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HappyThursday :)
It seems there is a lot of shift happening just now in the lives of people I know, including me! I feel strongly drawn to living even more authentuically. I wish to develop thehappygelateria into a global social enterprise that supports the work of the Unity and Peace for Development Cooperative-Friendship program (UPDC) in Rwanda. I met Costa, a beautiful and courageous man, at the School for the Work of Byron Katie last October. He is involved with inspirational work in his country to bring forgiveness and reconciliation to his community which includes many widows and orphans of the genocide that occurred in 1994. During a period of approximately 100 days between April and July Hutu militia in Rwanda aimed to completely eradicate the Tutsi people. This failed, although the death toll is etimated to be 800,000-1,000,000 people. Now the Rwandan people are still in trauma after the event. There is conflict and hatred on both sides. As the UPCD reports: People cannot forget in their mind that Hutus are those who killed their relatives, who raped them, who amputated their arms/legs, who destroyed their houses, who plundered their cows, and other such atrocities.
On the other side, Hutus hate Tutsis, as the aftermath Genocide caused the splitting of their families and relatives as many of the Hutus were sent to prison for their actions.
Both parties are traumatized by what they experienced
All parties live in fear and horror. Today the UPDC has 40 members who are committed to bring unity and peace for sustainable development by working to unify both the Tutsis Genocide Survivors and Genocide perpetrators (mostly Hutus), through developmental activities as well as Byron Katie's inquiry system (through The Work). Their work is amazing and an inspiration to us all. They tell the story of Alice and Emmanuel, amongst others: Emmanuel is the one who cut off the hand of Alice during the Genocide. Today, through UPDC, they have been able to reconcile their differences. If they can mange it, then surely we can follow their example of forgiveness and peace. Here is an outline of what the UPDC does: Train community members in peace building and reconciliation.
Train community members in basic intervention of traumatized persons, especially during Gacaca courts and mourning periods (April to July).
Facilitate handcraft cooperatives with basic materials (fibers, paint, needles and sewing machines)
Look for markets to sell handicraft products
Register and support OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children) to join vocational training
To date, 3 OVCs are in welding and 1 is in tailoring.
Provide CHHs (Child headed households) and OVCs with medical insurance.
Train community in IGAs (Income generating activities) and micro-project management. So begins an exciting chapter as I aim to support this project through www.thehappygelateria.com. I feel so happy to be working for something bigger than myself and I love that it involves supporting children. Recently I have also strongly remembered how I felt as a child. I spent a lot of time bewildered and confused at any conflict I saw around me. I had a strong sense that there was enough love, joy, food, shelter, significance and belonging to go around and there is no need for us to struggle or fight. I see this again clearly now and need to work towards promoting it and bringing the message that we are all significant, and we all belong simply because we are here. May we all relax in the safety of this. I'll love you and sign off just now :) Take care with much love Shona 
Tags: Shiftliving Authentically Personal Growth
We are having so much fun at the moment with space hoppers! We already had one that we shared, and Jana was given another one for Christmas! So now we can bounce at the same time - hooray:) :) This is such a fun way to exercise and get lots of laughter and play into the day. Here are some pictures of us - even the falling off is fun   
We highly recommend space hopping every day! Have Fun Much Love, Shoes xx
Hello We have had such a fun day today :) This morning Jana had dancing - jazz and ballet, and then we went swimming. This was great, with lots of swimming underwater, and Jana practicing her dives. We even danced the gratitude dance in the water :)
Then, at tea time Jana's tooth came out, so a visit from the toothfairy is on the cards tonight! I also trialled a no-cook cake recipe using almond pulp from making almond milk, and you may well be seeing it soon! Jana has also been making fab sculptures out of lego. So, all in all a super play day :0) Hope yous are all having a great weekend too. with much love, Shona
We have been having a lot of fun over the last couple of days making video clips of Jana creating some of our favourite recipes. It's been great seeing her so enthusiastic about it, and she is great in front of the camera - a real natural :) So far we have uploaded 6 videos to youtube. You can view them here: http://www.youtube.com/user/HappyShona , or by typing in 'HappyShona' on youtube. I am always pleasantly suprised by the directions life takes me in - it is so much fun! We have also been getting active recently, going out for great walks, dancing and bouncing on the space hopper. I am feeling very inspired to start poi dancing and hula hooping. I've always become quite frustrated at my past efforts to hula hoop, and then I discovered that I may benefit from trying a bigger hoop, as I've always used a child's hoop which is likely to be too small. Hooray :) I live to hula hoop another day. If anyone knows where I can get an adult hula hoop, and/or some good quality pois to dance with I will be grateful to hear. I'll keep you posted! Any kind of dancing appeals to me just now :) I have been drawn to poi dancing by the lovely ladies at www.therawdivas.com, and am about to start their New Year Detox which I'm looking forward to :) I recently completed their free 7 day detox and it was well worth it. I feel much clearer and more motivated than ever to care for myself and have fun with food. I can definitely recommend it! Two good friends have just returned from the New Year Cleanse with Byron Katie. This was a fabulous experience for one friend in particular, and I am very happy for her :) I begin working more closely with a partner on the facilitator certification programme for The Work next week which will be fab. I'll post more about this later :) So now, time to wish you farewell for now. Jana goes back to school tomorrow, so our video-making may slow a little! Hoping you all had a great weekend too much love Shoes
Tags: Youtube Clips
Hello! I feel compelled to write on this New Years Eve as I sit in the kitchen feeling very content with Jana finger painting beside me and 'Stand by me' by Playing for Change playing in the background. For the first time this year Jana wants to stay up until midnight to see in the New Year and we are having a wee Hogmanay party here! Jana has made a series of pictures for each season. Here are Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn :) 
The last year has seen many shifts for me, mostly internally - which has reflected externally. I am feeling much more at peace with myself and intune with Plurking (a conjuction of 'play' and 'work'). I feel how important my 'plurk' with children and animals is to me now. Co-creating the happygelateria has been so much fun and I feel priviledged to be in the position of being able to share the fun:0) I'm also very grateful for all the encouraging, loving and supportive comments from many people, and look forward to watching the family grow! Music has also featured in my life more and more as Jana grows and her love of music rubs off on me! We sing a lot. I've recently joined a choir and love singing with others just for the fun of it. I love the Playing For change Foundation which promotes peace through music as a common language. They are building an inspirational school in South Africa to help children to learn music. I have also met many beautiful and inspirational people over the last year that have enriched my life in more ways than I can say. A highlight this year was also visiting old friends in Thailand and Australia. We are so blessed to have had the opportunity for this, and it was a lifechanging trip - I started working on thehappygelateria shortly after we returned! Most of all I have reconnected with myself as a child this year and really get that love and laughter are what matters most, especially sharing them in whatever ways I can. Here's to 2009 - may all your deep heart's desires become real, and you have a lot of FUN along the way:0) With much much love Shona x
Merry Christmas One and all :) May all your 2009 dreams come true. Much love and Christmas Cuddles, Shona and Jana xx  
Hello It's been a while since I posted - I have been clearing a lot extraneous 'stuff'. This is ongoing, and it feels so good to release stuff that I haven't used for months - clearing the old to make way for the new! This feels like a great time of year for this as we approach Christmas, and the end of 2008. This last year has been so full for me, and I have grown so much. It was great to visit dear friends in Thailand and Australia earlier this year - we are so blessed to have people to stay with in these amazing countries. Whilst there I was truly inspired to set up The happyG, and so upon return I got down to it! It is amazing what has transpired in a few short months, with the help of inspiration, great web designers, courage and the support of friends. I feel at a place in my life where I am ready to have fun and serve nature and children. This involves looking at myself and seeing where I can drop anything within me that dishonours the innocence, creative potential and joy that I see within both children and nature, and to regognise and nurture these qualities in myself. So, in seeking to serve nature and children, I acknowledge that they are serving me - helping me to return home to my true nature. Growing up can be a 'serious' business, and I have come to see the value of stopping and watching our greatest teachers, and allowing them to show us the way. with much love, Shoes xx
Hello I've just rediscovered an organisation called playing for change, and I find it really inspirational. The playing for change foundation, created by Mark Johnson, is dedicated to connecting the world through music. They have made a series of short films showing songs performed together by musicians all over the world. There is a version of 'One Love' posted in the kid's area this month. It is so clear to me how music can be a common language for us all, and unite us in our common humanity.
Check out their website at www.playingforchange.com :) love, Shoes
Tags: Peace Music
Hello again:) Some new recipes to try have come to me over the last day or so, and I've been having fun with them. Jana made some rolled up cherry fruit leathers this morning and had the idea to offer them at a school coffee morning this morning for donations to the charity the school is supporting - Operation Imprezza. The Charity supports a school in Kenya. The stall raised £11, which is great! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures as I have lent the camera to my parents who have gone on holiday (their camera is broken). I have also been working with a partner each day practicing The Work of Byron Katie. I am finding it a powerful tool to question stressful assumptions I have held about myself, others and life/the world. It nearly always brings me laughter and a feeling of peace. The website for The Work is www.thework.com - I'll put a link on the links page too. There aren't many links there yet - there will be more when they come to me:)
I am just recalling a quote I once read attributed to Mother Teresa: "If we do not have peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other". This rings so true for me, and I am inspired by her life. Hope you all have a fantastic Thursday, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING to anyone celebrating this holiday:) Much love to all Shoes x
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