Meet Rolo

I don't think you two have had a proper introduction.

Meet Rolo.

This is our two year old, so sweet, goofy, left-pawing (I'll explain in a bit), so-adorable-I-can't-take-it basset hound. I have featured him sporadically on the blog, but plan to do so more often, so I figured you needed a complete introduction.

Rolo was an engagement gift from my husband and when G got him, he looked like this:

I wish I had more photos of him as a puppy to show you, but they are all buried in my external hard drive somewhere. But he was just the most floppy, scrumptious thing you'd ever have seen! He's grown so much since then, but has seemed to level out.

I have to admit: although I absolutely adored him when we got him, I was a bit intimidated by the timing. (And I am sure I'm not the first to say that puppies are a bit frustrating at times...the peeing, the chewing, the pooping, the peeing, the chewing, the pooping, etc.) But now, I honestly cannot imagine our little family without him. But before I gush any more about Rolo, I think I need to explain: why bassets.

Basset hounds are the only kind of dog my family has ever had. My parents rescued one when they were first married. They named her Candy. Unfortunately, they had to give Candy away when my mom was pregnant with me because my mom started developing allergies towards her. (So sad!)

Then, when I was in primary (elementary) school, my parents rescued another basset (notice how many times "rescuing" comes up...they're a wandering breed) as a present for me. I named her Hershey. (Since my parents had previously named their basset Candy, I wanted to keep with the candy theme.) Hershey had a long and wonderful life - it was actually so cool to see her transform from being terrified of humans (we think she was abused when we got her), to absolutely loving them - and then went to doggy heaven around my sophomore year (grade 10) in high school.

Then, in our sadness over Hershey's passing, we decided to get another basset - a puppy. This was the first time we got a basset NOT from a rescue group or the pound. It could be coincidence, but this basset has (I'm embarrassed to say) been our least favorite; and I say this as lovingly as possible. She is moody, greedy, and lazy (and we think a runt of the litter); and this next factor is our fault, but we think her name has something to do with it. Somehow, we convinced ourselves to break the candy theme when we were naming her and called her Ginger. Then after it was decided and done, a friend told us it sounds like a stripper. And it kind of does. This is Ginger now:

To be fair, this was Ginger as a puppy…

So then, in our subconscious frustration over Ginger, we rescued another basset! This time, we hit the jackpot! We went back to the candy theme and named him Heath. Heath is unbelievably happy (we say that with him, everyday is Saturday and every night is Friday night), sweet, goofy, and dirty. He's like pig-pen from Charlie Brown. Heath and Ginger are still doing well and are with my parents and little brother in the US.

This is Heath and Ginger now (I know Heath doesn't look too happy here but I promise he always is. :)

And now, this is my new, little, wonderful family:

Like I said, very floppy... 

And he has a very bendy neck.

Just thought you needed to meet all of us. :)

Love,
From the three Fultons

The Elephant Sanctuary - Us

(WARNING: Too many elephant photos below. I have spent far too much time on these pictures - editing and choosing which ones to use - not like you will notice since I have still included so many!)

Over this past holiday season, I got to do something I have been dreaming of since…well, probably since I moved to South Africa. I was hoping to get to do this for my birthday this year, but my never-ceasing-to-be-incredible husband worked it out so that we could go to The Elephant Sanctuary in January! It was absolutely wonderful!

The Elephant Sanctuary takes in abandoned or injured elephants and gives them a home. Some of them were separated from their mothers and not accepted into another herd; others were being poached and the Elephant Sanctuary gave them refuge. This past weekend, hubby, some friends, and I stayed in a game reserve (more on that in the coming days) and I asked the lead ecologist there, what he and his wife (an elephant researcher) thought about the elephant sanctuary. They said some (as in, around the world in general) are just trying to make a profit; others sincerely try to help and do a decent job. This couple hadn't been to the specific sanctuary that hubby and I went to, but they've heard good things about it.

Elephants are absolutely amazing. They are social creatures who depend on and create a strong family structure. They remember and recognize people and each other; they cry; they are extremely loyal. And their babies are the cutest! I can't get over them. (Notice the little ellie that Danielle Moss designed for my footer? :)

We got to feed them, pet them, and I got to ride one! We really couldn't afford for both of us to ride, so my ever sweet and sacrificial husband arranged for me to do it. Love him so much.

I took so many pictures (well, hubby did...I was mostly busy trying to bond with ellies) that I've decided to split the event up into two posts: this one - us with the elles - and the ellies themselves. That one is coming soon!

What is your greatest fear?

And I don't mean the dark or spiders. (Although I'm really not a fan of either.)

What is your greatest fear?

Success?
Fame?
Love?
Joy?
Adventure?
Peace?
Hope?

What are you so great at or want so badly that it scares you?

I think we all want to be great and believe that we can be (at least at one thing), but are so afraid of being rejected, afraid of failing, afraid of succeeding.

I love seeing people who don't seem to have fear or at least, don't give their fear the time of day. They completely, passionately, and unabashedly pursue their greatness. They understand that they are great. They understand that they will live with every decision they make, so every decision needs to be whole hearted.

I want to be that and live that way.

One of my biggest fears (or dreams?) is having the opportunity to sing, make an album, and/or be in a musical. I tend to think that I've missed my prime for that…and if I am being completely realistic and honest, I probably have. But they (whoever they are) always say that the first step to overcoming something is acknowledgement, right? Acknowledging the fear. Maybe acknowledging that fear of mine won't ultimately land me a record deal, but it will help me make bolder decisions each day. So then, isn't that overcoming?

I watched Katy Perry's documentary/film not that long ago and so enjoyed it! Besides the fact that it was like having a personal concert in my living room, I loved hearing Katy's story. She seems like she lives that way - unafraid and unashamed of trying to live boldly. I'm thankful for Katy Perry's boldness; at the very least, because it's given me some pretty fantastic tunes.

So, what are you afraid of? And what inspires you?



Image one by P. Chis / Image two by The Voracious Filmgoer

Welcome to the new Gumption!

"...she realized that she was missing a great deal by being sensible,

she made the whole world feel like home,

she decided to enjoy more and endure less,

she colored her thoughts with only the brightest hues,

she crossed borders recklessly, refusing to recognize limits, saying bonjour and buon giorno as though she owned both France and Italy and the day itself,

she ran ahead where there were no paths…"

As I'm sure you have noticed, Gumption has gone through a complete makeover...and I couldn't be more excited about it! I absolutely love the design, thanks to Danielle Moss! I wanted something colourful and editorial, fun but not too girly, but mostly, a design that highlights the writing here on Gumption. She has done a fantastic job capturing all of that! Danielle is easy to work with, creative, and honest. I highly recommend her if you're looking for a designer. :)

I can't get over the new design! Not just because it's fantastic, but because it's the start of a whole new direction for Gumption. I've been introducing a few changes to the blog since the beginning of the year, but in case you missed this or you're new to Gumption, here's what it's all about:

Gumption is a lifestyle and travel blog that strives to inspire people from all walks of life to live a life of gumption and a life to the full. At Gumption, I share personal reflections, stories of inspiring people and moments, and so many of the little things that make my life richer, even magical at times! While inspiring my readers to live a full life, I also want people (but especially women) to see and believe that you can “have it all”: a life full of joy, growth, contentment, and adventure. Sometimes I talk about current affairs or events of historical significance (I was an international relations major in college and am just not ready to abandon my inclinations towards academia). Other times, I share things I’ve learned, or am learning, in and about life. And still on other occasions, I just share the things in my life that make me happy – my newest baking venture, home décor changes, or something unique to whichever country I find myself living in at the moment.  

I hope you will tag along. And whatever you find to relate to here, I hope it inspires you to live a full life and a life full of gumption.

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or Pinterest, if you'd like. Thanks so much for reading, whether you're a first timer or you've been here for a while.

Cheers to the rest of the year ahead and many more years of living with gumption!

Love,

Ellie

Today's South African find...

On the side of the road, on my way to the grocery store, naturally. Yes, they are real.

While Gumption is still in the process of being made-over, I thought I'd share some pictures this week of things that have been going on on this side of the world. Hopefully, I'll be back to full functioning levels very soon!

Love,

E

PS - What do you see on the side of the road normally? I'm sure nothing as cool(aka, weird?) as that. 

A very soggy Monday morning

Happy Monday!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! This weekend was a bit drizzly at times, but we woke up to a torrential downpour this morning. On my way to work (which I often hope, in vain, will be cancelled due to any sudden extreme weather), I found myself praying multiple times that the rising waters would not touch the bottom of my car. I don't think you can see it too well, but in the picture above, the truck is driving through about three inches of water. Thankfully, I made it just fine!
Gumption is still in the process of receiving a make over, so I'll be back in exactly one week. Thanks for being so patient! I can't wait to reveal the new look. :)

Hope your Monday morning is much drier than mine!

The traffic stretched all the way up and behind the hill, for well over a mile or two (maybe three?). Thankfully, I was driving in the opposite direction.  

The other thing that happened this morning. Neither would admit to who started this. 

Under Construction

Source

So, Gumption is getting a make over! As we speak. I'm so excited and can't wait for you to see!

That has been one of the reasons for this bout of silence, but we also didn't have internet for almost a week and both hubby and I were down and out with flu/sinus infections. But we are both doing better, the internet is back, and I should be back next week with the new look of Gumption and more fantastic content. 

Hope to see you again then! :)

Love,

Ellie