May Musings

Dark, dark winter

Is there anything wrong with the colours in this picture (apart from being coloured silk worm cocoons)? No, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the colours…in fact they are bright, cheery and pleasing to look at. So, why then, winter after winter after winter after winter do the shops stock clothing in black, grey, brown and beige…and I don’t care how they try to “dress” up the colours as slate, charcoal, sand, camel or whatever; they are still dull, boring black, gray, brown and beige…for goodness sake. And every so often there is a jacket in bright red – if you wear this you will stick out like those ‘art photos’ that just have one colour….or a hideous purple/ maroon; and that awful bilious orange that makes you look jaundiced…not to mention the “turquoise” that looks like someone dumped a can of black in the dye…..very ugly colours….and we get them every winter…Ladies go into the guys shops and check out their lovely colours and prints…..hmmm

My route through Johannesburg CBD

I take quite an interesting route into work everyday…through the centre of Johannesburg. It is quick and easy and I am now fearless when it comes to taxis or malfunctioning traffic lights. I pass 2 brothels, countless building in various stages of decay and really interesting shops…some in the decaying buildings (without water & electricity) and others in refurbished places that look quite nice.

What fascinates me though, are the names of some of the shops – the past couple of days I have made of note of the ones I really enjoy:

Various plays on the Mr Price theme – Mad price, Safe Price, Crazy Price, Fair Price and the best is Sir Price.

A number of pubs/taverns – The Trust Me Tavern, Culture Pub and Current Pub

There is the Curtain Designer & Comfoter, Flower-Visa Wholesales (Dress shop) and the tattoo shop is called The Chronicles. There is also the Ama Photophoto shop and the ‘Global International Importer’. There is even a City Farm (who knows what this is).

The ‘Business Centre, Internet & Saloon’ and the ‘General Dealer, Communications & Take Aways’ will look after all your needs.

But very, very personal favourites are: The Blessed Miracle Wholesaler and Divine Grace Fruit & Veg

Mother's day

Lisa's Blog

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Note from Liz: I am pleased to say that apart from my calves being a bit stiff today I feel great! This was a super hike...lovely scenery.....and just lovely to be out in the bush. By the way...I wasn't wearing long white socks.....those are my lily white legs....good grief! The rest of this blog is by Lisa.... Mother's Day hiking at Suikerbosrand - with my mom Posted: 15 May 2011 02:11 PM PDT As my mom and I were both under the influence of a nasty flu bug last weekend, we postponed our Mother's Day hike to this weekend (Mother's Day was 8 May here in SA). And a good thing too - we woke to a beautiful day with blue sky and mild temperatures. A few months ago my mom started walking regularly. She did Tai Chi for the past five years and has been wanting to do something different. After watching the DVD of talks from FEAT Cape Town, she decided that she needed an adventure. She will be doing the 700-odd kilometre El Camino walk in Spain in September and the journey will probably take her five to six weeks - fabulous! To celebrate her progress we had decided to go to Suikerbosrand, a nature reserve in the South of Jo'burg. I've written about my runs there a number of times (type Suikerbosrand into the search block). My mom was tasked with carrying my small backpack loaded with water and some fruit for a midway stop - practise for her. I took my camera along to take photos. The main hiking trail is a 10km loop and it has some very technical sections that are rocky underfoot and a number of climbs. For someone who has never really been on trails, it isn't an easy first hike. My mom did brilliantly! This is the furtherest that she has probably ever covered under her own steam and, to make it even more difficult, it was on a tricky trail. It took us four hours, which is a long enough time on foot. By this evening she was feeling it a bit and I'm sure she'll remember (fondly, I hope) her walk tomorrow morning when she gets up - and Tuesday morning. It's an odd time of year out there - not the fresh green of January. The grasses now have dropped and they're brown. But in the little valleys the trees are still green. We saw two buck in the distance and a small herd of zebra - also a distance away. That was it as far as the wildlife went. By the time my mom gets back from El Camino she'll be a walking machine; I'll take her on the two-day trail, which we do in a few hours. It goes through my favourite valley in the reserve and we should see more animals on that side. Mom, well done! I'm very proud of you. xxx I took the opportunity to try out my hard-earned yoga headstands 'in the bush'. Really not easy on uneven rock with strong winds (approaching storm, thus the dark clouds). But, I got it up and even zapped the L-shaped headstand, which I've been working on. Mom did the arty thing taking pics. In a non-rocky, non-windy envionment I can bring my toes down to the ground and lift them up again - straight legs. Hip-hip-hooray for yoga!

The thing about friends….and other stuff

Old friends

The night before the Easter break I received phone calls from 2 old friends – I hadn’t spoken to them for ages. Within seconds we were chatting away, making silly jokes and laughing our heads off…even when we settled into the serious stuff about families, friends and work we still managed to raise laughs. This, I think, is the best thing about old friends:– it is that wonderful comfortable feeling of being with a person who has known you for donkey years, warts and all, the good and bad (and I guess the ugly moments) and they still love you to bits and you love them to bits. And conversations are so relaxed, funny, interesting (and having someone so interested in your doings), sometimes sharing sadness and pain, no competing, no point scoring (they know you too well *grin*) ….just a good old chin wag and enjoying the moment.

The other friends that I also love are those newish friends who are just like old friends… wonderful and ditto all the above.

And the other old friends that you don’t see or hear from for what seems like decades who suddenly contact you and you are instantly back to where you were….I loved getting an email titled Mad Cow Disease from Frances apropos my walk in Spain…. I immediately started laughing about some of our exploits.

I am very blessed - thank you friends.

The little drummer girl

A number of people have been in touch to find out about how my drumming lesson are progressing. Well here’s the thing….there comes a time in life when you just have to bite the bullet and accept that your next career is not going to be that of rock star. You have to suck it up and admit to yourself and others (or they keep encouraging you to carry on and not ever give up on pain of death) that you have absolutely no talent whatsoever and never will have. Nor any rhythm for that matter – a little of which helps a lot in this game. I am still totally gob-smacked as to how drummers manage to keep all 4 limbs belting out different beats, at differ times, in different directions, all at the same time….and their lips aren’t even moving counting out the beats, in fact they are probably adding a 4 part harmony …. Amazing.

So, a fairly unused set of drum sticks and hardly used practise mat going to a good home…you know how to contact me.

Last but not least

My young niece Chloe posts some very funny things on facebook; but this one took the cake.

She posted it on the Monday morning after Will and Kate’s wedding:

“A prince got married and the bad guy died…a real Disney weekend”

LOL