Drink Deeply the light

The world is grey without the light, to cast into contrast the shadows and darkness
We are limp flaccid forms without our life that cast into contrasts our emotions.
We live and breathe, sigh and heave, toil and trample our days away.

Let cascade the musical light, which gives life and makes all things bright.
Let Laugh and dance and play, let love and hold and pray
This sad and beautiful song, that tugs and draws us along.
And the rest won’t come, but enrichment can flow from an unending tap and let overflow your cup.

Drink deeply, but not in excess, for this mead like all is best shared with our fellow men.

The Year gone by...

The year is almost and an end, it had past me by before I felt it begin… I’ve been reflecting recently on the year gone by, places I’ve been things I’ve done, people I’ve got to know and love.
There’s a lot I wish I’d had the time or made the time to have done. I would have liked to have spent more time with certain friends, and kept more in touch and up to date with what’s been happening in all their lives.

It didn’t all start so busy, but towards the end of the year it all seemed to turn into a mad rush for the finish – trying to fit in all those last minute things you kept putting off. In a few weeks I fly to the UK to visit family and friends over December and January, and right now it feels like I’m in a bit of a rush preparing all I need to have done before the trip. It is something to look forward to though.

So what have been moments for me to remember this year… I met a wonderful woman, I became a very proud uncle, I played some amazing gig’s with the band, The Springboks won the Rugby world cup, I spent some amazing time with great friends. Had deep meaningful conversations with people.
I learnt to open myself up a little sometimes.
I learnt that I can deal with important responsibilities in work and handle them, even if it does make me seem a bit more moody with friends and family.
I learnt that sometimes Keeping quite and to myself isn’t always the best way to deal with things on your mind, and that having a friend to talk to even if they don’t know the answers lightens the load.

I realized that we are all one human population, and the problems we face in the world are ours as a group – but that sometimes you don’t seem to have an impact the worlds problems (and so shouldn’t get frustrated or stressed) but you can impact the world of someone just by taking the time.

Thank you to all my friends, family loved ones and strangers I’ve met who’ve guided me through this year, who’ve taught and tested me.
May God bless you all.

New toon

Here’s the first of a probable series of a strip I’ve been working on - I work for a Caravan and camping magazine and so thought it apt to name my Characters "Toe & Hitch" - I hope you like it let me know what you think.

Favourite Songwriters No. 7

I was driving home from work yesterday when a familiar tune came on the Radio - an old tune but a cover done by Watershed ( a South African Band) and I thought it was a really decent cover too. Though they were working with a really good origianl , though I guess that makes it harder to do a cover when you’re being compared to the original. Anyway I haven’t posted a favourite songwriter in a while and knew that these guys would definitely have to make my list.
Crosby Stills Nash & Young, brought home thier messages using melodic tunes and beautiful Harmonies, I love playing thier songs with all thier interwoven harmonies - If I can find someone to sing them with. So which of thier songs do I choose? There are many, one of my favourite from childhood was always "Teach your children", though I’ve decided to go for the one I heard on the Radio, mostly because it feels a lot more personal to me " when you see the Southern crosss for the first time" though I grew up under the Southern Cross, I remember the way I felt when I returned home after my first soujourn in England - looking up at those 4 bright Stars I knew I was home. So below are the lyrics.

Southern Cross

Got out of town on a boat goin' to southern islands,

Sailing a reach before a followin' sea.

She was makin' for the trades on the outside,

And the downhill run to Papeete Bay.

Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas.

We got eighty feet of the waterlineNicely making way.

In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you,

But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away.

Think about how many times I have fallen.

Spirits are using me, larger voices callin'.

What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.

I have been around the world,Lookin' for that woman, girl,

Who knows love can endure,And you know it will (and you know it will).

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time,

You understand now why you came this way,

'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small,

But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day.

So I'm sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a-dyin',

And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain.

I have my ship and all her flags are a-flyin'.

She is all that I have left and music is her name.

Think about how many times I have fallen.

Spirits are using me, larger voices callin'.

What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.

I have been around the world,

Lookin' for that woman, girl,

Who knows love can endure,And you know it will (and you know it will).

So we cheated and we lied and we tested,

And we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do.

You will survive being bested,

But somebody fine will come along make me forget about loving you

At the Southern Cross.

Some Recent Illustrations

We'r kinda going for a bit of a futuristic theme for our guide this year, so I've been having some fun doing a range of Space Camper Illustrations. Here are a couple...

The weekend

I may be getting old, but it doesn’t mean I can stay out dancing Until 5 in the morning – it just means I‘ll only be surfacing from bed at about 5 in the afternoon.
I went out to Red Door with Caroline on Friday evening and we met up with a couple of here friends there, it was a good evening, and as Always Jamie was playing good alternative music and fortunately a fair amount of stuff from my generation that I could rock out to and know the words when I was lip sinking along (as you do – while playing the air guitar – and just totally making a fool of yourself). During the ‘course of the evening Jamie’s voice came across the speakers to announce that Sean from Seether was in the house and had requested to play a set the following night – so it seemed our Saturday night plans were set.
We continued to dance and grab our breaths and some liquid refreshment from time to time, until about close to three in the Morning, then Joe climbed in my Car with Caroline and myself and we proceeded to Joe’s to drop him at home – shortly after this I got a call on my phone from Kyle to announce that he was at the Red Door and where were we. We managed to convince ourselves to go and join him for a short while, seeing as it was on the way home.
It was during this period that I decided to approach Jamie and offer my services to open for Sean the following evening (which was in fact that evening) not really giving much thought to the fact that it was already after 4am and I might have a little trouble getting myself up and prepared for such a task that night.
In the end I didn’t go, though it was a last minute decision and one (seeing how tired I was) I don’t regret – so I didn’t open for Sean (was hoping for my big break – he he he)
, or watch him (if he played) there are rumors he didn’t pitch (much like me) – but I definitely can’t confirm them, I can confirm he was there the night before, when I made plans I had to break.
The reason I did – well Mom’s friend from Kenya is out with her family including two boys – one of whose birthday was being celebrated, and so instead of pushing aside my weariness and going out to play like a rock Star would, I decided I’d far rather spend my evening comfortable at home eating Ice cream cake and chips.
Sunday was much as you'd imagine, ntothing to energetic being done. We had a sit down Brunch with our Kenyan friends and the Family - then the folks and Jeremy whicked them down to Durban for the evening to put them on an early plane - and while Caroline fished off an assignment, I spent most the rest of the day sprawled outy on the couch with my face buried in a Novel... there still are advantages of not being a student anymore.

Caught Up in the Traffic of Life…

Caught Up in the Traffic of Life… ...I think that pretty much sums me up lately, in fact I think it would relate to a lot of us – we get so caught up in work, and doing our daily living routines – that we don’t realize that at times the road we’ve been diverted onto, that is building up more traffic, is actually a very scenic one, one we’ve not been on before and so should be enjoying a lot more. Instead we are focused on the road and getting to the end of it.
Why when we’re living our lives is our focus to get to the end of the week – to get to the end of an assignment or project, to get to the end of the journey that’s leading us somewhere, but when we talk about living life and it’s ideals, we complain that we never have enough time – when we’ve wished it away.
In case you didn’t pick it up I’ve been trying to use a bit of an analogy here – and using it as a main reason why I haven’t posted anything – I’ve been caught up, and truthfully, a little uninspired by my life – that’s not to say that I don’t have a great life and I am surrounded by amazing people who I love to share it with, I guess sometimes you just don’t feel you have anything exceptional worth sharing. The thing is sometimes you don’t know what you have to share until you open you’re mouth – and then you catch yourself thinking “where did I get that from?” Everyone has a part so play in one another’s life no matter how small and sometimes it’s not the part you’d have liked to have played. At the end of the day you realize that you can be no-one but yourself, and some will love you for it, and others… well they won’t.
Don’t get too caught up with the task of life, rather get lost in the small detours.