Sweet Sixteen

We lost our very beloved cat Kibby about 17 years ago – one day he just disappeared and we never found him. His disappearance left a huge empty space in our lives and even writing this makes me think of him and that hole is still there. He was a splendid cat; beautiful, clever and charming….he was much loved.

And then round about the beginning of May 16 years ago, we woke up one Saturday morning and decided that today was the day to go off to the local SPCA and get us a kitten. The first cage held some really ropey looking kittens and whilst one tiny tabby caught our eye, the SPCA assistant insisted we look at all of them. We slowly walked up the passage, and saw heaps of very beautiful kitties; some with chocolate brown fur and blue eyes, others just too cute for words.

How do you decide?

Well, on our slow walk back to the first cage we saw this tiny little frantically waving paw at about our shoulder height sticking through the chicken wire. The skinny, scrappy little tabby had hauled itself up the chicken wire and as soon as we were close enough it latched onto Lisa’s hair. The little kitten was bellowing and we just knew she was saying something along the lines of “me, me you Twits…me I tell you”.

So we told the assistant we would take that one and as the guy was filling out the forms he said out loud, Tabby female…and we said “oh no…we wanted a male…” and this little kitten burrowed into Lisa’s neck and wasn’t going to let go for anything. What could we do….we took her.

When we got her home, we soon realised that she might have come from an alley way. Certainly didn’t know that doing her toilet inside was a no no and she threw herself at the oven, like a wild animal, when I roasted a chicken that night. But after a day or so she settled down…a little nose rub in the toilet mess and she went outside thereafter. She also, in the first week or so, discovered that she was a lost princess – and promptly became a bit of a picky eater and just knew that all soft, comfy things to sleep on were her divine right. She also managed to infect me with ring worm in the first couple of weeks. She was riddled with it and it took many months of almost daily special baths (for her) and medication to clear that up.

Here we are...2011….and she is just about to turn 16. Her 16^th birthday (decided by us) is on the 1^st April…and yes, sometimes she behaves like a complete fool and clowns around like mad. Throughout her 16 years she has charmed us, charmed our friends and family and gathered about her a loyal following. That is our Bracken, aka The Great Brackeroo….

And, if you are madly pulling on your shoes to rush out and buy Bracken a birthday present, she suggests that you might like to give a donation to the SPCA, Animals in Distress or other such organisation….she would just love that.

When the Chips are Down

How people react when the chips are down is quite telling. Usually, we only see people getting all miffy and fraught when they have not had enough sleep, the traffic has been bad (as it always is – so what the point), they’ve had a tough day at work, the geyser burst, the baby cried all night and so on.

But what happens when there is a whopping great disaster? Listening to the radio this last week on the utter devastation in Japan I repeatedly heard reporters talk about the remarkable kindness, care and support they saw the Japanese people extend to each other on the streets, in the hospitals and shelters. That’s how you behave when the chips are down.

On Friday last week, listening to the radio reports as the tsunami was breaking over the coast of Japan I was horrified and kept wondering about those poor people and how the hell you actually live through that nightmare and devastation. I hadn’t seen any TV coverage at that time but just hearing the radio announcers say things look “good grief, I cant believe that’s happening”…sent shivers down my spine.

So I did something – I sent a little itty bitty email to the Japanese Embassy in Pretoria and when I hit the send button I thought, what an itty bitty thing to do… And now, here’s the thing. Yesterday I received a very gracious reply from the embassy, addressed to me personally, not a bulk letter; thanking me for my concern and extending their best wishes to me.

That’s how you behave when the chips are down.

Can you stand in one place and sweat?

I started yoga with Lisa a couple of weeks ago - this is her blog about last nights session:

From Lisa's Blog: http://adventure lisa.blogspot.com/

Can you stand in one place and sweat?

Posted: 03 Mar 2011 12:50 PM PST

Tonight was another of my beginner Ashtanga Vinyasa classes where I'm learning the primary series - learning the basic postures. A very brave adventure racing friend came to join me. Although he is a remarkable athlete, he has never been anywhere near any form of yoga. But, up to try anything, he came through to give it a go - and did fabulously too.

The practice starts with 10 sun salutation sequences; five of the most basic version (A) and then five of the version incorporating warrior pose (B). We actually only did nine tonight and were sweating nice-nice already after the sixth!

We then progressed through some standing, balancing, seated postures and the finishing sequence. We were all drenched!

So, after the class I ask my buddy, who is more familiar with disciplines that have you progressing forwards (running, biking, paddling) or upwards (climbing) at pace, how he found the class. He enjoyed it and added something to the effect of "sweating when you're standing in one place is... different".

Coincidentally I saw this gem on FB tonight... yeah, liquid awesomeness ;)

What adventure burns in your heart?

From Lisa's blog: http://adventurelisa.blogspot.com/

What adventure burns in your heart?

Posted: 03 Mar 2011 12:30 AM PST

Over the weekend I watched the FEAT talks with my mom, Liz; she wasn't at FEAT Cape Town.

She says to me, "I need an adventure". So I asked her what she had in mind. "Something like what Allyson and Marc did," she replies.

Allyson Towle and Marc Booysen did a sea-to-summit expedition in Chile over December. I answered that what they did was cool, but that was their adventure - something they had burning in their hearts.

"Where," I asked, "have you always wanted to go?".

Without hesitation she replied, "A Buddhist retreat in Japan". She has been doing Tai Chi for about five years and she has long had a 'Japanese thing' - art, painting, culture...

What a great starting point for an adventure! Find a place you've always wanted to go to and then figure out a creative way to get there.