Last month Andrea Stephenson of Harvesting Hecate revealed how crucial it is to remain curious in life, to explore every piece of the world, inside and out. In my monthly series, The Life Enthusiast Chronicles, beautiful beings from all over the world explain why life is so awesome to them.
This month I’m overjoyed to bring you guys Gallivanta from Silkannthreades all the way from New Zealand. Gallivanta’s blog is always playful, positive, intelligent, and inspiring. Even simple photos from her garden seem to awaken something special in all of her readers, including yours truly. Her youthful zeal shines through her words and I always leave her blog smiling big.
To show you all one example of what a lively woman she is, back at the end of July Gallivanta sent me on a totem pole quest in Portland. Yep, a totem pole quest. I’ll write about my discovery next week, so stay tuned!
On a side note, I feel pretty darn special after working with her on this project, because unlike so many of you out there, I know her real name. (Don’t worry, Gallivanta…your secret’s safe with me.)
Delight us, Gallivanta…
Hello. Kia Ora. 🙂
So pleased to meet you.
I am Gallivanta of Silkannthreades, and I am feeling rather sheepish about being here, as a guest on the Life Enthusiast Chronicles.
Because I am not so much an enthusiast, as an observer who quietly enjoys watching the world go by, and wondering what it all means…
…and how it all knits together, or doesn’t.
Don’t get me wrong. I love life, but in a contented, sipping cocoa, knitting granny’s bed socks by the fire, sort of way. It’s my natural inclination but, really, these days I haven’t much energy for anything else.
You see a lot has unravelled since our city was hit by the big earthquake on 4 September, 2010. And, as if that weren’t bad enough most people then had the stuffing knocked out of them for a while, when the deadly 2011 earthquake erupted underneath us with the force of 15,000 tonnes of TNT.
It takes some time to stand up again after a blast like that. And when you do arise, you alternate between exhaustion and bone-weary exhaustion. Enthusiasm becomes subdued, takes a back seat for most folk, but it is definitely still there.
Every now and then, it pops up somewhere to remind us of its presence and to allow us an exuberant whoop of pure, silly joy.
And to forget for a moment that, behind today, are the days that changed our lives, and continue to change them.
Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for without the shake-up of the quakes I wouldn’t have started my blog; I wouldn’t have met the ultimate life enthusiast, Britt, and so many other wonderful, positive bloggers, happy to come along for the ride, as I bleat about the small joys and little woes of my ordinary life.
That’s something to think about, eh?
Oh, and here’s another thought. What’s with this using woolly threads in my post? They are not silk, as in Silkannthreades!
Well, since we don’t have much silk in New Zealand, wool has to be my visual substitute. And, some New Zealand wool, let it be known, is every bit as fine as silk. 🙂
Thanks so much for having me, and, just so you know I am not really a woolly sheep.
Here are some of my favourite photos from my blog.
The first one is me, as a little one growing up in Fiji. The last photo is me, growing older, in Christchurch, and the middle drawing is how a lovely blogger friend sees the little girl who continues on, in me, despite the woe of recent years.
And, finally, a last little stitch to hold together all the threads of this post……
The poetic theme of my blog
Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Thro’ the world we safely go.
Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine.
Under every grief and pine
Runs a joy with silken twine.
William Blake (Auguries of Innocence)
© silkannthreades
Britt Skrabanek 
I just love those sheep. They’re brilliant.
They’re totally brilliant! When I received Gallivanta’s piece via email, I watched in wonder as the pix came up. I wasn’t prepared for the adorable wooly sheep!
Sarah, they were just such a treat to see. I am not sure how much you know about our broken city but every small bit of cheerfulness like these sheep is so welcome. Recently the sheep theme was taken a little further with these sheep cones replacing traffic cones. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/10541203/Forget-traffic-cones-we-have-sheep-cones
Oh, how I wish we had some sheep traffic cones in our town. Their blue colour would be ideal for our seaside resort!
They come in other colours, too. Here’s a better photo.http://realruth.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/stripey-sheep/
They would look fun by the sea.
I’m definitely going to mention these sheep to my friend who’s a local councillor and our Mayor. She’ll love them — hopefully enough to order a multicoloured flock for our town.
That would be wonderful.
I love the woolly sheep. So original and cute!
Me too! They’re so colorful and—wait for it—sheepish! (I had to do it.)
My guest post is ripe for silly puns. They are to be encouraged. 😀
Those are all totally adorable!
Indeed! Wonder if my Portland neighbors would judge me if I set up a band of wooly sheep on the patio. They’ll need hats and galoshes though. 🙂
My impression of Portland is “anything goes!” Do you have time to knit sweaters for my trees, too? 😛 Hah!
Go for it!
What a wonderful ‘Life Enthusiast’ Post (and I just LOVE those sheep) 😉
Gallivanta’s blog is fab!:D
Yes, Gallivanta and (those wooly sheep) rock!
Aww…..thanks Dianne. Do you think something similar could be done in Cairns…..kangaroo jumpers? Not quite the same but there are possibilities. 😀
My first guest post! Wow! Thanks so much for the invitation Britt. I should have mentioned in the post that the sheep were made as a random act of kindness by a group calling themselves the Ninja Knitters http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/10369107/Act-of-kindness-from-sheepish-Ninja-knitters Can’t wait to hear more about the totem pole.
Yay! I’m sure you will have many more guest posts to come, Gallivanta. You’re awesome! Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful piece. So cool about the wooly sheep!
Isn’t it fun that the creators of the sheep are called Ninja Knitters?
Britt, I have remembered something rather cute. When I was young, my father helped set up a trial sheep farm in Fiji. We had a lot of contact with the sheep farm and the sheep and one year we had a pet lamb. That was so unusual in Fiji. We called the sheep Lamb Chop, of all things!!!!!! In my autograph book I have a small piece of wool from Lamb Chop. Ha! That was a nice memory to recall. Thank you for taking me back to that happy childhood time.
That is such a cute childhood memory! Glad to go back in time a bit with you. You’re such a fun gal!
Oh dear, but it’s getting to be more than ‘a bit’ in time. 😀
Classic Gallivanta! A beautifully ‘knitted’ post from the fantastic sheep to the William Blake poem. I always love reading Gallivanta’s words and am so happy you had her on your blog, Britt.
Letizia, thanks for enjoying my guest post. In real life I am a less than adequate knitter so it was fun to knit/craft things together in an alternative way! At first I wasn’t very confident about doing a guest post but I took up the challenge and it was fun.
Gallivanta was a shoo-in for a Life Enthusiast spot! As we all know, she’s extremely awesome. 🙂
She really is – I love her blog 🙂
Reblogged this on silkannthreades.
Are those woolly sheep still there???? Are they in latimer square??? I saw the striped acrylic/plastic ones in town yesterday… they are nowhere near as good as the woolly ones
They were in Latimer Square but I am not sure if they are still there. I haven’t been in to town for a few weeks.
Love the post!! Gallivanta is a dear cyberfriend and i visit with her all the time 🙂 her blog is warm and friendly….. I love the woolies lol
All those sheep need are some of your woolly crochet slippers, Daniella, and then they would be perfectly dressed.
LOL 🙂
What a gorgeous post from Gallivanta, love the sheep, love the flowers in the hair and have enjoyed seeing the knitted tree jersey’s springing up around the country in odd photos. So cute.
Forgot to say the earthquakes have indeed been devastating and have taken their toll in so many ways, it’s nice to see the different ways the Christchurch community has found to restore some hope and joy in their ruined city.
There is some wonderful creativity on display.
Have you got some yarn bombing up your way, Wendy?
No Gallivanta, I haven’t seen any. I have seen photos of it in other places and think it’s such a neat thing to do.
There was some wonderful yarn bombing outside our local library. http://silkannthreades.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/mystery-knitters/ This was from my early blogging days and the photo quality is poor. But it was a cheerful sight. There were owls and mushrooms as well but I failed to post those; not sure what happened.
I enjoyed coming by to read this lovely post from my friend Gallivanta – she represents the broken Garden City so beautifully!
Aww…thank you Pauline. I am so glad you did come by to read my post. With the soon to re-open Knox Church and Isaac Theatre Royal, (both beautifully renovated), I feel we are close to turning a corner in the city rebuild. Did you feel the wee shudder down your way the other day?
It was a bit more than a wee shudder, it was a loud bang and the house felt like it had been hit by a ten-tonne truck! My thoughts immediately turned to ChCh – and then I found out it was centred here so thought you all would be okay. It’s unusual for us to get quakes here that feel like this – even your bad ones were relatively insubstantial under my feet – must be this new fault line they have discovered. I’m happy to hear the Knox is reopening and a theatre too, though I don’t recall that particular one.
Nothing would surprise me anymore re earthquakes in NZ but, yes, it is unusual for Dunedin to have a shake. I hope the city took it as a warning to make sure that all their beautiful old buildings are as secure as possible. Hope Orlando and Siddy weren’t too alarmed.
Dunedin went into shut the door after mode when Christchurch fell. Old buildings are being shored up or demolished according to the ratings they received. Both my boys got a fright and went on high alert for a few minutes – but calmed down pretty quickly, which I took as a good sign.
That’s good news on all fronts.
A gorgeously uplifting post that shows it’s still possible to be positive about life following devastation. The sheep are wonderful and I love the way you describe your attitude to life as sipping cocoa and knitting granny’s socks by the fire!
Thank you Andrea. My description is, of course, very metaphorical. I do indeed sip cocoa but my fire is a heat pump, and knitting is something I dream about, rather than actually do!!! 🙂