The Restory Retreat Centre

  More About Matilda The Conversation Elements From The Conversation The house It grows larger wall after wall sliding  on some miraculous arrangement of panels, blond and weightless as balsa, making space for windows, alcoves, more rooms, stairways and passages, all bathed in light,with here and there the green flower of a tree, vines, streams casually breaking through- what a change  from the cramped  room at the centre where I began, where i crouched and was safe, but could hardly breathe! Day after day I labour at it; night after night I keep going- I'm clearing new ground I'm lugging boards I'm measuring, I'm hanging sheets of glass I'm nailing down the hardwoods The thresholds- I'm hinging the doors- Once they are up they will lift their easy latches, they will open like wings. Mary Oliver                                                  ...

  Meer Oor Matilda Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek The house It grows larger wall after wall sliding  on some miraculous arrangement of panels, blond and weightless as balsa, making space for windows, alcoves, more rooms, stairways and passages, all bathed in light,with here and there the green flower of a tree, vines, streams casually breaking through- what a change  from the cramped  room at the centre where I began, where i crouched and was safe, but could hardly breathe! Day after day I labour at it; night after night I keep going- I'm clearing new ground I'm lugging boards I'm measuring, I'm hanging sheets of glass I'm nailing down the hardwoods The thresholds- I'm hinging the doors- Once they are up they will lift their easy latches, they will open like wings. Mary Oliver                                                   Musiek Van M...

Photo by George Angus Covid-19 and 2020 are obviously now linked into eternity. But I’ll remember the winter of 2020 for my discovery of 2 things: -          A teapot cosy, and -          A hot water bottle Of course none of these are new inventions, or a novel product entering the market. It is not as if I’ve never seen it being used. Matilda has been preparing hot water bottles on going to bed for as long as I can remember and I grew up with a teapot cosy always somewhere in one of the drawers in the house. But during this winter everything changed. It became close and personal. As with most good things in my life, Matilda’s hand is quite prominent here as well.  On one particular cold morning, our 10h30 teapot appeared on the tray totally covered with a cosy (neither the spout nor handle could be seen). When I lifted that cover to pour our tea it was like the unveilin...

“You will find out that Charity is a heavy burden to carry, heavier than the kettle of soup and the full basket. But you will keep your gentleness and your smile.  It is not enough to give soup and bread. This the rich can do. You are the servant of the poor, always smiling and good-humored. They are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting master you will see. And the uglier and the dirtier they will be, the more unjust and insulting, the more love you must give them. It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give to them.”                                                                               - St. Vincent de Paul It is the annual knitting marathon of the CMR (English: Christian Social Council) of Volksrust. ...

Fotograaf: Hanna Jacobs As deel van ons huwelikseremonie op die 6de Desember, het ons die volgende liefdesverklarings aan mekaar voorgelees: Matilda: My George Dat dit ek is wat op 'n dag verdwaal het - so het ek gedink- en voor 'n deur beland het wat net so effens oopgestaan het. Dat ek met die oopstoot daarvan myself bevind het in die kamers van jou siel. Daar waar kosbaarhede oor baie jare versamel is, bewaar is, waardeer is. Dat dit ek is wat kon blaai deur jou woorde; kon warmte vind onder die klank van jou stem; kon drink van jou wysheid. Dat dit ek is wat kon tuiskom in jou liefde. En vandag, waar ons hier staan met ons voete op die grond van hierdie nuwe, ou-ou plek wil ek dit alles vir jou wees: veiligheid, inspirasie, warmte, wysheid, liefde. As jou lewensmaat en anam cara wil ek nou saam met jou uitloop- ons siele wyd-oop na die lewe en die wêreld; wil ek saam met jou tot seën wees vir hierdie aarde. My George, ek het jo...