Five Minute Friday

It's Friday again, while still waking up I wonder what's the word for today?  I have to give myself time to think about the promp, I wonder how many of the participants see the word, sit down & write.  For me it doesn't come that easily & I still have to translate my thoughts, because I'm also from South Africa and English is not my first language.

So if you want to join in Five Minute Fridays, go to Lisa Jo Baker's Blog and get the details, or stay a wile and enjoy what everybody writes.

Today's word is:  Broken

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With a lively two year old princess in the house I always hear girly sounds, a babble of words, signing along to the music & her little feet running (mostly) from here to there. 
So the term "Silence is Golden" doesn't apply to our day any more, for when it's silent it's more disturbing to me as a mother than anything else.
Not so long ago, I find myself wondering what's going on because of the long silence, so I venture out to my bedroom & lo and behold find her on the chair in front of my computer ruining my new lipstick. Just the day before I cleared out my handbag and left some of my goodies on the desk. & Yes, I do know this is not what I's suppose to do, but being in a hurry I did made a mistake by leaving out my stuff.
The precious face that was looking up at me, was full of smiles and happiness. I just burst out laughing and call for my husband to bring the camera.
You cannot imagine how hard it was to get 'long stay' lipstick off a precious little princess' face!
Note to myself: when the sound of your day is 'broken', go look & not packing way personal goodies before your 2 year old finds it, you may find it broken...!
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Five Minute Fridays

"Writing is like wrapping yourself in words and giving yourself away." Lisa Jo Baker

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing 'em over there.

How to join: All the details are here: Five Minute Fridays with Lisa Jo Baker

Today's Topic: Present

Start:

Am I the only person dreaming of a fit body, an organized home, getting up early enough to start my day with quiet time, and having the perfect most productive day? I don’t think so, but in a way feel alone in all of this. Most of the time I tell myself, “you can do it!”, & I do believe I can achieve the goals I set out for myself. But why is it so hard to change........?

The fact is, Life Happens! 

Just as I set out to do something of plan my day, things change.  So this is how it is and I have to except that the present moment is reality.  Deal with it, make every moment count and don’t be so hard on yourself!

So here I am, writing for 5 minutes & I’m glad I did. Because I should have left already for ‘the day I’ve planned”, I should have gotten up earlier, I should have..........

These five minutes have made me think about my day and the lovely moment I have, sitting in the sun writing with my lovely 2 year old on my lap!  This moments is precious!

Thanks for a 5 Minute Friday!

Stop!

Farm update

Starting New

I don't know many people who has started out on a new piece of land where there is actually nothing. By that I mean, no electricity, no guidelines, no rules, no fencing, no buildings or infrastructure.  In a way this is exciting but also overwhelming.  
There's so many decisions & choices to make. At the moment we have to decide where on this piece of land our home and dwelling place will be, we have to consider where's north, because that's the sunny side in die Southern hemisphere & I would love to have the best of every sun ray in our home as the day changes, from early morning sunrises in the east, midday hot sun & the beautiful sunsets in the west.  The best views of the site is east & south, there's a beautiful mountain range at the east side which make for spectacular views towards the mountains, and like a horse shoe there's a beautiful dam on the south & west. So these two factors also need to be taken in consideration.
Next week the area where out house will be build needs to be filled up and compacted, so we will make use of a contractor with those big excavating machines with long arms and big buckets to do the job.  

In the mean time we started to set out boundaries of where the construction vehicles can work and destroy, because we would like to preserve as much of the natural land & veld as possible.  There's so many & beautiful veld flowers & shrubs & fynbos that's indigenous to the area and South Africa is well known for it's veld flowers.  And as it is we need to take out some of the indigenous trees as well, so the placing of the house is really important to us, to be able to save some of the indigenous trees.

It is such a good feeling to walk around the farm & know this ours and soon we will be starting a new life here as a family.  And I can see in my husbands eyes he can't wait either, he started with a team of farm workers to cut out all foreign trees & also to get a quote for fencing around the farm & dwelling area.

Our daughter is enjoying the veld and trees, climbing & looking for new flowers.  It's really inspiring to watch her and look at things in a new way, as if for the first time. She sees the leaves, little pebbles, wild flowers, insects & is very aware of the birds singing in the trees or flying over.

Five Minute Fridays

On Fridays a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write without worrying if it’s just right gather to share what five minutes buys them. While the kids are changing into their swim suits, while the pop corn is popping, while the dog is outside doing his business, while the show cuts to commercial. Just five minutes.

Your words. This is a shared feast @ Lisa Jo Baker's Blog, Five Minute Fridays. Here you can find the rules and Link to join.

Please join in or leave a comment, love to hear from any visitors.

The Word for Today is: RHYTHM

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I drive off and a sense of urgency sets in & my heart beats faster, because it’s a Monday and the Knit Purl Girls may have already started the afternoon with their chit chat and clicking of needles. Our needlework group is gathering every Monday afternoon and we rotate to be in one of the groups homes through a period of 6 weeks. This is not a closed group BUT it is a closed group...... if you know what I mean! Here we share our best and our saddest moments, happy times, frustrated times and while there’s never a silent moment [just keep in mind, there’s 6 woman eagerly sharing their lives at he same time], we actually are getting things done, while you can hear the rhythmic clicking of knitting needles and see hands doing row after row in an all too familiar motion.

It is here where a I find shalom, a piece of myself, where I regroup, get motivated & breath new inspiration.  These woman has given a new rhythm in my heart.  Mondays my heart beat with their’s & we make a beautiful sound together.

I read in a magazine that knitting & crocheting groups are the new book clubs.

Try it for yourself, maybe you’ll also find a new beat in your heart -^---\/----^---\/-

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Five Minute Friday

On Fridays a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write without worrying if it’s just right gather to share what five minutes buys them. While the kids are changing into their swim suits, while the pop corn is popping, while the dog is outside doing his business, while the show cuts to commercial. Just five minutes.

Your words. This shared feast.

Please join in or leave a comment, love to hear from any visitors.

Here's the link to Lisa Jo Baker's Blog

The Word for today is: LISTEN

It’s winter in South Africa, and in the Western Cape the rainy season.  I can hear the rain falling on the roof, the wind is also blowing showers of rain against the windows. The cold air is biting & it feels like snowing on the highest mountains again.  The Nespresso in the mug is warming my hands, & the heat is slowly seeping through my whole body. How blessed am I, to have this safety, warm clothes, tummy full, roof over my head and loving people around me that warms my hart. 

I truly appreciate the sound of my life and again I hear.....  

The turning sound of the tumble drier (also warming my home), my daughter’s bubbly voice & laughter (my heart is full), birds chirping in the rain (beauty in my ears), soon the fireplace will give out sounds of wild flames of wood burning, how lovely to hear & truly listen. 

Thank you Lisa of reminding me to enjoy the sounds of my home & also to listen to a lovely group participating in sharing just 5 minutes of their lives. 

How lovely!

Five Minute Friday

It was my daughter's 2 year birthday party yesterday & I was caught up in the action of the day.  So I've missed FMF but would like to still give it ago.

Here's how it works:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back there and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

Also check out Lisa's blog, there's a lot of encouraging stuff to read.
Lisa-Jo Baker

This weeks word is:  Imagine

Imagine that we walk in the streets of gold
Maybe it's the City of Old
Will we really hold hands
Or will it be in a glance
Joy will be the colour
That surrounds each other
Our dwelling will be in the presence of Him
That will be praised with a hymn
While angel voices sing
We will bring glory to the King
Imagine that we can share this one day
And that's not too far away....

Going with the Flow

This morning I have a special friend in memory.  I could hear her laughter clearly and it took me back to Jerusalem as I remember the time we spend there together with a group of girls.  Little did we know that she would leave us in the near future.  A slogan that came up while we were traveling together was "Going With The Flow" as sea turtles flow in the currents of the sea, it takes no effort, no striving, no worrying, just taking advantage of the current, enjoy the moment and be......... And while 'going with the flow', you can enjoy the scenery. 

I do sometimes (maybe too often) find myself wanting do to too much, putting pressure on myself, leaving me with a sense of guild and unnecessary stress. 
Last night while decorating my almost 2 year old daughter's birthday cookies, I had a 'going with the flow' moment, when I realized that this is what I've been dreaming about for so long.  
Being a Mother....
After 17 years of being happily married, we finally had a daughter, and she is turning 2 in 2 days time.  While my friends complained about early evening chaos, dinner & bath time, kids screaming & whining, etc. I was silently longing that chaos, because that meant family & I so badly wanted to hear children's voices in the home & cooking for more than 2 people.

So I'm so grateful that I have these moments now, where I can enjoy being a mom, planning a 2 year birthday party, baking cookies, hearing her first new word, seeing her develop and growing too fast for my liking. But that's motherhood I guess, wanting your child to be more, achieve new milestones & on the other hand we want them to stay small.

Reminder to myself: It's so easy to get stuck in just being a Mom, doing things routinely & not enjoying everyday tasks. Go with the flow & enjoy motherhood!

Five Minute Friday

View

My favorite view of you is when you sleep. The peace that radiates from your soft face fills every cell in me & I cannot stop watching you peacefully inhale & exhale. As I see your perfect face I always think how blessed I am to have you in my life. It could not have been any other way, I feel the love swells up in me, tears fill my eyes, my throat is burning of emotions so big & bubbling up in me.  I follow your silhouette, your eyes closed softly with an occasional flutter, tiny ears & nose, perfect lips, I want to bury my face in your beautiful neck and smell the cent of your skin.  Will I ever get enough of this view..........

"Five Minute Friday"

This is my first attempt to link to Lisa-Jo Baker's Five Minute Friday.

Write for 5 minute flat - no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

Today's word: View

Maybe it will get my blog going, by joining in.

Ons stukkie van Afrika

"I have a farm in Africa", ek hoor hierdie woorde soos Meril Streep dit sê aan die begin van die fliek Out of Africa.
Vir so lank het ons saam gedroom oor ons eie stukkie grond. 'n Plaas met perdekampe & wit paaltjies het my man altyd gesê. 
Daar was 'n tyd wat ek gewonder het, gaan dit ooit realiseer, waar sal dit wees en hoe gaan dit lyk.......?  Wel hierdie prentjie begin nou baie mooi vorm aanneem en ons sien uit na 'n nuwe begin as familie.

Na 3½ jaar se sukkel met die onderverdeling is die plaasakte is verlede week geregistreer.  Wat 'n lekkerte om te weet daar's 'n stukkie aarde waar ons kan woel & werk. 

Meer foto's en stories sal volg soos die legkaart stukkies begin pas.