On this page I would like to introduce some of my favorite low carb recipes. Banting changed my life, for me it is a lifestyle and not a diet. BEEF TACOS INGREDIENTS 5oog mince Coconut oil f…

Source: Recipes

Postcards and greeting cards  The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. ~E.  Uchtdorf I make my own postcards and greeting cards by using stamps , stickers and recycli…

Source: Crafts

Every morning, after Theo returns home from gym, he opens Rio’s cage to allowing some playtime with me before I get out of bed.

Theo opens the door, holds out his hand, inviting Rio to come and have some fun.  Then he starts with all his tricks,trying to convince us that life in a cage is about fun and games.  He starts barking like a dog, giving us a high-five, dancing like a pro and clucking like a chicken. After almost giving up, because time is running out and we need to get ready for work, he will very slowly, take that step, the step into freedom, to have some fun.

This is the same in our lives. Often we are burdened and become a prisoner due to our circumstances. We pretend that life is a playground, filled with fun and joy.   We try to make the right moves, the sounds, sending out a message that all is well with our souls.

The sooner you realize that the choice is yours, by taking that leap of faith, will you be able to live a life of freedom!

Like Rio, once you have had a taste of freedom,  you would not want to return to your “caged” life.

This morning Theo asked me when was the last time I have seen Elfie. Let me first tell you about Elfie.

Elfie is our Elf on the shelf which we brought back from the USA. The tradition is for him to, for a few weeks before Christmas, visit a household and watch the children’s behavior whether it is good or bad. Well, normally our Elf is full of mischief and doing all sorts of naughty things in and around the house. It sometimes also happen that he pays us a special visit, just to spice up our lives.

After Theo asked me about Elfie, I knew that he came and is hiding somewhere, doing what he is not supposed to be doing.

Then only I saw him, sitting with Pinocchio, listening to all his lies. You wonder how I knew he was lying to him, the proof was in the length of his nose.

This reminded me of my  struggles last night. The whole of yesterday I was struggling to write and edit my posts on my blog.  I corrected all the mistakes made but every time that I opened the blog, there it was, all the same mistakes, with no correction.

Then I tried for 4 hours to write and post my Vegetable dish recipe. I wrote it out about 27 times, updating it but it never appears anywhere on my blog. By that time I was so impatient, doubtful of myself, that maybe it’s too difficult for me,  with my sight impairment, to do a blog.  I started to believe the lie, the silent voice whispering in my ear, you are not good enough.

I called out to God, asking Him to show me what I was doing wrong. This was my final cry for help, although I was alone at home, with nobody to help me,I trusted that He will come to my rescue.

Then,  all of a sudden, I thought that maybe, just maybe,  my daughter was logged into my blog.  I send her a message,  and there and then the problem was solved.

If I had listened to that soft voice, trying to convince me that I am not able,not good enough,  I would not have posted my daily writing, and never have gotten the message from a stranger, thanking  me for my encouraging messages that I shared.

Hopefully Elfie won’t believe the lie, and will realize it is not Christmas as yet, and return back to the North pole.

 

THE BUSHMEN, THE FIREWOOD AND THE TRUTH

It is April and the Bushmen in the Kalahari asked their  new chief “Spaarwater Crawler” if this winter will be mild or cold.

Being a chief in more modern times, he never learned the ancient secrets. When he studied the sky, he could not predict how the  winter will be.

He decided to play it safe and he declared that it was going to be a cold winter and they needed to start collecting firewood in preparation for the cold winter ahead. He is a practical man, and after a few days he got a plan.

He went to a public phone at the national highly and called the weather bureau and ask, “Will the coming winter be cold in the Kalahari?”

“Yes, it seems that way.” said  the one who answered.

He went back to the tribe and gave instruction that they should collect more wood.

A week later, he phoned the weather bureau again.

“Is it  still looking  to be a very cold winter?” He asked, “Yes, it will be very cold.” Comes the reply.

He went back and ordered them to pick up every piece of wood they could find.

After two weeks he phoned again.

“Are you quite sure that it will be very cold?” He asks, “Absolutely” came the reply, “it seems more and more that this  will be one of the coldest winters ever.

“What makes you so sure?
“Our satellite pictures show the Bushmen are collecting all the wood that they can lay their hands on, and they are never wrong.

After reading this, I thought of our own lives.  Sometimes  we need to give advice or to take control.

So often we don’t want to admit that we are not equipped to do what is required from us and we try to do things or give advice about things that we don’t have any knowledge of.

We need to  make sure that, when we ask advice, we approach the right source. For me,  it is important to be plugged in at the source of truth, my lifeline is prayer.

The donkey, the stones and the Hot Wheels I was delighted when Landi told me that my birthday  gift from her, was an outing to “the Pepper Tree ” in Philadelphia. This is one of my most…

Source: 17 April 2016

The donkey, the stones and the Hot Wheels

I was delighted when Landi told me that my birthday  gift from her, was an outing to “the Pepper Tree ” in Philadelphia. This is one of my most favourite places to go. 

Lukas explored the surroundings and soon discovered the rusted donkey, patiently waiting for somebody to come and say hello. He was playing around the water fountain and dropped little stones into the water.

After a healthy,  farm breakfast, we explored the little town. We visited all the shops and bought fresh goods from the farmstalls. Soon it  was time again to leave this peaceful town behind and to return to our normal daily living.

Back home Rouxke and myself went to watch “my big fat Greek wedding”.We thoroughly enjoyed all the fun and laughter.At the end of the movie,  I received a message from Landi.  Still with the theme song playing in my head, I looked at the images on my phone. While I was looking at the photos of this little boy, showing his ouma Z his Hot wheels,holding it  so close up for me to be able to see his cars clearly, tears of thankfulness started running down my cheeks.

I was thankful for Lukas taking me by the finger,leading me to go and say hello to the donkey. I was thankful for, after picking up 2 stones, demonstrating to me how to drop a stone into the water.

I realized, this little grandson of mine,  is loving his ouma Z unconditionally. It does not matter to him how well I can see, he will be my eyes, my guide and my buddy. It reminded me that his love for me is like the theme song “all of me, loves all of you, all your perfect imperfections.

I will always treasure the memories of Donkey, the stones and the Hot wheels.

CREATIVITY

I realize that my creativity is not a hobby, it is who I am,  it’s how I live.

When the Professor told me that I am loosing my sight, I was devastated, just the thought of not being able to create, to see colour, to live in a dull, grey or black world with no horizons, flowers, blue oceans or rainbows.

My children  struggled with the fact that their mother, being so creative,doing things to the finest detail,  will lose her ability of being the person that she was created to be.  I arrange for them to go for counseling.  The person assured them that the Lord will not let their mother lose something He has given her, but she will continue to live a detailed life,  whether in the way of speaking, writing or just in her being.

Today I live that life,to the best of my ability.  It comes with a lot of challenges though.  Last night I went on my blog and saw that the recipe was posted on my home page instead of the recipe page. I struggled to cut and paste and to restore my mishap. Times like this, I do realize that I make a lot of mistakes, but I rather make a mistake than to be someone, frustrated, feeling robbed from the ability to do things perfect,after all, we live in world that is imperfect.

 

What I ask from you is, please forgive and understand if you read my blog and see mistakes, imperfection.  I live a life where I can not depend on my eyes, but I can try to keep my imagination focused.

On this page I would like to introduce some of my favorite low carb recipes. Banting changed my life, for me it is a lifestyle and not a diet. BEEF TACOS INGREDIENTS 5oog mince Coconut oil f…

Source: Recipes

PICNIC AT THE BEACH

If you should ask me why I love picnics so much, well ,  here is my answer.

A picnic is a celebration of ~

• life
• nature
• good food
• family
• friends
• Simplicity,

It is about putting fresh, good food in a basket, to invite friends and family to the beach, park or favorite spot in nature, to laugh, eat, drink and enjoy life in a relaxed, simple manner.

We went to the beach on Sunday, it was a perfect, sunny, no wind, autumn day in Cape Town. We decided to go to Bloubergstrand and invited the Fiefies, our 2 granddaughters,  and Seppie, our blind friend, along.

Soon we realized that almost half the population had the same idea. Luckily we found a parking and could start looking for the right picnic spot.

Normally we can’t wait to open the picnic basket.  It is like opening a surprised packet, each and every container, filled  with different, colourful, fresh and healthy food.

After we enjoyed our lunch, it was time to relax and playtime for the Fiefies.

When I witnessed Juliette, so carefree playing in the water and sand, it reminded me of the scripture reminding us to live a carefree life and to cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us.

So often we make our own lives complicated, we get  stressed out about small unnecessary  things, we concentrate on the negative  instead of keeping thing plain and simple. We need to enjoy the moment and to be carefree like a child.