Dit is jou verjaarsdag vandag!! Baie geluk! Die tweede ná jy weg is na die parallele wêreld, waarheen ons almal gaan na hierdie kort kuier.
Ons is maar net materie. Atome. Ons vergaan nooit. Ons was en is vir altyd. Vir ewig. Dit beteken nie dat ons mekaar nie mis nie. Feit is ons is tog bymekaar. Pappa, Mamma, Nella en almal vir wie ons so lief is. Hoe ver is ons geliefdes van ons? Maar net ‘n enkele hartklop weg.
Ons vier saam met jou en is lief vir jou!
“Death, like birth, is a secret of Nature.“― Marcus Aurelius
“I died as a mineral and became a plant, I died as a plant and rose to animal, I died as an animal and I was Man. Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?”― Rumi
‘n huis vol geluide. Stilte oor verdowend as die kinders weg is. Dankie vir die voëlgeluide in die tuin. Die fisante se roep, die duiwe se liefdes groet, Jan se koraalsuiwer aandsang en die mossiepaar wat om kossies roep. Hoekom is my hart se klop so luid as die aand kom lê en die bloed deur my are suis? Het dankbaarheid geluid? Verlange ‘n kleur? Het tyd genade en dankbaarheid ‘n lied? Ouderdom ‘n geur?
Life oft is a treadmill where the pace is a dial going mad. Keeping up is crazy and eventually even makes you sad, stressed and over-burdened. The ointment is spending more time in nature where creation not only heals your soul, but your whole being at the same time.
In search of inner peace and healing? Go find nature again and more often. We did just that with our kids around and between the healing magic of Kirstenbosch and the happiness of kids we found the cure!
When you are moving on in life the happiness of your kids is paramount. Add nature and you find peace and are content. No racing heart, no troubled mind – simply a blissful peace.
Ons meisiekinders van Bloem aka Bloemers, kuier in die Kaap. Hulle het oom Dirk saam gebring! Te veel om in te prop in ‘n paar dae, maar ons probeer!! Natuurlik neig ons harte terug na Pringlebaai, waar van ons allermooiste hoofstukke geskryf is – van bitter seer tot groei en vrede maak.
Daar is altyd die behoefte om terug te keer na ons plek van heling.
Wat ‘n heerlike dag! Lagoon pret, see swem, broodjie by Ellie se deli en verby rit by ons voormalige huisies.
If all siblings from one family can spend special time together with the youngest being around his mid-sixties, we have an immense blessing through Grace! This is exactly the blessing that we received recently. For Salome, John, Nicoletta and myself, the in-laws, this was also a very special and historical episode in the lives of the Teuteberg family! Two sisters, Rinske and Rosemarie, and two brothers, Bernhard and Hanno, enjoying the chance to reminisce about childhood and recapturing fragments of history from Germany to South Africa and paying tribute to parents who had known hardship, but who had worked through post-worldwar II to make a new home in Africa.
Rinske, born in Germany and Bernhard, Rosemarie and Hanno on African soil. Hardship there was, but immense blessings too.
Having the opportunity to spend quality time together in the beauty of Northern KZN was indeed a special sibling get-together to be written in heart and mind.
Rinske and RosieHanno and NicBernhard and SalomeRinske and John
What a wonderful time we all had in St Lucia. Being together in the Sandpiper Guesthouse and enjoying the lovely excursions was just amazing.
A boat trip in search of hippos!
Silly jokes and lots of laughter lightened the hearts and minds, fuelled on by a happy and joyful guide! Mduduzi, what a man!!
MduduziThe Teuteberg Clan
Hippo pods – family joy!
A blissful cruise with the two retired admirals!
Dining at Ocean Sizzler was not exactly a culinary highlight but could nothing to dampen the jolly atmosphere.
Once we got the girls out of the curio shops it was off to Cape Vidal for a beach brunch!
We ended our day with a great dinner at Braza. Great food and lots of laughs!
It was time…. We celebrated life and family at breakfast. Time to say goodbye. We are grateful for the time together. We know that we are blessed beyond measure.
THANDA – of Zulu origin. Pronounced: “tun-dah”. English translation: ” love “. Definition: to have a strong liking for, take pleasure in. ( extract from guest information folder at ThandaSafari private game reserve)
A once-in-a-lifetime experience! Through the benevolence of Martin Teuteberg, senior gameranger at Thanda and his father, Bernhard, the Teuteberg siblings and their spouses a dream came true!! Three nights at Thanda with our personal guide, Martin himself. What more could one wish for!
Martin Teuteberg.
22 March 2022 – We are warmly welcomed by Martin, his fiancé, Janice, and Martin’s teammate-tracker, Nhlanhla, and transported to our majestic suiteswhere nyalas bid us welcome.
First afternoon game drive with Martin and Nhlanhla. A most remarkable team working side by side in astounding unity, one understanding the other with as much as the flick of a finger.
Nhlanhla & Martin
Martin’s knowledge and understanding of nature, fauna and flora, is beyond words! Passion infused! Every animal, big or small, every tree or shrub, tiny or tall, every insect, every bird, every track discussed with passion and pride. This is their world, holding in its fold so many secrets still to be discovered that the whole of humanity will never be able to comprehend in its lifetime!
Young lions after a good meal with a young cub suckling on mom.
As evening twilight approaches we are treated with sundowners and we toast our great guides!
A lovely dinner awaits and we are grateful for what we have received today. And it was night and it was day…
Sunrise and the beginning of a new day. Still working with heart and head through the magic of our first day, another follows, and we are rendered speechless ( metaphorically of course!). Question upon question is answered by Martin with passion and precision. His and Hlanhla’s knowledge and understanding of nature’s intriguing inner workings are profound.
We learn about the wide-ranging programmes at Thanda aimed at best practice for wildlife protection, sustained development and preservation. The long history of “reclaiming” old farm land graced by cattle many moons ago and the constant clearing of alien vegitation are also explained, as well as the pivotal role of the Zulu king and mutual respect between the conservationists and the king. The fact that foreign capital and ownership not only preserve our natural world, but also contribute to educational upliftment of our youth, is immensely important and to be appreciated.
Another day of magic awaits :
Nicoletta is anticipating another magic day!
The closest encounter with our precious white rhino, while Martin briefs us on relevant issues pertaining to protection. The social structure is explained to the finest detail, as are the measures to counter poaching. Indeed the most impressive creatures.
The end of yet another perfect day!
A new dawn – our third and last full day at Thanda and our minds and hearts are filled with the same thought – we are so immensely blessed to be here!
Yet again Martin and Nhlanhla astound us with their understanding and ‘reading’ of nature – the Golden Orb spider weaving a golden web!
Another wonder of nature: a mantis pod! Martin gives us a very informative explanation of how the mantis ( and also the more religious one – the praying mantis!) stores its eggs safely, how they hatch and how Mom devours Dad!
Male praying mantises do not always survive the mating season. Between 13 and 28 percent of mating encounters end with sexual cannibalism, in which the female praying mantis bites off the head of the male and eats him.
Early morning – ” Let’s go say hi to our cheetah, White Tip”! The most beautiful creature!. Martin’s narration of White Tip’s background and loss of his brother is moving! Relaxed and content he appears to be this morning with quite a bulging tummey. Will we ever know what goes on in his mind?
We drive to a different section of the reserve in search of elephant and more particularly the old elephant bull, Thulani, one of Martin’s old friends. All the favourites have special names. He has been spotted by another vehicle! Great news! The Land Cruiser seems to sense the excitement and off we go ! And there he is! Tbe old bull is happily devouring the lush leaves. But wait! A younger bull is with him. A third is nearby and captures attention when be decides to topple a tree to make his meal come to him!
Our last evening at Thanda. We will miss the sundowners in the wild, but the many moments of sheer magic will remain with us forever!
Thank you Martin & Co for an unforgettable and profound experience!! What a privilege it has been!
Kersfees in die Overberg! Kosbare momente in Pringlebaai. Hoe verlang hierdie hart nie na die spesiale tye hier nie!
Elke seisoen het sy bekoring. Ryp rooi die pitte van die magiese granaat hier teen laatsomer en vroegherfs.
Ek het beslis te min turksvye verslind hierdie seisoen! Daar is darem die vooruitsig van 5 of 6 pekanneute!
Mens voel half die herfs is vroeg vanjaar en die winter is net om die draai. Laat my dink aan Coenie de Villiers se liedjie waarin hierdie reëls voorkom: ‘Die herfs is in die wingerd/ Die son in elke tros…’
Die Japanese lemmetjieboom maak reeds reg vir die komende winter en die afwagting is groot!
Die knus van die winter is heerlik. Terwyl die natuur gaan rus, bly die rus vir die mens maar net so dikwels uit. Die jaarringe raak vinnig meer soos die tyd uitloop.
Maar intussen sal daar weer lentes wees en momente wat die hart laat bons by die suiwer genot van soveel kleure en die wierook van geure!
The privilege of grandparents – agreeing to what you want to!
Filling in for the parents, we took our oldest grandchild to her school orchestra’s camp near the town of Hermanus. Special time with a Milostop halfway!
Safe and soundly delivered it was time for grannyfun! Breakfast at Burgundy in Whaletown Hermanus. The best benedict ever – spicy chic liver!
Tummy happy, a bit of a stroll along the old harbourside and most favourite tourist walk-about. Just reminded again of our beautiful country with an endless number of magic places. Hermanus, Western Cape – rich in tourism attractions, art and natural beauty!
Back home on the R44 and a walk on the beach of our favourite town – Pringlebay!
Pringlebay
A good and blessed day – the good life of pensioners – #blessed.
Ons kom nog steeds dikwels daar, maar dan meestal om vinnig ‘n blommetjie op ons ouers se grafte te sit.
So dan en wan tog ‘n kort wandel deur die dorp of langs die rivier. Meer toe Emma nog geleef het. Dorpstraat, Pleinstraat, die Laan – die dorp is ‘n miernes van studente en toeriste! Straatkafees, koffiewinkels, restaurante, wynhuise, biertuine, kunsgallerye en snuisterye – en die ou Moederkerk – die onveranderlike.
Die oomblik van stilte – relatief, want die orrelis was besig om te oefen – was vreemd midde die gewoel buite.
Die menigte toeriste was bemoedigend – buitelandse valuta vir ‘n dors land.
Die kunswerke pragtig, maar nie vir die gemiddelde outjie beskore nie.
Dit was lekker om hier groot te word, te studeer, te vind en te vry, maar geen begeerte om weer in hierdie pragtige, woelige dorp te bly!
Heerlike Valentynsdag met ‘n mooie Stellenbosch gebore meisie!
When your leaves turn to amber, to rust? Solis occasus est…
In the morning of my life I shall look to the sunrise At the moment of my life when the world is new And the blessing I shall ask is that God will grant me To be brave and strong and true And to fill the world with love my whole life through
And to fill the world with love And to fill the world with love And to full the world with love My whole life through
In the noontime of my life I shall look to the sunshine At a moment of my life when the sky is blue And the blessing I shall ask will remain unchanging To be brave and strong and true And to fill the world with love my whole life through
In the evening of my life I shall look to the sunset At the moment of my life when the night is due And the question I shall ask only God can answer Was I brave and strong and true? Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?
Did I fill the world with love? Did I fill the world with love? Did I fill the world with love My whole life As sung at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines
Safari Sunset 