New Dimensions

I remember a glorious afternoon in the park with friends. I was eight years old and living in Cape town a block away from the Gardens . My family lived in a flat opposite a small hotel where we witnessed drunken fights almost every Friday night when the locals had too much to drink. My friends lived down the road in a lovely red brick house and that afternoon we were playing on the beautifully manicured lawns as monuments of old heroes watched on in silence. With a brisk run and a mighty heave, I flung my chuck glider into the air and watched with delight as it arced up higher and higher then settled into a graceful glide back to earth. This was so much fun that I was unaware of the soccer game my friends were having on the next field, then they called me to join in. Being young and energetic I soon became enwrapped in the fun running here there and everywhere chasing the ball. We were having so much fun that we hardly noticed that it had gotten dark and the park light...

On Friday afternoon Maggie, my wife, decided to bake her third quiche . Even though she uses a recipe as a basic guide she adds her special touch when she bakes or cooks a meal. The last time I posted an article about her and my granddaughter baking a quiche it was a combined effort. This time she was focused on perfecting every part of the process. Maybe it was her mood or an even better frame of mind, or practice. But the end result was totally delicious. When we married it was the first time she had to cook meals and she struggled quite a bit. Fortunately, a neighbour came to our rescue and regularly took Maggie under her wings and taught her the basics of cooking - love that woman. Since then the meals kept on improving and today I wouldn't have anyone else prepare our meals. It's like a feast for a king when she cooks or bakes and I am always treated to culinary bliss at mealtime. When we have friends over she is always complimented on her meals. Maybe sometime ...

As I drifted from my dreams into wakefulness I stretched and stood up in the dark. I flipped my iPhone and saw that it was just after 3 a.m. Peering through a window I noticed that it looked rather wet outside. Yesterday I decided to take better care of myself – to read something every day, exercise every day and learn something new every day, amongst other things. All in the interest of self-improvement. Oh yes, I also need to practice writing every day too. So, after reading and meditating a bit in my lazy boy, I donned my cycling clothes plus a jacket. I walked my mountain bike out the front gate and cycled off into a chilly morning. I could detect a light breeze on my back and fine drops of rain gently tickled my face. It had rained quite a lot during the night because there were puddles of water all around and the ground was covered with fallen leaves. Initially, I wanted to ride a short distance, but then changed that to a 4 kilometre. To have fun you need to do a proper j...