FIVETRIBE

What I wish for you on this day of your birth: Greenery.  Freedom.  Soft fabrics, soft weather, soft soil.  The immense grit of wolves.  The wild grace of horses.  Dreams that listen.  Waters that soothe.  Love that’s sure. Limitlessness that grows.  HOPE that remains.  {Victoria Erickson}  Happy birthday Fiery Fairy. I love you

This year sees some landmark birthdays in the lives of my extended family. Katie 10  Levi 13  Rachel  18 Sami  30  Mom 75  Steve 50  Don 60 And so we celebrate another year of having our special people around - the views and company were amazing. The restaurant experience was less so but memories were made and photos were taken!

Hello 2019. A quarter of the year is gone...so much changed that I feel the need to catch up right here. Levi is in his last year of primary school. He has some big decisions as to where to do his high schooling. There are many factors to consider and I can see the weight of it is heavy for him but ultimately nothing is irrevocable. That aside - 2019 looks great for him. Two big sports tours including the long awaited first team rugby tour to Durban. He has been waiting many years for this opportunity. He is also putting his best foot forward to make prefect - at his school they only choose the final 24 at the end of Term 2...so far he has made the 48 so is on track to reach his goal. He has had a substantial growth spurt and is now the tallest in our family. That's a thing! Faith is putting her head down and getting through Grade 9. School is a chore and not a pleasure but she does what is necessary and excels despite her lack lustre attitude. She has a good group of f...

I officially start week 3 of a set running program today. I have set a goal for the end of the year which looks incredibly optimistic and more than a few people have said it is not realistic.  My running coach is not one of those people. She believes I can do it. The fact remains that I will do the training and I will either reach the goal or not. What I know for sure is that the hard work will not be in vain regardless of the outcome. I have had a couple of tough runs - both in training sessions and the latest was the Goat Run race on Saturday. A gruelling 15k uphill race in the Paarl mountains. This was a first for me on a few fronts : 1. I ran alone. 2. I had a time goal. (I actually had to RACE) I loved running alone. I hated chasing the clock. What I learnt on that mountain was that trail running is a complete detox for me. It can never be a race. It is an outlet for me to escape the pressure and expectations that life thrusts upon me. Trail running is all about f...

Hey babe, It’s been 3 years since we last spoke.  Your fists raised victorious despite your frailty and the fire in your eyes as you spoke your impassioned plea to our sprogs - to stand for Christ despite circumstances.... that this (your death) was in fact a victory. I will never forget that morning. Both powerful and devastating; it is burned into my soul. I was humbled and heartbroken. That YOU, you of all people, were going to be leaving ME to raise these kids.  You were the good one.  I have grappled many, many times over this but there is no good reason to ask the whys....nothing good comes from WHY? So. Instead I found myself asking : How? How do I go forward without anger, bitterness and regret? Three years later I can tell you we are okay. In fact, we are more than okay because we have all taken to heart the gift that is life and thriving is our only goal. Although surviving on the tough days is okay too. Your last words on our noticeboard...

I read a life-changing book in 2012.  And I found some of my notes recently. At the time I was battling with the unknown that life holds...yet my life was pretty secure and laid out. In retrospect I cannot fathom what the hell my problem was.  But that time was preparing me for THIS TIME. Learning to flow.  Some days are easier than others but ultimately living a creative life does not just mean you paint pictures or write words - it can literally mean you create your life!  Your entire life is an artwork - who you are and how you journey is your creation. Over and over again....recalculating and recalibrating as obstacles, hurt, disappointments and detours come our way. Learning to wait. Settling into the unknown. Flow. Some of the extracts included: "What happened to our ability to dwell in the unknowing,  to live inside a question and co-exist with the tensions of uncertainty? Where is our willingness to incubate pain and let...

Spoilt for choice on our mountains Sunday morning dawned windless sans rain....not sure if that is good news for our poor dry Cape Town but we decided to make the most of it and head out early. Just through a little river crossing - keeping our phones high and dry I did attempt to encourage my other kids to join us but only Rach was enthusiastic about the idea. She has woken up to the fact that starting your day OUTSIDE is key to feeling good about life... something Mika would just out loud if only she could speak! Explosive canine joy Netflix and Fornite are my sworn enemies and slowly my kids are recognising that these 2 spoils are perfect rewards after a solid day of work/play. Not the reverse. Cafe Roux rewards My legs are feeling good after our longish race yesterday. A little heavy; my ankles are feeling a tad tweaky but overall I'm happy. In 2.5weeks time I face my first stage trail run which means 20km and 17km on consecutive days. I need ...