The Restory Retreat Centre

  Wonder "Wonder is the quiet knowing that the world is so much more than what we can see or touch. It is the practice of beholding—not just looking, but letting the beauty before us change us. Wonder is the antidote to the lie that everything is ordinary, that the sacred has abandoned us. Even in the midst of grief, even in the unraveling, wonder reminds us that we are held by something vast and tender." Cole Arthur Riley                 The Conversation Elements From The Conversation Molly down below Music The original is much longer, but Louis Armstrong would have said that this rendition encapsulates beautifully what he wanted to convey.  A Jewish blessing at moments of celebration or wonder:  Blessed are You, Eternal God, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this moment of wonder. With love. George & Matilda

Verwondering "Wonder is the quiet knowing that the world is so much more than what we can see or touch. It is the practice of beholding—not just looking, but letting the beauty before us change us. Wonder is the antidote to the lie that everything is ordinary, that the sacred has abandoned us. Even in the midst of grief, even in the unraveling, wonder reminds us that we are held by something vast and tender." Cole Arthur Riley                 Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Mily Musiek Die oorspronlike is veel langer, maar Louis Armstrong sou sê dat hierdie weergawe baie mooi saamvat wat hy wou oordra. 'n Joodse seën wat saamgaan met verwondering:  Geseënd is U, Ewige God, wat ons aan die lewe gehou het, ons onderhou het, en ons tot by hierdie oomblik van verwondering gebring het. Met liefde. George & Matilda

Eenvoudig Lewe:  Boeke En Bronne Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Boeke: “The greater part of what my neighbors call good I believe in my soul to be bad,  and if I repent of any thing it is very likely to be my good behavior.” “We are made to exaggerate the importance of what work we do;  and yet, how much is not done by us!” "Simplify, simplify!" “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” ~ ❖ ~ "We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."                                                                                                                  ...

  Simple Living:  Books And Sources The Conversation Elements From The Conversation  Books: “The greater part of what my neighbors call good I believe in my soul to be bad,  and if I repent of any thing it is very likely to be my good behavior.” “We are made to exaggerate the importance of what work we do; and yet, how much is not done by us!” "Simplify, simplify!" “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” ~ ❖ ~ "We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."                                                                                                             ...

My soul has expensive taste, sometimes. This confuses me as I strongly believe, in trying to live consciously, that simplicity is an important principle to steer by. This goes hand in hand with incorporating periods of silence, living creatively and being nourished by what Nature offers us. We all know, of course, that if simplicity in food implies that it be fresh, organic and not chemically tampered with, it is not come by cheaply or easily. Quite the contrary! And that might explain things. Living with simplicity does not mean living a deprived or lowly life.      I once bought a book because it was beautiful. What made the purchase extraordinary is that it was newly published and I paid the full price for it in a book store that is generally overpriced. I hardly ever allow myself such luxuries, always veering towards second-hand book stores or at best the tables beneath the  SPECIAL OFFER!   poster. I'll convince myself that the plain skirt at the wint...

Collage of photos of a weekend near  Groenvlei, Wakkerstroom As you set out for Ithaka* hope the voyage is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians and Cyclops, angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them: you’ll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body. Laistrygonians and Cyclops, wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you. Hope the voyage is a long one. May there be many a summer morning when, with what pleasure, what joy, you come into harbors seen for the first time; may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind— as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities to gather stores of knowledge from their scholars. Keep It...

In December 2011 we experienced snow on a visit to  Prague Today being Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere and therefore the shortest day(length of daylight) of Winter as opposed to the longest day of Summer up North, I feel like concocting something special to celebrate the season. Me celebrating Winter? I must be either evolving or moving towards enlightenment! But searching through my many folders of photographs today looking for something to paint (I’ve enrolled in a watercolor course starting Monday), I discovered, to my utmost delight, how the winter palette speaks to my heart. Also, what really grabbed my attention as I scanned the internet for some interesting facts about solstices, is the incredible design of this little speck of dust in the expanse of space we call home. "The June solstice occurs when the sun is at its furthest point from the equator. It reaches its most northern point and the Earth's North Pole tilts directly towards the sun, at abou...