Comfortable, but never pretty
LONG ago I bought a little book called “Simple Pleasures” published by the British National Trust. I dip into it from time to time, just to remind myself that every day is filled with small delights – if we take the trouble to look for them. Most of them are free and very few of them involve large sums of money.
There’s a special pleasure in finding a new bud on my rose bush, for example, or in sitting on my stoep in the evening, watching the last rays of the sun paint the Simonsberg mountain beautifully pink.
There’s even a kind of perverse pleasure in being woken by an irritating cat patting me on the nose long before I’m ready to get up and feed her.
Right now I have the pleasure of knowing my favourite velskoens are being mended and will be ready for collection tomorrow.
I bought them many years ago. They are simple and plain and nobody could accuse them of being items of beauty.
Over the years they have stretched and softened and gradually moulded themselves to the shape of my feet.
I have never owned a pair of shoes anywhere near as comfortable as those old velskoens. But eventually they split and began letting pebbles in and I decided it was time to replace them. The new velskoens are rather more fancy than the old ones.
They have pretty stitching and metal eyelets (the old ones just have holes) and an extra piece of leather to reinforce the heel. But the fact is they are not as comfortable as those old ones.
Maybe a decade of use will make a difference, but at my age I may not have a decade to spare. I took the old ones to our local leather guru who examined them, turned them over and stuck his finger through the hole while I held my breath. Eventually he decided he could patch them.
“They won’t be pretty,” he muttered, “but I can fix them.” Pretty? They never were pretty. Comfortable, yes, but never pretty. I danced out of his shop grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
Now I have a small green ticket tucked in my wallet, telling me I can collect my beloved velskoens tomorrow. I take it out every few minutes and stare at it, thinking of the pleasure I will have tomorrow when I slip my feet into those simple, old (patched) vellies again. One of life’s simple pleasures lies in looking forward to tomorrow’s pleasure.
Last Laugh
At the end of the term little Jimmy brought home and handed his term report to his mother.
He looked on in anxious silence as his mother read his report card.
She became more and more concerned, frowning at every comment she read.
Eventually she looked up sadly and said: “Jimmy, it seems your teacher doesn’t think you’re very bright.”
Jimmy answered: “Well of course I look stupid to her. What can you expect? She has a university degree and I’m only in
Grade 4.”
They are also demanding outstanding overtime pay before they resume their duties and are aggrieved that a manager has received a promotion.
Spokesperson for Sol Plaatje Municipality Sello Matsie stated that the workers’ grievances had been addressed.
PROVINCE The Northern
Cape Department of Education will from today offer afternoon classes for second chance matric programmes for Grade 12 pupils who did not meet the National Senior Certificate requirements in 2018.
Spokesperson for the Department of Education Lehuma Ntuane said the classes would be offered to modulated pupils who will complete their National Senior Certificate over 18 months as well as supplementary candidates, amended Senior Certificate candidates (old matric) and 2018 fulltime candidates who passed the examination but want to improve their results.
Homevale High School and Tetlanyo High School in the Frances Baard district, Remmogo High School and Batlharo-tlhaping in the John Taolo Gaetsewe district, Umso High School and Weslaan High School in Pixley ka Seme and Okiep High School in Namakwa are the identified learning centres.
For enquiries the provincial co-ordinator, P van Wyk, can be contacted on 053 839 6436 or 066 486 0015.
HARTSWATER The Connie Vorster Memorial District Hospital theatre in Hartswater has reopened after being out of circulation for the past three years.
Spokesperson for the Department of Health Lulu Mxekezo said on Friday that the hospital theatre was now fully functional after “a few challenges” had been resolved.
Mxekezo said Connie Vorster Memorial Hospital acted as a referral hospital for health facilities in the Phokwane municipal district, including Pampierstad and Jan Kempdorp.
BARKLY WEST The Frances Baard District Municipality tourism unit will host a clean-up of the Dikgatlong municipal area on Thursday to encourage local communities to keep their towns clean and visitor friendly.
JAN KEMPDORP Motorists applying for their learner and driving licences are requested to make use of the traffic offices in Hartswater until the enatis system is back online at the Jan Kempdorp offices.
Spokesperson for Phokwane Municipality Kgalalelo Letshabo said technicians would fix the server that had been offline since last week.
CARNARVON The Northern Cape Department of Health launched Sexual Reproductive Health Month in Carnarvon, in collaboration with the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality, last week, to educate communities regarding unwanted pregnancies, the prevention of new sexually transmitted infections, family planning and reproductive health.
Spokesperson for the MEC for Health Lebogang Majaha said about 600 community members, along with the district mayor of Kareeberg Local Municipality, Norman van Wyk, attended the event.
The MEC for Health, Fufe Makatong, encouraged all pregnant women to undergo screening for HIV, tuberculosis and STIS, especially syphilis, which could prove deadly to an unborn baby if the mother is not treated successfully.