3D REFLECTIONS OF LIFE

Khoi fish Are you aware of all the beauty that surrounds us? If you are like me, you are probably also drawn to all the things that can sap our energies. Our family and work lives become so busy that we miss the splendour that surrounds us. But, I am making a concerted effort to find more time to do things that are soul-inspiring.   My passion for taking pictures has raised my awareness of my surroundings. I became excited when I saw this sleeping turtle dove, perched on a yucca leaf. I spent a while watching this turtle dove and tried to study its beak, head and the various feathers. No matter where you look, there will be some form of plant life that can energise you. The shape of a tree trunk, the smell of freshly-mowed grass or even wild flowers that grow in open spaces are there to lift your spirit. Flowers in bloom have a magnetic pull. Here I posted a picture of one of our indigenous plants, the sterilitzia. The intricate design of the sterilitzia enhances its beauty. W...

Bergvliet High School: class of 2014 We have completed our round of valedictories in our family. Sasha, our only daughter, is about to write her Grade 12 finals in a week's time. Goodness, how time flies! Not too long ago, this young woman was in Grade R, then in Grade 7 and now, here she is saying farewell to her school career!   The valedictory was a beautiful occasion. Sasha beamed whenever she caught my eye and my heart was pumping red, red roses and pulsating with wondrous joy. I loved the bow and arrow analogy that Mr Price, Bergvliet's principal, used in his address to the valedictorians.   "Think of the bow as your parents, your teachers, everybody that influenced your life and yourself as the arrow," Mr Price said. The bow has been pulled back far enough to shoot you, the arrow, as far as we, the archers, could. "In other words, we have provided you with all the love, care, support and opportunities in life and now it is entirely up to you to take advan...

During the autumn months, our yucca tree became a sought after nesting ground. A pair of energetic robins were the first to arrive. They used to have long, lavish baths and worked round the clock to construct their nest. I couldn't wait to see the expansion of this family. The activity slowly wound down and as time passed, I noticed there wasn't much happening in the nest. I didn't even see the robins. The robin family must have relocated from our garden, I thought.                                                                   Then, a few weeks ago, I noticed that we had new arrivals. The nest in the yucca tree is now being occupied by a pair of turtle doves. The other day I saw one of the robins fluttering in the nest and thought the two families had probably set up home together. Not long afterwards, The robi...

Today was fantastic. The day started on a high note. The birds were having their early morning breakfast talk in the Brazilian pepper tree in our backyard and the sun was already beaming its energy across the skies from seven o clock.   My programme was sorted. Today was Brett and Geraldine Time. I was not going to touch anything related to work.   Tramway supporters with Peter and Brett. At the #C.T.T.F.A Soccer Finals in Somerset West   Our first trip was to the C.T.T.F.A Senior Soccer Knockout Finals held at the De Beers A.F.C soccer fields in Somerset West. Tramway F.C was a finalist in one of the divisions and our eldest son, Brett, was playing.   There is very little that can beat the atmosphere at soccer tournaments. Cheering crowds, beer and food gardens, umpire whistles, vuvuzelas - heaven!   Tramway F.C. Winners with their coach   Tramway had the best supporters in the house. Peter, one of the Brett's teammates, brought along his workers to the t...

If you want a kaleidoscope of treats, you have to explore Route 62. Our family enjoyed our short breakaway to Montagu Springs Resort in Montagu. Whenever we take such trips, we pack in as many activities as we can.   Travelling from Worcester along scenic Route 62 is sheer driving pleasure. You snake through farms with wide expanses of vineyards and breathtaking mountainous landscapes. From Worcester you pass through Robertson which resembles a sleepy town scattered on the hilly landscape. Sprawling vineyards Ashton When you arrive in Ashton, do stop over at the old steam locomotive that is on display in this rural town. We enjoyed clambering on it and took tons of pictures, pretending we were the drivers on the train. Our casual tour guide, one of the town's residents, slightly under the "vine", gave us an impromptu talk. Apparently this steam locomotive (number 2010) was housed at the municipal offices before. It was later moved to the main road to delight both residen...

Grezelle Jansen   Thanks to facebook, many of my past students are still in contact with me. I often see their occasional post when one of them is either celebrating a birthday, getting married or even when we lose someone connected to our extended family. Then many of us would pass on well wishes or condolences, showing that we still care about one another's wellbeing.   This year particularly, my conversations with Grezelle have stepped up. This was all because of my involvement in two charity projects. The one project, Jerzy4kidz Campaign, involved knitting jerseys for the 150 children of the Steinthal Home in Tulbagh. We completed this project at the end of July.   Now, I am a participant in the TLC4Seniors knee blanket project. We are knitting a knee throw for each of 100 residents of the Douglas Murray Home for the aged in Retreat, Cape Town as part of the Christmas gift. Of course, I invited all my facebook friends to join in on the projects. Grezelle immediately...

Blouvlei LSEN's talented dancers   I wonder how many of you remember that saying: "stop the world, I wanna get off"? Compared to our pace nowadays, that expression was an exaggeration at the time.   The world is on speed dial. We meet each new day, with a hangover of our busyness of the day before. There is no time to pause, because...   From the minute you wake up , you are confronted with the big rush.   Traffic snarls past you with their occupants looking harassed and sleep deprived. Your mailbox shouts at you with sender requests to deal with issues raised NOW. Songs playing on the radio are cut short to make way for commercials or traffic updates. HELLO?   We need to start a SLOW DOWN revolution, fast. We need to learn how to channel our energies to dance to the rhythm of real living.   Let us start now.   Take time to enjoy the flowers and the trees in gardens, along the roadside and in unexpected places. Listen to the various bird ca...