Experience

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  Self

  • Fulltime Writer, poet, playwright

    • Mar 2013 - Present

    Writing prose and poetry, developing my skills and polishing a talent for storytelling

  • In-House writer

    • 1965 - Present

    For years I've been struggling to write while juggling the various occupations of being wife, mother, sister, daughter, cook, nurse, lover etc. Until I recently discovered the secret. No need to struggle, one just need to do it. You know? Like putting one foot in front of the other and walking the road till you get there (wherever 'there' might be, doing what needs to be done). Whatever the case may be, as time moves on, I become more and more attached to ... um ... well, thinking ;~)

  • The King's Fool, maybe The Fool's King?

    • Dec 1948 - Present

    I was trained in the theatre, and wanted to write plays, but became a published author, as I followed the 'more often' travelled road, for a short while. I am passionate about telling stories with the purpose of healing our sad hearts through love, laughter and - well - music; the music of words which can slay, kick, jump, weave, tremble, smooth, sooth, laugh, cry, tease and every other emotion or action under the sun. My own language, Afrikaans, is immensely expressive and emotive, but I love the sound of all languages I hear around me, as every one contains it's own music. Therefore, ultimately, I try to heal through the music of language . . .I studied art and singing and through that became imbued by a love for art and music, which served me well in all my endeavours. I can only agree with Shober's lyrics in the song by Schubert: An die Musik - Du holde Kunst, in wieviel grauen Stunden,Wo mich des Lebens wilder Kreis umstrickt,Hast du mein Herz zu warmer Lieb entzunden,Hast mich in eine beßre Welt entrückt!Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner Harf' entflossen,Ein süßer, heiliger Akkord von dirDen Himmel beßrer Zeiten mir erschlossen,Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür!

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  Canticleer Events

  • Owner

    • 1972 - 2010

    Organizing events for which there was a need at the time; getting artists to perform or exhibit their work. Started the Living Arts Exhibition in Pretoria, where artists (painters/sculptors/jewelers/black- and goldsmiths etc) were working in a public space, to introduce the art of Art to visitors who would like to watch and then buy the finished artwork. I often arranged private dinners with entertainment and/or art exhibitions in our own very extravagant home, mainly as fundraisers for the Waldorf School I co-founded and taught for a while.Later on, while living in Nelspruit and eventually on our farm I used to organise and arrange cabaret venues for the then up and coming performers who became some of our best known singers in their own right.Also arranging events and exhibits of all kinds, whether they be of artistic and/or cultural persuasion, Or using my interior decorating skills and training to beautify clients homes and offices

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  HOUTBOSLOOP TIMBER PRODUCTS

  • Manager Marketing & Human Resources

    • 1985 - 2009

    Houtbosloop Timber ProductsA company started by my husband for extracting and treating the timber on our farm. Majestern, in the Lowveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa

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  THE BACHUS QUARTET

  • Lydenburg South Africa

  • ALTO

    • Jun 1990 - Aug 1996
    • Lydenburg South Africa

    An intense musically emotive experience, while 4 of us sang together in the usual satb quartetMostly medieaval songs and spattered with lovely Afrikaans songs, german lieder, and here and there something from everywhere. What joy we had, hey Jan? Marida? Japie? Thats what I miss the most

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  The Writing Circle

  • Nelspruit

  • Teacher / Manager

    • Mar 1984 - Nov 1995
    • Nelspruit

    I started a writing group for ±18 people who were quite interested in writing. We had people from all walks of life, some very interested, others more into writing as a hobby. At least three memoirs were published from writers in this group and one person became a serious journo. For the rest varied success with short stories in magazines, both English and Afrikaans and lesser poetry in individual little magazines. It was a very good decade and I enjoyed the years we spent time together

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  Waldorf School

  • Pretoria Area, South Africa

  • Co-founder and teacher at the Max Stibbe Waldorf School

    • Jan 1972 - Apr 1976
    • Pretoria Area, South Africa

    In 1972 I met Dr Max Stibbe, who wanted to start a new Waldorf school - either in Namibia or in Pretoria, South Africa. I told him Pretoria would be the right place, as my children needed him as a teacher. So we started the school with only 3 pupils. Within a few weeks we had fifty children, and could go no further, as the school building only allowed for that. Eventually the school was moved to a bigger place and started growing again. I was in a car accident with multiple spine and rib fractures and someone else took my place. I did go back after the school moved yet again to where it still flourishes today, just outside Pretoria There I helped out in a smaller way, until our family moved to a farm near Fochville in 1977, where I started a small pre-school for the children of workers on the farm, as well as one of my own children. Again we worked according to Waldorf principles, but this school was never registered. This school was closed when we moved to the Lowveld in Mpumalanga, South Africa - no more schools after that, as I was to busy rearing the latter half of our six kids