MY BIRTHDAY DATE: 26 May 1946

My blogger news for today deviates from the previous history and archives of the De Beer family. Today it is my 60th birthday and I considered it as a special dy in my life to write about something else. I will later commence with the De Beer family history and other interesting events in my own life.

My father, Barend Petrus De Beer was also born on the 26th of May 1923. Since I understood the meaning of celebrating this wonderful day in my life, I was always part of all the fun and laughter when the family, including nephews and cousins and uncles and aunties and (grand farther and grand mother on my mother's side :Pelser) enjoyed a barbique or hot soup and fresh home made bread and sweet wine to warm us up against the sharp ice cold winter evenings in Bloemfontein during this time of the year. Lots of fun and local jokes. The funniest joke teller is my third eldest brother, also Barend De Beer with the nickname of "Oubaas". He was named so by a former Black house hold lady which literally means "old boss" in English. And eversince he carried that name. He is very talented to liven up the dull side of our family who is very inclined to refer to the good old days in the past instead of enjoying the moment of now! Even when he was a child, he always teased my father who complained about the great economic depression of the 1933's by asking him very ignorantly whether he is now living nicely with us...not realizing that he was actually living with his parents!

Nice house parties with Boere Musiek 'farmers Music (sic)' which was played on an accordian by my uncle for the older folk while we jived and rock and rolled in the back room with taped music of Elvis Presley and the Shaddows. May be something of (Sir) Cliff Richard for the girls. Over and over. Yes, it was sheer fun.

Now' a day's my parents are in an old age home and am on my way to grill some meat for my father in his wheel chair on the stoep before the sunshine looses its warmth. Watching the autumn leaves falling to the ground. Yes, very symbollically...And thereby hangs a tale to be told.