Not all who wander are lost

I have often wandered along Sea Point promenade, with no particular goal in mind. Wandering isn't only good for the heart it's also good for the soul. Wandering with no destination in mind allows your mind to think aloud. I don't know about everyone else but I am found because I wander.
I wander, therefore I am not lost.

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Hideaway

Keeping a secret. Not telling me something. Hiding a something somewhat.
All in a days work for someone like I'm not.
But if you are a somewhat, be that somewhat with care.
'Cause if we find out what you're hiding, you'll be dealing with more than a pair.

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How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole?



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Stepping from the top of a 100-foot pole is like moving on from some place great. That place could be high or powerful or it could even be a person. Just stepping from the top is a difficult task.

The worst part is that you have to do it alone. No one is standing in the exact same position as you. Your friends and family might think they have been in that position, or that their advice is welcome, but no one can tell you how to go about it. No one can be in the same position as you at the same time. There isn't room atop that pole for more than one person.

So... with that in mind, step from the top of that 100-foot pole as you see fit. Do it in your own style.

How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole?
I guess I'd have to answer: however you want to.

We Are What We Do

We, the tea and coffee drinkers,

 Are only standing at the kettle a minute or two.

  What we notice is the amount of time, as if it were an eternity.

   We do not notice the small changes taking place in the water. 

    Do try to notice the details, for those are what count in life.

“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life

which are the real ones after all.” Laura Ingalls Wilder

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Good Luck?...I'm not so sure

This past weekend I was up in Langebaan and patiently waiting outside an ATM to draw some cash. Now I am a big believer in karma so when this happened I wasn't comforted by the reassurances of my 'friends' standing by. They kept saying "well it's good luck" and not "can I help clean that shit off your face?"

Yes, a bird flew over my head and literally dumped its stomach contents across my sunglasses, onto my face, and into my hair. It was an interesting texture which proved difficult to clean with only discarded atm slips. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Although I smelt bad for the rest of the day I guess I can find a silver lining to the whole experience: my 'friends' got a good laugh and I'm counting on that good luck kicking in sometime soon. According to my horoscope today, I'm a Capricorn, I'll be needing it.

Tip: (for those of you who will also have their first time sooner or later)
Carry wet wipes in the car at all times, oh and don't forget some things can fly.

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It is all about me...

...on my Pinterest boards.
So I have successfully set up my Pinterest account, it was so much more simple than I thought it would be. Once I had requested an invite and received my 'in' from 'Ben and the Pinning Team' I only had to choose a username and password. Pinterest automatically connects through your current twitter or facebook account, thus the rest was all done for me. I promised to keep everyone updated on my progress, so here it is.

If you read my previous post about Pinterest, 'PinWhat???' you have a basic understanding about this relatively new social media spot. I have started my profile with four boards;


(http://www.dagmarbleasdale.com/)



My Dream Home: At my age I don't have to worry yet about mortgages, my kids' school fees or insurance. I am still allowed to dream huge. I am also not yet married so I don't have to take my partners decorating style into consideration; I can decorate my dream home in whatever fashion I wish and I have a no-limit credit card. Hopefully as the years pass this space will actually become filled with images of what I really can afford and what I hope to fill my space with.





(http://www.nclac.wordpress.com/)



Things for My Wall: This is a current project in my real life. I have recently moved back home and because it isn't MY home I have to make do with MY bedroom. I am turning my little four-walled space into my personal haven. So far I have hung a few antique frames above my bed and placed ceramic hearts inbetween them. This board is dedicated to the progress I make or any DIY ideas I come across.





(http://www.darkdiva.com/)



Products I Love: When I come across a great product I want to share it with everyone I know, I want everyone else to love it as much as I do. This board is dedicated to those products I love.



(http://www.blackburn.anglican.org/)



Books Worth Reading: This board is underconstruction. I haven't got round to pinning any suggestions there yet, I have been too preoccupied with the others. I am an avid reader and with the ability to speed read I get through a lot of books.

I don't think I've written the letter 'I' so many times in any of my other blog posts but like I warned 'It is all about me...'

Go ahead, see what its all about and check out My Pinterest Boards.

Happy Pinning

We are afraid of the wrong things

There is an image I have in my mind. It is of myself in twenty years time. If only the image portrayed all the 'things' I want in life; the 'stuff' I want to own, the people I want to love, and the 'friends' I want to keep. If only life will work out the way I imagine it will, the way I plan it will.

I am a self-confessed planner. Everyone around me knows it. Having no plan is one of my biggest fears. Ask my closest friends and they will tell you; I always want to plan for the 'incase' situation, there is always a plan B. What comforts me in these thoughts is the fact that I know, without a doubt, that I am not alone in thinking this way. There are thousands, if not millions, of people who think like I do; people who always plan to plan and have a plan incase the plan fails. It is people like me who are afraid of the wrong things. Don't get me wrong, planning has its benefits but more often than not it causes more stress and anxiety than it is worth.

I am afraid of something I can't control; the future. I am afraid of what's coming and not what's happening. The worst part, like I mentioned earlier, is that I am not alone. We are afraid of the future, we are afraid of what's coming. We are afraid of the wrong things. We must try to remember that we are living today, and not necessarily tomorrow. But with that in mind a good holiday is usually well-planned, and who am I to try and deprive people of a good holiday. Be afraid of tomorrow but try also to be afraid of today; fear can often lead us to accomplish things we would never otherwise have tried.

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You get SUNRISE or SUNSET people

The Greek philosopher Pythagoras once said, "Choose always the way that seems the best, however rough it may be; custom will soon render it easy and agreeable." And it is with this quote that John Hunt, author of 'The art of the idea: and how it can change your life.' opens his book. This book celebrates the power of ideas and how they have the ability to change the world.

This book is written in twenty short chapters, observations actually. I want to draw attention to observation no. 1; it is still ringing in my head, whispering in my ears and waiting for me everytime I begin to interact with other people. 'You get sunrise or sunset people.' According to Hunt people can be divided into two categories; each person falls into one or the other. A sunriser gives out positive energy, and moves through life believing it to be true that the best is still coming. A sunrise person needs to be provided with ALL the answers before he even begins to believe the idea is invalid. A sunsetter, on the other hand, believes the best is past him, and so even the present day becomes a negative state of being. Sunsetters will tirelessly work away at the smallest chink in an idea's armour, until that chink is wide enough so that others also begin to disbelieve.

"Sunset people don't kill ideas, they just take away all the oxygen surrounding them." Hunt

Be the idea you want to see followed through, be a sunrise person.

I highly recommend this book; it's full of anecdotes and is very relevant for people of all ages, especially South Africans. We need to drive up a new generation of thinkers, a new generation of sunrise people.

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PinWhat???

Pinterest.

I've heard it mentioned in conversation, I've seen it on twitter but until three days ago I had no idea what it actually is.
Pinterest is an online virtual pinboard that allows you to collect, organize and share all the beautiful and inspiring things you come across whilst surfing on the web.

Planning a wedding and no idea where to save all the photos, wedding cake ideas and venue options? Simple, create a Pinterest board and all your friends and family can comment and give their opinions. Pinterest allows for you to browse anyone else's pinboards, generating a level of creative sharing impossible on any other platform.

Images shared on Pinterest are known as pins.



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Currently Pinterest is ranked #4 on Hitwise's top 10 Social Networking Sites, which means that Pinterest had more visitors than Yahoo! Answers, LinkedIn and Google +. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are ranked above Pinterest respectively. (http://www.hitwise.com/us/datacenter/main/dashboard-10133.html)

Pinterest is still an invite-only site. To create a Pinterest account you need to request an invite and 'Ben and the Pinterest team' will place you on their 'waiting list.' Yesterday I received my official invite to become a member of the Pinterest community. So here goes, I'll keep you posted on how I get along and how you can follow me on Pinterest, in the meantime request your own account.

Happy Pinning!

http://www.pinterest.com/

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Fish falling from the sky

'In extraordinary times it's your approach that matters.'-Nedbank

Raining fish is often referred to as the 'fafrotskies' phenomenon and it was the concept used by Nedbank in one of their recent ad-campaigns. This is not a blog post sponsored by Nedbank, it is the composition of my idea that first came to mind when I thought of the topic 'Fish falling from the sky.' Before I watched Nedbank's advert I did not believe in the possibility of it ever 'raining fish', but it's a true possibility, and more than that it has actually happened in real life on more than one occasion.

When whirlwinds, tornadoes or large masses of wind pass over bodies of water they can bring with them the small aquatic animals into the clouds. Swallowed up and carried long distances by strong air currents, fish are eventually dropped over land along with what is commonly known as rain.

Nedbank's advert always stuck with me because of its ending; the cafe owner turned his umbrellas upside down and caught as many fish as he could; Cafe Hugo's daily special was Catch of the Day. It shouldn't only be Nedbank that is prepared for the unexpected, we all need to think like Hugo and be ready for that day when we're caught in something unexpected.

Use the link below and watch the advert if you haven't already seen it.
Let it be the caffeine that kick-starts your thinking reflexes.
http://www.nedbank.co.za/website/content/extraordinary-times/index.asp

Expect... the unexpected.





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The importance of setting yourself short-term goals

I have come to realise over the last while that life is not all about long-term goals and achievements.
You never know what lies in wait around the corner. Losing my uncle very suddenley last year has had an immediate effect on my father, his brother.

My dad is now living for today, he is ticking off his bucket list, and without even realising it he has encouraged me to do the same. Planning for the next ten years is great, don't get me wrong I'm not saying don't set yourself long-term goals. But I am saying don't forget about the ten years in between, don't forget about all the smaller goals you could be reaching.

My goal for this weekend is to learn something about the fine art of wine tasting. Before last year I never enjoyed the taste of red wine, I am now enjoying the learning process and need to refine my taste buds.
Carpe Diem, seize the moment!

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Farewell to Joey

This post is a written memorial to my golden friend Joey.

Joey, you may have only lived a short two weeks in Wessels Street, but your journey started far away!
You came from Israel in a polystyrene box and you spent a few days at Stodels Garden Shop with hundreds of others all crammed into a single tank. I picked you from amongst them all, hoping you would be a fighter. I knew your journey ahead would not be an easy one.

However, you came out stronger on the other side. You were happier for those two weeks than I could ever have expected, bullying Oli and Sumtingwong, always quick to notice when your 'food provider' arrived on the scene.

Unlucky for you, the Gods weren't on your side when you went belly up this morning.
F.I.P. Joey (Float In Peace)

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