New Dimensions

After a hard day's work painstakingly building a battery website consisting of volts, amps, dimensions, part numbers, stock code numbers, and pictures, we settled down to a plate of fine chicken, rice, and vegetables. Feeling quite full and lazy I decided, on the spur of the moment, to go for a ride on my mountain bike. As I set out on my bike I noticed that the sun was already over the horizon and a slight breeze greeted me. I followed my usual route passing the local petrol station through a patch of trees where the rusty autumn leaves crunched under the tyres, then along the shoulder of the main road. Then a left turn between the houses where I accelerated up a slight incline. Then a thought came to me. I have already passed my late dad's age and here I was riding like a maniac. I coasted after the burst of acceleration and considered how lucky I am. Most people in their mid-sixties already accept their age as being old while I still feel as fit as a fiddle and have...

Here is a "reality show" look at the start of my Human Rights Day on 21 March 2017. No, I'm not attending some mass rally. It's far too crowded and I love to do my own thing and relax when I get the chance. I woke up at 4 a.m. and made myself a cup of hot tea and settled into my lazy boy chair to read my new ESV bible. The passage I read was about the martyr Stephen who was stoned for speaking his mind. The amazing thing was that he gazed into heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. What an experience that must have been. All I can say about that is that there certainly has to be another dimension that we are not always aware of and don't see. When I started this blog I decided to name it New Dimensions because of the many subjects I would be writing about. New dimensions also refer to many new experiences I would be having and write about. So far I've reported on things like wanting to scuba dive and then being invited to a scuba divin...

I plan to have an exciting Summer of 2017. We are currently nearing the cold Winter months of the South African highveld when temperatures plummet to near zero degrees and we have to don extra warm clothes to keep warm - something I don't look forward to. But, alas, when Summer comes I will be taking a trip to the sea. My last visit to my son at the coast was like a breath of fresh air. From his house, we can walk to the beach and enjoy the sound of the waves and a cool mist of spray on our bodies. I love the sea and long to feel the powerful energy of the waves as I body surf. Then we have a lot of catching up to do and talk about all the happenings since we last visited together. My two grandchildren love my wife and myself and we need to spend some time with them. I will be asking them how they are finding home-school. On our return home, we will also visit my second-eldest son who lives a bit further inland from the coast. Michael recently got a new job updating catalo...

Pool Nets   – stop unwanted accidents from happening. There is a video where a child manages to climb on the fence surrounding the pool and he easily unlocks the pool gate in seconds. What a scary sight. Children and pets – sometimes even adults – can’t swim. They need your protection if you have a pool. Accidents happen unexpectedly. We hear regularly in the news about loved ones drowning in swimming pools and the trauma that they suffer because of the tragic loss. Maybe you are visiting with a friend and your attention is somewhere else and didn't notice that your beloved child had slipped away to explore the yard. Sounds familiar but incidences like these occur when you don’t want them to. Make a wise decision to safeguard your pool by adding a proper   swimming pool net . DO IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE because how would you ever measure the cost of a life? A pool safety net is definitely the answer because it is the last barrier to protect your pool should a to...

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...