What's Your Passion?

Passion is Energy!
As you know, machine embroidery has been a passion of mine for many years now and I've resisted the temptation of other crafts suchs as scrap-booking (my hubby would go nuts if I had more boxes of stuff than I already have!) and I've never quite got the hang of crochet or knitting.  In my opinion, they don't grow quick enough anyway.
So, a couple of months ago I was in our local art shop trying to find sticky dots ... not available at any of the 'normal' stationery stores here in SA ... when I saw the most beautiful diary with a pewter front sitting at the till counter.

Caryl Parks, pewter artist extraordinaire's diary which caught my eye

I am a slut for stationery.  I cannot pass up on gorgeous pens and pretty notebooks.  Naturally this diary caught my attention, and without even checking for a price, I grabbed it and plonked it right there on top of those sticky dots.
The cashier moved the diary back to its position next to her till, smoothing away some fluff from the counter top.
I picked it up and again slapped it down with great purpose.  I had no intentions of leaving this beautiful object of my desire behind.
"Uh, Ma'am," the cashier looked me square in the eye, "this is not for sale."
"Whadaya mean, not for sale, it's sitting on your counter space isn't it?"
"Actually, Ma'am, if you want to learn to make one just like this, then write your name and phone number inside and the teacher will get hold of you."
And so it came to be, that yesterday, I started an eight-week course with Caryl Parks, Pewter Artist Extraordinaire.
Despite numerous reminders to relax, chant 'ohhhhmmmmm'  and breathe, dammit, breathe, I rubbed and I shoved and the silver stuff went its own merry way.  Where I wanted a lump, I got a dent.  Where I needed to make a 'pipe', I ended up with ski-slopes.  I'm thinking next week I take a hip flask of Stroh rum with me.  If it doesn't relax me, I'm sure it will work as a great patina.

OMG... will I ever get there?!

My first attempt looks nothing like anything remotely resembling a pewter anything!  But, there is one thing I know about myself.  I will not give up.  I will master it.
And so, predictably, I have a box filled with pewter smashing stuff which I've hidden away from my darling husband.  No, not because I don't want him to know I've started another hobby, but because, given half a chance, he'll be trying his hand at it too!
Go across to Caryl's blog for some Pewter is Passion inspiration  - http://passionforpewter.blogspot.com/  and lose yourself in her amazing talents.  And then perhaps join us and try your hand at pewter work too.  Well, why not?!
Love from Sunny South Africa
Trisch

Whip me Back into Action!

Ok, so I haven't posted in a while.  That's not because I was lazy, or not interested, or anything like that... I just forgot my login details and couldn't for the life of me find where I'd saved them!  And then, just for mors, I went on holiday down to the Cape with my darling husband Peter, my gorgeous friend Julie and my eldest son Dane and his partner Michael.

Now I don't usually go away on holiday with such a mish-mash of people, but this time I had good reason.

One.  Julie is a breast cancer survivor.  Two.  I am a cervical cancer survivor.  Three.  We both ride Harley-Davidsons.  Doesn't make sense to you yet?  Patience!  You shall see the light in about forty more sentences or so!

So Jules and I decided we wanted to ride in the can.survive Ride4Recovery up the garden route of the Cape coast.  The thing is, we both live in Johannesburg, which is about 1400km's away from Cape Town.  And while neither of us are scared to ride our Harleys all the way down to Cape Town, we just didn't have enough time to do so.

Which is where Peter, Dane and Michael come in.

Dane and Michael - my gorgous boys!

 Michael has just recently arrived in South Africa (from the USA) and hasn't seen much of our beautiful country.  Dane needed a holiday and decided Cape Town (which is the Gay Capital of SA) would be a marvellous place for the boys to holiday.  Peter is just recovering from breaking his back and wasn't being left behind thank you very much!

So, three Harleys were put onto the trailer and Peter, accompanied by the boys, travelled down to Cape Town via Sedgefield (so that Michael could see the Cango Caves etc) while Jules and I flew down on Kulula.com  Three Harleys? I hear you say, but there are only two of you riding?  Well, Peter's Harley was still in the paint-shop getting its new coat of armour and he wanted to ride with us, so our dealer very kindly loaned us a gorgeous little 1200 Sportster... which, along with Julie's Sporty and my Switchback, made for three of us doing the Ride!

But before that, we spent three days cruising around the Cape Peninsula, riding to Somerset West one day to do a radio interview with Mark Taylor on 93.6fm Radio Heldeberg.  We enjoyed lunch (on my birthday!) at Mariner's Wharf in Hout Bay, visited an old friend, Wynter Worsthorne, in Noordhoek and rode up Chapman's Peak in the most wonderful weather!  Thank you Cape Town, it was fantastic!

Peter & Trisch on Chapman's Peak

 Early on the morning of our departure, Jules and I tagged the names of those who have succumbed to cancer and also those who have survived to our bikes.  We stood in silence looking at the names scattered on the ground... far too many... and these were only the people that two of us knew.  Imagine if we'd put all the names of all the people attending the conference - 350 women and men who knew others who'd passed on or were battling with the disease.

Jules sorts out the names of cancer survivors and those who've passed.

 We departed from the Breast Cancer Conference at the International Conference Centre in Cape Town through a guard of honour by the Amabella Bella Dragon Boat Cancer Survivors.  By the time we took off on our Harley's, I was in tears from the emotional moments, hugging women who I didn't know and promising them I would ride for their mothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, and others.

Leaving Cape Town, the Ride4Recovery Girls with Peter in his Pink cap!

It was a gorgeous ride up Sir Lowry's pass and it must have truly been a sight to behold... 11 Harley ladies and gents roaring up in pack format.  We stopped off at Riversdal where we spent time talking to over 500 women and men at a fruit packing farm about the early detection of various cancers.  We truly felt that if we could help save just one life, we could conquer this beast.

Before long, Julie, Peter and I were back on the road, this time on Route 62 - stopping off at the infamous Ronnie's Sex Shop where Jules and I hung a pink bra in the pub in tribute to all the women who have/had/been affected by breast cancer.

Trisch helps Jules to hang up a pink bra at Ronnies

 Our last day was spent (deservedly) enjoying the wine farms around the Stellenbosch and Paarl regions.  We ended up at a wonderful wine farm, Muratie, where Dane tickled the ivories while Peter, Jules, Michael and I sat in a cozy wine cellar enjoying the crisp taste of their Melcks' Rosé.  Aaaah...
 

Dane can never resist a piano!

How blessed am I to have been able to experience this.  But as they say in the classics, all good things come to an end. And so, tomorrow, I go back to work.  Holiday over, ride done and dusted, now to go forward to more excitement in my life.

So, with love from Sunny South Africa,
I'll be blogging again soon!
Trisch