Liefde is soos kwiksilwer.
Hou jou vingers liggies oop
en dit sal in jou handpalm bly.
Gryp dit vas en dit sal meteens weggly.

Uit : Die Groot Aanhalingsboek

A Blessed, happy and peaceful 2009 !

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the whole world -- Mother Teresa

Outside our gate ...

Outside our gate in the grass (before it was mowed) I found this little daisy flowers (weed) growing.

The framed painting.

Tulips in a bowl

Tulips are one of my favoured flowers, especially the deep orange colour. But this colour (pink-red) is just so amazingly beautiful that I had to paint them.

Butterflies, buds, flowers, sunshine ...

Spring arrived with a splash of colour and sunshine. We feel it in the air, in our bones, in our souls, everywhere. And what a feeling of freedom - free from the depressing shades of darkness and blowing winds and coldness...

Because I work for a real estate company, Hanlies Properties - doing their office work, including portfolios and website - I enjoy viewing all the photos taken of the different properties. The above photo was one in a very special property - the owner created it, I think she is a photographer.
I think it is a very good composition of different butterflies.

Die raambesigheid is nou eers op die lange baan geskuif.

Iewers in die toekoms sal ek weer daaraan dink, en moontlik dit 'n werklikheid maak. Indien ek nou so 'n besigheid wil bedryf, moet ek eers aan die praktiese dink. Ek sal dit beslis nie vanuit die huis kan bedryf nie - dit sal meer toeganklik moet wees vir kliente, ek het ook nie die ruimte by die huis nou daarvoor nie.

Ps 37 gee raad en moed. Moenie nou oorhaastig optree nie, hou rustig aan met werk - God weet wanneer die tyd reg is en sal op Sy tyd voorsien.

Intussen is dit nou skoolvakansie (een week) en maak ons reg vir die besige laaste kwartaal van die jaar - musiekkonsert, balletkonsert, en nog meer. Somerskoolklere word nou in orde gekry - rokkies wat te kort geword het, word langer gemaak, skryfbehoeftes word na omgesien, ens.

Alles loop nou op na 'n hoogtepunt, naamlik die lekker lang Desember vakansie waar gesinne bymekaar kuier en saam kuier en net mekaar se geselskap kan geniet, sonder die gejaag na more.

Ek het ook intussen twee skilderye voltooi, die een is reeds geraam en sy titel is "Tulpplesier". Tulpe is my gunsteling blomme, veral die oranjes. Hierdie is pink/rooi, maar baie mooi. Sodra ek 'n foto geneem het, plaas ek dit hier. Die ander ene is 'n klein skilderytjie van 'n "close-up" van magrietjies in die veld.

Ek sal moet begin dink om die skilderye te verkoop - dit gaan net te veel in die huis raak. Ek skram nog weg daarvan, want in elke skildery is iets van mensself.

Nou gaan ons eers lekker koffie drink. Geniet die dag verder.

What a kind and beautiful thing to do

Please read this and thank you for sending this e-mail around for others to read and enjoy.

This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way of knowing who sent it, but there is a truly beautiful soul working in the dead letter office at the Post Office.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.

She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:Dear God,Will you please take care of my dog Abbey? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.

A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith , ' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note: Dear Meredith,Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love

God

Vandag het ek nie rus nie.

Ek dink ek was nog altyd baie konserwatief in my denke en nie eintlik iemand wat risiko's geneem het nie. En nou het daar iets oor my pad gekom wat ek nogal graag sou wou doen, maar sien ek kans om die risiko te neem?

'n Klein gevestigde raambesigheid is te koop. Dit is bedryf vanaf die huis deur 'n vrou met 2 kindertjies. Om die besigheid oor te neem, dit wil se die apparaat/masjienerie, kos R 55 000-00. Dan moet ons een motorhuis omskep word - dit wil se 'n plafon moet ingesit word, die motorhuisdeur moet vervang word, die kamer moet dan geverf en netjies gemaak word, ens. Dit sal ook ongeveer R 20 000-00 na R 25 000-00 kos. Daarna is daar nog ongeveer R 10 000-00 nodig om voorraad aan te koop. Dit bring die totaal te staan op ongeveer R 90 000-00.

Nou staan die saak so : ek het nie die kontant nie, en ek sien ook nie kans om geld te leen nie. Ons het so lank afbetaal aan studielenings en nou betaal ons af aan ons huis en motor. Ek wil ook nie op die huisverband leen nie - ons skuld nog ongeveer R 117 000-00 en ek sou graag dat ons dit klaar afbetaal en dan bietjie die huis opknap.

Ek wil baie graag van die huis af werk sodat ek smiddae by die huis vir Lize is. En Pa is 94 jaar oud en woon ook by ons. Dan is hy ook nie alleen by die huis deur die dag nie.

Nou wat staan my te doen???

Ek glo dat God voorsien en weet wat reg en goed is vir elkeen van sy kinders. Maar ek glo ook dat Hy aan ons 'n goeie en nugtere en gesonde verstand gegee het om besluite te neem. Nou wat is Sy Wil met my? - "Here, sal U my die wysheid en insig gee om die regte besluit te neem. Daar is eintlik net een uitweg, stap weg . Maar ek wil dit graag doen, en ek glo ek kan 'n sukses daarvan maak. En God kan voorsien! Here, laat my berus in wat ook al my paadjie moet wees".

Die dae gaan in 'n oogwink verby, of soos DJ Opperman in sy gedig "Vakansiebrief" dit stel - "my dae verdwyn in stilte soos kwartels in lang gras ...".

I am a member of the Drakenstein Art Society and we have a group exibition from 10 September 2008 until the 30th September 2008 in the Breytenbach Centre in Wellington. You are very welcome to visit the Breytenbach Centre and enjoy the paintings, mosaic works, etc. The art works will also be for sale.

WEES 'N GELUKKIGE VROU

"Never take someone for granted, hold every person close to your heart because you might wake up one day and realize that you've lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones ..."

Oil on canvass board
Speels / Playful


SOLD

Windop!

Graphite and charcoal on paper.


SOLD

Oil on canvass board - Oh, what a beautiful morning / Eerstelig

More flowers. I love the colours.

A painting I enjoyed to do.

Lize and me enjoying a walk on the beach at Yzerfontein early one Saterday morning about four years ago. It was a cold and misty morning.

I started painting about two years ago and love it. Enjoy viewing my first paintings.

Rose 1

Rose 2

Rose 3

BEGINNINGS

This is a new beginning - to keep a journal of happenings and feelings in my life. And to write it in English, because my mother tongue is Afrikaans. I believe one can express oneself better - much better - in your mother tongue than in a second language. But I will try and sometimes I will write in Afrikaans.



I live in Wellington, Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa with my husband, Claudius, and our daughter, Lize. My father-in-law lives with us. We have four cats, called Liquorice, Sjongie, Simba and Asjas, and a Labrador called Jessie, and a bird called Groenie. We are a happy family.