Is there still such a thing as good news?

So, I decided to get with the times this week, and read the news. You know, 'be informed'. Be 'in touch' with the world. 


One sunken cruise ship with multiple casualties, a few murders and rapes, thousands of school closures, and yet another absurd outburst from Julius Malema, and I've decided that I'm better off not informed. I have no doubt that the world is full of atrocities, but why remind myself of it... every... day...


So, I'll be sticking my head in the sand until such time as I get the urge to be informed again. On this note, should the end of the world be upon us, might I request that someone takes a moment to let me know? I also wouldn't mind being warned of a pending civil war. 


If you are feeling the same way, why don't you read some good news with me on SA Good News. I'm quite sure that if the apocalypse was under way, they'd find some way to break it to us gently. 

2012 - Shooting for the Moon

So, initially I wasn’t going to mention my 2012 resolutions on my blog, but I figured it’s good practice to hold myself accountable for the promises that I make to myself. And what better way than to tell the entire virtual world what those promises are.

And that is what resolutions are: they are promises to ourselves. Sometimes we sell ourselves short, as by February we shrug these promises off as ‘not that important’, and we start to slip up. We do ourselves the ultimate injustice, as these promises are there for us to continue along the path of personal growth and improvement. So, having bid farewell to the2011, here are my resolutions for 2012…

1. Budget – Something I have never done. I have created a complex Excel spreadsheet that makes my budgeting a breeze. (well, complex for me, that is – it has at least 3 sums) I am no longer going to be controlled by money, I am going to be in control of it.

2. Exercise – At least 3 times a week. Whether cardio, toning or kickboxing, exercise is not only valuable for physical well-being, but also for stress levels and mental well-being. Being somewhat mental myself, it’s definitely something I could be looking into.

3. Wash my own car – I am one of those lazy-ass ladies who takes my car to a garage and lets someone else do the dirty work. Well, no more! Not only am I going to be saving on the car-wash fees (refer to resolution # 1 – Budget), but it can also be considered a light work-out (refer to resolution # 2 – Exercise).

4. Go to a day spa regularly – Really? Do I really need to make this a resolution?? The answer is Yes. Absolutely. So often, one puts aside one’s little personal desires due to lack of time, lack of money (Refer to Resolution # 1 – Budget), lack of forward-planning… And the truth is, you end up not looking after yourself, not doing the things you enjoy, and ultimately, slaving your life away without living it. So this resolution is about having “Me Time”. Perhaps for you, it’s fishing. Or going to theatre. Or playing a round of golf. For me, it’s going to a day spa. *grin*

5. Work smarter, not harder. Learn from the best, with a sponge-like greed for knowledge. Submit myself for training where possible. Drink green tea daily to give me mental focus, no matter how disgusting it tastes. (it works!)

6. Find a home cell – Last year, after two years of drifting around and feeling lost, hubby and I finally found a church we could call ‘home’. It’s now been a good six months, and it’s time to root ourselves deeper. I desperately want to spend more time with down-to-earth people like me who have a passion for Jesus and His Grace.

7. Be the first to apologize when I know I’m wrong. Let go of my pride, stop building walls and build bridges instead.

8. Be Gracious – this is something that I have always tried to live by, so it makes perfect sense to carry this with me into the New Year. People are going to make mistakes. Forgive them. I am going to make mistakes. Forgive myself.

My last resolution, which is a culmination of all my resolutions, is the glue that holds them all together…

9. Put it at the Throne – The path to personal growth begins and ends with the One who created me. Only He knows what kind of person I’m capable of being. He knows…

how much money I should spend,

how much exercise my body can do,

how often my car needs to be cleaned,

how often I need to escape for some time-out,

how I can achieve more at work,

which home cell I should join,

when I’m wrong,

how much Grace I need (a lot)…

I can do nothing in my own strength if not for His guidance and Mercy. Without Him, my life is a game of hit-and-miss, and most times I’ll probably miss the mark by a mile. So, this year I am going to consciously lay each aspect of my life before the One who knows me better than I know myself. And see what happens.

If you don’t believe in resolutions, I hope you will be inspired at some point to at least set yourself some kind of goal, as I have done. Even something as stupid as washing your own car. When I was in primary school, a dear friend of mine said something that to this day I can not erase from my mind: Shoot for the moon – even if you miss, you’ll land somewhere in the stars.

Onwards, fellow inhabitants of this planet, into 2012 and beyond. 

Rant of the Day: Spam

Spam. We all hate it right? And yet those cheesy chain-mails keep going around and around and around… I wonder why. I wonder how, if we all truly hate it the way we claim to do.  

The worst kind of spam-mails are the ones that carry with them the threat of bad luck until the day you die, and in fact bad luck even after you’re dead, and after your children have grown old and died, and then maybe some more bad luck after that, if you’re really unlucky… if you don’t forward the mail in question to at least a million people that you know are going to curse you profusely for flooding their inbox with heaps of bad luck. I’m not sure what bad luck is like for dead people, maybe their remains are consumed by a particularly nasty worm, but for all the chain mail I’ve deleted (after cursing the senders profusely), I’ve got a lot of it waiting for me in my grave.

I always wonder, why would you send that to me? If you really believed that this stupid mail was going to bring me, your friend, bad luck, why would you send it to me?? You’re not a friend, you back-stabber! First sign of impending doom, and you pass it on to me?! And you’re blind! And stupid! Only blind, stupid people believe in chain-mail-luck. Did something good happen to you 17 minutes after sending that mail to 17 people, like it promised you would happen? No?? Imagine that.

I might appreciate the kind of spam-mail that brings a laugh with it. Some tasteful humour. A funny image. Even an inspiring story. A well thought-out poem. But the moment I see those famous six words, “If you don’t pass this on…” I experience a reflex-action that jerks my computer mouse to the delete button, before I can even think about it any further.

What a waste of bandwidth. What a waste of my time. What a waste of nasty worms.

End of Personal Rant. *takes a bow*

Ghost Pops, Sparklers and New Year

It is an exceptionally beautiful New Year's morning, here in South Africa, and one can hope that it will be a reflection of a beautiful year to come. I spent New Year's Eve in the best possible way, which involved balloons, sparklers, braaivleis, Big Bang Theory, a guitar and a more importantly: a most wonderful group of friends. Thanks guys, you know who you are, and you absolutely rock. 

 

Having already broken into a packet of Ghost Pops this morning (and it's only 07h30) I'm not going to jump into New Year Resolutions just yet. No, I'll be taking a few moments to look back at 2011, as many people are doing, if only to reflect on all that I can be grateful for. 

I'm grateful that I gave up caffeine. A good cup of decaff coffee tastes the same as normal coffee, without the heart palpitations. 

I'm grateful to have found a job that I love. A job is hard enough to find in itself, but to do something that you love... well, that's remarkable. 

I'm grateful for my husband. This year has seen a blossoming of who we are together, and I'm excited about what the future holds. 

I'm grateful for all the music. 2011 brought about some of the most ground-breaking music releases, and my love affair with music has only become more passionate and consuming during this last year. 

I'm grateful for my nephew's conception. I'm about to become an Auntie, proudest Auntie on the planet, and so thank you and good luck to my wonderful brother and his beautiful wife.

I'm grateful that after many years of struggling with my hamstring injury, I finally managed to kick my punching bag - for the first time since giving up kick-boxing. I'm having the time of my life!

I'm grateful for family. No words can express how amazing you all are. 

I'm grateful for all the simple things. A roof overhead. Summer heat, sunshine and pretty dresses. Big Bang Theory. The existence of chocolate. The discovery of organic products.

I'm grateful for the new people I've met who have added to the spontaneity and colour in my life.

I'm grateful for my first live concert experience ever - thank you, Kongos, you dudes rocked on every level.

I'm grateful for my blog. Grateful that one winter morning, stuck at home with flu, my sick boredom birthed this little website that has become an outlet for one of the things I simply love to do: write. 

I'm grateful for Grace, which was paid for at the highest price. My hope is that I never forget the Cross or the Empty Grave, and all that they represent.

Once I'm done with my Ghost Pops and decaff coffee, I shall contemplate my resolutions for this coming year. But what good are resolutions, if you don't take the time to look back and contemplate the wonders and successes of the year just passed?

So, this is all I want to carry into 2012. Forgetting all the disappointments, and letting go of the things that hurt, remembering only the blessings, and in turn, looking forward to the blessings to come. Setting new goals, making new decisions, praying for new adventures.


Come with me, fellow inhabitants of this planet. 2012 is here, and it beckons us to live it!

GRATiAE: Manicure in a box... and Organic too!

Every now and then, I stumble across something that I feel I must tell the world about. Yesterday was such a day, and so here I am. As with Kutai Raw Chocolat and Soya Body Bars, I simply must share it.

I made this discovery yesterday morning while browsing Clearwater Mall. You know how it is at this time of year: the malls hire out their extra spaces to stall-holders, who will try to sell all manner of products to unsuspecting by-passers. One needs to maintain absolute focus when passing these stalls, and work very hard at giving the appearance that you are either too busy and important to stop, or that you are the grumpiest human on the earth, and won’t take kindly to being disturbed. I’m usually very good at the latter, having inherited a face from my father, which can look extremely serious when I need it to.

So yesterday, I saw a stall that was obviously selling beauty products of some kind, and I managed to skirt around the stall without being noticed. Phew! Off I went to do my shopping and my browsing, which happened to bring me full circle an hour later to the same spot. This time however, my head was in the clouds, as it so often is, and I found myself staring at a middle-aged man, who was receiving a facial at this beauty stall.

Come on, you would stare too, right? A middle-aged man, having a facial?  Before I knew it, it was too late, and a salesman had descended on me like an eagle on a field mouse with it’s head in the clouds.

“Excuse me,” he called out to me. “May I ask what you use for your….?” I completely missed the last few words, but I suspected he was asking after my skin. My skin hasn’t been in great condition of late – I blame stress and hormones – so I was immediately feeling a little self-conscious. Anyway, I stopped walking. I couldn’t lie to him and say that I don’t have the time for this, and it was too late to apply my grumpiest-human-on-earth expression to scare him off. Besides, I’ve always been a sucker for people with strange accents, and this one sounded mildly French to me.

Darn my curiosity! Darn it, darn it, darn it!

Having asked the salesman to repeat himself, he asked, “What do you use for your…?” Again with that last word… Legs? Did he ask me what I use for my legs?? What on earth is he selling??? He definitely gestured to my legs… Gosh, how do I tell him that I just use whatever lotion I’ve received for Christmas this year? He’ll be mortified I’m sure…

“What do you use for your nails?” He repeated the question, this time taking hold of my hand and inspecting my fingertips closely. 

Oooooh, my nails. I don’t use use anything on my nails, not a single thing. I’m very hard on my hands, so I don’t colour them, not even with clear paint. For the most part, I use nail-clippers on them (How horrifying!) but I have been trying to be more disciplined about using a nail file rather to shape them properly. In all my life, I have had one French manicure, which barely lasted me 24 hours before I chipped it all off. And I’ve had tips applied twice, which both times ended in my nails nearly being buffered right off my fingers when having the tips removed.

I could have rambled off at him with this whole history, but between my legs and my skin I was already feeling like a bit of an ugly duckling, so I just told him I use nothing on my nails.

He asked for twenty seconds of my time, during which time he began to demonstrate how his unique nail buffer block will transform my nails. Now I’ve used nail buffer blocks before, but this gentleman informed me that his blocks are ‘medicated’, and he even ventured to call it ‘a massage for your nails’. I wasn’t quite sold on the idea, and was preparing to make my getaway. However, having noted by my wedding ring that I am married, the salesman asked me how old I am. Not in the least bit offended by this question, and still trying to determine the origins of his accent, I blurted out only too gladly that I’m 27 years old. He looked me up and down, eyes huge, and told me that he thought I was 18 years old.

I’ve often heard it said that flattery will get you anywhere. I can hereby confirm that there is some truth in this statement. I immediately felt only too glad to spend a few more moments with this wonderful stranger, to allow him the time to finish his demonstration and, if he so chooses, throw in another compliment or two.

Darn my vanity! Darn it, darn it, darn it!

In only a few moments, the gentleman had finished buffering my one nail, and he urged me to compare it with my other nails. Woweeee, what a difference! It was as though I’d received a full French manicure in under 30 seconds. So shiny. So pretty. So professional-looking. So shiny…

Must have nail buffer block.

Need it.

Must have it.

Must buy from man with strange accent.

What? Two-for-one special? Buy one, get one free?

Must buy from man with strange accent right now.

Two year guarantee on buffer block?

Must buy nooooooww.

The GRATiAE products, like Kutai Raw Chocolat and Soya Body bars, are organic products. The GRATiAE Beautifying Nail Kit, which is what I purchased (and got one kit for free), contains the following:

•  A nail file
• The GRATiAE Cuticle Therapy (cuticle oil)
• A GRATiAE buffer block (with a two year guarantee)
• The GRATiAE Hand and Nail cream (apply once a day, and smells absolutely divine!)

In the 2^nd Century, a Roman Emperor by the name Hadrian discovered a hidden thermal spring in the mountainous region near the Sea of Galilee in Israel. He found that the spring’s water had rejuvenating qualities, and so he named it after a Roman goddess, Gratiae, goddess of “The Three Graces” – youth, beauty and charm. 

Now, centuries later, theses springs are still being utilized, and science has given us the tools to harness the qualities found in these waters, as well as other resources from the Sea of Galilee. This is the origin of GRATiAE – Israel. And, remarkably enough, the origin of Rave (pronounced Rah-veh), the charming salesman whose accent I mistakenly thought was French. (way off there, sorry Rave)

GRATiAE not only provides nail care products, but also organic skin care products (which, in light of my recently difficult skin, I may just try out). One can read more about GRATiAE on their website: www.gratiae.il. If you’d like to find out more about the GRATiAE stores – in Menlyn and in Sandton – you can send an enquiry to info@nunaturals.co.za.

While it is such a pity that organic products tend to be priced so much higher than other products, there is without a doubt something superior about them. I can’t help but begin to realize that nature really does know best, and to recognize that the Lord has placed so much goodness into this earth, which we are only now learning how to use… and to protect.

Here’s to Orgaaaaaah-nic, fellow inhabitants of this earth – you know how I love it!

A Glass Half-Full... Of Rain.

I like to think of myself as a 'glass half-full' kind of person. I may not always have this quality in every circumstance I face, but I do try to find the silver lining in life's storms.


Speaking of which, we had some gentle rains this afternoon, here in Johannesburg. I'm sure you no doubt will know, as a fellow inhabitant of this overly congested planet, that as soon as one single molecule of precipitation falls from the sky, a phenomemon begins to occur below. As this catastrophic droplet of H2O plummets toward the earth, the magnetic fields in the atmosphere twist and warp and mutate. And when the droplet makes it's fatal impact on the ground, the now-shuddering magnetic fields implode upon themselves, sucking in with them all cognitive brain capacity, all human hand-eye co-ordination, and all ability to reason and form constructive decisions. The shock-wave from this astronomical incident is also known to cause all existing thought processes to become scrambled, forcing the brain of said thought processes to restart entirely.


And this is why, when it rains, traffic comes to a grinding halt. People become stupid on a universal scale.


So, when I left work in the drizzling rain, I resigned myself to the fact that I would be facing some heavy traffic on the way home. Surprisingly enough, not only was traffic lighter than usual, but I found that there was something I could be grateful for in the rain; a silver lining, so to speak. 


For the first time this week, I was able to drive on the highway without a teenager in a GTi weaving around my car, or a rooster* in an Audi riding up my rear bumper flashing his lights. No blind old businessman in a Merc cutting me off because he had the lack of foresight to see the slow truck right in front of him.


Yes, the rain seems to make people safe. And civilized. Perhaps it is the trance-like state that follows the droplet-hitting-earth-apocalypse, but my highway experience this afternoon was just so..... Peaceful.
And for this, I was grateful. I am also grateful that something as mundane as traffic and weather has given me something to write about. 


There is always something to be grateful for. 


This whole experience made me think of a song, which is now stuck in my head. Funnily enough, this song is completely unrelated to the topic at hand, but I shall share it with you for two very good reasons: 


1. The song makes reference in the first verse to a "road, long and winding", and a "silver lining" that's "out there somewhere." Other than this verse, the song is totally random to whatever it is I'm trying to write about. Weather... Traffic... Gratitude... Who knows. (not me) 


2. Bryan Adams is really easy-on-the-eyes, for an older guy

Enjoy this lovely tune (yes, click on the pretty purple writing), and may your upcoming Friday be fraught with silver linings, civilized drivers, and if you're especially lucky, someone like Bryan Adams to look at. 




*rooster in Audi is the kind of driver that Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear refers to... but Mr. Clarkson is a little less complimentary with his choice of words. Use your imagination, it'll come to you. 

Haunted: Breaking Dawn

As was mentioned in last week's post, we went to watch Breaking Dawn Part 1 on Sunday night. After sufficiently building up to the movie by watching the three previous movies last week, hubby and I sat in the cinema, in anticipation...

So, it's taken me four days to adequately form an opinion. Four days of chewing on the storyline, mulling over how the characters have developed. Four days to consider the way that they interpreted Bella's attitude toward her circumstances. Four days to decide that the only thing I didn't like about the movie was the corny background music in the first ten minutes of the film, which made me feel like I was watching a badly contrived episode of Seventh Heaven. Which is only fine, if you are watching a badly contrived episode of Seventh Heaven. But mostly, it's taken me four days to digest the soundtrack, which for me, is just as important as the movie, if not more so. 

I've been listening to the soundtrack since Sunday, trying to take it in. It is so drastically different from the previous 3 soundtracks, that it was somewhat of a shock to the system. This soundtrack is mellow. No, you don't get it, it is m-e-l-l-o-w. Like... Super. Duper. Mellow. 


Of course, it has the hit-track by Bruno Mars, "It Will Rain", which is just exquisite, but my current favourite is something a little more different. A little bit abstract even. Something I didn't like at first, until I heard it at a million decibels in the solitary confines of my car, at a moment when I was feeling more than a tad vulnerable. 


This track, "Cold", by Aqualung and Lucy Schwartz, is possibly the most haunting song I have heard yet. I'm still trying figure out what it is about, and probably never will, but I encourage you to put on your ear-phones and really listen to this. Turn it up, until it is resonating in your soul. Listen to it when you are alone, and can let your guard down. Close your eyes. This song gives me such shivers, that it feels as though my hair follicles are turning inside out.


If you find that you are not at first impressed, turn it up and just wait a little longer. When the track reaches 2 minutes and 30 seconds, brace yourself for a crescendo of intertwining harmonies, so gloriously breath-taking that your whole body will be overcome with chills. Ironic, for a song called "Cold".





Wow. 


And for the record, I loved the movie. Just loved it!


"No measurement of time will ever be long enough with you... So let's start with forever." ~ Edward Cullin