Sailing aboard Kudana - I

"20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbors. Catch the trade winds in your sails."

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

-o0o-

Twice in my life I have been bitten by the wanderlust bug - and both times instigated by people who have literally "packed up" and gone on an adventure to see what other parts of the world looked like.

Firstly, it was my sister (then 52) and brother-in-law (then 60) who sold everything and went to repair a storm damaged cottage on an island called Inish Boffin off the coast of Gallway  - 10 years later and the cottage is long repaired and lived in by them during the summer months. During the winter they live on the Ireland mainland and survive the most horrendous winters! But they love it and after visiting them on that magical island a few years ago, I can understand why.

Kudana

Seven years ago the same thing happened when long-time friends of Ian (70 and 72 respectively) sold their delightful two-story wooden house overlooking the Bronkhorstpruit Dam, packed their belongings into a car and trailer and left to go and live aboard a 35-ft catamaran they christened "Kudana" (Shona for they love each other) and sail around some very exotic islands!

Bob and Dawn Heasman are not adrenalin junkies or major outdoor adventurers - in fact they are really great, warm-hearted, loving, everyday people. Bob is a radio ham (which is how he and Ian met in the then Rhodesia) and spent most of his life in the refrigeration business. Dawn is tiny and dainty and keeps herself busy with needlework - in her words she was "a housewife on Tuesday and a sailor on Saturday".

When I asked if they needed to study for an examination of some kind before they could embark on this journey Bob's reply was quite simple :"While I was in South Africa I got frightened into studying sailing and doing Radio Licenses etc. When I got overseas I found that nobody was interested as to whether you could sail. I understand that if you want to sail a half 44 gallon drum in a mud puddle in RSA you have to be a qualified skipper. Only South Africa insists on qualifications."

Bob flew out to Trinidad in December 2006 to meet up with their daughter and her boyfriend who had found a catamaran for them to buy. (They had originally ordered a boat in South Africa and were to pick it up in Durban when to their horror they found that the original price they were quoted had escalated by almost half a million - but that is another story all on its own!) Why a catamaran? Simply, it cannot sink because it has too much buoyancy and is ideal for a small crew to handle on their own. In case of something going wrong, the part in the middle between the two keels is ideal to camp on till help arrives. Kudana had been built in France and could do 6 knots (their daughters yacht could do 15 knots!) All in all, a far better option than any of the "half-boats" (single or mono hull) craft available.

Dawn left for Trinidad in January 2007 and for the first few months their daughter, Sylvie, acted as skipper and taught them the ropes while they sailed up the island chain. When they got to Union Island, Bob decided to take over and for a while they did one day island-hopping trips.

Bob & Dawn on Savii (island near Western Samoa)

In 2008 they decided to go to Margarita Island off the coast of Venezuela and on to Panama on New Year's eve. They then embarked on the longest trip which lasted 35 days and they traveled 3700 miles on the open Pacific ocean between the Panama Canal and Nuka Hiva.

Bob had all kinds of gargets and electronic equipment installed on Kaduna which allowed one of them to sleep while the other kept watch. Keeping watch meant keeping an eye on the various instruments to make sure that they stayed on course and keeping a sharp lookout for other vessels in the area. They had a good radar system equipped with a "guard band" which set off an alarm if a metal object approached within a certain radius but did not work well with wooden craft!

Dawn loved keeping watch at night while Bob slept. She could watch the water for hours and observe the incredible amount of stars only visible out there in the dark. She loved life on board and would often sit with her feet in the water watching the various fish coming to investigate. She discovered that life on board a boat did not vary all that much from being at home,  there was always something that needed to be done; whether it was preparing meals, doing the washing, cleaning the boat or one of the other myriad tasks always demanding her attention. However, household chores in those exotic locations seemed more like fun than work!

One would think that they lived solely on fresh fish - and that Bob was to become an expert fisherman, but this was not the case. They bought lots of local produce and tinned foods from the islands they visited. On one occasion Bob managed to catch a small brightly colored blue fish and Dawn thought it much too pretty to eat!

Booby

Bob said that they did not feel isolated out there in the middle of the ocean as he had the ham radio and email and he knew people like Ian were tracking them via the internet. They also met some wonderful people on their travels, including meeting up with Debs, a "Federal Saint" (the group of old students from St Andrews High School, Nysasaland) in American Samoa. And they also received an unexpected visitor.

Having left Trinidad and sailing towards the Panama Canal, a Booby arrived on the boat. These birds tend to be a nuisance as they attack anything that moves, and Bob was worried that it might damage the wind speed and direction indicator. He was also very careful not to challenge the bird or upset it, but no amount of shoo-ing would make it budge. This fellow did absolutely nothing, just sat there looking around. After an hour or so, without much ceremony or drama, the bird flew off again. They think that perhaps he was just tired and needed a place to rest:)

There is still so much to tell about this amazing couple's extraordinary journey and I have realised that there is no way this can be done in one edition. I have at least 20 more pages of notes to work through - and we have not even scratched the surface!

I can however tell you this - not everyone they came across on their travels were as placid or harmless. There are tales about an almost close encounter with Colombian Drug-lords, dodging illegal fisherman, and a daredevil rescue by Bob and friend of chained turtles. 

Not everything was plain sailing with both Bob and Dawn having to deal with health issues and sadly - life will happen while you make other plans - Kaduna damaged and the long road to her repair and further journeys. More of these and other adventures next time as well as the story behind this amazing carving shown above.

A question of loyalty.....

Recently an incident had me pondering the concept of loyalty and if it was a reality or just an illusion?  In this wonderful technological age where everything is so fast and disposable - is there still place for what may be perceived as an old-fashioned sentiment?

 

Being raised very "old-school" in the sense that I was taught to first prove myself before expecting any kind of reward was thrown out the window in the my last years of doing recruitment. The younger generation FIRST wanted to know what they would get out of a job before committing to providing their services and would move from one company to another at a blink of an eye - and sometimes for the most pathetic reasons! Loyalty to the company who was paying for their services seemed to be absolutely non-existent and there appeared to be very little that anyone could do to instill a sense of loyalty among their staff.

 

And of course the cynics have a field day with the concept of loyalty - doing absolutely nothing to try and foster this ability as a positive; instead coating it with derision and scorn under the guise of humour which make it seem OK? On second thoughts, maybe I should not be so hard on Grant Fairley as perhaps he too has been on the wrong end of the loyalty expectation. If he has made a commitment to a company or relationship and his loyalty was not taken into account when he was unceremoniously dumped ....... ? 

Or am I looking at this from the wrong angle - it not being the loyalty aspect - could it be the lack of commitment that fails to produce the loyalty? Which comes first and is it possible to have one without the other?

 

It is tough if you are blessed with a positive attitude and have to keep smiling when everyone else around you is losing perspective and live under a miserable little cloud. And of course, misery loves company and they spread their toxic negativity far and wide and put a downer on everything and everything they touch. Never-mind the glass being half empty - the content is pure bile. So how does one expect loyalty from such a being? Simply - you don't!

 

On the other end of the scale, surely if you offer loyal support, service or commitment to whatever aspect in your life, you have every reason to expect the same loyalty in return? And if this is not the case, why on earth would you then allow one individual to influence your outlook on life and become the carrier of your own little misery cloud? You cannot give that kind of power to someone who does not deserve your loyalty and is not worth you changing your outlook on life.

 

And no, I am not suggesting that you keep hitting your head against a brick wall of disdain and loyalty not returned. If your loyalty is not returned in spite of your best efforts, then perhaps the message is to remove yourself from that environment before it does poison you into believing that the alternative is acceptable. Blind loyalty which is not reciprocated should not be taken too such an extent that it borders on abuse which cannot be a good thing. It takes a brave person to recognize when it is time to walk away. 

If you are lucky enough to have a loyal person in your world, perhaps you should consider how best to hang on to them - they appear to be very few and far between.

 

There is a special little being in my world that reinforces my belief in loyalty on a daily basis. If anything, he teaches me that loyalty should be offered to everyone who touches your life, whether they deserve it or not, and keep being loyal until such time that they prove they are unworthy.

 

Ian got a call from our Vet about 4 years ago about a little dog whose owner wanted to put him down because she was moving into a flat. Ian immediately said we would take him and the most cantankerous, aggressive little fellow arrived at our house. We assume that he was left to his own devices a lot of the time (he hates thunder) and was only brought out to be shown off (he has a pedigree a mile long) and had no concept of what cuddling was all about.

 

I don't "do" little dogs normally (although there are five of them in my world) and I made no effort to make friends with Doobi. I did not try and pick him up or cuddle him (he growled and snapped) so just let him be - which is normally within a meter radius of wherever I am. One day I went down on my knees looking for something I had dropped and Doobi went gaga - responding to what I think he saw as my invitation to play. He ran around giddily, snuggled up to me, rolled over and offered his belly for a rub, and completely came to life! 

Since then, cuddles are a regular thing, with him running up my tummy to land on my chest for a good head and body massage and then curling up by my feet for a nap. He waits politely till he is invited into bed at night and lies really close to me. He is the only one of our dogs who actually sits and eats his meals like a real gentleman (the rest are constant snackers). Strangely, when there is thunder in the air he seeks out Ian's lap and sits there and vibrates until the noise dies down.

He will not demand attention from anyone who comes to our house by jumping up and down. He simply sits in front of them till they notice him and give him some attention - however will not tolerate being picked up. In my world he lives up to his reputation of being an "Officer and a Gentleman".

 

So Grant, I got Doobi, not because I wanted loyalty, but because he needed a home and decided to adopt me to guard and look out for. He is always there and willing for a game and has a way of looking at the world with such wisdom and empathy - like he knows something we do not.

 

Perhaps he knows that loyalty is easy - commit to a course of action and stay with it and more often than not your loyalty will be returned. In buckets. By humans. You just need to show them how.......

Angels & Heroes

Whenever I see or hear about a near-miss of any kind, I glibly say that their "guardian angel must have been working overtime" and promptly carry on with whatever I was busy with! This to me is quite normal, I don't dwell too much on what might have gone wrong, until someone I care about had a really, really close shave and his guardian angel must have had a small heart attack in the process!

If you have not visited our home, then I will need to explain. In the lounge there is a stable door leading out the back with a metal security gate and a large glass sliding door leading out to the front verandah, also with a metal security gate. In summer we tend to leave both doors open to catch a cool breeze. One evening I had gone to bed earlier and Ian had watched some more TV before battening down the hatches for the night. His routine included switching off TV and lights, closing the back door and front sliding door, setting the alarm and wandering off to bed.

The next morning our "Estate Engineer" was cleaning the front verandah when he spotted something and became very agitated. He excitedly pointed at the bottom of the sliding door and most curious we went to investigate. Imagine our surprise when we found a rather big rinkhals (ring-necked spitting cobra) with his head neatly jammed in the doorway. Thankfully he was very, very dead but this time I allowed myself to consider what had happened:  Ian, wandering around the lounge in bare feet approached the sliding door as the rinkhals decided to pop in for a visit. Blissfully unaware of the slithery visitor, Ian closed the sliding door, neatly capturing its head between the door and the jamb and continued with his routine - not realising what had happened until the following morning!!! 
 
It seemed rather ridiculous to have a meltdown 12 hours AFTER the incident but I admit to a case of the rattles while Ian remained totally unphased by the entire incident. EISH!!

Jesse, our weimaraner, also doubles as our own guardian angel - two short sharp barks is her way of telling us that there is a snake in the vacinity of the house!

As time goes by, I have often found that the strangest and unlikely people do something so extraordinary and remarkable that at the time of any given event you don't realise it till much, much later. For example, I was involved in a car accident on the Messina road while still working for Avis Rent-a-Car many years ago. The vehicle was not going anywhere and I seemed to be the biggest wimp this side of the equator as I kept fainting. A small Datsun bakkie with an elderly couple pulled up and my friends asked that they take me to hospital. The entire journey (about 70km) the lady prayed very loudly for my speedy recovery, showering me with blessings of strength and endurance. I never found out who they were but I am convinced that the only injury I suffered was a light concussion and a broken bone in my hand was largely due to her heroic efforts.

We tend to experience rather terrifying veld fires in our area and the most baffling thing about them is this. We will phone the fire brigade and ask for assistance but long, long before they arrive, my personal heroes make their appearance. They arrive in bakkies with water tanks on the back and many hands  carrying fire beaters to help. They assess the situation and someone normally climbs on the back of the bakkie and bellows out instructions to the small army, and within a relatively short time the fire is brought under control and they leave again. I never get their names and have no idea what their contact details are but know some are members of an organisation called "MZT Community" (www.mztcommunity.co.za) and in my world they are magnificent - they see the smoke and without being asked, just arrive and help. Thank you!!

There is a beautiful poem called Reason, Season, Lifetime (unknown author) about why people are brought into your life and the lessons you are supposed to learn from them. One person in particular comes to mind whenever I read this poem and remember a magnificent thing that he did for me many, many years ago.

If you have never lived in a small town, you have no idea what it is like being an unmarried mother in such an environment. It is harsh and people treat you as if being pregnant is contagious (umm I suppose it is in a way *lol*) and at times you feel like a pariah. I had given birth to my son 3 months before the major social event of the year which was the Spring Ball and under the circumstances had no thought of going.

The most gorgeous Tom Selleck look-alike in town at the time was a young tall, dark and VERY handsome man in the police and every female in town under 60 was absolutely smitten with him. Much to my amazement he asked ME to go to the ball with him. I thought he was nuts and stupid and told him so in no uncertain terms. He was then very sneaky and spoke to my Mom, who being most impressed with his fine manners, joined forces with him to convince me to go.

Wearing a full-flared strapless and sequined dress my mother had worn to the VJ Ball in Simonstown in the 1940's we arrived at the venue. I was terrified and balked at the idea of entering that crowded venue and in spite of the elaborate gown, felt quite naked.

He was not in the least impressed with my pathetic demeanor and demanded that I walk up straight and smile while we walked the entire length of the hall to his friends seated at a table right at the back. There was a moment of hushed horror as people realised who his date was and then the clamoring built as the WTF's (or similar) reached a crescendo only drowned out by the band starting to play. Without breaking his stride, my hero swung me into a waltz and we, without an invitation or announcement, opened the dance floor.

I don't remember much of that night but I always remember the effect his behaviour had on me. It did not matter what people thought, I was not as bad as all that and I could still hold my head held high - he simply gave me back my dignity and self-respect and a part of me remains grateful to this day.

Shortly after that evening, I found a job in another town and we lost touch when I left. I recently met up with someone from that time who told me that he had been in a microlight accident and had suffered some head injuries which left him very little of his former self. 

The news was a tremendous shock and I can only hope that wherever he is and whatever he is doing, he is being cared for and loved because he paid it forward many many years ago. And in my universe he remains a hero.




 

Researching "Mosaics Made in Africa"

Cover: Mosaics Made in Africa by Marina Giovitto Ehlers

By now it is apparent that I enjoy writing. Not a blossoming Nadine Gardiner by any remote chance or a Nobel Prize in the very far distant future, but my meanderings and observations of my Life, Love and Universe seem to strike a chord. And way down, tucked away deep under my left boob, is the dream to one day write a book.

So you can imagine my absolute joy when Marina of Mosaic Arts asked me to come and help research the book she had been threatening to write for years. It was to be a book on the mosaics produced by her mother, Vera Giovitto over the 45 years of Mosaic Arts' existence. Vera would be turning 70 the following year and Marina felt the time was right to get the project done, so in August 2011 I became "mgeassist" (Assistant to Marina Giovitto Ehlers). 

Although much of the work would be done from home, basic information needed to be found and verified and half of a storeroom was converted into a work space for me. The first draft put together was very simple and straightforward and comprised 8 Chapters, divided into "type": walls, floors, florals, pools, arabic, animals etc. This was probably the only time that this format was thought of and would change many, many times over the next two years.

Stuck to the screen in front of my desk what a copy of a photograph which speaks volumes and is on the fly page of the book - Vera "running" with Wildebeest. During the installation of the mosaic in Nelspruit, Vera playfully posed as if running together with the wildebeest and somebody took the photo which served as my inspiration for the duration of the project.

There is no list of every mosaic ever created by Mosaic Arts, and it was necessary to do some digging to find the dimensions and date of completion of certain mosaics. This entailed diving into boxes of old quotations or simply asking either Vera or Marina. It was adorable the amount of times the date  of the mosaic being completed was ascribed to the age or milestone of one of the children or grandchildren and often helped by one of the grandchildren appearing in the photograph.

Vera and Cher at the launch of the book

Boxes of old photographs were often produced by Vera and hearing the stories and memories evoked by those sometime faded pictures was a magical experience. While compiling the Introduction I spent hours with Vera learning about her home, her life in the hamlet she grew up in, the people and surrounding area. She would show me books and narrate experiences which I could only have imagined. In relating the hard and tough times she survived (cancer, the loss of her husband), it was sometimes very difficult not to become emotional and I learned what a strong and amazing woman she is, worthy of much admiration and huge respect.

Spending so much time in the factory, often with a camera taking pictures of the current mosaic in progress, I was lucky enough to capture some stunning photographs. Unposed and entirely natural, the one on the left in particular captures the relationship and fun attitude of the team at work. Marina and Vera were grouting the SA Reserve Bank Mosaic, with grouty hands and grinning from ear to ear - it is a huge favourite of mine! Another one is of Vera working on the giant Protea destined for a private home in Johannesburg. With all the painstaking work and meticulous attention to detail, Vera was not impressed that it was going to be installed in a guest bathroom!, yet did not for one second prevent her from doing her magical thing with shading.

Vera with the giant protea on the back cover

Of course, other stories emerged that never made it into the book. For example, the team that cut and shape tiles in the factory are all women and when it comes to mosaicing, they all have a specialty. One does faces very well, one is extremely good with intricate patterns, one is an absolute whizz at repeat patterns and so on. There is however one area that is bound to create some giggles and much debate and that is creating the umm really delicate parts of a male nude. The debate would center around how realistic the mosaic should or should not be and who actually gets to do the part - knowing she is going to be teased for the duration.

Marina, Gavin, Laura and Vera

Research also comprised obtaining permission from hotels, businesses private homes and a celebrity. Most  were happy to let us use their names together with the mosaics and and the celebrity made us sign a contract to the effect that we would not use the image to promote the book in any way. In complying with that regulation, I will not mention the celebrity here either *chuckle*

The one thing in life I have always hated is doing something over, I am just not good at it and tend to get grumpy when I have to repeat something again, and again. Yet with this project, it did not matter! There were a number of people involved in the project and reading the first, second, eighth, tenth draft produced some changes as each person added to the base and made it better. Gavin, (Marina's husband), Laura (Marina's  friend and editor), Rikus Keyser and Ian all read bits and added their input which in the end produced a product which we are all very proud of.

My signed copy of Mosaics made in Africa

 
My part of the project was completed in March 2012 and then it was a case of being supportive of Marina from the sidelines while she completed the layout of the book. Disaster struck when her laptop was stolen from her office putting her back six months with the layout but she soldiered on with little sleep and reworking, reworking, reworking the book till it satisfied her high standards of perfection.

The book was launched on 17th August 2013 in Pretoria and a few days later, Vera went back to Italy with 30 copies of the book. Knowing her background I can only imagine the joy and pride she must feel when giving the book to her family and friends as a testament to what she has achieved during her years in darkest Africa. I thank her and Marina for allowing me into their lives and giving me the opportunity to be part of this amazing process.

Living with the Editor

Observations by Witty’s Wench

(Abbreviated version first published in the Federal Saints Journal No 73: January 2011)

Ian in Australia 2010

I am not a “Saint” – which in this particular case means I have never attended Saint Andrew’s High School in Nyasaland. I have never even been to Malawi but that has not stopped me from learning a whole lot about the country, the environment, the places and people who lived there during the Federal Period - roughly 1953 -1964.

For those that ask me what Ian "does", my normal reply is that he runs a group of ex-students from his old school in Malawi (then Nyasaland). They kinda smile politely, I know they just do not "get" it. It took me a while as well in the beginning because it really is very difficult to explain. By the blank look on their faces you just know that they consider it "pottering" to keep  busy!!!! 

1st Newsletter: January 2005

Ian had often wondered what had happened to his old school friends, and with the advent of the internet and email, Ian  found it a whole lot easier to track them down. Like the proverbial snowball, catching up with one person, led to being given their connections and so the group of contacts grew. Nobody is quite sure how it happened, but when someone suggested that a Newsletter keeping everyone abreast of developments and group contact details - Ian got the job and the first Saints Newsletter was published in January 2005.

When we first met, Ian told me about his “little group” and that he published a monthly newsletter. This was during August 2005 and he had brought along a copy of the latest edition and my first impression of the 30-odd pages was that this was no newsletter!! In my world a Newsletter is maybe 4 pages, filled mostly with advertisements and bland blah rhetoric which in simple terms is boring, boring, boring! The copy that he brought along should have warned me that this time consuming project would feature largely in our lives.

The Newsletter was simply packed with articles and features contributed by members of the group, little snippets of information from their lives, their wanderings and travelings around the world, information on "hatches, matches and dispatches" (Births, marriages and deaths), where they were, what they were doing, books on the area, charity projects, and just lots and lots of gossipy stuff.  If you wanted to know what happened to your old buddy, the Newsletter was bound to catch you up with his activities in a very short period of time.

Our world is dominated by the production of the Newsletter (now called the Journal) - there is very little that suspersedes the importance of ensuring that the deadline is met on the 14th of every month and you will be amazed at how many gremlins are bent on disrupting the process:

• Electricity supply (or lack thereof)
• Internet connectivity (hey, this is Africa)

• 

  8th Newsletter: August 2005

  Software upgrades not compatible (who knew there were so many variants of the same thing?)
• Computer hardware failure (umm yes, that too!)
• Life in general (Life is what happens when you are making other plans!)

From the 7^th of the month, an invisible shield is run around the household as the final touches are put to the Journal. Leaking taps, broken equipment or any other minor household crisis is put on hold or simply “lived with” until after the 14^th. This shield also includes me answering the phone a whole lot more, and keeping Witty’s distractions to a minimum – especially if there has been either hardware or software issues that are being particularly difficult to resolve! I know which crisis is being dealt with at any given point in time, so to those who feel that I am “blocking” calls to Witty – it is not out of being ornery, it’s just me keeping his stress levels down to a minimum.

And those stress levels are sometimes brought on by the simple fact that his audience is made up of strange characters called a human beings. Yes, we all know that it is impossible to please all of the people all of the time and in any group there are bound to be "those" individuals who are just out of sync with their world. In retrospect, some of the incidents that Ian has had to deal with over the years are actually quite funny but at the time, it was anything but!!! Situations where you have family members feuding across the ocean separating them; friends getting into a squabble with each other and emailing Ian with their respective points of view (instead of addressing each other - the email is addressed to Ian and the guilty party c.c'ed); members of the group getting hot and bothered because the "Federal Period" has expanded to include additional old students of the school; going off at a tangent because Ian dared edit their submissions and generally just being, well, human!

All of the above pales in comparison with the absolute joy and happiness the producing of the Journal provides to Ian. Every time a connection between old friends is made, family reunited, a missing Saint found or some missing bit of information traced – the hassles, and drama’s, and frustration is forgotten. Every time someone writes to him about meeting up with someone they had lost contact with, it provides renewed energy to keep doing this “job” which started out as a hobby and turned into a vocation.

Ian says that he is the “glue” that merely puts the Journal together from information provided by the members. This is true but a comment from someone could be the nudge that sends him off on searching additional information on any particular subject. And this is what makes the difference... the additional information or snippets about a topic which gives informative and factual depth to the publication. A task that I might add – gives him tremendous enjoyment ... like a modern day super sleuth. So can you imagine the disaster when the Internet goes down??

Federal Saints Journal 102 - June 2013

Then, because life does happen while you are making other plans, the deadline for the July issue was approaching really fast and Ian simply was not well. For years he has been treated for high blood pressure and suddenly out of nowhere, his blood pressure plummeted! Of course, figuring out the problem took a few days while he continued with his normal medication which threw him out even further and he just could not find the energy or keep concentrating long enough to continue to put the Journal together and out on time. John Longmore who distributes the electronic format of the Journal was asked to please advise everyone that their beloved mid-month treat would not be on time and the reason for it.

What happened next was absolutely amazing! Emails started pouring in from members of the group from around the world with messages of support, love, appreciation and understanding. All wishing Ian everything of the best with the hope that he recovers quickly, and many, many other warm wishes. We stopped counting after the 200th email, and they still kept coming!!! 

If ever there was an indication that the amount of hours he puts into producing the Journal every month is greatly appreciated, this outpouring of concern for his well-being firmly established that fact, and for that, I am personally most grateful to all those who send emails, phone calls and just hung in there for a few days till the Journal was ready to be sent! 

I admit I did not “get it” – and if truth be told, I still don’t entirely understand the allure of being in contact with old school chums, old teachers, old school; in fact, anything much to do with the past. Having said that, I have learned over the past eight years, that it is not so much the past that has the allure, but a sense of freedom and discovery remembered by people who were already showing signs of the amazing individuals they were to become.  

And of these amazing individuals who contribute regularly to the publication, support Ian in his endeavors and in the process have become household friends – you have taught me that it is not so much the past that is important but the spirit that is remembered. There is no such thing as an “inner circle” of Saints – there is a group of people who share the same interest, background and history who share their experiences and love with anyone who cares to listen. There is always room for more – even me!

And then, it is winter...

My dearest friend, Marion Julyan, sent me the following email and it kinda touched me in a way I did not expect..... I identified with it!! I regret I recognised certain aspects of it - never considering for a moment that I actually am bordering on early Autumn and that winter is not really that far off and that I would soon be entirely in tune with the sentiments.

Many years ago, I borrowed a friends old grey bakkie to take James (my son) back to school. When I say old, I mean really been to wars, faded, dented, and an engine that sounded like it had a bad case of bronchitis. As it chugged up the hill I made some catty comment about it being slow and needing a push and James quietly said "Mom, you are also going to be old and grey one day." Alright so that was twenty-odd years ago and somehow it still feels like yesterday.

So for those of us in early or late Autumn, here is perhaps a recipe to keep winter at bay for as long as possible. And to make sure we keep things in perspective and not take life too seriously, some of my favourite Aunty Acid quips.
 

 

Being very aware of copyright, etc, I searched the internet for the author to give him/her credit for putting into beautiful words, what so many of us face, or must face in the not too far distant future. What I did find was numerous discussions, blogs, commentaries and various other references, all with one thing in common .... the author is unknown.

Dear Unknown Author - forgive me for reproducing your words without giving you credit but my friends would appreciate me sharing your thoughts with them.

-o0o-

And Then It’s Winter.

Author Unknown

And it’s winter before we know it…You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all.

And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is…the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?

I remember well, seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But, here it is…my friends are retired and really getting gray…they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me…but, I see the great change. Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore–it’s mandatory! Cause if I don’t on my own free will, I just fall asleep where I sit!

 

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it will last…this I know, that when it’s over…it’s over. Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done; things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime.

 

So, if you’re not in your winter yet…let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long!!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life. So, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

“Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after….Make it a fantastic one.”

LIVE IT WELL!
ENJOY TODAY!
DO SOMETHING FUN!
BE HAPPY!
BE THANKFUL!



Neither Artist or Crafter - an artisan's dilemma



Eurydice 2013




 I discovered mosaic in December 2005 and am currently working on my 286th mosaic - before you try and work it out - it simply means that I average about 31 mosaics per year.
My name is Cher and I am a mosaic addict!

 

When I first started this "craft" it was an absolute obsession with me experimenting with all kinds of materials and techniques. Some did not work out so well, as evidenced by 8 or more "work in progress" pieces dotted around the studio. They serve as a reminder that all my bright ideas are not always very practical.

 

Waterbird 2006

The one piece which is fast becoming a royal pain is a ceramic lamp shaped like a mountain village which I started almost five years ago. The problem is that by leaving it alone for so long, my ability and skill level has improved so much that I feel I should pull all the tiles off and start again because I would now approach it differently and probably do a better job. The problem is there is a lot of tiles to pull off and the base being ceramic would mean that chunks of it would come off as well!!

In doing research on mosaic I discovered the most amazing websites filled with wondrous pieces of Mosaic Art and aspired to be able to create amazing art myself. There were only two small problems with this ambition - I dont have an art or design background! Nevertheless, undeterred I soldiered on, mosaicing everything and anything I could lay my hands on, even managing to create my own range of DIY Mosaic Kits when I had tackled all the ones available at the time.

My first attempt at something a bit "arty" (Mosiac #20) was a copy of a waterbird which I still use as the Cherian Mosaics logo. I was pretty chuffed with the result and thought perhaps this art thing could not be so difficult after all. (ummm yes - every single mosaic I have completed has been numbered and photographed and recorded in an album.....OCD at its best!)



Marmaduke 2008

Feeling very brave I then asked Moira MacMurray, an established and renowned artist and school friend of Ian, if I could mosaic one of her delightful and quirky cats. She kindly gave me permission to reproduce "Marmaduke" which proved to be a challenge! Marmaduke has been "sold" a number of times and secretly I am kinda pleased that all the sale has fallen through, because he remains in my studio as one of my favourite mosaics.
 

One of the very ancient and popular subjects for mosaics is portraits and when a visiting international mosaic teacher came to South Africa in 2011, it was time for me to try and do a face of some kind. Faces are notoriously difficult to do, so I chose Nyetiri from the movie Avatar as my subject. My thinking was that it was "alien" and therefore if I stuffed it up, it would not be so noticable! I chose the prettiest coloured tiles called "Twinkle", which has a foil backing and hellishly difficult to shape. If you nibble too much on the tile, the foil peels away and you are left with a clear glass tile which meant my wastage of tiles was enormous! With some serious perseverence she was finally finished and was exhibited at the MASA Mosaic Exhibition 2012.



Nyetiri 2011

It would be a while before I attempted my next "portrait". In between I build step-by-step projects for Craftwise Magazine on behalf of mosaic supply stores to promote mosaic and give readers an opportunity to try a new technique or style. Finally, under the direction of Marina Ehlers of Mosaic Arts, who came up with the design and concept for "Eurydice" ( inspired by the huge mosaics installed in the Paris Opera House depicting lovers from Greek mythology). With Marina providing the design and outlay and Vera Giovitto (Marina's mom and founder of the company) providing detailed instructions with regards colour choices and shading, it could be considered a "mosaic by numbers" project. This in no way detracts from the joy I had in creating her, the painstaking attention to detail and ensuring that the tiles were cut and matched to perfection. It was mounted by Mosaic Arts as in inlay on a piece of old scaffolding plank which had hung around their workshop for years.

 



MASA in support of RAGE Rhino 2013

The 2013 Community Service Project for the Mosaic Association South Africa in support of RAGE (Rhino Action Group Effort) requires members to create a mosaic depicting a Rhino. These mosaics will be displayed at schools and environmental centres to create awareness and the top mosaics will be donated to RAGE to raise funds to combat rhino poaching. Although the brief calls for a 30x30cm mosaic, I duly went overboard and created a 75cm diameter mosaic for the launch of the project. It was the first time I had attempted shading on my own and am pretty happy with the end result. The design was provided by Mosaic Arts and is inspired by an installation done for the South African Reserve Bank.

 

And in that last sentence is the dilemma that I live with - I will never be a true mosaic artist unless I can produce an original design all on my own. Each and every mosaic depicted here is a reproduction of somebody else's design or concept (all with permission, of course). Although I do a whole bunch of "crafty" mosaics to sell, I am capable of so much more but just dont know how to put my bright concepts into a practical mosaic. So kinda stuck in the middle of this debate, I have come to the conclusion that although I will never be a true mosaic "artist", I am a pretty good "artisan" and that is fine by me.

 

Vera says that if I had come to her 20 years ago, I would now be a great artist. As Vera is in her early 70's and I have just turned 57 I am quite happy to make the following deal with her: She sticks around till her early 90's and I will be her avid student until I am 77 - not a bad age to become a true mosaic artist.... dont you agree?

 

 

 

Memories of a Mountain

The view from my office at Magoebaskloof Hotel

With the weather today being overcast and and misty and generally miserable, it nevertheless triggered memories of a magical place, high on the Eastern escarpment where my soul was restored to some semblence of normality.

If you have ever driven from Polokwane (Pietersburg) to Tzaneen in the Northern Province, in all likelihood you would driven past the huge ZCC (Zion Christian Church) complex and started climbing the mountain. From farmland the vista would have changed to forest and literally right on top of the mountain you would have passed Magoebaskloof Hotel before the road descended again.

That magical place no longer exists as it did back in 1990. Early in 2004 a fire destroyed most of the Reception, Bar, Dining Room and kitchens, so the huge lounge with its roaring fires in winter were definitely a thing of the past. To give you an idea of the character of the place, the staff were not laid off while the hotel was being rebuilt, they all literally donned overalls and learned new skills to build the hotel in the shape it is today... sadly the old magic did not survive.

The Management and Staff of Magoebaskloof Hotel at the F1 Powerboat Race held on Tzaneen Dam

But this is not a travelogue to tell you about the glorious views, stunning waterfalls, Cherry Blossoms in spring time; its about the mountain and people who worked and lived at the hotel and how they provided a very happy place for James and I for 4 magical years.

I was appointed as secretary to the General Manager but unless you have worked in a small country hotel, you wont understand how the position expands to encompass a whole bunch of additional tasks that needed to be done. I worked every day from 8 till 2 as the secretary and from 6 till whenever in the evening as hostess, complaints department, sympathetic ear or whatever else needed to be attended to for the guests. Horst Dombrock,  a 6'6" German was the General Manager and ran the hotel with an efficiency that was quite scary. His presence in a 3-piece suit was quite imposing, and as an American guest put it, "he is darn ugly and his mother dresses him funny".

With all his quirks, foibles, funny handwriting and odd-pronounced words, Horst had a thing about protecting his staff and would do much to keep a guest happy, but only put up with the guest being a pain to a certain extent. It was not entirely unheard of for a guest to finish his dinner and find Horst at the reception desk with the guests bags packed, a refund and address for alternative accommodation!


The Viennese Ball - this is the Staff all dressed up, not the guests!

Although isolated in the mountains, Horst was responsible for dreaming up some spectacular events to keep the guests (and staff!) entertained. From Viennese Balls to Halloween Parties, German Beer Festivals and even catering for the F1 Powerboat Race held on the Tzaneen Dam. What definitely ranked as the most spectacular event was the staff's production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Having the dubious honour of being the Director for this event, you cannot understand the hilarity in trying to get a 6'6", highly disciplined, ramrod-straight German, to do a flapping wrist impersonation of the abonimable Frank N Furter!! But Horst did very well in the end and even managed a delightful hip-swinging sashay off the stage.

 

Living on the mountain with gallons of fresh air brought a different perspective into our lives. James attended the tiny Haenertsburg Primary School while I worked at the hotel. Traffic jams consisted of listening for cars before turning into the hotel entrance when the mist was so heavy you could not see two feet in front of the car. You met a whole bunch of very interesting people albeit transient people who never stayed long anough to become really great friends, so the staff became "family" until they too moved on to greener pastures; as did James and I did eventually.

 

I returned to Magoebaskloof Hotel to get married and had the reception on the ledge overlooking the valley, so it only seemed fitting that when I got divorced, I threw my wedding ring into the same valley.

 

The very fond memories of the years spent there will always remind me that no matter how much life threatens to overwhelmn you, if you are lucky enough to find a place to breathe and regain some sense of normality, things can only get better, much, much better!