Here are my answers to this week’s Share Your World questions from Cee

Would you rather take a 2 week vacation with an organized tour or take a cruise of your choice?

In a few days I will enter the Kruger National Park and stay in a caravan for four weeks.  It’s neither a cruise nor an organized tour but it is my idea of a perfect vacation.  However, I definitely would like to go on a cruise.  An organised tour could be fun but I prefer exploring new places without the restrictions of a guide.

Did you like swinging as a child? Do you still get excited when you see a swing?

I loved swinging as a child and I believe swinging is essential for all children.   Yes, I do get excited every time I see a swing.  And if it looks strong enough I do have a go.

At my grandparents house we had a swing in a tall pine tree and my uncle used to push us to dizzying heights.  It was fun.

Sweet Abandon is a scene from the past written in drabble form

Sweet Abandon

                            The fox-terrier yaps excitedly

dodging kicks as she descends.

“It’s my turn,” yells Mike.

She laughs, “Give me the works Uncle Tony.”

He pushes her in a wide arc.

“Higher,” she calls gleefully.

“Not fair, my turn,” yells Mike.

She shrieks, throws back her head,

spins up in ever-increasing spirals,

breathes in the piney fragrance

of the denneboom

and swings in sweet abandon

“My turn!” yells Mike.

She leaps, lands at a run and calls,

“Come Atom!”

She gathers nuts,

sits on the front step,

and cracks the shells with a smooth stone.

She shares the denneputs with the dog.

What is the most important thing that you ever learned ? (I bet it’s not something you learned in school)

I think the most important thing that I have learned – and it’s taken a long time – is to let go and not take things too seriously.   I have learned to give and not expect anything in return and to be okay with that.   Move on from the past, don’t worry about the future, live in the moment.  My sister-in-law and I spoke about this very thing today and she quoted the following to me.

What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week?  Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination. 

We have just spent an awesome five days with our daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. We haven’t seen the kids for almost a year and it was wonderful too see how they have matured.   We are so impressed with how well they’re doing at school, how involved they are in their extra-mural activities and how wonderfully helpful they are at home.  Shannon showed us a powerpoint presentation of her three week survival hike in the Drankensberg which was fantastic.  What a great attitude to life this young lady has!   Simon also had a three week tour from Kokstad to Cape Town and back with his grade and it seems to us that these experiences have done our grandkids a power of good. How lucky they are to attend schools that develop the whole child.   They are positive, adventurous, fun and full of mischief but have impeccable manners and actually enjoy the company of their old grandparents.   We just adore them.