Morning Mirror Edition 183 - 11/ 4/ 2006




In this edition

Smalls



DEEP IN THE HEART




DEEP IN THE HEART

A trip to the Chimanimanis is always such a refreshing delight.

Apart from the stalwart little community who remain steadfast and enchanting, the little village was very quiet and there are no tourists visiting the most beautiful mountains in the world.

The Chimanimani area was due to be given World Heritage Status but a recent upsurge in gold panning activities in the mountains will no doubt put a stop to that plan for some time.

The district offices have menacing armed guards there now, to protect the gold stocks, which are being bought quite openly from the panners by the Government authorities (Who said gold panning was illegal ?)

The trip from Bulawayo to Chimanimani was spectacular, thatching grass will be abundant in all areas this year. There were crops, crops and more crops growing in profusion all along the roads as the rains have been way above average this year, but a serious absence of fertilisation was obvious.

Sorghum, rapoko, maize, millet, sunflowers, groundnuts, tomatoes, potatoes, cotton, sugar cane were being sold in all lay-bys and vast sacks of produce were awaiting transport to the city markets all along the way.

Giant sacks of baobab pods which yield the coveted powder cream of tartar were everywhere in the lowveld areas where the cattle and goats were eating their unaccustomed gourmet meal in great delight, as that area is usually dry and bordering on desert for most of the year.

Crude bundles of makamane, pumpkins, squashes of all shapes sizes and varieties and loads of succulent water melons were balanced precariously on top of the many buses, ready for despatch to the hungry folk in the towns.

All the rivers we crossed were running furiously, the Save, The Runde, the Muturikwe, the Mtshelele, the Ngezi, the Devure, all thundering happily down to the Limpopo where flood warnings are being announced as the rivers gain momentum.

In the little village, which has probably had the most unfair share of trials and tribulations in the history of this country, the mood was festive, as the "locals" gathered to celebrate the birthday of Beautiful Brigit.

A long table was set on the veranda of the house, which was balanced precariously on the side of the hill, and the heavy guests were advised to sit on the house side of the veranda, after the two pretty heavy earthquakes had created some interesting ventilation holes in the walls !!

It was a veritable orgy of eating as Shane the Chef had planned a seven course meal, all cooked beautifully in spite of the frequently irritating power cuts.

A dazzling array of delicious dishes, mostly caught on various fishing trips to Mozambique, followed by incredible mature cheddar cheese from the Chipinge Dairiboard which to date has not lost the cheese making recipe unlike the it's counterpart the Bulawayo Dairiboard !!

We ended up with the delightfully aromatic Chimanimani coffee, hopefully not the last of a crop that used to bring vast amounts of forex into the country, but which now seems to be fast disappearing as maize fields have taken the place of the coffee crop.

There were no beer supplies in the village but fortunately some intriguing brands of red and white wine were discovered in one of the enterprising little stores and great fun was had by all.

The guests at the little birthday bash were an eclectic crew. There was even a smattering of aristocracy whose next important function would be to attend the birthday of HRH Queen Elizabeth at the palace in August !!

As we ate, the amazingly abundant bird-life kept us entertained. The Gurneys Sugarbird did his rounds of the proteas on the mountainside, the paradise fly catcher did a very good job on the unusually high plethora of insects thanks to the high rainfall, and the shy Cape Robin and the ubiquitous Red Chested Cuckoo called sweetly from all around us.

Way in the distance we could hear the peculiarly distinctive harsh call of the Purple Crested Lourie and all the while, the brilliant flashes of the abundant yellow bellied sunbirds caught our eyes and the speckled mousebirds darted in and out of the thick undergrowth seeking delicacies that only they know.

Somehow it is this special little village, with its devoted group of compassionate, caring inhabitants, that brings a quiet assurance to life, that normalcy will someday soon return once again, to our beloved country.


CONGRATULATIONS



ENGAGEMENT
BRICE - DICEY
Barry and Adrienne Brice have great pleasure in announcing the engagement of their eldest daughter, Elaine, to Mike, youngest son of John and Coppie Dicey of Gwanda on 31 March 2006.


CONDOLENCES

With Deepest Sympathy to the families of the following




SYMPATHY MESSAGES


CONDOLENCES

BARRY AMYOT, MUCH LOVED HUSBAND OF GAIL, FATHER OF RICHARD, ADELE AND ANTONIO



CONDOLENCES

Please publish the notification of the sad passing of Tony Wright in the early hours of Sunday Morning 2nd April '06 Tony was a founder and honorary life member of the Vintage and Classic Club of Matabeleland who's contributions over the years had considerable and positive effects on the success of that organisation and he was both Chairman and committee member of long standing. Our Heartfelt sympathy goes to his widow Dawn and family on their sad loss of a wonderful, caring and kind husband, father, brother and grandfather

Chairman and Committee VCCM



IN LOVING MEMORY OF MAGS BROOMBERG
Margaret Ann Broomberg was born in Durban on 4th November 1946. She married Mike Broomberg on the 28th April 1973. She was a loving mother to Stephen, Gary, Shayne & Craig and had much love for her seven grandchildren. We all have memories of beautiful years which time cannot erase. Margaret sadly passed away on the 1st April 2006.
We will all miss her terribly.


TIDBITS


TIDBITS

Man can no longer live his life for himself alone. We realise that all life is valuable and that we are united to all this life. From this knowledge comes our spiritual relationship with the universe.
-- Albert Schweitzer


Fact of the Day:
Will there be a bee hive on the cover of the next issue of The Economist? Likely not. But new research does show that bumble bees and other insects provide $57 billion in pollination services as well as other free labor in the U.S. alone. Unfortunately, several bee species are on the verge of extinction. By putting a dollar value on the work done by insects, the researchers hope to raise interest in insect conservation and prevent an economic disaster.
http://charityfocus.org/php-bin/qad.php?n=2309


Be The Change:
Appreciate someone -- with a word or a thank-you note -- whose contributions you might not have previously thought of as meaningful.


Below is a wonderful poem Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked to share her "beauty tips." It was read at her funeral years later.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.




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