Community Ch@ - December 2016

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Merry Christmas

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Curious Water

Christmas Traditions

Restriction Update

So Long....

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Leonard Cohen

December 2016

chures/Festive_Issue2016/ http://http://www.woodlandsboulevard.co.za//bro-

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Editor’s Message Ho Ho Ho! It’s Christmas Time again!

It is hard to believe that Christmas has snuck up on us so quickly again. 2016 has been a busy year, but I have had a lot of fun putting together Community Ch@ magazine every month. The holiday season is always a happy time for me, spent with family. I would like to take a minute to thank all our readers and advertisers for your support during 2016, without you we could not succeed.

May you all have a blessed and safe festive season.

I look forward to bringing you more fun issues of Community Ch@ during 2017 and as always your comments and suggestions are welcomed so don’t forget to send us an email. (featzmags@gmail.com) Merry Christmas to all!

If you are looking for some sassy fashion ideas this festive season, have a look at the Woodlands Festive Fashion guide (http:// www.woodlandsboulevard.co.za// brochures/Festive_Issue2016/) – happy reading!

We wish all our readers a Merry Christmas!

To advertise contact Zelda Cell: 084 041 3058 email: featzads@gmail.com www.featzpublishing.com Upcoming Submission Deadlines for Advertisers and Contributors February Issue: 20 January 2017 March Issue 17 February 2017

Published by Featz Publishing (Pty) Ltd and distributed via email. No responsibility is accepted by Featz Publishing (Pty) Ltd for claims, errors or omissions made in advertisements appearing in this issue. All our advertisers are accepted in good faith and we are not responsible for views expressed by contributors or other sources. Reproduction of the content of this magazine is not permitted without the prior consent of the publisher.

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What’s Inside....

6

The History of Christmas Traditions

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A Face Only a Mother can love?

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So Long Leonard Cohen

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Black Mangrove

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Arrow-marked Babbler

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Curious Christmas Traditions

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Water Restrictions - Update

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Grace - Part 10

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Ragdoll

Featz News

Two years ago, Featz Publishing, a small family business was founded in the heart of the Garscom community. Our first publication, @Garsfontein, was only in its development stage. During the last two years the Garscom community has helped us grow and develop our business into a success. Now, after almost 10 years in the area, we are sad to say the time has come for us to bid the Garscom community farewell. Your kindness and support will never be forgotten.

To the loyal patrol teams that kept us safe while we were hard at work and play your dedication has always been appreciated. Thank you to all our readers and advertisers for your continued support.

Community Ch@ magazine will still be distributed every month from our new home in Lynnwood.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Featz Team

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History of Christmas Traditions The

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Christmas is without a doubt the most celebrated holiday around the world. Living in a Christian community we all know the Christmas story and we celebrate Christmas every year by decorating trees, exchanging gifts and enjoying large family meals, traditions that have been passed down to us by our parents year after year.

But where did all these Christmas traditions start? Christmas as we know it today is a Victorian invention of the 1860’s.

Every wonder why the fireplace is such a central part of the typical Christmas scene?

This tradition dates back to the Norse Yule log. The ancient Norse used a Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at winter solstice.

We have the German’s to thank for the Christmas tree. Decorating evergreen trees has always been a part of the German winter solstice tradition. However, the first “Christmas tree” decorated and named after the Christian holiday, appeared in Strasbourg, in Alsace in the beginning of the 17th century.

In the 1820’s the first German immigrants decorated Christmas trees in Pennsylvania.

After Germany’s Prince Albert married Queen Victoria, he introduced the Christmas tree tradition to England.

In 1848, the first American newspaper carried a picture of a Christmas tree and the custom spread to nearly every home in just a few years.

We have Mexico to thank for the poinsettia. In 1828, the American minister to Mexico (Joel R. Poinsett) brought a red and green plant from Mexico to America. Its colouring seemed perfect for the new holiday. The plant, called poinsettia after Poinsett began appearing in greenhouses as early as 1830.

An Englishman named John Calcott Horsley helped to popularise the tradition of sending Christmas cards when he began producing small cards featuring festive scenes and a prewritten holiday greeting in the late 1830’s.

Celtic and Teutonic peoples had long considered mistletoe to have magical powers.

During holidays in the Victorian era, the English would hang sprigs of mistletoe from ceilings and in doorways. If someone was found standing under the mistletoe, they would be kissed by someone else in the room, behaviour not usually demonstrated in Victorian society.

Plum pudding is an English dish dating back to the Middle Ages.

Carolling also began in England. Wandering musicians would travel from town to town visiting castles and homes of the rich. In return for their performance, the musicians hoped to receive a warm meal or money.

The Christmas stocking can be traced back to the Scandinavian legend of St. Nicholas. The legend tells of three poor sisters who could not marry because they had no money for a dowry.

To save them from being sold by their father, St. Nick left each of the three sisters a gift of gold coins. One went down the chimney and landed in a pair of shoes that had been left on the hearth. Another went into a window and into a pair of stockings left hanging by the fire to dry.

Ukrainians prepare a traditional twelve-course meal. A family’s youngest child watches through the window for the evening star to appear, a signal that the feast can begin!

A manger scene is a primary Christmas decoration. St. Francis of Assisi created the first living nativity in 1224 to help explain the birth of Jesus.

According to reports by Captain John Smith, the first eggnog made in the United States was consumed in his 1607 Jamestown settlement.

Nog comes from the word grog, which refers to any drink made with rum.

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A Face Only a Mother Can Love?

Bulldogs today are bred to be affectionate and kind. They are resolute and courageous, but they are not out to pick a fight. In maturity the Bulldog has a calm dignity. They are friendly and playful but they can be a bit stubborn and protective of their families. They seek people out for attention and enjoy nothing more than languishing next to their master.

Bulldogs are medium-sized dogs with thickset, low-slung bodies. Their short-muzzled head is massive and square. They have broad shoulders and chest, with thick, sturdy limbs.

England, the U.S. Marines and dozens of Although they are low to the ground, Bulldogs schools have all chosen the same dog to are wide and muscular. Their broad heads represent their tough, tenacious character. have cheeks that extend to the sides of their That dog, the Bulldog off course. eyes. The skin on their foreheads should have Originating in England, the Bulldog has a dense wrinkles. A Bulldog has a droopy upper bloody past. They descend from fighting lip and his lower jaw is undershot (its sticks mastiffs that were taken to the British Isles by out past the upper jaw). The jaw is massive Romans to participate in a bloody sport called and strong, intended for latching onto his bullbaiting. Today the Bulldog only slightly opponent and holding on. resembles his ancestors in appearance but, They have round dark eyes. The ears are the ferociousness from the bullbaiting pens are all gone. You will be hard-pressed to find small and thin, folded back like a rose. Their short tails are carried close to their rumps. a sweeter, more loving disposition.

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Unfortunately the Bulldogs unique body and head structure makes them prone to health problems, especially respiratory and joint difficulties. They can quickly become overweight if they do not get enough exercise.

Bulldogs are not for everyone.

They are surprisingly heavy, and picking them up can prove to be a challenge. In the house Bulldogs tend to be inactive, preferring to sleep until the next meal arrives. They love children, but don’t expect him to spend hours running after a ball. Your Bulldog may engage in such play for a while, but then you will find him back at your side, content to watch the world go by, and looking up at you happily with a face only a mother can love!

Points to remember before adopting a Bulldog: • Bulldogs are stubborn and lazy.

• Bulldogs can’t tolerate heat and humidity.

• Bulldogs are sensitive to cold weather.

• Bulldogs wheeze, snort and snore.

• Bulldogs are well known for having flatulence.

• Bulldogs are prone to respiratory ailments.

• Bulldogs are greedy eaters and will over-eat if given the chance.

• Bulldogs have difficulty giving birth and generally require a caesarean.

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Vital Stats: Weight: 18 to 25kgs Height at Shoulder: 30 to 38cm Life expectancy: 3 to 10 years

So Long Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)

It was with great sadness that we were informed of the passing of music and poetry legend Leonard Cohen on the 7th of November 2016.

Leonard Norman Cohen was born on the 21st of September 1934 in Montreal Canada. He initially pursued a career in Poetry in the 50’s and 60’s but soon realized this was not going to generate a sustainable income. In 1967 he started turning his poetry into music and so started a 49 yearlong music career. He released 14 studio albums in this time – he also published several poetry books and two novels.

Cohen’s first hit “Suzanne” which for

many years was his most covered song was released in 1966. His list of hits throughout his career is endless and will remain timeless – from “Bird on a wire”, “So long Marianne”, “Everybody knows”, “Dance me to the end of love” and of course the haunting and well covered “Hallelujah”.

In 2012 it was revealed that Cohen’s close friend and financial manager had misappropriated almost all his money and pension, netting to well over 5 million dollars.

So in 2008, this 74-year-old man started a world tour, which continued to 2010.

“The Man With The Golden Voice” was

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back and sounding better and deeper than ever before! His words to the crowd were “When we began this tour, I was 73, just a kid with a crazy dream” His final album “You want it darker” was released on the 21st of October 2016, just weeks before his death. The album was written while he was dying and focuses on death, God and humor.

No music collection is complete without a contribution from this incredible man and musician.

“Ring the bells that still can ring Forget the perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.”

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Bruguiera Gymnorrhiza

Black Mangrove – Swartwortelboom

The Black Mangrove is one of the most widely distributed trees in the tropics.

They occur along the East coast of Africa from just North of East London to Somalia, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands, the South Asian coast from Iran to China, North Australia and numerous islands in the Pacific. They grow on the seaward side of estuaries in mud, in places that are well watered and frost free.

Mangrove habitat and their inhabitants are threatened almost wherever they are found by over-exploitation. In South Africa Bruguiera Gymnorrhiza is protected in terms of the National Forestry Act. (A permit must be obtained before plants or plant parts can be collected.)

successfully. But then the seed germinates in the fruit, and develops a propagule – in effect, a germinated seedling. In the Black Mangrove, the hypocotyl is about the size, shape and colour of a modest Havana cigar, and so not perfectly adapted to making the most of opportunities for rooting in the mud. If the propagule is swept out to sea, it will soon grow a few pairs of leaves, which act as sails while it is carried to another shore.

It is one of the curious features of the Mangrove that the objects one sees occupying the place of an apparently ripe fruit is neither fruit nor seed. Large numbers of fruit develop and ripen

A major problem for any plant growing in the highly saline conditions of a mangrove swamp is how to get rid of the excess salt.

Black Mangroves achieve this by depositing the salt in old leaves, which are eventually

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killed by the concentrated “refuse” they contain. The leaves go yellow and fall, taking the excess salt with them. Healthy trees will drop leaves any and all times of the year for this reason.

Another problem with being in a mangrove is that their roots are permanently waterlogged in mud, but still need some air to survive. In Bruguiera, the “breathing roots” are knee-like structures projecting about 30 cm above the mud and supported on two or more roots. The tops of each of these develop a callus-like tissue through which the necessary air exchange takes place.

Mangrove wood is well known for being waterproof, resistant to borers, tough and effectively indestructible. This makes it highly prized and adds enormously to human pressure on the swamps throughout its range.

If it could be obtained legally, this tree would make a wonderful reminder of some of nature’s more unusual scenes in a suitably warm, moist garden.

The Black Mangrove grows up to 10m tall, but is often less. It has black, rough bark and knee-roots. Leaves opposite,

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crowded at the ends of branches, roughly elliptical, hairless, glossy apple green when young becoming yellow with age.

Flowers solitary, up to 40mm long, petals and sepals 8-18, petals are creamy white, falling with the stamens, sepals green in shade and pink in direct sunlight.

The fruit is a fleshy berry up to 25mm long, germinating on the tree to form a ribbed, brown hypocotyl about 110mm long.

Trees grow slowly and are quite long-lived.

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Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides Jardineii

The Arrow-marked babbler is a common not threatened bird that occurs from Uganda through Angola, Tanzania, Northern Mozambique and Zambia to South Africa.

The scientific binomial for the Arrowmarked babbler is Turdoides Jardineii; Turdoides from the Latin for “like a thrush� and Jardineii after the naturalist Sir William Jardine.

They are usually heard before they are seen. These noisy birds have a harsh chatter, often uttered by many birds at the same time and can be heard for quite a distance.

They are medium sized birds, with a length of about 24cm. The plumage on their head and breast is brownish-grey with white tips on the feathers that give the characteristic arrow-marked effect.

The back and tail is a darker brown and the belly is lighter. The bill, legs and feet are black. Their eyes are two-toned, a red outer rim and a yellow centre. Male and female birds are alike in size and plumage.

They are social birds, usually found in group of four to twelve birds. They forage low down in the undergrowth and on the ground and feed mainly on insects,

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spiders and small reptiles, also taking some fruit and seeds.

Arrow-marked babblers are monogamous and co-operative breeders, building an untidy cupshaped nest from twigs and dry grass and lined with finer materials.

The female lays a clutch of two to five blue eggs that hatch after an incubation period of between 13 and 17 days. Eggs are incubated by all group members. The nest may be parasitized by the Levaillants cuckoo.

Egg laying season is all year round, peaking between September and April. The chicks are cared for and protected by all group members, leaving the nest after about 18 to 21 days. They tend to leave earlier if the group size is larger.

The Arrow-marked babbler is prey of the Wahlberg’s eagle.

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Curious Christmas Traditions from around the World……

In Russia and Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January and not the 25th of December. This unusual date is because the Orthodox Church uses the old ‘Julian’ calendar for religious celebration days.

apostles, begins.

In Ireland, it’s traditional to leave mince pies and a bottle of Guinness out as a snack for Santa.

In the Czech Republic, single women perform a very unusual ritual on In the traditional Russian Christmas Christmas Eve Day to find out if special prayers are said and people they will marry in the following year. fast, sometimes for 39 days, until January 6th (Christmas Eve), when the With their back to the house door, they throw one of their shoes over first evening star appears in the sky.

Then a twelve course their shoulder. If the shoe lands with the heel towards the door, she will supper, in honour definitely be single for another year. of the While if the front of the shoe points twelve towards the door, it means she will move out of her parent’s house and she should start making wedding preparations.

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For over 40 years the town of Gavle in Sweden has erected a giant Goat made of straw to mark the beginning of the holiday season. Every year vandals do everything they can to burn down the goat before Christmas Day. Since 1966, the Straw Goat has survived until Christmas Day only 10 times.

In Germany, December 6th is Nikolaustag St Claus day. On the eve of that day, children leave a shoe or boot outside their door, and the next morning candies and/or small toys appear in them for boys and girls who have been good or else a golden birch (a symbol for spanking) is placed next to the sweets if they were bad.

In Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Christmas Eve morning the roads of the city are closed to cars so people can roller skate to mass.

For many people in Japan, traditional diner is Kentucky Fried Chicken. It is so popular and well marketed you will have to make a reservation to eat at a KFC on Christmas.

According to Norwegian ancient beliefs, witches and evil spirits would emerge on Christmas Eve to steal brooms to ride the skies. Thus, on Christmas Eve all the brooms and similar cleaning implements are hidden away and men would fire their shotguns outside their houses to frighten these witches away.

The people of Netherlands awaits the arrival of Sinterklaas and his sidekick - Black Pete who come by way of steamer to leave candy and nuts for good little boys and girls who have filled their shoes with hay and sugar for his horse.

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In Greenland, ‘Kiviak’ which consists of raw flesh of an auk wrapped in seal skin and placed under a rock for several months until well in decomposition is the order of the day!

In Slovakia, at the beginning of Christmas Eve dinner, the head of the family takes a spoon of Loksa (a traditional Christmas dish made out of bread, poppy seed filling and water) and throws it up at the ceiling. The more mixture that remains on the ceiling the richer his crops will be the following year.

Christmas Favorites Perfect Roast Potatoes Ingredients: 1.5kg potatoes 1 bulb garlic Red wine vinegar

pick in the rosemary along with a splash of red wine vinegar and mix it up a bit.

9. Add the flavour mixture to the potatoes and give the pan a good shake, then pop back into a hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until crispy, bubbly and delicious.

10. Transfer to a plate with kitchen paper to drain off some of the excess oil.

Flavour:

Honey Glazed Ham

3 tbsp. olive oil

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh rosemary

1 ready to eat ham

Method:

¼ cup whole cloves

1. Preheat oven to 1900C

¼ cup dark corn syrup

2. Peel the potatoes, cutting any large ones so 2 cups honey they are all an even-size (twice the size of a 2 /3 cup butter squash ball is about right) Method: 3. Wash the potatoes in cold water to get rid of any extra starch, and then tip into a large 1. Preheat oven to 1650C pot, cover with cold salted water and parboil for 7 minutes. Drain in a colander and steam 2. Score ham and stud with the whole cloves. dry for 3 minutes.

Place ham in foil lined pan.

4. Give the colander a bit of a shake to help chuff up the potatoes – this will help to make them super-crisp later on.

3. In the top half of a double boiler, heat the corn syrup, honey and butter. Keep the glaze warm while baking the ham.

5. Tip the potatoes into a large tray in one layer, and add the olive oil and season well with sea salt and black pepper.

4. Brush the glaze over ham and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in preheated oven.

Baste ham every 10 – 15 minutes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 – 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from the oven and let sit a few minutes before serving.

6. Toss the potatoes in the oil ( you could get the potatoes to this stage the day before, simply cover with Clingfilm and pop in the fridge), then roast for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and three quarters cooked.

7. Gently squash each potato with a potato masher to increase the surface area – the more of your potato that’s in contact with the pan, the crisper they will be.

8. Add 1 good lug of oil to a small bowl and

Cranberry Sauce Ingredients: 1 cup white sugar 1 cup orange juice

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1 packet fresh cranberries

3 tbsp. chicken stock

Method

2 tbsp. dried parsley

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, 2 tbsp. dried mince onion dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries, and cook until they start to 2 tbsp. seasoning salt pop (about 10 minutes) Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cranberry sauce will Method: thicken as it cools.

1. Preheat the oven to 1750C. Rinse and wash the turkey. Discard the giblets.

Classic Candied Sweet Potatoes Ingredients: 6 sweet potatoes ½ cup butter 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup water 1 teaspoon salt Method: 1. Preheat oven to 1750C 2. Place whole sweet potatoes in a steamer over a couple inches of boiling water and cover. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain and cool.

3. Peel and slice sweet potatoes lengthwise into ½ inch slices. Place in a baking dish.

4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, brown sugar, water and salt. When the sauce is bubbly and sugar is dissolved, pour over the sweet potatoes.

5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour, occasionally basting the sweet potatoes with the brown sugar sauce.

Home-style Turkey Ingredients: 1 whole turkey 6 tbsp. butter, divided 4 cups warm water

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2. Place the turkey in a roasting dish. Separate the skin on the breast and make little pockets. Put 3 teaspoons of the butter on both sides between the skin and the breast meat. This makes for very juice breast meat.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the water with the stock. Sprinkle in the parsley and minces onion. Pour over the top of the turkey.

Sprinkle seasoning salt over the turkey.

4. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 3 ½ to 4 hours until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 800C. For the last 45 minutes, remove the foil so the turkey will brown nicely.

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Classic Classic Christmas Christmas Pudding Pudding Ingredients: For the pudding: 50g blanched almonds 2 large cooking apples 200g box candied peel 1 whole nutmeg 1kg raisins 140g plain flour 100g soft fresh white breadcrumbs 100g light muscovado sugar 3 large eggs 2 tbsp. brandy (plus extra to flame) 250g butter For the Brandy and ginger butter: 175g unsalted butter Grated zest of half an orange 5tbsp icing sugar 4tbsp brandy 2 pieces of stem ginger Method 1. Get everything prepared. Chop the almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop apples. Chop the candied peel. Grate ¾ of the nutmeg. Mix all the ingredients for the pudding, except the butter, in a large bowl.

2. Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, and then stir everything together. Repeat until all the butter is grated, and then stir for 3 – 4 minutes – the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir.

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3. Generously butter two 1.2 litre bowls and

put a disc of greaseproof paper in the bottom of each. Pack in the pudding mixture.

Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper, pleating it to allow for expansion, and then tie with string. Trim off any excess paper.

4. Now stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the pudding watertight). Tie with more string, and make a handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan.

5. Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hours, topping up with water as needed.

Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in new greaseproof paper, foil and string. Store in a cool dry place until Christmas.

6. To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy and chopped ginger.

Put in a small bowl, fork the top attractively and put in the fridge to set. The butter will keep for a week in the fridge, or it can be frozen for up to 6 weeks.

7. On Christmas day, boil or oven steam for 1 hour. Unwrap and turn out. To flame, warm 3 – 4 tbsp. of brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.

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Environmental Environmental

Water is Life

A water restriction update:

Water restrictions have been implemented, yet driving through the GarsCom area on any given morning you are guaranteed to see sprinklers or hosepipes being used. I was appalled when I drove down St. Bernard Drive the other morning at 09h00 and witnesses a gardener standing on the pavement watering away with a large industrial sized hose!

No sprinkler systems or hose pipes may be used to water gardens (or Pavements) from 06h00 till 18h00 on any day of the week.

Really people? There is a water shortage, WE ARE IN TROUBLE! Unless everyone co-operates we will soon start seeing “Water Shedding”, was load shedding not enough of a nuisance?

Please, work together and help ensure that we do not have to endure increased water tariffs or water shedding.

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You may not wash your vehicle using a hose pipe!

No filling of swimming pools is permitted!

Only if everyone co-operates will we be able to avoid increased rates, increased policing, and water shedding – not to mention the crisis of not having enough water to sustain the population!

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Johan Jordaan

GRUMPY IS DEAD Lest you lose your focus I decided to take a timeout. I want to expand your perspective of grace so let’s stand back and look at grace from a different angle, a little less ‘theologically’.

John Sheasby has a sermon on his website (www.liberatedliving.com) which he calls ‘Grumpy is dead’ and I am borrowing from that sermon for this month’s message. The Law is like a grumpy husband who is never satisfied with anything you do. You get up early, make him coffee and breakfast, lay out his clothes and see him off to work with a smile and a kiss. In the afternoon you must wait for him when he gets home serve him hand and foot and you never receive a word of appreciation. Then you have to satisfy him in bed as well! That makes you feel used. It makes you tired emotionally and physically.

This is not what life should be.

Then one day Grumpy dies! You are free to marry again (Rom 7:2). You meet a new bridegroom who is not like Grumpy at all but you are so used to Grumpy’s ways that you keep on serving him like you served Grumpy. He protests but you are deaf to his pleas because you are so conditioned

that you cannot get out of this paradigm that a husband should be served hand and foot. He explains that he wants to bring you coffee and breakfast in bed every morning but cannot because you are up too early – to serve him.

This mind-set of servitude robs you of everything that he wants to give you because you are so obsessed with serving him. Fact is that he does not want your service. He wants to be a husband to you who spoils you.

He wants you to be a companion, confidant, friend and lover.

The Law died two thousand years ago and we have a new Husband – Jesus – who is totally different from Grumpy (Law). But people still cling to their mind-set of servitude; but He does not want your service – He wants you.

Read Song of Solomon to understand how He sees you. Song 4:2 Oh, you are beautiful, my darling! Oh, you are beautiful! (NET) He is deeply in love with you. He adores you.

Instead of you serving Him, He wants to do everything for you: He wants to save you from death. He is willing to die for you – which He did. He does not expect you to become blameless – He declares you

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blameless! Rom 3:28 For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law. (NET) He does not expect you to become perfect before He will accept you as His bride, no, He makes you perfect: Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word (NET). He does not hold you accountable for your previous life with Grumpy and whether you were unfaithful to him or not; He accepts you the way you are.

That is grace.

He comes to you and offers you a new life.

Unlike Grumpy He loves you unconditionally (Eph 3:18) you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God (NET) and Rom (8:3839). He does not expect you to earn His love or prove that you are worthy of His love, no He just loves you. That is grace.

Jesus and who is willing to receive (not earn) from the Father. Grace is not fair, nor does it try to be.

The reason for all the ‘theology’ in these messages is to expose the true nature of grace, that it is only available in Jesus. That it is not grace if you work for it (Rom 4:4).

Neither is it grace when you try to earn it by keeping the Law (Gal 5:4) or when you try to make yourself holy. Grace cannot flow to a slave or servant, only to one who is free.

Grace is only for those who renounce the Old Covenant. Grace can only be received – and only by the undeserving. Grace is for those who know Him, not the dedicated, nor the obedient or trustworthy (Luke 15:29).

Grace is not reserved for church people or good people, no grace is for everyone. Grace comes to you – don’t go look for it. Yes, grace is not fair.

Jesus freed us from Grumpy to give us a new life of freedom in Him, receive this life and start to live in His grace.

Next month we continue with the normal messages and we tackle the thorny issue of Grace comes at the most unexpected times and places. Grace is never just enough. Grace works because it cannot wait any longer! can’t be deserved as much as you can’t organise your own surprise party! Grace is Write to me, engage me and I will try to not fair. Grace is free but not cheap. God’s answer any questions that you might have grace is visible from the first page of the Bible (where He created a whole universe for Email: featzmags@gmail.com us) to the last where we marry Him. Subject: Grace He did not have to create us – knowing about the pain that we would cause Him, but He did. He did not have to give us a free will – knowing that we would choose against Him, but He did. His Son did not have to come to earth and die for us, but He did. He did not have to make us His bride, but He did. That’s grace.

Grace is the natural outflow of the goodness of the Father. If you have a problem with your picture of the Father, you will struggle with grace. Grace overflows to anyone who is in

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SING is Illumination Entertainment’s

stab at critical respectability. Following a series of modestly budgeted smash hits which have grossed in the billions (including this summer’s THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS and the DESPICABLE ME series), this passion project from producer Chris Meledandri (and THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY director Garth Jennings) appears as if it were conceived to propel them into a higher realm, with it making a big-splash at the Toronto International Film Festival.

A jukebox musical in the vein of ROCK OF AGES, SING is impressive, even if only for the insane amount of smash-hit songs packed into the less than two hour running time, running the gamut from Lennon/ McCartney to Lady Gaga.

Remember to visit: www.featzpublishing.com for some fun pages for the kids!

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Yogurt Facial Masks You don’t have to go to a spa to give your face a quick assist. To cleanse your skin and tighten the pores, lather some plain yogurt on your face and let it sit for about 20 minutes. For a revitalizing facial mask, mix 1 teaspoon plain yogurt with the juice from 1/4 slice of orange, some of the orange pulp, and 1 teaspoon aloe. Leave the mixture on your face for at least five minutes before rinsing it off.

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From Lucasfilms comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together in a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed

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Fascinating People The First Computer Programmer!

Countess of Lovelace Augusta Ada King Noel (10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852) Ada was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage’s early mechanical general purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine included what is recognised as the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine.

As a result, she is often regarded as the first Computer Programmer.

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Ragdoll If you are looking for a “fury bundle of weighing love” to add to your family, a Ragdoll is between the cat for you.

3.6 and 6.8kgs and Ragdolls are amongst the youngest of some males cat breeds. The cats were first bred weighing more during the 1960’s by Ann Barker. than 9kgs.

Barker selected cats with gentle, placid personalities, large size and beautiful A Ragdoll will long coats for her breeding program. collapse into The result was the Ragdoll, named for your arms when you hold him, even its propensity to flop into the arms of when cradled on its back. They love anyone their people, greeting them at the door, who picked following them around the house, it up. leaping into a lap or snuggling in bed whenever given the chance. They This is a learn to come when they are called large cat and to play fetch. breed, females The Ragdoll likes to play with toys

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and will enter into family activities.

Ragdolls learn quickly and can pick up tricks as well as good behaviour like using a scratching post. They have small sweet voices, but they are not excessively vocal.

Ragdolls have nice manners and are easy to live with. You will find a Ragdoll on a couch or a bed, but generally not much higher than that.

They prefer to stay on the same level

as their people.

The moderately long fur has little undercoat, meaning it is less likely to mat and sheds less than other long haired cats. Minimal grooming and a wide range of coat colours make this affectionate cat a good choice for any family.

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A Thousand Kisses Deep

Leonard Cohen You came to me this morning And you handled me like meat You’d have to be a man to know How good that feels, how sweet My mirror twin, my next of kin I’d know you in my sleep And who but you would take me in A thousand kisses deep I loved you when you opened Like a lily to the heat You see I’m just another snowman Standing in the rain and sleet Who loved you with his frozen love His secondhand physique With all he is and all he was A thousand kisses deep I know you had to lie to me I know you had to cheat To pose all hot and high Behind the veils of sheer deceit Our perfect porn aristocrat So elegant and cheap I’m old but I’m still into that A thousand kisses deep I’m good at love, I’m good at hate It’s in between I freeze Been working out but it’s too late (It’s been too late for years) But you look good, you really do They love you on the street If you were here I’d kneel for you

A thousand kisses deep The autumn moved across your skin Got something in my eye A light that doesn’t need to live And doesn’t need to die A riddle in the book of love Obscure and obsolete And witnessed here in time and blood A thousand kisses deep But I’m still working with the wine Still dancing cheek to cheek The band is playing Auld Lang Syne But the heart will not retreat I ran with Diz, I sang with Ray I never had their sweet But once or twice they let me play A thousand kisses deep I loved you when you opened Like a lily to the heat You see I’m just another snowman Standing in the rain and sleet Who loved you with his frozen love His secondhand physique With all he is and all he was A thousand kisses deep But you don’t need to hear me now And every word I speak It counts against me anyhow A thousand kisses deep

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Book Review

by Bianca Adendorff

HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE by Jennifer Niven. Be prepared to be blown away by the brilliance of New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Niven as she delivers yet another poignant, powerful, exhilarating and heart-wrenching story. You will absolutely adore the realness, honestly and the strong message of hope. A great reminder to love yourself, be yourself and remember that everyone matters! ISBN: 9780141357058 | Published by Penguin Random House UK| Binding: Paperback

LET’S EXPLORE! Colouring * Collage * Puzzles * Drawing by Eric Carle. This fun-filled book is a must-have for all The Very Hungry Caterpillar fans. Kids can find their way through a food maze, make a caterpillar door hanger and spot the differences between the ladybirds and lots more! This will give kids a fun start to their artistic expedition and will assist with a wide variety of exciting skills like drawing and colouring, plus, they can use the 3 animal stamps and ink pad to decorate the pages and create their own pieces of art! ISBN: 9781474844420 | Published by Parragon | Binding: Softcover notepad with over 40 fun things to do, 3 stamps and a green ink pad.

NIGHT SCHOOL by Lee Child. Are you a Jack Reacher fan? You are going to love this action-packed prequel story that will introduce you to a new side of Jack Reacher!

Lee Child has delivered yet another page turning thriller packed with twists, turns and an engaging plot! A definite must read that can be read as a stand-alone novel! ISBN: 9780593073919| Published by Penguin Random House UK | Binding: Trade Paperback.

HOLDING MY BREATH by Ace Moloi. Ace Moloi starts this book off with a letter to his deceased mother. You will immediately fall in head first gulping down the great waves of pain but also soaking in the sun glittering on the water’s surface. Thank you to Ace Moloi for swimming out into life and sharing his story. This book will take you on a journey through various South African issues and in the end will inspire many to fight the tide and reach the shore. This richly told memoir with its beautiful narrative is intense and funny yet astonishingly tragic. The poignancy will pull you in and reach deep into your heart, capturing it in so many different ways. There will only be a very few that will read this and walk away unchanged. ISBN: 9781928337294| Published by BlackBird Books | Binding: Trade Paperback.

WIN!

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N I W !

WIN

Remember, we have books to give away!

email your name and suburb to featzmags@gmail.com, subject: Bargain Books

Sudoku 5 8

3 6 7

4 2 8 4 2 1 3 5 9

6 5 7 8 5 1 5 3 3 4 5 2 1 8

2 4

3 8 7 2 6 5 4 2 9 8 6 1 2 3 7 3 5 4 2 3 4 5 6 4 6 3 9

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7 9 4

Level Easy

6 3 2 9

9 1 3 5 2 6 8 1

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8

1 4 9 2 2 8 6 7 1 8 6 2 7 7 6 5 7 8 4 7 5 1 5 3

Level Medium

Level Hard

Remember: a printable copy is available on our website

www.featzpublishing.com

Merry Christmas!

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Happy Anniversary to my Love

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