FIRST FLIGHT

A chick peers down from his lofty nest in the fork of the Camphor tree.  His expression is one of shocked confusion.  He's suddenly been granted a lot more space and he shuffles absently amidst the twigs at his feet.  Just a few seconds ago, his brother stretched his wings, opened up his flight feathers and was swept up by the breeze.  They're now both alone.  It's the way of life.

Grey feathers adorn the fledgeling dove on the grown below.  They are only just long enough to have taken up the buoyancy of flight, but sufficiently able to have projected him a distance.  Sudden understanding of his new skill urges him to flutter his wings again.  The shock of his accomplishment makes him shiver and he looks around urgently.  He's only a few meters form the nest, but there's no going back now.  Instinctively he seeks protection and shuffles under the foliage. The unfamiliar texture of cool ground between his toes makes him even more uncertain.  It's quite unlike the warmth of the nest he shared with his brother.  

"Coo...coo..." he calls.

In the furthest tree, another dove looks upon the scene.  She's seen this scene often before.  It's time to sit back and watch what the world and its hazards will make of her offspring.  It's also time to replenish her energy reserves.  She's spent 14 days nurturing her eggs and another two weeks encouraging the chicks to embrace their new world of flight.  The time has arrived for her to move on.

She'll watch the fledglings for a day or two.  If all is well, she'll turn her back on the duo.  The next 24 hours will tell.  She'll still have to feed them  - dropping half-digested seeds in their path when needed. Her training has been precise and perfect, and her work has been done well.  Her beady eyes peer down in satisfaction. Sometimes a mother's work is, indeed, done. 

Aren't the mysteries of our world incredible?

My philosophy behind the 'MAXDOG GIVE-AWAY COMPETITION' :21-25 May 2012

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

Caryl here...

"Wherever MAXDOG goes, let it do good!"

One of the things that I am in awe of in my country's history, is its ability to encourage people to stop for a moment and consider other peoples' point-of-view.

We have a cultural/philosophical/ideological/ontological concept, here in South Africa, called "UBUNTU".  It symbolises 'Unity in Diversity' and simply means that 'I only exist because you exist'.  It speaks of reaching out and seeing the wider picture that we share - our commonality in our diverse worlds.

I could transfer this thought into the internet and particularly into my world of blogs and bloggers, authoring and writing.  In this scenario, we could say,

 "I only exist because of you - my blogging friends and readers!",

 "This blog only exists because of YOU!"

During Maxdog's era, I became particularly aware of my need to reach out to the world.  In turn, I became aware of the hearts of other bloggers who shared this need.  I realised that we had a common desire to 'share, care and uplift'; that we shared emotions of compassion, understanding and the need to make a difference to our fragile world.

It was this realisation that led me to write the poem during Max's era: 

‘MAXDOG’ HAS A DREAM ...

I have a dream ...

Of friends far and wide

I have a dream ...

They will be at my side ...

Where I can show my country – its bountiful delights:

The animals, the plants and so many sites!

To take in its cultures, it’s food, its sun,

To show my guests that Africa is fun!

I dream of laughter, of happiness, of care

I dream my joy in my country, which they can share.

I dream of dancing, music and good –

Of one big family ... one big brood.

They came, they saw, they shared my dream

A dream dreamt by all of us ... or so it would seem.

So THANK YOU, my guests, for just being you

My dream for Africa has just come true!

---xXx---

Amidst all this, I understood, at a very deep level that I could indeed make a 'difference'; that we all could make a difference...simply by reaching out to others.  I believed strongly that the cyber-world could transform the hearts of people around the world.  This is very much a theme in my book, MAXDOG and my vision:

 "Wherever MAXDOG goes, let it do good!"

In choosing the winner for the 'Maxdog give-away' this week, I was searching for the heart of this notion in the entries:-

(1)  Did the entrants share this dream at a basic level?

(2) Were they aware of our 'Unity in diversity'?

(3) Did they want to 'do good' by their tone of their entry?

The answer to all the entries, was a resounding YES!

Most comments/entries reflected our common patriotism and our need to reach out, across the seas, towards unity. It is always so humbling to discover this and to realise that there is so much good in the world.  The 'Maxdog give-away' competition has highlighted this to me, once again.

If I could, I would send a copy of my book to each and every commentator on that blogpost.  Obviously, that would be financially impractical, so I have had to whittle it down.  In the end, I decided to give away not ONE, but TWO copies to highly deserving entrants.  The winners will be announced on my blog 'LIVING LIFE TO THE MAX' in the next few hours. Both these entries brought me to tears.  Both hit the mark perfectly.  Both suggested reaching out with common cause.  Although they are so different in nature and content, I cannot differentiate between them.

To back up my decision, I asked a number of 'Independant' judges to choose which entry they thought was the winner.  Their feedback was unanimous - both these entries!!!

Thank you to each and every participant in this competition.  Your hearts are beautiful and I am privileged to be known as your cyber-friend. Thank you for taking the time to write up such interesting comments about your beautiful countries.  Each entry reflects a deep love and patriotism for your country.

With love and thanks

A JOURNEY WITH FLOWERS

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!
Caryl here...

I have always been fascinated by those "magical" things called 'flowers' - their unique colours, design and shapes. Flowers have made their presence known throughout my life - during times of grief, celebration as well as joy.  How wonderful it is to answer a doorbell and sign for a special floral surprise, and wrack one's mind as to who on earth has sent such a glorious gift. 
To me, flowers always speak of deep emotion.

Like in a colouring-in book, these simple creations sometimes serve to simply fill in the blank spaces of my life, and at other times they take more prominence.  The invigorating fragrance of blooming Jasmine and Sweet-peas, at the beginning of Spring, has always held significance. Simply put, I cannot imagine our world without flowers.

Having said that, I have always wanted to do a flower arranging course, but somehow this has evaded me. A while ago, however, my hubby presented me with a voucher for an 'Introduction into Flower arranging' afternoon workshop.  I was delighted.  It has been long overdue.  Last Saturday, I went to redeem the voucher.

The course itself was held at the Broadachres Shopping Centre, in Fourways, Johannesburg.  The little flower company - Corollation Flowers -  is run by Jill Manson and her partner. Their training room was airy and comfortable and adorned with the creations of other, more advanced students.  I joined the small class of four beginner students for the afternoon.  The three hours we spent together were most enjoyable indeed! 

(Above: Jill Manson, Corollation Flowers)

Jill began by sharing her own personal journey with flowers. She is passionate about her subject and obviously uniquely gifted in her vocation. Flowers to her is a "calling".  Having been revitalised with inspiration, we then embarked on the actual activity for the afternoon - to make our own personally designed hand bouquet in a Classical Colour mix. Most of us were tentative at first, but soon the blooms were 'speaking' for themselves.

All-in-all, it was a wonderful, worthwhile experience and in the end, I proudly presented my own beautiful bouquet to my family.
 "Impressed" can not adequately describe their reaction.

If you are interested in doing such a course, I would strongly recommend Corollation Flowers.  Jill, Nikki and Tracy are all extremely welcoming and friendly.  You will leave there feeling inspired and refreshed.

Check out their website

HERE

Sending lotsaluv and ...
 May you be blessed with the magic called 'flowers'!

A MAGAZINE STAND - created from recycled plastic bags!

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

Caryl here...

I've had such fun in the past couple of days making this magazine holder/stand so I had to share it on this blog.  You see, a couple of weeks ago, I was introduced to a fabulous internet site: 

PININTEREST

For a creative person like me, the site is simply heaven! I immediately started my own board, which you can view by clicking

HERE

Whilst browsing through the thousands of wonderful images, I picked up the idea of using plastic bags as the raw material for crochet yarn. What a fabulous concept - especially where recycling is becoming such a buzz-word.  It certainly got my brain churning, so I decided to give it a try.  

What to you think of my efforts?

I'm pretty proud of the end result and my magazines are now stored comfortably on the shelf near my bed.

It really isn't that difficult to make, but unfortunately I simply shaped it out of my head, so there is no accompanying pattern.  I suppose one can use any crochet pattern to construct absolutely anything...so give it a go. My 'shape-as-you-go' project was most enjoyable.

Today, however, I'd like to share the method of cutting up those plastic shopping bags to make up the yarn, so here goes:

1.  Smooth the plastic bag out on the floor/hard surface.

 2. Cut off the ends of the bag, i.e. the handles and the bottom.

 3. Fold up the bag and smooth it out.

 4.  Cut off thin stips - about 3/4 cm each.

 5.  Open up one of the strips to reveal a circle.

 6.  Interlink the circles to make a double-stranded yarn.

 7.  START CROCHETING!!!

Finally - take pride in the result!

I hope this has been helpful.  Let me know if you've tried it out or something similar.

Don't forget to visit my

'PININTEREST BOARD' !!!

Sending lotsaluv

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

MAXMOM here...

Dear readers,

Welcome to my blogs!!!

If you are visiting me for the first time as a result of the mention of

'MAXDOG' (The book) 

... on 702 Talk Radio today, please would you click 

HERE

...to visit my CURRENT BLOG
LIVING LIFE TO THE MAX.

You will be able to read all about the 'MAXDOG' household on that blog as well as the book.

See you there...

LIVING LIFE TO THE MAX

Sending lotsaluv

MAXMOM IN SOUTH AFRICA

FALLING LEAVES

It's Autumn!

Autumn/Fall is a time of the year which resonates deep into my soul.  It is so reflective of the circle of life and seems to fill the world with nostalgia and darkening gloom.

Despite the beautiful colours of Autumn, the knowledge of the icy chill of winter (just around the corner) seems to distract us from the beautiful colours which surrounds us. 

Soon the gloom of winter will descend and we will think it is forever. 

Is it not possible, however, to alter this thought into one of wonder and anticipation? 

Let me explain…

We often hear the phrase “Born again” in religious circles; a phrase which symbolises the dying of the self and the rebirth of the soul.  

In my mind, Autumn symbolises this phrase directly into the heart of nature.  We can even visualise it in ourselves.  

Leaves – symbols of a previous prosperous life – suddenly morph into strange, unusual colours, and then detach themselves from trees to fall and become dust... 

The incredible beauty of our surroundings suddenly disappears and leaves us with a grey world.  It can be a time of depression and deepening despair.

But amidst the beautiful leaves of Autumn lies the energy of the transformation; the hope of Spring and a new world.  One just has to look for it. 

How often do we see this in the world  at large too?  
Sometimes, usually vibrant people are suddenly struck with some fatal diseases or permanent affliction, and then sadly succumb to their illnesses? 

It seems that the notions of “Autumn” and “Death” hold hands together.  

But there is hope…always!!!…

This particular branch on the tree outside our house, for example, will soon become bare.  The tree itself will loose its leaves and lie, dormant, for a couple of months.  

But in a few months, new shoots will emerge signalling spring.  Suddenly the whole world will come to life.

Although,the months of winter may seem endless, we know, with certainty, that it is only transitional. The miracle of what lies below the solid bark and the seeds which lie desolate continues to work its magic.  

Soon, a whole new world will emerge.... 

Perhaps as human beings, we too fall into the same process … 

Is this also our season to change?  To begin our own transformation?

Perhaps it's the opportunity to rest and then to embrace new-found energy:  perhaps a new life;  a chance to grow as a person and a precious soul. Our Autumn is simply a transforming energy. A brand new life is on the horison - the promise is there...

But yes, like the trees, we first have to rid ourselves of our clutter – emotional and otherwise - turn our back on the things which burden us and keep us from springing to life.  

And then, finally, we need to embrace the wonderful, God-given hope of a new day; a new season; a new life...

Let us all rest in that hope...

With love

Caryl

TODAY's PALETTE

(With love, to my husband)

The palette of today is yours -

YOURS alone!

Only YOU can paint its glorious colours.

Leave the dark ones prone.

Will you paint it with wonder & awe?

Reaching the full potential of your masterpiece?

Or, at the end of the day, will it lie unattended?

Dismal?

Don't let others destroy what is rightfully yours...

The palette of today is YOURS -

YOURS alone!

Caryl Moll

15 March 2012

TEA SETS GALORE

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

I've recently been so inspired by Beth's blog - "BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE" - that I decided to put up a somewhat different post today. Beth often puts up beautiful posts and invites her cyber-guests to "have a cup of tea" with her in her beautiful garden. I always feel refreshed and inspired after reading Beth's blog.

Well today, I would like to share a "secret" with my own readers... 

I am a tea-set "hoarder". I didn't quite realise that I had so many until I recently took stock of all the tea-sets in my home.   I'm not sure exactly how many I have, but they've been put in my care by various people over the years. I must admit, they are really beautiful but not used nearly as much as they should be. 

My mother was a great "tea-party" person and she  made huge efforts for her guests. A freshly starched linen table cloth was carefully thrown over the garden table.  A small vase of flowers was added and then the tea was made.  I was often put in charge of pouring of the tea for the guests and would hand out the steaming cups to their recipients.  A sugar bowl with pretty coloured granules was also offered, followed by the day's cake or biscuit variety from the kitchen.  It was a cherished ritual. Unfortunately, my mom is no longer with us anymore, but her tea sets live on and so do the wonderful memories.  

I'd like to share some of them with you...

 Above: Hand-painted pottery tea set.

 Above: Royal Dalton: "Moss Rose"

 Above: Royal Dalton: "Cottage Garden"

 Above: A silver tea-set given to my mother as a 'Long-service' award.

Above: This tea-set was inherited from my late mother-in-law.

Queen Ann tea-set

 Above: A 'cake/biscuit' plate with 'Czechoslovakia' etched on the back (?)

Above: A 'tea strainer' that I gave my mother for her birthday.  

(Don't know who made it.)

 Above: My personal 'large' tea cup given to me by my husband

(A real favourite - both the hubby AND the cup that is, lol!)

 Above: Arzberg white morning tea set.

 Above: ???? no idea where they came from, but VERY old!!!

Any suggestions?

 Above: Also an Arzberg morning tea set

 Above: Our family's biscuit barrel.

Make???

 Above: Milk jug: British heritage collection

 Above: Plate and vase: 'The Claypit' (Australia).  Handpainted

 Above: Hand-painted cake plate: South African protea

 Above: Cake plate: South African antelope

Above: 50th Wedding anniversay

(Yes, my parents were married for 50 years1)

---xXx---

BUT ...the biggest secret of all is that I don't really use these tea-sets much.  

In our fast modern life-style, our family generally reaches for the old faithful coffee mugs in the cupboard.  How times have changed. 

But admittedly, both have merit.

:)

Sending lotsaluv to you all

Caryl