Staircase 365

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, But beautiful old people are works of art.
- Eleanor Roosevelt  

I worked in an old age home for 2 years. I was 24 years old and my friends at that time thought it very strange that I absolutely loved the job. Little did they know what great inspiration elderly people can be. They taught me so much about acceptance of ones circumstances, hope, life and love.

On Sunday afternoons, even on my off days, when they were having their afternoon tea at exactly 3pm I use to take my guitar and go and sit with them in the sun lounge and play and sing. They would teach me all the old songs that they sang as kids. The pleasure those afternoons gave them was extremely rewarding.

On Wednesday afternoons I had a Bridge date in the library. And after the first couple of times I learnt how to play the game and loved it. If I was busy in the kitchen (I was the Catering Manager) and couldn’t make it, my partner Mrs Knoss, refused to play. She simply got up and went back to her room.

I will never forget my time there, and the lessons I learnt. It was definitely one of the highlights in my life so far.

90% of foods shrink when cooked. Something like a leg of mutton or lamb would shrink as much as 35% when roasted, nowadays chicken farmers are allowed to inject 25% percent of water into their chickens to weigh more ( this is in South Africa, don’t know what the laws are in other countries ) This topic sounds very boring…but stick with me here.

If you think about it… from a slice of toast, to vegetables, to meat – the list is endless, they becomes smaller when cooked.

The list of foods I can think of that expands when cooked or baked is far shorter.

The other night, while I was standing waiting for the microwave popcorn to finish “popping” I was thinking that as soon as one starts popping it’s like a domino effect and more and more stars following suit.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more people could be like popcorn? You get people who don’t share much of themselves, who don’t make you feel welcome, happy or loved. They are like the kernels that just don’t seem to pop, and you get those in every batch of popcorn. They are hard shelled, impenetrable, not enjoyable and just down right ugly, most of the time burnt black.

Then the popped ones are white, pure, and tasty. It’s like people who have sunshine on their faces, who just makes you feel better by looking at them – who share their faith and gives you hope. They share their belief not by carrying their bible under their arm, or by "just" attending church every Sunday...but by the way they live. Every life they touch they make better…and happier. You look at them and think “ Wow! Would love to be like him/her…so happy, self assured and full of life and promise.

So here’s a toast to being popcorn people. Be “fluffy”, pure in your beliefs, and invite people to share what you have

…it’s worth it

OK, Herb tagged me with this. Here’s my answers. Must say – had to think about some of these.

• 7 things that scare me

1.      violence

2.      debt

3.      snakes

4.      scary movies (heh)

5.      constraints of any kind

6.      reckless/drunk driving

7.      children with no respect or manners

• 7 things I like the most

1.      long walks just before sunset

2.      a good book

3.      fire place, red wine, good company ( that’s one thing )

4.      good cup of coffee

5.      smell of the earth after a thunderstorm

6.      a rainbow

7.      out of the blue act of kindness

• 7 important things in my room

1.      uhhh…my bed

2.      my antique dresser

3.      the book I am currently reading

4.      my alarm clock

5.      my window overlooking my garden

6.      ok…is there anyone who has 7 important things in their bedroom???

• 7 random facts about me

     1. I have a temper (bad one)

     2. I’m a singer

     3. I talk with my hands

     4. I’m sometimes too brutally honest

     5. I trust too easily (been a downfall often)

     6. I love opera and classical music

     7. I write poetry      

• 7 things I plan to do before I die

     1. travel to USA and Europe

     2. hot air ballooning

     3. record a CD

     4. scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef

     5. climb Kilimanjaro

     6. own a cottage in the mountains

     7. live in the country

• 7 things I can do

     1. sing

     2. be impulsive

     3. speak/read/write two languages

     4. change a tire

     5. stay calm in most situations

     6. give advice

     7. keep quiet and smile…rather than to open my mouth and confirm I have

              no idea what they are talking about

• 7 things I can't do

     1. find any “thingy” under the car’s hood

     2. algebra (sticks tongue out at FTS)

     3. listen to my own advice

     4. fly a plane

     5. handle bad manners

     6. do 5 things at once (4 is really the limit ;) )

     7. drink champagne without becoming really silly

• 7 things I say the most

     1. Really?

     2. There’s no such thing as “can’t”

     3. If you would just listen to me!

     4. No problem

     5. Did you know…

     6. I’m running late

     7. Shit!

• 7 celeb crushes…err….I find plenty interesting – but can honestly say I’ve never had a crush on any of them
   
• 7 people who will have to do this

     Very new to blogging, so will not tag anyone else with this J

Today is Spring day … the 1^st of September. My 5 year old daughter told me last night “ one more sleep and then it’s warm” as if it’s a switch that gets flicked from cold to hot. I did try and explain to her that that is not really how it works, but my efforts fell on deaf ears, and she told me that she will prove me wrong today.

This morning was a clear sky, crisp, bright and sunny morning. She woke up, looked outside, turned around and gave me this “I told you so“ look. And there goes my adult reasoning and explanations out the window. (Grin) I love it when things just fall into place and when children think the sun is shining just for them, specially this morning. And that God made that little red flower bloom just for them to pick and give to their teacher. It’s precious to experience and to see. Maybe if we, as adults had that outlook on life, we would also see all the bright sides of life more often and appreciate what is in front of our eyes. It’s so easy to say that the sun won’t shine today because it’s just too much to expect or ask for. Why not, when someone asks you how you are answer “always good thank you “,  in stead of “always sh*t the depth just varies” Maybe today it will go less “good” than yesterday, and tomorrow would be fabulous and not just “good”. But to start with a positive and believing it will get better is so much more rewarding than to start with “ my life is sh!t” and having to work up from there. The hill would so much steeper to climb that way.

So…here’s wishing everyone out there a glorious spring day. It might still be in the middle of winter wherever you are, but have a sunny, flower laden, happy and glorious day. It’s all in the state of mind J

The photo was taken this morning in my garden.

This is a fairly well known e-mail and lots of similar ones have been doing the rounds. But the answers still make me chuckle (And dad’s…no offense meant)

It also reminds me of my 5 year old. A year ago I told her that if she lies to me the word “liar” would be written on her forehead – and only mother could see it. Since then she would come to me and say “ Mom, I didn’t do it” and if was telling the truth she’d lift up her fringe and totally expose her forehead for me to “read” If she was lying… She would take her hand and cover her forehead completely. Hehehe… wonder when she’ll figure out the truth.

Answers given by 2nd grade school kids to the following questions.

 "WHY GOD MADE MOMS"

 Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother & not some other mom?
1. We’re related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

You know that feeling, mostly wonderful but sometimes in trepidation.

A beautiful song with lyrics that touches your soul and gives you a lump in your throat because it feels as if the song is written for you and speaking directly to you

Or a beautiful sunset and the quietness that comes with the dusk, the oranges, pinks and blues mixed together in perfect harmony.

An e-mail you get from a friend that has the most wonderful message of humanity, sorrow, happiness or faith.

The feeling of relief just after your heart dropped into your shoes because your child nearly fell off the jungle gym and if she did, she would have broken at least one bone most probably several.

A phone call from someone you love, who is your world that phones you out of the blue and makes your heart go “do doef”.

A soft unexpected kiss in the neck … a hug when you desperately need one…. A friend who knows exactly when to keep quiet and when to give advice.

The look on a stranger  in shopping center’s face when you give them a flower out of the blue just because it might brighten up their day, and yours in the process

All the things that give you goose bumps… the things that let you know you’re alive, and life is good and that you can handle the not-so-good, and that life goes on…no matter what.

On Tuesday I had a good old moan about everything that really gave me a headache.

So now I would like to share some wonderful experiences we had this past weekend. We went camping at a place called Mbizi. We live in Johannesburg, one of the biggest cities in South Africa and Mbizi is an hour and a half’s drive out of the city in a little place called Bela-Bela (Meaning “water that boils on it’s own”) In the 1800’s the Tswana tribe discovered mineral hot pools in the area, hence the name.

This is a camp site that is situated on a game farm, with most game except the predators. You are in an enclosed area, but sitting having your afternoon drink at sunset you see almost everything you want to see about 10 meters away just behind the fence.

This is the dry time of the year in this part of South Africa, we have summer rainfalls and our first day of spring is on the 1^st of September. So the “Bushveld” is fairly dry – but still has it’s own beauty.

Here’s some of the photographs we took while there.

The last picture of the 10 month old Zebra was taken the previous weekend when we went out for a picnic at another game reserve. He was orphaned at birth and the staff reared him at the compound. He now thinks he owns the joint, has taught himself how to open the taps everywhere (60 picnic sites each with a tap) and flutters his eyelashes for scraps of food.( And my daughter being very happy to oblige)

There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other. --Douglas Everett