Paying it Forward - Update

In October, I spotted this over at Mouse Medicine and figured I just had to play along in Paying It Forward. I took up the challenge in this post and asked three bloggers to accordingly play Pay it Forward further.

Carla, Sameera and Red Dirt Girl all said they'd like to play and accordingly, I went off and bought little gifts for each of them and popped them into the post. Today I had a note from Sameera to say she'd received her gift - she's even posted about it on her blog! That means that Carla and Red should be getting their gifts really soon, if they've not already arrived. On that basis, I thought you might like to see just where the little gifts came from... And so here's a bit of Novography.

The market where the goodies were bought... It's in a seaside suburb called Hout Bay, which likes to think of itself as "the Republic of Hout Bay" - it's beautiful, go and take a look at the link.

One lot of goodies were purchased from the young fellow on the left - he wanted to know when I'd place a really big order for friends overseas!

A close up of some of his wares... - all sorts of beaded African creatures. These beaded goods can be bought pretty much anywhere, on the side of the road, at traffic lights and at street side stalls as well as at craft markets.

The stall holder and stall from whom the second lot of goodies was purchased. Crafters of all sorts abound in South Africa and I'm constantly amazed by the vibrant creativity.

I've included this shot because I love this stall, the ceramic legs in a chair salt and peppers (at the back of the table) really tickle my funny bone.

Paying it forward and Poppies

Debi spoke on her blog last week about good deeds and small acts of kindness. It struck me how important it is when a good deed is done to us to play it forward and to spread the kindness and goodwill. As with the small pebble causing ripples in a pond, perhaps if we all partook in random acts of kindness and generosity the world would be a happier and brighter place.

So when I spotted this over at Mouse Medicine, I figured I had to join in Kim's challenge to pay something nice forward. This is what Kim wrote:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Given that I will now be receiving a special gift from Kim, I must pay this forward to you. So, to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join in the PIF exchange, I will send you a little gift. I can't promise that it will be handmade by me (since the only thing I could send you would be one of my photographs), but it may be a little something with a hint of Africa in it. Hopefully you may even receive it in time for Christmas or similar seasonal celebration. Of course, the proviso is that you too must pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog! So let me know in the comments if you want to play and if you don't, be sure to say "leave me out of paying it forward!"

And now to continue phoctobering - the images can speak for themselves.











And just to say, I may be a little scarce in blogosphere this week. My aunt, whom I've not seen for over 20 years, is visiting from Australia and I'm the designated tour operator... I hope, however, that I shall, in the process of taking her out and about, be able to get some suitably scenic shots for the last week of Phoctober!