I have started getting writing pieces together for a PhD in Social Anthropology including pieces that I have written over the past 16 years while working in HIV and AIDS. Part of me thinks this is a crazy idea. Working full time and being a mom to a 3 and a 5 year old and blogging and making accessories is already enough...
But somehow the threads of what we end up doing are in there from the beginning.
I tell myself I am OK with this taking 20 years or so and then it doesn't seem so bad.
Fable Fairy
27.1.11
25.1.11
Grandpa Alfred's things
I have only a few things that belonged to grandpa Alfred who also fled Nazi Germany:
A travel journal written in German pre- 1930
The remnants of a poker set:
The remants of some bottles that may have kept aftershave.
I love these things.
22.1.11
things i'm grateful for this birthday and in genl
Vicky Sleet from http://www.iwantthat.co.za/ has made 2011 resolutions about gratitude and I second that.
Here's my current list.
1. The doc. He believes in goodnight and good morning kisses; makes a PERFECT cup of coffee and a remarkable tomato soup; he is good at putting the littlies to bed. Most important he loves me for what I am good at rather than resents what I am not.
2. Leila. She is accurate; pure-ist; creative; funny and doesn't miss anything
3. Kiki. She is whimsical; hugely loving and generous; passionate and friendly
4. I have a job which is meaningful and helps make the world a better place. It is not about materialism.
5. The friends I can count on 1 hand who can call me and I them at 3am no matter what
6. Blogland and tweeples
7. AIDS treatment is getting better and better
8. My beloved delicious soft gourgeous and divine cat Giji
9. Green spaces in the city and Cape Town
10. The endless supply of vintage clothes and crockery that I keep finding for a STEAL
Here's my current list.
1. The doc. He believes in goodnight and good morning kisses; makes a PERFECT cup of coffee and a remarkable tomato soup; he is good at putting the littlies to bed. Most important he loves me for what I am good at rather than resents what I am not.
2. Leila. She is accurate; pure-ist; creative; funny and doesn't miss anything
3. Kiki. She is whimsical; hugely loving and generous; passionate and friendly
4. I have a job which is meaningful and helps make the world a better place. It is not about materialism.
5. The friends I can count on 1 hand who can call me and I them at 3am no matter what
6. Blogland and tweeples
7. AIDS treatment is getting better and better
8. My beloved delicious soft gourgeous and divine cat Giji
9. Green spaces in the city and Cape Town
10. The endless supply of vintage clothes and crockery that I keep finding for a STEAL
20.1.11
Life Chapters
Do you ever name the chapters in your life? I do this all the time for different versions of my "life book." in my head.
Chapter 1: How to survive being an Air sign baby in a house with 3 Fire signs
Chapter 2: Girls will be girls. Learn to do Psycho-Judo.
Chapter 3: How not to get arrested when the country is burning.
Chapter 4: How to handle a toga party.
Chapter 5: The value of Satnislavski and Jung
Chapter 6: How to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS in SA
Chapter 7: How to fall pregnant when the usual way doesn't work
Chapter 8: How to be a smiling working mother
Chapter 9: Chase some dreams while you still can.
I saw that a recent Oprah mag can teach me how to write the next chapter. Can't wait.
Tell me the names of you chapters
19.1.11
Granny Suze's things
Today was the first day of school for my littlies. Phew!
Next week is my birthday. My gran's birthday was on the same day. This will be the first one since she has died. In the buildup I wanted to do a post focusing on some more of her things which I cherish.
These are granny Suze's chairs that travelled all the way from Nazi germany, now covered in Heather Moore's Skinny Laminx Cows.
And her esquisite bag:
And one beautiful tea cup I use to have my morning tea which the wonderful Doc brings me always with a funny comment like: "The cheque's in the mail" or "Goeie more my vrou"' or "Ladies and gentlemen Miss Grace Jones"
He is funny that way.
Love having her things...
16.1.11
The things parents SHOULD train for
These are the things one should end up training for in addition to birthing classes:
1. Untying the teeniest tiniest knots in the teeniest Polly Pocket dolls' hair - about 2 years of practice before they are 5 (you only have 5 mins).
2. Finding a needle in a haystack or a Polly Pocket shoe the size of a pin head in a MESSY house when it could be anywhere. The training for this must be done with a stop watch to improve your time, while still keeping calm and there must be a soundtrack of increasingly louder screaming as you search for it. You can't practice this in your 2 room flat, you need a big space to practice in like the Cape Town Convention Centre and it could be anywhere.
3. To practice not going red in the shopping centre when something embarrassing happens like your kid says, "Mom why don't you dance around to your cell phone music ringing like you do at home? "Or telling a complete stranger that the car guard was angry with mom because he didn't think the 2 rand she gave him was enough: You need to wear totally see through clothes and have someone drench you. Cold water is best as you can practice looking non plussed when you are actually take -your- breath -away- shocked. And, it is great practice not to feel embarrassed about things being spilled on the floor.
4. To practice not being embarrassed about plates or glasses breaking in public eateries, go to a restaurant with your partner and throw a couple of plates on the floor and see how they treat you and charm your way through it on 3 hours sleep.
5. Get into bed with nice laundered crisp white sheets and duvet. Get your partner to wake you at 1am; 3 am; 5 am and pour half a bottle of milk on your sheets and pillow each time and see if you change the sheets each time or just put a towel on it and change the sheets in the morning.
6. Run a bath and fill it with squeezy bath toys. Get your partner to sing " The wheels on the bus go round and round" no less than 10 times while you try and wash your hair, brush your teeth, exfoliate your face in 15 mins. Your partner must not let you have 1 mins piece while all this is going on especially if you need the toilet during this exercise. It is very important that the song be sung over and over again. If you beg for mercy, ensure your partner makes the singing gets louder and louder.
7. You need to get dressed for work in the morning INCLUDING applying eye liner and sun screen without getting your work clothes messy while having a baby orangutan around your neck the entire time, who is eating a honey and peanut butter sandwich. Special deal with Monkey World on Orangutan hire if you quote the name of this blog.
8. This is a Memory test that I will give you. There are 30 kids in the class. You need to not only remember the children's names, but also the names of the moms, the nannies, the grannies and the au pairs who sometimes fetch them from day care and work out a clever way to save them all in your cell phone/ BB/ I -phone.
9. Get your dog or cat to eat broccoli AND peas instead of meat or pellets repeatedly every day for 2 years.
10. Make your cat or dog get into a drawer (like a bed) over and over again ten times a night without getting angry.
But what you won’t need to practice is being grateful despite all this. It will come naturally.
1. Untying the teeniest tiniest knots in the teeniest Polly Pocket dolls' hair - about 2 years of practice before they are 5 (you only have 5 mins).
2. Finding a needle in a haystack or a Polly Pocket shoe the size of a pin head in a MESSY house when it could be anywhere. The training for this must be done with a stop watch to improve your time, while still keeping calm and there must be a soundtrack of increasingly louder screaming as you search for it. You can't practice this in your 2 room flat, you need a big space to practice in like the Cape Town Convention Centre and it could be anywhere.
3. To practice not going red in the shopping centre when something embarrassing happens like your kid says, "Mom why don't you dance around to your cell phone music ringing like you do at home? "Or telling a complete stranger that the car guard was angry with mom because he didn't think the 2 rand she gave him was enough: You need to wear totally see through clothes and have someone drench you. Cold water is best as you can practice looking non plussed when you are actually take -your- breath -away- shocked. And, it is great practice not to feel embarrassed about things being spilled on the floor.
4. To practice not being embarrassed about plates or glasses breaking in public eateries, go to a restaurant with your partner and throw a couple of plates on the floor and see how they treat you and charm your way through it on 3 hours sleep.
5. Get into bed with nice laundered crisp white sheets and duvet. Get your partner to wake you at 1am; 3 am; 5 am and pour half a bottle of milk on your sheets and pillow each time and see if you change the sheets each time or just put a towel on it and change the sheets in the morning.
6. Run a bath and fill it with squeezy bath toys. Get your partner to sing " The wheels on the bus go round and round" no less than 10 times while you try and wash your hair, brush your teeth, exfoliate your face in 15 mins. Your partner must not let you have 1 mins piece while all this is going on especially if you need the toilet during this exercise. It is very important that the song be sung over and over again. If you beg for mercy, ensure your partner makes the singing gets louder and louder.
7. You need to get dressed for work in the morning INCLUDING applying eye liner and sun screen without getting your work clothes messy while having a baby orangutan around your neck the entire time, who is eating a honey and peanut butter sandwich. Special deal with Monkey World on Orangutan hire if you quote the name of this blog.
8. This is a Memory test that I will give you. There are 30 kids in the class. You need to not only remember the children's names, but also the names of the moms, the nannies, the grannies and the au pairs who sometimes fetch them from day care and work out a clever way to save them all in your cell phone/ BB/ I -phone.
9. Get your dog or cat to eat broccoli AND peas instead of meat or pellets repeatedly every day for 2 years.
10. Make your cat or dog get into a drawer (like a bed) over and over again ten times a night without getting angry.
But what you won’t need to practice is being grateful despite all this. It will come naturally.
14.1.11
antique photo booth
Have you checked out this cool site that turns your photos into antique looking shots?
http://labs.wanokoto.jp/olds
Ma and my baby in our matching vintage seersucker dresses out for a sunday cycle.
http://labs.wanokoto.jp/olds
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)