The photo I have chosen for tonight was taken in 1893….
This was the year that my Grandmother, Ella Bowker, was born. She was my stalwart role model for most of my childhood and well into my late teens. She was kindness. She was someone who shared my family home from 1959 when my grand dad died in Warner Beach after he retired from working on the electricity pylons around South Africa until she died in 1981.
She had the ability to never interfere in the running of the very busy household, but lived a full and busy life. She gardened, played bowls, crocheted and every night would play cards. Mostly with my parents, but when they were not available, she would play patience well into the night.
There were two things that were very important to her. One, drink was a very bad thing and two, swearing was not something that she ever wanted to hear.
She told me once that she was amazed that her earliest memory was drinking tea from a ceramic cup that never had a handle – and her most amazing experience towards the end of her life, was that she lived to see men walk on the moon!
I do have photos of her. She was a regal woman, a Sister at the various hospitals in her youth, but tonight I went onto the web to see what 1893 looked like, the year that she was born.
It depicts salt of the earth type people, sitting around a tent with one of the first trains in the background. No electricity at that time, and this was where she started from.
Today, 129 years on, I look at where we are finding ourselves in South Africa and see that our glory days are truly over. Millions of my fellow South Africans are back in those long forgotten days. Many families are unable to live in their homes, now living in shacks, there are children going hungry, work is non existent and the railways, which I believe were some of the best in the world at some stage, are now virtually non existent.
I am so grateful that both my mom and Gran Gran are not around to see the decay.
Anyway, life goes on regardless and it is up to us to keep it as real as possible.
We have been having lovely rainy weather which is so welcome. The JoJo tank is being refilled and, now we have extra water on hand for the garden.
There was great excitement in Botha’s Hill, when Flo, the mother sheep went into labour over the weekend. She delivered twins. The first one, a male, was lively during the birthing process, but sadly the second one was stillborn.
I find it so unbelievable that within a half an hour of being born, the little black sheep with a white blaze, was able to start his faltering steps to get to the mother. He toppled backwards once, got straight up again, and that was that. The absolute miracle of life. The livestock on the little small holdings is growing along side all the seedlings that are in various stages all around the terraces.
For years Brett has been warning me of the impending electricity cuts, the shortage of good food and advising me to become less reliant on the Main Stream, and I always listen to him. Living in a flat is not the easiest place to take his advice, but for those who have large gardens at your disposal, please heed his warning. Try to get yourselves more off the grid if it is at all possible. I do think he is offering good advice.
Out of my control…
I think that this following photo is very pertinent to the position that we all find ourselves in at the moment.
There is absolutely no point in constantly pointing out the negative aspects that are affecting us. The more we raise these issues, the more we fester anger, negativity and resentment.
I truly don’t mean that we have to be happy with what is going on, we are certainly aware of the shortcomings. The potholes, lack of electricity, bad service, call centers, bad drivers….. but try to remember this “Out of my Control” advice.
I am trying hard to.
