Shelter for the Spirit.....

You know your children are having a good holiday when they get into the bath with 'swimmers eyes', 'swimmers hair' (aka – a birds nest!), sunkissed cheeks and bodies, and then fall asleep early from utter exhaustion! ....and you sigh a mothers sigh, of happiness....

Yesterday was our 2nd full day in the Berg, and also our 2nd day of real, real summer sun - eish - at last a summer tan!! BLISS!!! After the rainfall we’ve had thus far back home (I’m led to believe that it is 50% up on last year’s rainfall), dotted with the odd days of sun here and there, this REAL summer weather has just been so welcome, especially for the sake of the kids being able to take full advantage of all the outdoor activities and enjoying nature at it’s best.

But I will say this of the RAIN….our surroundings here are proof of how wonderful rain can be for the environment after a dry winter. So needless to say, our drive to the Berg on Friday was filled with "oooh's" and "aahhh's" as we took in the beauty of the Berg like we have never seen it before. It looks PRISTINE!! ….brand new - almost SPARKLING!! (also free of litter in the rural settlements - are we on candid camera?????), and is a shade of green, that is almost luminous…. No wonder people retreat to the mountains to find peace, themselves, health and whatever else they may be looking for. That said, I do think it's sad though, that many can often only find those moments in places far away from home, and that they have to travel to find a peaceful sanctuary, where they can once again reconnect with their souls, and their families. I am currently reading, (courtesy of Beryl), yet another one of Victoria Moran’s wonderful books called “Shelter for the Spirit”, and am now convinced more than ever that she is one of my favourite authors, as I once again can so relate to how she thinks, and the things she says in this book about a 'home'. “Shelter for the Spirit”, explains how important it is to first and foremost, create a home environment that is a reflection of you and your family, in order to make this space a sanctuary where you can find love, peace, happiness and recharge your batteries at the end of the day. Whether you are renting or own your own home, there are still many ways you can make a space yours. In the book she also touches on the principles of Feng Shui, and how, despite the scepticism of many people (often because people don’t know enough about it), the principles actually make logical sense.

Everything in life is energy, so it makes perfect sense that just as people can be positive or negative in their attitudes, a home can have a positive or negative energy. For me, lots of natural light, open space, beautiful scents, and bursts of colour, are a few essential elements my home needs to make me happy, at peace and in my element. We all need to identify our own essential elements that are unique to us, in terms of enabling us to love the space we live in, and that way, home can be a more soulful, happier place. Trace and I have decided to explore some of the Feng Shui principles in the New Year, and hopefully we may stumble across some pearls of wisdom that will improve the ‘chi’ (flow of energy) in our homes….. . But whereever you are, light a vanilla candle, pop a posy of flowers in a vase, or play some beautiful soothing or BOP 'N JIVE music…and use this precious time to restore your soul, get your creative juices flowing, or bring you clarity of mind for the year ahead …

The pic above is of the front entrance to one of my favourite places...the place my family call home...our little piece of heaven.... by no means elaborate or grand, but a real home. My friends will confirm that my two 'shabby chic' chairs are now so thread bare that truth be told they are now just SHABBY without the chic, ...but it's amazing how they are still 2 of the most comfortable chairs in the house, that are seldom empty when I have visitors, and I often have to smile as people play with the threads as we share tea and time together....