Nov. 15, 2016. 

 Globalization will not go away. Nor will climate change and global warming. The present uncontrollable weather, I believe, is because of all the poison that we have been putting in the atmosphere by way of Carbon Dioxide (oil and coal) and Methane (mining gold and other things) not to mention the cattle industry, but the Methane, although more poisonous to the atmosphere than CO2, is much less than the CO2. 

     If Trump really does decide to pull out of the Paris agreement, since we are such a big polluter, it will have a huge negative impact on the whole rest of the world as well as the States. If he gives in to the Oil conglomerates, and if the coal mines reopen, it will create jobs for a short time, and probablyl lost of money for the owners, but it will just doing two things: It will be hurrying up the global warming and we will come to the 2% or 3% threshold from wihich there is no return. It will also be delaying what is necessary, e.g. retraining for other jobs to take the place of those which are now already obsolete, The world has moved on. Most of the jobs lost will never come back and we have to start stragegizing now what and how to replace them with work that will be relevant.   

    A third thing also, is that the government has to come up with a plan to look after those who lost everything and are really too old or too uneducated to try something new in their lives.

     What do you think about that. I don't think the the Republicans are up to the task with their present mindset.

Give me some feedback. I worked on the assembly line at the Wixom plant putting front ends on Lincoln Contiinentals. That job, I am sure, would now be done by a robot. There is just no avoiding that. You see what I mean. Even here in South AFrica, the gold and platinum mines have a definite life cycle and it is coming to an end. All they can do is to try to re-refine the tailings that have come up with new methods to do that. I don't see the companies doing any forward planning for when the gold and platinum run out or simply become too expensive to continue (10 miles underground). 

     The Arab countries are already implementing, already for a long time now, a plan for when their oil (in the desert) runs out. They have been buyiing real estate all over the world and getting ready to make their millions there.

      This is just now coming off the top of my head now. But there must be an initiative to help those that have fallen through the cracks for no fault of their own. I really don't think that cutting the taxes of the the already rich is going to help solve the problem. The rich seem to be always getting richer and richer and richer.  Cas.

Nov. 13, 2016

Just a quick update as to what has been happening since I got back from Mthatha and my retreat.

Oct. 29..I had a chance to visit my latest girlfriend, Chisanga, the one whose picture I sent you some time back. She is in the middle of the terrible twos and it is very noticeable.

Oct. 30^th.. Left a list of the things needed for the church we are trying to get money to build with a friend to do a kind of cost assessment per item, e.g. so many windows as what price, so many doors at what price, how many bricks of blocks we need, and how much each, etc. The we can ask people to buy a door, or a window or a couple of bricks. I have my doubts that this will ever actually happen. The cost now has gone up to about R500,00. That is about $40,000. I don’t think in my life time. People are too poor and stressed out with ordinary financial demands on their meager salaries.

 Nov. 1… Rajes, our travel agent, gives me the schedule for my visit to the States next year to conduct a wedding of a friend in Chicago in August.

Nov. 2… A friend helps me to understand why my cell phone is eating us so much data and how to control it. Very necessary.

Nov. 3…A visit by Dr. Harry and wife Sue Jergeson, a retired orthopedic surgeon who , for 14 yrs., volunteered  his skills in the hospital at Bedford (in my parish) till the new administrator said he, and others, were not needed any more (stupid). I stayed overnight with them on my home leave in San Anselmo, CA, near the Golden Gate Bridge. We had lunch together and it was beautiful.

Nov, 4…visit Sr. Lucas Lenzen, one of our CPS sisters. She had breast cancer and it went into remission, but now has come back in her neck. Not good. I wore a collar because I came out of the usual visiting hours. I intended to intimidate anyone who might try to block me.

Nov. 5…Attended the wedding of Dr. Adam Carpenter. He was the only white kid who ever lived with Fr. Guy’s guys at Sabelani while he was studying medicine at the university medical school in Mthatha. His dad is also a doctor who donates his time 3 times a week at the clinic at the Denis Hurly Center in Durban, a free clinic for the street people. His mom is also an activist in her own right.

Nov. 7…it has been raining and raining and raining ( God answered out prayers for rain and is now laughing up his sleeve saying, you asked for it now you got it. Ha. Floods in Johannesburg) But today there was sunshine and I managed to get the stubborn weed eater running and did a lot of work out there, even though it was still pretty wet. But then, it was the last time because the rains started again.

Nov. 8… Attended a lecture at the Denis Hurley Center. Topic: Non Violence and Peace Making. Bishop Dowling has been everywhere where there is a need for peace (Sarajavo, South Sudan, DRC. You name it). Violence and more war is not the answer. Although I agreed, I asked who this mindset fit with ISIS.  He said to look for alternatives to the violence. Who is supplying the arms that makes the violence possible. He has a point there. I suggest that, in the long term we try to find who is supplying the arms and try to persuade them (lots of money in the arms trade) to stop. But, my humble opinion, in the short term, go after those ISIS people before they kill everyone in Mosul and Raqqa and elsewhere.

Nov. 9…I had the experience of a life time as a guest of the Consul here in Durban, Frances Chisholm, to watch, live, the results of the election coming in that resulted in Trump’s victory. For me, a sad day, but also a revealing day, in that it was clear that we really are a deeply racist and senophobic society. Shame, shame, shame. I will have more to say about this later on in this blog.

Nov. 11…Checked at the school of nursing about Monanyane, one of Guy’s sons, who flunked his second year of nursing and had to write a re-exam. Whether he will be allowed to get in to a so-called bridging course to be able to continue his studies for another 2 yrs. and come out the other end as a full fledged nurse able to support himself and his family. Thin hope. We may have to go to plan B and get him into the university program in Mthatha, if the will accept the two years that he did already. It takes them forever to correct the exam papers and by the time he gets his results, he should have enrolled for the next course, which will have already started. What a stupid system.

Nov. 12…Graduation Mass for those Catholic teachers and principals who have been updating their faith at a special course. Because I gave several of their inputs, I was also invited, along with the Cardinal (Ahem!) and two other fine priests who are involved in working in the schools. When I mentioned that one of the American Cardinals, Burke by name, praised Trump as one who promoted Catholic values because he promotes respect for life from conception to birth, and said that I thought that he was mad to come to the conclusion that Trump upholds Catholic values (let’s say, Christian values), because he is a blatant racist, a bigot, anti-black, anti-Muslim, calling Mexicans thieves and rapitsts, etc. etc. etc. not to mention his mindset regarding women. I was stunned when our Cardinal said that he felt that the press had unfairly demonized him and didn’t bring into the open his good points. I thought that this is the time to keep my mouth shut and make a strategic and silent retreat. Holy Moses.

Now, the best for the last. I want to take this opportunity to thank, from the bottom of my heart, my Republican friends and family members for giving all of us Americans the gift of this great man Trump, as I said, bigot, racist, anti-black, anti-hispanic, accusing Mexicans of being thieves and rapists, wanting to build a wall between us and Mexico, and wanting to punish China by putting tariffs on our imports from China, and do away with NATO, and repeal the Obamacare Act. This is not to mention at all, the mindset he has regarding women…and I won’t go into the details which you already know. How so many women could vote for such a misogynist who sees women ad objects,  don’t understand. But, to you all, my Republican friends and family, many many thanks for this great gift you just gave to the American people, and, for that matter, to the wider world.

    It was interesting to see the hypocrisy of Paul Ryan and Mitch Mconnell, smiling happily as they accompanied him away for the election place, the very same one who repudiated him  and rejected him some  days earlier, and promised not to fund any of his  events. Wow, what a turn around. It reminds me of a word we used to use when we were kids. Brown Noser. We shall see what happens now.

    I have to praise Obama for his humble and genteel meeting with Trump who had a campaign going to discredit Obama as an non-American running for president.  I could go on and on and on, but it is enough for you to realize how deeply grateful I am to you all for the tremendous gift you gave to all Americans and the rest of the world.  I will try to convince people here in South Africa to understand this because it seems that they think otherwise.

     I think that that is enough for now. Love to you all.  Cas.

October 25, 2016

Would you believe a whole month has gone by since I last caught you up on what is happening on this side of the world. Wow! Time really does fly. Let me try to summarize what has been going on.

    As a matter of fact, I was advised to give it a try so I drove back to Mariannhill, keeping my fingers crossed. All went well. On Tuesday, when I went to the tire place where we usually go, the place that ripped me off last time, in an apologetic mood, he gave me a spare wheel with tire for my Hyundai. Someone had had mags put on his car and this wheel was left over. My good luck. Then I went and bought a jack and some oil and another container of power steering fluid. When I was astonished that it was only R39 and something I asked about it and realized that I had been taken for a ride in Mthatha where I paid R130 for the same thing. Is there an honest person on earth???

    Then, when I went to a friend who is an IT person and a cell phone fundi, to have him check out all the things that are on this phone and to transfer the old numbers to this phone, he did that but also noticed that the leak was not power steering fluid but motor oil. The filter had worked its way loose and was a few threads from coming off (that would have been a disaster). Where it is located, it can’t be seen at all. Well, he tightened it up and all was well again. Then I went to Pinetown Locksmith, and, after a few days thinking it over, when the locks didn’t work any more, I had him fix the door locks. It cost R600 (about $55) but it had to be done as the thieves had damaged the door locks. Now, all problems had been solved, nicely. A bit expensive, but the main thing, the spare wheel was in its proper place again.

    I had helped one of the ladies who works at the Retreat house with some money to by windows for the house she is trying to build bit by bit. I deposited in the account of the store where she bought it, Abdul is the proprietor. I had to go three times to our bank and twice to his bank because, after a month, it still didn’t show up in his account. The banks, of course, blamed each other. In the meantime, in order to get her windows out, I paid cash, and delivered them to her myself (a little car but amazing how much it can hold). Then, later, when the amount showed up in Abdul’s account ( a good and proper Muslim), he returned the cash. It was very frustrating, going back and forth to the banks, but it turned out OK in the end. It really tried my patience, and put a dent in my petrol budget.

    Of course we have been watching the ghastly, ugly, acrimonious presidential events in the States. It may be a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils, but the one evil is bad and the other is really, really bad, which helps one to make a decision. I am ashamed at some of our bishops who have a one issue mind and almost force Catholics, as they see it, to vote with regard to that one issue, and don’t consider the whole picture. Someone once said, probably in one of my classes, Politics is the art of the possible. You will never get a perfect system but you take what you can get and work on the rest. People here are depressingly amused by the circus that these events have turned out to be. Shameful. What has become of our country!!!

     The guy who was given permission to put up a tent in the spot where we had received permission to hold our Sunday services, (it is municipal property intended for building a municipal hall for general use for people of ward 17. We are using what is a club house for sports during the week.) But now he has built not only a permanent building but has installed steel girders to put up a second floor. He has long done away with his tent. It is totally illegal, but he must be paying off someone, who, after being given a handout, turns his eye the other way. Corruption is rife. I took Mr. Pillay with me to see someone whom we hope can put a wrench in their works. The community will suffer by his selfishness and the greed of those counselors who took his money.

But with things as they are, I wouldn’t be surprised if we lost the case, because of some more greased palms.

     I had a mass for the Matrics (seniors—grade 12’s) at Holy Family School. I enjoy being with youngsters. However, one of the unsavory outcomes was that one of those seniors stole the cell phone of their class teacher. Happy  graduation. Bring your values into the next phase of your life. Maybe he will have a chance  to experience life behind bars one day.

     On the 22^nd, I gave a workshop on Laudato Si, mi signore (Praise to you , my Lord), St. Francis’ words, who loved nature. I had to do lot and lots of preparation, as it is about Climate Change and Global warming and the bad effects in has on the poor of the world, who bear the brunt of the negative effects of these things, even though it is the developed nations who are the biggest culprits.  What are Green house Gases; what is Ecology; What is an ecosystem; what is the biosphere;  How is Methane gas produced; What are HFC’s and CFC’s and why are they bad for the environment; deforestation, water pollution, air pollution,  pesticides, herbicies, artificial fertilizers, GMO’s, acidification of the oceans, loss of biodiversity and why this is so important; throw away culture; The market forces will take care of everything; technology and its role in these things; etc. etc. etc.  Thank goodness for Google. It took most of 4 hours to make the presentation, including a Power Point program that I borrowed from a friend who made this presentation at St. Meinrad when I was on my home leave. (St. Meinrad is my alma mater in Southern Indiana). The aim was three fold: 1) help people to understand what these things are. 2) to motivate them to take this seriously. If, really, the temperature continues to rise and goes above the 2C threshold, and continues on to 3C or 4C, it will be irreversible, and it will be too late to prevent further damage to our ecosystem. 3) Action (education, re-connection with mother earth through gardening, or other ways, teaching the children to respect and work with, not against, mother nature, and getting involved in local, regional, national organizations that are trying to slow down the global warming in big and little ways.) I was exhausted. I doubt if people will still take this seriously. Here, water is at a premium in KZN, our province. Some small towns and villages have no water at all and it has to be trucked in. Where the water comes from, I haven’t a clue.

     On Saturday evening I had supper with a friend that I had known from her school days back in the late sixties. She has been working at the American Consulate for many years now. She is the one who organized an absentee ballot for me, which went off by diplomatic post the same day and was in the States the next day. She also invited me to a gathering of some of the Americans in the neighborhood as one of the hotels in town on the morning of the 9^th  of Nov. here to watch the election results. It should be interesting.

    After Mass at Savannah Park on Sunday the 23^rd, I drove to Mthatha (about 450 km.—285 miles) to make my annual retreat with the other members of the province.

     I had taken a new printer for Nothemba, who works at the parish house in Landsend, that has a photocopy function. It costs a villager R33 to get a photocopy of something, just a page. R16 taxi to town, R1 for photocopy, R16 taxi back to village. She can provide a service for the people and make a bit of a living for herself. I tried to help her set up he printing part, but failed. So I took it to one of Fr. Guys’s guys and they are working on it.

     I am now cheating on my retreat. I should be praying of meditating but… If  I let this go, I will go another month and I can’t do that. Pray for me. Cas.

Sept.25, 2016

I am doing this with the hunt and peck method since one of my fingers on the left had had some kind of abcess and has  Bandage on it which makes it awkward to type.

     On Monday the 19^th I went to the Consulate and received the absentee ballot I had requested and gave it back. It was my vote for Nov. 4^th. You can guess who I voted for!! I was told that it went into the diplomatic pouch and would arrive the next day and would be posted in the States. Hooray. I was having visions of it arriving by our SA post in mid Decmber. 

    Then I went to Newberry  to get the material that Sinovuyo needed to sew the skirts for the girls at Mpheko High. He is a local guy from my old parish at Landsend (Kwa Dlomo Village) who taught himself tailoring and I want to support him. I also picked up some hosts to bring to Mthatha as I was told that they are running low on them. I had an evening Mass in Pinetown and that is always nice because it is in English and I can tell jokes that will be understood.

On Tues, 20^th, I headed for Mthatha and stopped to visit a few places along the way.

On Wed. the 21^st, I met Sinovuyo in town and took him with me to Landsend where I gave him his material and where I gave Nothemba (who looks after the priest’s house---there has been no priest for a long time now, only occasionally) some clothing to distribute to those who could use something.

More visits here and there and back home to AFH. S

On Thursday I concelebrated with the present chaplain to the sisters at the convent and met all the sisters at breakfast who are old friends from way back. I then drove out to see Sr. Nokwanda who teaches nursing in Libode, about 30km. from Mthatha. She is working on hers PhD, the topic having something to do with the discovery that some of the anti-retroviral drugs that are used for AIDS patients, are, it seems, causing Diabetes. A good thing with a  bad side effect. When I got back to AFH I felt weak and had a fevers and could feel that the flu was coming on, so I hopped in bed under the blankets and it was there that I had a long conversation with Fr. Winfried, a confrere who is getting to retirement age. I then went off to visit another family and enjoy a lovely curry meal. I think it helped to keep the flu at bay.

Friday was a lazy day. I went with  Frater  Faustin (who will be ordained a deacon in December to DSTV to have the contract removed from my name and to put it in the name of the house rather than an individual since we are continually changing and are given new assignments. I also noticed that my little vehicle is leaking power steering fluid so I bought some and topped up the fluid. I then put the remainder in the boot next to the spare tire. (There is as bit of room on the side of the tire.)

Saturday, Nov. 24^th, I had Mass at AFH celebrating the beatification of one of our priests who died giving his life for another in Dachau. He is considered to be a martyr. I also washed the car after a visit from my friend Nomonde who is busy correcting papers. In the afternoon we had our Board of Management meeting at Sabelani Home, Fr. Guys guys. We share a meal after that and then I took Theresa Chisanga (HOD of English at WUSU) home. She is  a member of the Board.

I noticed when I came back to Abbot Francis Home (AFH) that I had trouble using the lock on the car door and had to use the other door to lock the car. I thought that maybe someone had been tampering with the lock. But, Off I went to bed.

Sunday, 25^th (today) After mass, I visited an old friend, Tim O’Sullivan, who put in the electricity in Landsend in 1992, and who made the cabinets we have in our dining room. I had asked him if he had some thin oil to put in the key hole, thinking that maybe that was the problem why it was not able to lock or be unlocked.

Then I remembered that there was a small container that I use to top up the oil from time to time and I had just done that the day before but there was a little bit of oil left in the bottom of the bottle. When I went to the boot (trunk) to fetch the container, (I kept it next to the spare tire as there was just room for it there), I saw that the spare tire had been stolen along with the jack. I was discouraged, and still am. I guess that I will have to buy a new rim and tire tomorrow, first thing, as I don’t want to take a chance on the long drive to Durban without a spare. I am not happy. I wanted to leave early as I have lots of catching up to do, but….

Enough for now. Cas.

     

     

Sept. 18, 2016

Today, Sept. 18, I went to Durban soon after the Mass at the hospital, about 7:10am. Traffic not too bad. Got there quite early, shortly after 7:30 and parked at the Cathedral. I had an 8:30 appointment at the consulate and after that I wanted to pick up some material for Sinovuyo which was half way to the Consulate. I wanted to stop in to visit a friend at the Hurley center but I discovered that it wasn’t open yet. So, I continued on to the Consulate at got there just about 8am, when it is supposed to open. Lots of security, and even though I am an American citizen, and they have a special office for citizen concerns, I got in the queue with everyone else. We got to the office (31^st floor) at about 8:20am so there was still time before my appointment.

I know several people who are working there and one of them came over to say hi and give and receive a hug, to the amusement of the others who came to get a visa and wondered who this guy was who was speaking Zulu and seemed to know people. Then, my friend, Charmaine Redman came over also to greet and give and receive a hug after a log absence.  I have known here since her high school days back in the 60’s. She had organized for me my absentee ballot, which I dutifully filled out, voting for Trump, of course (impossible!!!), put it in the proper envelope and gave it back to her to put in the diplomatic bag. It will be posted in the States tomorrow. How’s that for service. I was afraid to wait for the ballot coming from the US in the post as it just might arrive in the middle of December.  I , then, happily walked out and went back to the Cathedral to visit my friend at the Hurley Center (there were hundreds of people waiting to get in the free clinic, which operates all days and is staffed by volunteer nurses and doctors for the homeless people mainly. I think it is unique in the world because they also have a soup kitchen, refugee offices, a place where people who have to sleep rough and take a shower and get cleaned up, and other kinds of help, like social workers, etc.  It is a multi-religious project, Muslims, Bhuddists, Jews, all varieties of Christians, and other concerned people.

After that I got back into the car and drove to the parking garage which was near where I wanted to get the material ( I have gotten material there before, and it seems to be the only place where this particular material is available). I have to wait around for about 10 minutes till he opened, at 10:30am, but I managed to get what I wanted (at least very close to the piece of fabric that I used to get a match. This is for Sinovuyo, the young man who does tailoring in Landsend, and is now making uniform skirts for the local school girls. I try to support him as much as possible because he really is very good but suffers from not being near a decent market to sell his goods.

I then drove back to Mariannhill (about a 20 to 25 min. ride) and stopped at the religious goods store to fetch some large hosts that I was asked to bring to Mthatha with me.

So, it was mission accomplished.

This afternoon, I was told that they also want small hosts, so I got some of those as well and then delivered a candle to one of the German volunteer workers, Paul, as I was asked to do by Katrina. They did lots of things together and enjoyed each other’s company. That was at the Hospital, where there is an AIDS outreach program that also sponsors health check ups in some of the village schools nearby so that they can pick up problems early rather than have to treat things once they have gotten out of hand.

I then went to the Orphanage where I was greeted mightily with a huge hug in and questions as to where Sisi Katrina is now. They were delighted to know that I came to deliver photos that she had taken while she was here for the various dorms, and staff and people, etc. I looked over the shoulder of the social worker while she looked at the photos for the boys. Wow, Katrina had taken them on different trips, to the sea or to a movie, or whatever and you could see all the smiling, happy faces. They will be delighted.

Tomorrow I head for Mthatha so today I went through some of my abundance of clothing and slimmed down my pile (way too much) and will give some T shirts, polo shirts, shorts, underwear, handkerchiefs, a jersey that I never use any more, and a pair of Levi’s ( I already have three pairs). She will be happy and will make others happy, I am sure.

Tonight I have a 6pm Mass at a nearby parish at 6pm. Then I am finished for the day.

Fr. Macarius, who is mostly blind, just came in to ask if we can send an email to his sister. He can’t do it himself and I am glad to do that for him.

Aug. 25, 2016

      Katrina has more or less inherited the car I was using and is very happy to have some wheels again. I know the feeling very well. She drove me to Greensboro, NC. From Aiken, SC. And we stayed together at John and Donna’s house.

     I forgot to mention that my niece, Ann, the doctor, organized for me to have a massage. Ha. I had one back in Los Angeles. Almost killed me. I came out black and blue and bruised. Like after getting in the ring with Muhamed Ali.  But this time, there wasn’t that hammering and pounding and digging, but something to make the muscles relax. A good experience. The Masseuse was from the UK and suggested a place to grab a lunch when I got to London (I had a lay over from 10 in the morning till 7 at night). But back to John and Donna and Katrina. We did some stuff at the bank, transferring most of the money I received into John’s account which he then transferred into the Mariannhill Mission Institute a/c for Fr. Szura to put in the socio-pastoral a/c to be used when things crop up. We ate out a bit and went to church where I forgot to take my sweater (jersey) and froze, although the atmosphere was warm.It was the old folks’ mass so communion was brought to the back for those that had trouble moving with ease. Nicely thoughtful.

On Sunday, the 14^th, I think, I left for London on a night flight. My friend Lou Smith Jr. came from his job as baggage handler there at Charlotte to have a chat and a goodbye hug. His schedule had changed and we couldn’t meet at his home as we had planned. Arrived in London Monday morning, the 15^th and was met by my friends, Boykie and Pat. We took the advice of the masseuse, Louise, and found the place, Cote Brasserie in Windsor on the Thames river and had a marvelous lunch in the shadow, more or less, or Windsor Castle, and looking down at the swans and geese swimming in the Thames at our feet.  Very nice. Old London. They took me back to Heathrow and, after a long wait, I climbed on the plane for Joburg that night, a huge monster, A380-800. I was seated in seat 77e. Two floors. Lots of people. Not an aisle seat, but good company, sitting next to an obstetrician whose mother still stays in Durban, though he has lived in UK for many years now.

     Arrived in Joburg on Tuesday, Aug, 16^th, met by a family I knew from both Zambia and Zimbabwe, spent the night with them, left my big suitcase with them, and caught the plane for Lusaka on Wed. Morning, Aug. 17^th. The Kalidas clan is a very special clan and I always enjoy being with them, and each time I get there, usually after a long break, I meet members of the new generation, which delights me but I have trouble remembering all the names. Thursday we visited my young confreres at Engelmar House (now beatified. He gave his life to save others in Dachau ) in Makeni. We couldn’t find the CPS sisters. Lots of things have changed there, including tar roads in the townships. They say, partly election ploys. Had a talk with the young students and then had lunch with Fr. Gaspar, a French Canadian, who has been there long now and is feeling that it is time to go back home. Friday went to the big church, St. Ignatius, in Lusaka, to get vestments and hosts for the baptisms to be done on Saturday. Saturday, the big day. Two beautiful baptisms (Savella Antoinette and Amber Katherine), children of the children whom I had baptized years before. There were lots of preparations, as you can imagine, including a tent to hold about 80 people or so. After the Mass and baptism and blessing of crosses for the baptized and wedding rings for one of the couples, there was a celebration that went long into the night. A great time was had by all. That was Saturday. Sunday, a friend, Eddie, and I went to the 7:30 Mass at ST. Bonaventure, the seminary for the Franciscans, nearby. With probably close to 100 seminarians, the music was great, in many languages, and the spirit was uplifting. We spent the day together recuperating from the celebration the day before. Stuffed with toooo much food. In the afternoon, I got a lift from another of the Kalidas clan, James and his wife, and went with them to Kabwe, where I was parish priest form ’72 to ’77. Monday we had a look around Kabwe, did a bit of shopping and picked up some Kapenta (tiny dried fish, a staple for Zambians) to bring back for sentimental reasons to another Zambian friend in Mthatha. She will be delighted.  Tuesday I hitched a lift back to Lusaka and Wednesday, Aug. 24^th, climbed on a plane for Joburg again. Staying, once more with the Bismarcks , old friends from Zimbabwe and Zambia---Margaret Bismarck is a Kalidas by birth and has been surviving on borrowed kidneys and dialysis since the late 70’s). Thursday I had a visit from Kabelo, my colleague at J&P the Bishops’ conference and Danisa, a former priest of Mariannhill who is heading for laicization and who is the very capable head of the Denis Hurley Peace Institute, a kind of spin off of the bishops’ conference. Today, Friday, is chill out day. That’s why I an writing this blog now. Tomorrow I will be fetched by a couple whom I married in Port Elizabeth some years back, but whom I knew in exile in Zambia and Zambia in the last century.

   Well, that updates you till now. Enough. Soon I will be on the final plane journey from Joburg to Durban to get back to some sort of normality in my rather abnormal life. I am sure that the grass is patiently waiting for my return .  Love and Peace, as always. Cas.

Aug. 1, 2016

     I’m going to bed now but will be back tomorrow to clue you in on what has been going on….

Aug. 11, 2016,

     Where did the time go. I am in the last week here in the States and only have two more stops to go. I have left the vehicle that my niece organized for me with her daughter, the famous Katrina of St. Vincent’s Children’s home fame---volunteer for the whole year of 2015. She will take me, tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 12, to my brother in Greensboro, NC. (I am now in Aiken SC) (You should check the maps to see where I have been, and now, and where I am going.)

     I checked the mileage that I covered and it is just about 6000miles of driving (about 9600 Km.). Not bad. The highlights, of course, were mostly people, family, friends whom I haven’t seen for four years or more, just soaking them up, having, sometimes, deep and serious conversations and also fun time, like my uncle Cas and his wife Rose and I laughing at ourselves, us old people. What do old people talk about when they get together, Ha, “ Yeah, I had my other knee done last week” or “ I’ve been having trouble with my bowels lately”, or “ Can you come over to my other side ‘cause I can’t hear in the ear on that side”, etc. etc. etc.

      Sometimes I avoided politics because we were on different pages (or even planets), but for the most part, people seemed to be worried that Trump would actually make it to be president, as he doesn’t seem to have the qualities needed for a president. But, at the same time, the mistrust of Hilary was strong, although she has many of the skills and lots of knowledge that would normally qualify her for the job.

     I  got onto Google and got her biography and also got the biography of Trump. To me it was clear who was the most qualified, but I leave it up to you to judge for yourself. It’s quite a bit of reading but, for Americans, the vote, this time, is so important, I think it is worth the time to read and then decide.

     Aside from my beloved family and friends (I can’t begin to start naming names because they are all too precious and I would bore you for the next 15 chapters) so let me say that some of the other things that got my attention were: 1) trees---Holy Moses, after living in Transkei for the last 35 yrs., where trees are as scarce as hen’s teeth, I was deluged with trees all along the way. Super beautiful. But, there was a blight on some Blue Ash trees as bugs seemed to have gotten inside and were killing them (In Michigan alone, 7 million trees, they say, died, because of this blight. Wow.)  The Appalachian Mountains and the Smoky Mountains and the mountains in Vermont were exceptional. 2) the maize. In July and August I was in Maize country and I was green with envy to see the beautiful dark green maize more than 2 metres high, getting ready for harvesting. I remember our drought year when, if there was any maize at all, it wasn’t more (in most parts) higher than a metre, if that much. Also fields and fields and fields of soya beans, I think enough to feed half the world. Wow. The Americans are really blessed with a fantastic country. 3) Drought…. Also here, especially in California, the many fires tell the story… the earth is so dry that it doesn’t take much to start a fire, which will grow and grow and grow because there is so much tinder. I took some pictures just outside of Los Angeles. It could have been Transkei. You would hardly know the difference---dry and brown, as in winter.  4) As I drove down Hwy US23 in Southern Ohio and Southeastern Kentucky and the Hwy 80 there I saw stunningly awesome mountains and cliffs and what all to knock your eyes out. I was driving and had a deadline so I wasn’t able to take pictures but I guess I will try to see if Google has something, pictures, and send them off. Wow. Bringing a connection with nature and the creator, super beautiful.  5) Just about everyone is involved in some way if trying to respond to the needs of the most disadvantaged in one way or another or trying to make a better, more aware and responsive society to the many needs that often go unrecognized or neglected. I am proud of them all. This is my family. These are my friends. I am also blessed to be connected with such beautiful people. 6) I have been touched by the deep love and concern for the ailing partners of my cousins and aunts and uncles. Lots of serious health problems that demand 24/7 tough and gently love and concern. I was deeply moved and impressed by their love and care for one another.

     What I say here about the States is also true of my friends  in the U.K. who were first on my list for visiting. Yes, I am richly blessed.

     And now, the last few days here, I am with my beloved Katrina again, and her mom and Dave and Ann, her parents. Soon I will be with my brother John, and his wife, Donna, who have been more than super supportive during this whole time.

      I think that this is enough for now. I will try once more before I leave next Sunday to collect a few more thoughts together. I was telling our people here that they have Trump and we have Zuma, so there are challenges all around.  Love and Peace, Cas.

PS. Fr. Guy’s checkup was delayed because the machine wasn’t working but we will hear from him next week. So far, he is holding his own. He should have been dead last May, 2015, but here he still is. Call it the power of prayer, as he explains to the doctors who are baffled by his condition. He should be dead, but….. Thanks to you all for you prayers for him.