This little lake is somwhere in the middle of Europe in Germany, near Konigsee.  It is called Obersee and is (arguably) the most beautiful place I have ever seen. 

The water is so pure and clear that you can see the rocks at the bottom of the little lake.  Look at the magnificent relections of the surrounding mountains (Alps) in the unpoluted water.  Not a scrap of paper, no garbage.  Just beauty in and around Obersee.

It seems to me that when a place is already so clean and neat, people will tend to keep it that way.

Let's tidy up the world!

Another hard-working year has passed and we (that is my husband, Johan and I) were fortunate enough to spend some two weeks at our family beach cottage in a small village called Kleinmond, near Cape Town in South Africa. Time to reflect on the year that has passed. Time to make some decisions about the future. When I am at Kleinmond, Johan and I spend much of our time taking long walks. Along the beautiful, white beach early in the morning - when everyone else is still asleep and the sun is just peeping over the horizon. Or we walk up Jean's Hill, one of the foothills of Kleinmond mountains - where we become one with the indigenous flora known as fynbos*. Every day we also walk all along the rocky shore, where the town council has laid out a beautiful path for nature lovers. (How I would love to have the penmanship to be able to fully describe the scenery, atmosphere and magic of doing this.) We have visited this little village for years and years, and every single time we take a walk, I see something different and amazing. Sometimes it may be as exciting as a pair of Oyster Catchers (an endagered bird species) with two baby chics. At other times it may just be a strange slant to the sand dunes or a particular colour of the ocean; the sunset over the sea or the full moon rising over the mountains. I take hunderds of photographs with my digital camera every time. What an honour to be priviledged to be able to do this. And it costs nothing. Johan and I don't have to make small talk. Feeling comfortable in each other's company after years of marriage and best friendship, we know when to talk and when to be silent, and still enjoy doing this together. We just take it all in - each one with their own thoughts, occasionally commenting and every now and then pointing out a new discovery. Everyone can do this. True - not in Kleinmond - but in their own place. With a trusted soul mate or by themselves. Every town has some place where one can go and feel this abolute freedom - free of charge. All you need is a little time and patience and an eye for detail and you will be thrilled. I guarantee it. And soon you realise that the stress has lifted, your blues have gone and your perspective on life and what is really valuable has stabalised once again. Isn't this what life is about? Of course it is. Now I am ready to tackle a new year in the big corporate jungle where I earn my living. I will put in those extra hours as expected of me and burn the candle at both ends. But, at the back of my mind, I have some fond, beautiful memories that I can slip into at any time of any day - a perfect seashell, the details of a dragonfly's wings, the light shining through the top of the waves just as they break ... I think this year my resolution is to go more often to some beautiful place in nature to recharge my batteries, to appreciate our incredibly beautiful world and to remind myself what is really important in life. * Fynbos: Flora indigenous to parts of the Western Cape, South Africa. Fynbos is an Afrikaans word that literally means "fine/delicate shrubs/bushes". The well-known different protea types form part of fynbos. It is a fact that there are more different species of plants on Table Mountain in Cape Town (a fynbos area) that in the whole of the United Kingdon.

What is it about turning a decade in one's age that gives one the blues? Okay - not always. 
When I turned 10, my Granny told me that my age would now have two digits until I turned 100, and that 10 was really a very great  "big girl" age to be.  And it really was! 

When I turned 20, I felt grown up and independant, no longer a teenager, and that was a great feeling.  The world was my oyster.

But, oh boy -  I remember turning 30!  Man, was I depressed!   Then, when I turned 40, I had the blues for months ahead of time.  And they were both great decades for me.  Really.   They had their ups and downs, sure.  But in hindsight (the only exact science), I really have to say - not too bad at all!

I was certain that I would not have the blues before my 50th birthday (coming up on 3 September 06).  After all, I've matured a lot, got more confidence, have seen my children grow into adulthood, have a successful career, I'm healthy and happy and, besides,  I'm only one day older, anyway.  Then why, oh why, did the blues find me once again?

Who knows?  All I know is, that I do feel a little blue.  (A little more that a little, actually).  And I have been seriously (oh, yes!) pondering about who I am and all that I have done, the worthwhile and the insignificant.  Has it been enough?  Very self indulgent, I know ...

So, for the record, here are some resolutions for the decade ahead: 

1) I will cut from my life anything that is not likely to add value.  What I mean is simply this:  I will spend more time with people I value and love and doing those things that bring quality to our lives - laughing more, relaxing more and smelling the roses. 

2) I will still work hard, trying to achive excellence, but I will spend less time stressing.

3) I will get my own business going, so that I can spend more time doing what I really want to be doing.  My goal is set!

4) It is my consious descision to think young.  This is the most important "ingredient", I believe, in the "recipe" for staying young.  And I intend staying young! 

So I am comfortable with becoming 50.  Age is only a chronological number, anyway, and 50 is only halfway to 100. ( And I do so hope that I will become at least 100, even if it is just so that I can have 3 digits to my age). 

Hey!  I'm starting to look forward to the next decade already!

In order to make a positive difference to the world, we must WANT to. 

This is the first and most important criterion.

Think about it.  Most individuals I have met are not evil, nor are they unpleasant, rude, dirty, cruel, stingy, or any of the many other negative adjectives we could use to describe mankind.  Most people are not unkind to animals or children.  Most people feel sorry for those who are poor or who hurt.  Most people will tell you that they are worried about over population, pollution, war, crime, cruelty, etc. etc.

Why then, do matters seem to be getting worse and worse? Because most people have not made a conscious  decision to make a positive difference to change the world. It's not that they don't care.  It's just that they do nothing.  Nothing at all.

But hey, what can normal everyday people do, except mind their own business and not get involved in crime or do other destructive things?  After all, not all of us can go dashing off saving rain forests or organising concerts in prevention of AIDS.  However, every single one of us can influence others around us, by doing the little things that make life just a little more pleasant for our fellow human beings and animals. 

And one does not have to go to radical lengths.  If everyone made considerate, small gestures or contributions on a regular basis -  picking up a piece of broken glass where someone might step on it (even though you didn't break the bottle) or maybe a polite nod or smile when a vehicle stops and allows you accross the road (even though you had the right of way and the driver had to stop anyway), or how about pulling down the roller towel in the public bathroom so that the next person doesn't have to pull on the damp towel in order to dry her hands?.  Oh, there are so many little things.  I could make a long, long list of possible great things one could do to make a difference without putting in very much effort at all.

Let's pick up after others - it's not enough to be tidy onesself.  Let's be thankful and polite - and make someone else's day.  Let's leave public bathrooms and other places neat and tidy - so that others can have respect and are less likely to leave a mess.  Let's have respect for the food we eat and not waste precious resources - after all something died to feed us, whether it was plant or animal.  Let's be considerate when we drive and park our vehicles - others have the same rights on the road as we do. Let's try to help someone in need. 

Let's change the world.

My heart is so full of love for those I love most - my husband and my  children. They make me so very happy .

It is a most wonderful day when your children have grown successfully into adulthood.  Suddenly, they are all independent and doing their own thing.  

 Suddenly, you realize that it's over.  They've made it.  They are adults quite capable of leading their own lives and making good and sound decisions.  Even better than you made when you were their age.

Letting it go is the most empowering experience.  The freedom makes one light.

There is great joy in watching them (from a little distance) make their way into the adult world.   As the saying goes - you let go of their hands, but you still hold them in your heart.

 And so I find time to spend more quality time with my life's partner.  The man I married so many years ago and who I love so much.  The budget is a little lighter, and some small luxuries can now be bought.

 And best of all - the children come and visit us often.  They bring their chosen partners, and the family becomes even bigger and more joyful.

For so long I feared "empty nest syndrome".  What a waste of energy.  In my life, it doesn't exist.