Christmass Letter 2011
My first year of retirement is nearly over and, much to my surprise, I’m thoroughly enjoying it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from moving into my little flat, it’s that we accumulate far too much “stuff” – I’d be doing perfectly well with less than half of what I have.
Bloemfontein may not be everybody’s idea of a perfect city but it’s much bigger than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. I bought an air conditioner for the hot weather – which is now, but haven’t found out how to keep warm in the cold weather – whoever invented electric blankets should be given a medal. It has every conceivable shop, a number of cinemas, a couple of theatres, a casino, airport and railway station. (Though I’ve not made use of any of these things except the shops).
I hope to use the airport sometime next year for a holiday in Europe – but must be away again and back home here before the Olympics. If anyone has any useful ideas of accommodation in London to use as a base, I’d be glad to hear. I can afford a reasonable cost.
I’ve been offered 2 full-time, stressful jobs – one back in Kimberley and the other in Lesotho, but have turned them both down. I get to take services and help out at my local church just down the road, as well as helping the Sisters in Lesotho and, with everything else, this keeps me busy enough. I seem to spend a lot of time doing housework and I hate ironing!
I was asked to go to a local retirement home to take a service and thoroughly enjoyed that – to the point that I put my name down to live there when (and if) the time comes.
My old computer died. It was old when I bought it for about R2100 – now they wanted R3000 to fix it, which obviously wasn’t worth it. I got a great deal on a new one with all the software included. It’s got even more a mind of its own than the old one but I’m gradually taming it! It behaves most of the time now. It has a built-in webcam which makes skype calls more interesting. I keep my diary and some pics on my website: vicspencer.blogspot.com if you can get on the internet. The picture at the top of this letter is courtesy of the webcam.
My tiny little Chevvy car goes extremely well, is very easy to manoeuvre and park in city traffic but has more than enough power on the open road. I couldn’t be more pleased with it.
My diabetes and heart is still under control and give me no trouble at all. But I got a bad back again – like I had in Kimberley. Lots of physiotherapy later and it’s tolerable but not perfectly OK yet. Old age is not for sissies! I’ve acquired tinnitus, which a continuous, annoying noise in the head. I took it to a doctor, an audiologist and Universitas Hospital, but they all say the same: it’s a complete mystery to medical science – they don’t know what causes it and have no way to fix it – I just have to live with it.
Old friends and parishioners from Harrismith & Ficksburg pitch up in Bloemfontein, usually when desperately sick, so I spend some time hospital visiting.
I wish you all a very blessed Christmass season and a peaceful new year in 2012. (I won’t say prosperous because I can’t see that happening given all the turmoil in the eurozone. Keep doing the football pools and buying lottery tickets and hope for the best – that’s what I do).
Love & Blessings to all..
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Diary Continuted
29th November:
My poor old Dell computer died on October 6th. It was 2nd hand when I bought it for about R2200 a few years ago. They now wanted R3000 to fix it!! Which obviously made no sense. So I had to buy a new one: this Acer Travelmate, complete with all the necessary software. A bargain. I took the hard drive out of the old Dell & am using it as a backup with this Acer.
SARS sabotaged my tax return which I had completed perfectly, and sent me another one in Afrikaans. I had kept a copy of the original one which I then re-submitted and it was accepted. Amazing isn’t it? I eventually got an assessment and paid it, which resulted in the bank phoning to check whether I’d really written such a big cheque.
November had a Parish Indaba on the 12th when the Diocesan Secretary revealed that the diocese is bankrupt and that he had switched from parish pledges to the diocese to an assessment system by the diocese, which means that the diocese will be even more bankrupt very shortly.
November 13th was Remembrance Sunday and I led 2 Remembrance services at St Margaret’s.
I also said Mass for the old ladies at Bayswater Village retirement home on the 25th. This went very well & I hope I’m asked to do it again. Perhaps I’ll “retire” there some time. It’s a Methodist establishment.
I’ve spent a lot of time hospital visiting: Fr Isaac Rustoff from Intabazwe (my colleague in Harrismith) was in Rose Park for open heart surgery, which he survived, and is now recuperating. Sarel Kramer from Harrismith is in Universitas with a dreadful condition whose name escapes me. He’s in ICU and I spend a lot of time with his very distraught wife.
The Bishop was at St Margaret’s for a confirmation on Advent 1 so I went to the Cathedral for the 1st time since I’ve been in Bloemfontein. Can’t say I was very impressed – we do things so much better at St Margaret’s!!
The picture is from Zululand many years ago (me in the shorts).
My poor old Dell computer died on October 6th. It was 2nd hand when I bought it for about R2200 a few years ago. They now wanted R3000 to fix it!! Which obviously made no sense. So I had to buy a new one: this Acer Travelmate, complete with all the necessary software. A bargain. I took the hard drive out of the old Dell & am using it as a backup with this Acer.
SARS sabotaged my tax return which I had completed perfectly, and sent me another one in Afrikaans. I had kept a copy of the original one which I then re-submitted and it was accepted. Amazing isn’t it? I eventually got an assessment and paid it, which resulted in the bank phoning to check whether I’d really written such a big cheque.
November had a Parish Indaba on the 12th when the Diocesan Secretary revealed that the diocese is bankrupt and that he had switched from parish pledges to the diocese to an assessment system by the diocese, which means that the diocese will be even more bankrupt very shortly.
November 13th was Remembrance Sunday and I led 2 Remembrance services at St Margaret’s.
I also said Mass for the old ladies at Bayswater Village retirement home on the 25th. This went very well & I hope I’m asked to do it again. Perhaps I’ll “retire” there some time. It’s a Methodist establishment.
I’ve spent a lot of time hospital visiting: Fr Isaac Rustoff from Intabazwe (my colleague in Harrismith) was in Rose Park for open heart surgery, which he survived, and is now recuperating. Sarel Kramer from Harrismith is in Universitas with a dreadful condition whose name escapes me. He’s in ICU and I spend a lot of time with his very distraught wife.
The Bishop was at St Margaret’s for a confirmation on Advent 1 so I went to the Cathedral for the 1st time since I’ve been in Bloemfontein. Can’t say I was very impressed – we do things so much better at St Margaret’s!!
The picture is from Zululand many years ago (me in the shorts).
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Christ the King Sunday
Christ the King of All
Shortly after her Coronation, Queen Victoria attended a splendid performance of Handel’s Messiah. She’d been told in no uncertain terms that members of royalty do not stand with everybody else when the Hallelujah Chorus is sung. It was simply not proper.
But when the singers lifted their voices to shout “Hallelujah, the Lord omnipotent reigneth”, she cold only just stay in her seat. She didn’t want to violate the traditions of royalty.
And when the chorus came to the climax, proclaiming Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, repeating the phrase with increasing crescendos, the queen of all England and the British Empire rose and bowed her head before Jesus Christ, the King of all – including all earthly kings and queens.
There will come that day when every knee in heaven and earth will bow before him, “And he shall reign for ever and ever! King of Kings and Lord of Lords!”
Shortly after her Coronation, Queen Victoria attended a splendid performance of Handel’s Messiah. She’d been told in no uncertain terms that members of royalty do not stand with everybody else when the Hallelujah Chorus is sung. It was simply not proper.
But when the singers lifted their voices to shout “Hallelujah, the Lord omnipotent reigneth”, she cold only just stay in her seat. She didn’t want to violate the traditions of royalty.
And when the chorus came to the climax, proclaiming Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, repeating the phrase with increasing crescendos, the queen of all England and the British Empire rose and bowed her head before Jesus Christ, the King of all – including all earthly kings and queens.
There will come that day when every knee in heaven and earth will bow before him, “And he shall reign for ever and ever! King of Kings and Lord of Lords!”
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