About Me
Nothing I did in my early life equipped me for what I am doing right now.
My training – in my late teens – revolved round sport. Being a competition springboard diver, gymnast and team hockey player led me to become a Physical Education teacher – having done a three years training diploma at Natal Training College – which I loved!
But – deep down – I knew that a life in décor and home-making was my first love.
My room – growing up – was always neat and tidy – my mother always finding it amazing to open the drawers and see the socks neatly folded and in rows! She was instrumental in making me aware of décor by allowing me to choose my wallpaper and paint colours in my room – even as a small child. She was also not the average housewife in that she loved – and did courses in – pottery, art and weaving. I still have her loom which I am hoping to use soon. Her love of pottery also spurred me on to take a course in pottery whilst teaching Phys Ed and eventually, after I married, my husband and I became full time potters for a while.
I now spend my time at our hotel – Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse – where I am instrumental in designing the décor and plate displays for the food as well as doing all the behind the scenes jobs such as the accounts and general organising. We do, however, have the most fantastic staff who allow me to follow my other loves such as gardening and home life.
Joining me on this adventure is my chef husband – Richard – who you will meet in my blog posts! How wonderful it is to have a creative cook and best friend rolled into one!
Inspiration also flows freely between me and my two wonderful daughters – Donna and Tasha. Both have excelled in their chosen careers – one a compositor in the movie industry in London and one a professional photographer in the Cape. They in turn are married to two gorgeous guys – one a computer programmer as well as a musician and the other a winemaker. Who could have chosen better for my girls?
So dear reader – I am hoping to inspire you and draw your attention to great things out there on the web so we can all create and learn as we travel along this blog path together.
Why the name – With Wings & Mind?
Our family (Poynton) has the motto With Wings & Mind on our family crest.
It is particularly appropriate for us as:
the wings represent our love of flying
- my father was a flying instructor and flew dozens of different planes
- it was through his flying that he met my mother – on the Gold Coast – during the war (she was stationed out there as a nurse)
- Richard got his pilot’s licence before we were married in 1971 and we owned a Piper Cub when we lived in Zululand
- I love to fly in any type of aircraft but my particular favourite is a helicopter
- I love birds and birding. Many of our holidays revolve around this hobby and my brother and I have an ongoing competition to see who has the most “lifers”
The mind represents our love of finding out things
- as a family we would always do quizzes and ask general knowledge questions
- all through my daughters’ childhoods we would talk about interesting things and have fun looking up unknown facts
- I was trained as a teacher so have that background of imparting knowledge
- I still love to do research and compile information see this link A Date with History