
Leanne Johnson
- Jan 1
- 4 min
Moments…
Inevitably, the calendar has rolled over and a new year has begun. The dawning of day 1 of 365 causes us all - sentimentalists and cynics...

Leanne Johnson
- Oct 4, 2021
- 2 min
Only 8 candles
As a mother, celebrating any of your children’s birthdays is more than just party invites, balloons and adding candles to a cake. Every...

Leanne Johnson
- Sep 13, 2021
- 3 min
3 Reasons to love Roald Dahl’s children's stories
I have yet to meet a child (or adult) that has not been charmed by one of Roald Dahl’s stories. As a much loved children's author, his...

Leanne Johnson
- Sep 6, 2021
- 6 min
For the love of reading books
Here at Pause: Read: Engage, we just love quotes, but we also love books and hanging out on the Porch (with a pretty mug of flavoured...

Leanne Johnson
- Sep 3, 2021
- 3 min
For the love of ivy geraniums
I have to admit that the humble - and relatively commonplace - geranium has never been a bloom that has captured my attention and was...

Leanne Johnson
- Jul 6, 2021
- 3 min
The Pfizer vaccine, Dis-Chem & 2 ½ hours of positivity
People are scared. This is clearly evident in the concerned conversations, subtle stigmatisation, bold bravado and obsession with stats...

Leanne Johnson
- Jun 16, 2021
- 3 min
I was 7 years old on the 16 June, 1976
1976 was a significant year in the history of South Africa. January of that year welcomed Television sets into our homes and saw the...

Leanne Johnson
- May 4, 2021
- 7 min
When in Cape Town…
In the midst of the busyness, demands and routines of daily life, a planned interruption - aka a midweek getaway - is a real spoil; an...

Leanne Johnson
- Oct 4, 2020
- 3 min
Not just a four-letter word
Love - a four-letter word. A term of endearment and affection. A verb. An elusive concept. An everyday, mundane term used to express...

Leanne Johnson
- Sep 24, 2020
- 1 min
My heritage
What is heritage? Is it cultural, national or family identity? Is it an inherited value system or merely traditions, dress,...

Leanne Johnson
- Aug 10, 2020
- 6 min
August’s tribute to women
South Africa's fractured past and troubled history are scattered with stories belonging to women - unique feminine stories of hope,...

Leanne Johnson
- May 26, 2020
- 3 min
When Irish eyes are smiling
‘Matilda’ is probably my favourite Roald Dahl story but, ‘Danny, the Champion of the World’, comes a very close second. As a children’s...

Leanne Johnson
- Apr 11, 2020
- 4 min
Dr Seuss' lockdown advice
Theodor Geissel [1904- 1991] - famously known as Dr. Seuss and beloved children’s author - was undeniably an ‘influencer’ way before his...

Leanne Johnson
- Apr 5, 2020
- 3 min
Words like butterflies
There is a story in each one of us - the difference is how it is told. That will define a 'writer' and 'someone who can write' - and they...

Leanne Johnson
- Feb 26, 2020
- 6 min
5 Reasons to watch ‘Little Women’
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of L. M. Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ was released in South Africa on 21st February. The hype was not exaggerated...