The Restory Retreat Centre

Eerste foto van die klein kaper deur Matilda Angus Woensdag is dorpdag hier by ons. Dan vertrek ek redelik vroeg Newcastle toe om die week se kruideniers te kry en ander besigheid te doen. Dis 'n hele 45 km soontoe, waarvan so 16 km grondpad is. Ek ry dit versigtig met my laaglopende Volkswagen Polo. Die bande is ook maar nie geskik vir hierdie tipe paaie nie. Ek voel dikwels soos 'n Victoriaanse dame wat haar onderrokke hoog wil oplig om met haar kant slippertjies versigtig tussen die klippers deur te trap. Die oorblywende 29km is teerpad en dan maak ek op vir verlore tyd. Gewoonlik stop ek so binne 'n halfuur na vertrek voor Checkers by Amajuba Mall. Hierdie Woensdag was nie anders nie, behalwe dat ek gekaap is. Dit is met die stop by die kraletjiewinkel dat twee vroue, wat buite die winkel staan, my inlig dat hulle 'n kat in my kar, meer spesifiek, in die enjinholte, hoor huil het toe ek daar stilhou. Ek skrik my boeglam, sien nare voorspooksels van my Mi...

Photograph by George Angus This coming weekend we have our first mindfulness retreat here at Barrowfield. Earlier this week the one motor of the planer thicknesser burnt out. A major crisis. I am right in the middle of a big woodworking project and working with a very tight budget after December’s quiet and bonuses that were paid out to the employees. I knew for a fact that the motor either had to be replaced by a new one or if I am lucky it could be repaired. Either way, the project is delayed by days and money has to be spent. Lately Matilda and I often talk about the wide-spread perception that mindfulness and reality clash. A large number of people believe that the two actually just don’t go together: “Interesting, this mindfulness-thing you’re busy with. Maybe I’ll look into that when I’m retired and have more time. For now I do not have that luxury. I have to provide for my family and work hard to earn a living.” We do not have to quit our day job to be min...

Going to the mountains is going home.                                                                        John Muir We live right on the edge of the escarpment in the Balele Mountains which is part of the larger Drakensberg mountain range. Just a few kilometres south of us you have a spectacular view over the plains of Kwazulu-Natal down below before you start your steep descent. Going to Newcastle is in many ways a mysterious mixture of geography and spirituality. Changing over from life on the farm to that in a big and vibrant town. And being able to see this whole transition process in both directions as you are busy doing it. We leave home and within a few minutes literally step over the edge to this town on the vast plain down below, visible from kilometres off. It is usually accom...

Photograph by Marinetha Naude Like somebody dropped to the ocean floor we are slowly rising. I think we’ve broken the surface, but only our faces are above water. We’re not swimming in long relaxed strokes. Not yet. But it is very good to breathe again. This old lady that has become our home here close to Wakkerstroom is on the one hand very generous and helpful. All her lights were working when the power was finally switched on. Her roofs aren’t leaking. She is warm and inviting. We are surrounded by beauty. But she is not easy letting us get to her water (I am not sure whether that is generally an old lady thing?) First the windmill wasn’t working properly. I fixed that and in the process got to know its workings better. No, no, first I fixed the pipes running from the windmill to the tank. Then I fixed the windmill. We had to learn the rhythm of water and wind. The borehole being shallow and a seep-hole does not supply gushes of water. You wait till it’s full. Then you ...