Number twenty-one 11.12.2022

 My onion - I do hope that you've enjoyed my onionToday I am a bit lazy to write. Remember it is Sunday afternoon, we’ve been to church, witnessing our young pastor christening his youngest child, a boy; a jovial tee-drinking session with good company. Back home, just taking it slowly and leisurely. I will therefor keep it short and sweet as the saying goes. Well, not exactly sweet because of the picture I am publishing. It is an onion....

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Number twenty 10.12.2022

 Brunsvigia Dullstroom dried outBrunsvigia, Dullstroom leavesBrunsvigia, Dullstroom in full flowerBrunsvigia Dullstroom in situ Saturday 10 December 2022 and the end is near!! One of these days we will be celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Our shopping malls will be filled with music, overflowing with Christmas decorations and the ever politically correct re-naming of Christmas to “… a festival of lights …” or “… the festive season.”...

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Number Nineteen 9.10.2022

 Elephants are not cute and cuddly and they are not fond of cup-cakesOn 27 June 2022 I published an article on three elephants living at the Johannesburg Zoo. What happened to Lammie, Mopani & Ramadiba after this date? Children’s books portray elephants as huge, cuddly, friendly animals that you can keep next to your child’s bed at night. These animals are wild, huge, not cuddly, not cute, definitely not something to play with. The one...

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Number Eighteen 8.12.2022

 Ian McKellar: NOW WE REALLY LIVE And the 2022 is coming to a close. For some it was a rough and tumble year, for others a year of great heartache. And others are still undeciding. We had our share of heartache as well. For me, primarily, it was a year to adapt from living in a house for almost 41 years to another home and a much, much smaller garden. I learnt a lot of invaluable lessons and looking forward to the future to learn more lessons....

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Number Seventeen 7.12.2022

Hymie Marnewick yesterday in Rivonia While I was standing in a very long, slow moving, lethargic queue at the ATM, I met a girl with lively big brown eyes, looking very inquisitively at me. We are also in a queue waiting for Christmas to appear and to give out gifts - and the people look tired and irritated. Nothing exciting is going on in their lives. That is how I see them. “Hallo, young one.” I said to her. Life still holds lots of secrets, mysteries...

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Number 16 6.12.2022

  Yesterday, besides the violent weather, someone cut the cables in our street and there is now no internet connection. Early morning everything was fine, up and working. I went to art class – the last for 2022 and had a good time there. Once again it was a show and tuition and I was certainly not disappointed. That is the reason why I haven’t posted my write up yesterday. I was running around to get a place with internet services, found...

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Number fifteen 5 December 2022

FRANK MCCOURTFrank McCourt’s ANGELA’S ASHES is a modern-day classic with more than 70 re-prints. He is from Irish-descent who was born in the USA and that was where he spent more than 30 years teaching children. Angela’s Ashes is a sad, sombre piece of literature. He describes the death of his baby sister, Margaret’s death in short, staccato sentences and the finishing grace was when he wrote: “She’s gone.” He grew up hungry. His siblings grew...

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