We are alive...

I think it is possible to forget how alive we really are. We can become dry and tired, just existing, instead of really living.

We need to remind ourselves of the juice of life and make that a habit.

Find those places inside that jump for joy and

DO things that bring out our best, most magic self!

Keep doing them!

~ SARK ~

Elephants

As with so many other things - rObC made me aware that there were two sets of elephant ornaments in my home! I did not collect them as such, but they just happened across my path and without realising it, I had begun a theme!

Then on sunday I received a gift from rObC - a Glass Crystal Paperweight with a 3D Laser Elephant Design. 5 Elephants. Two adult elephants and 3 baby elephants. The Crystal LED light base displays them beautiful and I have caught myself staring at them for extended periods.

They are BEAUTIFUL! Thank you so much for the gift rObC and thank you for the thought behind the gift. I appreciate that you witness my life.

In the movie "Shall we dance" - there is a piece of dialogue that really got to me:

"All these promises that we make and we break. Why do people get married? Passion? No! Because we need a witness to our lives. There is a billion people on the planet. What does any one life really mean? But in a marriage you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the mundane things. All of it, all of the time, everyday. You're saying that your life will not go unnoticed, because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed, because I will be your witness."

Food for thought.

My passion..

Motocross - 29 July 2007
As I promised my friend rObC, I would share the photos of yesterday's AMAZING MX!

















To start off with the new jump - not so much new as modified.
This jump was aptly christened "Leap of Faith" - experienced for the first time yesterday - Sunday.

We only had 29 entries, which made for a very relaxed day's scoring and everything went smooth as clockwork. Thanx Lauren and Valmé for the assistance - it is such a pleasure to work with such friendly dependable people. Ian Strochan was our MSA Steward, Wimpie Vermeulen, assistant Clerk of the Course and my friend rObC our Clerk of the Course. Yesterday was again proof that we make an excellent team.

Back to the photos:
The Start:

And they're off!!

The quads were scary, I really admire those riders!

And of course the finish!



















Well done all the riders!

My weakness..Procrastination

I am the queen of procrastination..

I am so good at procrastinating that I have even done a study about it, when I

probably should have been doing something that was very urgent and important!

I heard the word "procrastination" for the first time during an English test in high school - and was immediately fascinated by it. I should have realised that THAT was the moment when my love/hate relationship with the word started. Ever since then, procrastination has become an integral (negative) part of my life. I see it as one of the most severe symptoms of a perfectionist driven personality. It has caused me pain, embarrassment, made me cringe and has driven me to tears several times. I believe it to be the essence of a dark side of my personality.

I have very little control over it. I try to control it and sometimes for a fleeting moment I believe that I got it right - just to find another unfinished list hidden somewhere..

Some days I try to fight it with humor:

PROCRASTINATE NOW! - don't put it off!

PROCRASTINATION IS THE BAD HABIT OF PUTTING OFF UNTIL THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY!

PROCRASTINATE NOW!

Don't put off 'till tomorrow what you can put off 'till the day after!

I have a huge sign in my office that says:

DO IT NOW!!!

(I just don't notice the sign anymore!!:-))

Underneath the sign is an attempt to cure my "disease"-

GET GOING - Ralph Marston

Don't let all the things you need to do get in the way of all that you're able to get done. Instead of worrying that it won't all get finished, get busy doing it.

Do yourself a favor and put yourself into action. Even if you don't get it all done today, you can certainly make significant progress.

When you let yourself become immobilized by the feeling of being overwhelmed, what happens? You end up becoming even more overwhelmed.

The way to break the cycle is to step forward and take action. Even when the task is enormous, you're much better off moving forward than standing still.

Look at each task not as a burden, but as an opportunity to make a positive difference. Look at each task not with resentment and resignation, but with an eager anticipation for getting it successfully behind you.

In an instant you can go from feeling overwhelmed to being in positive control. Get busy, and get life going your way.

It seems so simple. I wish it was. This weekend I still have to:

• Remember to..
• Finish doing..
• Don't forget to..

Do you have a cure? Please remember to let me know!

Her Highness

The Queen of the Procrastination

My Rules

1. Laugh often
2. Indulge in the things you truly love - even when it seems hopeless
3. Remember that there is always someone that loves you more than you know
4. Remember that it will get better
5. Give it your all
6. Be weird whenever you have the chance
7. Always be up for surprises
8. Love someone with all your heart
9. Hold on to good friends - they are few and far between
10. Always try to see the glass half full
    

Arctophile

ARCTOPHILE

(ARK-TO-FILE)

nl. A human being who enjoys the company of a

TEDDY BEAR

ORIGIN: from the Greek word 'Arktos' and 'philos'

meaning BEAR FRIEND

"Cold" weekend

My medical Aid loves me - at least 'till June/July of every year.

Then my daughter and I take turns getting sick.

Usually sinus or a cold and last year I broke my toe.

This year the cycle repeated itself, but my daughter and I changed the roles. My daughter broke her arm and I have a cold/sinus.

I have a vague recollection of the weekend - spent heavily medicated.

Saturdays children's party was nice, I even on the way back home tried to take a photo of the lights of Bloemfontein in the final moments of sunset, but my camera's batteries decided that that would not be happening. This afternoon I will take my friend rObC's advice and buy some rechargeables.

Duracell will not be making their profit off me anymore.

In the meanwhile my local pharmacist will be making profit off me - at least until I can breath through my nose again..

My next door neighbour dragged me (protesting) out of bed yesterday afternoon and exposed me to sunlight and fresh air. We had tea at the Pretty Garden's Nursery and I had the privilege to meet her daughter's new boyfriend. Michael. What a pleasant, well mannered young man.

His parents came to South Africa from Zimbabwe and I was given the opportunity to have a first hand account of how they had to abandon their chicken farm and fully furnished home. What a horrible experience that must have been, losing the first house you ever bought and having to leave a country to ensure the safety of your family.

I would like to shamelessly copy rObC and end off with a quote:

Buddha said:

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."

PS - I will still get that photo and show you a glimpse of our beautiful city at sunset!

Some days...

GoComics.com is the host to my favourite Comic Strip - Calvin & Hobbes.

I'll share a few of my favourite ones.

This specific strip reflects my feelings today..

Adventure

My good friend rObC and I have found a connecting point in both our souls called "adventure".

I decided in my meticulous KatieB manner to dissect the word:

According to http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/adventure

ad·ven·ture (d-vnchr) KEY NOUN:

An undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature.

An undertaking of a questionable nature, especially one involving intervention in another state's affairs.

An unusual or exciting experience: an adventure in dining.

Participation in hazardous or exciting experiences: the love of adventure.

A financial speculation or business venture. VERB: ad·ven·tured , ad·ven·tur·ing , ad·ven·tures VERB: tr.
To venture upon; undertake or try.

To expose to danger or risk; hazard. VERB: intr.

To take a risk; dare.

To proceed despite risks.

ETYMOLOGY: Middle English aventure, from Old French, from Latin adventrus, future participle of advenre, to arrive ; see advent

YES - that is mostly what we had in mind when we decided to have an adventure (daily).

Except for the "hazardous" part - all true.

I can't speak for rObC - but what I had in mind - my goal - was to escape from the daily grind. To have my soul soaring for a minute - or at LEAST to enhance the daily grind.

You know that park that you drive past every day? Sometimes even twice a day?

To STOP and have a look at that park. To listen to the sounds of that park and see life from the park's side.. to look at the birds (and or people :-0) that have the park for a home. To sit still and allow your senses to absorb your surroundings and fill up your soul.

rObC and I have ridden down a tree lined road that is said to be the longest in the Bloemfontein area - it was fabulous. It was 3.8 km long. There were beehives in the Eucalyptus trees. We forgot the camera and I keep forgetting that the KLR has a Top Box..

If you replace the trees in the picture with Eucalyptus trees..you have the exact image..

Anyways - it was good. My heart still goes all fuzzy at the thought of that afternoon and THAT is what adventure is all about!