Day before Christmas

Tis was the day before Christmas, last minute shopping was franticly done and the first of the Christmas visitors arrived. No room in the inn could be cried as my brother and his wife Helene were bearing lovely gifts and who doesn’t like gifts.

It was a hot sticky type of day, thankfully Anthony and Helene brought their swimming costumes as we just had to jump into the pool, along with all the dogs. It was a good visit and we all enjoyed the day before Christmas except the shopping part.

Surprised Visit

It has been a busy 2 weeks with today being my rest day or a day of catch up with all my admin work. I was taking it easy, cruising through the day, and then just a little after 1pm my gate intercom rang.

Surprise, it was my brother Anthony. I was only expecting him late this evening or even tomorrow morning as he is going up with me to Rustenburg tomorrow. Never mind I like pleasant surprises, now I can now catch up on all the family skinner except I don’t like the politics.

Anthony Kilkenny

Thank you Anthony for coming over for the weekend and doing maintenance work on my house. Much appreciated boet, and now for a refreshing Kilkenny.

Brother to the Rescue

My brother Anthony and his wife Helene, come round to stay over on their way to Rustenburg for Helene’s birthday weekend. It was the perfect opportunity to barter trades, since Anthony needs some marketing collateral and I need a handyman to fix the mess a plumber has left us in.

First thing before it got too dark, Anthony took photographic evidence of the shoddy plumbing work, then he fixed a small leak, and connected the garden tap along with the sprinkler system onto the main water line which was conveniently not finished.

Well that is what family are for, brothers to the rescue.

Plumber Anthony

To get the final pieces of the cottage together, the plumber and electrician still had to come to complete their work. Today Anthony, the plumber, arrived to connect up the wash basin to the water and waste. Tomorrow it is the electrician’s turn.

Visit Brother

Well it is time to head east and pick up Matthew for the holidays but on the trip back we did a visit to see my brother and his wife, Anthony and Helene. Well I had to pick up a wood planner and some chisels to hang a door. Anthony has the tools I need even though he is wearing a t-shirt stating that "my wife says I don't listen... or something like that".

The Beast and 35 Sucks

The Beast Team: Ledise, Wian, Lené Anthony, Henk, and Hanro (Not sure where Belinda was)

Hanging on with Belinda and Anthony

It is our first weekend in our new home. We still have boxes everywhere and we don’t know when we are going to see the end of the move but today we conquer the Beast and later a 35th birthday braai together with a Daknatmaak.

We can do this: Henk and Anthony

Up and over: Anthony, Wian, Henk, and Lené

Bringing back memories: Anthony and Hanro

So first the Beast, They said it is fun for the whole family, a workout with a difference, but I just shook my head, haven’t I already do 2 years of army why must I pay to challenge myself basic army training style. The Beast is more than just an obstacle race. It’s about getting out, being active and making memories. Get dirty, have fun and have some great stories to tell. Well after this we did, so I will just let the images do the talking.

Mud, Glorious Mud: Anthony and Henk

Yeah a little mud won't stop Belinda and Anthony

Ledise, Henk, Wian, Anthony, Lené, Anthony, and Belinda all tangled up

Still not convinced that the Beast is only for adventure junkies and mad men, well at least my brother Anthony and his wife’s family did it not for the competition but for fun, to conquer the Beast.

Nearly over Anthony

After that the rest was all tame. It was time for the 35 Sucks birthday party, okay not sucks but a Gert’s 35th birthday braai and Daknatmaak or in English a Roof Wetting Party.

Lynda, Storm, Lisel, Buffie, Jan, Lizette, Gert where the first wave at the party, the others came later.

Happy Birthday Mom

Okay the day did end a little weird but it is my mom’s 69th birthday and sadly she had to spend it in hospital up in Pretoria. So off we went to spend the afternoon with her and make her day special.

Anthony and his wife Helene, joined us later and gave mother dearest a lovely birthday which ended in the weird part, Anthony dropping his pants to model the latest in men’s under garments. As you can see, you can choose your friends but when it comes to family well you can only love them.

Three Uncles

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. Naught be all else to me save that Thou art. Thou my best through by day or by night. Walking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

They say that things happen in threes which has a name, the Rule of Three. Well this rule has come true this year with death visiting this family three times for my pets Ally, Little Boy, and Patch, and now three uncles, Uncle Tony, Uncle Izak, and now today we lay to rest Uncle Ronald or as he is known to me Ronnie.

Now go away Death, ride out of here on that great pale horse of yours, Binky. You have visited us too many times this year already.

Today in Rustenburg, with my mother and brother by my side, we said our last goodbyes to Ronald Kümm, a brother, a father, a husband, a friend, and an uncle to join my gran and other two uncles.

One memory stands clearly in my mind of my uncle Ronnie, and that was of the incident where God clearly spoke and used me. Nearly ten years ago, I took Ronnie down to Durban to see his mother, my gran, on her death bed. To read the full incident go to Good people don’t go to heaven, saved people do.

And this is where I will end it, I hope Ronnie had heeded those words as the baton is passed onto his grandson, Elijah, who was born only a month ago. Elijah will not remember his grandfather and them two meeting but he will be loved. May his God be Yahweh as his name means, and may he be blessed to be a blessing to all those around him.

High King of heaven, when battle is done, grant heaven’s joys to me, O bright heaven’s star. Christ of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

I Don’t Feel It

The day started with Matthew and I taking a ride on the Vespa to get Matthew a short back and sides haircut. Afterwards we arranged to meet my brother Anthony at Cresta as he taken his pick up there for a service.

Anthony was just hanging around waiting while the mechanics serviced his pick up. We arranged to meet for breakfast and afterwards we went shopping for a black shirt for Matthew as he is into black now days. We walked that mall up and down but everything we found was either way over priced or simply Matthew didn’t feel it. What is wrong with teenagers these days? I just don’t feel it, huh!

Reconciliation Day of the Vow

Today used to be called the Day of the Vow after a group of Voortrekkers form a group of 470 mostly men to go and revenge the murder of one of their leaders at the hand of Shaka’s half brother Dingane in the year of our Lord 1838. They were besieged along the Ncome River by a force of what was believed to number over 10,000 Zulu warriors. They made a vow before God that if he was to deliver them victory, that they would keep this day holy. God must have heard as the Afrikaners still hold this day holy.

But that was then, and today South Africans are in a new dispensation where not the victories of one group over the other is important any more but that all groups have made reconciliation by putting their past behind them and building a new better nation.

So on this Day of Reconciliation, while most of our country marches in #ZumaMustFall gatherings to protest that our President Zuma must step down after making a mess of things, we decided to have a traditional braai. My brother Anthony and his wife Helene, who by the way is of Voortrekker descent, joined us on the small holding next to the Jukskei River. It was relaxing reconciling while the meat slowing barbecued on the grill even though Zuma will never listen to the people but laugh at them "he he he".

Towards the end of this hot day, we took a walk down to the river with our dogs and took along the neighbours two Labrador puppies as they looked like they needed some relief from the heat of the day. I believe it might be their first walk and they found the water irresistible as Labradors tend to do. By the time we returned the pair, they were finished from all the fun, running and splashing.

Hanro and the Hunger Games

Okay well not the Hunger games but an archery competition at the Ngomo Safari Lodge inside the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. The National Archery in Schools Programme held one of competitions at the lodge with another one which had contestants walking through the veldt and shooting at targets at various ranges and elevations.

My nephew Hanro from Rustenburg has been selected to represent South African juniors in the National Archery in Schools Program World Tournament to be held in July this year in Nashville, Tennessee.

Today’s competition Hanro shook his head as he was upset as he scored 270 out of 300. He was aiming for much higher. At only 12 years old, Hanro has the world before him. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour.

Other than watching the archery, we got to tour the nature reserve and see some amazing animals up close.

Please note poachers and those that believe that rhino horns give you some special powers, that all rhinos at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve have had their horns treated with toxins that make them unfit for human consumption.

Save Your Kisses for Me

The old song, "Save your kisses for me" is appropriate when Podge met his old owner after a long time. Anthony, my brother along with his wife Helene, came for a braai at our home. Podge used to be his and called Orion at the time but Anthony had to give him up when he got married because their new home did not allow animals. So Orion came to us.

Orion was overweight when he arrived to stay with us and hence his name changed to Podge. As you can see Podge is ecstatic to see Anthony again and showered him with kisses.

Family Hospitality Community

It is Christmas Day, and like I mentioned yesterday Christmas for us is not about a fat man dressed in red and presents for all. No it is all about God becoming man, and we celebrate this day with family, hospitality, and community. It is sad how the world is trying to distort the fact by bringing in myths and untruths about what really happened.

Who cares if the 25 December is not the actual day that Yeshu’a ben Yosef the Messiah or as he is well known today as Jesus Christ, was born. It is significant that he was born and was killed some 30 years later by being nailed to a wooden cross. Although everyone was born and later to die, it is very important to us that Yeshu’a walked out of the tomb alive 3 days later. God with us, the greatest gift of all time.

So in remembrance to our King being born, we dedicate this day to Him by being with family and friends and together remembering God, friends and family who have gone from this world, and just enjoy being in the company of loved ones.

Today all my friends and family were far away, but that didn’t stop Matthew and I to hold our own remembrance. Thankfully Anthony and his wife Hellene, plans changed so they too managed to join us for the day. As you can see above, Anthony is checking on the braai while we relax on the veranda.

So we wish you a God and family filled Christmas Day.

The Big Fat Greek Wedding

Oh no Big Fats nor any Greeks but there was a wedding and a Greek Restaurant called “As Greek as it Gets” involved in my day.

My matrimonial day actually started three days ago when I received an SMS from my brother Anthony, “Hi Jerome, I’m getting married on the 4th, Friday, at court at 9:00am”, I choked on my tea, what, married this Friday! I then got him on the phone and asked him if this was a wedding invite or was he just being courteous and telling me that he was getting married.

So I left early this morning to get to Cullinan way to the north east of Gauteng. It was soon after I left that I had to toss my timings out of the car as I hit road works. Somewhere in Pretoria I realised that I wouldn’t make it in time. I arrived at the marriage court at 9:15 with my brother and his wife still waiting to get all their papers in order. About 10:30 we finally got shuffled into the marriage court.

Now today being Casual Day and the theme was Bling, I wasn’t expecting to see the marriage officer dressed in a red dress and silver chains hanging from her neck. At the end of one of the silver chains was a large silver marijuana leaf. Yes a large silver dagga leaf in court, nice move. Bling!

Okay back to the wedding at hand. After the formalities were over, rings swopped and spit, no sorry the kiss to seal their love, Anthony and Helene and the few guests went down to the old part of Cullinan for photos and lunch at the Greek Restaurant called “As Greek as it Gets”. The Greek proprietor, Stavros made us kalosorisate, most welcome and treated us like part of his family.

To Anthony and Helene, may your big fat Greek wedding lead to a blessed life full of love.

Uncle Anthony

This month of December has been a month of vehicle problems. My pickup needed a service, like yesterday. Not to mention my wheel bearings and CV joints needed replacement. Having done all these, niggly vehicle problems persisted. Last night the right CV joint popped out and I had to get my insurance company to assist me getting the pickup back home.

Anthony had to change his schedule to come over and help me repair my once again broken pickup. This is starting to cost me too much money, time and effort.

Matthew enjoyed having his Uncle Anthony visiting.