Versatile Blog Award

I, amongst a lot of other bloggers have been

awarded a Versatile blogger’s Award

1. Acknowledge the award givers.

Thank You for the tag/award Another Day kalinka – sweet of you both to think of me too :). In fact I’m glad I did this – I rediscovered some of my past in this pursuit.

2. State 7 random / unknown facts about yourself.

Not much is not known about me around these parts – even things I don’t know about myself are public knowledge I believe. Isn’t the rumour mill a wonderful thing? LOL

So… for newer peeps who haven’t read as far back, (on Letterdash/24), here are some lesser-known facts I think, (I googled myself actually LOL) in chronological (yearly) order.

1. My original professional career was… (I’m chuckling here), Optometrist. Qualified nogal. But after lecturing to final year students for a few years, in Visual Perception and Remedial Education, I got a bit bored and went back to Uni to study Datametrics and Computer Programming (in those days, called BASIC) – I used the old original Apple in those days, before the rest of the world boycotted us.

2. In 1991 I began my “online career” with Beltel on the Telkom network in CHATNET and FROGG channels with the user nick of Moonbeam. Still friendly with most of the peeps circa 1991 in real life and we have both Chatnet and Frogg pages on Facebook.

3. I was a founding member of PRETNET (Pretoria Education Network) in 1995 – we initiated the connection of all schools to the World Wide Web in South Africa, including rural schools which we linked via cell phones and generators. My students (Carmel Pretoria) were the first group in South Africa to link up and interact with online projects with schools around the world – mainly the USA at the time.
   
4. In 1996 we, as the Pretnet committee sent 2 highschool students from Eersterus and Mamelodi (Chris and Ruth), to Holland to sail on the boat, the Zeester, around Holland running the Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes Anti Racism tour. I started #za on IRC (Internet Relay Chat) to run discussions with school students around the globe, every afternoon at 4 pm with Chris and Ruth – which I moderated.
   
5. A report I wrote after the Magenta Anti Racism Tour in Holland in 1996, was published in the I*EARN yearbook “An End to Intolerance” in 1997 – in the USA.
   
6. The price of immigration weighs heavily on South Africans and the split family syndrome that my family lives with particularly, is the bain of my life. It’s a hefty price to pay for our children’s safety. I cry almost every day (alone) because I miss my children and grandchildren angelpies so very much. I thank my lucky stars I have my son close by – but that’s also a worry in this ZA climate!
   
7. Although I’m a good listener, I have a saturation point. I don’t tolerate fools, pettiness and continual miserable peeps easily. Life is hard enough and I’ve lost too many family members and friends at a young age, and seen too much tragedy to allow [much] more than a minute of it “slip by”.

3. Award 10/12 bloggers, who deserve the award “Versatile Blogger” – so I’ve tagged the following peeps – if you’ve been tagged already.. then great – double for your trouble :)

Tokeloshe Liona RIC007WP kelvinb

Sonel shlwanjan Supagran Brandy

inspiration DarlingDee AQ Sharon

Beads and Pearls

This is how I’ve spent every spare minute over the last couple of weeks, in between the usual work day and running a home, as well as aqua aerobics 3 times a week. I feel a tad out of breath actually, but I really wanted to make these pearl and precious gem stone necklaces for my daughters in Northern California. Although we do buy oodles of gifts before I leave, I haven’t been with them for their birthdays the past year, (not that I ever am, sadly), so these are special handmade pressies from Mommy :). I’m not partial to the usual strings of pearls any more. They’re so outdated. I hope I created something special for them to pass on to their children one day. 

I used variations of chocolaty-coloured cultured pearls with similar coloured freshwater pearls, Ethiopian silver and quartz circular balls. Some I mixed with rose quartz fragments, coloured crackle glass fragments and brightly coloured freshwater pearls. The findings are all silver and all the strings are silk. Now the girls need to choose the string they prefer. My luck, they’ll probably want the same one… not one string is alike.

The picture on the right shows the 3 expensive strings all together. They would look rather good all together I’d say … But no can do! LOL

The string below left is a cheaper version, made of fragmented coloured glass and glass round beads with silver findings.

My mom’s Yarzheit

Today is the 1st anniversary, in the Hebrew calendar, of the death of my mom. Although she passed on the 3 June, this year our Yarzheit for her falls on the 24 May. A whole year has passed in a flash. The strangest part of it all, is that today would have been her 85th birthday.  I decided to read my journal from that awful day last year, hence this repost.

Thursday, June 4 @ 10.19 pm Pacific Coast Time (San Francisco)

My mom, 24 May 1925 - 3 June 2009 Above: A lifetime ago - here she is with me at few months of age. Ironically I'd taken these pictures in to be copied a week ago and yesterday morning, a few hours after she passed away, the photo shop called me to say these were ready. May her dear soul rest in peace

Generally, this has been an exceptionally long and difficult time for my family and in particular for me. Not seeing my children and grandchildren for well over 15 months was very painful for me, but knowing we had a double simcha in the form of a new baby and a wedding, kept me going. It was marred by the fact that my mom wasn’t strong enough physically to travel the many miles to be at her granddaughter’s wedding. The tough year (2008), we all suffered through, was even more traumatic for my mom. She’d lost my dad at such a young age and then my younger brother in the prime of his life and, in horrific circumstances, in front of her eyes, her sister was taken from her in a violent act of murder.

Both Nicki and Tania were Mary’s eldest grandchildren and they forged an incredible bond with her in their very early years. She was an integral part of their lives, helping with babysitting and then lift schemes as they got older, whenever she could. Both her and my dad, were besotted with their grandchildren. Sadly and prematurely, my father, passed away soon after we moved overseas 22 years ago. I had to leave the children in Israel to get back to his funeral. Then my brother Brian passed away so suddenly on my eldest grandson’s 3rd birthday – both my girls were living in the USA. Similarly when my aunt passed away, the girls were in the USA.

There has to be a reason that I planned to stay longer with my children for this trip. For both Nicki and Tania who’ve had had to mourn so often over the last few years, from a distance, with no physical connection to our dear departed, I am thankful I am here for both of them. They need me as much as I need them. Last weekend, Mary’s birthday, we all spoke to her – a week after Tania’s wedding. She and Tania were cracking jokes and they were all excited about Tania and Warren coming back to SA in December so she could meet Warren.

The thought that they won’t see their granny again and that she never got to know her newest, youngest great grandson, Jed, is incredibly sad for us all. Yesterday I decided to stay and sit shivah here. The split families that South Africa has caused are horrific and times have changed so radically that I’m sure G-d and my mom understand why I need to be here for my children and grandchildren as well as for myself. In fact, I know my mother would have wanted me to stay. Doron, sadly has lived through all these horrible losses from a very young age – it has made him stronger I’m sure. He has, however, always had both his parents to comfort him through all the sadness. Nicki and Tania did not. Nicki’s husband R, fortuitously I think, went to SA this week on business, which is all the more reason that I need to be here. I am grateful he is there for my sister and my son.

Fortunately my kids have a wonderful community and their Rabbi came over yesterday. – I feel rather jaded at this part, (sitting shivah), having gone through it so often, but for the girls sake, I was glad he could give them some insight into  the next “leg” of their granny’s journey – or rather, the journey of her soul. I was pleased that he agreed with the ‘logic’ of my thinking, as far as staying here was concerned. I guess I needed reassurance that I wasn’t making a mistake, although at the end of it all, no one can make that decision for us, except ourselves.Thank you for your condolences and compassion and all the wonderful words of sympathy. I don’t think any of you realise, how much your good wishes mean to our family during this terribly sad time. Your warm thoughts are a source of comfort to us all during these difficult days.

Warm hugs to you all,
Dinx

You at 50

The video below was created for the AARP  U@50 video contest by a young film student at Columbia University in Chicago, Jonathan Reed, in 2007 or 2008. His video, based on an Argentinian Political Advertisement “The Truth” by RECREAR was placed second.

A palindrome reads the same backward and forward.  This video is a palindrome – playing the opposite backwards. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite too. It is only 1 minute 44 seconds long, but well worth listening and reading – forward and backward.

Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed

I am part of a lost generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
“Happiness comes from within.”
is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy.”
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.
And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it .

Now read it from the bottom to the top – or listen to it being read in reverse on the video.

With thanks to my friend Lilibee for sending me the link… you are awesome – THIS is awesome!

Sisterhood

“The worst-tempered people I’ve ever met were the people who knew they were wrong.” ~ Wilson Mizner, born May 19 1876 – 1933

Women who support each other emotionally and mentally during this rapidly changing world [of lifestyle, fortune and circumstance], are, in my mind, evolved and can be termed “good sisters”.  By helping each other rise above the difficulties thrown at us on an almost daily basis, we could create a better world and a better image of ourselves as a group. A group, who command respect and equality, will help to throw off the shackles of discrimination of any kind, from any gender, race, colour or creed. But first, we need to respect ourselves.

Watching women judging others, especially their fellow women, is a scary thing to behold. The envy and jealousy is palpable and the constant criticism only serves to confirm the insecurities of those doing the judging. I watched this happen recently within a pretty close-knit blogging community and the bitterness and ugliness and yes, jealousy, that reared its head, was monstrous and the criticism, vitriolic. At this point, the proverb “it takes a village [community] to raise a child” kicked in. As a group of women, we should rise, as one, to support our sisters, against any form of abuse and standing up for their rights. Dr Phil McGraw’s well-known quote, “we teach others how to treat us,” rings very true. Only we can change the way we are viewed by others. The way we speak about each other to each other, as well as to the male gender, paves the way for their treatment of us. Women should always find ways of supporting women in a bond of sisterhood.

There may be differences and disagreements, but through it all, as women, we should respect and understand each other in spite of, and because of, these [differences/disagreements].

If you haven’t yet read the novel, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells, do so soon. It’s a great book to read a second time as well.

Siddalee Walker is living a life she always dreamed of, successful in her career and about to marry her fiancé. However, memories of her parents’ unhappy marriage force her into thinking twice about going through with her wedding. She visits with her mother’s friends, the Ya-Yas, hoping they can change her mind about love, happiness, and family. Her mother’s scrapbook, the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, enlighten Sidda as to the triumphs and tragedies which shaped her mother.

These (below) are by ©  Phylicia Perry

• A woman with impeccable character is worth more than diamonds; She is priceless”
• “A gentle answer will diffuse anger, but an unkind word will stir it up”
• “A genuine sister is never judgmental but will tell me the truth about myself even when the truth isn’t pleasant to hear”
• “When people hear the music of your life, they will ask for the words”
• “What I believe, shapes my behaviour”

Hope you’re having a good day,

Women in Touch Luncheon Club

Professor Rosalie Finlayson

Professor Rosalie Finlayson, with an impressive and rather intimidating resume under her belt, addressed WIZO’s Women in Touch, Pretoria lunch group on Monday. The topic: Understanding Cultural Differences. Her eloquent, dynamic AND entertaining presentation was warmly received by her audience. Since 1984, Rosalie held the position of full Professor – Head of Xhosa in the Department of African Languages at UNISA and a fluent speaker of 9 of our 11 official languages of Southern Africa . She has recently retired and is enjoying it immensely.

Language and culture are inexplicably intertwined. When language dies, culture dies. To manage diversity and to communicate effectively becomes ever more important in the rapidly changing South Africa. There is too much that is misunderstood. This arises from the intercultural misinterpretation of traditions and customs. Behaviour and lack of respect for other cultures is bound to occur. We should educate ourselves in understanding behavioural forms of respect in other groups/cultures. Verbal and non-verbal communication between the groups is of paramount importance. Appreciating the use of language and protocol, as well as greetings, respect, manners, and time will make for good and effective communication between the cultures.

Rosalie, reminded us that time is money and respect in all ‘languages’ and we need to negotiate the value and importance of time. It’s up to each one of us to show a willingness to communicate and extend trust across the cultural divide.

Why am I here?

In order to test the saving and editing commands which resulted in the only time I ever had a double post on Letterdash,  today I used that opportunity to clear something up: I’m not “back” on LetterDash per se, except to contribute to the health platform, for which I originally began that blog. It was my diary of recovery from back surgery. Over time, the blog took different tangents starting with the Charity drive which I initiated. Then it touched almost every other subject under the sun. Jo, who is one of the Health Editors at 24 Com, asked that I continue to post medical and/or health related issues. I absolutely adore both Jo and Heather and if I hear of, or research something of interest, I will indeed share it there. But my personal diary has moved to this site. I also have my own domain (since 1995), so if I manage to get the blogging software working there, I will be transferring my archives and daily blog to that.

So many of  those bloggers are my friends, very good ones at that… so I haven’t really departed that space. I am still visiting them, (some!), when time permits. Sometimes I’ll read, but won’t comment. I’m working flat out at the moment and in between, actually managing to bead a few more ostrich eggs, to take to my daughters in the USA next month.

To my friends over on Letterdash, please know that you are very dear to me and your support during that horrible, (traumatic for me), time, means the world to me. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how Penny was attacked in such a personal manner and made into the whipping boy. She was and is a very dear friend of mine and I hope will be, to the end of my days. The LD bugs were and are, software and programming bugs and had absolutely nothing to do with Penny’s personal life. I loved the Letterdash platform and I loved my blog there. I will never delete it. I’m still very distressed and upset that it was necessary to move my personal journey elsewhere.

The MOB last Saturday was fabulous. If you’d like to see the “tattoo pics”, please click HERE!
Hugs,

Cinco de Mayo

Last year, [2009], on the 5 May, I was in the USA with a newborn grandson and planning a wedding! Since I’m in the process of moving my blog from a local South African platform, I thought it a good time to read a few back entries. This is a partial repost of exactly 1 year ago.

Wed 5 May 2010, 22:475 May 2009

Today, 5th of May is Cinco de Mayo and no, it is not Mexican Independence Day, however, it should be! It’s not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from Spain at midnight, 15 September, 1810. It took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.

Why Cinco de Mayo? And why should Americans savour this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862. And the celebrations abound throughout the USA.
Some of you will at least have heard about it, if you watch Ellen on the Series channel.

Below, Sage getting ready to go out this past Saturday. And next, later in the day, holding baby Jed. I snapped quickly, before he fell over. These kids think he’s a doll :) And she had a bad cold last week and has breathed all over the little pumpkin, so he’s now got a bad cold and very blocked nose.

Right is Zak.. he ADORES little Jed – even though Jed looks as though he’s about to cry. He’s really a “gassy” baby and although he’s good as gold, when he needs to burp, he tends to hurl it out.

My gadgets, some of which I realised I’d photographed on a table covered with a cloth that I’d painted many years ago as a gift for N, are pictured below. I love the Hibiscus design and I’m inspired to start planning my next painting project. Planning is a huge part of my vocab lately. Pity I don’t seem to finish anything.

So the first pic is my lemon squeezer which is so neat and simple it’s ridiculous (although the price is NOT). I should have opened it and photographed it but it’s merely a large ‘straining’ spoon joined to a lever of a solid spoon. Press the 2 sides together with the 1/2 lemon inserted and it squishes the juice out and keeps the pith and pits out of the juice. The egg timer is my new replacement. It’s the size of an egg – place it in the water with the eggs (cold water) and bring to the boil. The red goes dark when it’s at the required consistency (i.e. soft or medium… to extra hard). When the dark red line touches the 2nd last white line, it has the consistency of the egg written against that line.

And below is a T-bag squeezer. Open it up and it covers the cup opening as a lid and keeps the string of the T-bag in the centre while it continues brewing. Which is then lifted out and clipped over (folded) which in turn, squeezes out the T-bag. A mere $3.49. (Not a lot in dollar terms.. but multiply that by 10 which is the rate I got my dollars.)

I’ve been trying to post something since Saturday!! Believe me folks, this is not a holiday, for those of you think it is. I love it, but it’s really hard work. My child is exhausted and I’m not so young any more, so I’m not as helpful as I used to be. So many of you are sending me wonderful messages regarding my fun holiday. It’s fun, but I’m going to need a holiday by the time I go back to SA. In the interim, I hope my kids can have a few days break while I’m still here. They can take the baby and at least I can look after the 3 older ones. In the middle of it all we’re trying to get organised for the wedding. All wonderful celebrations and happenings and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But the amount of work is EXTREME. And Sage keeps me on my toes. Today I became her flavour of the month. Which means that I’m the one that can (is allowed) to do everything and not her mom or the 2x a week nanny. In fact so much so, that I had to sneak out the house to do grocery shopping this morning and that, only after I’d promised her a surprise. (And this is after I complained and said they have to stop giving the kids gifts for every little jaunt out of town. Seems like that’s my fault entirely – or almost! LOL). Even Daddy, the hero, only got a cursory hullo in passing when he came back from work.

Here are some arb  tweets which came up this afternoon (5 May 2009), in my 5 minutes I managed at the time. I have lots of other interesting breaking news, but NO more from me tonight… I can’t keep my eyes open.

1. TechCrunch Follow The Money: Bookies Favor Apple For A Twitter Buyout (I haven’t seen that happen yet.. have you? :) )
   
   
2. ev Forgot to pack cuff links for black-tie event. Fortunately, wife is a majician and fashioned some out of things laying around the hotel  (ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF TWITTER – check the spelling of magician! Just for fun LOL)
   
3. Twitter_Tips Mistakes in Twitiquette: 5 of the least obvious errors: http://cli.gs/Pd64Tv
   
4. grandparentscom RT @ryan_gpcom: Any grandparents out there done something fun outside w/ ur grandkids lately? Please tell us about it: http://bit.ly/8n7Ty

A tribute to old and new blog friends

A get together of bloggers, otherwise known as a MOB =Meeting of Bloggers

Coined by a South African blogger in the Letterdash world, known as Colonialist many moons ago.

The word has a rather wild connotation. One describing a riotous and disorderly crowd of people. All the MOB’s I’ve been to, have been noisy, raucous with lots of laughter, but definitely not riotous. In fact, good fun has been had by all. I have been to many of these so-called MOBs over the past 3 years and enjoyed each and every one for different reasons. Contrary to popular belief, absent bloggers have seldom been discussed, although the medium of blogging and how it’s affected or affecting us personally may be discussed at length. The pros and cons, or the good and bad we each face on a daily basis. For example, when I embarked on my blogging past-time, some of my family couldn’t understand the dedication I gave to it. Each of us have bugbears we have to deal with with or for, our blogging journey. I find we speak a lot about that, as well as catching up on the personal side of our families and lives.

This past Saturday I attended another MOB with a lot of wonderful new Bloggers, with whom I’d connected recently on the Letterdash platform and a few with whom I had not yet engaged. As always, it’s wonderful to get together with old friends and meeting with the new ones as well, was just the cherry on the top.

Below are some of the tats which SOME of our lady bloggers sported. Harvey, eat your heart out dude :)

Sorry this one on the left was blurred…I’m not mentioning names :)

Sadly, my mate mg42 and Flim who travelled far, couldn’t stay as the venue wouldn’t allow children in. But at least we got to say hello. (I find it rather strange that a restaurant in the middle of a shopping mall, doesn’t cater for children during the day especially over lunchtime. I would understand if it was late afternoon/evening. The place wasn’t busy – the real partying only starts at night. They’ve lost a whole lot of future patrons! I won’t name and shame right now)

The pleasure was mine folks. I really loved meeting up with you all, Penny, Tamsin, Batty, Ghia, Cassie, Damsailor, Harvey, Soul Searcher, Tsunami and Emil. The party, became a souped up one and went on late into the evening with others joining later. Sadly I missed them, but there is only so long Granny Di can keep up with you youngsters :).

Have a good week all,

The Daffodil Story

The school my grandchildren go to in N. California did a study programme prior to the Holocaust Remembrance day last week. Here is the poem Daniel 8 1/2 years old, (my grandson) wrote — it was published in the school newspaper on Friday.

The Daffodil Story

By Daniel  ——–
3rd Grade, OHDS

Whenever I lose something, I see a daffodil in my mind, And it gives me hope. Whenever I can’t work, I see a daffodil in my mind, And it gives me courage And strength to work. Whenever I think of the Holocaust, It gives me sad memories Of all the Jews that died; Then I see a daffodil And it brings joy to me And everybody. Even aliens. Whenever I think of the Jews That survived the Holocaust, It brings joy to me, And then in my mind, I see sooooooo many daffodils.

The Holocaust is a central event in many people’s lives, but it also has become a metaphor for our century. There cannot be an end to speaking and writing about it. Besides, in Israel, everyone carries a biography deep inside him.” Aharon Appelfeld (I go 1 step further and say every Jew, in every corner of the Diaspora, carries that same biography.)