Happy Birthday, George!

Gelukkige verjaarsdag, George... waar ookal jy is.


Today is my brother's birthday. George Michael van der Merwe... the forgotten one... the one who got the least attention... the one who became the black sheep of the family, but was actually the gentlest and kindest. I got to know him so late.

George was the last of my mom's kids. The man who fathered us left before he was born, so George never did get to see him. He has always suffered over that. I remember telling him that the man wasn't worth it and the young teenager yelled back that at least I had the chance to decide that for myself. I was taken away from my mom at the age of 3. Hamish lived half between my gran's place and my mom's. My sister had all my mom's attention. George just had to muddle along as best he could... and best was rather hard for him. I remember his first grade report, "George keeps making funny noises in class." Ever the one calling for attention. The family thought the report card was amusing. Over the years, he found ways to get attention... few of them good. He was always up to some mischief or another. I just used to hear the tales. I never got to see him.

In 1982, I was sent to boarding school. No one told me I'd find my brother there. No one told me we would bond. No one warned me that I would miss him so much. The following year, I was sent to a different boarding school. George was the one thing from the old school I missed desperately. We wrote to each other regularly. I teased him that he had to become a doctor because his handwriting was so hard to read. After I got married, we got together again. It was during his obligatory tour with the army. He came to stay with Jorge and I for a while. That was good. One morning, when I was cleaning, I found a photo in among his things. I hated the photo and didn't want it, but I flew off the handle, accusing him of theft. I know why he took it. It was the only photo we had of our father. Eventually, Jorge took him back to the army base. I didn't see him again. I was so petty. I lost my brother over something so stupid. If only I could find him to tell him I'm sorry.

Family is precious. Relationships are precious. Why did I learn too late that words spoken can't be taken back? I wanted to post this as a private post, as it is of little interest to anyone but myself and, possibly, my brother, but I have decided to leave it public. Maybe... just maybe... he is looking too...

In the photo, I am the one on the tricycle. Next to me is my sister... a little less than a year younger than me. Then George, the youngest, sitting next to my mother. In the background is Jim's work van. Photo taken on Christmas day, 1971.

Hobby - A Picture Perfect Theme

I know I'm breaking one of the first rules here, but I couldn't resist this postcard from South Africa. I think a few of my photography friends can relate ; )

Deltiology...

The hobby isn't mine, but Tatiana's. It started when she was being homeschooled. As a social science/geography project, she had a goal to collect at least one card from every country and one per state from the larger countries. The project involved writing and organisational skills too. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, we enjoyed the project as a family. A huge wall map marked where the postcards were from. The highlight of our day was visiting the post office to see if another card had arrived. Tat's collection is now huge and we've slowed down with the collection somewhat, but looking through the albums is enough to revive interest.



Unlike regular deltiologists, we collected cards of all shapes and sizes. At first, we prefered the cards to be written on and stamped. It made it more personal. An added bonus was if the person wrote a little about themselves and their country. Later, we went through a phase of preferring mint postcards in envelopes, as the post office was damaging them. The photo above is just a tiny sample of her collection. She now has 717, excluding those that aren't sorted into folders. There are some very old postcards in there now, from the early 1900's and some really unique ones, like the emboidered Spanish one pictured here and one with a sample of South African beach sand. One last photo ; ) This just to show how much work went into the collection. Each postcard is set onto the page with cutouts - no tape or glue involved, so as not to damage the card. Alongside, Tat would write details about the card, where it is from and who sent it with any extra information if there is any.



I was just thinking that the postcard collection is much like a Picture Perfect by snail mail. What a thought : )

Police given 'shoot to kill' order - news article

Link

April 10, 2008 06:33pm

Article from: Reuters

SOUTH African police must shoot to kill and ignore regulations in the battle against one of the worst rates of violent crime in the world, a government minister says.

"You must kill the bastards (criminals) if they threaten you or the community. You must not worry about the regulations," said Deputy Safety and Security Minister Susan Shabangu.

"I want no warning shots, you have one shot and it must be a kill shot," she told police officers, according to the Star newspaper today.

South Africa suffers some of the highest levels of violent crime in the world, with murders, hijackings and rape an everyday occurrence.

Police figures show nearly 20,000 people are murdered a year, sparking public anger at the inability of authorities to ensure safety.

Ms Shabangu told an anti-crime meeting in the capital Pretoria: "I want to assure the police station commissioners and policemen and women from these areas that they have permission to kill these criminals," she said.

"I will not tolerate any pathetic excuses for you not being able to deal with crime, you have been given guns, now use them ... If criminals dare to threaten the police or the livelihood or lives of innocent men, women and children, then they must be killed."

----------------------------

This news article was sent to me this morning. For my newer friends, if there is one thing I am passionate about, it is my homeland, South Africa. I left very reluctantly. It is no secret, though, that South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, with rape and hijacking being at the top of the list. I was there when neighbours were being gunned down. I was there when girls were dragged into public ablutions and gang raped. According to friends and family, it is worse now. Killing is done for the sake of killing. Then I read an article like this. Those who know me, know that I am opposed to violence, even for the 'greater good'. I don't believe so much in the abolishing of guns simply because that puts the guns into the hands of the criminals, leaving citizen Joe Soap defenceless.

I still have to form an opinion about this article though. What do you think?

I know an article like this brings about strong opinions. I'm game for that, but please keep it clean and respectful.

I touched history

There is a black lady working at the pub Jorge frequents. She makes the most heavenly coxinha's. She asked if I could work on a photo of hers. It had a corner torn off and was heavily finger printed, where the finger prints appeared to have removed ink. The photo was a 2 x 3 inch print. She wanted a large print out of it. For me, the challenge was a relatively unique one. This is the first black face I have worked on. I found that... well... noteworthy. What was more noteworthy though, was that this photo is of her father, one of Brazil's last slaves. He is pictured here, sitting in front of his slave hut. Now that, to me, is a unique experience, restoring a photo of a slave for his daughter. There is a whole time perspective thing going on in my head too. He looks to be around 40 here. She is 65. When I think of slavery, I think of 'very long ago', but not really if this photo is anything to go by.

Anyone here give time management lessons? This is harder than it sounds... the whole time management thing. I start my day checking mail. Someone sends me a link to look at. I open the link. Then another friend contacts me with a "What do you think of...?" and I start a reply. I remember that I wanted to post a blog on "The wisdom of flings" and open a post before I forget. Just then, I remember I haven't eaten yet, so I amble to the kitchen. I come back with a plate and Jorge will say, "Have you started on that photo of John Doe yet?" I open the photo, so I don't forget to work on it and remember the first link I was meant to be looking at. I look at the link and go to reply. While I'm replying, I see an e-mail from Someone Important. I start a reply to that e-mail because, after all, it is from Someone Important. By the time I'm into my second hour of my day, my pc desktop looks a mess and I have no idea any more what I was going to originally do. I often just end up giving up on the lot of them. How is that for productive? My off-pc activities are pretty much the same. So if you find that I'm not 100% *there*, you know why. It is because I'm not 100% *there*. Where I am.... well, that is anyone's guess ; )

 

Technorati Tags: history,photo-restoration,slave,slavery,escravo,brasil,brazil

Photography challenge - Destruction

Graham Ettridge has a monthly photography challenge on his blog. If you would like to join in, stop by at his blog.

According to the guidelines, we should post a photograph representing the theme, then explain, if need be, the connection. In this case, other photos would explain it. I spent a while trying various scenes that would go with the 'destruction' theme. In the end, my daughter and I had some fun...


I started shooting 'to perfection', but accidentally had some curious effects creeping in, at which point, I decided to have some fun with it. We were tickled by the ghostly effect of some of the shots. The card pack is really old, so this works.

Concentration...

Our first destruction... rather accidental....

Destruction with gusto..... !

Illumination - A Picture Perfect Theme

Blogger doesn't show the whole photo. Please click here to see the original. The link will open on a new page.

The only flag missing here is the Lithuanian flag to make up the countries we, as a family, represent. Yes, there are two South African flags, the old and the new. The old flag is there for a special reason. That flag was bought for me at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. My family were Voortrekkers (pioneers). The flag means a lot to me. The little boat is an oddity. It was given to us by Darcy. It is made of copper. It is a replica, apparently, of the fishing rafts used in the North East of Brazil. I took this photo one night when I was lighting candles on the shelves of our little display cabinet. Not the most exciting photo, but there you have it : )

Visit Picture Perfect to see the rest of the entries.

A Lithuanian Easter in Brazil

We, as a family, don't celebrate Easter, so for us, it was a pretty ordinary weekend, except for my insistence on trying to make hot cross buns without the right spices and... the eggs. I went to the little Lithuanian shop that we usually buy all our sweet treats from. They make the most magical Torta Holandesa and pies of all sorts.

We were in the shop, so that Tat could buy a dessert (the Torta Hollandesa) for my birthday dinner when I spotted these gorgeous eggs. We asked the lady about them. They're hand-painted Lithuanian Easter eggs. When painting the eggs, there is apparently a little ceremony that goes with it. The design on the egg is meant to represent the coming of spring and the growth of the wheat. I got us each an egg. Apparently, the eggs give prosperity. We could do with some : )


We found this photo in the Lithuanian online newspaper (from Lithuania). Needless to say, I don't understand a word of the newspaper, so I couldn't read more about the eggs. I assume they would say much the same as what the little Lithuanian lady told us here. These are hardboiled eggs. She swore that they would last many years if kept unbroken. We won't get the chance to test that... they broke on the way home. What a pity.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.... those who celebrate Easter and those who don't.

Birthdaze - March 19, 2008

This photo makes me chuckle. The afternoon of my birthday, Tat and I went to the village to get some dinner ingredients and check mail. The pizzaria had a new batch of wood delivered and was closed. I stood snapping photos of the wood and the pigeons who frequent the place. The one pigeon, the blue-grey one standing in the middle lording it over the others, is a regular there. I have photographed him before. The pizzaria owner arrived towards the end of my impromptu photo shoot and asked if he 'could help'. The look he gave me was one of suspicion. I think he suspects underhand dealings. I offered to show him the photos, but he declined to look. I think he was just really weirded out by someone wanting to take photos of a couple of birds and piles of wood.

My birthday was wonderful!! Jorge decided I needed to be woken somewhere between 4 and 5am to be wished happy birthday. He was out when I got up much later. Tat scuttled off to the kitchen to pour coffee and bring me my brioche for breakfast. Brioche here is a sweet bun with glaze over the top. I smelt baking, but wasn't allowed to check. I then sat down at my pc to check mail and blogs. I was overwhelmed.... I still find it hard to believe how many people took time out to wish me a good day, some I haven't heard from in many months. A special thanks to Tat (of course), Picture Perfect (Heather), and Libby, for the very special (I have saved them all) blogs for my birthday. I was laughing and crying all the way through them. You guys are amazing! Then there's the PM's I received and the guestbook notes - I'm still trying to respond to them all! I feel loved *grins*

My day was spent on Skype and in my mailbox with friends calling and mailing to wish me well. I got great news that my friend, Fel was out of hospital and doing a lot better. We joked about her hair falling out, that, luckily, it happened at the hospital, so she didn't have to clean it up. Her husband is the sweetest thing. He's pretty bald himself, but shaved the rest of his hair, so they could both be baldies. I asked Jorge today if he would do that for me. He said, "Sure... in fact, I would do it now!" Dumb question... Jorge loves having little or no hair. We tend to harp at him over his 'convict cut'. He hates curls and has a natural tendency to curls. Daft man.


Supper time came and I was banned from the kitchen. Jorge and Tat went off to do supper.... a kind of mock chicken a la king that we have evolved here. I like it, as it is simple to make, light, and tasty. I did follow them though - with the camera. This is my favourite photo... a rare moment with dad and daughter working together. I took many more photos, mostly humorous, but this one is precious to me. While eating supper, we watched a little 'TV' (old rerun series) on my pc. Tat had bought some Torta Hollandesa for dessert. That stuff is divine. It is a chocolate cookie base, topped with a vanilla cream, which, in turn, is topped with a rich chocolate layer, followed by a single chocolate coated cookie.... rich, sweet, smooth, very satisfying.

In all, I had a wonderful day and I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the part you all played in it!

Thoughts - 14 March 2008

The day started off with some worrying news. My friend, Fel, the one with the brain tumour, is in hospital. Either the chemo drugs or the tumour itself has caused Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which, on its own can be a killer. For those who are curious and who have a strong stomach, there is more information on the subject here. In short, this syndrome attacks the mucous membranes of the body, both internal and external. She has not been able to eat since last week, as one of the places affected was her mouth and throat. Her lungs are affected too, though pneumonia has been ruled out. I called her and spoke for a short time - talking hurts her. She sounds upbeat though and thrilled to at least be able to eat jelly (jello to those in the USA) now. She's considering bathing in jelly. Her sense of humour is still good.

I didn't sleep well last night. I was tired after our rather complicated day, but, though I was calm at the time, the whole thing hit me when I went to bed. My mind started playing the whole scene through and presenting countless situations where everything could have gone horribly wrong. Needless to say, I overslept this morning.

It was cool and drizzly again here today. Weatherwise, delightful. For me, though, a day of highs and lows, moodwise. A day spent working hard on my 'glass half full' and wondering why bad stuff happens to good people. Yes, yes... lesson to be learned, character to build, yadda, yadda... we've heard it all before. For the record, I'm not depressed. I'm just finding optimism a little harder than usual today.

Hm... I'm sitting here wondering what everyone will make of today's photo....

Who is the victim? - long blog, sorry

What a morning. We left home just after 5am to head into town to Poupa Tempo, the govt offices where Tat was to renew her RG. It was drizzly, tiny droplets of rain floating and dancing, never really hitting the ground, landing gracefully and soaking everything they touched. In the light of the street lamps, the overhead wires looked as though they were beaded with diamonds. We were about to take a photo when the bus arrived. The bus was packed with steaming bodies... shouted conversations, the bus conductor playing with cell phone tunes, a girl singing along to some private tune on her mp3 player. We swayed and bumped along as light crept almost imperceptably into the sky.

The fresh air as we got off the bus was delightful. A group of elderly folk in white with perky white caps were doing some form of slow movement... not sure if it was Tai Chi. The walk to Poupa Tempo was uneventful. We chatted and laughed, glorying in the fresh, cool air. At Poupa Tempo, we got into the queue to get the number to be in the queue - yes, confusing. We wanted to take photos of their fascinating old/new light fittings. These things were huge, very antiquey with flourescent lightbulbs in them. Needing permission from the building admin, we decided against it. When Tat's turn finally came, we were somewhat dismayed to find that hers wasn't an ordinary case. She has to choose her nationality... and no one really knew what the next step was, but we could find out at a 'cartorio'. The cartorio's are basically clerical offices set up as middle men between the public and the government offices. Just another link in the chain... just another palm to cross. The cartorio was going to open in around 2 hours. Nothing else is open in the city before 9am - Brazilians aren't early birds.

We set out to wander around Sé. Sé is a mostly-paved semi-park fronting São Paulo's main cathedral. The Sé metro station runs below. Sé is in the heart of the city, it's center. All city measurements are taken from this point. We took a photo of a gorgeous rain sprinkled rose, then crossed over to another garden, where we took photos of some really interesting flowers. A little further along, I took photos of some shattered safety glass on a 'bridge' going over the pond. We caught sight of some fragile plants with dainty bell-like flowers. I took a few photos and handed the camera to Tat. As I handed the camera over, her cell phone rang. In that split second when we both looked down to the cell phone, a 'wind' blew past. We were robbed. I say, 'a wind', as the bridge was empty. It was a big bridge and wide... there was not a soul to be seen other than the two youths over head in another 'pond' taking their early morning bath. It took a second to register what had happened. Tat was on the ball. She dropped the umbrella she was carrying and gave chase... yelling for anyone to catch the thief. I think this guy could have given Road Runner a run for his money. I have never seen anyone run like that. They look in the wrong places for Olympic athletes. I followed as fast as I could, but I'm not exactly built for high speed chase. Two other men joined Tat in the chase. The cops and security guards we passed just looked on.

The chase got to where the area was very dicey. My hot-headed, impulsive daughter finally stopped, thankfully. There were two cops on the corner. One kept muttering about not being able to leave the car and the other said, "Don't worry! I'll get on my white horse and chase the scoundrel down!" Ok, not quite in those words. He ran off. I think he must have fallen somewhere. He was still dapper when he returned, but obviously hurting. He was totally bewitched by Tatiana. After radioing a bulletin to the other cops in the area, he very 'officially' took down Tat's details, interspersing his assurances about catching the criminal with "I wish I had eyes like yours" and "You're very pretty" (how does she do it... even when she looks a wreck, she attracts them!). I suggested she autograph a photo for him ; )

Around that time, Tat's two fellow-chasers came back. They lost the thief in the bus terminus. It was assumed that the thief got on one of the buses. What astounded us was that these two were homeless men and they were angry! We thanked them profusely for their efforts. They went off swearing that if they caught the thief, they would make him pay. We made our way, slowly, back up to the scene of the crime. There, we found one of the chasers talking to a woman, also homeless. She was ranting that thieves like that bring a slur on them, as they don't steal. When they spotted us, they went on about what they would do if they caught him. I guess they have their own justice system.

We left the area and headed to the bus to go home, a little heavier in heart than when we arrived. Tat's documents could wait for another day. The lesson? Not that we should be more careful when going into town. That is a given. That boy stole to get a pitance with which he could buy his next bottle of glue - or he stole to 'pay' an older person... a controller. He was skilled at his 'art', probably having done that since he was barely out of his mother's arms, if he spent any time in his mother's arms at all. Then there was the two homeless men who helped give chase. They had nothing to gain from helping, though on hindsight, I think there was a reward expected. I think, though, that they chased because they saw a crime committed on their 'turf'. Yes, we learnt a lot about humanity and our perceptions of people this morning. As for me, the material loss is not welcome, but when I watched my child running, and sometimes losing sight of her - it was a long distance - I feared something happening to her. I cannot begin to describe the relief when I finally met up with her again and could put my arms around her. Life is precious.

I'm sleepy....

This and that

Thought I'd treat you to another dose of dimples ; ) I've been doing my nut getting the printing of Tat's ID photo right. Each program has decided to play up in its own way. Like the fat watermark? This photo won't be swiped... it had better not be or I'll go after blood. I had fun last night checking my site's statistics. I found one of my photos was being hotlinked to a forum. Kippy, stop laughing. It was a generic enough photo of an old man selling limes at the streetmarket. I wouldn't have minded all that much if it weren't for the bandwidth being used and the fact that it was being used in a not-so-savory environment. I love bandwidth theives though... they make life fun. I swapped the photo out with a huge banner in bright red accusing the user of theft : ) I doubt they'll leave the link up for much longer.

The weather was hot here today with a token splash of rain this afternoon. It was rather fun walking in the rain to the village. I then had a bad kitchen moment. Mac 'n cheese was on the menu for tonight and the white sauce curdled - yay! Then, instead of putting the cheese into the rescued white sauce, I plonked it into the boiling water, which was on hand waiting for the pasta. Nice going there. Tat fished the, by then molten, cheese out of the water and rescued that. The whole meal was a rescue effort. Guess I'm grateful it was rescuable.

Anyhow, tomorrow morning, we need to be in town by around 6am *HELP!* to get into the queues for the govt offices dealing with RG's (what they call the local ID cards), so that madam can get hers. Then we need to get her registered as a voter - more fun, but at least that is closer to home.

Have a great day tomorrow, my friends. I have grand intentions of catching up with everyone when I get home. I'm getting behind with mail and blogs again.

Beyond the door

The door is ugly, imposing, possibly a little scary. Do you have what it takes to look beyond the door and see what beauty lies there? Often we face a challenge in life, something looking quite as imposing as this door. Do we have what it takes to look beyond that? To visualise a future filled with beauty?

Baby(ish) - little me, him and her

I was tagged by an old friend who has been very patient with me - not that she had any choice in the matter. In short, I have to post a baby photo of myself, one of Jorge and one of Tatiana (she's gonna love me for this!)

I don't have baby photos of me. My earliest appearance in front of a camera was when I was around 3. It was an old slide. Sadly, I have no idea where it is now. Some of you may already have seen this photo or at least another version of it. It is the closest I have to a baby photo. This is me, being strangled by my brother, Hamish. Poor guy was probably told to give me a hug.


Jorge has never been one for smiling in photos. I can't think why. It is a habit that started very early on. Every photo of his from babyhood is ultra-serious. I am deliberately posting a slightly older photo of him, as there is no true baby photo of me. Got to love that hair!


And now, ladies and gentlemen.... the pièce de résistance. Tatiana, comfortable as ever. We still harp at her about slouching ; )


Omg... I just noticed the similarity in the photos...... I'll say no more. Let the viewers decide and it has nothing to do with the peculiar fashions haha!

labyrinth

meet me in my silence
deep within my thoughts
no need for a map
to navigate the paths
of the maze
that is my mind

meet me on the plains
vast fields of thoughts
rippling in the breeze
clouds of ideas
float shapes overhead
in azure blue

meet me in my secrets
on paths of hidden thoughts
stepping through the forest
of my stories
the worlds within my world
will-o'-the-wisp words

Tint ©

I have just finished crying through the movie, "Iris". To me, it was a very depressing journey into a world I don't really understand... or perhaps I do... just a little... no more than anyone else really. What does one say to those who need to care for a loved one with Alzheimer's. My aunt is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. I feel for her children. I can tell it is hurting them. I think that her condition is one of the things that nudged them into looking for the rest of the family... before it is too late. I started this poem long ago and could never finish it. Somehow, it just seemed to fit tonight.

Around the world - A Picture Perfect theme

I live in a suburb away from the hubub of central São Paulo. The life here is quieter. Yes, we do have very heavy traffic on my road because it is a main throughfare connecting two bypasses, but on the whole, it is quiet. On market days, our quiet is broken by the cry of various vendors.

For a long time, we heard this strange cry. None of us could make out what was being sold. By chance one day, Tatiana and I were outside when we heard the cry and could finally associate it with this gentleman. The cry turned out to be "Peixe! Peixe!" or "Fish! Fish!" It turns out that he has been doing this for quite a few decades. I guess when you're that familiar with your territory and people know you, it no longer really matters w hat you say. He will come to your door, clean and fillet the fish for you and be on his way again.

I remember two of us kids standing in the lounge, putting on a show. We did a very enthusiastic version of Sonja Heroldt's "Jantjie". I remember grape vines. I remember a pool on the other side of the wall that I was a little leery of swimming in. I remember looking up the ladder to the loft and wondering what was up there, too afraid to climb and find out. There was a forest nearby, at least, to me, it was a forest. We used to go there as kids. I remember late at night, Ouma and I running after the train and just barely making it.

I don't have many memories though. I remember my uncle as clearly as though he were standing next to me. My aunt, I remember well, as she is the last one we saw, shortly after Jorge and I got married. I have often wondered where my cousins are now. Last week, I looked my one cousin up, the only male. I started with him, as his name is unusual and the girls would be married by now with different names.

I got an e-mail this morning. I held my breath as I opened it. I barely got through the first line before I had to leave the room and regain control of my runaway emotions which have been on a roller coaster for the rest of the day. It seems that my cousins have been looking for Hamish and I as well. I have spent the day going through Facebook photos and web sites. I like the family I have found... so far. I am afraid of the ghosts, but pleased anyway. We have all changed and grown. The exciting part for me is that they want the contact too. I have decided to treat this as a new meeting. The old ghosts can be put to rest. The question now is, will they like me? I sure hope so. It will be good to have some of my family back again. Who knows, maybe I'll find the rest soon too.

A week or so....

11 Days ago, I went in for minor surgery. What a difference it was to my previous experience here of health care! I was assigned to a hospital out on the periphery. To those know São Paulo, you will know that this isn't exactly in the best part of town. Let's just say, it was an area where we made a point of dressing down and looking ordinary. I took my little camera along, knowing it would be stupid to use it. Jorge and I took the metro out, then a bus to the hospital. On our way through the neighbourhood, we saw tiny stores in garages, equally tiny homes, a lot of makeshift, women standing in the street gossiping, their nylon shopping bags on their arms. The atmosphere was a friendly one though. The bus conductor knew each passenger that got on and chatted as we drove. "Ah, Mrs X! Going for your checkup today?"

The hospital itself was small; a low ceilinged affair. We took our number at the main door and settled to wait. The building was no marvel, just brick and tile, sufficient, as opposed to smart. Surprisingly, we didn't have to wait long. I was ushered in. They forbade Jorge until they heard it was for surgery. Strictly speaking, I didn't need him, but he was my translator for the day... just in case. After registering, a process where our family history, all pertinent family folklore and related matters was explored, we were led to a waiting room. There were 2 other pairs, a father and daughter, and an elderly couple. Chat was quiet. The young girl got up frequently to check on progress. Eventually the surgeon arrived. We found out later that he was the director of surgery. I was the last in the queue. Once the others were out, I sneaked a photo of this cabinet. Jorge and I amused ourselves wondering what was in the cabinet. The rest of the room was bare. It appeared that the cabinet hadn't been used in a long time.

What struck me at this hospital was that everything was old, well worn, very clean and fairly organized - a remarkable thing in itself here. I was treated with respect, mingled with curiosity. Not many foreigners make their way out there. The questions about South Africa were, for once, fairly intelligent. A far cry from my one lawyer student who asked me if we had high rises and telephones in South Africa, or the bank director who's reaction was "but you're white!" I was asked which nations colonised South Africa to give me my fair, blue-eyed looks and what languages do we speak there. For once, I wasn't treated like a freak when I didn't understand something... a refreshing change.

We had a good mail day yesterday too. Our trip to the post office rewarded us with, not one, but two packages and a very belated Christmas card from Lithuania. Tatiana got a shoebox full of marshmallows and something rather divine called Ghirardelli Chocolate Peppermint Bark from her ex-boyfriend. Love that boy! ; ) We don't get marshmallows here, so that was a rare treat. Tat took out a candle and we 'roasted' some marshmallows over the candle. Yes, crazy, but good. I got a very special package from my friend Kippy... a really beautiful Nevada Christmas ornament.

While I was writing this blog, Jorge drew my attention to a news report on Zimbabwe. It seems the Zimbabweans finally have something to smile about. Their central bank is going to distribute a ten million dollar bill! Go here for the full report.

This bill is being introduced to save the Zimbabwean people from having to carry large bags of money around. "A hamburger at an ordinary cafe costs about 15 million Zimbabwe dollars ($6). But that price has trebled this month amid shortages of bread, meat and most other basic goods." And here we thought we had it rough. Currently, their highest bill is a seventy-five thousand dollar bill. Their inflation is sitting at 25 000%. To give you an idea of the exchange value: "The new 10-million note is the equivalent of about $4 at the dominant black market exchange rate." You know what the funny part here is? If you expand the photo, you will see that on the bill is printed that the bill expires on or before 30 June 2008! I have never seen an expiry date on a bank note before. They haven't given it a very long shelf-life, now have they?

Now for something totally different.... If you have a moment, you simply have to read this article! It will make you smile :)

Contrast - a Picture Perfect theme

I know this may be considered cheating ; ) but... well... psh! I'm entering one here too. This photo was my first choice for an entry, but it is a very personal choice, so I elected to not put it on the PP site.

As many of you know, I am South African... proudly so. Unfortunately, according to many, I am on the wrong end of South Africa's very varied colour spectrum. The 'stigma' of my colour was not only apparent back in SA where our small farms were targeted - white farmers were unwelcome - but followed me here where, on learning my country of origin, I have been called a racist, a label which makes my hackles rise.

I fail to see why my skin colour automatically makes me a racist. I was taught as a child to respect, even love, people of all colours and nationalities. The 'love thy neighbour' was not just applied to my own 'race'. I raised my daughter with the same principles. I have an extremely low tolerance for racial jokes and racial slurs... regardless of the nation or colour involved. Why I have to pay for the faults of an old government and its laws is beyond me.

Pictured above is Tatiana and her friend Minky. Tatiana - of Dutch/German/Lithuanian heritage, pale, blonde, bubbly, outgoing. Minky - Xhosa, native South African, chocolate brown, black curls, shy, sweet, mischievious. Friends, regardless of the contrasts of their skin and culture, with their mothers watching, sipping coffee and talking of things peculiar to mothers.

I saw the universe

The photo is not mine. I could never do the scene justice.

Tonight, after I had shut my pc down and prepared for bed, I quickly popped outside to get the laundry ready for tomorrow. While out there, I looked up. It is really the only way to look. Our extensive yard area is so large, I can touch both sides without stretching my arms out fully.

I looked up. Instead of the usual covering of murky grey-black, I saw a velvet black sky sprinkled with more stars than I have ever seen here. The stars were clear and bright and appeared to go on forever. For the first time in years, I could clearly make out the Southern Cross, the Big Dipper (and more familiar formations that I have forgotten the names to). Between them, the freckled heavens seemed to go on forever... I felt as though I could gaze out into eternity.

I looked down at the walls surrounding me and, for a second, felt the way a prisoner must feel when he looks out and sees the universe through his little patch of window. I am not, for a moment, equating where I live to a prison... just drawing a comparison to the confinement I felt compared to the vastness out there. I saw, in that moment, the whole universe straight overhead.

For that moment, I stopped breathing. I considered making a wish, but in that moment, I knew the Universe was very aware of my wish. It seemed selfish to keep this to myself, so I went inside and called Tatiana. We shared the next few moments just gazing and drinking in this infinite beauty.

Moments like these are what makes it all worthwhile. I am grateful for laundry : ) Sweet dreams to you all!

Song title - a Picture Perfect theme

I went through mountains of photos and piles of cd's. I had a few options for this theme. I wanted to do something unique... give you music that you perhaps weren't familiar with... and a photo that you weren't familiar with. Every time I went over, though, I came back to this one. Yes, it is my favourite model and the song is "I'm counting on you" by Chris de Burgh. I have often sat, watching her sleep, with the words of this song in my head...


Our children are the future. Too many of our generation are spending time in the past, in history. Too much time is, in my opinion, being spent on 'righting the wrongs of the past', as though it was all bad, and often creating bigger issues for the future. Why can't we just live for now? Why can't we live for the future? The past is important... to learn from... not to live in or obsess over.

I'm counting on you
by Chris de Burgh

The night is so wild, and downstairs the child
Is sleeping, her spirit is free,
For more than an hour, I have walked in the rain,
I've been wondering what she will be,
But where are the heroes, where are the dreams
That I had, when I was young,
Am I hoping in vain, just to think
She could change anything?
Well I'm counting on you;
I'm counting on you to bring that sweet gentleness
To your world and all that you do,
My generation is losing its way
We don't know, what we're leaving for you,
So may there be millions who feel like you do
Oh my love...
There is so much to know,
There is so far to go,
But you are not alone,
When this is your world,
And I'm counting on you;
Come to me, turn to me,
give me your eyes
When you see the mysteries of time,
Here there are those who just live in the past
They will never let history lie,
And this sad little island is breaking my heart
With its dark shades of green,
And as hard as I try,
I just cannot see why
This should be...
I'm counting on you,
There is so much to know,
There is so far to go,
But you are not alone,
When this is your world,
And I'm counting on you,
I'm counting on you...

Reflections - a Picture Perfect theme

This theme was an easy enough one for me. I love walking through the city taking photos of city life reflected in the glass skyscrapers and store windows. The photo above was taken on Avenida Paulista, which is the main business area for banks and many large corporations. It is not, however the CBD. I remember when we first saw this building, we stared for a while. The building is ancient and rather worn, but the painting on the side was so realistic.

Of note is that the scene painted on the building is a scene of the self-same road a good century ago. The road was home to the mansions of the wealthy. One of those mansions is still there. It is now an art museum and sits at the foot of the building in the photograph below. It is one of my favourite spots on this avenue, as it has the most wonderful rose garden.

As if the building and its 'reflection' weren't enough, it stood in such contrast to the rest of the buildings in the road....

Do stop by at Picture Perfect to join the fun or visit the other amazing entries.

White is for peace

I think it was our second New Year in Brazil when one of my students gave me a set of ribbons attached to a pin, which I was to wear on New Year's eve and New Year's day. There were five ribbons. White for peace, blue for happiness, green for health, red for passion, and yellow for prosperity.

Traditionally, during November, the only clothes you can buy are white because the whole of Brazil wears white for New Year. Tat wore white this year, as she does every year. I seldom dress in all white - it's just not me. I wore a white blouse, yellow slacks, green bracelet, a ring with a blue sapphire, and my red Ipé seed necklace. I love that necklace... it has such good energy.

We sat around eating Italian bread, cold meats and cheese with gherkins, olives and tomato on the side, chatting over a glass of wine while we waited for the New Year. Jorge then went off for a nap (he's one who will go to bed with the sparrows), while we waited for midnight. Half an hour before, we woke him up and prepared ourselves for the big changeover. The fireworks were rather good this year, not as many big bangs (they left those to annoy us with after New Years). Tatiana decided she was going to stay up to watch the sun rise. Apparently, that is a Japanese tradition where you make a wish as the first rays of sun in the new year peek over the horizon. She actually stayed up until 8am. I faded at around 4am.

I have resolved not to resolve this year. Every year, I make resolutions and end up on a guilt trip because they don't last long. I do have goals though. Goals are good. I have made my fair share of wishes for this coming year as well. I have often wondered why people wait for the start of a new year to make changes in their lives. Why not wait for the start of a new day... a new hour.... a new moment?

News flash.......... !!

Because Blogger cuts off half the image, please visit here to see the full version

The article, as appearing in The Blog Times, written by Tint is quoted below:

"This year has been one of many changes. For us, here in Blogworld, there have been very dramatic changes. The demise of our beloved 360 and the discovery of new worlds beyond - Multiply, Blogger, Live Spaces, and many more.

What has struck me is the friendships that have stayed strong through the changes. Friendship is indeed without borders. Then there are all the new friendships that have been established and cemented.

New skills have been learnt. Creativity explored. Minds have been broadened. We learnt new ways to explore our inner artist. We learnt of new countries and cultures and how the 'other half' lives.

There have been many personal changes too. Many have lost loved ones and faced incredible challenges, though not all the changes have been bad. The year has also been embroidered with amazing good. There are those who have moved home to better places, those who went into business, those who rediscovered old friends and family. Hopes and dreams live on and thrive.

It is my wish that those hopes and dreams you have will come true for each and every one of you this coming year. I raise my glass and toast to you... my friends... *Cheers!*"

São Paulo's weather forecast for the New Year

It's traditional here.... rain over the New Year and tradition has stood us proud yet again. Ok, for half the city it has. Watch the video and weep with me... not a drop of that rain has fallen here!!! We are still hot and sweaty and sticky. Granted, I don't wish the flooding on anyone, but if we could at least get a little of that. Our skies here are clear and, yes, it is the same city. The temperature has been around 35°C (95°F). The rains you see here have fallen in the area where we used to live two years ago. I'm rather glad we're not there anymore. That house leaked so badly, we'd have to bail ship every time.

Merry Grinchmas to you!

I opened the news to a rather startling news report....

Fri Dec 28, 10:41 PM ET

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Local police said it was a typical holiday Grinch tale: A home was broken into on Christmas Eve, and wrapped presents were stolen off a kitchen table.
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Little did they know the culprits were kids.

Authorities said Friday that a 9-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy used a gift card to pick the lock on the back door of a home a block away. They then took about $200 in wrapped presents that were located on a kitchen table, including Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers CDs.

The couple who lived in the home returned from some Christmas Eve shopping to find the house broken into, and the presents gone, South Brunswick police Detective Jim Ryan said.

One of the children's relatives who also lived in the neighborhood spoke with the couple and realized the gifts matched some mysterious extra presents the children appeared to receive on Christmas.

The relative contacted the children's mother, who got the truth out of them on Wednesday, and then contacted police.

"A 9- and 5-year-old would never be on our suspect list. For a burglary? Maybe for taking a bike or something like that, but not for a burglary," Ryan said.

The children's names were not released, and charges are not planned.

******************

These are kidlets!!! Where do kids that age learn to pick locks on doors?? Am I really that out of it? I am stunned!

It is hot!

bright light
long shadows
silver waves
shimmer
on gray ribbons
of concrete

shards of light
from city glass
stab my eyes
sidewalk heat
claws my feet
burning below

sharp shadows
reach long arms
across my path
tripping me up
with sudden
change of light

windscreens glaring
as they push
their way past
impatient
to get out of
the heat

Tint ©

We have basically been draping ourselves wherever we could, trying to cope with the heat. The humidity has been incredibly high too. We have two fans going in this room. Stepping outside doesn't bear thinking of. I've had a 3 day headache from the heat. It rained for a full half hour tonight. The air cooled for about half an hour after that, but the heat is back. It's the kind of heat where you can't bear anything touching your skin. The south of Brazil in Santa Caterina, they've declared a state of emergency with the floods happening there. Our weather travels up from that end, so we're headed for some big rain. I'm selfishly hoping for rain on New Year to cut down on the fireworks. Besides, rain on New Year is traditional here. Above all, though, I'm hoping it cools somewhat... really, really hoping...

Ordinary miracle

Today, for me, was a day of ordinary miracles. We expected Christmas to be tough this year, as there were no gifts to be given and none of us were finding it easy to get into the Christmas spirit.

Last night, Tatiana gave Jorge and I the most beautiful snowflakes she quilled. I know the amount of love that went into those flakes. Attached was a note, "Happy white Christmas." Every year, we try to add to our Christmas ornaments with something special and meaningful. I had bought two stone ornaments, with amazonite, rose quartz and agate, but they're simply pretty. They don't have a story attached to them. Those two snow flakes are now my most treasured Christmas ornaments. Oh you should see them sparkle! Tat also gave us each a birth stone. She had done a lot of research into each stone. The stones and snowflakes came in an origami box and with it was an origami lilly and one of her paper cranes.

Jorge got Tat and I each some chocolates. He was so proud of himself for bringing the chocolates into the house without us noticing. What I had planned to give was unfortunately not ready, but I'll leave comment on that for a later date.

We had a beautiful day! It was overcast and pretty hot. We had occasional rain with a minor thunder storm late afternoon. We were all in and around the kitchen during the meal preparation. We laughed, we played, I chased Jorge out at least a dozen times... we had fun! During lunch, we sat in the lounge alongside our little tree and spoke of what Christmas was like for Jorge as a child and for me. Jorge tormented us with threats to grow a real Prussian mustache (don't ask me 'why Prussian') and wax it. It drives Tat crazy when he messes up his eyebrows and mustache : )

After lunch, we sleepily came back to our computers and played a little Runescape, chatting off and on and making phone calls to folk far away. Jorge spoke to his brother in South Africa, his cousins in Lithuania. Anne called while I was making lunch, so I called her back. I spoke to Fel in Alaska and Tat called Philly in California. Jorge spoke to the cousins in Florida. Bob was there too. In one way or another, we made contact with the people who are important to us and remembered those we could not contact. As I sit here, I am so grateful for the internet, which enabled us to speak to folk all over the world.

As I mentioned to Tat tonight.... it was an understated Christmas... no bells and whistles. We didn't even play any carols.... but I do believe it will stand out in our minds as one of the most memorable.... for its simplicity and contentment. I think we will pack the Christmas decor away earlier than usual this year. We are ready to move on. It is a good feeling.

"It seems so exceptional
That things just work out after all.
It’s just another ordinary miracle today."


Ordinary Miracle Lyrics

To you, my friends....

Do click to open this post, as Blogger cuts the image off

Festive?

This week's Picture Perfect theme is "Festive". I held off, thinking I may take a photo or two today. It was raining when we left home, so the 'cowardly lion', aka Jorge, decided the camera would stay at home. It turned out to be blistering hot and humid.

The shops and streets were jam-packed. There was a notable absence of Christmas trees and Christmas decorations in town. If it weren't for my calendar (and Multiply), we'd hardly have noticed it was Christmas at all!

We went in and got the stuff for the animals (a calmant for the fire crackers that have already started), and some herbs for a friend. We did a bit of window shopping, ended up buying a set of glasses (in fairness to the last set, it lasted 2 years), had a cup of coffee and a small empadinha (little pie.... really 'little'), then headed for home. Our bus broke down halfway in a not-so-delightful area, but luckily (I'm grateful), the second bus had ample seating, which isn't usually the case with replacement buses.

So that was my oh-so-very-exciting day. Oh yes, this blog post was meant to be for Picture Perfect. I went through my more recent photos and found little that was festive looking. After all, you don't want the photo I took of Jorge's feet while he was putting up our Christmas lights, now do you? ; ) There were other photo options, but I felt that they were blog subjects of their own and put them to one side. Besides... this is rather festive, is it not? This home is a few blocks away from me. I think they really put effort into being festive, don't you?

Taxed to death

We have a tax here on every cent we withdraw from the bank. Regardless of how much you draw, write a cheque for, or spend on credit, if it comes out of your bank account, it is taxed. No one minded this tax, as it was meant to go purely into healthcare. The thing is, they have proved that less than 20% of those funds made it into healthcare.

The senate has voted that this tax be dropped. The government is upset, as the gravy train is being flushed. So far, they've said that they can reinstitute that tax any time they want to and assign the taxes however they want to. Charming.

On health care. Do we have a good health system here? Let's just say that my experience of the health care system here hasn't been that favourable, but I won't judge by that. There is public health here. You go to the clinic in your neighbourhood and wait to see a doctor. Depending on your neighbourhood and how sickly everyone is, the wait is anything from half an hour to most of the day. He then refers you to a specialist. Somehow, nothing gets done here without a specialist. The appointment is made often months in advance. Some specialists are harder to get into than others. The waiting list to get into the dentist is almost a year long. Once you have seen the specialist, you get your meds and/or tests. The tests don't usually involve too much waiting, but that also depends on what tests there are. Meds can be collected at the clinic's own pharmacies or at govt discount farmacies - if you're lucky. The rest you go to a regular pharmacy for and like anywhere else in the world, that hurts the pocket. Private medical care goes two routes... the medical insurance route or pay your own way.

My first medical experiences here weren't good. Tat has had ear issues for a large part of her life, so when she had ear infection, we took her off to the private hospital (we had taken out health insurance for her) to be seen to. She was ushered into a cubicle, which served as the doctor's surgery. That swing a cat thing is a joke. You couldn't swing a goldfish in there. She was given a prescription and we went off to the pharmacy. Five pharmacies later, it was confirmed... the medication that was prescribed did not exist... at all! Some time later, I went to the clinic with the aim of seeing a skin specialist. I saw the gp who waxed lyrical (actually, not that lyrical... she was nasty) about my weight. I'm no smallfry, but next to the miniscule Brazilians, I'm a giant... well, almost. Anyhow, she packed me off to the skin specialist (the reason I was seeing her). Another day, another month, I went to the location given, another clinic in a neighbouring suburb. I waited to be signed up - you get to sign up at each location... what fun. I then offered my card with the appointment written down, which sent them into a frenzy. Apparently that skin specialist hadn't been at that location in two years. I was miffed. I had lost a day's work for that, so I put it off for another few years before trying again now. Needless to say, not all medical experiences here are like this, but...

That isn't the point of this blog. It was just to give you an idea why I prefer to stay away from the medical profession here as much as possible. The point of this blog is how R$10 (about $6) killed a girl.

In the news tonight...
A girl went to the government pharmacy ('Farmacia Popular'), which is specifically set up to give meds at discounted rates with the premise that everyone deserves cheap healthcare. Her medication cost R$22 ($12). She only had R$12 ($6) on her. Her need for the medicine was urgent. It after hours, no other pharmacies open and she was having an asthma attack. Her father offered the title deeds to his car as surety that they'd come back with the remaining money, but they were turned down. The girl died from that asthma attack.

Something is very wrong with this system.

Picture Perfect - Into the night

I thought I wasn't going to take part this week. The weather here is dismal and, for Brazil, almost winterish. It's dull, grey, wet and fairly cool. Then there was the issue of finding the time to take out the camera.

This photo was taken a couple of years ago at Hopi Hari, a huge amusement park outside São Paulo. The sky was spectacular and I loved the reflection of the setting sun on the benches.

To see the other great entries or participate yourself, pop along to Picture Perfect.

A little of this and a little of that

I've been 'missing' for a while. Its hectic here. Yes, yes, I know its hectic everywhere. After all, its the festive season and everyone is shopping, baking, decorating and running in circles. Added to that, I have a job in (unpaid, but with great promotional prospects) of 100+ fire and water damaged photos to be edited and I have a special request from family for around 20 really miniscule and badly scratched photos to be repaired as a gift (also free, of course). Naturally, there is no way they'll get those photos in time for Christmas.

On Sunday, Tat and I went to Praça da Republica to look for a couple of little items for Christmas. Praça da Republica is right in the center of town, so it took us a bus ride and a fair walk or a short metro ride. We walked. I wasn't a happy camper, as it was incredibly hot and humid. Thanks to Tat's amazing sense of direction *chuckles* we got there in record time. Sadly, the crafts fair is now way smaller than before and rather washed out. I didn't get what I was looking for. There was less on offer, though still a few great items, and many of the worthwhile stuff was tripple last year's price. Ah well... a sign of the times, right?

We were caught by surprise walking through the park section. In the area where there used to be turtles and koi, there were now a group of children swimming.... not legally, of course, but oh what fun they were having. I snuck a photo through the spindly trees surrounding the pond.

Tat and I were talking while we were out and commenting on the lack of Christmas spirit everywhere. Not once the whole day did we hear any Christmas carols. In fairness, Brazil isn't known for Christmas carols. The only place we usually hear any is in the shopping malls. This year, there were no carols in the malls either. The 'Christmas' theme in the mall was Shrek! The only concession to Christmas being that Shrek held a tiny gift and there was the regulation tree decorated with huge green and white balls and lots of fairy lights.

I am going to do my best to get to everyone's pages. Even if its just a few pages a day. I have neglected my friends for long enough. I feel so bad about it.

Hm... on a more Christmassy note, here's a link or two for you to enjoy...
Easy Ways to Decorate Your Home for Christmas
Activites for the Family
Activity: Kids Educational Printouts and Activities
Activity: The Game Chest

Picture Perfect - Outrageous

When I saw the theme, I had the perfect photo in mind. I just had to go out and take it. Trouble is, they had removed my props!! Bah! There is a children's clothing shop in the village. In the doorway, they had their little manequin wearing a t-shirt that said, in bold: "This is f***!" << note, insert a disgusting, but apparently popular foul word. The foul word in question being super-large and in bright red. The t-shirt is for children around the age of 5. Now that is outrageous! Apparently, it is taken from the Portuguese "Isso é foda", which can be translated into "This is great" or the above quote. We're thinking that they meant to translate it into "This is great". Not being able to get that photo, I was going to take a photo of the little oak tree with its autumn colours - outrageous in that we're meant to be heading into summer here, but it was raining, so I settled on this photo....

Taken with my old Canon SD10 Digital Elph

The billboard sign translates to "More than 2.5 million families now have a sewerage system." It is one of the 'official' billboards showing the populace what growth there is in the country. To me, it says something when a government considers that a subject for national pride. This billboard was part of a pre-election campaign.

If you want to join in, visit Picture Perfect.

A very big heart - Noble's story

Doranton Noble Boy of Caldhame. Noble boy, Nobs, Slobberchops.... one of the best 'risks' we ever took. We were at the braai (bbq) when our friend came up to us. "I believe you're looking for a dog. I know of one that is perfect for you." Cynty was part of the Great Dane Rescue organisation. We told her, that, sorry, we're looking for a Rottweiler or GS and I don't usually go for breeds I know nothing about and we wanted a puppy, not a 1 yr old. I had a toddler to consider.

We went to look at him anyway. He was huge! Standing on his hind legs, he would top Jorge's 6" frame. Noble had had two toes on his hind leg amputated. He was kept in a kennel about 10 x 6' - tiny for such a big dog. He had scaled the high fence around the kennel a couple of times to get to the bitch in season in the next kennel, thus tearing his toes. He was a champion dog whose sole purpose in life was to make puppies. With his toes amputated, he had lost his usefulness to the breeders (and I'm glad). We took him home.

I watched him carefully for the next few weeks, never leaving him alone with Tatiana, aged 2 at the time. He passed the test when one day, as he was lying just in the door, she went to sit on him. I moved closer... just in case. Note, I don't approve of children sitting on dogs and she got a scolding for it, but I had lots of children visiting and I needed to know how this dog would react. He turned his head and fastened his jaws around her arm and ever-so-gently pulled her off his back. I was dumbstruck... he didn't even leave a tiny dent on her arm and not a squeal from the child (who, normally, would have been bellowing up a storm). That clinched it... he was there to stay.

Its a Great Dane trait that. When someone arrived at the gate, he would go up to them, take their arm in his jaws and 'guide' them to the front door. We had many a laugh at the reactions of our guests. Our gentle giant. Though he could be not-so-gentle. One person (not to get the title of guest and definitely no friend) arrived one day and boasted he could topple our dog. Noble was incredibly stable on his feet. When he leaned against you, you knew it. He walked up to Noble, grabbed the two legs furthest from him and whipped them out of under him. From that moment on, the 'visitor' was never allowed to come close to either Tat or I. If you've ever had a Great Dane growl at you, you keep your distance. His 'thanks' to the visitor was to go up to his small truck (a little Datsan bakkie) and cock his leg against the windscreen. Lesson learnt... don't mess with a Great Dane.

He did that a lot. Our neighbours had 6 German Shepherds that constantly barked at Noble. Noble just stared at them. I think he reached his limit one day when he walked up to the fence and cocked his leg, spraying the Shepherd pack. I think they weren't impressed. He was so cool calm and collected. Laid back personified... or would that be dogified?

Noble disappeared twice in the time we had him. The first time, he went for 5 days. Behind our property was a black settlement. There were many strays there. I can only assume a bitch in season. He came back starved and dehydrated. He next disappeared on our own property, but for a shorter time. That was how we discovered someone was setting snares to catch the small duiker (a small deer) and we learnt that brindle dogs have the best camoflage, as we couldn't find him. He had been caught in a snare, somehow snapping the cable (it was bicycle break cable). We nearly lost him. He nearly choked to death. How he broke that cable and came home in that condition amazes me to this day. He carried the scar of that snare for the rest of his days.... His fur turned white there, giving him a pure white 'collar'.

His favourite passtime was chasing horses. He would run along the fence racing the horses as they rode by. I honestly believe he thought he was a horse. He used to race the car too. Our driveway was very long and he loved racing the car to the gate. We were convinced his brakes would fail one day and he'd run into the fence. At top speed, he would stop his front legs and his back legs would kind of overtake his front legs. It was too funny to watch.

I miss my Noble hugs. He would lean against me and I'd put my arms around his smooth, strong neck (a bit like hugging a horse), feeling his soft, silky ears against my cheek. One day, I'll have a Great Dane again, but it will never be Noble.

* A bit of Great Dane information. They don't eat you out of house and home. They're the gentlest creatures, but will defend you with their lives. No one messes with those jaws. They can smell a bitch in season 5km (3 miles) away - a lesson we learnt the hard way. They do well as (and prefer to be) indoor dogs, but need lots of space and plenty of exercise.

Writer's block challenge #26 - Carried along

She waited and waited. The conditions had to be just right. Stretching her little legs, she could just see over the enormous white fuzzy stalks. Over there, in the distance, was The Tree. She wanted to get just beyond The Tree to where the roses were. They had told her the food was good there. The problem was to pass The Tree where the birds were.

"The wind is just right today," she thought. "I can do it." Yesterday's wind blew her dangerously close to the tree as she flew. Soon! She took an excited breath.

Just then, a gust of wind came up. "I'm not ready!" She clutched the nearest stalk. "I'm not ready!" The wind blew on. With a jerk, the stalk was freed and away she blew, still hanging on, twirling this way and that. "Oooh.... dizzy!" She gasped as her world spun around.

The seed stalk whirled and danced on the breeze, its fine downy umbrella glistening in the afternoon sun. She lost all track of time. She let go of her thoughts and let her mind whirl with the stalk. Around and around. It never got dark, but she was sure that many days must have gone by.

Suddenly, the world darkend and with a jolt, she was knocked off the stalk. She frantically flapped her wings to prevent herself falling. As she flew, she looked around at where she was. It was not quite as big as The Tree. She wondered if there were birds in that bush at the top and decided not to fly up to find out. Glancing across, she saw a multitude of bright colours. She had made it! She was in the garden beyond The Tree! Gleefully, she flew to the nearest red rose.

"Look mummy! A dandelion seed!" squeeled the little girl as she took the seed off her sleeve and held her prize up to the smiling lady.

~~~~~

Click here for this Writer's Block challenge if you'd like to join in.

Approximately 100.... nay... a few things about me

You may want to go off and get yourself a cuppa, a blanket and a pillow. This could take a while. I'm posting this now, as I have other blogs I want to write. If you want 100, add them yourself hahaha! Uh... then again... maybe not ; )

1) I am South African
2) I have been living in Brazil for almost 9 years
3) The only Brazilian to pronounce my name correctly was a cockatiel
4) I'm terrible with names and regularly put my foot in it
5) I am certified to interpret South African deaf sign language at conferences, but I'm horribly out of practice
6) I dream of living in the country again
7) I don't have a TV
8) I play an online game with my daughter. We play as twins
9) I tend to have a wicked sense of humour
10) I don't like vulgar humour or language
11) I lost 6 pairs of glasses in my first two years of school. My gran then gave up. My vision is now perfect
12) My 'look' scares Tat's boyfriends
13) *correction* According to Tat, my look scares everyone
14) I have a low tolerance for rude or inconsiderate people
15) I am an optimistic realist
16) I have tinnitis and struggle to hear, so phone and voice messenger often frustrates me
17) I don't drink nearly enough water
18) I have an extremely sensitive sense of smell
19) I can't tell a joke to save my life
20) I love herbs and will use them in preference to bought drugs
21) I would love to qualify as a herbalist or reflexologist
22) I have no idea where any of my family, aside from Jorge and Tat, are. I wish I knew
23) My favourite passtime is tickling Tat
24) I'm hopeless at multi-tasking. When a friend talks to me on messenger, I stop doing everything else.
24) I'm the world's worst housewife
25) I used to make all my own clothes and Tat's, a lot of Jorge's too
26) I am self-taught in pretty much all my skills (I use the word 'skill' loosely lol)
27) I taught English privately to corporate executives, engineers and school kids for my first 7 years here. I also taught grade 1 and 2 at a private school
28) Tat says she's grateful I don't have the figure I want or I'd dress freaky ; )
29) I'm an e-mail packrat - I store e-mails... just in case... you never know
30) Garfield would be the perfect companion for me (Tat's words)... comfort food, lasagna, sarcastic, doesn't like mornings, likes sleeping
31) I'm a procrastinator
32) I plan to live in a cottage in Tat's back yard with my cats and my garden when I'm old - possibly even while I'm young
33) I throw nothing away that might possibly come in handy as a cat toy
34) I enjoy recording my dreams and analysing them
35) I would love to do a painting course
36) My dream as a child was to be a social worker
37) I love pigs... and cows... and chickens... and geese... and
38) I'm passionate about animals
39) I want to live in the country (just so I know you got the point)
40) I love buying gifts for people.... I like to buy a whole selection of gifts for each person every Christmas/birthday and other times
41) I'm uncomfortable receiving gifts
42) I am always prepared. I took my Girl Guide motto seriously
43) I carry a very full purse as a result of #42
44) I'm a night owl... 2am often finds me doing housework
45) I'm not into fashion. I go for comfort
46) I love gadgets, especially in the kitchen
47) I'm full of business ideas, none of which I can use
48) I love collecting semi-precious stones and crystals
49) I can generally be relied on to 'make a plan' with whatever tools, materials or facilities I have on hand
50) I was electrocuted at the age of 7 and lost my voice for a week (the neighbours were probably grateful), but still went to school
51) I never missed a single day of school. All childhood illnesses and other dramas 'conveniently' took place over weekends or during holidays
52) I love macro photography. There's a whole new world out there!
53) I am not in the least afraid of spiders. They fascinate me. I often feel I have a 'bond' with them
54) I love collecting Christmas ornaments from all over the world... some of which aren't exactly Christmas ornaments, but hang on the tree anyway
55) I rely on my nose to tell me when the food is cooked or something has finished baking... its often more reliable than the timer
56) My favourite dog is the Great Dane. My favourite cat is the ginger cat
57) This is the first time I have ever been without a ginger cat in my life
58) I dream of riding a bicycle. I can actually visualise it, but all my attempts have failed
59) I have little sense of balance
60) It's 3:30am. I should be in bed. I wish my sketch pad had an undo button
61) I believe every child should have the experience of raising silkworms
62) I'm the least squeamish person I know, but I cannot stand the smell of blood. It brings to mind the smell of burning tar, hot metal and oil
63) Right after the training wheels were taken off my brand new chopper, I crashed my bike into my grandad's combi. I never rode again
64) I need to fall asleep on my left side and will probably remain in that position the whole night
65) I need to touch trees
66) I cry easily
67) I can walk for miles, but put me on an incline and I'm finished
68) TNT is highly explosive under the right conditions
69) I'm hopeless at math of any sort
70) Have you fallen asleep in your chair yet?
71) I desperately miss being able to call up a friend and meet for coffee
72) I cut my hair short from waist length in Grade 7 because my best friend cut hers. She found herself a new friend almost immediately
73) I never regretted my short hair, except on cold winter mornings
74) I spent over 24 hours in a chocolate factory, ate two chocolates and couldn't face any more
75) I find it hard to make friends
76) I drove illegally for 4 years - yep... bad
77) I was employed as official driver for my husband's company for 6 months (after I got my license). We travelled the length and breadth of the Eastern Cape
78) I was secretary to the mayor of the Kloof Town Board for 3 months
79) I went to live with my grandparents after I jumped into an open heater at the age of 3
80) I think it was around then that I gave up all hope of being a gymnast ; )
81) I couldn't cook to save my life when we got married
82) We ate risotto for the first 3 months, as it was all Jorge could cook... then I bought recipe books
83) I love Christmas carols, but can't bear them to be sung outside of Christmas
84) I am a bookworm. I could read round the clock. I miss having books available... oh to have a library!
85) I love bright, bold colours
86) .........

I'm giving up here. This list has taken far too long and yes, that is #86... I have trouble in finishing things ; )

Added by Tatiana:

hmmm...
87) Have wheels, will travel!
88) Sarcasm? Your middle name!
89) Incredibly talented with graphics ;)
90) You love stationery. A LOT. (Guess who I got that from? LOL)
91) That one line one of Barbra Streisand's songs "move into the white house, paint it yellow, speak Portuguese and Dutch..." fits you perfectly (I always think of you when I hear that song).
92) When it comes to gift wrapping, you're a perfectionist.
93) Those who know you, invariably love you.
94) You have an amazing voice (especially your phone voice.. GIMME!)
95) You were born with a camera attached to your arm.. Only no one knew it back then.
96) You're not a girly-girl, but you're not a tom boy either. You're just the right mix.
97) You can never talk about yourself... You always have difficulty finding something to say when you try.
98) You never buy for yourself - always for other people (in case no one noticed, you're very altruistic).
99) You're quite modern for a mom and you give a lot of slack (Lucky me ;D) (ALMOST 100!! WOOHOO!)
100) You're my mom, my friend, my crutch, my non-maraschino cherry on top of the black forest cake! You rock *grins*

WEWT! 100 THINGS! =D

Picture Perfect - One

This week's Picture Perfect theme is "One".

The vine was hanging over the sidewalk. We nearly walked into it. I'm glad we didn't. We may have knocked Mr Ladybug off his perch. Yes, we decided it was a mister. How on earth does one know the difference anyway?

One leaf... one bug...

A long, long time - 28 November 2007

nineteen years
is a long time
longer than long
longer than forever

i hear
your thumping
down the passage
on wooden floors

chuckle as you
watch the dog
trying to get to you
through the window

i had to learn
too many lessons
too hard, too fast
when you went

nineteen years
is but a day
when passing words
scratch at old wounds

© tint

Today I will remember.... just today... just a little while