AWOL Absence Apologised For!

Well, well, well... I feel like stranger to my own blog! A prodigal procrastinator! Or, perhaps I'm being a little harsh on myself? You see, it is not as if I've had nothing to write about, or even been lacking in the desire-to-write department, but my life for the last 6 months has been, in a word: hell. I, Layla and my parents are locked in a kind of deadlocked limbo - but, as has always been the case when I have been faced with pain (or, in this case, agony) I have made the conscious choice to transcend the problem and its pain, and choose to respond to it in a way that grows and stretches my heart, mind and soul --- leaning heavily on my God for the peace, joy and strength that is not able to be wrested from the weak, selfish human heart alone.
There have been surprisingly few people who have questioned how a good, loving, compassionate and all-powerful God, 'should' He exist, allow situations such as mine occur. The answer is not simple, and although it is intensely personal, it is not private and is perhaps worth explaining how I have experienced His presence, love, comfort and guidance over the last few months?

Here are a few happy developments:
1. Layla started school in January - and is a teacher's pet deluxe! She is the littlest one of them all, but certainly the most exquisitely unusual (if I may say so myself! *wry grin*)!
2. She turned a very exuberant '3' at the end of February - and celebrated in style at school with all of her little friends, having chosen Toy Story cupcakes and Flings as her snacks du jour. Somewhat alarmingly but not at all surprisingly, she chose a 'party dress' in the style outlawed by the Fashion Police with the passing away of the 1980s! A red, nylon-shiny and tulle confection a la Disney Princess! But somehow, Layla carried it off with her gorgeous uniqueness and funky sort of grace. How could I but not be proud? (I'm already having visions of what she will no doubt quirkily conjure up for her Matric Dance!)
3. There is a fantastically lovely family I have met through the little boy who is in Layla's class at school. They're Korean -- having only set foot on this wildly different African soil just 2 months ago. With my seven looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong years as a South African living in England, I can only but begin to imagine how isolated, lonely and misunderstood they must be feeling. If I, as a fellow English-speaker, felt alienated and an alien in a land whose culture I 'grew up on' via television, film, music and literature, how much more so would this Korean family be struggling with this flood of strangeness and newness, where not just the language is so radically different (not even Latin-based!!) but where the culture is also a West versus East clash. Sheesh! Anyway - they have asked me to help them settle into their new life by teaching them English, and filtering the South African culture into their lives. What a blessing and weekly joy this is proving to be!

'studio-plekkie' I set up last week!

4. An old friend arrived out of the beautiful blue about 2 weeks ago to announce that she needed me to produce samples for her of my work, for both decor shops and corporate art commissioning! WOW! The big question, of course, is this: will I be able to earn enough moola to pay the bills? We'll see. Time, and bloodsweat&tears will tell, eh?


In stores nationwide (*modest l'il smirk*) you'll discover my 3 ranges:

(top row is still in progress)

*Madame Fifi: Guru of Whimsy : all things decor - such as the 6 little canvases (7 x 7cm) in this picture -- and all sorts of other magnificently unusual and Lisaesque concepts.
*Pillowtalk: hand-embellished, quilted etc bedding: cushions and quilts.
*Little Miss Muffett: handcrafted and ridiculously quirky/sentimental toys!
*Talking Point: Art Commissions: nudes, landscapes, abstracts, portraits. (Now WHO on EARTH would EVER have thought I would 'go commercial'?! Yip, Michaelis, I've gone over to the dark side. My dad's relieved!)



Anyway - I better not write too much in case I wake up to find it's only been the sweetest dream...

Adios till next time,
Lisa