As I write my companion novel to 'Cape Town' I'm putting myself back in the South Africa of the late '80s. To my surprise I find, on going over newly-written pages, that sometimes I slip into a more modern, North American idiom.
Having said that, today I'd like to explore a phrase, in common usage here, that's seldom heard in SA or the UK. This is, running errands, as in: "I need to run some errands today".
So, what are those of us across the pond or down at the tip of Africa more likely to say? Well, the probability is that we'd be more specific. "I'm off to the post office", say, or my daughter in England would inform "I'm just nipping out to the coop" (i.e. the Co-op mini market). Add on the library, or whatever.
This means that the whole concept of going off to run some errands carries a different connotation for me. I'm influenced by the fact that the French verb 'errer' means to wander. Nice thought, hey? Also, think about an errant knight... He's not erring, or maybe he is?? So there's the possibility to err as well.
I think that 'running errands' somehow leaves you delightfully free. I intend to adopt that phrase in future!
Friday, October 16, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
A Moving Anniversary...
... not the kind that involves people, but houses.
A few minutes ago I was thinking with a touch of longing about our old car wash i.e. where we used to go so that the Golf looked clean and shiny. Seriously. The gas station was close by, it was familiar, it was good; and even ethical, in that the car wash closed down for a while when there was a water shortage in the area, which others, owned by larger oil companies, did not.
The thing is, I haven't yet adjusted my mindset to going elsewhere. And I'm thinking these kinds of old habits take time to let go. As I said in my last post, we moved about a year ago. We have (mostly) grown used to doing our grocery shopping in new stores, with unfamiliar set ups, but that wasn't so easy. Took time. To me these are the unexpecteds when you move to a different area.
On the other hand, I also like to shake things up a bit around the house. So I don't always sit in the same chair in the living room, but choose another or the couch from time to time. A couple of months ago, my husband and I swapped places at the dining table. Soon it will again be time to try a new view!
A few minutes ago I was thinking with a touch of longing about our old car wash i.e. where we used to go so that the Golf looked clean and shiny. Seriously. The gas station was close by, it was familiar, it was good; and even ethical, in that the car wash closed down for a while when there was a water shortage in the area, which others, owned by larger oil companies, did not.
The thing is, I haven't yet adjusted my mindset to going elsewhere. And I'm thinking these kinds of old habits take time to let go. As I said in my last post, we moved about a year ago. We have (mostly) grown used to doing our grocery shopping in new stores, with unfamiliar set ups, but that wasn't so easy. Took time. To me these are the unexpecteds when you move to a different area.
On the other hand, I also like to shake things up a bit around the house. So I don't always sit in the same chair in the living room, but choose another or the couch from time to time. A couple of months ago, my husband and I swapped places at the dining table. Soon it will again be time to try a new view!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
De-Cluttering?
Are you embracing this latest trend and decluttering by any chance? My husband and I downsized a year ago and offloaded quite a few possessions. That felt fine, and I'll soon be sorting a few more things and items of clothing to go out the door. Not that I don't regret the loss of a couple of the latter, but still... I think I read somewhere that you are likely to regret 20% of what you throw out.
Ah well.
So I was thinking... How bare do you want to go? Or shall we rather say, how stark? When I put my mind back into friends' houses that bring me the most pleasure, I have to say that you could probably consider them fairly cluttered. To some extent, the amount of leeway probably depends on the size of the dwelling-space. But even then... an artist friend of mine who lives in a small bungalow always has lots of decorative 'stuff' around, and I love it. Being in her home is a true delight.
Perhaps therein lies the clue. If the clutter actually beautifies, adds to a homely setting, then surely it's justified? Decorative items, books, framed photos, intentionally and meaningfully chosen, emanate a certain atmosphere that can be uplifting.
Always supposing you're willing to spend more time dusting!
Ah well.
So I was thinking... How bare do you want to go? Or shall we rather say, how stark? When I put my mind back into friends' houses that bring me the most pleasure, I have to say that you could probably consider them fairly cluttered. To some extent, the amount of leeway probably depends on the size of the dwelling-space. But even then... an artist friend of mine who lives in a small bungalow always has lots of decorative 'stuff' around, and I love it. Being in her home is a true delight.
Perhaps therein lies the clue. If the clutter actually beautifies, adds to a homely setting, then surely it's justified? Decorative items, books, framed photos, intentionally and meaningfully chosen, emanate a certain atmosphere that can be uplifting.
Always supposing you're willing to spend more time dusting!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
