Mandela now being treated at home

Former President Nelson Mandela has spent his first night back at his Houghton home after being discharged from hospital on Sunday.

The Presidency confirmed on Sunday morning that Madiba was finally going home after spending nearly three months at the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria for a recurring lung infection.

A statement issued by the Presidency followed media speculation on Saturday that the former President was going home.

The presidency said the statesman will continue receiving treatment at his Houghton home.

But despite being discharged, the presidency said Madiba’s condition still remains serious and unstable at times and the possibility that he may be readmitted hasn't been ruled out.

The 95-year-old former president's home has been furnished with all the medical equipment needed to treat him.

The presidency also called on members of the public to allow Mandela and his family the necessary private space so that his continuing care can proceed with dignity and without unnecessary intrusion.

Well wishes

Mandela's eldest grandson Mandla said he's delighted his grandfather is back home.

Mandla said his grandfather's return home proves that claims by other family members that Madiba is in a vegetative state aren't true.

At the same time, the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory says it is pleased that the statesman has been discharged from hospital and is home with his family.

The centre's Sello Hatang also encouraged the nation to continue Madiba's legacy.

"We should all be praying for Madiba until he fully recovers, but also continue to do our bit to bring change to our communities not just on Mandela Day, but everyday."

Political parties such as the ANC and United Democratic Movement (UDM) have extended well wishes for Madiba and also thanked the South African public for their continued support.

The ANC's Khusela Sangoni-Khawe said, "The ANC is grateful for the support that South Africans and the whole world have given Madiba and his family. We wish him all the best and hope he'll fully recover soon."

UDM Leader Bantu Holomisa welcomed the global icon's recovery.

Holomisa said the UDM wishes the former President a speedy recovery.

"The UDM along with the Mandela family, South Africans and the rest of the world in welcoming Madiba back home and we wish him well."

Quotes about Life and Death

God pours life into death and death into life without a drop being spilled.  ~Author Unknown

All say, "How hard it is that we have to die" - a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.  ~Mark Twain


I'm not afraid of death.  It's the stake one puts up in order to play the game of life.  ~Jean Giraudoux, Amphitryon, 1929


All our knowledge merely helps us to die a more painful death than animals that know nothing.  ~Maurice Maeterlinck


To himself everyone is immortal; he may know that he is going to die, but he can never know that he is dead.  ~Samuel Butler


Watching a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one of a million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever.  ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross


Gaily I lived as ease and nature taught,
And spent my little life without a thought,
And am amazed that Death, that tyrant grim,
Should think of me, who never thought of him.
~René Francois Regnier


The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.  ~Mark Twain


We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears.  We must not demean life by standing in awe of death.  ~David Sarnoff


Men fear Death, as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased with tales, so is the other.  ~Francis Bacon, Essays


If you spend all your time worrying about dying, living isn't going to be much fun.  ~From the television show Roseanne


Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live.  ~Henry Van Dyke

Nelson Mandela still in critical condition

Members of Nelson Mandela's family have met tribal leaders in his home village to discuss his seriously ill health. The former South African leader remains in a critical condition in hospital in Pretoria after he took a turn for the worse over the weekend, the country's President Jacob Zuma said in his latest statement. Mr Zuma said: "We must support him and support his family. "We must demonstrate our love and appreciation for his leadership during the struggle for liberation and in our first few years of freedom and democracy by living out his legacy and promoting unity, non-racialism, non-sexism and prosperity in our country."

 Sky's Alex Crawford said elders in the village of Qunu had been briefed on Mr Mandela's condition, and that they had been told he was no longer breathing on his own. His family described the 94-year-old's condition as "at its worst", Crawford said. The anti-apartheid leader has been in intensive care since he was last admitted to hospital on June 8 for a recurring lung infection. His wife, Graca Machel, has been by her husband's bedside since he was taken ill.

 Tough Times Funeral Transport

Funeral of last surviving South Africa to hold Victory Cross

Funeral of Captain Quinton Smythe,Natal Carabineers...the last surviving South African to hold the medal.

The Earth Rise Memorial Space Flight Service from Celestis

From the stars we are born, to the stars we will return...

Leaving Earth to touch the cosmos is an experience few have ever known, but many have often dreamed of. Celestis makes it possible to honor the dream and memory of your departed loved one by launching a symbolic portion of cremated remains into Earth orbit, onto the lunar surface or into deep space. Missions into space that return the cremated remains to Earth are also available.

What is the meaning of Easter?

What is the meaning of Easter?Easter is the day when we celebrate Jesus Christ rising from the dead. Jesus is the Son of God and heroically gave His life to die for our sins. On the third day after He died -- the day we now celebrate as Easter Sunday -- His friends went to His grave, and found that He had risen from the dead. They saw an angel who told them, "Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as He said it would happen."


Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday; now He offers to you the gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sins. This is the true story of Easter, and how it can change your life. Here are 4 principles that tell how you can receive the gift of God for your life.

1. God Loves You!

The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"

The problem is that

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2. All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.

The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The wages of sin is death.”

The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,

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3. God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life -- of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."

God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.

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4. If you want to accept Christ as Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:

"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.  Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life.  I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always." 

Transporting of the Deceased

Thanks to the endless supply of police procedurals on television these days, we've grown accustomed, maybe even inured, to the sight of a body covered by a sheet or being carted off in a bag. But how do they make their somber journey to the morgue or hospital for further examination?

Dead bodies are collected by authorized personnel and transported using a body bag or covered by a sterile evidence sheet -- staffers always use new bags or sheets for each corpse. The body bag must be fully sealed, because it contains and protects evidence during transport that may be critical in a forensic investigation. Bodies are transported in specially fitted, unmarked vans to the site where the autopsy will take place -- typically a hospital or morgue. Once it arrives, the body (still in the bag or sheet) is moved by a diener, or morgue attendant, to the examination room. The diener may sometimes use special equipment designed to transport the body. If the autopsy is not scheduled to be performed immediately, the corpse is stored in a refrigerated area until the examination takes place.

Once medical examiners do perform the autopsies, among the key things they'll look to establish is time of death. They will note certain physical changes in the deceased's body that occur at well known times, which can help them determine the time of death. For example, gravity causes the blood to settle in the body, and lividity, a purple discoloration, imbues the person's skin. The body also becomes rigid -- a condition known as rigor mortis. Following death, the fluid in the eyes causes the corneas to become cloudy -- another clue to the time of death. Medical examiners can also narrow down the time of death based on contents of the deceased's stomach and intestines and whether or not the person has a full bladder.