Rand Show 18

Yesterday after breaking bread with my Connect group family I had to rush off to man the Custom Couches stand at the Rand Show 2018. As grandfather of the founders, I am uniquely placed to help them out at events such as the Rand Show. Yesterday and today was busy and I expect tomorrow and the next 2 days will be too. 

Breaking Bread

Today marks the beginning of the holiest weekend in the Christian calendar, Easter. This period actually started last week with Jesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey and ends with the resurrection. In between is the Last Supper, Jesus' arrest and crucifixion. Today is the day when Jesus was crucified. This happened during the time of the Passover, where the Jews celebrate Pasig, the telling of the story of how God took the Israelites out of Egypt.

We started today as a family to break bread and to remember that Jesus died in place of us for our sins so that we may have eternal life.

During Pasig, 3 unleavened breads are placed on the table that for the Jews represents Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Interesting for us Christians is that Abraham is also known as the father of the Jewish people, Isaac his son, and Jacob the spiritual head of the Israeli nation. There you have the father, son, and spirit being represented at the table. Now this is where it gets interesting, the middle bread which represents the son is taken and broken. One piece is then hidden in the house to returned later by the children. So when Jesus took the middle bread representing the son, he said this is my body and broke it, indicating that the bread actually represents himself that was to be broken on the cross and to later return.

Goosebumps moments every time I break bread and think of Jesus doing the same.

New Sewerline

Sorry, I have been taking my daily photos but somehow life has sneaked up on me and my posts have sunk to the depths of the sewer. Taking about sewers, the new line is now completed with no leaks. Tomorrow the Rand Easter Show starts and I will be tired up for the next week. So these open trenches will have to stay open till next week.

Underground

After a fretful sleep last night, I prayed for wisdom on what to do. In the morning, I knew clearly the course of action. Part A: when the labourers arrived, the prepared the trench for the laying of the new pipe, check if the pipe under the cottage was still alright, if okay then buy new pipes and replace the section from the kitchen to the where disappears under the cottage. If not, then go straight to Part B: start digging the new around the cottage. Part C is the big search for the line on the other side of the cottage. This is what kept me up last night because of the slope of the land, the pipe would most likely be about 1m or more deep and anywhere. Knowing that the plan is way out, and now assuming that this is the old sewer line without a new one coming in I took a line from where the sewer left the property to where it went under the cottage and started digging. Thank God, that within a half a metre deep at the first stop we started digging, we found not only the pipe but the Y-joint with an inspection eye. 

Part A was a success which meant I could leave Part B for another day, as now I know exactly what is going on underground. 

Follow the Pipe

Eish, this is when I get soooo upset. When we bought the house just over a year ago, it came with plans of alterations done by the previous owner which are okay, but when you find out that plans were not followed which now cost you money, now that makes me very upset.

The plans required a new sewer line to be build to accommodate, what it calls to be a store room to be built over an existing sewerage line, unknown to us, the new sewer line was never built and the storage room become an office over an existing sewer line that I am sure was never even reinforced. Was there never an inspection done by the municipality? No wonder, since we moved in, we have had endless problems with the sewerage on this end of the building. 

This sewer line was constantly getting blocked, and when I got plumbers out yesterday for the umpteen time to unblock, they failed and said that the line must have collapsed. This morning I got the quotation and it is R12,000 to repair. Wow, at this moment in time I simply can not afford it but it needs to be fixed. So I went to price the materials needed and then hired some labourers to follow the sewer line from the kitchen. The cost of the materials needed is only R1,200. What were the plumbers smoking, a R10,000 labour charge for a 2 day job. 

We followed the pipe down until we discovered that it turned under the new section. It was then that I realised that this was the existing sewer line and the required new line was never built. Grhhh!

Gremlins Strike Again

The gremlins strike again. For those who don't know what a gremlin is, well shame on you for being so young. No what this is acually showing my age as Gremlins is a movie from the 80s about little creatures called mogwai and if they got wet they transform into destructive little monsters called gremlins. A swear that pekingese puppy shown above looks like a mogwai. And if there are mogwai, then the inevitable is that there are gremlins.

Since we've moved in here, we have had endless problems with the sewerage line running along from the kitchen with the cottage feeding in. Countless times, have the plumbers arrive to unblock the drain and today they arrived once again but this time they failed due to the excuse that the pipe has collapsed. Gremlins.

The plumbers left and promised that they are going to send a quotation to repair. I also phoned my building insurance company to see if a collapsed drain is covered but after holding on to elevator music with the message "Please note we currently experiencing high call volumes. Your call will be answered by the next available consultant" for over an hour, I had enough and gave up. What more can go wrong. I need to get this fixed. I need wisdom and a plan of action.

It's Who I Am

Yes today is Palm Sunday and within a week we celebrate the most Holiest of Days in the Christian calendar, the death and resurrection of our saviour, Jesus the Messiah.

Those that read my blog would know by now that God seems to be taking me on a journey. Yip, I don't know what my future holds but I know who holds it. If I just stop and think of the situation I currently find myself in, yes I would be scared but strangely I find myself calm. And on the Sunday when Jesus sent some disciples ahead to "steal" a donkey and her colt and bring it to Him so that He can ride triumphantly into Jerusalem thereby fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah that their King will return to Jerusalem riding a donkey and her foal. The people waving palm branches were expecting a conquering messiah, and were thrown into confusion at the events that unfolded over the week that ended with Jesus hanging on a cross. Well that was not the end of the story.

Over this coming week till Friday, the story builds up, but remember, SUNDAY is coming!

I am going to use some of the words of the song by Chris Tomlin, Good Good Father, which we sang in church this morning to tell you how I feel in words I can't even start right now even with the future looking as bleak. Sunday is coming.

I've heard a 1000 stories of what they think you're like but I've heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night and you tell me that you're pleased with me and that I'm never alone. I've seen many searching for answers far and wide but I know that I've been searching for answers only you provide because you know just what I need before I say a word. You are perfect in all of Your ways. Oh, it's love so undeniable I, I can hardly speak. Peace so unexplainable I, I can hardly think as you call me deeper still into love. You're a good good father, it's who you are and I'm loved by you. It's who I am!

A Princess can Dream

Well, here is little Princess Rebekah watching Shekinah and Mohamed take their first dance as man and wife, yes this little princess was keenly watching and surely will one day be dreaming of a prince charming for herself.

It is a different kind of wedding that I've ever been to, and I have been to a number. I suppose I was expecting a Madeiran Lebanese Muslim fusion of a wedding but it turned out to be just a wedding reception as to the actual wedding vows which I believe happened earlier with even the father of the bride not even knowing yet alone giving his daughter away. Is this the Lebanese Muslim way of getting married? Surely not, well I actually don't know. What I do know from already experiencing a Lebanese Christian wedding that is not the case.

Anyways, it was a great wedding reception as receptions go, with local Lebanese dancing much similar to most Mediterranean cultures like the Greek and Israeli except this time with Lebanese music. No keep the tune but just replace the singing and I could be in the Palestine countryside or even Turkey.

Cold after the rains

The rains have stopped after 2 days of non-stop deluge. No sun yet, lots of mist but the rains have stopped. I took a walk into my water logged garden much to the delight of our dogs. Splish, splash, look at me. Well with all the rain, washing of clothes are not getting done, not that River Song helps at all expect pull the clean washing off the washline. At 5 months, River Song is one naughty puppy, when will she ever learn, not to pull the washing off the line. No, no!

And it Rains

Driving home yesterday after visiting my mom the rain started falling and it didn't stop. By midday today our garden started flooding and our swimming pool started overflowing. Yesterday the pool was about 10cm below the edge and after raining all night and all morning. The 10cm is now minus with water over flowing since midday. 

Spending Time with Mom

Matthew, mom, and me

In South Africa today is Human Rights Day, a day off for the family. Lynda had to get a new dress for a wedding that is coming up and since I already have a suit that hopefully should still fit me, so I thought that that today would be a good day to drive or ride up to Pretoria, pick up Matthew and visit my mom whom I never saw since her operation last month. My mom is staying at my sister and her husband's place, recovering albeit very slowly.

Theresa, mom, and I

I arrived at Matthew's dorm at about 11:30am and found him still fast asleep after an all-nighter watching movies. After a shower, Matthew jumped into the driver's position as he has his driver's learner licence and he drove us to Theresa and Han's home where my mom was staying. Of course we came baring gifts of cake, cooldrinks, hotcross buns, and shortbread briskets in time for lunch.  

Hans, mom, and me

Matthew and I, had a lovely visit of my sister and her family, and a recovering my mom. Her wound is slowly healing and hopefully God willing will be allowed to return home in Sabie. Just before we left, we just had to have a impromptu family photoshoot. Oh course that is how we roll. 

Matthew, mom, Jaen-Jurie (Hans and Theresa's son or Matthew's cousin)

Rains a Coming

The summer heat from the last few days seem to be coming to an end as seasons start to change to autumn. The clouds started to build up heavy black in the south west. There are rains a coming, time to batten down the hatches. Thankfully I have my pickup back from the panel beaters and don't have to rely on my Vespa in the coming rains, yay.

Grumpy Furball

A little furball of a Pekingese puppy looks so sad and grumpy but far from it. This little furball belonging to our tenant loves seeing our little Rosy kitten, chasing her into our home. No barking, just come play with me little dog looking cat but Rosy was not that impressed with this furball running up to her. 

I must say, this post is lighter than yesterday's post where I am feeling very inspired but today I felt the attacks coming in response. Thankfully the puppy brought a lightness to a heavy oppressive day.

Determining God's Will

Faith is a area that I struggle with, and with the little faith that I have I find myself in front of a self made mountain and crying out for God's help. I believe that God has put me on this path even though I am ill equipped. It is at times like these that I start questioning, did God really want me on this path and it is this morning's quiet time reading that God clearly spoke through his word to me.

Yes I know that I am like Gideon in the Old Testament, wanting a clear and precise instruction, and it has to be confirmed, not once but over and over again even if the angel of the Lord stood right in front of me and told me this is the will of God. Reading the account of Gideon braaing some meat, making a soup, and some unleven bread for the angel to sacrifice, at first I thought God doesn't like soup because the angel poured the soup out onto the ground and used his rod to sacrifice the meat and bread but then I remembered the story of Elijah pouring water onto the sacrifices before God zapped them with His holy fire. So the soup must have been poured onto the meat and bread before the sacrificial fire. Gideon believed then when he saw this but was not long afterwards that he needed a reconformation.

After pondering on this account of Gideon, I was led to 1 Thessalonians 4:3-12 of the New Testament where God spoke clearly to me, this is His will for me...

"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. 

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

Later on in the morning, at Centre Church for the first service, a word was mentioned that God will provide a path through the mountain that stands in front of me.

  

White Cross

I just sat down after a very quiet day at work, when I received the call. I can't write much about the why because not jeopardising a police investigation but I found myself with many others walking the veldt as the light of the day disappeared. 

We came quite close to the Black Eagles nest below us and they were no doubt disturbed by us. They flew around us a few times before realising that we weren't coming near their nest and settling down for the night.

It was a very sad reason why I found myself here in the low light, but I just had to stop to take a short video of the Black eagles as they kept a close eye on us. The correct name for them are the Verreaux eagles but they are more commonly known as Black eagles. In Afrikaans they are called the Witkruisarend or roughly translated the White Cross eagle due to their white markings on their backs in the shape of a while cross. 

So in the low light of Saturday evening, I just sadly stood, frozen as the eagles came very close and continued to watch as the eagles majestically soared on the thermals at eye level to me with every turn a white cross flashed in the light. The hope just rose up in me, that no matter what the outcome God is in control.

Cat Nurses

I think I am getting on top of this man-flu with my nurses Minky (shown above), Paddy, Rosy, and of course Lynda, all did a splendid job of making sure I get over this. As you can see Minky sitting on top of me while I am trying to work on the computer. 

It doesn't really feel like a Friday, because weekends I have to go in to the showroom to help out. So my 2 week bed rest has officially come to an end. "I owe, I owe, its off to work I go. With a cat or two, I owe, I owe" (sang to the Disney version of Snow White's little people's song "Its off to work I go").

Tiger Wiger

I am feeling much better today, as Lynda came home from the doctor bearing medicine for her plus a change of medicine strategy for me. Already I feel the difference. Nice.

Well by evening, I suddenly realised that my foggy head forgot the photo of the day. Luckily Tiger was lying on the ottoman in front of me, so Tiger Wiger became today's subject. Poor Tiger, this cat has really been through the wars, having rescued him after been half mangled by dogs. He has recovered well and has become an inside cat. I call him a Chinese cat because his eyes are very Chinese like. I think only once, when he got a fright did I see big round cat eyes him, normally they just thin slits, hardly open at all. But when there is food, he is the first one there.

My Future

I haven't been myself lately, well mainly due to man-flu while storm clouds gather around, and now formable Lynda has been struck down with lady-flu. 

We planted a sunflower in the corner of our vegetable garden last year and a beautiful yet solitary sunflower grew up from the seed. It turned to dust along with our garden as winter struck. Now 2 sunflowers have sprouted, 1 where the original was and this one in the opposite corner. Beautiful! It got me thinking along the lines of faith as that was in my quiet time this morning. Yes I have been struggling with this faith concept since I fell off the edge in December last year and with little faith I have, and it is only a handful, it says I can move mountains. Yet from my perspective, I am still facing the mountain face and it hasn't moved. That is what I am struggling with at the moment, yet it is well with my soul.

Looking at this bright yellow sunflower that came out of the dust, I thought of this mornings words to me, faith is not knowing the future outcome but it is knowing who holds my future in His hands.

So as ominous as my future seems to me, I know I am not but I know I AM, and He holds my future.

Whats left?

I am struggling to get on top of this man flu. I feel well till about mid afternoon when it hits me again. I think it is about this time that the meds wear off and since I don't want to overdose I have to wait till evening to take some more.

Today at lunchtime, I decided to go take a cat nap and hopefully feel right as rain. I had just put my head on the pillow and closed my eyes when I heard someone drilling. What?

No one should be home, unless my tenant is home and drilling but why should she? So annoyed, I sat up and was about to go investigate the source of the sound which would not allow me to even have a cat nap, when I heard the noise coming from my feet. There was Rosy holding onto a dove about the same size by the throat and the drilling noise was her growing to warn all the other cats who had circled her to back off.

By the time I got her to release the poor dove, there was nothing I could do but discard of the remains. Naughty kitty. I suppose this is how I feel, just a bunch of feathers, that is all, just a memory of myself.

Cactus Fruit

I am not really fond of cactus other that the Tree Hugger song by Kimya Dawson and cold prickly pear fruit, yummy. The way I feel now man flu down, I think I must be very prickly even to hug. 

We have this cactus in our front garden that is really doing well, flowering often and now sprouting bright red fruit. I'm not sure if they are edible and I'm not going give it a try. I wish to be a big cactus with a pink flower on it.  And the flower would be its offering of love to the desert, so dry and lonely that the creatures all appreciate the effort.

Pretty in Pink

Okay I seem to be up and down with this man-flu. I am not sure when I am going to throw this mantle but I am trying. We had someone coming round to look at our cottage and while out in the front of our garden I saw this pretty pink flowers that almost plastic. 

I am not sure what flowers they are and I am not in the right space headwise to search. And what with all these sugar and spice and all things nice lately, well I am sick of course and in need of some TLC and pampering to get me back to my normal self. 

Hello Sexy

Back at work over the weekends, although I have not recovered 100% from my man flu, but who cares if you have the Red Baroness Scarlet waiting downstairs for you. Oh what sexy curves you have my dear.  

The Cardinal Returns

Still trying to recover from my man-flu, I heard the distinct tat tat tat sound coming from the garden. Ahh a woodpecker from space. Now for those who remember that 1 hit disaster of a song from the 80s will sadly have that tune stuck in their heads. 

Anyway it was good to see that the Cardinal Woodpecker has returned to our garden to feast on some lovely bugs. Or this could be a small Bearded woodpecker, I am not 100% sure but my gut is going with the Cardinal.

Mist Rolls In

The Jozi weather is slowly changing from summer into autumn. We had a lovely summer thunderstorm mid afternoon then the mist rolled in. Silient fingers of white mist was creeping down into the gorge though the veil of low clouds. Standing on my deck hoping to catch a lovely sunset, the mist had this sinister feel to it with not a sound of birds or other wildlife.

Moon Boot

That dive that Lynda took a few weeks back is just not coming right. She went to the doctor last Saturday and got xrays done. A piece of bone had chipped off a foot bone and as a result she has to wear the moon boot much to the dismay of the cats. They are terrified of this thing wrapped around mommy's foot. 

Mystery Story

How about a mystery story today? Yesterday when my pickup was returned I discovered that the alarm, immobiliser,  and central locking was not working. Thinking that perhaps it was just a wiring connection that was forgotten I drove my pickup back to the panel beater.

While in the waiting room, waiting for the workshop manager as one does in a panel beater's waiting room, I saw a few woman magazines and this book titled "15 Mystery Short Stories". My first thought was, surely I hope I won't be that long to actually read a short story. Never in a thousand years did I think that I was about to enter an actual mystery.

It wasn't a too long of a wait, and the workshop manager arrived. I told him my story and he asked me to pull my pickup into the workshop while he went to fetch the auto-electrician who worked on my car. When the auto-electrician arrived, and I told him that my alarm does not work. He answered that there never was an alarm in the pickup when it arrived. WHAT!!!

In my hand was the pickup keys with the alarm remote. The auto electrician also thought it was odd as all the alarm wiring, siren, and anti-hijack system was in place BUT no alarm control box. He showed myself and the workshop foreman a bunch of wires that he explained that these wires go into the control box and look how they have been neatly bridged. He explained if it wasn't bridged and the alarm control box had been just yanked out it wouldn't start. The workshop foreman took some photos to cover themselves I suppose but where is my alarm?

The mystery deepens as I  phone my insurance company. Who stole my alarm? It is such an old pickup and the alarm system is old too. I don't think that they make that type any more. Anyways from what I recall. When my pickup caught on fire on Thursday 1 February it had an alarm system. My insurance company got a towing company to collect pickup and take it to their yard for the assessor to come inspect. But somehow they lost my pickup and it was only found a week later on the following Friday 9 February. I was told that when the towing company arrived to drop my pickup off, the yard was full and they took it to a yard next door. That is what I was told by my insurance broker when they finally found my pickup.

I got a call from an assessor not long after that asking me if my battery was flat. I answered no and that was the last I heard until I got an email from the insurance company that my claim was approved and that they are sending my pickup to the panel beater.

Over a month since the fire, I got my pickup back minus a alarm system. It is up to the insurance company to solve the mystery and rectify. I'll go back to reading some mystery novels. 

When it Rains

All I have is a little faith. They say even with little faith you can move mountains. I am trying, believe me, I am trying. It seems that somehow with the little faith that I have I am getting through the month but it is still piling up in front of me. 

My pickup Suzzette, was dropped off this afternoon in the midst of a highveld thunderstorm. The repair work looked okay but I could not stay long in the rain as I am down with a nasty bug since yesterday. Yes I did not eat any polony or any viennas as I don't enjoy pink slime, so it can't be that listeriosis recall.

Later when I was putting Suzzette away, I notice that the alarm did not work. Oh dear now I have to make sure that she is under lock and key for the night and the beams activated around her just to keep her safe until I can get her back to the panel beaters tomorrow morning.

Sick Duke

Thanks Marco, I felt like I had been run over by a bus this morning. My eyes and nose felt all squashed up together like, with a steam train running through my head. Yes Marco has been struggling with flu for the last 6 weeks and he has been in at the show daily. I must have caught some bug from him because I felt real bad this morning.

I crawl out of bed, overdose on Corensa C, Grippon, and headache tablets, and somehow managed to ride Scarlet to the Randfontein Show. Don't ask me how we managed to get here in one piece, all I know Scarlet can ride herself without any intervention from me. I just need to hold on. After opening up Custom Couches stand, I got myself a slash puppy, put my feet up on the Duke L-Shape couch, closed my eyes and slowly sipped the iced cool drink. 

Towards the end of the morning I was burning with a fever. Which to me is a good thing because I know my body is fighting the virus. The battle was hard but I eventually gave up trying to keep my eyes open and Scarlet carried me home to sleep the rest of the day away.

Queen of the Show

Day 3 of Custom Couches at the Randfontein Show, and my Vespa called Scarlet, has become quite a hit with old and young alike. I am glad that she is shining at the show, getting all the attention she deserves because normally like a true Poser, she would be parked in the garage and taken out occasionally but at this show she is becoming the star, the queen bee.

The Randfontein Show is getting very busy, it feels like the entire West Rand is passing through the gates and the long hours is starting to get to me.

Bathing Scarlet

Since my pickup is still at the panel beaters, getting a new radiator which has been claimed as the cause of the electrical fire, I have to use Scarlet, my Red Baroness Vespa to commute to the Randfontein Show. 

I thought, since I will be at the show on my red Vespa and the corporate colours of Custom Couches is red, it would look kind of grand to put Scarlet on the stand, hence I had to get her a wash and polish. 

The first place I went too, did a Eco Wash which is waterless but wanted to charge R70 just for a wash. Dudes this not Cape Town. We are not spiralling to Day Zero, so no one in their right mind would pay R70 to wash a bike, no-one unless you live in Cape Town that is. After asking around, I found these guys next to the Total garage in Randfontein. Using water, soap, they gave Scarlet a good through bath with a polish afterwards at only R40. Thank you, Scarlet looks perfect.

I said NO PHOTOS

It is the Randfontein Show, and here I am at the Custom Couches stand helping out. I must say that the Randfontein Show has an old time carnival feel to it compared to the Rand Easter Show and Decorex. It is a more relaxed family orientated show and although Custom Couches is here for sales, I am sure we are going to make an notable brand impact on the far West Rand. 

We did a walk around this morning and came across these camels with a sign next to them,

CAMELS

For Sale

ESTATES

At first glance, you think WHAAAAT, camels for sale then you realise that the company is Camel Estates and this was just their For Sale board that they put outside properties that are for sale.

"NO PHOTOS"