Wow, I can’t believe that it has been over four months since my last post! As the saying goes – time flies when you’re having fun – but for me the past year was more a case of time that flew even though I was not having fun.
2016 was a tough year for me; probably one of the toughest yet. It was professionally challenging more than anything else, but unfortunately I let that spill over into (and to a large extent consume) my personal life and it really had a negative impact on me. I felt despondent, emotionally drained, not good enough, angry, sad, tired and sorry for myself. And there was no way I could hide all of that in my writing. So I stopped. And I didn’t want to start again until I was sure that I was ready to be the real me again.
‘And now, what’s changed?’, I hear you ask.
Well, not a whole lot. In reality, only one thing really. Me. My outlook on life. My mindset. And I’m back!
With the help of the love of my life, a.k.a my amazing husband and my friends (a special mention to the CoreCore team and my friend who had to come to the work’s kitchen with tissues on more than one occasion!), I’ve found my stride again. I am so grateful to each and everyone one of you for putting up with my moods, my silences, my sarcastic comments, my tears, my self-doubt. Never judging, always supporting and encouraging, and just being there for me. I would not have made it through 2016 without you!
So there was no big epiphany. Just a gradual realization (and acceptance) of what I already knew deep down inside. That no one could do anything about the way I was feeling or the way I was reacting to what was happening to me, but myself. I saw one of those motivational posters that read: “There comes a point in your life when you realize that turning the page is the best feeling in the world, because there’s so much more to the book that the page you were stuck on.” I was holding on to all the negative feelings for so long because it was just easier to do so than figuring out how to move forward. So slowly I worked through the things I had going on in my head until I came to a point where I was finally ready to admit that only I could change the way I was feeling. And yes, while the world around me is still pretty much the same, I now remember that I have control over how I react to those things that upset me and that just ignoring how I feel about it won’t make it go away either. It’s like the old saying of not being able to fill a cup that is already full… And going forward I will always make sure that there is always room in my cup for something more!
And what better way to celebrate than getting back to writing!
If I look back at my first blog post in December last year, I am so proud of having started WorkFoodHome! I remember how scared I was when I pressed “publish” that first time! (To be honest, most of my friends and family still don’t know that I have a blog, but that’s about to change! Deep breaths, deep breaths!)
So, in 2107 you can look forward WorkFoodHome really showcasing the things I am passionate about – more recipes, more travel stories and more beautiful photography – all with hubby by my side!
My blog has been a bit quiet lately – but I have had a very good excuse! It’s been almost a year since I’ve had some proper leave from work; I’m not just talking of a day here or there – but rather about proper time for some quality r&r. So when stress and frustration levels reached boiling point a few weeks ago, I decided that this was a perfect time for a a break.
Last year we had the holiday of a lifetime – barging on the Canal du Midi in the south of France – but this year we have had to scale down a bit (you know, building up the reserves for next year!). So most of our time was spent at home, doing all the things that we always want to do, but just never have the time for. It was great to just sit back and relax – and take things in my stride. I’ve recently come to realise (or finally admitted it to myself!) that I don’t focus enough on the here and now. My mind is always off thinking about the past (something I should have, could have done or said) or otherwise thinking about the future (what I must do, I need to do, I must remember…). So with this time off I really concentrated on just enjoying the present. And I feel so much better for it!
The best part of our holiday though, was a short little weekend getaway. Located just outside Botrivier (a small town in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa), you will find the beautiful KolKol Mountain Lodge. It is truly a special place; unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Our stunning cabin, Brunia
The wooden deck with our outdoor fireplace and wood-fired pool
Views for days
It has beautifully furnished log and stone cabins with breathtaking views over the valley. The attention to detail makes everything super special. Apart from its romantic setting, with an outdoor braai and indoor fireplace you could ask what more one would need on a romantic breakaway… but wait… there is more. How about wood fired hot tubs?! Oh yes! Imagine the air has a slight chill, but you are sitting comfortably on your wooden deck overlooking the stunning scenery, a glass of wine nearby… relaxing in a hot tub! Pure bliss!
Hubby relaxing in the wood-fired hot tub – bliss.
Hubby and I spend two evenings there – way too short! But long enough to leave me feeling refreshed and energized. If you are looking for an amazing place to reflect and get perspective on life again, this is it. Don’t hesitate to visit! You have to experience it for yourself.
Lunch with a view!
Cozy fireplace
So romantic
What I realised during this time is that I need to take better care of myself. I think for many of us just go on auto-pilot during our normal daily lives without even knowing that we do. During this little break I became aware how important it is to take time out, to make sure that I am OK. It’s like that saying that you can’t fill a cup that is already full… I realised I was full, but not necessarily with the good stuff.
The stunning fynbos and views for days…
So here are a few things I’ve decided to consciously focus on going forward to make sure that I am the best me I can possibly be – maybe there is something here that resonates with you as well:
1. Focus on the moment
Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present. – Bill Keane
Cheesy, I know! But important. Else I will forever be spending my time worrying about something that happened, or that might happen – and I will miss out on all that is happening around me right now.
2. The work-life balance
Balance is not better time management but better boundary management. – Betsy Jacobson
I know there is no such thing as a perfect work-life balance. But you need to watch the scales. I realise that I have been giving so much time (willingly) to work that I suffered. So I need to focus on that balance a bit and prioritise some time for me. It is OK not to work late every night, right?!
3. Healthy body, healthy mind
To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. – Buddha
Oh, this is the difficult one! I’ve never been naturally active, but last year I tried jogging and I really enjoyed it. It was amazing how it actually cleared my mind after a busy day. However, when winter came, I just could not bear to get out there so the winter was spent on the couch, under the blanket. I really did find that I missed it and with spring now approaching, I’m dusting off my running shoes and will be hitting the road again tomorrow. #fingerscrossed (And of course the healthy lunch is already packed for lunch tomorrow!)
This morning when I woke up it was with much sadness that I read about the attack that happened in Nice, France, where a truck drove into a crowd of people, killing over 80.
What was even sadder is that every day around the world people are killed in so many senseless acts of violence. Syria, Baghdad, Orlando, Paris… – those are just some of the more known ones. But there is also the woman who gets raped and killed while out jogging, or the man robbed and shot dead, while waiting for a train. And sometimes it feels to me that as a world we have become so desensitised to this; it’s only the latest event that makes the headlines for a day or so and then we move on… So much suffering because of race, religion, sexual preference… because of evil.
I believe Mother Theresa said “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
There ARE more good in this world than evil. There are more of us that believe it the value of respecting one another; of allowing our fellow human beings to live in peace in this world. It is not whether your religion is Christianity or Islam that counts… or if you love a woman or a man… it’s not a black or white life that matters… all innocent lives matter. Let us respect that; let us live that value – and even if alone we can’t change the world, we can pray that by doing this we will lead by example and that we will leave a better and more peaceful, respectful world for our children and those to come after us.
I leave you with a song from a Just Jinjer, a South African band. It was written a couple of years ago but as relevant today as it was then. On my way to work this morning I could not help but think of the first few lines…
if there is grace in this world
if there is light on this earth
let us use it
let us see it
starting right now
can we be down with ourselves respectful and mindful of one, of one another your significant other your sister, your brother
peace, love, more tolerance faith, hope, trust in the same name of god
peace, love, more tolerance
faith, hope, trust in the same god in whose
name we die for, take an innocent life for
that’s not what he means
and it doesn’t matter what book you read
It’s called “What he means” – and it’s worth listening to it here.
Today was a slow day in the office. Thursday was a public holiday and many people grabbed the opportunity to make a long weekend and took today (Friday) off as well.
I’m one of the (un)fortunate few that was in the office today – fortunate in a way because traffic was great and I could actually get things done without being interrupted – but then again, getting up in the freezing cold this morning did make me second-guess my choice!
However, the day turned out to be not that bad after all. With a bit of a jovial mood in the office it was just a matter of time before someone said the magic words… “How about a braai for lunch?!” And just like that, within 20 minutes, a quick boerewors (a traditional South African sausage) braai was organised.
The fire was lit at 11:00 and with that first smell of the wood burning my tummy rumbled. By 12:00 the sausage was on the fire and the office was filled with one of the best smells in the world – a braai! (And the aroma of a braai is also one of the smells that induces the biggest cravings. Doesn’t matter what you have lined up for supper, if you smell anyone else having a braai, that is immediately what you need to have as well and nothing else will do!)
Boerewords and rolls on the coals!
Sitting there with a silly grin made me think of what other smells have the same effect on me and that also involuntarily brings a smile to my face…
So firstly there is the smell of freshly baked bread straight out of the oven. YUM! It always reminds me of my late grandmother on my dad’s side. She had this huge wood burning stove and used to bake the most gigantic breads in there. Maybe it was because I was very small, but I remember that one slice of bread was large enough to cover an entire plate! But the smell… homely, warm and inviting… best served hot with the butter melting over it, but just as nice the next day with some Marmite! I think I feel a bout of bread baking coming on this weekend!
Olive loaf I baked a while ago
Yummy olive loaf
But if I talk about bread, I have to talk about coffee. And not the smell of any coffee… moerkoffie! (Now to translate that to English is a bit tough – South Africans will tell you that ‘moer’ can have many meanings; some good and some not so good! Let’s just say that in the instance of “moer” koffie, we will go with one of the Dutch translations for “moer” which means mother, so “moer” koffie = mother’s coffee!) My grandmother on my mother’s side always made us moerkoffie when we were small. It is a ground coffee, and she made it in an enamel coffee pot on the stove. (Her secret ingredient was apparently the smallest pinch of salt!) It was strong, but delicious with milk and lots of sugar. And the smell – you just don’t get any other coffee that smells like the real thing!
Then, for someone that grew up in the Karoo (the Karoo is a semi-desert region in South Africa) there is probably no better smell than the smell of the ground after rain. I don’t know if people that have grown up with water in abundance can ever fully realise what it is like to wait for rain. Or what this smell means for the farmer that waited an entire season for it. It’s an earthy, wholesome smell, but more than the smell it is also what that smell symbolises – reprieve, hope, renewal, growth. And with such a large part of our country currently in the midst of a drought it is certainly a smell we can do with.
Flowers in Calvinia after the winter rain
But then thinking of the rain and soil, I can’t help to think of the smell of freshly cut grass – that is a smell of summer; a green smell, a smell of sunshine and warmth – and of my dad. My dad has the best lawn I have ever seen; it can rival the worlds’ best golf courses! Even now that we live in our own house, when hubby mows the lawn the first memory that comes to mind when I smell the sweet smell of cut grass is of summers and my dad meticulously tending to his lawn.
Dad’s lawn; this is during autumn. So green and not even in the prime of summer!
It is quite remarkable, the connection between smells, memories and moods. When we went to Italy a couple of years ago, hubby’s cologne of choice was 1 Million by Paco Rabanne and to this day when he wears it I have visions of Venice! And the smell of lemon blossoms – my favourite shower gel – whenever I use it I instantly feel happier! The smell just lifts my spirits. Or lavender; for me it is a smell of nostalgia – it reminds me of our trip to Provence; one of my best holidays ever.
So power to the sense of smell, to your nose and to the smell of life! What are your favourite smells? Tell me, and I’ll smell you later!
The past few posts saw me being in a bit of a pensive mood so it is probably no surprise that during this past week… I celebrated my birthday! And with so many people wishing me that “all my dreams may come true”…what better way to let my imagination run wild than to imagine that on my birthday one of my biggest dreams finally became a reality? Yip, hubby and I can at last teleport to anywhere our heart desires! So, with these abilities, just what would an ideal birthday day look like…?
Sunrise over the Amalfi Coost
How about waking up, being able to look out over the Mediterranean? On Italy’s Amalfi Coast, of course. It will be a peaceful moment, hubby and I getting out of bed and sitting on our balcony; me quietly reflecting on the year that was and being grateful for all the good things in my life. In the background we will hear the faint sounds of the waves gently breaking on the shore and we will watch the old fishermen pushing their little boats out to sea. Their faces, weathered but content, for they are leading the life that they want. And in this quiet time I would aspire to do the same during the coming year.
Mural of fishermen on a church wall in Praiano
Mural up close
But what is a birthday without a special breakfast, so out the door we’ll go and step onto the streets of Paris. Stall holders will be packing out their fresh produce while cheerfully chatting away, and the air will hold a sense of anticipation for a great day ahead. The streets will still be quiet… Quiet enough so that I can run into the middle of the road to get a perfect shot of the Paris Opera house at last! Breakfast would be in a quintessential little side street cafe with a great view of the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, while Parisians quickly rush in for their morning cup of coffee. What’s for breakfast? Croque Monsieur! But it must be the same croque monsieur hubby and I once had in the train from Narbonne to Avignon! Yes, it was on the a normal train from the national French railway and we ordered it from the canteen…. but of all the croque monsieurs I’ve ever had in France, it was THE best one! (Who says I can’t teleport a sandwich?!) And of course it would be delivered to the table with the same French flair reserved for announcing the arrival of a Michelin starred meal or just a simple piece of bread – voila!
Quiet Paris streets on an early morning with the beautiful Paris Opera House in the background
Best croque monsieur ever!
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame up close
The view from the back
Breakfast done and dusted and definitely time to appear on the steps of the Sacre Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris). Not only because from its steps you have breathtaking views over the city, but because I would hope to hear the same choir sing as we did when we entered the church late one evening. It honestly did sound like a heavenly choir and it was a real spiritual experience. So on this day of celebrating my birth it would be the appropriate time to give thanks and to pray for wisdom, guidance and blessings in the year to come.
Beautiful Sacre Coeur
The view from its steps over the city
Now with both tummy and spirit satisfied, it would definitely be time for site seeing, and what better place to start than one of the new 7 natural wonders of the world! As we arrive at the bottom of Table Mountain in my home city of Cape Town, it would be a perfect blue sky day, ensuring that we will have uninterrupted views of across the city. Excitedly we will wait at the lower cable car station to make the trip up by cable car (it is a huge thrill going up that I would definitely choose the old fashioned way of going up in lieu of my new teleporting abilities just placing us at the top!). The floor of the cable car turns around as you go up, giving 360 degree views of this natural wonder. The closer we get the top of the mountain it seems inevitable that we will end up crashing against the sheer rock face, but just as I wish that perhaps we took the teleport route, we safely make it all the way into the upper station. And what greets us is the most amazing views, no matter in which direction you look. Down the city, over the Cape Town Stadium built for the 2010 soccer world cup or across the ocean towards Robben Island… breathtaking! Standing on top of this mountain I would realise how small a person is in this big world and I would also be thankful that I can call this place home.
A cable car going up Table Mountain
One of the 7 natural wonders of the world!
View of Cape Town, Cape Town stadium and Robben Island from the top of Table Mountain
More stunning views
View from inside the cable car, going down
But what woman would not want to feel like a princess on her birthday?! So to fulfil my regal fantasies hubby would transport me from the top of Table Mountain to the beautiful Loire Valley in France, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The valley is filled with beautiful chateaux, fit for a fairly tale. Hubby will choose to take us to Chateau de Chenonceau. We would have time to explore the castle and its beautiful grounds and I would stand on the balcony, hand in hand with my prince charming! It is hard to believe that people could live in such opulence! Oh well, I can’t complain. I have always been treated like a queen in my own home!
Chenonceau – what fairy tales are made of!
Picture perfect!
Bedroom fit for a queen!
I’m sure that by now we would have worked up quite an appetite, so for a real splurge we would pop up in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London…with lunch reservations at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal! Hopefully this time I would be better prepared than 2 years ago when hubby took me there, coincidentally also for my birthday. At that particular occasion I was so gobsmacked by where we were that it took me 30 minutes before I could even order water! It was a fantastic meal, and the highlight was ordering one of Heston’s tricks of the mind – ‘meat fruit’. What appears to be a beautiful little mandarin is in fact… chicken liver parfait! The orange colour is a little jelly that is transformed to look like the skin of a mandarin and it wraps the parfait beautifully. Amazing! And so was the special little dessert they sent out for me. Yip, we would do it over again and make toast to good food and good health!
At the entrance to the hotel
DINNER by Heston!!
The famous man fruit!
My special birthday treat from the kitchen
After lunch it would be time to soak up a bit of culture. Call me a nerd, but I love museums! So seeing that we are in London we would head to the British Museum. We’ve been there twice already and we have not yet managed to get through the whole thing. The first time I loved the Egyptian section and spent the better part of three hours there. More recently I didn’t get sucked in by the Egyptians again, but this time got stuck at the Aztec section! Every time I experience a bit of history like that I feel truly blessed that I have the opportunity to look back in time. It also puts our lives into perspective and on this day, marking another year of my life, it will make me think about what legacy our generation will leave and what my part in it will be. It better be a good one!
The imposing British Museum
The roof inside the foyer
Aztec masks, based on real human skulls!
More scare Aztec masks
A birthday is sometimes also a perfect excuse for those once in a lifetime treats. So next stop? Why not the playground of the rich and famous – Monaco! We’ll be teleported to a place that was never even on my bucket list because it never seemed a reality that I would ever set foot there. But unlike last year, when we managed to walk on the hallowed F1 street tack, we will trade the red city bus for a red Ferrari and cruise the streets in style! We would park up in front of the Monaco casino and sit down in one of the beautiful cafes and sip French champagne – because you only live once! And as we sit back and take in the multi-million dollar yachts in the harbour, the strings of sportscars driving by, I will be reminded to dream big dreams, as I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
For F1 lovers, uphill from Sainte Devote, along uphill along Avenue d’Ostende
Not a Ferrari spotted in Monaco, but I’ll take it!
Casino de Monte CarloMonaco, the playground of the rich and famous
And as dusk slowly settles on an amazing day, we’ll be transported to a gondola on the Grand Canal of Venice. With romance and wonder in the air, our gondolier will sing Italian love songs and hubby and I will look lovingly in each others’ eyes and stare in amazement at the splendour that is Venice. Dinner would be at a romantic restaurant on the Grand Canal and as we watch the lights of Venice glitter in the water we will sip on some prosecco and say cheers to my birthday. Main course for me would definitely be some seafood pasta – probably a vongole, simple pasta with mussels and clams. And we would stay there until just about all the tables are empty.
The Grand Canal of VeniceVenice at sunset – truly one of a kind.
But the last stop on our day would also be the best stop – home. Where we will light a fire in the fireplace, have a last glass of wine for the night, snuggle on the couch with the dogs, and maybe catch the last bit of House Hunters International…! Because here is where real life happens, and I am truly grateful for the wonderful year that was.
Here is to a great new year ahead in which I believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. (And that someone out there will now just develop this teleport thing already!)
Where is it all going? The stairs down from the top of the Arc de Triomphe!
So it’s official – here is it is.
A mid-life crisis. Or something of the sort. Definitely a crisis!
Where shall I start?
There is the disappointment that I seem to be average! Psychologytoday.com says it is typical for the average 30 year old woman to, “as their career focus narrows, to seek meaningful and challenging work. For smart, goal-driven women, a mid-life crisis isn’t about recovering lost youth. It’s about discovering the application of their greatness. The problem is that no one has defined what “greatness” looks like so the quest has no specific destination.”
So here, as I stare my mid-thirties in the face, I thought it was only me. But no, seems like I am just average. Seems I can’t even claim this crisis to be my greatness! But then, where are all these other average women? Everyone around me seems like they have it all together; all figured out and well on their way. In fact, most seem pretty great already! Who else feels like me? Agonizing about where I am in my career, if I am in the right place, at the right time. If I have done enough, worked hard enough, saved enough… if I should not have achieved more by now? What if I don’t even want to be in the corporate world? Is this the time to take risks? To pack up with hubby and the dogs and move to Italy to start our little restaurant? But it seems even rich and famous suffer the same fate! Look at Justin Timberlake – singers want to act, actors want to sing! Bad example, he’s a man! Wait, what? This isn’t even a woman thing?! How about JLo – she was an actor before she became a popstar. Jeepers – now to find greatness (and a body) like that!
But never mind about actually really having the time or the luxury to focus on finding what my greatness might be – because what about retirement? Come to think about it, it seems that corporate job is here to stay. Nevermind greatness! And we definitely need additional income, which of course necessitates me having to come up with the most brilliant invention the world has ever seen. Yip, there are those sleepless nights, staring at the ceiling wondering what it might be. Could it be chocolates that don’t make you fat?! YES, I would buy that. Truckloads of it. Or miracle weight loss pills! Let’s be honest, I’ve tried a few… I have yet to find the miracle. I wonder if a non-famous person could become famous for not being famous… then I could also have an emoji app! Maybe anti-wrinkle creams that really turn back the clock 10 years. (Yep… tried those too.)
Which I clearly need! Because a night of little sleep, in which you lay contemplating how you can turn your yet-to-be-discovered greatness into a million dollar money making scheme, can evidently take its toll. Because on some of those mornings you get up, get dressed, put on your make-up and look at yourself in the mirror – and then it happens – rarely, but it does – it happens that you think “hey, I actually goooood today”… only to be greeted with a concerned colleague asking you as you set foot in the office “shame, are you ok? You look so tired today?” Never mind that being a crises, that is a disaster!
So where to from here? I’ve never been a person that enjoys a pity party so there is no time to feel sorry for myself! I’m normally the one with the positive word and the encouraging talk for anyone else that needs some advice. So what do I have to say to this face looking back at me in the mirror? The one with the slightly bemused look on her face, a few wrinkles around the eyes (I need to start smiling less!) and a few grey hairs growing out?
I look up from the computer at our home that I love… and I see hubby lying on the couch while my one dachshund boy is trying to look all cute so that he can be allowed to jump up as well. The other one has snuggled himself under his blankie in their basket – he is 14 years old already! I see our holiday photos on the wall and my favourite poetry and recipe books in the bookshelf. Some I’ve had since I was 16! Our family and friends are healthy and safe. And as soon as I am done writing here, hubby and I will prepare one of my favourite meals… plus it is just about time for a glass of wine!
All of that is pretty great…
So yes, face-in-the-mirror… you might not have it all figured out today. You might not know exactly what yet undiscovered greatness lies inside you, where the road you are on is leading or what tomorrow might bring. But you have the things that make life great around you every day right now and that is already a great place to be… Just let your journey continue.
The journey continues. Sunset – taken close to Trebes on the Canal du Midi.
Hubby and I made full use of the two public holidays in the past week and it allowed us time for some much needed rest and relaxation.
About 180 km from Cape Town, lays Montagu and the beautiful Koo Valley beyond. Here, nestled at the foot of the Langeberg mountains, you can find Langdam Guest Farm which was our home for three wonderful days! It is 30 kilometers from the closest town so you are guaranteed to leave behind the pressures of the everyday rat race and just enjoy the farm experience.
Our beautiful little cottage
The view from our cottage stoep (patio) was spectacular. In the mornings we sat with our coffee and rusks and just stared out into the valley below and at night, glass of wine in hand and with no city lights to wash it out, the uninterrupted view of the stars in the sky was astonishing.
The view, late afternoon
Views for days…
Do you need anything else?
But don’t for one moment think because you are on a farm there is nothing to do. Firstly, with scenery like that it is a photographer’s paradise. There are also two walking trails up the mountain that offers a good bit of exercise but rewards you with dazzling views. Walking this with the 4 farm dogs was great fun and I must admit that when there were times when the climb got a bit tough on the legs I wondered if a great dane could carry my weight! (What?! I’m not all that tall, so to me those dogs are the size of ponies!) There are also dams in which you can fish and I actually caught my very first fish there! Not a big one, but big enough to give me a huge fright when I felt the pull on the line! I felt so bad when I reeled it in; I don’t think I am a born fisherman and hubby helped to get the poor fish back in the water as quick as possible. I felt guilty for hours afterwards about how much his mouth must be hurting!
Start of our mountain walk with my little pony!
Beautiful wild flowers
Beautiful
Our companions
Stunning!
Such diversity in plants
From fynbos to a complete different landscape
Mountains and blue sky
The scene of the crime – caught my first fish here!
I loved our time there; peaceful and quiet and really one with nature. On our last morning I told hubby that I couldn’t believe that a place like that could be so beautiful day in and day out and that not more people could witness its splendour every day. But that is exactly what makes it so special. And when it is your turn to experience it, it is like you experience a special little gift, granted just to you.
My shoulders felt much lighter when we left.
But it got me thinking about a simpler life. Where there is less traffic in the morning, no worrying about office politics or climbing the corporate ladder. Where deadlines are my own and the only person I have to manage is myself! Where I have more time to do the things that I really love.
What could it be? If I close my eyes I see a little place in France or Italy, overlooking a river, a vineyard, maybe an olive grove. Where hubby and I can have a small restaurant, serving simple but delicious food, and who knows, maybe even a B&B. Where people come to make their shoulders lighter. Where, when they leave, they feel as if the experience and the people they met made impact on their lives and they will forever remember it.
I love history because we can learn from it. This is the Musee du Louvre, in Paris.
While school and university are great platforms for learning, to my mind, Life proves to be the best teacher by far. While the former imparts theory, Life shows you… well, life. How the everyday works. And it is not the kind of stuff you can get from a text book. It’s the hard-hitting realities and truths that you can only learn by experiencing it.
So far in my life I had to learn some hard lessons. It is not always easy to deal with the disappointment, but I am better for it.
Family members are not as interested in seeing your holiday photos as what you are. I have taken a multitude of pictures “to show my mom and dad; because they will really enjoy this!”. For some reason, after picture number 453, their enthusiasm is not what it was when the slideshow first came on.
After I’ve put nail polish on my nails, I will need to go to the bathroom. It doesn’t help to go just before. Nope, I’ve tried that. Inexplicably my bladder is linked to fresh nail polish that needs to dry.
After living with terrible, faded and outgrown hair for weeks, the day I go to the hairdresser to finally get my hair done, it will look the best that it ever has.
The first time I try a new recipe will always be amazing. However, past performance is not a guarantee of future success and as a result, the second time is normally a disaster. Let’s just say the panna cotta I practiced for Christmas pudding was an amazing test, but more a “puddle of cotta” on the day it was meant to be a star.
If you try some pants on in the store and it fits just a tad too tight, chances are very good it will never fit. Don’t believe yourself when you say “Well, I am on a diet… so it is just a matter of days before it fits…” No, it will not happen.
If you spot something really expensive that you like and buy it, within a few weeks you will find it on sale for a third of the price. However, if you decide to wait for a sale, that specific thing you were looking for won’t be there anymore.
The neater the handbag, the more difficult to find things inside it.
Not that I have had much experience with grey hair (!!) but for every one grey hair that you try and pull out, you will pull out at least 5 perfectly good hairs instead. And when you finally manage to get hold of the grey you will end up breaking it off, instead of eradicating it completely. Those things stick like the roots of a thousand year old tree.
Yes, learning can be tough business.
But what is the most profound thing that I have learnt so far in my schooling with Life? “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. What ever has be done done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer.
It is something that I continue to learn every day. Just like school, you have to practice at Life. The best part about it though is that you will only fail once you stop trying. So happy learning! I know my education continues.
The old station building. It closed many years ago.
Yesterday I read a really touching post called “Nostalgia” by Freespirit. I was drawn to it because of the title. I am quite sentimental (two huge containers in the garage filled with stuff I WILL still scrapbook is testimony to that!) so I thought it would be something along those lines. It was more than that, though. It was a reminder of how quickly time goes by and that often “we do not value those simple things in life that are more precious than gold“. It’s so true.
So inevitably it sent me down my own nostalgic road. And the first thing I thought of was my parents and home – where I grew up.
The entire town of Calvinia in one frame.
I was raised in a very small little town in South Africa, called Calvinia. The town itself is part of the great Karoo, and if you were to ‘google’ the word Karoo it would tell you that it is a semi-desert area. Strange, I never perceived it to be ‘desert’. To me desert means sand, and although it is very dry and hot in summer, there is still shrubbery. We call it “karoo-bossies” (‘bossies’ means bushes). To the naked eye it would probably look dead, but their unmistakable smell (fragrant, almost herby) will let you know that they are very much alive and that its hard outer shell is just protection against the harsh sun.
The quiet streets where I grew up.
The little town is surrounded by two mountain ranges. I remember walking home from school and some days the hot “bergwinds” (mountain winds) would come rushing down the mountain, through my hair. At times it almost took my breath away. I would walk with my arms outstretched, trying to catch the wind, untying my hair so that the wind would send flying it in all directions. I loved the feeling – carefee, invincible, alive. In those moments I always thought that I could be anything, achieve anything.
The view from my bedroom window.
And I loved the mountains. My bedroom window had the most amazing view of the striking blue mountains that surrounds the town. When sun went down the mountains would bask in an orange glow. I never grew tired of it. I spent many evenings sitting on my windowsill looking at it and drinking it all in. Maybe this is where I get my peaceful nature from!
The town is really small, no more than a couple of thousand people living there. This means hardly any light pollution and the result of that is an amazing night sky. Words can’t do it justice, but the best way to describe it would be to image a black tablecloth scattered with diamonds, and packed as tightly against each other as if you poured salt between them. At night, as kids, we would lie on the grass for ages just staring up at the sky, looking at each twinkling little light. Trying to see shooting stars or see who could first spot a satellite! When my cousins from the city came to visit they were always in awe and could not believe that we were looking up at the same sky as what they did back home.
Post Office and the church.
For all the hot and dry the summers, the winters were freezing cold. Sometimes we would even have some snow (called “kapok”) on the higher mountains, but never in town. And if it was a proper rainy winter we were rewarded in spring with the most beautiful phenomenon…
Unused railroad tracks makes for a beautiful picture.
Come early August, the fields around the town turned green. And it was not just the karoo-bossies. It is almost something that cannot be described; just witnessed. The wildflowers of spring. How this dry and arid land could turn into a kaleidoscope of colours and smells… As far as the eyes can see; orange and white daisies, purple “vygies” (a type of succulent), gazanias, little white flowers looking like a carpet of snowflakes… For a few weeks during August and September the town became a hive of activity as people from far and wide would come to see the spectacle. It is really a magnificent performance by Mother Nature.
I loved growing up there. I would not trade it for anything. I even met hubby there. He is not from there, but he came through town for his work back then and we were both in the right place at the right time. The rest is history!
I left Calvinia the year after I finished school. I’ve been back many times. My parents still live there, but they prefer to come visit us in the city now. Thanks, Freespirit, for transporting me back to those joyful moments. And for reminding me to go back more often, while I still can.
I hope you like travelling, because then you will know why I have fallen in love with it. And I could tell you about all our favourite places Hubby and I have discovered.
We haven’t travelled much internationally. Wait, that’s not true. We have just not travelled as much as I would like to (i.e. permanently!) That being said, we’ve seen quite a few places that we’ve always dreamt about, like Paris.
If you like a little bit of humour, you will enjoy this little story about our first time there.
Hubby and I eventually got tired of the hotel’s continental breakfast (only so many chocolate croissants one can have) that we really needed something familiar for breakfast. This specific day we were on our way to Les Invalides and we decided to look for something in the vicinity. We settled on a small coffee bar. It was run by an elderly gentleman. His English wasn’t great but we managed to agree on an order of scrambled eggs on a slice of toast (not on the menu, I have to admit, but he was very willing to make it especially for us). We were excited! Soon enough he was back. “Voilà!” Hubby and I were presented with a gigantic sized omelette, filled with what seemed to be a solid block of cheddar cheese… each! What could we do? “Merci-beaucoup!”
Les Invalides, Paris, where Napoleon’s tomb lies under the golden dome
If you appreciate a little encouragement every now and then, I can tell you that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I’m a bit of a quote person and a favourite is one from Walt Disney. He said “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” I certainly don’t have the answers but I will gladly share whatever it is that I have figured out for myself along the way.
Made it all the way to the Arc de Triomphe
And if you enjoy food, I could tell you about wonderful places we’ve discovered, or I could offer you a recipe now and then. (I’m by no means an accomplished cook, but I enjoy it enough to try it often! Or is it that I enjoy eating so much…?!)
One of my favourite chef’s is Rick Stein and in his book “Rick Stein’s French Odyssey” he has this recipe for small, shell-shaped French sponge cakes, called madeleines. I’ve served as a light dessert many times. It even has mother-in-law’s stamp of approval and that says a lot, because she really is a great cook. It is very easy and quick to make.
Madeleines
(makes 24)
Ingredients:
3 medium eggs
100g caster sugar
Zest of one lemon
100g plain flour, sifted (and a little bit extra for dusting)
1 tsp baking powder
100g butter, melted (and some more for greasing the moulds)
1 tbsp clear honey
NB: You do need a madeleine baking tray to give them their unique shell shape. I actually found a silicone version and it works perfectly.
Method:
Brush your madeleine moulds with the melted butter and leave for a few minutes until the butter has slightly set. Dust with flour, and tap out any excess flour. This will ensure that only a small amount of flour sticks to the butter, which helps the madeleines turn out the mould easier and it also gives them a nice golden finish. (I do this even though I use a silicone mould.)
Preheat your oven to 190°C
Put the eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk until the batter becomes thick and mousse-like (about 3 minutes with an electric whisk). Whisk in the lemon zest.
Sift the plain flour and baking powder together and gently fold in, followed by the melted butter and honey. Place the batter in the fridge and leave for 15 minutes to thicken slightly.
Fill each of the madeleine moulds three-quarters full with the mixture and bake for 10 minutes until puffed up and golden. Leave to cool and then remove gently from the moulds.
In this recipe, Rick Stein serves it with vanilla ice cream and vanilla poached apricots. However, in all the time I’ve been making this I have never been able to find fresh apricots, so I always opt for tinned apricots. Works just as well in my opinion.
When plating, put two madeleines to one side of each of a shallow dessert bowl. Spoon some of the apricots and a little syrup alongside and add a scoop or two of ice cream.
My madeleines, with Rick Stein’s French Odyssey in the background
Lastly, I hope that you will find enjoyment in travelling, laughing, finding a bit of encouragement and eating with me!
Wow, I can’t believe that it has been over four months since my last post! As the saying goes – time flies when you’re having fun – but for me the past year was more a case of time that flew even though I was not having fun.
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