tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74813101012167961922024-03-04T20:44:00.242-08:00Grace + MerciGrace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-27974118377713137782017-06-08T22:49:00.001-07:002017-06-08T22:51:23.754-07:00Winter essential: Wild harvested Baobab oil<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is a beautiful African folklore story about how the
Baobab tree came to be African and also known as ‘the upside-down tree’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://shop.rainafrica.com/collections/african-rain" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGbcNPKPMpJm6wao1TAvoN3VzgGgBU4aPX8svUPatKHI3PH5cYU6C7WVHsBGy5AZ3UHfRLKQOqfIgv4YN38BzT-6PiLkj2o9bbuBELyq6htGeCTDLYkfpi6KbPfvpP3TJuLvrUvRYdEEd/s1600/BAOBAB_FEATURE.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the story told by indigenous people, God
planted Baobab in the wetlands and the tree complained it was too moist. God
then planted Baobab high up in the mountains in the snow and again he
complained it was too cold. Then God decided to plant Baobab in the deserts of
Africa but again the tree complained that the conditions were too harsh and the
sun too hot. God then plucked the tree out of the soil and threw it across Africa
to grow upside down as it still does today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wrong way up or right way down we really don’t mind. What we
do care about is that the super fruit of this tree holds the secret to
nourishing your skin during the cold, harsh winter months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://shop.rainafrica.com/collections/african-rain" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpNzGF6LBWhqIAqNc1etbJe2LHsCM4-1CVnYvULULGaYlFQz60X6vCDRWE7DMJ8NhXTy1GBiZeWtr57Rl1IwvmU3qIV3eQke1VYY_QWQ0XTkvF-FOmutXJaqFBtUAz0Er0RprzLTR5-ru/s1600/BAOBAB1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Baobab oil has naturally-occurring omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty
acids which improves the elasticity while restoring damaged skin. It’s rich in
vitamins A, D, E and F and combats early signs of aging. It absorbs easily and does
not clog up pores and leaves the skin smooth and touchable. It is particularly
good for dry, damaged skin and can be beneficial for eczema and psoriasis with
relief from minor burns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Try our <a href="https://shop.rainafrica.com/products/baobab-rooibos-body-butter" target="_blank">Baobab and Rooibos Body Butter</a> from the Biologie range or for baby the very popular <a href="https://shop.rainafrica.com/search?q=monkey+" target="_blank">Monkey Breadfruit Butter</a> from our rainbaby range. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Woman from the Venda area collects the fruit and
sells them to us to use in our products that in turn creates work, life and
hope for this community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have a look at our <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkVKKYtN_i4" target="_blank">YouTube video</a></b> narrated by our founder <b>Bev
Missing</b> on her visit with <b>Dr Sarah Venter</b> and the majestic Baobab trees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This month our </span><b style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://shop.rainafrica.com/collections/african-rain" target="_blank">African rain</a></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> range with Baobab actives are on promotion. Due to
the blue tones and nautical theme of the range it makes it the perfect gift for
the man in your life and will be a thoughtful gift for a Father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shop online with us for your winter essentials<b> <a href="https://shop.rainafrica.com/collections/african-rain" target="_blank">here</a></b></span></div>
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-3738862499841588822017-05-03T03:35:00.000-07:002020-04-08T22:00:41.405-07:00Wild harvesting waterlilies <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The cape
waterlily blooms at the height of summer, when it is jolly hot and one
does not mind getting </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">wet wading out into the dams to pick the blooms. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Rural
waterways come to life with the elegant blue blooms which emit a sublime
aquatic floral essence </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">- only discernible before the heat of the day vapor
rises it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This highly
elusive fragrance can only be captured through the ancient perfumery technique
of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">enfleurage - a labour of love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Fresh blooms
need to be harvested daily ( yes every day ) ...and placed upside down into a
fatty </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">medium. This is then covered and sealed to create a kind of a womb
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Animal fat
was used in ancient French perfumery ... but I prefer to use vegetable butter</span><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The blooms
are then left for twenty four hours in the butter at room temperature , after
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">they are discarded and a fresh round of blooms placed into the same
butter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Yes - that
means going back into the dam and fetching more blooms - every day ! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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twenty repetitions of this process , the butter is then sufficiently
impregnated with </span></div>
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then washed in alcohol to transpose the floral essence into the solvent - from
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process of daily harvesting and infusing , seemed somehow symbolic of the
pregnancy </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">process - a journey of time and energy to create and birth a fragrance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-50621709971225932912014-12-02T00:42:00.001-08:002014-12-02T00:42:42.815-08:00Summer is served <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imprinted in my memory bank from a glorious childhood, are the sounds, tastes and smells of summer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If anyone happens to open a bottle of suntan lotion - even in a grey European winter - it instantly transports me to summer. To sea sand, sunshine , seagulls..... oh and soft serve icecream on a wafer cone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I so love the variety of sleep one can achieve lying on a beach under a sun umbrella on a glorious summer's day.It usually comes after reading some pages of an evocative novel - that sleep that is shallow but restorative - more like a doze - gentle with a muffled background soundtrack of waves breaking, children laughing and muffled conversation. It is just too decadently lazy and comforting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only real downside is sunburn. I am particularly prone to skin damage - being extremely fair skinned. If, after taking all the precautions against burning, the inevitable happens - here are some tips in managing sunburn aftercare :</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- cool your skin as fast as possible with yoghurt, aloe leaf juice or cucumber slices - it helps relieve the burning and stinging</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- run a cool bath to soak in ,but add a few tablespoons of cornstarch (Maizena ), and baking soda to your bath water for further soothing</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- take a pain killer to help ease the pain - aspirin or ibuprofen ( something with anti inflammatory properties )</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And most importantly of all - MOISTURISE intensively</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- rehydrate the skin with shea butter based products to avoid or reduce peeling our Bee Range Sunburn Salve is ideal for this </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">containing the following actives :</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* shea butter for skin
softening, contains vit a, e<br />* beeswax for locking moisture in , anti-microbial, wound healing properties<br />* carrot oil to help stimulate and rejuvenate skin cells<br />* rosehip oil which contains retinol and vit c to help repair skin tissue<br />* marula oil to help reverse sun damage &boost cellular activity<br />* evening primrose oil containing omega 6 and anti-inflammatory<br />* st john's wort for wound healing properties<br />* cape chestnut oil which is high in essential fatty acids & antioxidant<br />* aloe ferox to stimulate cell renewaland to help soothe<br />* sweet orange oil which increases blood flow to skin surface<br />* lime oil as an antibacterial & antiseptic<br />* neroli oil also an antibacterial & antiseptic & to help soothe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> wishing you a happy summer </span></h3>
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-30137204683256185762014-11-05T06:41:00.003-08:002014-11-05T06:41:38.065-08:00Our Green Moral Contract - biodegradable <div class="MsoNormal">
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Rain Artisan and Olive Oil soaps are formulated to be fully biodegradable as they are 100% natural with no artificial chemicals or additives. Ideal for hiking and camping trips.<br />
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However........<br />
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any soap that is used directly in a rock pool or stream , alters the surface tension of the water and the little water spiders and bugs can no longer use the rock pool. <br />
So when washing , do NOT wash directly in a rock pool or stream - instead follow the good advice below<br />
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<i>“The correct way for camping and hiking is to use your biodegradable soap/shampoo , collect water in a container, do your washing in the container and pour the water out at least 30m away from any river in a spot from where the soap residue will not be washed into the river by the first rain.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>The rule is: allow nothing to get into the water which you are not prepared to drink yourself. Such substance can destroy all live in a mountain stream; in addition, rivers are often farmers’ only source of drinking water”. </i></div>
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Page 26 The SA Mountain Leadership Guide – a handbook for leaders of hiking and Mountaineering parties by Mountain Club of South Africa.</div>
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-35045018992161632002014-11-05T04:30:00.002-08:002014-11-05T04:30:41.855-08:00Soap for the Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst cleaning out cupboards and offices lately to make space for more desks and more </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">people, I found a box containing my very first soaps I made in 1999. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fifteen years ago and guess what .............they are still perfect </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have got a little more sophisticated over the years , but that same quality stands. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using only the very best raw materials we can lay our hands on - to nourish and feed your skin</span><br />
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-52637285940320473702014-10-12T07:20:00.000-07:002014-10-12T07:20:30.598-07:00BUYING FOR RAIN - Components for slippers <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew NOTHING about shoemaking. But I was intriqued and inspired to try it out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day , while on a fabric buying trip in Bangkok , I found myself in a shoemaking district with shop upon shop of intriquing stuff for making shoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BUT - no one speaks English !</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In fact , tourists never venture here, so one is generally stared at with amusement and curiosity. When you try to ask for help, the Thais just giggle and shake their heads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then , out of the mainstream , while wandering off looking for transport - I found CHAI. Yes his name is CHAI - tea .And , like a good cup of hot tea , he came to my rescue .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as you can see from his shirt - he really is batman or my superhero because he not only speaks comprehensible English, but he sat with me and guided me step by step - with drawings - </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on the art of shoemaking . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Telling me about the dye cuts I need and the materials and glues I must use , and what slopes are for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He now cuts and supplies all the parts for our Rain slippers which we manufacture back home in our Rain factory in Swellendam.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is Chai's very full store, where he and I sit on rubber mats in front of the cooling fan to discuss my needs each time I visit.</span></div>
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<br />Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-74959076612206102332014-09-27T03:30:00.000-07:002014-09-27T03:30:06.290-07:00BUYING FOR RAIN - Rope Hunting in India<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh I do so love India- the land of opposites and extremes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beauty and decay, bedlam and peace, filth and fragrance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am privileged enough to be able to travel to India to buy textiles and yarns for the Rain factory. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly none of which is manufactured in South Africa and must be brought from a far away land</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hkE6DRLHE0YuHXsu3g4-XNlAJg8jdDsLfllopvW6zCrckFW3DVE6wDsmr3TQHX5c0lTVq8mb7XKx2TQ1_Gq32JERZMyE4aTYthMgHNNDie7XAoxim3hATrX8syTE91LJe_v3C6TN7MOe/s1600/IMG_2366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hkE6DRLHE0YuHXsu3g4-XNlAJg8jdDsLfllopvW6zCrckFW3DVE6wDsmr3TQHX5c0lTVq8mb7XKx2TQ1_Gq32JERZMyE4aTYthMgHNNDie7XAoxim3hATrX8syTE91LJe_v3C6TN7MOe/s1600/IMG_2366.JPG" height="320" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This rope shop is one of my very favourite haunts. discovered quite by accident while making way for someone to pass me in a tiny Old Delhi alleyway, I stumbled into this Alladins Cave of ropes, strings, twines, wools, yarns.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNCmoICgcun6E7lFs4TPZnjHMRU1qrtasTc-490mBRMkw3cvmCuyWSIQKNGspLib8PuzAyGzYy9P0FdrHRepI8ZlwOiOXx1-UiW5zxoakmd2W2t4WN4SaYNBPqoIvRGQpY2uVfecBSVpJ/s1600/29022012330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNCmoICgcun6E7lFs4TPZnjHMRU1qrtasTc-490mBRMkw3cvmCuyWSIQKNGspLib8PuzAyGzYy9P0FdrHRepI8ZlwOiOXx1-UiW5zxoakmd2W2t4WN4SaYNBPqoIvRGQpY2uVfecBSVpJ/s1600/29022012330.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a beguiling store - luring you further and further into it's cavernous depths as you discover little staircases leading up and up , and little passages leading you into further chambers filled with disorderly chaos with every imaginable type of rope and string.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A myriad of tiny rooms are packed floor to ceiling with every conceivable sort of yarn, twine and rope, and of course there</span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is the fetid odour of rats living side by side with the stock.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqudprHYVen_R6J3MwRxPMNeU-sSlOzFdCCiyqr1HjwKkBkYzkS5xcrtU1HZiQ2a6ZTi9lMCElp7N1t0z_mgqTkDT6UKBvQdsqcJqp4agbFJMEWJWoW_C4g06hjbfnmXlj4jJKmc4anSE/s1600/29022012326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqudprHYVen_R6J3MwRxPMNeU-sSlOzFdCCiyqr1HjwKkBkYzkS5xcrtU1HZiQ2a6ZTi9lMCElp7N1t0z_mgqTkDT6UKBvQdsqcJqp4agbFJMEWJWoW_C4g06hjbfnmXlj4jJKmc4anSE/s1600/29022012326.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The owner is Tarun - the stout gentleman in the picture and alongside him is Prabu - my porter , who can only speak Hindi , but who carries my wares, shields me from rabid beggars, hails the rickshaws and who makes sure I don't get lost in the mayhem</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After weighing every bundle and haggling over the prices , the goods are then loaded onto the local rickshaws to be transported .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I retreat to my clean cool calm accommodation with dear friend Bianca - away from the craziness that is India </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Rain , we use these ropes to make window displays, bee skeps, bath mats and the various jutes and strings get crocheted and knitted into shower mitts, back scrubbers, wash gloves and tissue box covers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intensively handmade products with beautiful all nature fibres </span></div>
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<br />Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-52835312094508804412014-09-20T07:08:00.000-07:002014-09-25T05:53:17.512-07:00In Sync with the Seasons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Living in harmony with Nature -</div>
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that is our credo at Rain</div>
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When nature whispers - we listen, when she floods the air with her volatile aromas, we rush to capture them. </div>
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Our jasmine is in full bloom - filling the evening with a sweet floral melody - one which we want to capture for our perfumes. </div>
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We are hard at work each evening , picking the delicate open flowers in order to lay them in palm butter , to perform the ancient french perfumery technique of enfleurage - used to capture the essence of flowers</div>
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This is a time consuming task and the flowers need to be replaced every single day for at least 8-12 days. One has to be very sure of a good supply of flowers before beginning </div>
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The Yesterday ,Today and Tomorrow is also blooming at just the same time. this bush is extremely generous with its glorious fragrance and abundant flowers </div>
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The flowers start off deep purple today, then turn lilac tomorrow and are white by the next day</div>
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The Palm Butter gently coaxes the aromas from the flowers over time . It is a lesson in patience , respecting time and nature as it gently yields its perfume to the fat medium. </div>
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After loading the fat for as many days as you are able to repeat the process without the fat growing nasty moulds, the fat is scraped into jars to be washed for three weeks with natural sugar cane alcohol.</div>
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This washing process entails daily shaking of the bottle to transfer the fragrance molecules from the fat to the alcohol.</div>
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After more than 6 weeks, of daily interaction , this will be ready for use.</div>
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No wonder natural perfumes are costly and precious.</div>
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-46376050817109835362014-09-15T06:30:00.000-07:002014-09-15T06:30:19.362-07:00Hot Find - a Coal operated Iron<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Welcome to Africa </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes we have electricity and sometimes we don't...... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reasons given by the powers that be are complex, but they go something like this :</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">- somebody stole the cables</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">- the infrastructure is on the brink of collapse, so we have to share what little power there is ( load shedding )</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">- the people who run the national electricity provider have stolen all the money and now there is no money to upgrade the networks and conduct maintenance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">- the average salary at the national electricty supplier - Eskom- equals what I earn in three years, but they are idiots and have destroyed a perfectly good infrastructure through corruption, nepotism and sheer incompetence </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having been warned by people who are " in the know " to get prepared for electricty outages - I am on a mission to do just that . I dont want to be caught short !</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My options - buy a bicycle operated washing machine, convert my appliances to gas, diesel, wind, wood fired, anything but electricty and all will be ok.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To this end, I have been keeping my eyes open for solutions to beat my nemesis - the national electricty supplier Eskom.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then one day recently - while s</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">trolling through a kitchen market in Chiang Mai Thailand ........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvdKvq3fEQe9FZRKLG2U42m6-SjtbHsAXAR9G1QV_Ky6ctlaQCx5u5Zvu7SBz-640ZawrhQuIGpStXQOIZdis_Ghu1NAOvjS35u2BlGrHBqVfrBJVejmr7SK3r38jC_IA8JBNtcBPou92/s1600/855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvdKvq3fEQe9FZRKLG2U42m6-SjtbHsAXAR9G1QV_Ky6ctlaQCx5u5Zvu7SBz-640ZawrhQuIGpStXQOIZdis_Ghu1NAOvjS35u2BlGrHBqVfrBJVejmr7SK3r38jC_IA8JBNtcBPou92/s1600/855.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Eureka ! I found a coal operated iron ! Not even an antique but a real brand new one !</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZHNbf10XXkmZympuBTK4UcnfzyKN8LVDtYTW0kRBPUtwRsJtW523sCb1b_5zDX-VpRMdFjR3XYNI7QZVy0pcn71FVkXEFiEeB9Lag6QdAzI7tijR61NQ5jlkFrELScNIAx3_49NkH1Wo/s1600/853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZHNbf10XXkmZympuBTK4UcnfzyKN8LVDtYTW0kRBPUtwRsJtW523sCb1b_5zDX-VpRMdFjR3XYNI7QZVy0pcn71FVkXEFiEeB9Lag6QdAzI7tijR61NQ5jlkFrELScNIAx3_49NkH1Wo/s1600/853.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mind flashed back to a remote Jain temple courtyard in Rajasthan where I had seen one of these in operation by laundry wallahs doing piles and piles of white cotton sheets under a massive fig tree .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimX5ZjUiprNi0noAYmwxcBPuLlnhUdf87hRZV0iPpkSdliwcN-F5Y0-Aht9iFvVRXtC1V3-Yx1KLSGEeE56ONy933e6S7b9feycHKynG48QGo1NUo6jd-tF47A7DuA-Ga8s6BZSOsTKf62/s1600/IMG_2668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimX5ZjUiprNi0noAYmwxcBPuLlnhUdf87hRZV0iPpkSdliwcN-F5Y0-Aht9iFvVRXtC1V3-Yx1KLSGEeE56ONy933e6S7b9feycHKynG48QGo1NUo6jd-tF47A7DuA-Ga8s6BZSOsTKf62/s1600/IMG_2668.JPG" height="263" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Operated with hot coals which have to be replenished from a gently burning wood fire nearby , this style of ironing seemd romantic and slow like the days gone by. I was sure my maid would LOVE me for this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqzKpPp6D_89RgpRPIyPBXleAs3-VoyIaP8I7tIR4jbBF1bMJc4kOTy2xQKbB5PgYdk9YgjQ8XlIhhEcU4_CFROZF7gwpHy2SyZcDN_-KC4kwvQikunj3LzRL477SYaS2yNc_JlvNDkA7/s1600/IMG_2666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqzKpPp6D_89RgpRPIyPBXleAs3-VoyIaP8I7tIR4jbBF1bMJc4kOTy2xQKbB5PgYdk9YgjQ8XlIhhEcU4_CFROZF7gwpHy2SyZcDN_-KC4kwvQikunj3LzRL477SYaS2yNc_JlvNDkA7/s1600/IMG_2666.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so I arrived home with my trophy find in my luggage - my first non electricty dependant appliance. This was a few months back - my maid Samantha just graciously smiled, nodded knowingly and then put the iron on display on the kitchen window sill where it sits today - as yet unused. </span></div>
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-22027870134117481032014-07-13T02:34:00.001-07:002014-07-13T02:34:13.279-07:00Wild Harvest in the Overberg<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Winter time in the Cape region of South Africa, and it is the rainy season. The wild fynbos plants are experiencing a growth spurt from the season's rain, and this is when they form fresh new leaves and their veins run thick with fragrant and healing oils, their flowers emerge and growth is lush and abundant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is the time for wild harvesting in this area .We begin our season's harvests one fresh cool morning in July. Up before dawn, we drive to the area where we plan to harvest, enjoying the exquisite scenery en route. The aloes flower at this time too - and this is Aloe Ferox - also used in Rain products in the Aloe and Avocado range</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Proteas ( our national flower ) are blooming in great swathes and there are groups of hungry sunbirds feasting on the sweet new nectar. We pick some proteas for mom as a thank you for the crunchy cranberry rusks we enjoy with the early morning coffee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The trusty landrover has been kitted out, serviced, oiled and greased - even new shocks fitted to cope with the rough terrain and the extra load of water tanks on the roof. We are ready to harvest</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The fynbos plant kingdom is the smallest and richest in the world - one of seven plant kingdoms globally with around 8000 species- 70% of these plants are found nowhere else in the world.There are 1300 species per 10 000 sq.km compared to the South American rainforests which have 400 species per 10 000 sq.km. This is an exceptionally special and unique place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have our factory located in this region, and are thus privileged to be able to wild harvest our raw materials from our "backyard" so to speak.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">John, our Fragrance Forager</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">has the distillation kit firmly bolted to the sides of the landrover with tanks of cooling water on the roof to enable us to distill the plants on site - right in the wild - fresh straight from picking</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And of course, there is always time for tea and those rusks of mom's.We are up the mountain and it is chilly - nothing like a hot cuppa to warm the hands and heart</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is Joe - our KhoiSan medicine man. He knows his plants and keeps a lookout for them from the sides of the Landy as we drive - banging on the roof to alert us to stop when he spots something</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The terrain requires four wheel drive - it is steep and rutted and the tracks run as mini streams from all the underground water during this wet season</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We harvest Aasbos - or Bait Bush - so called by fisherman as they use it to clean their hands after handling their bait. This plant w</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">e are harvesting in the coastal dune belt where these plants occur in abundance</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is an olfactory journey - </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">with Joe handing us bushels</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> of plant materials to smell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and identify. Some of them </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">are sub species and we have </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">to continually refer to our</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">reference books as we go</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The mobile office with a basket of plant books for backup.We consider </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ourselves as pruners - we never cut everything from a bush , but use a rule of thumb of no more than a quarter. Pruning stimulates new growth and it means we are harvesting sustainably</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Joe and John prepare the still for operation , attaching all the pipes for the cooling water flow from the roof, connecting the gas burner and setting up the catchment flask. The guys head out with their picking baskets and secateurs and then gradually return with the plant materials to be distilled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The drum of the still gets filled with freshly picked organic plant materials, and we sit under a tree and wait while the heat builds and the hydrosol slowly starts to drip from the tank. It is wonderful being immersed in the still calmness of raw nature , the pace is slow and there is time to watch the birds and the ants, feel the warm winter sun on our faces</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We make tea and sandwiches for the pickers and we laze around waiting for the golden oil to emerge from the plants. This oil which is fresh, pure, wild and organic will be used in Rain products throughout the year</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the end of the day ,weary , but also filled up with a sense of replenishment that only pure nature can deliver, we head back down the mountain and home.</span></div>
Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-70400375672569627342014-06-03T07:58:00.000-07:002014-06-03T07:58:52.156-07:00<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We take a days journey up the west coast of South Africa to visit a rare and utterly unique plant called Kukumakranka - alias K4- </span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gethyllis species.</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This plant has very strange growing habits and is the basis for many a nostalgic story from the older generation who played games sniffing them out in the sandveld when they were in fruit as their tropical fruity smell is legendary.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">We are anxious to meet K4 </span><span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span><span style="color: #e69138;">as we want to use this fruity wild harvested plant note in our African Wild Harvest Perfume Range. We have been introduced to it by a Mr Melck - whose life's passion is the preservation and propogation of this very special species of plants</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Mr Melck invites us to his farm and like all South African farmsteads - we experience warm delicious hospitality in the shape of tea and home baked apple and cape gooseberry pie</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Mr Melck tells about the strange growing habits of K4. It grows ever so close to the ground and gets eaten by buck, tortoises and hares. It first gives off the leaves, then the leaves die down and one sees nothing there. then out come the prettiest little flowers - again close to the sand and delicious for animals to eat. If the flower gets eaten, it does not have a chance to fruit and seed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">and then......... if the flower was miraculously not eaten, the fruit forms beneath the ground in the shape of little bananas and pushes up out of the soil with a fragrance of tropical summer fruits and strawberries</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Traditional use was to place a fruit in the local homemade witblitz for a fruity taste, or to eat the fruit fresh from the soil, or to dry the skins for a fragrant Bible bookmark</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Mr Melck knows all the plants on his farm by name and number. He knows which give large tasty fruit and which have interesting colours. He has a tunnel in which is germinates all the seeds he collects and where he carefully nurtures the plants to adult hood - a period of six years before they bear.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">His hope and dream is to give away 100 plants to each farmer in the district and to encourage them to take care of the plants and to ensure the survival of this rare and special species.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">We have the privilege of receiving the fragrant fruit after the seeds have been removed. We are currently tincturing them at Rain to use in a seasonal once off batch of Kukumakranka Harvest Product. Watch this space for limited edition items available only as and when we are able to get this ubiquitous fruit.</span></div>
Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-77598126265359862382014-05-04T03:50:00.001-07:002014-05-04T03:50:48.622-07:00The Big Contract<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">winging our way to Salt Lake City to meet with Bob Shay of Surefoot </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eighteen months of discussions resulting in a wonderful contract for Rain to open 60 stores in the USA and 10 stores in Canada</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sooo privileged to work with Rain Team USA</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the Rain Team South Africa celebrate and say thank you for the contract</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we are all super excited for this new exciting challenge and opportunity for our brand to expand into the USA and Canada</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you Bob</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you team Surefoot</span></div>
<br />Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-28790426236133256502014-05-04T03:14:00.001-07:002014-05-04T03:14:40.394-07:00the Launch of my First Book<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and so, after months of hard work , followed by months of waiting ......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Rain Book of Natural Soapmaking has arrived</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and let me add - that signing books is not quite as fun as I had imagined it would be </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">avialable in English and Afrikaans</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at all book shops and at Rain stores</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the ones in the Rain stores are all autographed ( hard work ! )</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the book contains all my secrets on soapmaking with over thirty step by step projects </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and on top of that - you can go onto our website www.rainafrica.com and link into tutorials which are step by step videos showing how to do the projects. </span></div>
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-62412810328167201962013-12-21T22:09:00.001-08:002014-02-11T05:38:40.950-08:00my out of office office - de oude bakkery stellenbosch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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so this is where I meet with people and conduct business when out of my office. it is an enormously creative environment filled with smells of freshly baked bread and roasted coffee. <br />
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Max our perfume maker first introduced me to this place hidden down a little alley with no visible signage. I was enchanted and have made this place mine<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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</span></span> the atmosphere is endearing and charming<br />
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they have recently extended , added a deli, a butchery and a roastery. They now have a visible entrance off a prominent corner and a new name. dont ask me what it is - I still know this place as De Oude Bakkerj <br />
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-27198831952981273452013-12-21T21:35:00.001-08:002014-02-11T05:31:57.320-08:00farewell Father of the Nation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />A sad time for our nation as we say goodbye to the man we all love so dearly - our beloved Madiba - who transformed our country and brought us peace and reconciliation. the ANC has never again had such a great leader . <br /><br /><br /> The photo below is a beach collage - a tribute by the people of Durban<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My personal favourite - Madiba comforts Helen Suzman<div>
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Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-48941826391665229432013-04-01T06:58:00.001-07:002013-04-01T06:58:14.378-07:00how time has flown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">It is truly disgraceful - not blogging for six months. I am sorry . Life has been busy - with good things and bad. The bad ones were really sore, but I suppose that is what makes us grow and keeps us filled with empathy and humility.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I wont bore you with the challenging stuff - suffice it to say that my heart was deeply hurt, and I have found healing in the opening of our first Day Spa .</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">It is situated in Swellendam in the Cape. </span><br />
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How it happened to be, is that last year, I started developing a beautiful all natural range of botanically based products packed with actives and all round goodness. this range called Biologie is destined for FAME.<br />
It is mind blowingly amazing. Anyway, we decided to sell it in our stores , but also to sell it to carefully selected and chosen Spas. Ones whose mission and ethos is the same as ours. Fair Trade, Beauty without cruelty, Natural, organics, African floral extracts.<br />
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I met an amazing lady called Ronel in Cape Town. She is a spa expert and is a bag of dynamite. I decided to see if she would consult to us , and miracle of miracles - she was about to move to our remote country town of Swellendam for a one year period as her man was commissioned to build our new sewerage farm.Isn't that a miracle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRCHL0nveeYw1RmDrqyHJywzpgUDA79EE3xJJpI_S5Wr87zJxINsucLgfgMo6LD5a2MV3GusfT_wnv2KkxXlOTiQWE9h0-2Shyphenhypheni4l1uC60x2Q2p1j3Q5J-3TEEfo9_3kebpzz3Xvmm0sn/s1600/FH_rainforest+day+spa-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRCHL0nveeYw1RmDrqyHJywzpgUDA79EE3xJJpI_S5Wr87zJxINsucLgfgMo6LD5a2MV3GusfT_wnv2KkxXlOTiQWE9h0-2Shyphenhypheni4l1uC60x2Q2p1j3Q5J-3TEEfo9_3kebpzz3Xvmm0sn/s320/FH_rainforest+day+spa-3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH51W3lZcJyZYRhO86np4h10BQUYKR065JoJyh_pVshHddD_-NLEcYAbUWoGaPRbF5hARl8dNoVJdRV-UjxIsDtVwgvQ-S5Yxangywpfel3iAFLDA7tJ5V4BMNUv0KUhq90RCyPkdCCexc/s1600/FH_rainforest+day+spa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH51W3lZcJyZYRhO86np4h10BQUYKR065JoJyh_pVshHddD_-NLEcYAbUWoGaPRbF5hARl8dNoVJdRV-UjxIsDtVwgvQ-S5Yxangywpfel3iAFLDA7tJ5V4BMNUv0KUhq90RCyPkdCCexc/s320/FH_rainforest+day+spa-5.jpg" width="213" /></a> So, without any delay, we started renovating our existing shop where we had extra space. Moved our factory shop upstairs, and made a small day spa with two treatment rooms. It is a prototype and we will do all our learning curves here close to hand before we open others. Each one may well have a different theme depending on where it is. this one we themed Forest - and as you can see from the pictures, it is an imaginery forest with bird calls and sounds of frogs, wind, rain, leaves etc.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPr22pcYNq5v8NreDWqpkzuQtE33oZDyBsGkXHsjy-s63Hvqa7oOprFjH3esFyqooGaVTC0O8kyf7NBJGBLiATwr1yA4uAVldc9q4bBifpAplcjYZArcAURJbwkY2nYmTig2-x73kmFXc9/s1600/FH_rainforest+day+spa-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPr22pcYNq5v8NreDWqpkzuQtE33oZDyBsGkXHsjy-s63Hvqa7oOprFjH3esFyqooGaVTC0O8kyf7NBJGBLiATwr1yA4uAVldc9q4bBifpAplcjYZArcAURJbwkY2nYmTig2-x73kmFXc9/s320/FH_rainforest+day+spa-8.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
We have called is Spa with Soul, as we are really about care - care for people, care for skin, care for the environment, care for animals.<br />
This caring is what really heals deep down. It is reward for giving<br />
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And so my soul sings once more. I am revived, re energised, READY for action. The year ahead looks super exciting ............<br />
And I am soon getting a new blog site as we renovate our website.<br />
I just cant wait. I haven't found this format very user friendly and I am looking for ward to blogging with new energy and vigour once more - telling you about all my exciting projects and journeys to source the very special ingredients you find in Rain products .<br />
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Chat again soon.......<br />
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<br />Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-34449923652369965452012-10-23T07:24:00.002-07:002014-02-11T05:34:52.500-08:00Pinaholic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJE1dLSn5qarWBjjuWmzw3zvTo1e0mf4GdWX4sKpPef0yQOwn-pByWFeTd-RuGSlPK6vnYiW2tqqZIc8fjZJxWXk1EHrxcmGgRG7xAjNXYx5oO_VOFm56wPSTn3I_VR1DqF2v-TweFt1s/s1600/277323289523736207_satbdS0O_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJE1dLSn5qarWBjjuWmzw3zvTo1e0mf4GdWX4sKpPef0yQOwn-pByWFeTd-RuGSlPK6vnYiW2tqqZIc8fjZJxWXk1EHrxcmGgRG7xAjNXYx5oO_VOFm56wPSTn3I_VR1DqF2v-TweFt1s/s200/277323289523736207_satbdS0O_b.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H4Tr0hKwa_j42VllBvHbEf1YNnKDj5wz2CVpHhh6tqsN5qmvcN_s9TMOxcSg-wzY8FE6dW5Kii0hJEZYwMpyZNHnneH4R0tqg5qMbSopod6K04XPEb6u0TH0rt9tXT4oaav6q6mYnMzb/s1600/241153755016338324_NBgItzYo_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H4Tr0hKwa_j42VllBvHbEf1YNnKDj5wz2CVpHhh6tqsN5qmvcN_s9TMOxcSg-wzY8FE6dW5Kii0hJEZYwMpyZNHnneH4R0tqg5qMbSopod6K04XPEb6u0TH0rt9tXT4oaav6q6mYnMzb/s200/241153755016338324_NBgItzYo_b.jpg" height="200" title="" width="132" /></a><br />
<br /><br />pinterest has stolen my heart . <br /><br /><br />that is the long and short of the story.<br /><br />i am in love with all the beautiful pictures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzn6_gOu6rTiYHtlWGKKiVhjgTFQMvSPoy_QxSsQttshwiAgZcQVAxZaVbHlMZHcyYMZsyki2B_8L2vejcYeyIHzMNr9ed6k6lcEpxLKU6ggn1tkY7h-MS4CKUdcdS8aMzNylSxL4r8n9/s1600/225813368785639999_BVn8JRy1_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzn6_gOu6rTiYHtlWGKKiVhjgTFQMvSPoy_QxSsQttshwiAgZcQVAxZaVbHlMZHcyYMZsyki2B_8L2vejcYeyIHzMNr9ed6k6lcEpxLKU6ggn1tkY7h-MS4CKUdcdS8aMzNylSxL4r8n9/s200/225813368785639999_BVn8JRy1_b.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><br /><br />the mood boards where I can express myself<br /><br />the sharing of ideas and inspiration<br /><br />the colour combinations and challenges<br /><br />palettes to play with<br /><br /><br /> i have found it to be therapeutic<br /><br />to be a calmative and a essential tool in my survival arsenal<br /><br />perhaps you could visit my Pinterest account to see what I mean . You may fall in love ..........<br /><br />Join Pinterest and search for Bev MissingGrace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-31535677895871066782011-08-22T22:31:00.001-07:002011-08-22T22:35:01.743-07:00things I love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_TYEaT1mIDSBA_Abs4CxGP_KmCfhRAt2CzCYXrZdEXat-r4n7xJxt8wNyXJ65xQht-CeJ3Pp_PnAoYrogiphbmJ0lObsBKy2qG2IV545-DWSevAcS3QalaQz-85lvk5ui9pEqjMAeRzL/s1600/IMG_0361.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_TYEaT1mIDSBA_Abs4CxGP_KmCfhRAt2CzCYXrZdEXat-r4n7xJxt8wNyXJ65xQht-CeJ3Pp_PnAoYrogiphbmJ0lObsBKy2qG2IV545-DWSevAcS3QalaQz-85lvk5ui9pEqjMAeRzL/s400/IMG_0361.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643920334920676306" /></a>
<br />sound of cicada beetles in the bush
<br />the smell of rain on african soil
<br />picnics
<br />early mornings
<br />farmers markets
<br />safari tents
<br />dirt roads leading off into the distance
<br />camp fires
<br />picking berries
<br />eating under the stars
<br />riding my vespa scooter with my man
<br />my staffie’s unconditional love
<br />smell of thatching grass
<br />sitting at a water hole waiting for game
<br />tickling my feet
<br />sun dried cotton bed linen
<br />the elegant loping walk of the giraffe
<br />the smell of veld grass parting as you walk
<br />sleeping under a mosquito net
<br />records played on an old grammaphone
<br />morning filter coffee
<br />whales in spring
<br />call of the fish eagle
<br />artichoke and halloumi on ciabatta
<br />spring jasmine
<br />scones with clotted cream
<br />hunting for wild mushrooms
<br />the sound of hyenas and jackals in the night
<br />mozart’s clarinet concerto played really loud
<br />smell of an old library
<br />icy cold homemade lemonade
<br />the sound of karoo silence
<br />head massage
<br />full moon
<br />black figs
<br />heart of palm
<br />croteas and blue cranes
<br />sandstone autumn colours near lesotho
<br />the colour of the african light
<br />shell and pebble collecting at puntjie
<br />the sound of crickets
<br />my mom’s cooking
<br />organic veggies from our garden
<br />the thud of a paddle fan in the heat of summer
<br /> watermelon wedges from the fridge
<br />a cup of tea anywhere anytime
<br />candles, fairy lights and sparklers
<br />baobab trees
<br />african acapella harmonising
<br />cheese cheese and more cheese
<br />all the windows and doors wide open
<br />weekend trips
<br />people watching
<br />freshly baked hot bread with farm butter
<br />a highveld thunderstorm
<br />lingering daylight hours
<br />wildflowers growing along dirt roads
<br />driving with the sunroof open
<br />the smell of a braai
<br />anything lemon
<br />thorn trees
<br />antique handwoven linen
<br />hot air balloons
<br />infinity pools
<br />giving to others
<br />unplanned trips to exotic places
<br />the sound of rain on a tin roof
<br />a hand written letter with exotic stamps
<br />a steaming hot bath
<br />street cafes
<br />summer salads
<br />a warm sincere hug
<br />teapots with teacosies
<br />hats
<br />dear precious friends
<br />amazing grace on the bagpipes
<br />hot popcorn at the movies
<br />my man nuzzling my neck
<br />africa
<br />exploring remote and strange places
<br /> an all boys choir singing in a cathedral
<br />steam trains
<br />all creatures great and small
<br />humility and graciousness
<br />Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-48729683444738678682011-07-28T07:56:00.001-07:002011-07-28T08:03:11.147-07:00Puff Adder HotelJust discovered to my horror - that there is a puff adder hotel /commune/ community living a mere one pace from where I park my car every day at the factory.<br /><br />Some time ago, my staff saw a puff adder in that vicinity and threw rocks at her. By the time we stopped them and called the snake man , Mrs Puff Adder had been injured and had to go the vet.<br /><br />Dr hazel gave me a dressing down for the fact that she has a few broken ribs and a ruptured spleen. He nursed her for 4 weeks and then she was set free in the local Bontebok National Park .<br /><br />Now we have discovered that she was in fact only one of a "nest " of puff adders to who live under the flagstone at the front right tyre of my car. I can't help but wonder how close i have come to standing on a friendly puff adder when opening my car door in the dark.<br /><br />Best part is, the snake man can't reach them in the nest and so we have to wait till they "un-hibernate" in the spring and then hope we can catch them and reloacte them to somewhere with a better view than my front tyre and my ankle.Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-26748037994253916712010-11-05T19:53:00.000-07:002010-11-05T20:01:36.706-07:00The Rock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJf8a1uy_SgWc8ojCkEHQ0zVLsepQ5IYA7oYtVtO5JQfr1o9la5aZBQAdJkpZHPL12isxRlXgRI3zOX4HkBKWAUVa61kI_6CXUWigZ58MsXdcPfzR2ttO86Bgolo01ISvW5PVDcIPXol9/s1600/one+tired+and+relieved+happy+rainmaker.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJf8a1uy_SgWc8ojCkEHQ0zVLsepQ5IYA7oYtVtO5JQfr1o9la5aZBQAdJkpZHPL12isxRlXgRI3zOX4HkBKWAUVa61kI_6CXUWigZ58MsXdcPfzR2ttO86Bgolo01ISvW5PVDcIPXol9/s400/one+tired+and+relieved+happy+rainmaker.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536266278566674338" /></a><br />This is the new flagship Rain Store - The Rock<br />59 West 49th street between 5th and 6th Avenue<br />You have to see itGrace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-55175830562032030612010-11-05T19:31:00.000-07:002010-11-05T19:53:51.565-07:00Unashamedly absent<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXV5LikxTCGK4TnymJHXAGMzS-apHUshd-1clPdIKW852Hx6yaRwxm0s41lOZzB6Z6JPasbmow7vAc3RJrybK7G2DlKlyTY7W2GfohTHkftIsS7j5BMXXSMTk4dSIBSdPH7VTifKaC-AQ/s1600/sleeping+in+the+back+of+the+truck.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXV5LikxTCGK4TnymJHXAGMzS-apHUshd-1clPdIKW852Hx6yaRwxm0s41lOZzB6Z6JPasbmow7vAc3RJrybK7G2DlKlyTY7W2GfohTHkftIsS7j5BMXXSMTk4dSIBSdPH7VTifKaC-AQ/s320/sleeping+in+the+back+of+the+truck.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536263379059659682" /></a><br /><br />I have been neglectful and absent. I admit it and I am sorry. But I have been busy - as usual doing queenie type things. Just got back from 18 days in New York where I got to open a new Rain store, have my shoes professionally shined, sleep in the back of truck on a bubble wrap pillow ( see picture ) and travel on my second least favourite airline ( after Delta ) - American Airlines.<br />What is it with these american airlines - they seem to strive to outdo each other on apalling food, outdated ill equipped planes, antiquated grouchy crew and rude indifferent service. HOW do they stay in business one wonders?<br />Anyway, enough moaning. I am one lucky spoilt rainqueen ......... got to open a store in the centre of the world , and one with a brass door and a badly behaved tree outside. You have to see it - it is SPECIAL.Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-42403290178754853942010-07-14T04:58:00.000-07:002010-12-30T02:49:19.473-08:00my bead man<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDDRTrAaXaNcuYNy62P-bfBRT49JeqA7pA2yvgpZZRo2lE-rZHAYfex4R4W5Z1fgzk0A3ePL3Jqw_zj9P1ZLPVUW4NKboGov28Y2LXr4o-4WfNPcKcOYcLhCphFVvZSdtvvQUnuYbAsWG/s1600/beadman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDDRTrAaXaNcuYNy62P-bfBRT49JeqA7pA2yvgpZZRo2lE-rZHAYfex4R4W5Z1fgzk0A3ePL3Jqw_zj9P1ZLPVUW4NKboGov28Y2LXr4o-4WfNPcKcOYcLhCphFVvZSdtvvQUnuYbAsWG/s400/beadman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493730546137321970" /></a><br /><br />And this ladies and gentleman, is the man from whom I buy my beads.Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-18182739835893573932010-06-03T03:31:00.000-07:002010-12-30T02:58:51.523-08:00HORNY TRUCKSWith a population of over 1 billion, India is busy and noisy. The roads are another story . With all sorts of exotic traffic trying to get from A to B, everyone has a need to make themselves heard –loudy, persistently , all the time, everywhere. Every vehicle from a bicycle rickshaw to a train, makes itself heard . Diaphanously cacophonous ( is there such a word ?........ sounds good anyway ) is an understatement for the horn blowing, bell ringing, music blaring noise pollution which one is exposed to on India’s roads ( or shall we call them tracks ).<br />The journey to Bundi has its challenges. Apart from aforementioned noise and lack of peace, one faces endless hours of vehicular , animal and pedestrian obstacles allowing progress of only a mere 30 km/hr on average. Apart from all the common stray goats, holy cows, overloaded camel carts and diesel pumping tractor taxis , there are enormously and dangerously overladen trucks heading who knows where – Bhopal maybe ? Overloaded to more than double their width and height – so they protrude a full fifty percent into the adjacent oncoming lane. You have to see it to believe it. It is chicken playing game par excellence. It is the wild wild west.<br />The truck windscreens are gaudily decorated to within centimetres of their line of vision – so they don’t see the oncoming traffic anyway. What you can’t see , you just don’t have to worry about. Decorated with pom poms, luminous woollen tassles, streamers, garlands of real oranges, painted slogans and messages to the vehicles behind, tin cutwork, filigree etc. They are gaudy but loving works of art. And the horns ....well, these are no ordinary hooters as we know them in general civilisation. With one press of the horn the loudspeakers play an entire one minute dittiy at full volume .There are endless variations of these tunes and ditties , each driver having his own special unique signature in decibels. <br />The drivers ( who live in their vehicles as a mobile home and perform their daily ablutions very visibly along the way for all to see )have an attitude and an ego to mirror their lorry. They travel jauntily with attitude- elbows jutting from the windows, one hand barely on the wheel, grinning with their red betel stained teeth, they steer these amusement parks with alarming recklessness – all to the deafening shrill of hindi music at maximum volume. <br />My discerning queenly tastes and zen zulu approach to design and my love for less is more and pared down sophistication just can’t quite grasp this idea of beauty with all is loud garish excess and bling. But to the owners of these vehicles they are the most beautiful thing in the world, and they convey them with a badge of pride.<br />I enjoy the colours, the vibrancy and the pace first, but later, the slowness and noise starts to get me down , and to test my patience and I feel that latent defect gene commonly found in South African city dwellers ,called road rage, rear its ugly head. Unable to change anything about situation I make a conscious decision to travel resignedly , enjoy the mayhem , but secretly longing for the smooth ride of my silver beamer back home, with my cool bluesy jazz music, sun roof and a Woolies chilled lemonade.Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-51440478848190504842010-05-20T22:56:00.000-07:002010-05-23T04:09:56.679-07:00Hallitosis and wild India<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXkJ7SlITsLKXlV7mXSwSi85I5d3HxikYqlG-V2S2Jlag2J3N91RNKBYPuhHhj9TJ_tOANURnLzRbjlly9IwAwsq1N5HwAy19nGJg1WjgLPkuNEksPG6QQUHp8oyU-0GzxOx6YiIC_7g5/s1600/shopping+in+India.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXkJ7SlITsLKXlV7mXSwSi85I5d3HxikYqlG-V2S2Jlag2J3N91RNKBYPuhHhj9TJ_tOANURnLzRbjlly9IwAwsq1N5HwAy19nGJg1WjgLPkuNEksPG6QQUHp8oyU-0GzxOx6YiIC_7g5/s400/shopping+in+India.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474420524430522114" /></a><br />Another flight from hell. This time the one to Indonesia – sandwiched between my gum chewing teenage niece and a Frenchman with chronic halitosis. ........ and I have a nose to rival pinnochio.<br />Fortunately a benevolent air steward rescued me with an extra eye mask to use over my mouth. The Frenchman fell asleep – mouth open – as fate would have it perfectly in line and only just centimetres from my super sensitive snout – breathing foul fumes as he snored.<br />And so I sat for four solid interminable hours alternatively trying to hold my breath or to synchronise my breath in with his in order to avoid the overwhelming stench of old Coquille St Jacques a la Provencal coming from his fundamental orifice.<br /><br /><br />Next stop India ..... and the ideal trip to India surely has to be via helicopter – ferrying one in a becoming queenly manner between oases of civilisation and conveniently avoiding the mayhem and squalor in between the jewels .<br />On the upside, India is truly Incredible as the advert states – exotic and magical . The remnants of a glorious colonial imperial past, the grandeur of the Maharajas make it all so bearable and beguiling.<br />But to get to each pot of gold, one has to endure filth beyond measure, persistent aggressive beggars, hooting crazed drivers, overcrowded trucks and trains, intense people pollution coupled with chaos and pandemonium.<br />Just when you start sinking into despair, a colourful sight of a group of labouring women in irresdescent saris in a field of rice, lifts your spirits and you can carry on. India is not a place for the faint hearted, impatient or overly hygiene conscious.<br />So, how does this queen cope ?<br />Armed with a pot of the strongest brand of Tiger Balm , a bottle of hand sanitiser and an inhaler of potent pungent essential oils – I can persuade my nose to endure. Sunglasses help to screen out demanding beggars, and a strong relationship with my God and Father helps me survive the onslaught of mad mad crazed drivers.<br />I hate it and I love it, and everytime I cope – only only just.Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481310101216796192.post-85948148271819073652010-05-13T22:40:00.001-07:002010-05-13T22:44:08.622-07:00long time hatching eggsWhere have you been for the past 2 months I hear you say ?<br />Let's just refer to it as an incubation period. I have been sitting on eggs - trying my darndest to get the jolly things hatched. And it has not been an easy 2 months. Lots of birthing pains , lots of tears, lots of frustrations and disappointments. <br />BUT ...... all is not bad. I hear the rumblings of life in those eggs - there are stirrings and tiny cracks appearing which herald LIFE. A few more days and just maybe .........Grace + Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884816361821576574noreply@blogger.com