It starts at the airport. African stuff, everywhere. I used to buy and buy and buy.  Mostly giraffes. Then ghekkos. Then wire stuff. (wood is scarce here) Oh yeah, bowls. Lots of bowls. 

It used to upset me that these “African” relatives of mine had regular looking interiors in their homes. I expected everything African here. Ha. 

Can you imagine “everything American” in your home? Blah. 

Oh, there are South Africans that LOVE Africa. They travel and explore and collect and display.  That would be me. 

But, I get it now. I just look for something unique or for a gift for someone at home. Usually the ones who take care of our cars or mail or plants. 

Not much is new. The crafts that were new and a bit crude, then become stunning work. Someone gets the idea, makes a crude craft, the design gets stolen, and mass produced. Then maybe sent overseas to gift shops like this one in the airport. 

Stuff like this: 

For years I bought this stuff. Years. I couldn’t stop myself! It’s mostly in boxes or given away now. Except for the special stuff. 

The giraffe that I actually watched a man carve. The antique walking stick from an old farm stall with a bone insert. This stick was all dusty and leaning in a corner. Stones and fossils that I found on the beach. Special stuff. 

Or maybe just sometimes just buy something for a friend. (This might be a big mistake.) 😊 You’d have to be special. Very special. It can’t be large or heavy. I wouldn’t deliver. You’d have to pick it up or maybe meet me for golf this Fall.  

There’s no guarantee here. It really depends and stuff gets broken…

Shipping is out of the question. I played  $100 one time to have a drum shipped home from the Ivory Coast. Never arrived. I was really a tourist then…

My 21st AA Birthday is on 28 June. Yolande bought me a giraffe! A really nice beaded one.

This one is special. 

A Giraffe was the first animal I saw in South Africa, 20 years ago. I have quite a few on all sorts of materials. I don’t think I ever got one as a gift. Even more special.

Boom