In remembrance of a beautiful soul

As I sit in absolute shock, I know my very dear friend, mentor and teacher would prefer we celebrate her life and not mourn her passing.
My heart feels as if its breaking, as I slowly accept that it's not a cruel prank. That our world has lost a bright light, heaven has a new angel!

I remember meeting Janka for the first time in February of 2006, her soon to be mother-in law was with, helping translate when she struggled.

As I type this, I'm finding it hard to choose the story that best describes Janka. I know those of us who's life's she touched are forever changed for the better! You could not help, but be captivated by her gentleness, enthralled by her effortless beauty, a beauty that shone from within her. 

Her memorial service took place on 26 April in her home town at 1pm. We hold a remembrance today, with as many of her students as we could reach this week.

A dear friend and mentor suggested I share my story, so as I sit here waiting for my daughter to fall asleep for her nap and listen to Rose's jabbering, I realise that during my last conversation with Janka, she emphassised how precious she held these moments with her own daughter!

So I've decided to tell a Mija story, it's one of many, that I was so privileged to be part of. 

Mija had been at school almost a year already, and had made some friends. Janka, had phoned me to come and look after Mija, while she gave her bi-monthly Saturday class. It was a lovely spring day, so Mija and I went for a walk. We chatted about the things we saw, the colours of the cars that passed. Eventually we spoke about school, Mija was at this stage about 3yrs old. She told me all about her friend at school, who had taken her (placemat/blanket?), I struggled to understand the concept, but apparently each child had their own. Mija, was hurt by the action, as no amount of asking could get the other child to return it. Mija, had decided that she would hide this object from now on, and would no longer be friends with the other child. She told me matter of factly, that she didn't shout like her pappa, but she did cry. That she didn't take the other child's thing away, like her "grandpa" (Mija used the Slovak term here, Janka had to translate it later). But that she went to the teacher for help, who then gave her another one, so that Mija could do the class activity too. 

Although, my dear friends diplomacy drove me a little insane, I'm much more a tow my line or show me a better way to achieve the goal, type of person! I drive many people insane with my "just get it done " philosophy. Plus, I'm super bossy, (I delegate well you see!) I can look back and see how that characteristic, enabled Janka to love and forgive time and time again, enabling her to touch such a diverse set of people! 

Sharing

How often do we go through our day or week, without encountering something wow!
I just had one of those wow moments, reading a blog post where a mother felt the need to shame another mother who she didn't know from a bar of soap!

Read the story here: https://anniemationfloe.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/to-the-mom-who-judged-my-kids-clothes/

What would that women have said to me, had she heard me boast that my daughter's current wardrobe is all hand me downs or gifts and that I didn't need to buy any winter clothes right now!
I didn't grow up poor, but hand me down packets arrived often, both my parents where the youngest siblings. It was always like Christmas, and what didn't fit or didn't suit me, got put right back into the packet and was passed on again. Best part of the hand me down packet was the modelling show, more fun for me than my brother, obviously.
I grew up wearing PEP, Ackerman's and OK or Grande Bazaars clothes, buying from Edgars or Woolworths was for birthdays or special occasions.
Of my favourite memories was going to the big Ackerman's and OK in the centre of town, counting out our Ackerman's money before heading to the tills to pay.
Today, I'm still wearing those brands, only Grande Bazaars has been replaced by Pick 'n Pay, oh and it all comes off their sale racks.
Woolworths and the like are only ever entered with gift voucher in hand or if it's a speciality item.

The story reminds me of the time, while I was working in the States as an aupair, I found a Salvation Army shop and bought a lot of my winter wardrobe. I arrived back at the house so excited about my new clothes and my house mother says, I hope you wash those first.
Looking back now, I remember being puzzled by her attitude to my treasures, but not the least put off or shamed as I'm sure the tone of her remark had hoped to imbue! Needless to say, I moved family's as they felt I wasn't a good fit!

On a Wednesday Jess and I get together to do brainstorming, practice and see to any other class related need that popped up. I was most surprised, as it wasn't something I'd given any thought to, when Jess after putting on a winter jersey, that I'd kept of my moms, turns to me and says.
"I love how we share our things with each other, how we all help each other, lending clothes."
I hadn't actually realised that we did that, but thinking back over the years, it is definitely a trend. Not only with our kids clothes, but with mommy things too.
I know my church moms group has a bag of maternity clothes that floats around, shared between the moms, and various other items that are generally only needed for a short time. But that's community, it's how it's supposed to be isn't it!

A random week

A few days breather and straight into our next project.
The week didn't start so great, with a power outage on Monday and long phone conversations. My sewing pile is giving me an accusing glare.

With one thing leading to another, suddenly it's Sunday evening! I'm lead to wonder, um so what did I do or accomplish this week?
Besides another job interview that lead nowhere and working on some advertising ideas for our various  endeavours. Pitching to a venue about partnering for a fundraiser....
Then I go and fail on the mommy front Friday, when my little girl refused to nap and I lost the plot, as I'd planned to attack that sewing pile. What on earth did our parents do without TV, movies and Barney?
The family got together for a fare thee well, as hubby's cousin and his girlfriend set off on their own over sea's adventures. Luke to Europe to do something guyish with boats and Lauren off to New Hampshire to aupair. We wish them well and God speed that their adventures will be fun!

Thanks to wonderful helpers and great brainstorming session's, plans are moving along nicely for our next few events/projects.
I think Termaré's yummy chocolate muffins really got the ideas going and planning moved along in our brainstorming session. With very few stray tangents creeping in to distract us from our purpose.

My hubby took little miss out for some daddy time all day today, so that sewing pile got a dent finally.
As I sit here typing and listening to the bath / bed time routine happen, occasionally being asked for more Mr. Sun (currently a favourite Barney song), I'm struck by how lucky I am.

Work and family

So with all our last minute advertising and bookings. Not to mention my being severally handicapped when it comes to technology upgrades, and even user friendly aps, can easily defeat me! Facebook's new advert upgrade and policy change almost had me in tears of frustration and my plan of quickly loading a promotion on our fanpage, turned into an hour's worth of work.

Pushing our planned shopping outing close enough to naptime for my 2year old, for her to fall fast asleep not even 3min into a 5min drive. Granted, she had been up twice the night before and had an early start that morning. Which meant that we took the scenic route home and tried to go again after she woke up. Just as well really, as I had rushed out the house, starving and without the shopping list!

Which brings me to the topics of great service and poor community support!
So my little bundle awoke and we fought about lunch and then changed her because we managed to mess the yoghurt everywhere! Oh and let's not forget the drama of putting our shoes back on. Imprinted is an image of my almost 2yr old standing at the DVD rack with one hand over her eyes, doing her I just don't, want to, can't cry. Not a real cry, no tears and hasn't worked on me for months. She has daddy wrapped around her finger! But then, don't most little girls have that, I did.

Eventually, we get off and head down to the mall. Our first stop Cell C, to query about my upgrade. Apparently when they phoned me in January of this year and I thought I'd gone onto a month to month, with the option of upgrade, when a better deal arrived was a lie! This now on top of my huge disappointment with our small local weekly paper, more later.
The owner of the Baywest Store turned into my super hero for the day! Actually he restored my faith, that there is such a thing as customer service! He phoned and was transfered from pillar to post and finally, while still remaining civil, got it sorted out. I should be able to go back and pick up my upgrade in 24hrs.
My crazy ball of energy was well behaved through the whole ordeal, that is unless you are one of those people who expect small children to sit still and be quiet. Then no, you wouldn't agree with me now. Good means, she didn't wonder off, she didn't climb onto the desks, she didn't break anything. She did run around the store, walk into the glass, giggle and do her baby jabber talk, oh yes and dance.

In previous blog posts I've mentioned how Jessica and I love our art form and how we work at creating a community of like minded ladies. In an attempt to raise our own money, we thought we'd do some fundraising so that we could pay our own way and meet our dance goals, without putting additional financial pressure on our families.
Committing to doing and succeeding in doing seems to have a rather large pool of frustrated tears that must be waded through. This isn't supposed to be the price of doing what you love! Which raises the question, so what are we doing wrong, how do we get our existing community to buy into our new venture?
Although, we had an awesome Trivia evening, we did not reach the projected fundraising amount.
Our main goal, for Fun Events, is to raise funds to further our studies. Which would then extend to our community, helping those ladies also grow.
Some serious thought and hard research is on the cards for the next few weeks!

Fundraising

In all the excitement of travels and dance. We still managed to put together what is promising to be an amazing evening of questions, music and video clips to work that grey matter!

We are raising funds to be able to attend a master's retreat in September of this year! We both applied, thinking one of us would make the cut and to our surprise we both got in.
Seeing as we try and pay our own way, we started Zahra's Fun Events a subsidiary of Zahra's Oriental Dance to raise the funds.

Watch this space, we are starting with a Trivia, then some Casino action, followed by an arts & dance festival....
We've something spooky up our sleeves for Halloween and something festive for Thanksgiving, Christmas holidays!

With the many challenges that small business owners face, we are working very hard to make a success of our new venture. With the help of family and friends, we hope to grow Fun Events into a monthly highlight in our city.