STONES IN MY CLOG

Short stories from the life and practice of Bernard Preston, chiropractor.

Several short stories from Stones in my Clog (enkele zijn in het Nederlands vertaald, two are translated into Dutch) from Stones in my Clog are now available at the end of this page.

On leaving South Africa for a sojourn in the Netherlands, Bernard Preston finds an intriguing and quite different people in the southernmost province of Limburg. People of a very old culture, their land frequented by the Romans as they tramped their way to England and Gaul, leaving their culture and genes, and a thousand artifacts splattered along the way.

These are amongst the most cultured and decent people I have ever met. When you walk through the Roman baths built more than 2000 years ago in the small city of Heerlen, then called Coriovallum,

or tramp the quaint streets of Maastricht, you become very aware of the passage of time ... these are very old cities.

Or if you like a good Limburg beer in a little pub, or to sit outdoors on their 'terrase' enjoying a coffee and vlaai (a unique Limberg tart), or even sit in the beautiful twelfth century stone church in Klimmen, again it's the passage of time that touches. Like a bottle of vintage red wine, these folk have matured and stood the tests of time. And not been found wanting.

The armies of Caesar, of Charlemagne, of Napoleon, of Spain and of Hitler have rolled over Limburg, each leaving their mark. These people are survivors, a wondrous, warm-hearted nation. I'm privileged to count many dear friends amongst them.

How could I not write about them?

"Delight the audience you already have, amaze the customers you can already reach, dazzle the small investors who already trust you enough to listen to you. Take the permission you have and work your way up. Leaps look good in the movies, but in fact, success is mostly about finding a path and walking it one step at a time."

Seth

The title?

The Limburgers too have have disturbed my sense of balance with their strange beliefs and customs. Is it possible to grasp that there exists a people who would no sooner marry a stranger to their bed than purchase a car they had never driven? The Limburgers 'shack up' for several years before marrying, and only then usually when they are ready to have children. Yet, their marriages seem just as true, perhaps truer, and to my mind just as faithful and enduring. Or is that an illusion? Is a common-law marriage just as valid and binding in the eyes of God?

For better or for worse, the times they are a-changing.

Stones in my Clog will be published in 2010. Hopefully, if I can find a publisher!

Update 1: February 2010. The first draft of my manuscript is now complete, and goes this week for a formal edit. Each chapter has been read, reread, edited, pored over by three dear friends who have committed a vast amount of time and enthusiasm. Thank you Ann Bennett, Kathleen Mack and $ue Halsy. You have enriched Clogs in immeasurable ways.

Update 2: May 2010. IT IS FINISHED! One feels, after six long years, like saying "that damn book" is finished, and so am I. Professional editor, Linda Harris, has done a superb job. Thank you, Linda, for your sage advice, your comprehension that, whilst this is MY BOOK, some things had to change. Your grasp of the fragile writers' ego is much appreciated.

Here I leave you with a few short stories from Stones in my Clog:

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Mike Smallbones writes:

"I just read your first chapter of Stones in my Clog. I look forward to reading the rest of the book. It's interesting and easy reading - the kind I like at the moment!"

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1. What have I got myself into?
   
   
2. The Wall
   
   
3. The Enemy within
   
   
4. Quackery
   

5. Friendly Fire
   

6. Checkmate
   

7. Ink
   

8. To X-ray, or not to X-ray
   

9. Alternative Healthcare
   

10. Infamy
    
    
11. Something predictable, Something quite unexpected.
    
    Iets verrassend, iets verwachtten
    
    
12. Heb je geen zin in sex?
    

13. A sharp learning curve
    

14. Selling Sickness
    

15. Spit
    
    
16. Perhaps DD did it after all
    
    
17. Kyra Panagia
    

18. The Heavenlies
    
    
19. PRIEST IN MY BED ...
    
    
20. The Blood Stone
    

21. Circles in the Mind
    

22. Roman a clef
    

23. Rich man, Poor man
    

24. The Chiropractic Calypso
    

25. I quit
    

26. Behind the Geraniums
    






INTERESTING LINKS

To go from Stones in my Clog to IS HOMOSEXUALITY WRONG?

Your first Chiropractic consultation.

Maignes Syndrome, pain and numbness on the side and front of the leg.

Healthy Living Tips.

The rationale for the Chiropractic "adjustment".

Go from Stones in my Clog to BERNARD PRESTON home page …



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