We're having a heatwave!!!!

Ok, ok I know I have been very silent but now I think I could write just a bit about the NOW. Do any of you remember the song "We're having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave"? Well that's what I believe we've been experiencing. But I remember the person singing that song was a sexy looking brunette in a sarong surrounded by tanned hulks. That's not how I've reacted to our recent weather. I sweat, have my clothes stick to me in all the wrong places and constantly have to check that my pants are also just sweating. Yes I am sweating not glowing or any of those wonderful things ladies are supposed to do when they are very hot. The heat has also made me realise that fat people can show of their flabby arms - they might be the only wings I ever own and being seen in a bathing costume by others when doing a whale impression in your own pool is to put it in modern lingo .... COOOL BABY COOOL. On the up side as well I now sport quite a tan - I know the cancer thing and all the sun can do to your skin but at my age the sun long ago did the damage I now see. And I am quite prepared to take what life throws at me. At 71 I just want to cope with this heatwave. So I wear my sarong and my hulk is now bulky but we are happy just being COOL BABY COOL. Love all

Happy Holiday

Summer has at last arrived and we were very blessed to take advantage of the wonderful first days of real summer. We were down at Langebaan in a wonderful house almost on the beach which lets one have fantastic views across the sea to Saldahna. I was feeling a bit like my battery had run down big time and just to know that I had no obligations for 12 days was refreshing. It takes a few days to unwind but then..... it is just chill time. I worked on handwork, read a complete book, read a Christian magazine from cover to cover (this was a first), walked on the beach and just enjoyed pleasing myself and no-one else. Pure heaven!! G had a great time out on the lagoon fishing, no boat problems and also just relaxing. Maureen actually sat down more than she ever does at home. Together we enjoyed a meal at Geelbek in the West Coast Nature Park and had walks along the beach, splashing along the water line. Langebaan has long been a favourite of our family and it has lost none of its charm for us although "progress" has taken away the village atmosphere. There is now a shopping mall, much to Maureen's delight, and all the usual chain stores have moved in. Found a lovely childrens wear shop and of course managed to buy for our little ones. We missed being with our family especially the little ones but they welcomed us back with love and hugs. What a blessing they are to us all. Holiday time is so special and while in Langebaan we are inclined to think back to the days when our children were just children and we had Mom and Dad with us. I know that our babies will also one day sit and think back on the memories they are now making down there. We are so lucky here in Cape Town that we don't have to travel far to have a really good holiday. Love to you all enjoy your holiday when it happens.

I've got a name

Yes, I know you all know the me that I am but let me clear up the meaning of the Title. Yesterday, was filled with sunshine, I know if you looked out of the window it was raining.... so what's new, it's done that for a few days now but I was so fortunate... my sunshine comes in two small packages. One is two and the other was 8 months old yesterday. How can I be gloomy in the company of such loveliness. Well, our two fairies entertained us with the magic they always manage to do .. Nina shouting and really being a little me, food a real joy. Amy on the other hand has always been a bit wary of me. But who can blame her? I'm, large, louder than she is used to and she had a problem relating to me. Things have improved I must admit and she often runs to me and puts her head on my heart. But..... I have not had a name. However, joy of joy yesterday it happened. I was rechristened. It happened by chance but it happened. She was going from one to the other to sit her on the giant bouncy ball. Mimi was holding Nina, Mum was making tea, Ga didn't have the energy and that left me. So dearest little two year old stood in front of me and held the bright pink ball and looked up into my face and said "Bugger" Wow a Wow moment as Opray would say. I'm Bugger!!! After controlling my laughter along with the other three who have had names for a while. I looked at her and took the ball, she repeated the name "Bugger". I bounced until we were both bounced out. Oh well at least I think that is my name or was it just ...Oh bugger only you are left. But I had such fun bouncing her on that ball. Anyway a Rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. But is bugger a bugger and nothing else. But from that fairy I'll be whatever she wants me to be. Love her to bits. Look for your sunshine in unexpected places. God bless you all.

Die mooiste, mooiste maand

Dit is the maand Oktober, die mooiste, mooiste maand......So starts an Afrikaans poem we had to learn way back when I was at school. It is beautiful if you take time to drive through the countryside or even just look around at our suburb. All the flowers are coming into bloom especially the clivia. I'm not much of a gardener so when something actually produces a bloom I'm very excited. I have a few clivias in the back garden but they seem to provide tasty food for the snails. But one has bloomed in new spot which those creatures don't seem to have discovered. Now what to do? Do I throw lots of poison down..... eat lots of eggs to use the shells, collect tobacco so they can smoke themselves into oblivion or just let them enjoy eating anything and everything in the garden that is beautiful for a short while. But I was going to say a lot more about the month October.... This time last year we three were in Florida for Andre and Jenelle's wedding (25th) What a lot happened then, what with the preparation, the squashing in of the many gifts for them and the coming baby and then the throwing out of the clothes we really wouldn't need and there were many. The excitement and anticipation, the fear of flying all that way and so many other things until the day arrived. 20th October and we were taken to the airport by our family and adopted son Heiko. But all the fears were for nothing and after nearly a day and a bit we arrived in Fort Lauderdale to be reunited with Andre and Margies family. Well to cut a long story short we travelled to Savannah on the 23rd 800 miles away from Delray Beach and on the 24th prepared a South African meal for Jenelle's family. This in an unknown kitchen with four sausage dogs around our feet while we chopped, diced, sauteed etc for about 30 people. Poor Andre was so up tight but being the people we are we did, I think, an exceptional supper. And it rained, and rained and rained. The wedding went off well with the wedding planner, *Jenni, keeping us all in line and on time. *Andre's mother-in-law. Back to Delray Beach and plenty of time to catch up with ourselves and chill. Now I read my journal each day and can look at the events with new eyes. It was good on the whole and those other bits are just left in some dark corner of my mind. Why waste energy remembering what isn't worth remembering. We love our son/nephew dearly and would do it all again just to be with them. So Ja dit was die mooiste, mooiste maand. But this one is just as good it's great to be back home where everyone knows your name and loves you for who you are. God bless you all.

Long distance Ouma

Yeh that's me ... Ouma -what a blessing but to be so far away from our first grandchild is VERY hard. Adrianna was born on the 31st December 2008 and while we were in the USA. You can imagine the excitement for both families as we welcomed her into our lives. Alas we left to return home when she was just3 weeks old and so we became long distance grandparents. It was extremely hard leaving our American family behind. Once we were checked in I couldn't bring myself to look back. But once again technology has come to my rescue. I never thought I would sit in front of the pc and thank the many people who developed email, Skype etc but here I am thanking them for this blessing. Each week Andre Skype's us and we watch Addy, as she is called, develop into a little person with a bubbly personality. I swear she already knows my voice, but who wouldn't, as she smiles at us from so far away. Andre and Jenelle both work shifts so Andre has a lot to do with her and she obviously loves him. Her little hands are constantly reaching out to touch him as she goes through her whole vocabulary of dadadad, mamama, babababa. He is a very hands on dad as so many of the modern men are and he is enjoying the close relationship that is developing between them. On Friday he Skyped us so that we could watch Addy in her bouncer (jolly jumper) what a sight. Those little legs, so like Andre's when he was young, jumping and jumping for the joy of it. Her little face lit up with excitement. Oh to be right there to give her a hug. She now claps hands when I tell her to and tries to touch the screen. Its so so hard but I'm grateful that Andre realises how very important these times are to us. To those of you blessed enough to be close to your grandchildren enjoy every minute you are close to them. And to those of you, and there are quite a few, who have little ones in distant lands, I feel for you. Grandchildren are such a gift from God. Love to you all

Publc Holiday again

One thing about holidays in SA is that sometimes one day gives you two. That is why today, the day after Womens Day, I can once again take time out to do whatever I want. Not that any other day is any different after all I am a pensioner. My time is my own every day. I wanted to let you know what a great day I had yesterday - Womens Day. The economy forces us to cut back on many things, eating out, travelling etc etc. We have all cut down somewhere. We do not drive around just for the fun of it any more as the cost of petrol keeps going up then down a little, but yesterday it was such a lovely day we had to drive out somewhere. There was no wind, glorious sunshine and an urge to leave my knitting and get outside. So.... I persuaded my man to take my sister and me for a drive to the countryside just up the road from where we live. Philadephia and Klipheuvel were on the route always wanted to see them, I don't quite know why but am glad we went. It was great driving through fields of canola which made the hills look as if the sun had landed on them, the young wheat plants stretching up towards the blue sky. What a beautiful part of the world we live in. When we reached Philadephia we parked in the shade under an enormous gum tree and walked to the business centre - the one street with shops. There is a wonderful shop called Magic Minerals which is like an Aladdins cave of beautiful things. The shop and street were filled with people who had obviously discovered this little place of surprises before us. After wandering around the shop for a while we crossed the road to have lunch sitting outside in the courtyard of The Peppertree Art Stable and Coffee Shop. The pepper tree in the name is gigantic with an interesting trunk we heard it is 150 year old. The art gallery and other little shops were so interesting and lovely people who own them. The menu for the day is printed on a blackboard which the waitress willingly carries around to the tables which I might add had all been reserved for lunch. We were extremely lucky to sit at the only table not reserved. Lunch is only ready at 1pm and so we were able to sit and enjoy the passing parade and the free range chickens as they walked around us, stopping every now and again to scratch in the sand. The food was great Roast Lamb and veg. Chicken Pie baby potatoes and Feta and Spinach Pie with veg. A few glasses of refreshment and we were ready to drive back home once again marvelling at the fields around us that looked so healthy. I throughly enjoyed being out and again give thanks that we stay in such a beautiful province. I can't help but wonder why we sometimes miss the treasures that are right on our doorstep. I hope you all had a great time and enjoyed being a woman.

I am Woman

Today is Womens Day - and I have been thinking of the women in my family those who have gone before and those who are, thank God, still with me. Most of the women in my life were on my fathers side of the family mainly because we were so fortunate to live in close proximity with one another. My paternal grandmother lived with us for about 25 years after our Irish grandfather passed away. She was a person who had gone through very hard times raising a family of four on a blacksmiths wage. Also through a depression which only served to make her a very strong character with ways of making her income stretch well beyond its worth. Living with her was not always easy but if we look back at how she did that miracle we can see lessons to be learnt. I will not yet resort to ironing Christmas paper and collecting every bit of string but..... there are ways of cutting back. My mother was another who through trial and error learnt how to keep three daughters happy and very seldom did we feel deprived. Looking back now of course we know that we did have less in the way of what we wanted but never what we needed. The main thing we and her grandchildren remember is the thing that no money can buy and that is the love she gave without looking for reward. The reward then and now is that we remember her love as a warm blanket that kept us all together when times were hard. I can remember three times when my father was out of work but somehow we never lost our dignity thanks to that strong woman we called Mom. She was and will always be our shining light, our example of loving loyalty especially in hard times. Today I still am blessed with strong women in my much depleted family. I see them as examples of what has gone before. Never, never let the bad times keep you permanently in a bad place. Keep striving as you continue through the dark days. Give what you have love, laughter, happiness and faithfulness. My sisters and niece are the best of women. Loving me in all my loudness without giving up on me. Sure they are going through a lean time but we will be there for one another, sharing what we have to the benefit of each other. These times are a worry for us all but we are strong we will survive. I have loyal friends who continue to love me with love and their friendship, I am blessed. To my family especially my sisters and niece I love you more than you will ever know. To my American granddaughter and great nieces I hope you too will look back one day and see the strength you have inherited to carry you through whatever life throws at you. God bless you all.