The week sort of spun out of control again. I had a whole heap of random publishable (and some very unpublishable) thoughts to write down.
I'm having a week of far too many cancellations again. Now I remember... that was another reason I was unreasonably excited about working for an establishment. Cancellations aren't all bad though. Sometimes they allow me to tour the city in bumpy buses giving me time to muse about life in general and why I'm hungry an hour after lunch.
Bureaucracy sucks. I am fast learning that there isn't a country in the world that doesn't take delight in crumpling you up in a ball of paperwork and tossing you around. Much like this...
I was looking for this photo when I saw that Multiply had my last year's NaNo photo as having been uploaded in 2007. Craziness!
I took a chance and asked a random person on FB a couple of weeks ago if they knew anyone who would have a photo or could take a photo of the monument in Ficksburg. This guy is my great (x a few) grandfather, the one the town is named after. Being a small town in the Free State, there is very little information out here beyond the annual cherry festival and all things cherry. The family's farm there was... yep, you guessed it... a cherry farm. It's a beautiful part of the world that appears to be dominated by the prevalence of cherries and winter frost.
Lo and behold, one lady came through for me! The monument is in front of Ficksburg's really quaint city hall. What's more is that she said she'd go back and photograph the text detail for me. I think I love her. Now she's found an elderly gentleman who has the history of the town and its people on computer and may even be eager to share the information. I'm in genie heaven!
With grateful thanks to Susan K!
I may yet be able to map this family's winding path into the past.
Oh, Jurgis just came back from the village... mail day! Weeee!!! From the one place where us poor Seffies are welcome. And here I had just been watching the video of Tat dancing with her very sweet Leprechaun and no, she won't thank me for uploading the video, so it will stay safely tucked away on my pc : )
Oooh I know someone from Ficksburg! I don't know her maiden name though. Her family owned a afrm there too. Helene. There were definitely a few of them.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm dreaming of waffles and Wimpy!
I bet, now that you're signed up, you'll have a cray busy November ;) Enjoy the rest of your day! :)
Wow, gorgeous buildings there...
ReplyDeleteand I hate feeling like a balled up piece of paper. *shares chocolate
Love the building!
ReplyDeleteBureaucracy is definitely a world wide terror ... and screaming doesn't help, as I found out. *Sigh*
gotta come back when I can think. xo
ReplyDeleteAnd here is to the kindness of strangers!! :D I wonder if that woman will ever realize the impact of what she's given you? Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're getting the wadded-up-ball-of-paper treatment yet again. I'm so glad you're getting greetings from Dublin. I just can't help feeling that anywhere European has to be better than where you're at right now. I hope you get somewhere else soon!
"i think i love her" hehehe. that's awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love random acts of kindness? What a sweetheart. It made me feel qyite teary seeing this photograph that was sent to you. Doesn't it look solid and... Permanent?
ReplyDeleteFicksburg and The Annual Cherry Festival ...........................mmmhhmmm you have now given me an idea for a trip ! Yep............just googled it, its on again this year from the 18-20th Nov. Road Trip !!! You should come over ????? Years since I was there last. If I can persuade "The old Man" to take me, will take loads of pictures for you.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you are having a wadded up ball of paper kind of day-- we have all been there, sadly! I hope by now things are sunnier.
ReplyDeleteThe kindness of people above is enough to make you smile though! Wow!
And frankly, and I say this as a woman with major hips, you had me at the waffle picture, Tint! LOL I love a good waffle, much more than pancakes! For a moment I was totally distracted and went into monster-mode "WANT WAFFLES! WANT WAFFLES!"
One of the things that I love best about small towns are the festivals, I grew up for a while that had the LILAC festival every year and another town with the yearly molasses festival! I love those kinds of celebrations, and how an entire community comes together for that!
Katey, you do? Awesome! Hey... on the subject of Wimpy. The NaNo kick-off meeting for Grahamstown will be at Wimpy *is insanely jealous*
ReplyDeleteJaime, I could definitely have done with some chocolate... or a stiff drink... this week. I loved that building too!
Riete, I've come to the conclusion that the governments have bureaucracy to keep the ordinary folk like us on the brink of insanity and thus dependent on them.
Kat, wonder if I can step off earth for a few moments while I attempt to regain my ability to think too ; )
Kippy, YES! I did write and tell her, but somehow I think she may not know the full impact. And yes, anywhere in Europe would be better. We're working on it.
Kimmy, I do... I do!
Lois, it turns out that she'd posted another photo too (she invited me as contact, so that I could see it). Having that photo makes the knowledge that I have so tangible and yes, solid and permanent. It is a very impressive monument : )
Marianne... do go!! I'd love to see photos. I may just send a shopping list of specifics I want to see haha! I'd dearly love to attend the festival myself. I'll still do that some day.
Marty, we go from very non-sun to very more-than-enough sunny. It's definitely sunnier now in more ways than one. The waffle pics I was looking through also made me drool. I haven't had a waffle in... oh... must be about 13 years now. A lilac festival sounds charming! I enjoy festivals too :)
They have a few Wimpys here but they're distinctly lacking. And as another note of interest, my Dad was one of the main architects who designed Wimpys in SA ;)
ReplyDeleteNice going! So I have him to thank for that lovely atmosphere. I miss Wimpy. Apparently there's one in Northampton, but it's out on the road, so it's out of Tat's reach. How did the Spur compare?
ReplyDeleteLol It's not too bad really.
ReplyDeleteAs for Wimpy I would definitely say that bad dodgey wallpaper they used to do and a predominance of 60s/70s orange ....
I'll take the dodgy wallpaper if it comes hand in hand with a choc nut sundae or a Wimpy breakfast!
ReplyDeleteLove the story about the FB connection who takes pictures in Ficksburg! The best side of the internet. s you can see, I am catching up on old stuff I may have missed.
ReplyDelete