Wedding speech: Putting writing 201 into practice

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Rewriting on Your Own: Putting Writing 201 into Practice

If it had not been for the practice that the Dailypost suggested the 4 weeks I would not have done a well prepared speech! Thanks to all for tips and suggestions.

“I would like to begin by thanking the master of ceremony for inviting me,Ineke as mother of the groom, to deliver my speech. It is wonderful to have you all gathered here as friends and family in honor of both the bride and groom. I know most of you have come from distant area to join us in celebrating our children’s wedding… I would like to express my/our appreciation. There are many good memories that came to mind when I thought about what I would say today.
Bertus is an honest, hard working and loving young gentleman. I think he will be not only a good husband to his lovely bride but also an excellent father to his children. I am a very proud mother today, I am sure Bertus that your father would also be very proud to see you all dressed up and happy with Stella at your side as your wife. The two of you compliment each other in many ways and are a perfect match. Your powers are combined in one strong team.
Stella you and your family are welcome in our small family. We are tied together as one family now.
I am very proud to tell you some snippets from Bertus as a young lad up to becoming the young gentleman he is today.
I still see in my minds eye Bertus’s father, a man of nearly 2 meter, weighing between 110-114 kg sitting outside in full summer sunshine without his shirt and only his shorts watching his hens eating. Next to him was this tiny blond toddler only wearing his t-shirt and socks, without his nappy,also watching the hens and trying to water them with the hose pipe. A picture always to remember.
I also remember that he loved to dress up as Father Christmas and hand out the presents. He would paste his face full of cotton wool and wear his red track suit.
In High school, he was a trumpeter in the Cadet orchestra and they came second in the international competition that year. He tried to play rugby but hated it because in the scrum the boys tried to pull down each others shorts!
Bertus also delivered newspapers using his well loved bicycle. After saving all his well earned money he bought his first motor bike.
In his first year at technicon I bought him a yellow mini. I’ll almember this tall thin body doubling up to fit into the mini. Later he bought his real black motorbike.
Just after finishing his studies and starting his second job the opportunity came for him to move to New Zealand.
Here I want to thank Stella’s father Coen for giving Bertus the opportunity to live with him for the first month. Thank you for being, not only a good friend to Bertus, but also for giving Bertus fatherly advice too. It is much appreciated. Bertus still looks up to you as a wonderful father, now he has a real father in you again.
Bertus and Stella, I wish you all the happiness in the world and long lives together.
I want to propose a toast on the happy couple

Things that make up me…Thursday special

I did my piece of writing for

It’s write easy

last Friday about things that make up you/me

I feel I want to share this piece of writing and also an old clipping from 1973.

1.Things that make up me…

 

1972 – starting a new year, in an unknown town  and a whole new way of living for me.

After coming back from an awesome 3 weeks of touring South America I had to leave my parents home and start a whole new life on my own.I had been living and teaching for four years from home near Pretoria.

I got a  teaching job in Potgietersrus,starting January 1972. My first year there I had to stay in the hostel as part of my contract. Coping with teaching grade 2 in English(me as an Afrikaans speaking person) and looking after children in the hostel stretched my nerves to the full.

The hostel had two floors. The ground floor was the easy floor. Children from farmers who lived too far out of town were hosted there. They always went home during weekends.

The first floor had children from Johannesburg or Die Rand who were taken away from problem parents. They never went home during the term. They could only go home July holidays and then December. These poor children had many problems. They were from broken and poor homes.

Why I am writing about 1972 and my first year in Potgieterus has a twist!

On Facebook, I am taking part in, posting a photo a day. A topic is given for each day of the month. Monday the topic was trees. Someone posted a photo of a dead tree next to  Moorddrift monument. The camel thorn tree burned down some years back. A young tree is already growing there, very slowly There is a historical background to these trees. There were two big thorn trees growing on the side of the Nyl River. It was a good spot to camp for the group of Voortrekkers-Pioneers. During the night/day a nearby tribe came and killed the whole group. There were 6 children in the group. These childrens heads were bashed against  the two trees killing them. This is why the trees are historical importance.

May,1973 I took my std 1 class to this monument and gave them a lesson on the historical background on the moments there. A magazine, Die Landbouweekblad took a photo of us with the two big trees still growing at that time.

I told the person who posted the dead tree, about this picture. She asked me if I could show it to her.  After some digging in my boxes which I haven’t unpacked yet, I found the clipping and I sent it to the lady who posted it on Facebook.

I am very proud of myself because I first had to scan the picture and upload it to my computer, then I had to upload it onto facebook.

Now I am going to paste it onto my blog too!

The one in the green dress is me!

Visit Paula’s blog for more Specials

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Writing 101, Day eleven: My home when I was 12

 

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Tell us about the home where you lived when you were twelve. Which town, city, or country? Was it a house or an apartment? A boarding schoolor foster home? An airstream or an RV? Who lived there with you?

Today’s twist: pay attention to your sentence lengths and use short, medium, and long sentences as you compose your response about the home you lived in when you were twelve.

 

June 19, 2014

 

My home, to me as a twelve year old girl, was a house in a rural area called Erasmia in South Africa. I lived there for 5 years with my parents and two sisters.

There were not many houses at that time. Today it is a town on its own and also a suburb of Pretoria(today called Tswane).

This house, in Peter Street, had three bedrooms, a kitchen- big enough to house a dining table, a lounge, bathroom and toilet.

I shared a bedroom with my younger sister . We each had a bed that was folded  up against the wall during the day. On top was a shelve from which hang a curtain to cover it up. When using the beds at night, we had to make sure that the two front legs were wide open.  It happened at times that, while turning around in my sleep, the legs would collapse. It was quite a shock when you suddenly fall out of bed! I can still remember it clearly!

The kitchen was the best place to be. Most of our daily activities took place there. We had a black Esse wood stove. My mother baked delicious dishes in it. Wintertime it was warm and cosy in the kitchen. My parents usually closed the inner door to keep it lovely and warm. We would sit around the table and listen to the radio. First the news at 7pm and the bible reading at quarter past(boeke vat) . The best was the evening story 7:30 pm – “Die geheim van Nantes” and/or “Die de Plooys van Soetmelksvlei.”

I can’t remember much more of the house. It had three round windows in the front. This was kind of unusual for those days. There was a small “stoep”(veranda) at the side. A double door let you through to the lounge.

The garden was quite big. It went up a hill or “koppie”. At the top were big boulders and some tall trees. We loved to play there. It felt like in the jungle. All covered between the branches. Nobody could see us when we were up there. We usually played Tarzan and the apes. We climbed these trees like real monkeys.

At the bottom of this hill there was a chicken run. We always had hens and fresh laid eggs. There were also turkeys – they were for Christmas time!

This is all I can Remember at the moment. 

The “Koppie” and front of the house with its round windows.

More photos of  my home at 12

Writing 101: day eight : Death to adverbs

Thursday morning I went to our Mall

sat down and did a lot of writing

because day eight was:

Go to a local café, park, or public place and report on what you see. Get detailed: leave no nuance behind.

 

12 o’clock, lunch time for many. I am sitting on a wooden bench against a wall in our Mall in Upper Hutt.

On my left there is one of those  glass boxes in which you put $2 and  use an electric arm with claws  to pick up one of the objects in the box. It is a red one and there are big toy bears, dogs and colorful birds to pick. To my right are 3 more of these show cases. On the side of the one nearest to me are the following words  “Win every time”. In it are sweets and balls to win. It is a yellow one..In the middle is a pink colored one where you can play some games paying $2 for a game. They call this one”prize cascade”. The third one is blue and  has some chocolates in it to pick with the electric arm.They call it “Kiwikrane”.On each one is the company name: Prize out.

Also on my right hand side is our  Paper plus shop. The sign above the door is in blue with Paper Plus, Kiwi on green Bank on red and last Post shop on red.All the writing is in white on the different colored backgrounds. Before entering  the door there are tables with novels  for sale. $20 each. On the right hand side of the door is a display window with flags of different countries. Also some books and objects,  telling about the Soccer World cup starting tomorrow.On the left hand side of the door is a sign :

Lotto… Play here.

Opposite me, is Farmers, a big chain shop. Big signs say red dot sale with also some 50% off the price items.The wall above the shops windows and doors are a light green. There are glass panels in the ceiling to let in some natural light.

Ladies are walking past me some with shopping bags, some without. Some are in a hurry some just sauntering around. Young mothers with push- prams. Mothers holding toddlers hands. One toddler plays with the lid of a pink rubbish bin. The mother takes her hand and walks away. The pink bin belongs to a small kiosk that sells ice cream. It is painted in pink and is called Wendy’s . Everybody is dressed warmly in jackets,coats, hats and warm woolies. A toddler wears a blue hat with small bear like ears, very cute! It is nice and warm in the Mall.

Also straight in front of me is an open coffee shop next to an escalator. There is also a ramp for people riding their mobility scooters. Also useful for trolleys to go down to the ground floor. Right in front of me is also an ATM with  people using  it to get hold of cash.Then to my left is the Ware House which I can’t  see because the Wendy kiosk is in the way.

The floor has got white shiny tiles. A cleaner with a broom is keeping the floor clean.An elderly gentleman joined me on the bench. He is reading his phone and resting a while.

 

 

Thoughtful writers create meaning by choosing precise words to create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind. As you strive to create strong imagery

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Writing 101, Day Three: Commit to a Writing Practice

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Writing 101, Day Three: Commit to a Writing Practiceby Krista Write about the three most important songs in your life — what do they mean to you?

Today’s twist: You’ll commit to a writing practice. The frequency and the amount of time you choose to spend today — and moving forward — are up to you, but we recommend a minimum of fifteen uninterrupted minutes per day.

The basic unit of writing practice is the timed exercise.

— Natalie Goldberg

 

 

 

I have a dream Abba

This was the romantic stage of my life. I started corresponding with my first  and only  love. This song just made me dream away. I also had a friend whose husband thought it was just meaningless words they were using to make into a song. He could not think that we could love it that much. I think women are anyway more romantic than most men. I loved to listen to this song while driving 3 hours to be with my beloved for the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Don Williams

I hate Don Williams. I was sick in bed with flu in my flat. The flat on top of me used to have drinking sessions after the bars were closed. They loved to play the songs of Don Williams as loud as they could. I was so sick at that time I called the police to tell them to stop making that noise in the middle of the night, night after night. For many years when they played Don Williams in shops I got this feel of hate and frustration. When I hear Don Williams today I still get a tightening up of my stomach.

 

 

 

 

 

One day at a time Cristy Lane

This song has sentimental value to me. When  my life started to fall to pieces I could listen to the words and go on “One day at a time”. This is really still one of my favorites when I am feeling depressed. Listening to the words and say or singing the gives me hope and strength again for another day.

 

Wellington day out again!

Yesterday was a good day to visit Wellington again but

I did not go!

There was a big passenger ship in the harbor  and I looked forward to take photos of it,

BUT

I did not go –

and today the ship wasn’t there anymore.

This morning I decided I’ll go in to Wellington and hope for the best.

The weather was really not of the best.

I took some photos and still enjoyed the trip.

The trip from Upper Hutt to Wellington by train takes 50 minutes.

I walked around the harbor for about an hour and a half

back by train took another 50 minutes.

I have been out for 3 hours and now I am relaxing and am going to show some photos.

Enjoy.

Ferry moving in

Ferry coming in

Rescue helicopter

Through my train window on the way home

On the move : Daily Post

Weekly Photo Challenge

ON THE MOVE

Train

Cable car.

For Friday’s It’s Write Easy I used the word

TRAVEL

Here is what I said :

TRAVEL

Wikipedia says:

Travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations, and can involve travel by foot,bicycle, automobile, train, boat, airplane, or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip.^[1][2]Travel can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.

 

My International student  had to attend some activities during the holidays. The college gave her a list of activities and she had to go to at least 5 of them.

Going to these activities took some travelling from Upper Hutt to Wellington.

The first week between the two long week-ends the weather did not play along for travelling and going outside. The second week  was much better.

We used different ways to travel:

1. Firstly we traveled by car to Petone to see what the sea was like! Kiki did not know that the sea was so near to us. We also saw the Inter Islander sailing to the harbor.
2. The second way of travelling was by train.

Thursday morning we first travelled by car to the station where I parked it for the day. We took the train from Upper Hutt to Wellington.

3. The third way of travelling was on foot. We walked from the station to the City Gallery in the Civic Square. Next was the Museum of Wellington City and sea. This museum was worth visiting but you need a whole morning to explore it.
4. The forth way of travelling was by cable car. We first had to use our feet again to get to the cable car station. We travelled in the cable car up the hill to the Botanical gardens and down again.
5. The last was going back home. First walk to the station, travel by train, then by car and home again.

It was worth using different ways of travelling.

We enjoyed travelling from Upper Hutt to Wellington using different ways.

We were ON THE MOVE the whole day!

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Simply the best… Daily prompt

 

 

When and where do you do your best thinking? In the bathroom? While running? Just before bed, or first thing in the morning? On the bus? Why do you think that is?

Best thinking is when I take Trompie for his walk early in the morning

Also when I can’t  fall asleep at night I’ll keep on thinking about what or what not to do!

Then also when I wake up early in the morning I can’t go back to sleep because my brain is working over time.

Reason?

I have a very creative brain when it comes to the push.  Bad side of  this thinking is that I usually have so many bright ideas, at the end I do not know what to use or what I really need to take as  …SIMPLY THE BEST!

 

 

Just a spot of sunshine!

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FWF Free Write Friday

 

#FWF Free Write Friday: Childhood Gift

I still remember my best childhood gift. A sleeping doll with a soft green dress!

She was so beautiful I could not keep my eyes from her. When I held her in my arms, like a baby, she would close her eyes. Then when I held her up-right she would look at me with bright blue glassy doll’s eyes.

In 1952 my family moved to South Africa from the Netherlands. It was in the beginning of February when the journey started. My 6th birthday was going to be on the ship!

Next door to our home lived two sisters who, to me as a nearly six-year-old, looked very old. They were our neighbors and my parent’s friends. A day before our departure they came over and told me that they had a present for me because they won’t see me on my birthday later in February.  I opened my present,  and guess what? In the box, all dressed up was this most beautiful doll.  Her body was soft and her head, hands and parts of her legs were made from porcelain . Her face was beautifully painted and then those blue glass eyes! I will never forget her eyes. She even had on some white shoes and socks

I really loved this doll so much. I never like to give it to my sisters to play with. A year or two later my older sister played with it outside. She forgot to bring it in and the dew ruined my pretty dolls face. She   was never the beauty again.

 

 

http://kellieelmore.com/2013/08/30/fwf-free-write-friday-childhood-gift/

 

FWF Free Write Friday: Dandelion season

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Dandelion season

 

Dandelions are sunshine flowers. They remind me of full sunshine and warmth.

They grow everywhere, in grazing fields, on lawns, in splits and narrow spaces.

Their tiny yellow petals form a tightly packed rosette. At first the plants green leaves appear as soon as they had a bit of rain and sun shine. Then the flower heads appear. A long slender stem pushes the flower out and up in the open. The bud opens and shows its yellow face to the world and the sun.

Bumble bees love to collect nectar from the dandelions.

We, human beings, love to destroy them because they are weeds that can invade a whole field or lawn.

At the end of the flowers life it forms a puff-ball with small seeds at the end of each feathery stem that looks like a parachute. When the wind blows and the seeds are ready to be sown, they will float on the wind and fly away. They will land in another patch or field far away from the mother plant.

As soon as the weather and climate has the right temperature they will germinate in a new place.

Sometimes it looks as if they grow overnight to form their new flowers and seed balls.

Across the road from where I live is a patch with dandelions. There were many flowers till yesterday. Yesterday the owner cleared the patch and at the moment there are no dandelions anymore. Giving it a week or two, and they will be back showing their flowery  faces  again.