Skimming Stones | Sula's Blog | Sula1968 A South African poet, potter and mother

In a home with 2 small children and an absence of babysitters, romance is scarce. An evening out together when we can relax and communicate about subjects beyond home and children is a biannual event at best. Because a special meal out is a special occasion it is ideal not to be disappointed (which does happen). On our last trip …

Today was a wonderful stimulating day at the POWA women’s writing workshop.  Creative energy is a joy to be part of.  Today we did various exercises which were fun and pushed us beyond mental boundaries.  What struck me most is how quickly people bond in a positive space.  Writing is often a solitary pursuit but it is also a medium …

What pisses me off about James Joyce’s Ulysses is that it makes me feel dumbassthick.  For 13 years it has stuck its tongue out at me from the ‘Top 100 books of the century’ list.  Having now thrice tried to pagewade Ulysses I wave a white flag, roll over in defeat.  This time committed to reach pg 50, at times …

The POWA (People Opposed to Woman Abuse) Writing Project started out as a once off Women’s writing competition in 2005 to celebrate POWA’s 25th anniversary.   From this beginning the competition evolved to become a multi faceted project drawing high quality submissions.  The project has been a springboard for many writers where they have grown as individuals and in their talent. …

I am only happy with the writing of about 1 in 10 of my blog posts.  This could be discouraging but remaining committed to the blog keeps me writing which is the most important factor.  I have learned 2 important lessons. The posts first written in ink are better than those typed directly onto the computer, even if the difference …

At 45 I’m not having any more children, these are lessons which I sometimes forgot when birthday time came.  As parents we want to do everything possible to make our children’s lives special, we are driven to create perfect memories for them.  Parents can be guilty of going over the top when birthdays are celebrated.  The cost of outside venues …

The Children splash and play in the bath.  Suddenly they stop, ears pricked, listening with their whole bodies.  Outside the window, Tinkerbell (a.k.a. Grampa) rings a silver bell.  The children are rapt.  “Did the fairies find the house that we built for them?”  “Will the fairies drink the juice which we left for them?”  Their imaginations dance like fireflies Later …

The daily prompt today is “After spending time with a group of people, do you feel energized and ready for anything or do you want to hide in the corner with a good book?” As a child I was painfully shy.  Until the age of about 35 I was painfully shy.  I am not entirely sure why.  I don’t have …

As a rule I hanker after the past, everything seemed better 20 years ago.  In the case of uShaka Marine World the present outshines the past.  When Domi and Heath were little I had annual tickets to the Durban Aquarium.  I knew the dolphin shows backwards and we loved wandering through the aquarium.  I was a single mother living in …

If you follow this blog or know me, you will know that I love the Natal Midlands.  This was our first visit to Gunther’s.  Walking in we loved the look and feel of this scenic, outdoor restaurant.  The St Bernard dogs, Hansel and Gretel add to the warm, homely ambiance.  Gunther greeted us with a welcoming smile and encouraged us …

In April my sister-in-law took us to People’s Park at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban.  What a wonderful discovery for any parent!   This time during our 2 week winter break in Durban we visited People’s Park three times.  It is beyond doubt the best children’s playground that I have ever visited.  The equipment in the playground is fantastic!  …

  Two weeks ago my children’s picture book ‘Snuffles and the Cloud People‘ was released on the Amazon platform.  I was relieved that the culmination of years of work had finally made it to this point.  I was excited to send this infant child of mine out into the world.  If one swallow doesn’t make a summer, 5 sales certainly …

Update 2017 – I believe that the KZN science center has moved to the old Durban Airport When the weather turns foul it is really tough to find things for kids to do.   Being cooped up indoors with children is not fun, particularly when on holiday.  We are in Durban for the school holidays.  Winter can be the best time …

I’m very excited to share that after years of work, countless edits and tons of enthusiasm my Children’s picture book ‘Snuffles and the Cloud People’ is at last available for sale in digital format on Amazon.   I would never have dreamed that under 1000 words could be reworked so many times.  My Mum who is an award winning artist and …

Fjord loves the pyjamas which I made for him using New Look Pattern 6641.  I would like to share the few changes which I made. The 1st pair I made were the red, his head was very tight going through the neck hole of the top and is a bit uncomfortable when taking off and putting on.  On the 2nd …