Morning Mirror Edition 218 - 18/12/2006



In this edition

Smalls


MAKE A PLAN !




I am always amazed at just how resilient Zimbabweans are. "Make a plan" should become our national motto.....

We went to a wedding the other day just outside of Bulawayo in which there were 80 members of the same family (excluding small children) all under the same Iversens tent !! And what's more most of them still live right here in Zimbabwe !

The children who were not present in the photo as they were having a ball out on the farm, swimming, climbing trees, playing cricket and rugby in the green pastures, as children are supposed to do.....

span of Zimbabwean oxen 1/12/2006 The bride and groom and their retinue arrived in an ox wagon with a full span of sixteen trek oxen. It was a sight I will never forget. When I heard the herdsman crack his whip I knew unequivocally that I was a pioneer and that I was here to stay in the land where I was born, where my mother and grandmothers were born and where all my children were born.

Farming is not a happy word in Zimbabwe, the few remaining farmers were all recently sent letters saying that they had to be off their farms in six weeks time. Only two out of 6000 white farmers have been offered 99 year leases but the terms of the lease are so ludicrous that they are laughable.

Who knows how these courageous folk will face this next trial, but there were no serious faces at the wedding. Scores of the adult youngsters still live in Zimbabwe, they have turned their hand from farming to a variety of other enterprises (Remember our Motto ?)

It was fun to see this vellie and khaki shorts brigade resplendent in elegant beige trousers, starched cream shirts and fine silk ties !! There was a lot of pulling and tugging at the neckline when the seven groomsmen stood in a proud line at the alter....

Those farming folk sure know how to have a good time, and in spite of the shortages in Zimbabwe, there were no shortages at all on those tables laden with a magnificent spread of wonderful food.

Thank you Zimbabwe's Farmers for all you have done, for all you still do, and for all that you will always do for the people of Zimbabwe.

CONGRATULATIONS



CONGRATULATIONS

Drummond: Ticky and Anneke. Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful daughter Nicole Dianne on the 4 December. May parenthood be all you hoped for and more. All the best. Lots of love from Ma, Gramps, Mom, Dad, Davy, Tanya, Kim and Bryan.


GARETH AND MICH JOCKS

Congratulations to Maureen and Fred on the birth of Benjamin William Jocks, Descending from Gareth and Michele, born on Thursday the 7th Dec 06 weighing in at 3.305kgs.

CONGRATULATIONS TO VAL AND GERRY TAYLOR EX BULAWAYO - MARRIED FIFTY YEARS AGO IN ST JOHNS CATHEDRAL BULAWAYO !! (fifty years not out !!)

best wishes from Rick and Maggie and all in Bulawayo W Mail : gft@mweb.co.za

CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Michelle and Charles Goodwin on the birth of their beautiful baby girl Lillian Claire on the 12 December 2006.
Love and best wishes Andy, Julian and Daniel

CONDOLENCES



ROBERT HEPBURN COLE

Geoff Atkinson (NOT the Broadcaster.)

At 16:20 this afternoon Dad passed away peacefully in the Highway Hospice near Durban. It was his wish to be cremated and his ashes spread in the Zambezi Valley. Details of the Memorial Service and Wake will be circulated by this means as soon as Mom has finalised them.
I wish to compile a small collection of stories about the old man (be they serious or humorous) and would appreciate any input form his mates.
Thanks to every one of you for the all the kind wishes during the past 9 months, it was good to know that there was such a large support base rooting for Dad. Many thanks
Steve reply to

Geoff Atkinson died yesterday afternoon in Durban.
Geoff was responsible for getting the work we all are doing off the ground. He was one of those amazing people that 'JUST DO IT!" No blathering around, just action.
After the suicides of the 6 of our Pensioners almost 6 years ago, we launched our relief drive with a Reunion at the Fish Hoek Middle School, and he taught me so much about organising events. We had many a disaster but he just laughed it off (I am sure he secretly wanted to behead me often), but he just kept going with his clipboard and "Now Annie - focus!".
It was very shortly after that he fell ill. He was an awesome worker, organiser and help to us all, and so beloved by so many. He was just always 'there' for us for advice or just practical stuff. A rare and wonderful friend. Wow, this is really a huge loss to us all.
My deepest sympathies and love to Pat, Steve and family.
Annie Bishop

COLEY - ROSEMARY, beloved wife of the late Peter Coley, sadly passed away last week. Deepest sympathy to Ingrid and John, Roslyn, Karin & Mark.

TIDBITS


++ TIDBITS 1) Indira Ghandi :
" My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people : those who do the work , and those who take the credit . He told me to try and be in the first group as there is less competition there ! "


2) What kind of member are you ?
Some members are like wheelbarrows : no good unless pushed ;
Some members are like canoes : they need to be paddled ;
Some members are like kites : they fly away unless you keep a string on them ;
Some members are like kittens : they are more contented when petted ;
Some members are like footballs : you can't tell which way they will bounce next ;
Some members are like balloons : full of wind & likely to blow up unless handled carefully ;
Some members are like trailers : no good unless pulled .
Some people are , of course , 100% members , who live faithfully , attend regularly , and , once
the needs of the Club are known , respond with unparalleled devotion and dedication ...


3) PO - TATERS
Some people never seem motivated to participate , but are just content to watch while others do all the work . They are called : Spec - taters .
Some people never do anything to help , but are gifted at finding fault with the way others do the work . They are called : Comment - taters .
Some people are very bossy and like to tell others what to do , but don't want to soil their own hands . They are called : Dick - taters .
Some people are always looking to cause problems by asking others to agree with them - it is too hot , too cold ; too sour , too sweet . They are called : Agi - taters .
Some people say they will help , but , somehow , never get round to giving the promised help . They are called : Hezzie - taters .
Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not . They are called : Immy - taters .
Then , there are those people who love others , and do what they say they will . They are always prepared to stop whatever they are doing to lend a helping hand . They bring real sunshine into the lives of others . They are called : SWEET PO - TATERS !!!!!!!!


Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things. --Eric Butterworth

Inspiration of the Day:
47-year old Jim Fruchterman, a 2006 MacArthur "Genius" is a rocket scientist turned social entrepreneur. His idea: Take existing technology and transform it into products for those with disabilities or other disadvantages. Fructerman's early work involved the production of a reading machine for the blind using optical character recognition.
His non-profit, Benentech, created Bookshare.org -- the world's largest online library of books (more than 30,000 in all) for people with disabilities; they've also developed gear to find land mines in war-torn areas and invented a better way for human rights organisations to store and document abuse investigations. Fruchterman's own motivation? His initial feeling of being the only guy in Silicon Valley not trying to make a billion dollars, "I'd like to help people not be as lonely as I was the first few years," he says. [ more ]

Be The Change:
Where is there prosperity in your own way of living and thinking? Leverage that privilege to support someone who could benefit from it.


"Cowardice asks, is it safe? Expediency asks, is it politic? Vanity asks, is it popular? But conscience asks, IS IT RIGHT? There comes a time when one must take the position that it is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular------BUT one must do it because conscience says it is RIGHT!"


Cancer update -- Johns Hopkins -- Cancer News from Johns Hopkins:

1. No plastic containers in microwave.
2. No plastic water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.
Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.
Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.
Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin.
So such things as frozen dinners, instant ramen noodles and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over! foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.
Cover food with a paper towel instead.
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!


If there is any responsibility in the cycle of life it must be that one generation owes to the next that strength by which it can come to face ultimate concerns in its own way. --Erik Homburger Erikson



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