The Restory Retreat Centre

  Easter As Message  Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground,  dead to the world,  it is never any more than a grain of wheat.  But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over.  In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life.  But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.                                                             ‭‭John‬ ‭12:24-25‬ ‭(The Message)   Our Conversation Elements From Our Conversation There is death, destruction, grief, sighs and tears.... Scars of a war, Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 2022 An old, hauntingly beautiful folk song from Ukraine  (Click on the link to listen) Plyve Kacha  The lyrics, translated into English:  A duck swims upon the Tysyna ...

Every year I let the ash leaves slip by. I love using them as decoration on plates as they are simply the perfect leaf. It has a graceful and slender form, balanced perfectly in a “leaf hand” of five with two opposite pairs of leaves and a single terminal leaf. The vein structure and stems imprint beautifully onto clay. But while they sway in green abundance on the slender branches all Summer I hardly notice them! Until Autumn arrives. As they flutter down in their thousands in silly yellow abandon I gather them frantically, knowing they will soon be gone and I will have to wait until Spring. I have one plate to show. ONE. Matilda #leaves #autumn #ashleaves #yellow #lostchances #lettingitslipby #pottery #imprintsonclay

Autumn leaves Photo by Matilda Angus And For No Reason And For no reason I start skipping like a child. And For no reason I turn into a leaf That is carried so high I kiss the Sun's mouth And dissolve. And For no reason A thousand birds Choose my head for a conference table, Start passing their Cups of wine And their wild songbooks all around. And For every reason in existence I begin to eternally, To eternally laugh and love! When I turn into a leaf And start dancing, I run to kiss our beautiful Friend And I dissolve in the Truth That I Am.                                             -Hafiz   

On a stroll down to the river I was amazed at the change since our last walk. Autumn is blazing all around us. Matilda

I simply cannot resist running for my camera as luscious May parades her golden hues wherever I go. The potted lemon and the huge mulberry in my back yard are vying for my attention, each glorious in her own right. In a much loved fruit bowl, some ruby grapefruit (a gift from MaTshepo, the rain harvester who grows them organically and with only rain water as irrigation) glows against the warm wood of the table. At a recent drumming circle (our first) a fire dancer had me trying new settings with my camera, it being quite a challenge to capture the magical mood of the fiery movements. I seem to be soaked in yellow. Happy, sunny Yellow! Which, according to my copy of The healing powers of Chromotherapy (using colours to cure diseases) by Hari Om Gupta, "represents intelligence, wisdom and loyalty. Yellow has been associated with the divine symbols of creation since time immemorial." I'm not too sure what that implies, but it makes me feel happy and hopeful, even thou...

Photo collage by Matilda Autumn days on the Highveld of South Africa start out chilly, with frosts bleaching the grasslands, before rapidly picking up in temperature to become balmy and tranquil.     The last few days have been the epitome of what Autumn stands for, for me. Warm colours, crisp textures and a softness of light that allows for the taking of beautiful pictures.     Matthew Fox, in Original blessing , reckons that "this may be the fullest vocation of the artist, to become transparent."  The art form of photography, allows me this freedom. To simply put out what is put before me. To do it as true to life as my skill and equipment allow, without getting too involved in the semantics of what my art is supposed to be about, gives me a welcome breather.     So without further ado, please welcome: The Autumn of 2013. Matilda  

Glory be to God for dappled things— For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; -Gerard Manley Hopkins