Day 336: Legal to drive

"There's a rumour going 'round that if you amass a certain number of penalty points on your driving licence, the authorities will make you take your test again! Now, if ever there was an incentive to drive carefully, they could not have threatened a more terrifying ordeal." - Jasper Carrott

Project 365: #336

A sneaky view in the test center, pretty much the same the world over. Queues, and queues. The day finally arrived for the driving test, 6 months after the written test to the day! With some last minute, stressed out preparation in parallel parking, Caitlin passed!!! Yay, so she has her driver's licence...another milestone and freedom (well, relative freedom)! I don't think that this is something any of use want to redo, as aside from the actual stress of the testing, the paperwork involved is unbelievable. For the last minute practise, I took Caitlin to the baseball field parking area, which is relatively secluded and set up the cones (aka poles attached to the toilet plunger). She was getting so mad with me that I stepped out the car and stood watching....when the police arrived. I was a little worried as she did not have ID with her, I did not have the correct decals on car, she was not wearing a seatbelt, and I was not in the vehicle. Naturally, my mind was racing as to how I was going to explain this...when he walked over, and offered some brilliant advice! How cool is that! The police rock!

Day 335: Allergies

"I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness." - James Thurber

Project 365: #335

This is Mike....4 AM without fail for the past few weeks...sneezing, and sneezing, and sneezing, and sneezing. Naturally, Mouse has been sleeping in the bed, pretty much on my pillow, and Campbell sometimes joins her, and Riley always joins in first thing in the morning, causing a little rumpus with loud growling, spitting, snarling, barking between them....so naturally, Mike thinks it is from the animals (even though the trees, flowers, grasses are laden with pollen at the moment!) So, deep-cleaning it is. Scrub everything in site. Wash the linen, the pillows, the mattresses, the carpets. Scrub down the walls, the floors, the bed. Bar the furkids from entering. Close the door. Put in earplugs for the persistent meowing, pleading, paw under the door. Eventually she will give up....which she did, in most disgruntled fashion she has taken up lodgings in the laundry basked on the desk in the office! Even with all this effort, there is still some sneezing...so to conclude, I think Mike is allergic to consciousness (or me)!

Day 334: Monday exhaustion!

"Mondays are the potholes in the road of life." - Tom Wilson

Project 365: #334

According to Riley, this is the best way to recover from the weekend, and deal with the potholes that Monday's present! Bury yourself in the cushions next to your favorite chew toy and go to sleep! Brilliant advice. Too much excitement from the weekend, or the idea of a new week is just overwhelming. No matter, sleep it off. There is nothing that a good sleep couldn't cure!

Day 332: Estate sale treasure hunts

"My mom passed on her obsession of all things antique or vintage. I love to go thrift store shopping or explore any sort of garage sale. Treasure hunting is a family passion." - Zoey Deutch

Project 365: # 332

While helping a friend at an estate sale at the weekend, I was wondering around, making sure all was good, and kept seeing this couch in a corner of the house. I didn't think much of it, other than we are looking for some furniture to furnish our rather sparse house after leaving most of our material belongings behind in our adventure across the world...so I sent a quick message home to see if there was any interest. Well, the question was, it is a sleeper couch? So, I checked, and it was...then I looked at the price...$25....are you sure???? It is a little grubby, but otherwise in perfectly good shape. The reason being, it weighs a ton and is difficult to move  through the ancient house with funny, tiny, stairwells. As they say 'n boer maak 'n plan'...so the couch is now sitting in my garage waiting to be cleaned up! Can't sneeze at a bargain, after all! I really do like estate sales for the antiques and vintage things (not just bargains), which are beautiful and reminiscent of an elegant, slower era of true craftsmen with a passion for beautiful things. Treasure hunting is so exciting, you never know what you will find...perhaps a glimpse into a life well lived!

Day 331: Prom night!

"Prom has all the elements of a popular story. It reeks of all-Americanness, tension, drama. It has romance. Pretty dresses. Dancing. Limos. High school. Coming of age." - Adora Svitak

Project 365: #331

Nothing could be more American than Prom! All the drama leading up to it..beginning with promposals, and finding the perfect dress, how to wear the hair, nails, and makeup. Who will be sitting with who. Where the Pre-Prom party will be. Luckily we were consumed by exams in the run up to Prom, so we didn't have much time to think about anything, with the final high school exam ever written on the day! What a rush to get ready....but Caitlin managed, looking cool and calm when arriving at the Pre-prom party to greet her date and friends. The highlight of this event was the arrival of the beloved girls Track coach, who showed his dedication to the girls by being part of their evening! What an inspiration, and the start of an amazing night for them! This marks the end of an era, the end of endless school lunches, the end of fetching and carrying, the end of early morning rushes out the door, it seems that Grade 1 was just yesterday. This marks the coming of age, which I am not sure any parent is really ready for, but always knows it is going to happen. It comes at just the right time, when they are ready to stretch their wings and fly. School has provided them with the knowledge of learning, and youth has given them the confidence they need to fly.

Day 333: UCSD practise

"When I was a kid, I always wanted to live in California because I liked skateboarding." - Demetri Martin

Project 365: # 333

With the plans for college having shifted to UCSD, there is so much excitement in our house...Caitlin will be getting back to a lifestyle that she loves. So, after much muttering and moaning on my part regarding all the stuff we have carted around with us....it is being put to good use again. The longboard was hauled out, and is being thoroughly enjoyed! It will be a good alternative to 'shank's pony' until we can afford a car in Cali. There is always the option of a bicycle, and the weather is pretty good all year around....California Dreamin'...don't let go of those dreams, ever! They do come true!

Day 330: Camouflaged treehouse

"If you see the magic in a fairy tale, you can face the future." - Danielle Steel

Project 365: #330

 

I would have loved this treehouse in our garden as a child...it is so perfectly camouflaged that you can hardly see it...the perfect get-away to live out those fairy tales, and a place where the imagination can run wild. I think that I have always seen the magic in fairy tales, which has helped in our adventures along the way. If you can find magic in the little things, everything else becomes bearable. Believing in magic also means never giving up on your hopes and dreams. When you believe, anything is possible!

Day 329: Walk in the park

"If we ever have free time, my partner and I are fond of going on walks through the local state forests and parks." - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Project 365: #329

I am exploring a little more of the area with my partner, Riley, at my side....he is my brave and fierce protector! Jockey Hollow National Park is a state park about 10 minutes from home, and has laid out trails and walks depending on the time. It is steeped in history from battles in the civil war, and quite eery in its silence in places. It is beautiful to visit in all seasons, but I love the bright green of early spring. I am grateful for the funding that provides for this beautiful, safe place that restores the soul. I am also grateful that there are still places that you can go, which are secure and protected natural resources.

Day 328: Giant birdbath

"I learned mainly through television, but I learned how to do mosaic, where you can buy stones or things of that nature. But also where you bust the tile to decorate pots for flowers or table tops. Lots of different things. Wherever you want it, you can mosaic just about anything. It took me about two weeks to do a big birdbath." - Barbara Mandrell

Project 365: #328

I have been looking on Pinterest and other apps on how to construct a birdbath for the garden, with great plans for the summer. A mosaic birdbath would look awesome. Anyhoo, it turns out that I actually don't need to build a birdbath as I have a giant one in my garden. And now that Riley has discovered the ducks in the bath, the first thing he does in the morning is run out and bark. He is very disappointed when they are not there and still runs around barking, just in case.

Day 327: Roaming deer

"I don't have to take a trip around the world or be on a yacht in the Mediterranean to have happiness. I can find it in the little things, like looking out into my backyard and seeing deer in the fields." - Queen Latifah

Project 365: #327

This deer must be living nearby, as every morning and evening it is eating grass in our front garden. It is pretty amazing that we can still look out our windows and see wildlife roaming the streets on a daily basis, including deer, squirrels, chipmunks, birds...and we live less than an hour from NYC! It is special to still enjoy wildlife in the suburbs!

Day 326: Simple, beautiful arrangements

"Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things." - Isaac Newton

Project 365: #326

While I love flowers, and flower arrangements, there is also an absolute beauty in simple arrangements. This was the most stunning setting in church on Sunday, branches of flowering dogwood. The simplicity of the arrangement provides peace, highlighting the truth of the cross without distraction. It is a reminder to me to find a simple path to the truth in our lives, and not complicate it with too much superfluous information and material things....to focus on what is important, and not sweat the small stuff!

Day 325: Unfolding leaves

"Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime." - Martin Luther

Project 365: #325

The promise of new life and resurrection can be witnessed daily in the  birth of Spring. I have been watching the leaves come to life on this tree. They start out as tiny buds, and slowly become bigger, unfurling, all wrinkly until they are fully developed. It is amazing to witness this beautiful creation, and the intricate details of life!

Day 324: Dogs rule

"Before you get a dog, you can't quite imagine what living with one might be like; afterward, you can't imagine living any other way." - Caroline Knapp

Project 365: #324

Once upon a time, cats ruled...well actually they still rule in our house, but life is a little more balanced with the dog. For one, cat's look after themselves, pretty much, just letting you know when they are hungry, or perhaps not hungry... Maybe thirsty? Tired? Bored? Grumpy? Happy? Playful? Anyhow, they are fickle and independent, but yet, loving (sometimes) and cuddly(sometimes)! Dogs are, well, dogs! It was very hard to imagine our current lifestyle with a dog in it...but with Riley in it now, it is hard to imagine it without him! He is loyal, cheerful, fun, and cute! We wouldn't want it any other way!

Day 323: Greening of the street

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." - Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Project 365: #323

I know that I have said it time and again, with truly experiencing the seasons of the Northern Hemisphere, but there is nothing more refreshing than witnessing the greening of the trees...it is a gradual process, but when you are caught up in day-to-day activities, it seems as though it almost happens overnight. Some of the trees begin with flowering on their seemingly bare branches, and then when the flowers are over the leaves begin to grow and unfurl, and almost look as though they need to be ironed. Then, within a few days, they are bright and luminescent on the trees, beckoning summer, and positive energy!

Day 322: Perfect flowering trees

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein

Project 365: #322

There is nothing truer than this, nature is so complex and detailed, and yet perfect. We haven't even begun the touch on the deeper mysteries of nature and how everything works, it is completely amazing in every sense of the word. We need to take a little time off every now and again, and really look at nature, sit in nature, become immersed in nature...it is leaves you in awe for our Great Creator, and always gives you new perspective.

Day 321: Accidental photography

"Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected." - Robert Frank

Project 365: #321

I do love photography, and have decided that if I ever have enough time I will take a course. (Ah, those days of endless leisure, deciding what to fill your time with...I had no idea to be thankful then!) Anyway, I like to document things of beauty or interest around me to remind me how grateful I need to be, and occasionally stumble across mistakes that are fascinating. I happened to be taking the dog for a walk/run this morning, and as usual had my phone/camera on the ready...but as you can imagine with a puppy, and a mix of other puppies/dogs/people/cyclists/joggers/squirrels/foxscents/pinecones/water/reflections/geese/ducks/geeseepoop the excitement becomes overwhelming, so my artfully imagined photos never turn out as planned. Nevertheless, when trying not to drop my phone when restraining said puppy, I must have bumped the camera in some eery/artistic mode, and this was the result! Still pretty amazing! The black and white provide a stunning contrast, the light beyond the darkness...there is always light, and the darkness can also be beautiful, and without the light, we would not see it, everything would just be the same.

Day 320: Where are you going?

"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Project 365: #320

Riley has become my shadow, following me absolutely everywhere I go...so is most upset when I close the garden gate on him! What he does have though, is perseverance and persisitence. He has learned in his relatively short little 4.5 months that if he barks or cries loud enough, he will wake up someone and get the attention he needs! Talk about wrapped around the little finger!

Day 319: Mother's Day snuggles

 "I got to grow up with a mother who taught me to believe in me." Antonio Villaraigosa

 Project 365: #319

Gone are the days of little people crawling into bed with me, full of excitement and anticipation on Mother's Day...waiting for me to lovingly open whatever special treat or card they made at school...instead it has been replaced with furkids, while the real ones catch up on their beauty sleep after yet another hectic week at school. One good thing is that the cats no longer hide from the dog, but have clearly put him in his place! And we are all living in relative harmony... at least we all know where we stand! I miss the days of little people, but I do love having grown-up girls in the house (most of the time!) I hope that they know that I believe in them, and through this they believe in themselves, and know they are capable of achieving whatever they put their minds to.

Day 318: Garden secrets - flowering clematis

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” - Frances Hodgson Burnette, The Secret Garden

 

 Project 365: #318

The garden is a huge surprise for me now, as we arrived in summer when most of the secrets in the garden had already been revealed, and the it was also hugely overgrown and weedy. So after winter, as soon as the weather allowed, I began weeding, pruning, sprucing...waiting to see what would surprise me with the warming weather. I was so disappointed that there was not a single tulip or daffodil, but my disappointment soon dissipated, with the flowering of the beautiful trees, like the dogwood, and weeping cherry, and the greening of the branches.  Another beautiful surprise, sprouting life from a dead-looking vine is the clematis, whose stunning pink flowers are all bursting open. The vine is on a trellis over the gate to our garden, beckoning you in to see what other hidden gems you may discover. If you look closely enough, you find amazing secrets and surprises, much like life and our adventure. Just when you are disappointed in something, you look somewhere else, and are surprised with some beauty and something miraculous! You just have to know where to look, or have the patience to look in places that you had not thought of before!

Day 317: School corridors

“Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered, but a maze of passages, through which we must seek our way, lost and confused, now and again checked in a blind alley.
But always, if we have faith, a door will open for us, not perhaps one that we ourselves would ever have thought of, but one that will ultimately prove good for us”-A.J. Cronin

Project 365: #317

There have been a few functions at school this week requiring food drop-offs/help, so I took the opportunity of a quick photo of an empty corridor. This looks like a nice straight corridor, but to get around the school without getting lost is a challenge (especially for me who is already orientationally challenged!!) As we have also discovered, it is rare to have a straight and easy corridor like this without anyone in sight...we have certainly traveled through many mazes in absolute confusion, and often ended up in blind alleys on the adventure of this year. It has certainly been trying at times, and we have often been overwhelmed and completely desperate....but we have always had hope and faith that the door would open, and actually, many doors have opened. Not always the one we had hoped for, but usually the one with the best fit! For that we are very grateful, and have learned many valuable lessons...not always easy to reflect on immediately, but still appreciated!

Day 316: River crossing

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney

Project 365: #316

Patriot's Path, which is essentially a semi-urban nature trail, runs at the bottom of our garden, and follows meandering streams in places, with occasional causeways. I did wonder how these river crossings would work without getting wet, as Riley is becoming a little heavy and big to carry across the bollards without fear of tumbling into the water. So, I have been encouraging him to hop across. He was a little hesitant at first, but with a little encouragement bounded across. He did wait for me to take a photo first though! His curiosity and excitement keeps him leaping forward, excited to try new things and run down new paths. His curiosity is infectious, making me excited to see what is around the next corner, or along a new path! I think that everyone should have a dog to teach them the joy of living!

Day 315: Upcycling

 "We achieved our mission to the moon. Let's look home from that lofty perch and reimagine our mission on Earth - that is what we need to do here. Together, we can upcycle everything. The world will be better for our positive visions and actions." - William McDonough

We achieved our mission to the moon. Let's look home from that lofty perch and reimagine our mission on Earth - that is what we need to do here. Together, we can upcycle everything. The world will be better for our positive visions and actions. William McDonough
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williammcd563049.html

 Project 365: #315

Monday morning is the bulk trash collection in the neighbourhood, so anything that is deemed trash, or more likely unwanted, is placed on the verge for garbage collection. I was completely horrified at this, as a pick-up (bakkie) does not drive along and collect the unwanted goods, it all ends up in the back of a garbage truck, smashed to smithereens. So, I have begun a little habit of driving around the area after I drop the girls at school to see what may be useful, seeing we left half our lives behind when we moved here. I usually scour the goods for mostly garden things....so, besides my brandnew office chair,  I have a perfect hosepipe on a winder, that was a little dirty, so I plunged it into a bucket of dissolved chlorine that was destined for the swimming pool...it is as good as new! A metal rooster, which we have repainted for my veggie-patch, and a cute garden chair, which I have upcycled as a planter/feature. The chair was on a friend's verge, so I thought I had better warn her that I did not steal it (although I possibly have the makings of a resourceful porch-pirate!) I believe that it is our duty to reuse and recycle as much as possible, for the sustainable use of resources. One step at a time I will reform this consumer society so our children's children's children's children's children, etc. will still have a beautiful planet to call home!

Day 314: Twisted vines

"I am not bound for any public place, but for ground of my own where I have planted vines and orchard trees, and in the heat of the day climbed up into the healing shadow of the woods." - Wendell Berry

Project 365: #314

I have been trying to train Riley to run with me, and been venturing on little runs/walks in different areas. When no one was around, I let him off lead to see how he would behave. I was a little anxious, as he is just over four months, with an attention space of the equivalent! Anyway, he was so good, did not venture far, and had such fun! What is did do was lead me to this beautiful tree, covered in a vine. I did not look too closely, but the chances are is that this is possibly a parasitic vine, as it had pretty much covered the tree. It did again make me think of the intricate relationships that exist in nature, with different organisms living off others, or sometimes coexisting symbiotically. It also made me think of our mortality, starting from ashes, and ending in ashes...or compost, feeding the neverending cycle!

Day 313: First swim of the season

"This life is like a swimming pool. You dive into the water, but you can't see how deep it is." -Dennis Rodman

Project 365: #313

We always used to have a traditional first swim of the season to mark spring in South Africa on September 1....so why not do the same here...The weather did not really play along though, and nor did the family. It was cold and rainy, and the pool was absolutely freezing, considering that we still had snow about three weeks ago! I did have a loyal supporter in Riley who was keen to make off with my towel. I am very proud of my attempt at a first swim....after acclimating my toes for several long minutes I eventually took the plunge, only to jump right out again! It can only get warmer...and hopefully we will fix our heat exchanger, and can start warming the water, making a longer swimming season. The next consideration will be whether the additional energy use is worth it...or whether our tough African breed will survive the cooler temps. When I first jumped into the pool when we arrived last year, it was much deeper than I anticipated...indicative of the year that has passed, we had no idea of what we were getting into, and life has mostly been deeper than we were expecting...luckily we can all swim, and we now know the depth of water, so hopefully life will be a breeze from now on!!

Day 312: Blooms everywhere

"Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes - every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man." - Orison Swett Marden

Project 365: #312

I know that I go on an on about spring, but I can't help it! Everywhere you look there are beautiful flowers blossoming, bringing a little brightness to the landscape. I am amazed at how fast this process takes, weekly I see obvious changes. There is no way that you can just walk past without being impressed by the beauty of nature. This appreciation marks your soul, awakening an absolute awe of the detail created in both animate and inanimate objects by our great Creator!

Day 311: Jamming in the basement

 "I think the best riffs and the best songs come when you're jamming and having a good time." - Scott Ian

Project 365: #311

Thank goodness for our basement, and what an awesome extra space! Although our house is not completely soundproof, it gives Nicole some of her own space to just jam and have fun! She is amazingly teaching herself the electric guitar, and has persistently learnt some riffs and composed a couple of songs! We all get a little annoyed at the repetition and noise, but I am pleased that she has been persistent in her efforts....who knows, maybe she will star in a band! Watch this space...