August 19, 2015

Ode to the Stranieri's of Italy. And. Protect the slowly turning cogs.

Starting to write on 18th and 19th August.. finished on the 20th!

I continue my lovely daily sojourn to the Favorita with Gabriel, exploring all the little trails under Pelegrino, back and forth and around and about, looking for horses, butterflies, dogs, cats, gruffalo's, listening to the Christmas Beetles, and sometimes falling asleep, the passenger that is! 

In South Africa we learn that the loud beetle sounds are from the 'Christmas Beetles' maybe? because they are most vocal in the middle of summer, Christmas time!
But when you come to Sicily, which has a lot of similarities, in terms of the climate vegetation etc, then of course the beetles sing most loudly in July and August which is not at all Christmas time.
Maybe here, the kids call them 'The Feragosta Beetles'


In fact, I think they are not even beetles, they are crickets! - which is not a dissapointment at all, if you consider that in Pinocchio, which is 100% Italian made, there is a talking cricket: Il Grillo Parlante, or 'Jiminy' as he is called in the Walt Disney film. He is Pinocchio's official conscienceSo maybe this time at the Favorita is indeed fertile time! for the ever mentioned,  these days, 'Things of Meaning'... and HERE .. read on read on if you can!


Here are some of our Favorita pics:
Having a sit down and a drink on the bench in the main park,
Good for step ups if the little person happens to be sleeping!

"Run Mummy Run" is what I often hear now, if I start to walk. Here I am being directed, 
or, we are looking for horses! 
The police on horse back often have little strolls along the trails, which is hugely exciting!

Sleep time, perfect. Below the mountain and in the shade.
Belissimo and Meraviglioso for those that have the luxury!!

Regards the rest of my list of  my ever scratching and scurrying around THINGS OF MEANING
while I have not made one ounce of practical progress or change, I think I am on the up. I hope.
At least my soul is feeling a tiny bit more hopeful.

This is what has helped and is helping: 

I started trawling through the 'expats in Italy' blogs and sites that I have loved in the past, and found this newish post by a wonderful blogger in Sicily, who is also from the Southern Hemisphere as it happens! : Unwilling Expat - Coming to Sicily Reflections

And I found a bunch of others to peruse, re-peruse and get back my some of my sense of humour, wonder and gratitude for everything I have. And, to try to get some creative/chutzpha petrol running through my blood and my imagination and my being.

[Note: It is not good to start sentences with 'And' but I am doing it anyway... just to mention, for various reasons!]

I can't list them all here, but here is another one I love, by a Brit in Sicily, which really does make me chuckle:
Driving like a maniac. She's also just written a book, which I must buy! The Dangerously Truthful Diary of a Sicilian Housewife and she's written some helpful stuff on teaching English too, which is something I am supposed to be doing soon! 

So that has been good. and I am trying to keep up a bit of reading and curiosity and intuition, and hopefully, a sense of investigation and opportunity. We shall see what comes up! As I go along, I am always amazed that there is more than I thought out there. I am reminded of the importance of at least some kindred souls, but you need to search and try and reach out, I remind myself. Anyway....lets see!
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Then, I have finally updated my running diary on my blog, so I have my races that I've run in 2015 listed, as well as the probable or possible ones I'll be running.
Most excitingly, I have the next 2 weekends full of awesome running, I am so excited!! and it is thanks to my dear Marito and figlio bambino: Maurizio and Gabriel Crispi.
I HAVE.... tadaa......:
This weekend: 22/23 Aug:
ECOTRAIL DELLA LUNA at Cultavuturo
Sat night 22 August  - 14km running with torches
Sun morning 23 August -  16km day light
We are staying the night in an abbey run by nuns. Cultavuturo is beautiful.
I'm so excited! Mauri is going to take pictures, and hopefully Gabriel will have fun watching the runners at night, under the moon!

Saturday 29 Aug: 6 Ore Lavellese [a 6 hour race consisting of a circuit of 1005-ish meters. So you run as many laps as you can in 6 hours]/ It starts at 3pm I think, until 9pm
It is in the town of Laveallese in Basilicata. We will drive there, and so me and Gabriel get to cross the Messina straight for the first time!
Sun 30 Aug: 8.30 am - The Levellese Marathon. I believe it uses the same circuit as the 6 hour race.

I think it will be great training for the:
100km Etna Extreme which is on the 13th of September
That's a road race around Etna. Its brand new this year, and organised by the super awesome race organisor of Sicily, Aldo Siragusa, who organises the ECOTRAIL Circuit. It's quite a long time since I did a marathon, never mind a 6 hour race or a 100km race, so it is going to be interesting! 
And especially considering that my training consists of less than 10km a day, a few days a week, with a baby jogger!

So I am excited to have my running getting some kind of spirit and structure back to it, finally. And next year, there is the Abbots Way Ultra, which is 125km in Northern Italy with 5500 m altitude climb. Its in about April May time. I ran it in 2011 and can't wait to run it again!! The route is an ancient pilgrims route, which is what drew me to it in the first place. I think we might be going!!
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As for my main list, which I think is finally [I hope!] starting to sneak  out of it's shell -  maybe thanks to the crickets! -  who knows, this is sort of some tentative stuff...
Not very comprehensible, but stored here, perhaps mostly for my benefit:

Here are a list of things that we would like to do [on top of the running trips!]
[Not in any particular order]

We have done it! We went yesterday - Wed 19th Aug - and it was beautiful. You can just feel the history as you walk through them. As I find in Palermo, the joy of many places is that they quite organic and natural. It's a paradox. In one way they have been left to age naturally and so they feel very accessable and real. But in another way, they can have a slight air of sadness to them because there is a sort of underlying element of decay. 
Thankfully, the history and beauty of the gardens over rides the little bit of decay that creaps around. Perhaps I am just too aware of it, after having lived in the UK, where everything is so pristine and there seems to be so much money to maintain even the most obscure little findings of history you find dotted all over the UK.
I would love to go again some time perhaps at a different time of year. 

So far we have been to 3 wonderful gardens together:
1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London - we went there twice, once when Gabriel was a Beetle, and more recently with my mom when she visited London before we came to Palermo
2. Garzoni Gardens in Tuscany - in June this year, in the town of Pinocchio. These gardens are absolutely incredible, built right up the side of a steep hill, and next to the [now vacant] mansion which was inhabitted by the Collodi family. Carlo Collodi was in fact the author of Pinocchio! There is a lot of history to the garden and although it is not what it was in it's hayday, it is still beautiful and a magical poetical experience to walk through. I can't possibly do it justice in a few sentences here!

And now 3. the Botanical Gardens of Palermo -  our home town! Here are some pics:



Palermo is full of these beautiful ancient trees.
We even have some on our road. They are incredible.
But I've forgotten their name!



Expansive!!! I wonder if Mauri was thinking of Tata at this time. I never realised until later, that the last time he visited the gardens was with Tata. You can read about that on his FB album post!




A true little boy, any chance he gets to run, he'll run run run!! Of course, mommy must run too! 
Luckily, I dont mind at all!

These trees are like camels, they store water in the bulgy part of their trunks. They are called monkey tree's I think, and they have little spikes all over them to protect them. They also produce what looks like little bunches of cotton wool, and this has often been used as stuffing for pillows or cushions.
back to the list....:

We shall have to find some more gardens to visit, Italy is awash with them! 
I must say that one of the things that really drew me to love Italy, was watching the Monty Don Italian Gardens series on BBC back in 2011. It is incredible.  You can actually buy the episodes on DVD now, maybe worth getting, even though we are actually here, in Italy, now!! but they are just beautiful, and in English. Maybe for my mom!!

2. Do a day trip to one of the Egadi islands, and/or at some point visit one or two of the Aeolian islands. To be decided and planned

3. Visit Farm Cultural Park in Agrigento.
I found out about this place when I lived in London and I really want to go and see it! It isvery much part of my 'things of meaning' theme!

4. Visit Bioparko Di Sicilia, which is near to the airport in Palermo, so easy enough to get to.

5.  Visit the geological park Alcantara
This, Mauri says, is actually where one of Aldo's trail races is, so its perfect for us to link into a trail race trip. Excellent!

So those are just a few things. There are also gallery visits and general exploratory and free forming jaunts! [At least until school starts and maybe some kind of job for me -  all for another post!]

We have already been on a few little trips riding our bikes with Gabriel in his new funky baby seat on the back of my mountain bike. The only challenge here is that we have to go right after he's had a long sleep because otherwise within minutes he falls asleep! and there is no way of propping up his head when he's on the seat, we have to literally stop our jaunt and drink coffee or go home! 

A few days ago, we went riding round the old city of Palermo and it definitely gave me some soul food, because there are a few shops selling hand made in Sicily, great stuff, not plasticy or gimicky stuff, but nice quality stuff.
I like that! There are proper makers in Palermo who sell their stuff,who I can see in real life. I shall have to go back and look a bit more properly in the shops some time.
So far, there seems far less of an online pressence here, of arstists and makers. In the UK, Etsy and the net is awash with artists actively selling, networking, promoting etc.

Here, I suspect they have different avenues, and of course, less people, smaller market. But, the playground must be somewhere, I am looking, and I guess this is a little start, I hope!

Here, of course,  are some pics of our bicycle jaunting.






Finally, getting to the crux -  my list of 'Things of Meaning' I shall not go into now.. there is not space or time or form. 
Suffice to say that the cogs are turning. I feel them. slowly and quietly. I need to do some talking and thinking and planning and drinking of self confidence juice and lets see what happens.
The flame is little and needs protecting. 

I hope, in the not too distant future, to have news.

But for now: 
From London days, not long before we left...








and then... along with a few other things, we do actually have these here in Palermo, brought over from London!! 
[even though there is still an unknown quantity of life stuff stuck somewhere between London and Palermo with our dear trusted invisible mover! but that, too, is for another place]



and now, byby! until next time. From the Safa Brit on the beautiful island of colour expression freedom and sunshine!
Let us not forget!

August 15, 2015

Its in the running

I suppose it is time to reflect, again, some more. Just to  keep stagnation at bay, OR, just because it is good and fun and inspiring and 'growth-full'!   [refering to last blog post The things of Meaning of 29 and 30 July]. I hope it can be more of the 2nd version.

Of my list of things I need to do, I have been running.
Thank goodness for my baby jogger, even if it is only trailworthy and not roadworthy. 
It means we have made good friends with Parco Della Favorita which is less than 2km from where we live. It's basically a park right next to the athletics stadium, and under the beautiful Monte Pelegrino, which I also love to run up, going along the pilgrim route, but not with the buggy !
Here is something about it!


So most mornings me and Gabriel have been heading off to the park and running along the shady trails that run alongside the mountain. Great for the jogger as it works well on trails, but shudders horrendously on road. If I ever get round to writing a review on this jogger, I will say something!!
Anway, we manage to run/walk close to 10km most days. If Gabriel happens to fall asleep at the opportune time, then I can do some situps or step ups in the park, as a subsitute for hills.
Although I don't run fast wtih the jogger, I am still never the less pushing about 15kgs of baby [at a guess, I must way him some time!] and I think about 10kgs of jogger, so its good core training in itself!

So at least I can say, I have found a place in Palermo that I can get to without a car, which I can sort of connect with and be in. I love mountains, nature , trees and open spaces, and it ticks those boxes. So that is good. Gabriel likes it too, and if I start walking, a little voice pipes up saying 'run mommy run!'. Naturally, as you do,  we often stop in the park on the bright fresh green grass [one of the few places in Palermo where they water the grass so that it is green] so that Gabriel can do his running!

So that is where I am with my list of things. The rest, well, I am a bit stuck.
Maybe by writing this blog, I will find my way a bit more. I feel quite sad about it, but hey ho... it's all in the running!

OK, Here are some pics!!

The first are from the Stra-il-Bompietro race which was last weekend. It was a little 10-ish km urban trail, and there were about 40 something runners, because there was a lot of other stuff going on on that day in Sicily. It was quite a lot of fun. I am not doing a lot of races these days so it was nice to do one, even if it was just a little one. But it was the trail community so it was especially nice! I was first lady, of a very few ladies and 13th overall. Normally I am not bothered by times and position, but sometimes it is fun if it is an absolute suprise. It was actually a 2 lap race and I never realised. After the 1st lap, I thought I was finished and then I had another lap to go! [as you can surmise, my Italian is NOT coming along in leaps and bounds at all]






Then for Maurizios birthday, we went to his friend Sophia's lovely guesthouse le case di cardellino
about an hour and a half out of Palermo. It is set right in the mountains and is surrounded by absolute beauty, including the parco delle madonie
They definitely have the best food in Sicily, in my experience so far, and it is just the most homely welcoming place you could go. It feels like going to be in a family.
As it happens, there were some other little people there close to Gabriels age so he had a great time and totally latched onto Francesco who is 8 and who just took Gabriel right under his wing.
Among others, here are some pics of the kids sitting on the rock just before they all left. There were about 3 families who came together with their kids. All together there were also 3 dogs, to Gabriels delight: Frida [our dog], ChiCho [Sophia's dog] and Pacco [one of the guest's dogs]


I also had a great run down into the valley and then up through the park, almost reaching the town of Sclafani right on the top of a mountain! on the road but nice.

and now some pics from Le Case di Cardellino









Then finally, here are some pics from the place where me and Gabriel go!




Not the most profound blog post you ever did read, what can I say!

Maybe next time, I will make a list of Stranieri blogs - foreigners in Sicily and Italy. It might help!

July 29, 2015

The things of meaning

29 July 15: This, I hope, speaks for itself.
Tomorrow I willmaybe write this into text with the keyboard so that its easier to read. 
But to start with, I needed to write it with my hands.
30 July 15:
Below is the text version. A lot has happened since my last post, but I will leave that for another time as it needs its own space. I will  just post this, for now. Another time I'll post some pictures too, especially as Gabriel is now 2!!!



Now, here it is written on the computer:


The things I need to do to be. Me.

[I wrote this by hand and I prefer the hand written type of writing, both visually and in lots of ways, but I am writing it in typewriter language as well, just to make it easier to read and more accessible, for various reasons. When I do this, write by hand and then write it into text, I change things, no matter how hard I try not to!  So, this is a sort of version of the hand written one. The source.]

These are not in order. They’re things I learned, sometimes easily, sometimes the hard way, but things I learned that don’t disappear.
These are the things I need to do, at least a bit, most days, to be able to care, really.
I need to do them to be there for my family, to grow, to fly, and be free and to be true.
That is the only way I want to be, for me, and for the people I love, and that starts with me. Because that is how these things work.  Especially if you are walking and speaking with your soul. At least that is how I think.

I can’t write everything about the things I need to do, that would turn into the things I want, as well as the things I need, which are not always the same thing, even if sometimes they feel the same!
And, in explaining these things to do, there is of course also there is the matter of family time, or space that I might be using up, and those are important things indeed.
In fact, so important that that is what has driven me to write these things down in the first place. It is like circles, which I love.  Returning to points again to be grounded and reminded and to see with new eyes and learn. But circles can very easily become spirals, especially if they are empty for too long or just not treated the way they need to be.  Spirals and circles are altogether different things! I hope this makes sense..

  • ·         I need to run most days, and every now and again, to run for a long-ish time, enough to forget time and just see what happens in my soul.
  • ·         I need to have creative live projects. Things I am making with my hands, and stretching my imagination and planning for and researching and experimenting with and wanting to read books and poems about. And find the places  to see and feel and connect with. It’s all about being expansive and having a vision and having meaning, and even, in a way, something to talk about. Making things with my hands and colour and ideas all joined up, is what makes my blood tingle and gives me vitality.
  • ·         I need to have some space to breath and think and be. I love people and cities and lots of things to look at, but I need my in between space to rest my eyes , my mind and be grounded. Where I can be quiet and peaceful , and where my inner and outer worlds can somehow be linked and connected.  It helps me to connect with myself and have resonance.  Even if it is just little.
  • ·         I suppose, linked to all of the above, and this is a funny one, because I am more of an introvert by nature, but I need a voice. I need to be able to express myself and my identity somehow. Mostly I need to express images and shapes and colours and stories and creations, abstract stuff really, symbolic, not overt, it is how I am and how I am able to be.I want to stand on my own feet and have control over at least some of my world and identity, and I think for me, I do that naturally and most intuitively through or with, my hands. Like a kind of a channel in a way. It makes me feel a little more real and as if I have a rucksack of meaning to take around with me. Of course, everything can’t be perfect or 100% all of the time, and all these things ebb and flow and need effort and courage.

But these are the things that give me fuel. I must try my hardest to keep trying and find a way and not give up. I think I need to do that for Mauri, Gabriel and me, all together.

Also, it is a circle, these ‘things’ are things, but Maurizio and Gabriel and my other lovely people are real and actually most important and my priority, but they are all linked. For me to be the best wife, mummy sister and daughter, I need to do my things!! At least some!!
On a final note, as Mauri says, "Every day we do it, we do it better” so each day we get a chance to start again and try again. Thank goodness for that!





May 19, 2015

An attempt to join the dots, and a little bit about running...

[The running bit comes second.. just because.. it turned out that way!]

Tues 12th May: FIRST THINGS FIRST:   We have moved to Sicily! Precisely 6 weeks ago, tomorrow. Me, Babacino and Mauri. Well, Mauri was already here, but because we are a real live family, and Mauri did look after Gabriel in London a LOT while I was at work, then you could say we properly and officially moved together. Insieme! Me and Babacino even have Italian ID cards already!

Here you can see some last London pics,  including my mom and my littlest brother Bruce Moose. Of my four brothers, my sister, and me, who all came to England from South Africa at one time or another,  he is the 'last man standing'! Bravo Bro!! Everyone else is all over the world. In total: Australia, Dubai, Scotland, England, South Africa, and now ITALY!!  6 kids 6 countries!



Uncle Bruce Moose, in our almost empty house
Last man standing in England


Gabriel at Stepney City Farm, one of his favourite places,
 just near to where we used to live


Gabriel's real live birthday card to his cousin in Dubai 
who was turning 3!


Granny and Gabriel in his tent playing! What a cool Nonna!


Guess where we are???  Me and my Mom??
The Thames Beach in the middle of London at low tide!


Our Family, outside the Tate Modern, for the Marlene Dumas Exhibition. 
Marlene is an amazing amazing South African artist living in Holland. 
We went with my mom! Mauri has made whole albums and blogs about 
everything we did with my mom


One of mine and Gabriel's last runs in London. Look who we met outside a church in Shoreditch. What a lovely image of protection and goodness for our journey


Gabriel and his Granny from South Africa, who visited us for a lovey few weeks just before we left. 

We are trying to talk to Granny-Nonna on Skype when we can so that Gabriel knows his Granny!


Us leaving our London home for the final time, at
3am on the 31st of March 2015. Quite different to
the many times we left at the crack of dawn to
go running and exploring the fields and dales
of England!
AND SO!

Gabriel has started in an amazing lovely nursery, called Il Centro Do Re Mi where the children get drenched in paint and they dress up and play the drums and dance and play in sand and sleep and look at books, and just be real kids, like in the olden days. And they are all equal, AND they all get LOTS of love!!



TOY.
TOY is in a box, somewhere between England and Sicily. I think he may be feeling a bit lost and ungrounded and missing Gabriel by now. And one must also consider that he isn't even finished being made yet, I am still making his jeans and his shirt and I need to do something with his hair, and he himself needs some time and attention to properly make himself the way he wants to be..  But we will find TOY, one day. Hopefully before Gabriel grows out of being seen with TOY!
Otherwise I suppose I will just keep TOY in the box of things that I am collecting for Gabriel to one day give him, to tell Gabriel as much as I can about Gabriel especially the things he won't remember from the beginning times.


But if we do manage to keep making toy, then THIS: [carry on reading!] is what I was writing:

Back in the days of London, [pre-31 March 2015] which feels quite far away already, I did also promise TOY, that I would make him a whole family. I even got a new Necchi [Italian of course!] to help with making, and lots of funky fabric pieces from the The Cloth House in Soho in London. And bits and bobs from here and there, that jumped into my pockets.

I feel a bit sad that I haven't started TOY again, and that he is all alone. But it will be ok, sometimes things just need a bit of time, and there are other very important things going on right now, which also make me very happy. I'm getting to spend a lot of time with Gabriel while he is little, and with Maurizio, both of which are absolutely priceless, and running a bit, usually with Gabriel in our jogger, exploring Palermo. [note to self to write review of Baby Jogger Summit X3! ] We've also run some races! The second part of this blog is meant to be about one weekend of that, if I get there, and don't run out of space on the internet before then.

Also, for prospects of employment,  [I hope!]  I have been trying my best to work hard at learning English Grammar.  And then of course there is the little matter of learning Italian!! 
Me and the online dictionary and online 'how to conjucate verbs' etc are reading the meraviglioso 'Il Coniglietto di Velluto' E proprio incantevole!


But..TOY will be back, somehow, some time, when the time comes!  Making and creating is part of our family. It's important. And, I know this much, I must work with my hands, and I must run to keep my soul alive. [with some little things joined on, such as trees and other things!]

I should explain, a little, relating to TOY, about dolls, even though I've already got a lot about TOY [in London] on this blog.  And as I keep thinking lately, isn't it curious, that I was never really a dolly girl when I was little, I was a tom boy. I liked fishing, cimbing, running, exploring, and stuff... creative stuff too, for sure. But no 'girl stuff'! I suspect it was a self created rule, growing up with so many brothers and my little sister being much little-er in years, and in size! 


Ok just quickly, I want to show you something about the types of dolls I dreamed in London to make with my hands, one day. Please check out this amazing amazing artist: Fig and Me. AND: Inviting Play - Hand Made Dolls
They both absolutely imbibe the very tingly and magical process of dolls and stories and making and how it all comes together. Much better than I could ever hope to explain! 

Here are some pics just to show you even though there are the links!


Inviting Play. Her dolls are wonderfully 
imagined characters, and I love that this
doll is  feminine combined with girl power 
TomBoy-ish stuff. See how powerful dolls 
can be in teaching important stuff to kids
through play! [I cringe when I think of  
the plastic factory made barbie dolls, Kens 
and Spider Men being the only option of 
imaginary worlds many kids!]


Fig and Me: Boy Doll, The Doll maker of
Fig and Me, lives in Canada and you can
see that her dolls are imagined right out
of the beautiful spacious and green woody
mountain-ness of Canada. 

This is also Fig and Me, and the sleigh 
is made by her husband who is a wood 
craftsman. So it is a beautiful creative 
combination. Also, She is originally from 
Mexico, so no doubt that contributes 
to lots of the colour and music in her 
dolls!They are wonderful at creating 
photographic stories with the little 
people and their things!




























Also, if you consider that doll making is in fact an ancient art, filled with ritual and healing, then doll making is all the more powerfull today, as an expression of the human condition. Here we go : Healing and Transformative Dolls
These dolls and their makers, hold amazing resonance for me.  Here are 3 dolls that I particularly like. I love the combination of colour, story, texture, design, drawing, imagination, play, expression and all the powerful magic that shimmers, [even on the internet!], from things that are imagined from the soul, and then made by hand. These artists are very brave and strong to finish their dolls, and for them to turn out to be so beautiful and magical.


Gaia

Healing Doll

Spirit Dancer

One of the doll makers from 'Healing and Transformative Dolls' says this:
"A doll can be a tool, works on the artist as the artist works on it. It instructs, contains the sacred, represents the deep desire of the body to recreate itself, expresses every emotion from anger to love, pain to joy.  It embellishes space.  A doll allows you to see who you are"   Elinor Peace Bailey
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It is Saturday the 16th of May now, and I've been dipping in and out of this blog post all week with my keyboard pen and shouting brain, trying to decide and looking for paths and even trying to find my own footprints! 

"Piglet is just brushing some snow from his house when he spots Pooh, who is walking around in a circle. Piglet asks Pooh what he is doing, and Pooh says that he is hunting and tracking something, although he doesn't know quite what he is hunting and tracking, and he'll have to wait until he finds the something to find out."  [A.A.Milne, Winnie the Pooh]

Today, I made a little person from found bark and sticks and bits of ceramic, just quickly, in the countryside. Here she is, dancing on a Saturday afternoon in May. 

I'm glad she found this space! She reminds me a tiny bit of TOY because she is not perfect but she is made with my hands and is colourful and quite talkative I think!


...along with a pic of my little helper, and nespola eater!  with his guitar and his stick he collected! 

Let us proceed, with something I started before. This bit, is where I think today's little dancer fits in, somehow. Naturally, I was delighted to meet her when she arrived! 

About this whole topic of what is happening with the world of TOY at the moment, I am reminded of a piece of paper I have in one of our boxes somewhere between London and Palermo. It was given to me years ago by an important person. It turned out to be quite an epiphony for me in many ways. It's still something that I find is good for me to visit from time to time. Thanks to the internet, this is more or less like the one he gave me, even if it's a bit small!





And so.. Here it is, and it is most often called 'The Gestalt Cycle of Contact'
It started off as a therapeutic framework but it is often also applied to the creative process, which in itself is very much about ebbs and flows and change.  You could say it's about the contact we have with our 'self' [so our soul and our mind and our heart and even our bodies through our senses and how they all link up and talk and 'make contact']. Of course, its also about our selves in contact with the environment and how we manage that and are impacted by it. 

And alongside, there is the continual movement of conscious and unconscious processing of ideas thoughts etc. All of these 'things', although they overlap, or even go off on simultaneous tangents, also have stages, and the GESTALT CYCLE explains them well.


Once again I am drawn to contemplate, in particular, the period of 'withdrawal' or the 'fertile void' which is often seen as a kind of incubation period, where in fact lots of unconcsious work is going on. Even if we may only realise retrospectively what this sort of seemingly slow, or stuck, or confusing period may have been, in fact, it is a vital part of the cycle.  After a few years of trying to understand myself in relation to this cycle, I try to look for the clues and know, that there is a time for everything. While sometimes we need to actively step into the next zone, at times, we also need to just be patient and wait a bit and let things unfold.


I think also, that because TOY is from London, just like Gabriel, then I have this notion that they should be together. Admittedly, perhaps in a way, this is more about me trying to integrate two worlds and two homes and two ways of being. Being an artist, I am visual. My inner and outer worlds, my environment so to speak, need to find some resonance with each other. I am in a lucky position because I loved London and I love Italy, so there is certainly no 'good and bad' . But of course there are still elements of partings and endings, beginnings, a lot of change and a lot of adapting. In cycles of change, and in growth, which implies change, there is always duality. So in a sense, you could say that maybe there is a necessary struggle of duality going on. I suppose  TOY is maybe taking on some of that symbolism for me. But it's positive and I must work through it in that spirit. Out of change comes new colours, new textures, new images, and befittingly, new language! I am not discarding one world for another. I am integrating, this I must remember.

Here are two lovely jewels from Carl Jung, which I found and which are about exactly all of the above.  Perhaps the 'numinous character of the "child" ' could be TOY, or something similar, sort of. Most importantly, it is important to PLAY.


“In the psychology of the individual there is always, at such moments, an agonizing situation of conflict from which there seems to be no way out-at least for the conscious mind… But out of this collision of opposites the unconscious psyche always creates a third thing of an irrational nature, which the conscious mind neither expects nor understands. It presents itself in a form that is neither a straight “yes” nor a straight “no,” and is consequently rejected by both. For the conscious mind knows nothing beyond the opposites and, as a result, has no knowledge of the thing that unites them. Since, however, the solution of the conflict through the union of opposites is of vital importance, and is moreover the very thing that the conscious mind is longing for, some inkling of the creative act, and of the significance of it, nevertheless gets through. From this comes the numinous character of the “child.” ...Carl Jung

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves" ... Carl Jung

And finally, because we are talking about opposites and integration and Winnie the Pooh walking round in circles, then I must pop another talisman of mine here, also a favourite of Jung's -  just to remind me and ponder over... it might help!

A precept in alchemy: “One becomes two, two becomes three, and out of the third comes the one as the fourth.” explained HERE

And that, peeps, is where we are with TOY, on this day the 18th of May.
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Now for running.  
I wanted to write about the weekend of the 8th and 9th of May and specifically about 2 lovely little races in 2 different corners of Sicily, that I was fortunate enough to take part. It's nearly 2 weeks ago now, but I'll try and write something anyway, just briefly.
On Saturday the 9th of May,  was the '6 ore di San Gregorio per Vivere', a brand new event for Sicily, organised by a lovely lady runner from Catania: Eleonora Suizzo. They don't have a website, but you can read about it on Maurizio's webpage. San Gregorio is a little village very near to Catania. The race was a 6 hour race, where you had to run around a piazza and the distance was 500meters. So the idea is that you run as far as you can within the 6 hours and the winner is the one who has run the furtherst in that time.  

It was with some trepidation that I embarked on this race. My inclination and preference in running races is to run point to point or one lap, to run on trails if possible, to run long distances and to run in less crowded conditions. The thought of running round the same 500 meter lap in continual full few of spectators for 6 hours was rather daunting to me. Also I seldom ever run more than 10kms at a time these days, and that's with the baby jogger, so not exactly speedy!

I'm an artist, I'm visual and I love that about running, seeing new things, watching a path unfold, going on the journey, and so on. I love nature and fresh air and big open spaces. But I decided to give it a try. Cities and towns are great playgrounds for running too, it has to be said! Also being new in Sicily, it was a good way to meet some more runners and visit a new place, and of course, to run in full view of the glorious Mount Etna is an experience in itself.
Naturally Maurizio was armed with camera's and Gabriel in his jogging buggy, and of course, Frida the dog dutifully and quietly for a dog, in tow.

The organisation of the race was fantastic, the marshalls and everyone involved were as friendly, welcoming and helpful as you could ever wish for. Naturally, even with only 26 runners in total [not bad for a first race, AND an ultra, in Sicily it must be said!  I say that, because In general, unlike in the UK, the shorter distances are favoured by most runners. So it is a lot of work to set up a new ultra and entice the runners!] 
I noticed that there were still the amazing group photo's popping up all over the place before the race. Let me explain, Sicilians have this amazing skill, -  I think they must be born with it, I havent figured it out yet -  to suddenly within seconds and out of nowhere to create this amazing group photo, just like a professional school photo. Talls at the back, mediums on the side, shorties in front, and then the clowns and the yoga experts doing funky poses in the front just to make it unique. Every face can be seen and it's all perfectly symetrical and graceful, and everyone is smiling joyously. You'd think they'd paid a film director to achieve these photo's! So, there was lots of that!

Anyway, the race began at exactly mid day, and it was quite a hot day! Luckily this was easily dealt with by the water station open every second of the race, about 100meters after the 'start' and then the hose pipe, manned by a series of eager young sprayers, just near the finish. So in effect you could run pretty much permanently drenched and satiated at all times. Then to top that, there was no shortage of encouragement from fellow runners, marshalls, family and onlookers. So never could you really let yourself get too demoralised or tired, or, perhaps more importantly, bored!!

I was pleasently suprised:
1.I didn't get bored of the scenery or the repetitious laps, partly because of one very important factor - nearly every single lap, I was greated with a most wonderful and delighful scene of Gabriel and his Papi, playing, singing, collecting things, eating icecream, shouting Mama Mama and generally just having a lovely time, it seemed.  I was able to be part of that every 500 meters! I even did a few laps with the baby jogger just for a change!
2. I didn't feel too self conscious being visible and 'on show' for 6 hours. It felt more like I was just inside a typical Italian Piazza full of joviallity and community and intrigue.
3. luckily the roads were blocked so we werent invaded by fumes and car noises and it was only a little village and the race itself was quite familial and un-celebrity, so that was perfect.

All in all, I really enjoyed the race. I met some lovely new people and now have a barage of new FB friends! The race banter is still carrying on almost 2 weeks later, which just shows how fully the Sicilians enter into events, with all their heart and soul and enthusiasm. You just can't help being picked up by these waves when you run a Sicilian event!  I still think I prefer a less visible ultra, with a more 'linear' plot, but I can happily say that I have tried and thoroughly enjoyed a 6 hour circuit ultra and what better place to do that than Sicily!!

Here are some pics. It is hard to get pics of Mauri because he is doing all the picture taking and I hardly ever manage to have a camera to hand to get proper pics of Mr Camera Man himself!
But hopefully in my next blog whenever that may be, and whatever it may be about,  I will have more pics of our family all together!



This was made by one of the people taking photographs, 
its of all the ladies running the 6 hour race. 
Look how he wrote it in English, 
How lovely and welcoming is that!!

The little chocolate icecream eating man
at the 6 hour race, photo taken by his Papa naturally!

Me and Gabriel after the race,
with the blue blue sky of Sicily behind us.

The Baby Jogger Team doing a few laps at the 6 hour race! You can see that Gabriel is quite at home, and quite used to going on running excercisions of all types in the jogger. But he does especially love to get a good bit of applause when we sometimes run through the finishing line together! Running with Gabriel has been a most unique and lovely experience. I have enjoyed every second of it, while we've been able to do it.

Seeing Gabriel and Maurizio during the 6 hour run. 
They must have been clapping or singing or both!

Finally, the finish of the 6 hour run. Our family.

So that was all about my first 6 hour run and my first time running in view of the great Mount Etna! A+++++++++++!!!!

After the race, we stayed a little while and then headed back to Palermo, on the other side of the Island. We arrived back at about 2am, hitting the sack almost immediately. Gabriel didn't even have his bath! 
And guess what, a few hours later we were up again, heading off to the lovely Camporeal EcoTrail, one of Aldo Siragusa's lovely trails, not far from Palermo. This was a [more or less] 16km trail heading off out of the village climbing up for about 3 or 4 kms into the mountains, and then round and about and back. 

The perfect little ending to a weekend of running. My legs were of course a bit tired from Saturday and so I took it fairly easy. Also, at least the first 3 or 4 kms of this trail were single track, and quite technical.  As much as I LOVE these kinds of trails and relish them, I am not good at running them. I am a bit like Gabriel the toddler trying to traverse 'big' steps at almost 2 years old. As for going down, well, I tend to stand aside and let the gazelle like Sicilians scamper down and then take my sedentry place somewhere behind them. If there are a lot of uphills, not too technical, I am lucky because I can claw back some time and catch up a bit. But I had a great run, I loved being in the mountains and smelling and feeling all the wonderfully colourful and arromatic Sicilian plants right in front of me and under my feet. I am also often pleasantly surprised to see some familiar leaves and branches and petals, from home in South Africa, here in Sicily! 

So it is a great treat and my soul gets its food. It's like a bit of home in home for me.

But it doesnt end there! After the race, was the 'pasta party'. For 5 euro's per person you literally got a cultural banquet and feast. It was outdoors, I think in the grounds of a restaurant or guesthouse, I am not sure. but there were wooden beches and tables, and big wine barrels as standing tables, wine and bread and tables laden with food.

Maurizio went and came back with 2 ginormous sandwiches full of prosciutto and formagio. Delicious! I thought, for 5 Euro's that was the lunch and I was delighted, and full! 

But low and behold, then, he came with plates of pasta and more plates of sliced cheese, which we naturally ate. Then, it carried on, there was salsiccia AND bowls of freshly made racotta straight from the hot warm vat, being ladled out by the farmers themselves!


It was a fantastic day, and Gabriel even got to play football with some really sweet boys who shared their football with him, even though he was much much littler than them, and stopped them from playing their own game.  They were even calling him little affectionate names like 'Gioia' and 'Piccolo'  and being quite protective and encouraging him with his ball skills! [which is a challenge, as they haven't quite had time to emerge yet!] 

I thought, how lovely it is, that Gabriel will grow up in this kind of community where little children are given a voice and noticed and loved.

And then we came home, full of lovely food, fresh air, our limbs excercised and our souls fed. And the even better news was that we were coming home to see Tata, who was out of hospital and safe and sound at the Crispi Residence!! Thank goodness!!

That surely makes the whole topic of making dolls and running not all that important in the grand scheme of things.

Some pics from the trail race below, and what Mauri wrote about the race, HERE

Me and my monkey after the trai race. 

Unfortunately I cant carry Mauri as well, 

otherwise I would carry both monkeys!!

Another one after the race, Gabriel
partaking of the food from the runners table,
Good boy, getting his energy!

My age category after the race. If you read Maurizio's
race report, you will see that he explains about the town
as still holding onto traditional crafts and trades, one of
them being wood work. The medals and trophies for the
race were all hand made and hand painted by local students.
So that was a real treat and more soul food for me! 

The hand made wooden medals on ribbons.




The ricotta cheese farmers handing out bowls of ricotta. 
This is one of Sicily's biggest traditions. 
They use ricotta in many many foods, and it is amazing,
nothing at all like the ricotta I've had 
anywhere else in the world!
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My Monkey's!!!
eating eating eating at the pasta party!
And Finally Finally, as part of a belated saying goodbye to London and our London home and life, [with a happy hello from sunny beautiful Palermo!] here are some pics of the last days....

Brick Lane, just up the road from us, famous
for its really happening and ever changing Graffiti.
Just before we left we saw an atist in real life, working in the day time!

Gabriel and Mauri hanging out in Gabriel's Indian TP and
Toddler Den - slash -  extra reading place for Mauri!

believe it or not ,this mask came from Gabriel's TP.
Perfect for the king of hats and sillyness and dressing up at any opportunity!

Gabriel in our family lounge and play room,
with lovely light coming through the windows.
What a pensive little boy today!

On my way to or from work, 
I must have run into Mauri with his camera, 
no doubt fetching or dropping Gabriel at Noahs Ark

Domestica Gynastica in Tarling Street.



Making Toy at our family table

The boys hard at work, eating books and eating supper,
together, once our table was gone!

One of Gabriel's last time playing in the London parks and playgrounds.
This one is near Brick Lane. There were many many parks within a few
 km radius of our home, with kids playing all year round in all weather.
Gabriel and me used to go 'park hopping' as part of our little runs
through the streets of London. Mauri knew the best parks because he
looked after Gabriel the most.
Me eating my first, and  last minute, salt beef sandwich
at the Bagel Bake on Brick lane, a most famous and very old
bagel shop in London, open 24/7, where anything you bought
 was delicious and cheap as chips [for London at least!].
Mauri got round to trying a lot more things
than I ever did when I lived in London 'proper'

One of our family suppers that we used to have every night.
Mauri always seems to do the most stuff, and is the best at most things,
making family feasts [every day!!] and being Gabriels most perfect Pappi
he could ever wish for, for starters!

Gabriel with his teddies just before we left,
Look what is most important in a little boy's life, 
and MUST go on the aeroplane!

This is the Spitalfields City Farm.
We had 3 City farms within walking distance of our home,
and they all had animals and farming and organic markets
and activities for kids, and Gabriel loved to go there.
Here is Gabriel on a motorbike next to a real Yurt!

The Thames path, near Canary Wharf and near our home.
I ran along this path many times in all seasons. London is so
crowded and dense, that you need space to rest
your eyes and hopefully less crowds sometimes,
and this was always a good option!

Little monkey with my work hat on!!
just outside our front door 

No explanation needed. Buona Notte!!



and now I must carry on with my hunting, so that hopefully I find 'something', before Gabriel and Mauri have to run away and hide and start sleeping and watching telly in the Gelatto shops of Palermo instead!
Arrivederci per addesso raggazzi!!
A presto! i hope.