Sunday afternoon 2nd June 2019 - Small World, Small Question

Good afternoon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN AND LOGAN!  TODAY!
This outing looks like just the sort that I would love to share...
Thanks Laura for the photo of them I could copy and edit...

Small World - 

During the week I said to one of our suppliers of hardware for the Temple and Housing
"I've been wondering - are you related to Elisabeth van Heesch in Cape Town?"

She said "Yes!  She is my mother-in-law!  How do you know her?"

"She is my cousin - her mother and my mother are sisters..."

We had some interesting conversation!

AND Small Question - and Further Questions...

I gave a lift to someone to Church today.
(Glenn was not well so he stayed home.)

When I arrived back at her home, we chatted on...
I switched off the car.

At one point I said to her
"If I were your fairy godmother, what would you ask for?"
She replied right off.

On the way home I pondered that question...
"If someone asked me that, how would I answer?"

As we sat at lunch a little later I asked Glenn the same question...
More interesting and thoughtful discussion.

So -
How would you answer that small question if someone asked you?

Actually, I think it's a most interesting question to ponder.
I've appreciated the honest conversations with the two I talked with.

Maybe also... " Tomorrow's joy or tomorrow's despair
has its roots in the questions we ponder and learn from today..." ???
And maybe also... "the relationships we nurture today..."  ???
What else...

The time we spend BE-ing?
The books we read?
How we spend our time?
The food we eat?
The thoughts we think...
How and why we save/spend our resources today...
The formal and informal education we add to every day...
Those we watch and learn from...
The talents we develop...
The words we use - and don't use...
The explorations we make...
The media we use/consume/participate in...

I've also been thinking lately -
How do we become
"character-buildingly submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love,
and anxiously engaged in good causes?"

And also...
"How do we become wisely bold, brave, steadfast and immovable?"

And also...
It's good to share - time, talents, means...
What is the point at which sharing becomes over-sharing -
no longer helpful to me and the other?

It's good to be flexible.
At what point does flexibility become problem creating?

It's tough to be tough...
It's tough to be tender...
It's tough to know when each is appropriate and problem solving...

Hmm...

The Long Way Home...

When I took Yvonne to the specialist wound nurse

I scoured the map and found the way I wanted to get home.

Well, I took a left turn instead of a right turn 

and found myself on the way to Hartebeestpoort!

I decided I wanted a drive in the country anyway, so kept going.

Gorgeous scenery!

We drove through a pelting rain storm too.

It was actually a lovely drive.

I felt more inwardly peaceful after our exploring trip.

 Much to ponder...

Sometimes when we 'take a turn' we have to keep going until we can make another decision.

In this case we were driving between two ranges of mountains.

We just had to keep going until we could take a road 

that passed over the range of mountains to where we wanted to go.

A couple of times on the trip I stopped to "ask a local."

I discovered long ago that locals know more about their part of the world than I do.

I realise I'm humble enough to stop and ask.

I could have negotiated using the map or a GPS.

But locals have local knowledge not on those tools.

Some locals haven't a clue... I can see the blank look on their faces.

They are quick to point to 'the one' who will know.

It's lovely to see 'the one who knows' describe the way to go.

Very interesting!

Four Good Messages!

We stopped for lunch at Harrismith.

 

A family of a good looking Mom and four beautiful children walked in.

I was thrilled with the message on this boy's T shirt.

I asked if I could take a picture of it.

The little brother was delighted to be in the picture too.

 

I chuckled when I saw this one.

 I heartily agree with this one.

I did a mental check to see how I feel about foreigners in our country.

I can't imagine treating any one of them cruelly.

 

I noticed this one on our way down to KZN. 

My camera was not out.

So on our way home I was delighted to see it from the other side too.

I snapped away.

 

Life IS an adventure.

and... Change IS Beautiful.

 

I hope I remember these messages in the hard times!

 



Growing Amidst the Rubbish

I went out this morning to throw my day's compost in the trench.

Because of a miscommunication between my gardener and I

he dug the trenches between where the vegetables are growing.

 

I am challenged and have to be ingenious and limber to reach in to

pluck some of the ripe tomatoes off the plants!

I  noticed this morning that the bushes don't mind that there is a trench

right there with and fruit flies and miggies

enjoying the ever-degrading plant material.

 

The tomatoes just go on growing and ripening!

They know who they are, they know what to do...

 

Remember...

When I was browsing the internet for something else I found this.

I like it.

I put it in my kitchen to remind me of my motive.

I can Happily Pledge

I pledge to...

 

Respect water

Not pollute

Respect all forms of life

Re-use, re-cycle, reduce

Save energy

 

Love people

Love the environment

 

Oh yes, I do pledge those.

 

*********************

 

This tortoise looks well and energetic doesn't he/she?

This one side does...

The other side of his shell is seriously damaged.

The outer layer is off.

Yet there he/she was scooting along - for a tortoise.

Less afraid than others I have seen in the Garden.

 

And off into the shrubbery.

 

I hope I can be off about my business every day

permanently damaged though I am in some respects,

like all of us,

and temporarily damaged at other times,

like Vi is at present.

 

I learn a lesson every time I go to the Garden!