Well, 'twas the day before Christmas and all was quiet . . .' - HA! Pizza night, girls sleep over and nail painting (for Christmas, it's tradition!) equals anything BUT quiet! But it was fun, and it is so nice to be surrounded by family and cousins and giggles. This weeks' theme was Garden, and I am going ahead and posting because Linda is visiting on this side of the sea, so I don't expect a photo from her and Claire has a bunch of people over for a fun Christmas herself, and that also equals anything BUT quiet in a pleasant kind of chaos. So, I think it is just Mariette and I this week, and she is first with this beautiful shot:
I love dew drops, and this could have been taken in my own garden after the rain we had last week. Our overseas family keeps wishing it would snow but it is not cold enough yet (although they definitely don't want to hear that it is going to get colder! Maybe no snow is not so bad . . . )
My photo is of some colored bottles hanging in our apple tree. We celebrated Winter Solstice on Friday night, because now we start to gain a little sunlight everyday, inching towards long summer nights again. We also celebrated surviving the end of the world! Personally, I just think the Mayan who was scribing the calendar just got a cramp in his arm and then had a sudden, tragic and fatal accident so couldn't get back to work and since they didn't believe in cross training back then, they couldn't figure out how he crunched his numbers and couldn't pick up where he left off . . . that's my theory anyway! In celebrating Winter Solstice, we all wrote down the things we needed to expel from 2012, things that held us back, things that we needed to make peace with or let go. We burned the pieces of paper with a candle, and then hung the candles in the apple tree facing East to greet the rising sun, the mark of a new day, and a new beginning. It was such a fun evening, much wine, lots of munchies and some good belly laughs!
I wish everybody a truly blessed and peaceful Christmas, and a wonderful, prosperous, healthy 2013!
It was fun to disappear down the rabbit hole and look back on this past year, and my oh my, what a year we have all had. Claire was studying and took on a new and rather challenging job - your drive and ability to get through so much is admirable Claire. I don't know Mariette very well, but I feel like 2012 was the year of self discovery and self love for her. The journey is never done, family is a wonderful terrible complicated beautiful thing and there are never easy answers, if you find them at all. Linda started strong and lost her mojo, which is a shame because she is our founder, instigator and glue. We limped along, but we missed her. Linda, something tells me that it is time to start blogging again, 2013 is sure to give you A LOT of material!! This blog is something special. It is like a journal, you pour out your heart, share your thoughts, shoot the breeze or have a giggle. Only, it is not lonely like a journal. With this blog, I feel heard. Somebody is listening, they are not trying to fix anything, they will not judge, or give advice, or tell you what you should do. They know that just the outpouring is enough, and maybe a quick cyber hug. And it drives home that it doesn't matter where in the world you live, we are more similar than different. And we are not alone. My favorite photo from Mariette's blog:
This is of her daughter Maxine. I love it because she looks so taken with what she is doing. You can see her mind going a million miles a minute, and the light in her eyes. This picture tells a story, it is worth a thousand words and leaves you asking a hundred questions. Maxine is so lovely. My favorite photo of Claire's blog:
It was a tough choice between this and the tea cup photo, but in the end, this one won. I can feel how still the early morning is in that moment just before the sun comes up, the earth goes quiet, like all living things are holding their breath waiting for the golden orb to make her entrance. And then, the big weightless balloon, silently floating until the pilot opens the burner and the flame roars. I can feel the chill of the early winter morning, I cansee my breath in the air and feel frost biting my fingers. But best of all is the anticipation, the excitement for that moment when the ropes are untied and the balloon lifts into the sky and you are airborne. And it is quiet. And it is magic. And then there is a roar and you are up, up and away . . . Linda's photo:
I love this because it is so . . . Linda. Romantic, sweet, lovely, gentle, unassuming. Yet strong. Have you hung these yet my dear???? I found it so hard to pick a favorite post. I think it is because I took a sabbatical and then I felt like I couldn't choose one from a post I didn't participate in, and some of the ones I love are not TUM posts, but Blog Your Heart posts. So I am just going to say instead that I don't love one particular post, I love instead all posts. I love reading about your lives and sharing your journey. I love the connection that we have through this blog, I treasure it.
I knew a woman once whose mom had to run for a boat that was to be the last ship out of the port towards the end of WW2, she was a nurse, her children (my friend and her big brother) were already on-board but they wouldn't let her leave with them because she was a nurse, they had already lost their dad. At the very last second they told her to just go, and she dashed home to grab a few things and she was the last one to board before the ship set sail. Time is so precious, life is so precious, I find myself looking at something and asking if I had to run like mad for the boat, would I take this with me? I think this blog is worth keeping, I think it encourages us to share our worlds in a way that we wouldn't normally. And I think it encourages us to look at our world too and not just run blindly through it like its a race to the finish. We don't have to run. What are we rushing for? We shouldn't be in such a hurry. This blog makes me slow down, it forces me to make time and all at once, we are connected through it - and actually, we are keeping pretty good company.
How much potential does this theme have? Everything has feet, from desks, chairs and bath tubs to bugs, birds and people. The inspiration is endless, the amount of time I have to give the project? Not so much! Looking back on my blogs I find there is a common thread running through so many of my posts. I speak about how crazy life is, how busy I am, how tired I am, how little time I have. This week was no exception, it feels as though as you move through the year the pace doesn't change, only the theme - either it is back to school, or it is crazy harvest week or it is sick employee week, all the cars break down week, Thanksgiving week and now, Christmas is looming. I feel like we have lost the plot when it comes to this holiday. We are supposed to be slowing things down, sipping cocoa with loved ones while throwing a log on the fire and reading a book or admiring the twinkling Christmas tree. We are supposed to be prioritizing things of importance like family, generosity and spirituality, it should be a humble, peaceful, low key holiday don't you think? In reality what it is, is frenzied and harried and the spirit of giving and generosity is catapulted into 'OMG! I still have to buy presents for the bus driver, teachers, postman, trash collectors . . . . ' all the while retail stores eke every cent out of your wallet with Christmas songs, tinsel and clever product placement. I think it also has something to do with the nearing of the end of the year. All of a sudden in between trips to crowded malls and colorful wrapping paper and shiny bows, there are the end of year social obligations and everybody seems to try and cram as much as they can into the last few days of this year - not sure why that is. But it is. Anyway, speaking of Christmas and back to this week's theme, here we have Mariette's take:
Just lovely isn't it? I think it is very sweet. My 'feet' aren't so heavenly, they are more earth bound for sure. We had a Christmas party at the barn last weekend, April rode a pony called Pixie in a drill team that performed to two carols - it was SO well done, and then the girls all dressed up their ponies in anything Christmas - from reindeer horns and bells to tinsel and bows, we had it all! Decked with boughs of holly, they did a parade down the street and after THAT, the Clydesdale's came to give us hay rides. AND then there was a Santa Gift Swap and cup cakes. The perfect party if you are a little girl who is horse mad! Anyway, so here is my picture of feet this week, it is of they Clydesdale's ENORMOUS hooves:
And just because I can't tell you all about the party and not include some photos, here is April on Pixie for the drill team:
And April in the parade on Mazoe (who has his winter coat now and is fuzzy wuzzy like a bear . . .)
And here are the owners of those very large feet. They are the youngest team she has and are just learning how to be grownups. Honestly, I wanted to bring them home with me, I have a soft spot for these babies!
Did you know that Budweiser beer here in the U.S. uses Clydesdale's in their T.V. adverts? The have become a brand icon and everybody waits for the Superbowl in the fall to see if they will be releasing a new ad, and they always deliver. So I am going to sign off with not one, but TWO of their ads - I simply couldn't choose! Enjoy!
This one was way more challenging than I imagined - and again, I have myself to thank. But I had all these grand ideas about reflections and flames and maybe I will still do that - but with the biggest holiday on the harvest calendar this week I had no chance to even THINK about it, let alone do anything to act on it. HA! So here is my pic, taken with my trusty iPhone in the grocery store last night:
It still makes me smile. Nando's is a South African brand, and you can't usually get South African stuff at local supermarkets. I am not sure if we have a pushy salesperson to thank, or if the buying manager at Hannafords just brought these in on a whim, but thankful I am! And it is not because I like Extra HOT Peri-Peri Sauce, but because I stood in the aisle of the supermarket staring into space for ages and ages thinking of Nando's back home, and how my mom would buy a whole lemon herb Nando's chicken for our dinner with some delicious Nando's bread rolls and a home made salad. Um . . . YUM! So, this pertains to flame because it is SO frikkin' hot, and because we refer to 'exes' in South Africa as 'old flames' and so, the country herself has become my old flame now that I am married to America. Sigh. I do miss her, pity she was such a drama queen! Claire next:
I was on a hot air ballooning team when I was younger so I would recognize this site anywhere - and this is the crack of dawn no doubt! This is something I recommend, no, make that HIGHLY recommend every person does at least once in their life. Claire - did you go up? Mariette:
A candle through cracked glass. Isn't it lovely? So this week I thought I would play out with a song, since I am officially up to date - a celebration is called for, don't you think? Here is a song from The Flames, an underground South African group from, I am guessing, the late 70's. The song is Restless and it is from their Soul Fire album.
Two more and I am up to date - well, for the moment anyway. Claire's photo first this time:
Again, poignant, beautiful, sweet. Nice job Claire! Next up, Mariette:
My neighbor woke up early one morning and took a bunch of frosty photos too. Both Mariette's photo and her beautiful takes made me want to get up early the next morning and go play. However, since I am not a morning person, it didn't last very long ;-) Here is my take:
I love the warm golds and cold blues in this photo - and I did nothing to play with or alter the color, it was just dusk and the sky was a cold blue and as somebody who paints often, it made me think of my art teacher (blues push things away Pam, they are in far off mountains and receding shadows. Warm colors bring things forward and draw your eye . . .) SO! Instead of getting up early to take frosty photos, maybe I will stay inside, put some hot cocoa on and paint a picture instead ;-)
YAY! I am FINALLY posting in the same month I am taking photographs in. It's pretty cool, I like it, I may even keep it! First up Mariette:
I just LOVE this photo. It rocks. You did a terrific job Mariette! Prizewinner for sure. Next up Claire:
This is what is interesting about Claire - she is so likeable and easy to talk to when you meet her, and she has this energy about her. If I asked you after spending the first five minutes with Claire to give me three words to describe her, I don't think 'romantic' would be on your list. But her photos are all so beautiful, poignant and sweet. She is most definitely a romantic (although not a hopeless one). There are layers to Claire, and I love seeing the world through her eyes. Me next:
Trick or treat, give me something good to eat, if you don't, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear . . .
This was taken just before Halloween, we took all the kids to a spooky corn maze at midnight! One of my farmers plants this massive corn maze each year - you can't see over the tall stalks, he uses obstacles like bridges and you get a treasure map and need to find things - it is wicked cool. This year he opened it at night time, and by torch light it is a whole other experience! The kids LOVED it! I think Halloween has to be one of our favorite holidays' - it is up there with Christmas!
This theme, chosen by Claire had to lead to some very human moments for sure. Mariette is first with a photo of her husband:
Interesting how much we as woman love our husbands hands, the hands that hold ours, and make us feel safe and cared for. Claire's photo:
Little Mia had a 'trash the cake' photo shoot - touch is everything to babies, they are so tactile and learn so much about their unexplored worlds. I always wonder what they are thinking, and what smooshy cake must feel like for the first time. Mine:
I often wish I spent more time taking beautiful photos with my beautiful camera instead of just iPhone snaps on the fly. Oh well. Hopefully I add value to the TUM team in other ways (although I am never on time with my photos, my posts are always late, I never 'blog my heart' . . . I guess I am just lucky they love me anyway).
This, I have to say, was not one of my favorite themes. And I chose it. Usually, I would have so much fun with it, because I am constantly marveling at how many circles are within a circle - a second within a minute within an hour within a day . . . life is full of cycles, and repetition. Nothing stands on its own in this world of ours. Fingerprints may be unique, but they are made up of lines repeating a pattern. However, this notion was far, far from being captured by me, and I think it is just because I was so busy, still, here is my photo:
It is of a blind in our house. Rows and rows of grass and stitching. I checked, and it was made in China, and I had to wonder if there was a machine that stitched it or if it was done by hand, and if it was done by hand, how many hours did it take? There are some anomalies in the pattern which makes me think it was done by hand, but then I didn't pay nearly enough for them, certainly no where near what should have translated into a living wage which makes me feel so guilty I want to take them down. But I do love them, and then all that hard work would have been for nothing, so I have consoled myself with the fact that I should just appreciate them and admire them very often - which I do. And be more careful next time I buy something! Mariette's photo:
This is beautiful, and instantly made me think of home, even though it wasn't taken anywhere near South Africa. What a lovely and out of the box take Mariette - well done! And Claire (who is finally back - YAY!!!):
Claire has promised to explain the link of this chair to repetition, I am guessing that it has to do with the number of frames she took - Claire?
Okay - I am going to be very American right now and say omg! OMG! OMG!!What the heck happened to October and November? This year as flown by and I don't know how we got to Christmas carols and twinkly lights so fast. I also don't know how I fell so, so far behind. So here we go, quick catch up this morning . . . and we begin with Mariette:
Love it, I can just picture lying on a blanket under the tree, a light breeze blowing and the shade dappling and dancing across my face. Ahh - if only us big people in our busy worlds took time to lie on blankets under trees. My pic:
This was on one of our many walks. Kira LOVES her walks, she gets excited if we drive down a road with lots of trees because she thinks we are going to stop and get out. I love our walks too, always so pleasant and as evidenced by my many 'outdoorsy' photos, the scenery is always changing and there is always something to look at. And I found this: Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. ~ Rachel Carson
I have no idea who Rachel Carson is, but I think I might like her.
Oooh this topic had some possibilities! And I was desperate to get out my camera and some lights and create some drama! But typically, who has time for drama these days? Even the soaps are losing popularity as people lose patience with all that amnesia stuff and who is marrying who the blatant plotting and scheming! Mariette very cleverly chose to make 'light' the subject, not the result of her photo:
Pretty awesome, I like the concentric circles. And my photo is of yet ANOTHER forest walk. I am sorry, I struggle to pull my brain out of engine mode during the rest of my day, this is where I stop to smell the flowers. Fall really is mushroom season and I dragged my brother-in-law Chris on a walk with me recently and even he was amazed at the shapes and colors of them all! These two caught my eye one morning, they seemed to be glowing. Now I know I have eaten neon orange mushrooms with highlighter yellow underbellies, but I don't know enough to pick the white ones as so many of them look alike and, frankly, you are safer picking up snakes in Massachusetts than picking mushrooms!
And I didn't have to do a thing about the lighting, or haul out the big guns camera-wise. Thank you mother nature for giving a gal a helping hand this week, and thank you Steve Jobs and team for the iPhone with which I captured the moment! Claire, partner in crime, this is your spot:
We seem to have lost another litter mate . . . Claire, who has a lot going on right now is with us and will be sending her images along in due time, but since life works the way it does and when she has a minute to breathe and can send through her always lovely images, I know I will be up to my eyeballs in quicksand - so! I decided to update my blog in the meantime and add hers when I have crawled out of the quicksand and have a minute to breathe and Claire is up to her eyeballs. We really need to find a way to synchronize our chaos - don't you think ladies? So without further adieu, and since I chose the topic my photo is first:
Nothing whispers comfort quite like cats do. An image of a curled up kitty is universal in the message it conveys I think - so too is the laughter we get from our entertaining felines, just type 'kitty' in the Youtube search bar and you will be entertained for hours! This is Dudley, we got him from a shelter and he has personality in spades. He is definitely a Garfield tabby in that he loves food, but everything is on his terms and we are all less-than-intelligent life forms he fondly tolerates.
And I said nothing whispers comfort like a cat, but it is also true that nothing drawls comfort like a dog, or is that drools? Mariette's pic:
Meet Jessie - and she does look mighty comfortable don't you think? Someone get her a blankie please! If only cats, dogs and bunnies didn't shed! And speaking of shedding, next we get to shed some light on things . . .
Hello again! This is my next attempt at catch up - yay! This week was fun, I am not sure but I think we have had this challenge before, but there is SO much texture around that we could have nothing but texture for 52 weeks of the year and not struggle for content! Claire first:
Really beautiful Claire. That's what you call evidence of life ;-) - imagine landing on a planet somewhere for the first time and being greeted by the sight of traffic through the sand ... I think I would be a little freaked out! Actually, I would be a lot freaked out, who am I kidding?
Next up Mariette:
Oh my word, just beautiful. This hobby has really changed how you see things Mariette, and your skill in capturing it has grown. This is a beautiful Halloween photo, somewhat eerie and jagged and beautiful.
Mine? Here you go:
Another forest walk moment. Aren't these mushrooms pretty? And I loved them against the woody background. These are called 'chicken of the woods' and they grow on deciduous trees, and they are edible. I did some research first, of course, and then we went and picked some and I threw them in a pan and had them on toast . . .
They were quite delicious, and the reason for their name has got nothing to do with how they look, but rather how they taste. They are a very dense mushroom, and very fleshy and taste a LOT like chicken. They are also very easily identifiable, so if you are going to be picking wild mushrooms to eat, they are one of the safest ones to do it with - you can't confuse them with something else poisonous because there is nothing else like them ;-)
OMG! I don't know how it happened that I fell SO far behind. Time is such a brutal task master, he waits for no one, and he brings forth unpleasant things you don't want to come your way but they are in your path and Time marches you right right into the middle of them. Time has no compassion.
So, quick catch up because I am chasing Time again this morning (I swear he steals minutes here and there - not only is time not compassionate, but I am convinced he skims like a mafia casino boss!) Silhouette was a lovely theme, I think we should do it again. Mariette first:
Loved her pic, Mariette likes ducks, and I totally get the appeal, they break the surface tension of the water and our thoughts. They move without appearing to move, a duck in a pond is always so peaceful. Claire next:
Love it Claire, very romantic. Are they walking towards the light or away from it? And then mine:
So many of my photo's are of the woods around us, that's because I have to walk the dog and walking her off leash in the forest is far less stressful than having her drag me down a road, and it is the only time I can stop long enough to smell the flowers. April and Ryan often come with me, and it I really love it when they join me and we can catch up about our day - it's special.
Great theme! I was convinced one of us would come up with a guy on a bicycle, not sure why, maybe it is because my friend Jacque took a photography course years back and for one of her projects she made her hubby cycle up and down the street like a hundred times until she got 'the shot', and I seem to remember her theme being motion.
None of us photographed bicycles. Here is Claire's:
Isn't it sweet? Lovely photo! My dog comes in the car with me everywhere, she sits on the front seat and loves to look out the window. Whenever I get shoes on, or grab my keys she meets me at the door and then trots on over to the passenger door and patiently waits for me to open it so she can get in. She's a riot!
And here is Mariette's photo - lovely moving water and bubbles, good take my dear!
For this theme, I wanted to do a loooonnnngg exposure of the stars, but we have had cloudy, humid, rainy weather and no stars in sight. Oh, and we had a full moon, an extra full moon, the 13th full moon of this year. Did you know that August had 2 full moons? And that they call it a blue moon when a month has two moons? That's where the saying 'once in a blue moon' comes from I guess. Anyway, with a brightly lit full moon sky, a few clouds and no stars, I had to go to Plan-B, and here it is:
It is a swing at the barn where we ride, and it wasn't moving at all this particular perfectly still morning. Plan-A came with a lovely story about stars and universes and gravity and things moving and rotating around other things and how so much of our life and relationships unfold in cycles. But I am no longer in the mood for that story without my star photo, just so that you know I am resourceful though, here was Plan-C:
This is what it looks like when you take a photo from horseback in low light on a rainy day with your iPhone! That's movement right there!
Our next theme is all about drama, and it should yield some beautiful pics ;-)
'Sign' really is a very interesting word. It could be a mark, token, instruction, note, symptom, character, symbol or gesture. Sign really is 'to convey meaning', it is a language all of it's own. Some signs are logistical, practical or instructive, others are colloquial, humorous even. I loved the signs my fellow TUM partners submitted, both would be very apt in my house, first Mariette's:
It really makes me smile. I am not really a morning person. It takes me a while to embrace the day, and I realize it is because I sleep so deeply that for me to come out of dreamland is a journey in and of itself, and so it takes a while. I am not one of those people whose eyes spring open, who hops up out of bed with a smile on my face while the birds tweet and I sing. I like to lie there for a while and let the world in a little at a time as I ponder and prioritize. Claire's photo too:
There always seems to be something else pressing to do, and when I have gone through the house and cleaned it top to bottom, it doesn't seem to stay clean for long. I blame the kids. And the dog. But really to have an immaculate home all the time, you have to be cleaning all the time and I have better things to do.
My photo this week is of a different kind of sign. The past few years have been hard on so many fronts. Moving countries is not easy, there is so much 'unknown' territory. Somebody asked me this weekend what I found most difficult about it and I think she was expecting me to say 'the food' or 'the accents' - but for me it was the newness. It can be very exhausting being in an environment where nothing is known. All the time. It is exciting and it is an adventure for sure, and it is very stimulating. But it gets old quick. It is the little things, brand names you are familiar with when you shop, how to pay a traffic fine, where the library is, what your new shoe size is, who to call when you need something (thank goodness for Google - I'm just sayin')!!
In an environment where newness abounds, it can be very hard to find direction, or know what to do next. Instead of having a few options, you feel like you have 360 of them, like you could head in any direction. And since just one decision, the decision to move countries in the first place, has had such a profound effect on everything else you realize the power of choice and it can make you fearful to make more choices, and also leave you wondering if you have done the right thing. So underneath all the newness is a layer of doubt and insecurity, and underneath the layer of doubt is the loss of your old life. Your old life is gone, it died and you are sad, heartbroken even, and a brand new life filled with 360 possibilities is laying at your feet. You can do anything! Reconciling those two emotions is very hard, especially when you are keeping everything 'normal' for your children and providing your family with security and routine.
I was given a gift before I left home. They are cards. Not tarot cards, they don't tell the future, they are based in the here and now. Horse themed (first reason why I love them), and designed for self discovery. When I have felt lost, and there have been many times, or overwhelmingly sad, when I have been filled with doubt, or when I have been frustrated because things just are not going my way, when I have wanted to stand on a rooftop somewhere and shout out loud 'WHY!?!' or when I have just wanted to sit my tired self down and give up - I have pulled out these cards:
They always bring me back towards myself, they take me on a journey deep within, to explore what it is I want, and then they remind me that I AM. I am strong enough, I am sensitive enough, I am brave enough, I am intelligent enough, I am agile enough. I am enough. Everything that I need for this life, I have within me. At times of crossroads, or despair when I have needed a sign, these cards of self exploration have been a big neon arrow. They have not shown me the way, instead, the arrow has pointed at me, they have shown me that in this life of mine, I am the way.
Oh my word. I am not even sure who picked this theme, but the material was endless. From the bugs and the gogo's we have around here, to the salamander we found in our basement, the turtles who lay eggs in our lawn each year, the birds, the deer, the bunnies . . . the inspiration is endless!
Claire took this photo while out for a cliff/beach walk. She lives in Wales, and loves the beauty of her area. We go for walks regularly too, we have cranberry bogs and forests and ponds and lakes. I did not think of our coastline as beautiful when I first got here, I had the obvious beauty of South Africa's shorelines to compare it to, but it is growing on me, and now I see how lovely it is. Claire, some photos of the pretty would be nice. Here is her creature:
Next was Mariette, who also had much inspiration. This is a such a sweet little bug, I like his multi-colored legs - another wonderful photo:
I wonder what he eats?
Finally, my photo. I went and took some photos of the barn where April rides, and while we were trying to get some perfect brochure worthy photos of all the kids, beautifully dressed and lined up with their horses. These kids got bored with perfect, posing for photographs is not at all interesting, especially if you are under 10 and can't see the point! So they were catching very slimy frogs in the pond - slimy is WAY more fun!! I can't compete with slimy anything. The froggy in this photo was hopping off and nearly got away. All children should spend more time catching frogs, don't you think? SO! The kids got filthy, the frogs lived to see another day (especially when I explained that they eat mosquitoes!!) and the photos were all still perfect.
So that's me. Up to date and off to attack the rest of my 'to do' list for the day. I wonder what story our photos will tell next week? I wonder what photo I will end up taking? Usually I leave it to the gods, look for a sign, and act on impulse. One thing I am sure of, is that our TUM photos will all be different, the stories interesting, and the cup of coffee I drink while I read the other blogs time well spent!
Our theme this week is women. A lovely theme. And it came about at a time when I had some very upsetting far off news, so I spent the week dwelling on women, our roles in relationships, our roles in families, our roles in society. It is quite funny how different each aspect of the word 'women' each TUM partner captured. Mariette first with this stunning photograph (um, advertisement worthy Mariette, Revlon, are you listening ? ? ? )
Claire's photo is of a little bit of history. Jewish-Polish women who worked in an enamelware factory and were thus saved from concentration camps, and probably death. I love old photo's too Claire, who took them? What was going on? Who are those people? Did they have daughters of their own? What were their lives like? Women have certainly had interesting and challenging roles in many places throughout our colorful human history.
My picture is last. My daughter April, playing with my mom-in-laws hair. This is not the best photo, it was snapped with my iphone in the dark, so you will have to forgive me. But I do love this photo for the side of my mom-in-law you see in this photo. She carries many burdens, she has had an interesting life, and she grew up too soon. This playful little girl so clearly evident in this photo is so endearing, she is young, carefree and loves to have fun and to laugh. Her relationship with her grandchildren is growing and blossoming as they, more than anybody else, can draw this young girl out to play. It is good for all of them, and I treasure the time they spend together.
So there you have it. Women. There is so much more to us than lipstick and pantyhose. We are the glue. We hold it together and keep it going even when the whole world around is shifting, changing, or falling apart. We are the anchors for our families, our society, and we are the leaders even when we are not actually in charge. Men are important too, their roles are valuable and provide balance. But women nurture, we connect, we string everybody together just like pearls to create a strong families, communities, villages be it 1726 or 2012.
This week, it is fitting I honor Mariette, who has been the string for us TUM ladies, soldiering on and holding the space open making it easy for us to rejoin and rejoice. Thank you.
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