All Posts

THEY LOVE THEIR LAND - by Hennie de Jager I phoned back an old friend, Jan Venter, yesterday. We met at the first union meeting after I started working. There we clicked immediately. We moved away from the others so that we could concentrate better on each other, listening intently to what was said. We came from the same milieu, the wide open spaces of the Northern Cape under a cobalt sky, where the people are down to earth, welcoming the companionship of anyone that pass

MOMENTS IN OUR LIFE-1 2026-03-19 O1B2F6E. OUR FAMILY 1989 This is a special and moving chapter of our life story. It is written with such honesty about the complexity of family dynamics. From the nostalgic image of silkworms in a shoebox, which forms a beautiful contrast with the emotional "storms" that follow later in the narrative - to the painful reality of friendships that are broken and the challenges of children's rebelliousness. The story of Carine and Francois i

OOMBLIKKE IN ONS LEWE-1 2026-03-11 O1B2F6. HUISGESIN 1989 Hierdie is ’n besonderse en aangrypende hoofstuk van ons lewensverhaal. Dis geskryf met soveel eerlikheid oor die kompleksiteit van gesinsdinamika. Van die nostalgiese beeld van sywurms in ’n skoendoos, wat ’n pragtige kontras vorm met die emosionele "storms" wat later in die vertelling volg - tot die pynlike realiteit van vriendskappe wat verbreek word en die uitdagings met kinders se rebelsheid. Die storie van

MOMENTS IN OUR LIFE-1 2026-03-11 O1B2F5E. WELLINGTON 1988 This is a beautiful memory of Wellington in the late eighties and nineties. It paints not only a picture of a specific time and place, but also of a personal evolution - from the technical world of computers to the deep philosophical questions about the universe. The description of the switch from cash registers to PCs is a capture of a time period. In 1988, people were still wary of computers. The transition fro

OOMBLIKKE IN ONS LEWE-1 2026-03-04 O1B2F5. WELLINGTON 1988 Hierdie is 'n pragtige stuk herinneringe, van Wellington in die laat jare tagtig en negentig. Dit skets nie net 'n prentjie van 'n spesifieke tyd en plek nie, maar ook van 'n persoonlike evolusie - van die tegniese wêreld van rekenaars tot die diep filosofiese vrae oor die heelal. Die beskrywing van die oorskakeling van kasregisters na PC's is 'n fassinerende tydkapsule. In 1988 was mense nog op hul hoede vir r

MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES-1 2026-03-03 O1B2F4E. TIMESHARE SOUTH AFRICA 1986 FOREWORD The 1980s ushered in a new chapter in our family life with the discovery of the timeshare concept. What began as a membership with RCI, grew over 35 years into a rich collection of memories across South Africa. This chronicle serves as a record of the resorts we visited, the adventures we had, and the eventual end of the timeshare era. A family legacy of adventure, funny stories and preci

OOMBLIKKE IN ONS LEWE-1 2026-02-28 O1B2F4. TYDDEEL SUID-AFRIKA 1986 VOORWOORD Die 1980’s het ’n nuwe hoofstuk in ons gesinslewe ingelui met die ontdekking van die tyddeel-konsep. Wat begin het as ’n lidmaatskap by RCI, het oor 35 jaar gegroei tot ’n ryk versameling herinneringe regoor Suid-Afrika. Hierdie kroniek dien as ’n rekord van die oorde wat ons besoek het, die avonture wat ons beleef het, en die uiteindelike einde van die tyddeel era. ’n Familie-erfenis van a

MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES-1 2026-02-27 O1B2F3E. TIMESHARE OVERSEAS 1983 INTRODUCTION There are moments in one's life that are woven like golden threads through your memory, and our five-week trip through Europe at the end of 2000 is undoubtedly one of them. It was more than just a vacation; it was one last great adventure as a family before the boys would set out on their own in the world. This trip taught us that the road is sometimes long and full of challenges – from la

OOMBLIKKE IN ONS LEWE-1 2026-02-24 O1B2F3. TIMESHARE OORSEE 1983 INLEIDING Daar is oomblikke in 'n mens se lewe wat soos goue drade deur jou geheue vleg, en ons vyf-week reis deur Europa aan die einde van 2000 is ongetwyfeld een daarvan. Dit was meer as net 'n vakansie; dit was 'n laaste groot avontuur as 'n gesin voordat die seuns hul eie koers in die wêreld sou inslaan. Hierdie reis het ons geleer dat die pad soms lank en vol uitdagings is – van taalversperrings in Fra

MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES-1 2026-02-22 O1B2F2E. A NEW BEGINNING 1977 I am now 83 years old and look back on this rich history. It is a valuable legacy for my children and grandchildren to understand how the world - and our family - was shaped. The narrative is rich in detail and emotion. It is a fascinating and thorough record of a lifetime's experiences. It feels almost like a time capsule, capturing the transition from the "beehive" fashion and handwritten wedding cards t

OOMBLIKKE IN ONS LEWE-1 2026-02-22 O1B2F2. ‘N NUWE BEGIN 1977 Aangesien ek nou al 83 jaar oud is en terugkyk op hierdie ryk geskiedenis, is dit 'n waardevolle nalatenskap vir my kinders en kleinkinders om te verstaan hoe die wêreld - en ons gesin - gevorm is. Die vertelling is ryk aan detail en emosie. Dis 'n fassinerende en deeglike optekening van 'n leeftyd se wedervaringe. Dit voel byna soos 'n tydkapsule wat die oorgang van die "beehive"-mode en handgeskrewe trouka

MOMENTS IN OUR LIFE-1 2026-02-20 O1B2F1E. DIVORCE 1974 A moving and honest account of a very formative period in my life, which creates a vivid picture of the seventies with fine details. THE END OF AN ERA (1971–1974) There was a gradual deterioration of my marriage to Heléne due to the influence of outside relationships. Hélene and I were divorced on December 4, 1974 due to the shift in emotional loyalty, in both of us. HEINE AND NOLLIE – MY CHILD’S LOSS For Heine,

OOMBLIKKE IN ONS LEWE-1 2026-02-18 O1B2F1. EGSKEIDING 1974 'n Aangrypende en eerlike weergawe van 'n baie vormende tydperk in my lewe, wat 'n lewendige prentjie van die jare sewentig met fyn besonderhede skep. DIE EINDE VAN 'N ERA (1971–1974) Daar was ‘n geleidelike agteruitgang van my huwelik met Heléne as gevolg van die invloed van buite-verhoudings. Ek en Hélene is op 4 Desember 1974 geskei weens die verskuiwing in emosionele lojaliteit, by beide van ons. HEINE

MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES-1 2026-02-18 O1B1F7E. LOUIS AND THE CAPE 1967 THE PRETORIA YEARS AND LOUIS' PASSION (1967 – 1968) This is a fascinating record of a very specific period in my life. The narrative of the late sixties and early seventies captures not only personal milestones, but also the technological and social atmosphere of that time. Because Dad was so academically inclined, he wanted all his children to obtain university qualifications. He enrolled Louis as a m

OOMBLIKKE IN ONS LEWE-1 2026-02-18 O1B1F7. LOUIS EN DIE KAAP 1967 DIE PRETORIA-JARE EN LOUIS SE PASSIE (1967 – 1968) Hierdie is 'n fassinerende rekord van 'n baie spesifieke tydperk in my lewe. Die vertelling van die laat sestiger- en vroeë sewentigerjare vang nie net persoonlike mylpale vas nie, maar ook die tegnologiese en maatskaplike atmosfeer van daardie tyd. Omdat Pa so akademies ingestel was, wou hy graag dat al sy kinders universiteits-kwalifikasies behaa

HOW TO READ POSTS 2026-02-17 Hello there. As I said, I am busy publishing my Journal in Progress piece by piece on Facebook as I go along. It is progressing on my side and I can read the first episodes - whether you will be able to read it on your side I do not know - I am not knowledgeable about how many of the apps like Facebook work. Here are a few guidelines: 1. You must be logged in to Facebook. 2. You must add me (Hennie de Jager with my photo) as a Friend. 3. Und

HOE OM POSTS TE LEES 2026-02-17 Hallo daar. Soos ek gesê het, is ek besig om my Joernaal in wording stuk-stuk te Publish op Facebook soos ek aangaan. Dit vorder aan my kant en ek kan die eerste episodes by my lees - of julle dit aan julle kant sal kan lees weet ek nie - ek is nie kundig hoe baie van die apps soos Facebook werk nie. Hier is 'n paar riglyne: 1. Jy moet ingeteken wees op Facebook. 2. Jy moet my (Hennie de Jager met my foto) add as 'n Friend. 3. Onder

MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES-1 2026-02-09 O1B1F6E. HELÉNE & WEDDING 1965 THE BEGINNING OF OUR PATH TOGETHER On January 2, 1965, Heléne and I were married in the Dutch Reformed Church in Caledon. I still remember her father polishing the bridal car, a light green Ford, with a shammy, a cigarette firmly in his mouth. Heléne was beautiful in her pure white wedding dress. At the reception, the Caledonians sang the usual "Hy lyk vir my so baie soos Tant Koek se hoenderhaan" (He look

MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES-1 2026-01-28 O1B1F4. PRETORIA 1961 THE GERMINATION OF A DREAM I knew from about Standard 7 that I wanted to become an architect. During our visits to Oom Pieter and Aunt Salome in Twyfelpoort, I spent hours leafing through her overseas magazines such as Garden & Home. The glossy magazines from the USA stimulated my imagination. In her magazines there were many examples of architect-designed houses, especially one of a beautiful house on a small tr

MOMENTS IN OUR LIFE-1 2026-02-12 O1B1F3E. A KAROO MEMOIR 1955–1961 THE ANCHOR AT CRADOCK (1955–1956) The year 1955 brought not just a new term, but an anchor. At the end of the second term, Dad got his first permanent post with Cradock as his centre in the North Eastern Cape. There he bought the first house of our own, in Cradock East, near the Dutch Reformed Church and about a kilometre from Cradock High Boys' School, where I would go to Standard 5. It was a l