Thursday, August 10, 2006

Artist's Way

You may have seen the link to the Artist's Way int he side bar. I have been doing her book since end last year - 2005. And have started on my second round of the 12 week programme. I must say that this time around I am feeling the experiences that of what's the point of the morning pages and the whole idea is of belly dancing etc and some of the other things I have been doing pretty stupid and childish. I have to remind myself that my artist is a child and so the stuff I do will be child -ish. It suppose to be. Also remind myself to be gentle.

As a result of my first round through the 12 week programme I realised that if my head had become detached from my body I would not really have noticed. So I had looked for a way to honour my body as the temple of my soul. Belly dancning or Oriental dance, the correct term, came to me. It is a way not only to honour my body as seat of my soul, but also as a woman, as co-creator. So the divine within me.

The studio is called the Feminine divine - a link to Tenille's site also in the sidebar - is therefore very apt. God really trying to tell me something.

Yesterday was of course women's day in SA, and had a class but decided that I would skip it.

In the very few weeks of doing the Artist Way - the first time around - I had yearned for having my garden organised. So over the weekend I planted my Palergoniums back into a bed of soil, from the pots they were in and replanted my oragumum into the bed. I now had two pots to plant my 'rank' roses in. I had always wanted to have these in my garden. On my way home from Madrasah in the afternoon I would walk pass these in my neighbourhood. They were beatifull pink ones. I finished replanting them too late to make my class. So it became a decision between my belly dancing and my garden.

I also bought the most beautiful two seater white wrought iron bench - something that I had dreamed about for a while. Decided whether the landing is ready or not, I would like to have it already.

Just before women's day I fethced my bambanani bowls - which I absolutely love. Bambanani means to hold, to support. It is a cirlce of women, holding hands and the skirts make up the bowl. It spoke to me - of the HERS network, the circle of artists, the cirlce of women in all of these.

And of course I had to have the joy of the presence of these bowls in my house on womens day.

Chair and Awards 2 August 2006

I have been awarded the Western Cape LIASA Sabinet Online Librarian of the year at the branch AGM on 2 August 2006, at UWC Library Auditorium.

The framed and signed certificate, and trophy also to be handed on a later occasion, came as a surprise. I assumed that an announcement on the award would be made at the AGM. But thought it would be an announcement only.

From the LIASA website the selection criteria below:

SELECTION CRITERIA
All nominations submitted will be treated with the strictest confidence. All nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

The nominee should:
» Be a paid up LIASA member for a least two (2) consecutive years
» Be an expert and very knowledgeable of the library sector and its resources
» Be committed to improving library and information services in South Africa
» Be involved in a library project or demonstrate best practice
» Demonstrate high levels of professionalism
» Demonstrate excellence in marketing, promoting and advocating for library and information services
» Be currently engaged in library and information work
» Have a minimum of five (5) years experience in the field
» Be an excellent communicator


Naomi read the entire motivation. The next day at the SABINET regional seminar there were lots of congratulations from Johann and Helene Smit and the Stellenbosch crowd. Lots of e-mails from colleagues and friends - all highly appreciated. I must say it was absolutely lovely to be acknowledged for one's work.

I was also elected branch chair for 2006-2008. I had though about this for a while and was concerned with the impact on personal time. It had become a decision between me and time with my son and service to others. On another level, also about whether I had something to contribute that no-one else could - unique contribution. I do believe the same philosophy I had in WCHELIG is what I have to offer to the branch.

In my acceptance speech I had written:
From the vision statement, of LIASA will strive to provide dynamic leadership. The Western Cape has certainly provided that dynamic leadership. It has offered the Western Cape LIS community with quality workshop, events and speakers. It has set the standard for other branches. The WC won the 2005 Presidential Branch Award, and is set to do so again this year. To a large extent this has been due to the nurturing, direction and guidance of the people who have occupied the seat of chair of the branch, since its inception.

It is therefore an honour and a privilege to be elected chair, and have placed in me the confidence of the membership and the outgoing executive committee to take the branch into the next decade of LIASA’s existence. I thank you for that, from myself and on behalf of the newly elected committee.

In 2007, LIASA will celebrate its 10th anniversary. The imperative for this term of office is to continue offering to our members in the Western Cape with -
what has worked, - therefore what do we do more of
what has not worked and therefore to stop what does not work,
to envision what does not yet exist,

But have to add that my guiding philosophy is:
*Non-profit does not mean - no surplus
*LIbrarians need to value one another if we are to be valued outside of the profession and therefore we need to value the time in monetary terms as an indication of valueing the people, their competencies, skills, experiences and insights.