pieces of ria

... Soon! I promise. I've taken a break, settled into a new job, started running, lost weight, celebrated my 1 year anniversary with the best boyfriend ever....So, I'll be back with loads of ideas, pictures, plans, inspiration, did I mention plans? So watch this space. Now for a lazy, long weekend!

Herewith a few more pictures of our holiday. It's an anti-climax to be back, although I returned with a lot of plans and energy to grab the reality-bull by the horns... And it's great sleeping in my own bed again! It's been raining all day, which is wonderful. I have a longstanding love-affair with rain. And I've dug my down duvet from the cupboard.. it's lovely and cozy and wonderfully warm. I love winter. I've bought a lovely bottle of medium cream sherry, I'm planning to make some delicious comfort food later... So all in all I shouldn't complain. What a joy to look at the pictures and to remember all the fantastic times. I feel blessed. I feel lucky. Tomorrow will be the last day at my current job. New chapter starting soon. I used to hate change, but it's growing on me, really quickly. Enjoy the pictures!! The door of a house, somewhere in Monchique village, Portugal From one of the beaches quite close to our resort, Portugal The bea...

Various parts of London, Faro, Albufeira, Monchique, Lagoa, Dubai. From 12C to a whopping 43C, all in 16 days. 7 Flights.. all in all around 40 hours on a plane (luckily not in one stretch!) Tube rides, camel rides, boat rides, exhilirating 4x4 sand dune rides. Yummy plane food, fabulous Algarve seafood, traditional Arabian food. Hours on foreign beaches, a swim in crystal clear water to a deserted cave, running through the streets of London city to catch a train. Meeting new people, making new friends, laughing, eating, drinking, sleeping, swimming, tanning, experiencing, remembering, taking more than 800 pictures to keep the memories forever. My holiday with The Boyfriend was one of the best ever, and one I'll never forget. He made it very special! Herewith a few pictures to tickle your tastebuds, more to follow soon... Somewhere far away, from the plane... Our resort in Portugal, Praia de Oura From the secluded beach with the hidden cave, off the Algarve coast, Portugal - t...

Since I call myself Pencilgirl, a dear friend was kind enough to send me this piece of writing in a birthday card, the other day. I think it's quite special. A pencilmaker taught a pencil 5 lessons : 1. Everything you do will always leave a mark. 2. You can always correct the mistakes you make. 3. Important is what is inside you. 4. In life, you will undergo painful sharpenings which will make you a better pencil. 5. To be the best pencil you can be, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the Hand that holds your life in His palm... Something to think about!

Autumn is, and will always be my best time of year. Leaves turning yellow and orange and red, Liquid Amber and Oak trees shedding leaves everywhere, the thick mist during morning trips to the office, and the rain. Ah.. the rain. I have a deep love for rain. Rain with no wind, to be specific. The soft patter of rain on a tin roof, the joy of a secluded open window when it's raining, being able to listen to the water streaming down from the sky, through the garden, down the street. It makes me intensely happy and excited. It makes me feel at home, wherever I am. It reminds me of evenings in front of the huge fireplace in my parents' house in Somerset West. It makes me think of the undescribable joy of waking up, realising it's raining, and being able to turn on the other side and curl up in your warm, cosy, pillow-nesty bed, realising it's Saturday or Sunday, and you can sleep for another few hours. I love the colours of autumn, the smells, the cooler air, the fa...

So finally the day is here. My "Crown Birthday". I am excited because it's raining, I feel special because my sister went through a lot of trouble to make the day (and last night) very special already, although it's only 08h53! And 23 people (yes, 23) have already wished me a good one, between 00h00 and now. I also received the best letter from my mom that made me cry in the office. I'm lucky and blessed and I hope the rest of the day will continue to be lovely! I hope I remember it as one of my best birthdays. The fact that I'm going to Portugal in a week is also helping to make it all the more exciting. Yay! * * Update: The Boyfriend surprised me at work! I was so happy! The receptionist called me to let me know that there was a delivery for me.. Being very anti-flower delivery (I've had some terrible flower moments..) I immediately expected the worse.. but there he was, sitting in the foyer, with a huge bunch of flowers, especially for me. It was grea...

you came with the breeze on a sunday morning i couldn't have know from where you stood still while i started walking the back of your head looked like a face from afar you wore a red coat it made me think of tomatoes in a wooden box you picked the leaves from the dry tree in the front yard i heard a train go by and tried to imagine myself on it the sunday was green otherwise i tried to talk to more people i shivered later, as if someone was walking over my grave my gandmother used to drink sugerlumps in her tea but i didn't know her how did this all happen? you must still be standing in front of my house.

There's a strange and wonderfully scary stigma attached to abandoned places. I always imagine what happens in places like these in the witching hours, when no one is awake.. Do creatures roam the hallways? Are their sounds to be heard? What will happen if you should sit there, and wait? Freaky, extremely freaky. Lovely pictures, nonetheless. Make sure to visit " La Valdor ", Frankenstein's Hospital... Click here for the Abandoned Places website Rob Dobi is a photographer that caught another collection of New England Ruins on camera. Not really that scary, but if you use your imagination, it could take you anywhere... Click here to visit his website

So I've decided to post my short story on my blog, since it's been posted on 2 other blogs!! The Owlhouse newsletter now comes in the form a blog. They have translated my story into Afrikaans (well done, Arno!) and it's been published here: Uilhuis Stigting Blog Owlhouse Foundation Blog The Owlhouse The lazy sun slips its long, late-afternoon fingers around the orange koppies, down, down into the quiet valley of Nieu Bethesda. It brushes over a few lonely sheep, the cork-dry main road, the tips of long forgotten trees. It touches the rooftops of the weathered houses, and filters through the shady spots created by ancient graves at the edge of the village. It bathes the valley in a lush, warm haze and for a moment it waits, before it silently sinks away behind a koppie, leaving the valley to darken. As soon as the twilight comes, she appears from the river. A bowed figure, almost only a shadow, her feet not touching the gravel over which she hurriedly moves. Those who have...

Yes, I'm in love and had a lot of inspiration for writing a loveletter for a writing contest that I've entered a few weeks ago. To my surprise they decided to pick me as one of the 20 finalists.. The recognition is fantastic! Herewith the letter, in my mother tongue, from my heart, and the link where it was published. My Lief As ek lewe in my pen se ink kon blaas, sou ’n vlamrooi voël stadig daaruit fladder tot op die spierwit papier. Sy sou haar amber vlerke oor die skoonwit bladsy sprei soos ’n waaier en skaam met haar kobaltblou-en-groen oë na die wêreld loer, terwyl sy stadig en gemaklik asemhaal met haar pruimpers, ronde bors wat geluidloos op en af beweeg. ’n Warm hart klop daar binne. Sterk. Aanhoudend. So klop my hart vir jou, my lief, soos ’n helderkleurige, wilde, vrye dier. Trots, geheimsinnig, innig gelukkig. Jou hart klop ook, en ek hoop dit klop net vir my. Vir nou, vir môre, vir altyd. Dit klop warm onder my vingers as ek aan jou raak en jy geniet elke oomb...

I've been gone too long, but I'm back.. baring gifts! Some of my favourite images at the moment. Sit back, let your imagination run wild & enjoy....