Universe, it's just creepy to have a man selling lingerie. Well, that's my 2 cents on the matter, what about you?

No paper :-(

2008-03-31T12:51:00.002+00:00

Well, in the end I didn't manage to send in my paper on Spanish literature because the ¤&¤"%# connection was so lousy all weekend so I just couldn't get on the university server and download the files I needed. This is making me CRAZY!!!!

So,it's Monday today and I should be doing my weekly Home blessing. Well, I haven't started yet. I will, in a little while. I have to get the laundry first and then I'll have a quick go at the living room (the Zone today). I really NEED to study but I also need to have a clean house. Help! Where do I start? *lol* 2 more hours before I have to go and get the kids. I think it's time I put on my cleaning shoes and get going. Go, go, go!!!

How much time do you spend cleaning your house? Do you do Fly Lady or some other method? Or do you have a maid or cleaning lady?

I'm not here ;-)

2008-03-29T13:00:00.003+00:00

I'm not here actually, I'm studying like crazy. *lol* I have to send a paper about Spanish literature in the 15th century to my tutor before tomorrow night and I still haven't written a word. :-( I need to do a lot of research and my internet connexion is so lousy I just want to cry.... I've been trying for 5 days now to get on to the school's server but no way José. I need to download some texts, read them and make a resume but there's still no luck. I don't think I'll make it on time because if I was all alone I could stand a day without food and a night without sleep but I have to take care of the kids and they are almost bored to death at home. This is getting much harder than I ever thought it would be. But I'm not giving up! NEVER!

So, if you see me around here this weekend, please give me a hug and a friendly kick in my butt because I really HAVE TO READ several hundred pages instead of hanging around the internet...

See you on Monday after I've got a bit of sleep!

A new layout

2008-03-25T16:05:00.002+00:00

My friend Linda has agreed to remake my blog. Woohoo!!! Linda is a very talented blog designer, so I'm really looking forward to working with her on this one. Things might look a little funny over here for a while, because I have to try different ideas. I've never worked with a pro designer before so I'm really looking forward to this.

I'll post a couple of polls at the sidebars.please help me out by voting. :-D

Spring clothes

2008-03-25T15:11:00.002+00:00

Spring is in the air. Today is a fairly warm day, a little windy but the sun is warm. We are stuck indoors because the kids want to spend their last day of the holiday plugged in to the Play Station. Ok, so I let them. Am I a really lousy mom for not making them go outdoors in the sun? I don't think so... Because from tomorrow on they will be back in school and will spend at least a couple of hours outdoors each day. So why not let them decide? There will be lots of sunny days ahead, from May and onwards until October there will be hardly any rain at all so there will be plenty of tie to play in the sun.

I feel a bit stressed today. I guess that's just part of the PMS I'm suffering right now. :-( I've done quite a lot of laundry and in a few hours I have to go to work. I don't feel like working today. I guess we're been off school and work for too many days, I've just become a lazy Franny. Oh my! It's time to get back on the Fly Lady wagon again, I NEED it!

Over the next coming weeks I'll need to go through all our clothes. I will wash and stash away the winter clothes we might be able to wear next winter, give away what we will not wear again and throw away what's too torn to give away. I need a mayor make over of my closet. I'm so tired of my clothes! I think I'll be radical this year and get rid of all those items I keep, "just in case"... I've lost quite a bit of weight these past years and all my old jeans and sweaters are too big for me. I think it's time, once and for all, to get rid of my old big me and only keep what I wear right now. And if I gain weight again, well, then I'll just have to buy new clothes! A crammed closet doesn't make me a happier person...

So what's new in the fashion scene for spring? I'm sorry to admit that I haven't got a clue about fashion. I think I'd have to get addicted to a fashion blog so I'll learn. I want to be a posh mommy, not the usual Franny I'm at home. HELP! I guess I, too, need a makeover! So, where should I go first? Any suggestion will be very well appreciated, because I think this situation really has to change. Yep, I'm about to turn into a butterfly.... Or at least that's what I wish I could be....

Harry Potter

2008-03-24T22:23:00.002+00:00

My mother brought me the last Harry Potter book - "Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows" in English last year. I didn't want to read it then, since I haven't read "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" yet but two days ago the temptation got too big and and I grabbed the book and I haven't let go of it yet. *lol* I should have done so many things today. Instead, I spent most of the day in my PJs, curled up on my bed, reading... *lol*

I just LOVE Harry Potter!!! I think J.K. Rowling is a brilliant writer. I've read some of the books in Swedish, in Spanish and in English and they are just great in any language. I prefer to read them in English actually, because of the british accent that somehow gets lost in translations. I'm glad I have three languages to chose from when reading because that way I have a bigger chance o read the book in it's original form. Translating a novel is much more difficult than people normally imagine. That's one of the reasons I became an interpreter instead. As an interpreter you just need to pass on the general idea of things, it doesn't matter if not every single word is perfect. Being a translator is much more precise and whatever you write will remain written and people will read it over and over again and have opinions about your work.

I will have to buy the remaining Harry Potter book, because there are several things I don't understand in this one, because the writer keeps referring to things that happened in the previous book. So now you know what I'll be doing next week.*lol* That's right, reading Harry Potter.....

Old and new

2008-03-23T22:25:00.002+00:00

This is what my home town looks like nowadays. Old houses, almost destroyed by time and lack of care, side by side with supermodern blocks of flats. Most of the old houses, some of them with beautiful gardens, are gone by now. The whole town is changing and I'm not sure I like all the changes....

Payday around the corner

2008-03-23T21:16:00.004+00:00

March is almost over and the payday is slowly coming closer. In a way it's a sad day because at least in my case the money is usually gone almost before I get it in my hand. It's like magic, the money just vanishes into thin air... It's hard when you don't have enough money. I wish I could teach at home too, but right now I don't have any free time so I guess I'll have to work all summer so I can afford to take the kids somewhere for a week before school starts again. I really do need to have a close look at my economy.

One way to get money quickly is to get online payday loans. I'm not very fond of loans but there are moments when one quick loan is actually the best way to heal your economy or your sanity. A friend of mine took a loan to get out of a really bad situation. She left her longtime boyfriend who was not treating her well and took a trip abroad, to get away from her everyday life and build up some strength so shoe could rebuild her life when she got back home. Those weeks in the sun, just taking care of herself, made wonders for her and she came home a much stronger woman. Without a quick loan she would probably still be saving money for that trip which changed her life. And who knows, she might even still be stuck with that stupid ex boyfriend of hers. In her case, that loan truly was a blessing.

Sugar rush

2008-03-23T20:16:00.002+00:00

My boys and I are definitely having a sugar rush today! Since Lent is over and I'm able to eat sweets again we have been celebrating Easter all day. First of all we went to mass. Oh, how I love mass during Easter!

And then we went to Pizza Hut. For those of you living in America going to Pizza Hut is probably no big deal, but living where we live, going to Pizza Hut is a HUGE thing. There is just one Pizza Hut in the whole province and going there is a bit complicated because it's located in the only mall in the province. You either go by car, bus (which is always overcrowded and takes forever) or taxi. We eat at Pizza Hut about twice a year, on very special occasions.

When we got home we just went CRAZY!!! We have bought quite a lot of sweets, cookies and chips and we put it all on the living room table. A table full of candy! I don't think we'll be able to sleep until really late tonight. *lol* We watched the movie "Asterix and Obelix at the Olympics" and in a little while we're going to watch another movie. I'm glad they have the day off tomorrow. *lol* I think we'll have a sugar hangover. ;-)

Living in France

2008-03-23T19:51:00.003+00:00

Sometimes I wish I lived somewhere else. I don't know why, I actually like living where I live, but on some days, when the sky is grey and life around here seems so dull, I daydream of spending time in other countries. To tell you the truth, France has never been high on my ranking of favorite countries - until lately. France is climbing higher and higher by the day, maybe because I've finally accepted that I need to get my act together when it comes to speaking French. That's a long story and I'll tell you about it some other day if you want to, but right now I'll stick to "living in France".

Well, I was bored last night and ran across a site that offers French property and I had a look around. It's not the usual estate agency, it's a platform for estate agents, developers and private sellers to advertise property. Honestly, I don't know much about buying a property but I like the layout of that website. It's easy to search for different criteria, such as most popular properties viewed, the nearest properties to the airport or ferry port of your choice. You can also find information on moving to France, which is very interesting reading, even if you're not interested in buying a property.

The girls

2008-03-22T01:04:00.004+00:00

Our hamsters are referred to as "the girls" at home. They are really funny and are slowly getting used to us. Both Mochi and Chiquita know what the plastic rollerbowl means and they start to jump up and down as soon as they get a glimpse of it. They know that it means that they will go out of the cage and "have a ball" around the room. It's still a little too early to let they out in the rest of the house, in case they hit hard on something and the bowl opens.

A picture of "the girls" one of the first days at home, about a month ago. They shared a cage for the first week, until Chiquita had her babies.

The babies are almost 3 weeks old and in about 10 days I'll have to separate the males from their mother and sisters. I tried to have a look today as I took the babies out so I could clean the cage, but they all look the same to me. :-( I hope it will be easier to tell them apart in a few days because I don't want any more hamster babies. *lol*

The babies eat a lot of seeds now and don't depend as much on their mother anymore. They all have fur now and most of them have opened their eyes. They love to eat and play and for each day they move around more. It's really fun to watch them! They are so adorable. I wish we could keep them all...

Moroccan pictures

2008-03-22T00:28:00.002+00:00

I just created a new blog - Moroccan Pictures. I will try to update it regularly but it won't be as often as this one. I love taking pictures and sometimes I just don't know what to do with them, so my new blog will be a place where I just upload pictures from Morocco. I hope you'll enjoy the pictures!

Happy easter!

2008-03-21T23:18:00.002+00:00

Well, Lent is almost over for this year. Only two more days to go....

My experience this year has not been so good. I had so many plans for Lent this year, I would start praying every day, I would do my Rosary, I would read the Bible, I would stay away from internet, cookies and meat... Well, in the end I just managed to stay away from the internet (thanks to the internet provider that cut me off), meat (except for one day when I had to eat out and there was no non meat food on the menu) and cookies (except for a few days when I was on the edge of a total breakdown and needed a sugar rush). So in the end I guess I did okey. Not as good as I planned, but it could have been worse.

Life has been really chaotic lately. Lots and lots of problems and no solution not even close, so I feel really exhausted. I hope things will start to improve soon, because I'm really running on empty right now.

The kids and I plan to have a tiny party just for us on Sunday. I hope it will be fun, because we do need some family fun time to be able to go back to school and work again after over a week of vacation.How is it that I always feel more tired AFTER the holidays than BEFORE?

Anyway, have a great Easter!!! Don't eat too much candy and eggs. *lol*

First there were two...

2008-03-17T21:00:00.003+00:00

Three weeks ago we bought two hamster girls. The kids named them Mochi and Chiquita. Oh boy, are they cute or what? I just love hamsters and these girls are no exception. *lol* They are not really used to being in the hand yet, but I'm working on it. They are probably around 2 months old so it's a bit late to get them used to humans but a lot of patience will surely do the trick.

Two weeks ago we got a chock! All of a sudden two baby hamsters fell out of the house in the cage! Chiquita had had babies and we didn't even know that she was pregnant. It really came as a chock for us. Yesterday I counted the babies and there are 8 of them.... One week left and I will have to start separating them from their mother because at eight four weeks the girls can get pregnant by their brothers and I don't want that to happen. That's what happened to Chiquita and I really, really don't want any more hamsters right now. 10 is more than enough. *lol* And now I just need to find new homes for the babies. It's a pity really since I'd love to keep them all, but that's too much job and money to keep 10 hamsters since they all need a cage of their own. We all enjoy watching the babies crawl around in the cage, eat apple and discover the world. They are so darn cute!!!!