This is what I’ve been thinking of today. We live in an area where the first steps are being put in place for a new road to be built. When the planning team first arrived, they marked a whole lot of trees for removal. They were going to be cut down. There were five that were not going to go. We were disappointed at first, but the wheels of development turn and we accepted it. Four of the five that were to stay were in direct line of our view and I often half wished that they would have been the ones set for removal because our few would be so very much better.
Then the road planners realised they needed more space and those four trees were marked for removal. Before I had a chance to take a before and after photo, they were gone.
Wow, can you believe it!? My view is going to be so much better! As I said, I don’t have a proper “before” photo, but I did find this one…the trees that have been cut down are the ones right on the far left of the photo above the red roof…
I’ve just taken a photo of where the trees were – it’s an autumn evening and the sun will have set within the next half hour….
The trees are gone and behind them are a few more trees and a few houses. The dream of a spectacular view was better than reality! In fact, without the trees there is a lot more road noise!
Be careful what you wish for. Dreams are better than reality!
I have mentioned this before and it’s worth a revisit:
Don’t wait for things to get easier, simpler, better. Life will always be complicated. Learn to be happy right now. Otherwise you’ll run out of time.
It’s the ‘happy right now’ that really is important to learn. Enjoy the view, whether it has trees or sea or even a wall. Learn to be happy right now.
How? Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
That’s where happiness lies.
Cling tight to Him.
#292 of 1000 thanks is for Mother’s Day. Memories of my Mom and Mom-in-Law and joy of being a Mom. I am grateful.
My Mom and I – fuzzy photo from about 1981 – just look at how alike we are… 🙂
Just for the record, she was born 23/4/1932 and named Elizabeth Anne Davies. She married my Dad was born 22/7/1932. He was named Derek Thomas Sones. They had 4 children:
26-Dec-1958 Anne Katherine who married Derek Cooper. This is Anne on the right and me on the left…
My brothers were born next:
25-Jun-1960 Arnold James Sones – he passed away on 9/9/2007.
and…
30-Oct-1962 Julian George Sones – he’s the brother that I’m always referring to who spend his time between his businesses in Johannesburg and his holiday home in Cape Town. Julian is on the left and Arnold on the right. This was Christmas 1991 when David was 9 months old and Stacey had just turned 4.
Here’s a more recent photo of Julian, with me when we went for a helicopter ride. 🙂
Julian’s daughter is Jessica (born 24-Apr-1995) Â and she married Gerrie Naude (born 29-Aug-1991). They married 19-Dec-2016
And then there is me:
Born 05-Nov-1964 – Helga Louise  Sones and I married Michael van Niekerk on 09-Aug-1986. Here we are at my photo shoot for my 50th birthday…
We have had Stacey Anne who married Adrian…
And David who is still single…here he is giving Mike a guitar lesson…
And so that is our most recent genealogy. I will have to put up more. Mike’s side you can read on my blog at the van Niekerk family registery.
It’s important to belong. If I’ve learned anything through watching Long Lost Family, it’s that family is important!
These are the days!
Keep the smile going!
God bless you!
In His Grip
Helga xx 🙂