This mother of mine is 78 yrs - just unbelievable! She lives in Heidelberg, Western Cape, with my sister, Marianne. She raised us single handed with her small teacher's salary. She sewed all our clothes and created modern dresses and pants. No-one ever had the idea we were somewhat poorer than most kids.
She is a part-time missionary to the coloured kids in the village and also very involved with mostly the moms. She started a prayer group with staff from the post office and police.
My mom handled her own project when she built her beautiful house 15 years ago. Her view is magnificant! She loves to doll-up her garden and every space is filled with different colours. She keeps her hand on every little thing and nothing is out of place in either house or garden.
We never had a maid and she still does her own house work, wash and iron. Her VW Beetle is 20 yrs old and it still seems like a 5-yr old car. Being poor my mom taught us to look after your stuff and she showed her artistic side with wonderful interior decorations she had for a long time or new ones she could afford.
My sister and I used to wash the cars belonging to the other tenants in our block of flats in Sunnyside and also baby-sat for a few people. We once sang a native song in the car park - people came out, had such a laugh and threw money down to say thank you for our 'services'! Not having too much taught us to work hard and be inisiative, trying all means to earn pocket money!
My mom aso directed her school choir for many years, earning lots of gold medals with her choir of school kids participated in various events and Eisteddfods, as were known in those days. The choir cut a CD, which was sadly destroyed when the school office had a fire! She never kept a copy herself... what a shame.
At that stage she was the only choir master that could direct and teach PRIMARY kids to sing 'Funiculi Funicula' in a 5-voice tone. She was extremely strict as a teacher, but this paid off and her classes gained very good marks every year.
She once 'fired' me from the choir she was directed due to my talking and jokes while she was serious about all of us stretching our singing abilities. Another time I was told to leave practice when I pitched up late!
My mother used to act in many theatre plays - going to the theatre was very popular in those pre-TV days! She had a lovely voice and sang all over and was also asked to do a one woman drama [prosa] many times.
She's the youngest of the three sisters. Miemie, the eldest [in the middle on the photo] was a pastor's wife and she possesses such a variety of talents I don't know where to start. From teaching to playing the organ, directing church choirs, ladies' Bible studies, children puppet theatre, sewing, knitting, bazaars.... too much to mention. They moved all over and also served in Africa while in the ministry. She still leads Bible study groups at her age which is 82 yrs and still goes to bed at 02:00! Her husband died last year. She lives in Somerset West, near Cape Town.
Anna [photo left] is the middle child and just 18 months older than my mom. She is married to a German winemaker, also on pension and they moved to PE. They still have their sea side house at Witsand, near Heidelberg, where my mom lives. Anna was PRO for her husband's winery in Paarl ans she is still able to work non-stop and do a thousand things at one time.
We only met my father when I was in matric as we were under no pressure or obligation to see him until we felt ready. Rudy and myself became very close with my dad until his death many years ago. My dad was equally talented. He could write theatre plays, had his own band and his water paintings were given away as stationary cards [I framed a few]! His detail in his art work are phenomenal. A pity. In those days, people hardly bought paintings and no flea markets for exposure of new upcoming artists. He had the ability to write anything and later he single handedly started his own newspaper in the old age home. He performed all duties such as being editor, writer, journalist and distributor! My dad was extremely funny, a real comedian with a dry humour - he once boarded a train and my mom asked him if he had something to read - 'of course', he replied 'I have a stamp'. He would act out a typical reality TV when telling and gesturing to us about some of the chronies in his old age home.
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