Die Adelaider Zeiten
The Adelaide Times (better than the New York Times)
Edition 14 – Wednesday 25th December 2013
http://brian-vogt.customer.netspace.net.au/DAZ14/index.html
Written and edited by "der umherziehende Reporter"
Continuing in the tradition of Die Rüsselsheimer Zeiten (35 editions in 19 months, 1998-2000),
this is my summary of the past 52 weeks in Adelaide.
I'm pleased to report that I've been in reasonably good health this year.  Once again, I've strayed 5 kg above the target weight of 80 kg set by my cardiologists.  After the Christmas festivities, I'll set myself a target of 75 kg to be safe.  There were several more incidents of Atrial Fibrillation this year than last year, but nothing to be alarmed about.  (My Medtronic pacemaker records all abnormal events).  In September, I had another consultation with Professor Sanders.  I had been waiting in a long queue for him to perform an ablation (cauterisation) procedure on my heart, but he advised against it now because my problem is small, so the benefits do not outweigh the risks involved.
My father had a long-awaited hip joint replacement early in January.  The intense pain of the previous 2 or 3 months meant that he was keenly looking forward to it.  Following the surgery, he spent a few days in his local hospital.  I took him home from there and spent a week looking after him (mostly preparing some of the food and driving him to the shops & medical centre).
He had been hoping that the surgery would occur very early in January, giving him time to recover before his birthday – and so it turned out to be.
Dad had his 90th birthday on 15th February.  His next door neighbours kindly organised a small party for him at their home, attended by me, my brother Wayne, and 4 friends.  What Dad didn't know was that they also organised a surprise party for him the following day, attended by more than 120 people at a local hotel dining room.  There were many of his current local friends, and also several of his 1960s friends who now live in scattered parts of the state.  There was one couple who travelled from Beechworth, Victoria, specially for the party.  Everybody who meets him is amazed at his physical condition for his age, and his determination to remain mentally active.
 

On the negative side, he abandoned motorcycle riding this year because (1) he has insufficient strength to put his large bike on its centrestand, and (2) he can't pick it up if it falls over.  He was invited to do the compulsory annual licence test, but declined because of these things.

I continue to be an active member of the Prospect Road Uniting Church.  With 5 to 6 hours of preparation, I often produce and operate the PowerPoint presentation of the preachers' liturgies, hymns etc. for Sunday morning worship services.  There are now 2 of us who equally share this load.
On Monday afternoons I've continued leading the Bible Study group.  Unfortunately our previous leader, my long-time friend Les (born 9 days before my father) died in early January after a short battle against lymphoma (a cancer of the lymph system).  The group also lost another member to cancer in August – my friend and former tennis team mate Robert Crossman.
At the funeral for Les on 15th January I met Chris, one of his old friends.  After a very long chat getting to know each other, Chris invited me to participate in an informal street ministry group on Friday evenings.  I've probably attended about 25 to 30 sessions in which we walk around the streets of the Adelaide CBD, starting quiet conversations with any willing people and telling them about Jesus.  We notice a few other groups doing their own version of "street ministry" (mostly in Rundle Mall) – some quietly handing out tracts (thin pamphlets), some quietly giving away framed wall plaques, some singing as licensed buskers, and one highly publicised group who loudly preach at people.  This latter group has had court battles against the Adelaide City Council because of its loud noise and attitude of confrontation.  On one occasion while chatting with a spectator, I happened to be just 1 metre away from the preacher when he was arrested and taken away by the police for breaching a court order (standing on his step ladder while using a megaphone).  Some people just can't figure out the answer to the old question, "What would Jesus do?"
As for our group, it's amazing how many total strangers actually want to be engaged in a quiet conversation about God and Jesus.
There were several more funerals.  Here are only the family ones:
In February, Dad's sister Valmai Addison died at the age of 85.  During March, we lost my oldest cousin Bob Parish (aged 83), followed by Dad's cousin Howard Vogt at the ripe old age of 92.  Howard was our farm neighbour until we moved 51 years ago, and it was a privilege to be invited to the farm house for a long chat session with his 3 daughters whom I hadn't met for a very long time – Rozanne, Charmaine & Jenny.  Tragically, Rozanne died suddenly from a brain haemhorrage just one month later at the age of 66.  In April, my uncle's widow Val Tschirpig died.

On one hand, a funeral is a sad occasion, but on the other had it provides an opportunity to meet long lost cousins and old friends.  It's also a time to be grateful for the blessing of having known the departed person.

I continue to be an active member of the Hillman Car Club of South Australia, participating in most of the monthly runs.  At the meeting in February, our magazine editor suddenly announced that she was about to quit the position.  The president responded by declaring the end of our magazines, but I objected, offering to produce one edition to keep it going.  The members said they liked my edition so much that I've continued.  As of 20th December I've produced 10 editions, and was formally elected to the position of Editor in August.  I was again re-elected to the position of Social Events Officer (planning ahead & co-ordinating the people who volunteer to organise specific events).  I also continue in the appointed position of Webmaster (since 2001).
Photo below:  Some of our cars & people at the annual Rootes Group clubs run (Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam).
My involvement with the Gideons continues, being the Treasurer of my local group.  As in previous years, I placed Bibles in the rooms of several motels along Main North Road and in North Adelaide, as well as distributing pocket testaments at 2 universities and to Year 8 students in 3 schools.  I spoke in 5 churches about the work of the Gideons.
I participated in 10 of the monthly Saturday & Sunday rides with the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA).  Other activities prevented me from doubling that number of rides, but I hope to be more involved next year.

Picture at right:  CMA group having a cafe lunch at Clayton Bay during our September ride.

For 10 days during August, I took my father (in my car) on a tour through the state of Victoria, visiting his friends in 9 different places.  I had previously met about half of those friends, so it was also interesting to me.  The trip had added significance because Dad declared it to be his final interstate tour.  Such a trip is quite arduous for a 90 year old man, even as a passenger.
Below:  Colin, one of our friends, uses raw materials to hand-make detailed scale models of motor vehicles (new & vintage) as well as model steam engines.  This steam engine is about the size that you see it on your screen.
 
On Sunday 17th March, the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) gave away thousands of grass squares from the Adelaide Oval surface.  The famous cricket stadium was about to be redeveloped at a cost of $535 million, which included replacing the excellent cricket grass surface with grass that's suitable for both football and cricket.  SACA was faced with the cost of dumping the old grass, but decided to give it away to the public who were very keen to receive it.  I queued for about an hour to get 2 squares, then gave one of them to a friend.

Picture at left:  Newspaper photo showing a grass square given away near the statue of Colonel Light on Montefiore Hill.

During Christmas season every year, I notice that the vast majority of people seem to make a choice between 3 objects of worship:
Christ

Greek: χριστος (Christos)
Hebrew: messiah

(“the anointed one”)

Santa Claus (Sankt Nikolaus, Saint Nicholas), a Christian bishop and gift-giver.
Very popular with children, and also with some adults who think God's responsibility is to give them everything they want.
Widely worshipped with religious fervour.
(Look at any shop to see this happen).

Ich wunsche Euch frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr !
(I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !)

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