A life imagined

When we began the restoration of Towerwater, we had a dream and a vision. We imagined how we would live this dream. We could never have imagined the journey on which we were embarking. In the process, we experienced the whole spectrum of emotions. Excitement, hope, despair, joy, sadness, frustration and at times, amazement at what we had achieved.

Towerwater is such a big part of our lives. The life it offers us in return, is what we imagined but somehow also better. The experience of living in a traditional home and respecting the food, gardening and building traditions that go with it, provided a recipe for discovering the small unseen things that make for a completeness of life.

When I embarked on writing this blog four years ago, I could not have imagined how I would experience this life imagined. The blog made me look at my life through a microscope. I had to imagine how the readers might see it. I was tempted to write it in Afrikaans, my home language, because it is such a descriptive language. A language that lends itself to storytelling.

However, in the end I decided to write most of the blogposts in English. Now I am grateful for that because the blog has received over 95 000 page views; the bulk of whom are international readers. It amazes me to see the countries where the blog has been read. I try to imagine what the reader must think of this life on a restored vernacular homestead in a small town located on the edge of the Klein Karoo.

Life at Towerwater is closely tied to the 12 months and the four seasons. Activities, driven by nature, become familiar and are repeated each year. But my innate curiosity and my varied interests, always allow me to look differently at life. In the process, I have discovered the many fine threads of a golden string. Everything is tied together. Art, literature, architecture, gardening and food. These form the links. Whether from a 16^th century Spanish artist, a 14^th century cook or a 19th century plants-woman, the centuries and diverse cultures present no barrier.

Our house is rich with a simple history of life. Embracing the knowledge that came before, makes it feel as though life is too big. That one can never know everything. If one researches enough, one discovers that little in life is completely new. Somewhere in history, somebody has already contemplated the same idea.

My blog allows me to share all the wonderful things I find. It is a discovery of how to live a complete life. It is an engagement with everything that interests me. We have learnt to focus on the positives of life.  With a partner that always sees the glass as half full, it is difficult not to.

Towerwater has taught us to live with humility and gratitude. Nothing is for free. The more you put into life, the more life gives back.
    

As Henry David Thoreau said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.”

Happy birthday, blog!