Window Views # 2

Taken in a Catholic Church in Ireland about 10min drive out of Galway
trying out the settings on my new camera - Cannon 450D

Window Views is hosted by The Teach

Wordless Wednesday Tulips

Belfast Botanical garden April 2009

Running away from home

I grew up in the city. Some people call the area I grew up in a township, I saw it more as suburban - it is about 20min drive from one of the main cities in South Africa - Durban.

My first true farm experience was round about the age of 12/13. My best friend's had moved to Ixopo. I spent just over week during the winter school holidays with her.

What I liked best was walking to the streams and river banks to sit and write poetry.

When we did go into the small town where her mother owned a clothing shop we would spend most of the day flirting with the older guys that worked in the complex.

It was the first I drank coffee that was not caffeine free. That for me just made the whole stay more romantic/artistic - I would daydream about sitting at Paris cafe's drinking coffee, writing and listening to poetry.

A year later when things at home got really rough. My parents were arguing a lot. During one argument my Dad threw money at Mother. They both left it in the garden. I went and picked it up. I saw this as my opportunity to get their attention and go on an adventure. After getting some directions, pretending I was looking for information for my next holiday - I was set to run away from home.

For those who know South Africa they will understand the dangerous position I put myself in. By the time I realised I was I did it felt like it was too late. And I prayed all the way to Ixopo.

I went down to the Durban market. To the taxi rank that was generally only used by black people and some coloureds. I got lost and I did not speak Zulu. I found an old lady who finally gave me directions. I found the the taxi/combi (15-18 seater vehicle) and now I had to wait till it filled up. A guy came to speak to me - he told me that he loved me and that we should marry - I burst into tears and lied - I said I had just lost someone in the family and that could not talk to him. I think he could not handle the tears because he left me and the another lady advised me to rather sit in the front of the taxi/combi . Which turned out to be another nightmare - I had to collect the money for the driver and make sure it was right. Thank goodness there was no problem.

When I arrived in Ixopo I went straight to Aunty Enunice's shop (my best friends mother). She called my mom immediately. I had left a note at home. Mom took off work , read the note and decided not to give it to my father, she then went to school and explained what had happened.
I spent three days on the Farm before safe transport could be found to take me home.

When I got home my dad had left for Johannesburg leaving a message that if he stayed home for my arrival he was not sure what he would have done to me. I know my mom would never have left him hit. Despite his violent temper she managed somehow to stop him from taking it out on us and miraculously he never hit her either. It would normally be the furniture, the dishes and sometimes our dog that would carry the brunt.

A week later we got a call from a lady who turned out to be his girlfriend and was under the impression that he was divorced. She wanted to talk to me and let me know how much my father loved me. That turned out to be turning point for mom who then started divorce proceedings.

That is what came to my mind when i read the prompt - Down On The Farm.

Heart Drop

Have you ever experienced your heart sinking when you here name of someone you dislike or are in conflict (directly or indirectly). A literal feeling of your heart dropping.

I have. And then I realised that I giving this person too much power over my life. But the question now is how do I take back control. I am now smiling at myself. I have been here before. I can't believe how I can caught in the same cycle of behaviour over and over again but I do. get caught up in the storm of stuff and before I realise it I am making the same mistakes I have made in the past. The good though is that I am better and quicker at recognising this and I am not putting myself down and carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders anymore. I can take ownership of my mistakes, stop and re-evaluate my situation and position and now I can take steps to correct what I can, let go of what I can't and move on with the business of living.

As I am writing this I feel a calm and peace. Thank you Lord.

I am not sure what you need to do to take back control. Sometimes its as simple as recognising that you are who are and the choice of your emotions and actions lie with you. Know one can make you do you or feel anything - that choice is yours.
Sometimes its more difficult and you need to work through various layers. The most important thing to remember is that it is possible, don't give up and don't give in.

Window Views

Carrickfergus Castle Window
Northern Ireland

Wordless

"Once upon a time"

hosted http://headsortailshome.blogspot.com/

TAILS

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, son,

they used to laugh with their hearts

and laugh with their eyes:

but now they only laugh with their teeth,

while their ice-block-cold eyes

search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed

they used to shake hands with their hearts:

but that's gone, son.

Now they shake hands without hearts:

while their left hands search

my empty pockets.

`Feel at home! `Come again:

they say, and when I come

again and feel

at home, once, twice,

there will be no thrice-

for then I find doors shut on me.

So I have learned many things, son.

I have learned to wear many faces

like dresses - homeface,

officeface, streetface, hostface,

cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles

like a fixed portrait smile.

And I have learned too

to laugh with only me teeth

and shake hands without my heart.

I have also learned to say,`Goodbye,

when I mean `Good-riddance`:

to say `Glad to meet you,

without being glad; and to say `It's been

nice talking to you, after being bored.

But believe me, son.

I want to be what I used to be

when I was like you. I want

to unlearn all these muting things.

Most of all, I want to relearn

how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror

shows only my teeth like a snake's bare fangs!

So show me, son,

how to laugh; show me how

I used to laugh and smile

Once upon a time when I was like you.

Gabriel Okara

"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase that has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) in storytelling in the English language, and seems to have become a widely accepted convention for opening oral narratives by around 1600. These stories often then end with "... and they all lived happily ever after", or, originally, "happily until their deaths." These are examples of the narrative form, and occur most frequently in the narratives produced by children aged between 6 and 8. (from refernce.com)

Back from my Holiday

We were on Holiday in Galway, Ireland.

We toured Galway City on Tuesday and Wednesday. We did the Cliffs of Moher route on Thursday and Connemara route on Friday. Then we spent Sabbath in New market on Fergus then traveled up to South African friends in Port Laoise.

More details and photographs coming soon.

Galway Irish Crystal

Galway Crystal has established an excellent reputation as a world renowned crystal manufacturer. The premises offer visitors and opportunity to buy glass and crystal ware at the factory shop at reduced prices.

Food alphabet

E-swap

A- Aubergine

B- barley, bagels
C- croutons, coffee, cinnamon
D- Deviled eggs

E- Eskimo pie, Echinacea
F- French Fries, French Bread
G- Ginger beer
H- Hollandaise, hummus
I- Iced tea
J- Jalapeño
K- kale,kiwi,
L- Lentils lasagna (Recipe)
M- Macaroni
N- Naan bread
O- Omelet (Our favourite Sunday morning breakfast)
P- Pasta, Pavlova (How to demonstration, Wikipedia info)
Q- Quaker oatmeal (101 Oatmeal,
R- Rooibos or Red bush Tea - a South African herbal tea - RED espresso



S- Sea Salt
T- Thousand Island salad dressing
U- ugli fruit (pronounced as /ˈʌgli/, or ugly) is a Jamaican tangelo, a citrus fruit created by hybridizing a grapefruit
V- Vanilla, virgin oil
W- Watermelon has a high GI
X- xmas cake
Y- yellow squash
Z- ziti (which has square-cut edges and is smooth, not ridged, in texture), which also refer to particular dishes made from penne-shaped pasta.

How To Make Baked Ziti With Tomato Sauce from Video Jug

List of three

HEAD OR TAILS

A. My daughters new hobbies:

1. Birdwatching (something her dad does as well)
2. Coin Collecting (she read a book at school about it & we have now incorporated into our swaps as well)
3. Swapping (on Swap-bot with her mom)


B. Three Books I am reading at the moment:

1. The Money secret by Rob Parsons
2. Wonderful today by Pattie Boyd
3. The beginners guide to coin collecting by James Mackay

C. Three projects I am working on at the moment:

1. Working on a liturgical dance to the song "Who am I" by Casting Crowns
2. Planning a holiday to Republic of Ireland
3. Investigating buying a SLR camera