I cannot believe that I have been at Tara Rokpa for a year already. The time has gone so fast. It certainly has been a year filled with trials, tribulations, new experiences and great learning. It has been wonderful meeting interesting people, making friends, learning different cooking methods, getting accustomed to a new landscape, and [...]
A few weeks of spring rains have replenished the valley and brought welcome green growth. The weather is however unpredictable and is not following the usual early summer patterns. Layers of clothing seem to go on and off according to the ever-changing temperatures. For me, a recent highlight was attending our recent Green Tara practice [...]
1 September, Spring Day, in the southern hemisphere, was always the day the public swimming pools opened in Johannesburg when I was a child. I’m sitting on my lovely “stoep” catching the last warmth of the setting sun. I tried dipping my feet into my pool and they became completely numb, so no swimming for [...]
In mid-June the cold creeps in as the sunsets. I have just come in from the cold where I braved a bowl of soup while watching the sky colours change and the waxing sickle moon and Venus and Mars growing brighter as the darkness crept in. The welcome wood-burning stove is now glowing, bringing needed [...]
Sitting indoors sheltering from a thunderstorm with my petrified dogs wanting reassurance is time for reflections. My so-called retirement time continues to be full of activity both at home, on-site and less so in Rietvaly. The weather has been hugely challenging for the gardens and residents with a period of searing heat followed by heavy [...]
Time goes by so fast especially in the platteland – before you know it it’s Easter! (We have an Easter camp planned at TRC – check out our upcoming retreats). It is also one year since the word “Covid” became part of our daily vocabulary. I do have to say, we don’t experience the full [...]
Sunset from top of Temple Hill With mid-summer fast approaching, it is hard to believe that a globally challenging year is drawing to a close. Who knows what the future holds for us? We have certainly entered an ever-growing world of electronic communication with so much being offered on Zoom. Wonderful opportunities for [...]
An educational trip was organised to Johannesburg for the Tikologo and Rietvaly permaculture trainees by Sustainable Community Development NGO. The group of young people, including 3 men and 4 women were selected as they had all been fully involved in an initial 4-day workshop held both on-site at Tikologo and at the Tirisano crèche site [...]
Over the Heritage long weekend, we hosted the awesome Dale de Klerk and his Being Me yogis for a relaxing weekend of laughter, fun, photography, and yoga. This was the first retreat that we hosted after 6 months of lockdown. Nervously we prepped and dusted and shopped, and hoped we remembered how to do this! [...]
Genuine humility has been rare to find in a stranger. Most times people, and myself, opt for the cold shoulder, or the awkward stare when I look up that comes with the occasional nod or smirk that says, ‘Hi, I’m friendly’. It’s almost as if I want to get the greeting out of the way [...]
