Success

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill

PAY IT FORWARD

If you didn’t cry during this movie then this post is not for you.

While blog surfing for great South African Blogs recently, I came across ‘anything goes‘ (or black cat, I’m not sure which name Katherine prefers). I read her PAY IT FORWARD post and was instantly inspired. I felt I had to do the same.

So here it goes:

“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

Even if nobody leaves a comment, I will choose 3 people (probably family and friends) to PAY IT FOWARD to.

Who knows what it will be? All I know is that it will be made from the heart and will make the receivers feel warm and happy…

Handmade – The Story

Yesterday I read Wendren’s blog on the ‘value’ of handmade and I felt a surge of emotions on the subject and felt compelled to add to the subject.

While the handmade life is not for everyone at some point in our lives we have bought something that was made by hand. Luxury goods that are made by hand such as Rolls Royce cars (extreme example) are highly sort after goods, but somehow inbetween, most of us fell into the ‘consume-consume-consume’ mode.

After the second world war the Industrial Revolution kicked into overdrive and mass production became the norm. ‘Cheap and nasty’ ‘made in China’ goods flooded the shelves and small independent retailers that valued each customer and knew everyone by name were replaced by franchised stores who only care about the bottom line.

More, more, faster, faster, brighter, louder… STOP!

I have personally reached a point in my life, where I just can’t take this ‘consumer mentallity’ anymore. It was literally affecting my health. I made a personal decision not to buy ready-made food anymore. I cook almost everything from scratch now and everyday I am learning better ways to to cook and bake. I am also learning how to sew and create things for myself, so that I will not have to buy from expensive retailers anymore.  But if I do need to buy something, as far as possible I try to buy handmade or secondhand. It is sometimes quite difficult as I live in a newer area where old and treasured handmade goods are not easy to find. As long as I keep trying, I suppose places that I long for will eventually crop up.

I believe that there are quite a few people that feel as I do and feel that mass produced goods for profit, and profit alone, will soon be a thing of the past. Not only are there environmental pressures to change the way we do business, I suspect that in the near future, the growing “I’ve had enough” population will start to demand sustainable business practices and things will change dramatically.

I have taken the Handmade pledge, have you?

Yellow Flowers in June

“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”

– Hans Christian Anderson

Winter Solstice and Global Warming

I was born on Winter Solstice (Southern Hemisphere) and have always felt special to celebrate my birthday on the shortest day and longest night.

On Saturday 21st June 2008, I woke up to rain? Totally perplexed I thought about all the weird climate changes that have happened just in my area, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Firstly, it has never ever rained on my birthday. On the highveld, Winter is a dry season and we often experience draught like symptoms. Everything dies especially the grass.

The grass is still green? Yes, our grass had to be cut on Friday as it is still growing! This never happens, usually we have to fertilise the grass before spring, so that it will begin to grow again.

Over the last 2 months it has rained considerable, the key reason to why the grass is still green.

I haven’t had to use my woolly gloves. We have been experiencing a rather warm winter with temperatures of around 15*C, with some days at 18*C. We have not even used our heating?

Veld (grassland) Fires – a common site during a Johannesburg Winter is veld fires, usually caused by the sun glaring through a piece of discarded glass and setting the dry grass alight or someone flicking a lit cigarette . I have only seen one this year, which is very rare. I think this may be because of the moisture in the air.

Which leads me to my next point. I have quite a sensitive skin and usually suffer quite a bit during Winter due to the dry cold winds. This year my ski hasn’t suffered at all!

Experts say that due to global warming, Johannesburg will experience a climate change to rain forest weather pattern in the future. Well, according to my observations it has already begun.

Even though our country has far more pressing issues to attend to, then climate change, I have awoken to the small things that I can do to curb global warming and wish to further investigate what I can do.

I have already started to throw away less and plan to recycle more, but that’s not nearly enough…

Rhymes with Orange

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a wonderful day…

I was inspired by Heidi’s blog on her new years resolution progress a few days ago. So, I decided that I would like to do a Birthday Resolution List. And here it goes:

1) I would like to attend yoga classes every Monday

2) Completion of the foundation course in Magazine Journalism

3) Drink a big glass of water before each meal – to help increase my water intake

4) I would really love to develop products and work on my OrangeBloom concept

So, that is my list for now. Every few months or so, I will check in to see how well I am doing…

African Sunrise

Yesterday, I had to get up a little earlier, as our little puppy, Chloe (black miniature Duschund), had to be taken out to do her ‘business’.

She is on a strict routine – doctors orders – as she has a fractured hip. Chloe was knocked by a car last week during one of her escapades.  As hard as we try, she does not like to stay in our garden, and digs and chews and claws her way out quite often.

Our house looks out onto a flei (Afrikaans word for ‘wetland’), which is beautiful as it attracts a lot of bird life. I suspect Chloe has a free soul and doesn’t like to be restricted. But unfortunately due to the accident, she has to be in confinement for 2 weeks so that her hip can heel.

While letting her out on Wednesday morning, I happened to watch the sunrise. It was magical! People always talk about the African skies and for the first time in a long time I really appreaciated the sun for all its power. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots, so that I can have that memory forever…

Music

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Berthold Auerbach

Playing Catch-up…

I have so many things that I want to write about, so over the next few days, you will be inundated with quite a few posts…

I have taken a few days to grieve my grandfather’s passing and have come to terms with it and am back to my usual self.

I must remember to take a photo of my new hair style and hair colour…

Poetry

“If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.” – David Carradine