About
Welcome to Jam4Joy!
This blog was created to discover, celebrate and share the joys in life.
My name is Janny, also known as Jam. (That’s where “Jam4Joy” comes from.)
I’m a mom of 2 busy boys and 2 boston terriers. I enjoy writing and my kids love reading so I have recently started writing children books and use the pen name, Dr. Janny.
I’m a medical doctor in primary health care. (That’s also where I am known as Dr. Janny.) I am passionate about improving the general wellbeing of people and the community. I like a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to health-care. I have a diploma in mental health and a certificate in art therapy. I think the mind, body and environment are all connected and need to be considered when working with patients.
My family and I love travelling, making food, thinking of new ideas and creating memorable events to make ordinary life more fun.
I also enjoy being creative and enjoy witnessing the creativity of other people. I really do think that every person has the ability to be creative and that the process of being creative has a healing power to it. I believe in the butterfly effect- if we all make a small positive impact in another person’s life, it can be like a wave that spreads, and the total effect can be great.
On this blog I explore and share ways to stay creative, healthy and motivated. I write about our travel adventures, events, kids’ stuff and anything I find inspiring or interesting.
By doing this I hope to motivate others to find their own joy which they can share.
I love celebrating events (especially birthdays) because I really think you should be grateful that you or someone you love has survived another year.
Some memorable events we have organized: Bob Ross Paint Party, Myers-briggs-birthday-party, Birthday Drive-in, Teddy Bear Picnic Party.
We’ve eaten coconuts in Thailand, touched the pyramids in Egypt, hiked to Machupicchu in Peru, climbed mountains in Lesotho, walked on a glacier in Argentina, gone snorkeling in Zanzibar and cycled the Death Road in Bolivia.
Marc has toured Europe and I’ve walked on the marble floors of the Taj Mahal. And there’s still so much more to see and do!
We also love traveling in South Africa! It’s really a beautiful country! Rural Transkei has many untouched beaches with cows walking around and scuba-diving in Sodwana is an absolutely spectacular and colourful sight.
Then there’s the Drakensberg mountain range, Table Mountain, great wineries, many stunning coastal towns, arty Clarens and of course many game parks to see animals.
Sometimes, life can be tough, or you can get stuck in a rut. (It happens!)
“I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.” (Extract from Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr Seuss)
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
I want to stay focused on life’s joys… Which can sometimes be challenging, but I strive to.
“Do what you can with what you’ve got.” Get back on the track when you derail. (which happens to us all.) And remember, “Bietjie, Bietjie, maak baie! (small steps eventually become giant leaps.)
If you can’t change the stress around you, maybe you could change your mindset and the way you see your stress.
Hopefully, something on this site will spark a little joy in you.
Find joy, Create joy and Share it! 😊
Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided. – Paracelsus (e.1493-1541)