I painted a picture

 A watercolour painting teacher-artist (Andrea Nelson) came up on my FB/Insta feed a few months ago. I followed and have enjoyed her simple, creative and colourful projects. I just watched and didn't do, despite her encouragement of followers to just give it go.

The other day with friends, the one says that she gets together with another one or two friends every Monday and they paint - watercolour - for about 90 minutes. Of course I said, "I'd love to come" and the other two with us said the same.

On Monday, we joined the painting group. I only had an hour but I did complete this flower. I'm no good at thinking up things to paint myself (yet) so I found a picture online of something that I liked and did my own version of it.

My first watercolour painting probably since primary school!

I've got a way to go in learning how to use watercolours - strong, dilute, water first, how it spreads etc. It is fun and creative, and I look forward to improving.

As far as yarn crafts go, I have had a crochet hiatus for about two years. Sure, I have made a few odd items, but no proper projects. I just do not know what I would like to make. I have had an itch to embroider flowers. I saw a booklet at a fabric store a few weeks back with 100 embroidery stitches and took it as a sign. I started at 1 and worked my way through to create a sampler.

The first 40-ish embroidery stitches. A lot can be done with these
plus French knots and bullion stitches.

There are some lovely floral designs that I have seen online. I need to choose one and a colour palette and give it a go. Handcrafts like this go well with listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and watching shows on streaming.

My years of blood donation posts have done some good

I have been a blood donor since I turned 16. I had a gap of about eight years when I was often in malaria areas with adventure races, which is cause for deferral. I regained my regular donor status in 2008 and have retained it since.

I usually post here and on Facebook after donations, encouraging friends and readers to only donate if they intend to go back again at least three times within a year. The reason for this, in South Africa at least, is that your plasma (the other components are discarded) is quarantined after your first donation if it passes various tests - like for HIV and hepatitis. When you return and the tests on your second donation are clear, the plasma from the first donation is used and the second is quarantined. The same happens when you return a 3rd time.

It is only after you are clear of various transmissible diseases three times within a 12-month period (you can donate up to six times a year, every 56 days) that your red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma are used.

As such, once-off donations are a waste of time, resources, labour, testing, freezer space, money, and blood because your donation will be discarded after a year if you do not return. The marketing around blood donation always says that each donation saves three lives. It only serves this purpose if you donate regularly so that all of your blood components are used.

I went to donate yesterday.

Watching Olympics at the George Western Cape Blood Service branch. My timing wasn't great as I got powerlifting instead of something like athletics, but it was interesting to see. 

My oldest friend David - we met at nursery school when I was 2 and he was 3 - responded with this:

"You’ve successfully persuaded me (after 20 years of making these valuable posts) to try again in the UK - they didn’t want it when I first moved here but this time they did - been used at Charing Cross hospital already. Just saying so you know your adverts work."

He is booked for his next donation in three-months time. 

My friend wrote a fiction novel, Sanguinous by Allison Glass

I am super proud of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Allison Glass, for writing a fiction novel. While I write, I write about real people and events and conversations - easy stuff, no imagination required. Creating a fiction story with a strong storyline, convincing characters, interest and intrigue, and lots of conversation is a whole other skill. 

I have just read Allison's book 'Sanguinous' - devouring it in a few days - and I loved it. At its root, it is a vampire story, set in Johannesburg, with a journalist as its main character. The main story is set in the present with intermittent chapters that go back in time from when a key vampire character arrived in South Africa, so there is a wonderful inclusion of South African history and accounting of significant events where he was present.

What does the enigmatic nightclub, Sanguinous, have to do with fatal house robberies in the leafy suburbs of Johannsburg and a 17th century stowaway?

Rory Tate is a young journalist on her first job with a reputable news agency. Her investigations lead her into a bloodthirsty criminal underworld she could never have imagined.

I loved True Blood (tv series) and Twilight (books & movies), Interview with a Vampire (book & movie) so I'm an easy-sell on the vampire genre. That said, there is more that I don't read or watch that is too far fetched. I like my vampires to be believable.

Allison is a doctor but she moved to specialise in HIV and virology many years ago. She now heads up the molecular lab at a big pathology company. She started writing her book some time ago - a big commitment - and she self published 'Sanguinous'.

Allison has breathed life into her characters with descriptions that gave them presence and personality, and that left a clear image of them in my mind. She cleverly wove their interactions and history into the story, maintaining a smooth flow throughout. This book is a fluid read.

The best part of the book, for me, was the way that Allison dealt with the 'being a vampire' reality. As we all know, vampires drink blood but they don't have a beating heart that pumps blood around their bodies. So how do they walk, talk, think and function? Their flesh is essentially dead but they don't decompose. Allison delighted me with her rationale for their undead-ness.

For vampires, it can be risky business to snack on just anyone without knowing whether that person has a disease. In the book, Allison brings in HIV - her area of professional expertise - and its effect on vampires. Allison's outcome is even better than what you can imagine.

The book's ending left the opening for sequel - I hope there will be one in time.

I've had a rough run of books this year with a number that I've struggled to get into or to read to completion this year - even those by well-known authors. Allison's book is just what I needed. It kept me hooked from the start, was smooth and quick reading, and kept me up (or lazing in bed) to read just a little bit more before turning out my light or getting up. 

Sanguinous is a vampire novel with a solid story and characters, and a cleverness in dealing with the essence of what vampires are. It is a good adult read but I can definitely see it in the older teen space too.

Sanguinous by Allison Glass is available on Amazon as an e-book or paperback. You can also message me and I'll connect you to Allison to get a paper copy.

Well done my friend xxx

48 Days of Running - tick

48 days ago I began my annual pre-birthday challenge. This year it was back to basics with 4km (minimum) per day for the number of consecutive days of the age that I would be turning. This year, the big ol' number is 48.

One of my goals was to do more road running as I really have not run much road for a good 3.5 to 4 years. I quickly settled back into road with around four sessions a week on tar.

I found myself thinking back to my years of growing up, living and running in Joburg suburbs. I loved running in the evenings - in the dark in winter - when the roads were quiet, breathing in the scents of dinners cooking. I have really enjoyed getting back to my roots, which was road, and I'll be keeping this up. 

Early on in the challenge I had some days when I felt pretty tired, especially with running after hard crossfit sessions. The body adapts and this got easier as my fitness improved and my body settled into the load. 

I used running to do errands and for commuting too. I would run to and from crossfit to make best use of my time. This worked really well. I also did a few runs to friends to either meet them or drop-off / pick-up stuff.

The last seven weeks were mostly smooth but there were a few days when it was more difficult to get out. Like the days when I put on rain pants and a rain jacket to run to and from crossfit, the next event when I ran in this rain gear and two nights recently in the Drakensberg when we'd finished with the day's talks, it was dark and cold, and I still needed to get out for a run instead of hanging out with friends.

Going for a run is always the best course of action. I always felt better during and afterwards, and I probably 'missed out' on little over 40 minutes of social hanging out (including a shower), so I did not ever miss much.

Having friends and family that help to enable activity is a treasure, like being able to run somewhere leaving a bag in the car for my mom to take along. Or running to a friend to catch a lift elsewhere. Or running back to camp from a concert, dropping my stuff in the car and have the right type of friends who support what you do and just leave to do and enjoy, transporting your gear and driving off with a wave. 

I was also very fortunate to have company on many of my runs. When I started this challenge, Otto said he was keen to join me on some runs as he was aiming to pick up his running. He ran a good number of sessions with me. The GTR Monday and Thursday runs provided lots of company, the Van Dalens hike was a win, and Talita also joined in for a few runs. I enjoyed a social morning session in the Berg, a run with Jenny the weekend before last, and a run with Carine this past weekend in Cape Town. 

(with my ex foster puppy Snow, a run on the beach in CT with Carine, Snow and Sophie) 

My Rosy dog has been a very faithful, eager and reliable running companion. 

This birthday challenge, as always, reminds me how important daily running is to me, how my body thrives on a heavier load, and how I really can squeeze a run into every day, if I prioritise myself and activity.

Today, Day 48, I had planned to meet up with Otto and Talita for a late afternoon run. Otto was down I'll so it was to be me and Talita, and one or more of their sons. I'd also put it out yesterday on our friend group to invite anyone around at 4pm to join us. 

I met up with Talita and Adam. She innocently said that Jamie, Adam's girlfriend needed the loo and had gone to Zelda's house around the corner.

As we approached, I saw a colourful bunch of friends dressed ready to run.. Sneaky devils. All the ones that had said on the group that they wouldn't be there, were there. We had a lovely run and then hit the Trail Kiosk for tea/coffee.

(these fabulous photos by Zelda) 

Cliffy and Tracey rocked up and then my mom arrived having walked from home with Bella-dog. Mom and I walked home together, looking at houses and flowers.

I've had a super day of messages and catching up with some friends and family. 

A good day to count my blessings. 

I love living in George for its mountains and trails and waterways. I am doubly blessed to have a great group of friends who are kind, caring and supportive, active and adventurous. They make George a home.