The Restory Retreat Centre

  Aonther Story Please! Ariana listening to stories. The Conversation Elements From The Conversation Music Now hére is a story. With our love. George & Matilda

  Nog 'n Storie Asseblief! Ariana luister na stories. Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Musiek Nou híér is 'n storie. Met ons liefde. George & Matilda

  Week In The City When we go to the city - by which we actually mean large parts of Gauteng - our days are filled from corner to corner. Our paths diverge for most of the week. Matilda stays with the children where she just catches up and experiences something of their world with them: Eylene's new pottery studio in Johannesburg and some of the classes she offers there, lunch with Dane and Michelle and plenty of time with Ariana and Leon whose lives are gradually finding a new rhythm after Deidré's unexpected death at the end of last year. George stays with friends in Pretoria and offers sessions of the course in spiritual direction at Ooskerk. In between, attention is given to a persistent engine problem the bakkie has and donations for Die Restory are collected from other friends. Late Thursday afternoon we reunite in Benoni where Ariana fills our days and soaks up our attention like a sponge - taking her to and from school, swimming, games, chatting, swimming, chatting, bed...

Week In Die Stad Wanneer ons stad - waarmee ons eintlik groot dele van Gauteng bedoel - toe gaan is ons dae van hoek tot kant gevul.  Ons paaie skei vir die grootste gedeelte van die week.  Matilda bly by die kinders oor waar sy sommer net opvang en saam met hulle iets van hul leefwêreld beleef: Eylene se nuwe pottebakkers-ateljee in Johannesburg en van die klasse wat sy daar aanbied, ete saam met Dane-hulle en ruim tyd saam met Ariana en Leon wie se lewens geleidelik 'n nuwe ritme kry na Deidré se onverwagse dood einde verlede jaar. George bly by vriende in Pretoria oor en bied sessies van die kursus in geestelike begeleiding by Ooskerk aan. Tussendeur word aandag gegee aan 'n hardnekkige enjinprobleem van die bakkie en skenkings vir Die Restory word by ander vriende opgelaai. Laat Donderdagmiddag sluit ons weer bymekaar aan in Benoni waar Ariana ons dae vul en ons aandag soos 'n spons opsuig - skool toe vat en gaan haal, swem, speletjies, gesels, swem, gesels, slaaptydsto...

  Deidré  We don't have a recording this week. Our words are few. Our daughter-in-law Deidré passed away unexpectedly last Friday. She leaves behind her husband Leon and 7-year-old daughter Ariana. Yesterday was the funeral service. Our efforts to adjust to her death have also begun. Emily Dickinson wrote about this process as follows: It doesn't happen every day, but in this case we don't completely agree with Emily.  We're not going to pack up our love.  Or is Emily saying more? That we and she are right?  After Deidré's death, we experience that our love for her is still an active force in our lives.  However, Emily describes another truth that we have also experienced. After such a sudden death, you tread water. You move in a haze and do things semi-automatically. You tidy up the house. Put things away. The instinctive work of those who mourn.  This is the difference between the long, lasting landscape of love and the sharp, devastating earthquake ...

Deidré  Hierdie week het ons nie 'n opname nie. Ons woorde is min. Ons skoondogter Deidré is verlede Vrydag onverwags oorlede. Sy laat haar man Leon en 7-jarige dogtertjie Ariana agter. Gister was die roudiens. Ons pogings om aan te pas na haar dood het ook begin. Oor hierdie proses het Emily Dickinson as volg geskryf: Dit gebeur nie aldag nie, maar in hierdie geval stem ons nie heeltemal met Emily saam nie.  Ons gaan nie die liefde wegpak nie.  Of sê Emily meer? Dat ons en sy reg is?  Na Deidré se dood beleef ons dat ons liefde vir haar steeds 'n aktiewe krag in ons lewens is. Emily beskryf egter 'n ander waarheid wat ons ook beleef het. Na so 'n skielike dood trap jy water. Jy beweeg in 'n waas en doen dinge half-outomaties. Jy maak die huis aan die kant. Pak goed weg. Die instinktiewe werk van treurendes. Dit is die verskil tussen die lang, blywende landskap van liefde en die skerp, verwoestende aardbewing van hartseer. Ons aanvanklike reaksie, "Ons gaan nie...

  Onlangse Oorsig / Recent Summary  Foto's Van Onlangse Gebeure / Pictures Of Recent Events 'n Huis opgeknap en geverf met 'n nuwe badkamer, die koms van lente en reën, retreats, die CMR se breimarathon, aanbied en afsluiting van die Verfrissingskursus in geestelike begeleiding, bywoon van ons kleindogter Ariana se gradeplegtigheid ("Nee Oupa, dis 'n gradige plegtigheid!") voordat sy volgende jaar grootskool toe gaan. A house renovated and painted with a new bathroom, the arrival of spring and rain, retreats, the CMR's knitting marathon, presenting and finishing the Refresher course in spiritual guidance, attending our granddaughter Ariana's graduation before she goes to big school next year. Klank / Sound Die klank van sagte reën na die storm is op baie vlakke nou gepas. The sound of gentle rain after the storm is now appropriate on many levels. Met ons liefde, soos altyd. With our love, as always. George & Matilda

More About George If I want to tell more about myself, the very best might be to just start by saying "I love..." and then list things that I love. So: I love...... ....Tafelkop. The big world of which I am a part, silence and to walk. The Conversation ...time spent with my M. Where we talk for long stretches, and laugh, or are just quiet together for long periods of time. Elements From The Conversation ....our granddaughter, Ariana. Who loves books very much and keeps asking: "Oupa, tell me a silly story!" ....books. And dogs. And cats. And tea. ....a good conversation. Sculpting and woodwork. To write. ....poems. More so by the day. Basically impossible to pick a single one, but on my birthday, this one from Billy Collins. It talks about things one thinks about at 60. Design I pour a coating of salt on the table and make a circle in it with my finger. This is the cycle of life I say to no one. This is the wheel of fortune, the Arctic Circle. This is the ring of Ke...

  Meer Oor George As ek meer van myself wil vertel, is die heel beste dalk om net aan die begin "Ek lief..." te sê en dan net dinge te lys waarvoor ek lief is. So: Ek lief....... ....Tafelkop. Die groot wêreld waarvan ek deel is, stilte en om te loop. Die Gesprek ...tyd saam met my M. Waar ons groot stukke gesels, en lag, of net vir lang rukke stil is. Elemente Uit Die Gesprek ....ons kleindogter, Ariana. Wat baie lief is vir boeke en aanhoudend vra: "Oupa, vertel vir my 'n silly storie!" ....boeke. En honde. En katte. En tee. ....'n goeie gesprek. Beeldhouwerk en houtwerk. Om te skryf. ....gedigte. Al hoe meer. Basies onmoontlik om 'n enkele een te kies, maar op my verjaardag, hierdie een van Billy Collins. Dit praat oor goed waaraan 'n mens dink op 60. Design I pour a coating of salt on the table and make a circle in it with my finger. This is the cycle of life I say to no one. This is the wheel of fortune, the Arctic Circle. This is the ring of Ke...

A Thousand Hands The Conversation Elements From The Conversation ~ ❖ ~ "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative [or creation] there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.  All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man would have believed would have come his way." W.H. Murray, Scottish Explorer ~ ❖ ~ Cause of Death Exhibition Ariana being mesmerized  Music When you do not try frantically to control everything, give yourself over to flow and be open to the unexpected, you can sing with Ian McKellen. Ian McKellen doesn't care who the person is he is singing with, just as long as he can d...

  'n Duisend Hande Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek ~ ❖ ~ "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative [or creation] there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.  All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man would have believed would have come his way." W.H. Murray, Skotse ontdekkingsreisiger ~ ❖ ~ Cause of Death Uitstalling Ariana in vervoering  Musiek Wanneer jy dinge nie so krampagtig probeer beheer nie, jou oorgee aan die vloei van gebeure en oop is vir die onverwagte, kan jy saam met Ian McKellen sing. Ian McKellen gee nie om saam met wie hy sing nie, solank hy dit net kan doen....

  Contemplatively Busy The Conversation Elements From The Conversation On our visit to Gauteng the past week, we've received such a number of enquiries regarding The Restory moving and requests to be kept up to date on the matter, that we've decided to have it as an item on the blog for the foreseeable future. We'll be posting pictures and updates on Facebook and Instagram as well, but it is handy to have it as a blog post where it is easy to find in years to come. We want to have everything moved to Tafelkop by end of May. To say that we'll be settled by then is unrealistic against the background of our strength, time and funds and the degree that it will be available. The main focus this week is moving the content of Sebastien's rondavel to his new house. The Mazda loaded for the move of Sebastien's furniture over the weekend.  Sebastien's empty rondavel.  Matilda is almost done sorting out the pantry, with the empty shelves attesting to that. These old sh...