Not gone forever.

Oh, so you thought I was gone forever. Not at all, but a broken laptop after weeks of working on my camper, and only having a zoom lens for my camera (having left my other lenses in Europe by mistake), my hands were rather tied in being very active on my blog. Then you get used to not blogging and emailing and before you know it you are doing other things and the digital world is replaced be the real world, which in fact, is not that bad at all.
However, now I have left my camera charger somewhere else, so not many photos to share until I buy a new one, besides I always need some time to settle in and find my way around a place but that has been done and I will be spending time on my computer again, also thanks to the many rainy days here, when all I want to do is cocoon, with Athena cuddled next to me.


The photo is by Andy Small.

Quechan people

This week, in between working on my camper, I visited the local Historical Society with a friend and the director, Carol Brooks, showed us some amazing photographs taken of the forefathers of the original people of this area. There are several nations around here, but nearest are the Cocopah and the Quechan. This is a picture of Quechan men. They were previously called 'Yuma Indians', but are now called by the name they had given themselves, the Quechan.
At the recent pow wow I got to talking with an older woman (78) and she told me that she had been to boarding school and had not been allowed to learn her own language. We talked about the 'Trail of Tears' too.
I often talk to Native American people at the pow wows I go to, but this was the first time in 15 years that someone was so open about these two subjects. 

Pow Wow dancer

The girl in the photo danced at every opportunity and so beautifully. It is good to see the younger people keeping up with their traditions. Every visit to a pow wow I learn more and more about the original inhabitants of the United States. I sit and chat with whomever is open for a little talk. This year I sat next to the lady who decorates the most beautiful walking sticks with peyote stitch and her friend told me about the history of her people. She was in her late 70's and had to go to boarding school and only speak English. The children were not allowed to speak their own tongue. She introduced me to the docent who teaches Quechan to the childeren now. My English is better than my Dutch, but I am very happy that it is good enough to read, write and speak and that I learned the history of my little country. I can't imagine what it would be like if someone said, "you have to disown your heritage". Even as a child, growing up in South Africa, I was still aware that I was Dutch. However, I am not Dutch enough to be really Dutch, neither English enough, nor South African enough nor American enough, to be any of those either. I am just me, I suppose, and quite happy with it.

Here is a picture of the dancing girl's face.

Pow Wow

The weather is improving. Come to think of it, the weather needs no improvement here. It is always lovely in the winter. Still, the mornings are no longer chilly now, which they can be and the birds are singing loudly in chorus. It makes the heart soar. 
I can't believe that I haven't written on my blog for so long. Last year I was very active around this time, painting, drawing and posting. More recently I have returned to Facebook, writing a manuscript and working on my camper. I also discovered Pinterest, which I enjoy and feel that I learn all kinds of things. Some people think it's an enormous 'time-waster', just like Facebook, but you see some amazing photography and art, and if I didn't 'Pin', I would never have known this:

Now I know that it has a name.

Feathers

It's not all hard work these days, although I did remove the camper's old sofa bed and replaced it with a bed I made myself (with help from my friend, Ikea). I built a wooden frame of which I am endlessly proud and put Ikea sultan slats on it. It worked like a charm and fit exactly (I did spend most of last night measuring and thinking).
In the evenings I watch BBC series on Youtube or read blogs and pin on Pinterest, but I like to 'do' something and I have made the little nature collection you see in the picture. Some feathers have been left natural, others painted in silver or white (my only two available colors at the moment). I added painted twigs and seed pods.

Limonade

Hardly have time for anything these days while giving my camper a make-over. I put her name on the back. It's Lemonade written the Dutch or French way. People probably think I can't spell very well.

These are Ikea plastic placemats to cover the area behind the sink. Happy little birds.

My fridge spray-painted silver, even the brown plastic has been sprayed.

I have been using soda can tabs to hang things up. Really helps when hanging up a basket to cover the plumbing that remained after taking out the little basin in the bathroom.

Even had some time to paint feathers to use as decorations in the camper.