Number Eleven 2 December 2022

Art class: my cat [just a sketch because I don't have a cat]

I am guilty! I didn't publish my daily write up! Yet, I will tell you what happened yesterday.

My spoon - the fruit of yesterday's class

A short resume about yesterday:

• High speed car chase late at night [that stands out for the day]
• Art class – gaiety and laughter
• Serious discussions about Princess Diana.
• Butter Beans from Malawi
• Groundnuts from Malawi
• Friends for coffee and chocolates
• Afternoon nap
• Feeding the dogs
• Irrigating the gardens
• Tending my Franschhoek oak trees
• Tending my cannabis seedlings
• Look at my Scarlet runner beans
• Having coffee [early morning] with my wife
• Making lunch
• Making supper
• Movies: WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING [horrible story]
• Move back in memory lane and reliving the time I was an assessor to a judge in a murder trial [the accused’s daughter pointed at him and said: “He killed my mother.”]
• Watering the tender plants in my maternity ward
• Load shedding.
• Load shedding.
• No laptop because of load shedding.

 A little bit more details about yesterday:

I attended art class and it was laughter and gaiety and serious discussions about the late Princess Diana. Did you know that the dressed very shabbily? Certainly, I didn't know that. She was a scoundrel; did you know that she penetrated the British Royal Household to destabilise it? Wow! Can you believe that? According to the discussions the only good thing that she did was to have died?

My contribution towards this discussion was about Meghan Markle, the former Royal: she is busy writing a book [I think it would be a best seller]. The title? HOW TO STEAL A BRITISH PRINCE!!!!!

 Back home, we had loadshedding and that means I don't use my laptop to conserve energy.

 I had my afternoon nap.

Friends came over. A client of mine, a Rwandan, brought me gifts. A huge bag filled with butter beans. Another huge bag full of raw groundnuts. He holds a doctoral degree in Education and cannot find a job. In order to feed his wife and four children, he sells butter beans and raw groundnuts. Hus suppliers are from Malawi. And he prayed for me. What a blessing it was.

Oh yes, our friends came over because I extended his blessings to them; they left with a yogurt container filled with groundnuts. And another container filled with butter beans from Malawi.

The plants in the maternity ward were almost bone dry. They were watered.

We had supper and went to the movies; we saw WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. I am still staggering from shock! And I was transported back to the one High Court Case when I was an assessor to the Judge in a murder trial. The accused allegedly killed his wife by grabbing her by her dress and swinging her around and around and around knocking her brains out against the walls of her apartment. He had an alibi: he spent part of the day of the killing, with his daughter. That daughter was called to the witness stand and she gave evidence against her father. While she was testifying, she looked at him, pointing her finger at him and said: "He killed my mother."

We, the Court, found him not guilty. The presiding judge were at pains setting out that the verdict of "not guilty" does not mean that he did not do it. All it means is that the State did not prove his guilt. More or less the same thing happened in the movie.

Getting out of the building was somewhat of a nightmare! The shopping centre was almost deserted. The exists were all blocked off. Loadshedding was looming. And we couldn't get out. Suddenly a security guard appeared and pointed THAT WAY! And we got out.

The nightmare got worse! The youngsters were out in force showing off with the powerful 4x4's. Roaring away at high speed dangerously overtaking the slower traffic just to come to a screeching stop at robots. And taking off against the red traffic lights.

At home we were without electricity which meant NO LAPTOP!

It was off to bed we go.

It is now 03:52 and I am writing. It was a day! Filled with surprises and blessings. And high speeding motorcars racing at breakneck speed. And loadshedding. And butterbeans and groundnuts.

 Write me your story: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

 

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Number ten 30.11.2022

Grahamstown Cathedral. I took this photo on 25 March 2022

 

This is the last day of November 2022 and the start of the last month of 2022.  

New beginnings face me every moment and I want to live until I die and I don’t want to die prematurely. Unfortunately, there are lots of people who just exist and not live. No, I don’t want to climb Mount Everest. I don’t have ambitions to out do Pablo Picasso or Henry Matisse or Damien Hirst. I don’t even want to purchase Montsanto nor do I want to engage with Bill Gates.

I am rather comfortable in my own skin. This reminds of a rather acrimonious conversation I had with another lady attorney. Yes, we were actually fighting about something and I was opposing her vehemently. Eventually she was fed up with me and blurted out: “Neels, who the heck do you think you are?”

My answer remains the same: “Madam X, I know exactly who I am and I am comfortable in my own skin. I can and I do live with contradictions in my life.” Wow! That opened up a sordid can of worms after which she turned around a stomped away.

This is a wonderful lesson I learnt in law: you may argue something very strenuously and disagree with the other party drastically, without getting personal and without fighting. Well, sometime lawyers fight it out. That happened that day: we were fighting.

My one law clerk came back from the Magistrate’s Court one day and was highly excited; adrenalin pumping and he blurted out what he witnessed at court. There were two attorneys disagreeing with one another. And the argument became very tense. And very personal. And they were in each other’s faces and personal space. The next moment a fisticuff broke out. They were attacking each other and it was a commotion. The other lawyers in the court room had to physically intervene to break up the fight. Yes, it happens; although it is not an everyday occurrence.

At the same time being comfortable in your own skin, does not mean you just accept what life throws at you. No, definitely not. It is within your means and power to change things. Life long learning comes to play. Try to learn something from everything and everything from something. This is powerful, isn’t it? Karen Armstrong famously said about nature: “Nature is pregnant with life!” And so, the life we are facing, is pregnant with life. What a powerful statement. Oscar Wilde once passed this comment that there are people who are arrested by the their past. Yes, there are things in my life that surface every now and again – having said that, those things do not dictate my life.

Christ Jesus, the living Son of God, is the guiding factor. He is reported to have said: “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” [Read the Gospel according to Luke 12: 57] And the apostle Paul is reported to have said in 2 Corinthians 10:7 “Look at what is before your eyes.” It seems as if this passage I have just quoted, is all about St. Paul’s defending his ministry. He effectually said to the people: “Look at my life and what do you see? And then you should consider that as well.” When you read these verses, make sure that you read the chapters in its entirety and consider the background to it.

In everyday life, we should keep these guidelines constantly uppermost in our minds.

Have a good day and please write me your story: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

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Number nine 29.11.2022

 

Number nine 29.11.2022

The plants, or if you will, the seedlings in my maternity ward are doing well.

Watermelon seedlings fromJeffreys Bay, Western Cape

My friend in Jeffreys Bay, Western Cape gave me four watermelon pips to plant and two sprouted. Now my waiting game started; waiting for it to give me watermelons.

During 2020 I participated in a seed-swop and got a fair number of seeds inter alia scarlet runner beans [8x]. I have three on the go. One on the pavement [or some of you folks will refer to it as the “sidewalk”] and the others still in seed trays.

Scarlet runner beans and sweet basil

My sweet basil seedlings, also a gift from my other friend, the retired mining engineer, are strong and healthy. It survived the transplant. And I survived his chillies.

My oak tree is battling.

There is an oak tree in the photos which is very special to me. I got the seeds from Franschhoek in the Western Cape. Some of my oak trees are facing an uphill battle and I go around to the maternity ward every day and look at it. And I am also praying that the ancient forces of heaven our Heavenly Father unleashed billions of years ago, will have mercy on those trees of mine. Those forces can be lethal; and it is at the same time tender and refined.

When I listen to the horrible stories that are broadcast every hour of what people do to people, my heart becomes very heavy. That is one of the reasons why I don’t listen to the news every hour. I rather go and get an injection of positive energy in my maternity ward. Or I engage with people; I don’t easily engage with people who are negative about life. The ones that constantly degrade themselves and our beleaguered country.

A lady friend from church gave me 10 gladioli bulbs; there is one plant pushing bright healthy hearty red flowers. She was the one that reached out during the first horrible days of covid-19 lockdown early 2020 and gave me bright red poppies. You can have a look at the video I made of them in the breeze with bees flitting around – it is on my youtube channel. I still recall making that video: the bees and the birds were very busy doing their own thing. And somewhere in the background I can hear my chickens.

So, at times my heart is aching and at the same time it is bursting with new life.

Write me you story, please: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

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Number 8 28.11.2022

The blue skies of Franschhoek, Western Cape

What a lovely sunshine day we have in Rivonia, Johannesburg, South Africa. My plants are growing; and I still have seeds to attend to. A friend’s mother came from India to visit and she brought me some seeds as a gift. It is time for me to get on and get in the soil. And maybe I will be able to write about it later on.

Yesterday I looked at my tender plants that are barely breaking soil; I wonder how on earth they are capable of doing that? They are so tender and fragile and here they break thru soil. So strong and yet so tender and fragile.

I learn such a lot working with my plants and seeds and stuff. Life and death are in my maternity ward. I think that I told you why I call it my “maternity ward”? Because of the simple fact that it is the place where plants are born and where some don’t make it and just pass on.

Today it is 22°; it is a lovely sunshine day and we have some wind. This reminds me of my late uncle Cobus Vorster [my late mom’s brother] who was rather blunt and fiery at times, especially when it comes to you expressing some opinion about the weather. When I would say: “Uncle Cobus, it is too hot today!” He would, without fail and hesitation, react to that: “Neels, keep quiet. You can’t do anything about the weather!” “Yes, Uncle Cobus. I know that. I am just saying.” He: “No, you were not just saying anything. We cannot do anything about the weather.” Or if I would say: “Uncle Cobus, it is cold today.” By this time, you can most probably read my mind – and you are spot on.  

Malawian pumpkin cut in half.

I am so proud of my Malawian pumpkin, well actually it is not mine. It is my neighbours’. She grew it from one of my pumpkins I gave her and then it came full circle back to me. And now I have some in the soil at my house in Rivonia.

The blue skies of South Africa are so spectacular! I took this image at Franschhoek in the Western Cape round about March 2022. And I still look at it and stand in awe and the spectacle it is.

Please write me a letter: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

 

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Number 7 27.11.2022

Kurt Vonnegut

 Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut! I referred to him in Number 1 on 21 November 2022. And now I want to pursue his story further.

Back to Kurt. I just read his story on Wikipedia and have some sympathy for the man. And yet, even with his background he kept at it and that is writing. That is what he could do best.

I downloaded a write up of his, telling us how shy and embarrassed he was “not being good at any of his myriad of hobbies.” And the teacher’s reaction liberated him for ever. A lot of different things to do? All at the same time? Or you chop and change as you go along? Embarrassed about it? No, Kurt, was the reply, you don’t have to be embarrassed. What is more, you don’t have to choose – just keep going!!

The story on Wikipedia is, to my mind blunt and to the point. It discloses a lot of very personal things about him and his family. And he wrote about a lot of these things. What a story he had to tell.

You tell me that you have a lot of different hobbies? You are reading five or six books at a time? You have far too much to do? You don’t know which to choose? My short reply is: “Good for you.” My question to you: “Do you have to choose?” My motivation to you is: “Go for it!” You should live until the day you die!

You go on and tell me that you can’t even draw a straight line with a ruler? I don’t buy that one! No, not at all. You don’t need a ruler to draw a tree! You don’t need a ruler to sketch a flower. You don’t need a ruler to draw a face! You tell me that you brother or your sister or you mother was the really artistic one in the family; you were not even born when talents were dished out. You miss the point: You have something inside you even if it is to tell yourself that you can’t. Start with something. Get on with the job. Are you scared to face the white sheet of paper? Me too. Get over it. It won’t bite you.  

Thank you, Kurt, for your story.

Write me you story, please: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

 

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Number 6 26.11.2022

The book cover.

 

My ox-tongue is cooked.

And it is delicious.

It was the first recipe that I tried out of Marlene Van Der Westhuizen’s BORD [that is PLATE in my home language, Afrikaans]. I can’t even remember when last I cooked it. In legal jargon I might say it is since time immemorial – can’t even remember! Please have a look at her website - it is really something special.

I got stuck with the sauce I had to cook – I did not have all of the ingredients. Yes, I can hear you telling me you should have … Now it is another excuse to go out and to get the special ingredients.

It was a pickled one and she recommended a fresh tongue; what to do now? Marlene knows and she says it should be doused in cold water for about one hour, which I did. Then the cooking started – olive oil, cloves, carrots coarsely cut, celery [some time back another friend gave me a celery plant; I quickly went outside and got my celery and into the pot it went!], some berries, salt and black pepper kernels. Fill the pot with cold water and toss in the ingredients.

Two and a half hours later, 

I took it out and it was perfection. 

I love to think that Julia Child would be proud of me – and if she isn’t, maybe Julie would be. If she isn’t, I am still very proud of my ox tongue. It was the first after such a long time of no cooking, let alone an ox tongue. Maybe Marlene would ...?

Marlene: credit to her website. What a lady!!

OX TONGUE À LA’ NIÇOISE – that is what she calls it. Ah, and all of sudden my learning curve started climbing! What on earth is OX TONGUE À LA’ NIÇOISE? My good friend came to the rescue. Professor Dr G. Oogle provided guidance. And now I know. This is what the learned Professor tells me about it:

“À la Niçoise is a French cooking term that can be used to describe the various elements of a side garnish, usually either: sautéed tomatoes, artichokes, sautéed potato balls (Pommes Parisiennes), vegetable marrow; or sautéed tomatoes, artichokes, sautéed potato balls, French beans. Or, it can describe ingredients that can be expected to be found in a dish. In this sense, the ingredients would be anchovies, black olives, capers, garlic, lemon juice, and tomatoes.”

A French cooking term in my kitchen in Rivonia South Africa – I find it fascinating. The learning curve is extended to the term: “sautéed.” I recognise it because my dear wife explained it to me previously on a fair number of occasions. I am still learning. Academics refer to it as “life long learning.”

Later this morning we will get the ingredients to create the sauce. You probably noticed that I have already tasted it? Oh yes, how else? To repeat it: It is delicious!

Some guys get a Michelin star or two or maybe three – I am in the running for a second-hand re-tread Dunlop tyre. And I am doing my best to get the award. My friends and my wife think I am the best and that is what really matters and what really counts.

It wasn’t easy to get it; that is the ox-tongue and not the award which is up for grabs. Close by my house there is a well-known butcher that sells it; I was so disgusted with the packaging and client service that I decided I will never go back. The packaging was covered in fluids and the manager was not interested to listen to me. I went to another butcher in Morningside, Sandton. He simply cannot keep up with the supplies. He put my name down on a waiting list. Can you imagine your name on a waiting list for an ordinary ox-tongue. On a waiting list! The promise was there that she will phone me once it is in the shop. And so, the waiting game started.

When we were buying groceries, I went around to the butchery and got it.

It was cooking away, when I got a whatsapp call; she was so happy to tell me my order has arrived. She was even happier when I told her it is cooking already.

Tell me your story: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

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Number 5 25 November 2022

My sharpened knife, stone and sliced chillies with olive oil

Today I am cooking ox tongue. It is so exciting to cook again; I started cooking round about 2015 and then about 18 months ago I more or less stopped. I really don’t have a specific reason except to say that we were in the process of selling our home where we lived for almost 41 years and I got somewhat ill as well. I had to concentrate on the logistics of re-potting plants to take with, selling, transferring the house linked to the purchasing of the other property. And the logistics involved in that venture were involved: change of address, new internet providers, new neighbours new everything! Living in one property for as long as that, makes you forget what it is to get involved with this lot: what an adventure it was. It was more stressful than what we wanted to admit at the time. And one of the things that bit the dust was my cooking.  

But I have to come back to the cooking bit. Just the other day my new neighbour, who is a retired mining engineer, gave me about five or six different chillies [13 in all]. That night at round 23:00 I put on my apron and cut it in very fine pieces; all different shades of green with the whiteish pips and off-green of the insides. First of all, I had to sharpen my knife; I took a sharpening stone from my workshop and kept in the kitchen. Then the sharpening process began. First you wet the blade, then you wet the stone before can sharpen it. It was a kind of meditation to swipe the blade very rhythmically back and forth, back and forth. 50x. Now it is very sharp; the cuts are crisp and clean. When it slices through the flesh of the chillies, you feel it in the handle. There is no resistance from the chillies. Clean cuts. Wash the stone, put it away and use the knife.

Sterilize the bottles and take a teaspoon and put the sliced chillies inside the glass bottles. Pour pure olive oil on top to cover the flesh. Let it stand for an hour or two before screwing on the lid. I store it in the fridge and use straight from the fridge onto my plate.

And I took a small bottle as a present to my neighbour. He told me that he always cooks his chillies first before he bottles it. He was excited to try mine. I never cook the chillies; always the cold fresh chillies, sliced and stored in pure virgin olive oil. After a couple of days, even the olive oil gets infused with the chillies.

How to eat it? Very carefully. With a glass of cold milk close by. Don’t touch your lips or eyes after slicing it – you will regret it.

You will ask me what has this got to do with the ox tongue? Probably nothing – but wait, I will write something very special about the ox tongue. I got side tracked by the chillies and my knife and how to sharpen it. And how to preserve finely cut chillies in pure virgin oil. What the heck!! It is all about cooking – relax and enjoy it.

Now I am off to the kitchen to attend to the ox tongue.

Please write me a letter: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

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