Share Your World 30 January

2017-01-31 | puppy1952

Here are my answer’s to Cee’s Share your world 30 January 2017

What is the most incredible natural venue that you’ve ever seen in person?

I am privileged enough to be able to visit many incredible natural venues in my own country and neighbouring African countries. It’s the birds and wildlife that attract us to visit over and over again. But the most unusual natural venue I visited in 2015 was Sossusvlei which is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia. Those magnificent Red Dune are mind boggling.

We climbed to the top of this one

We took an hour and a half flight over the dunes and looked down on our lodgings – our hut is the first one in the row this side of the main buildings.

How many siblings do you have? What’s your birth order?

I have two brothers and a sister. I am number two. Big Brother is three years older than I am. My sister is two years younger and Baby Brother is seven years younger than I.

If you were a shoe, what kind would you be and why?

Well I would not choose to be a shoe! But I love boots – so that’s what I’ll choose as long as they’re made from real leather and don’t have killer heels.

What is the strangest/weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

Several years ago we stayed at Lokotula Lodge, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe – another phenomenal natural venue.

Earl and Me with The Victoria Falls thundering behind us – September 2002.

On our first evening we ate at The Boma which is an area enclosing guests under the glittering African sky. There were sumptuous braaied (barbequed) meats to choose from the buffet and we tried a whole variety including warthog – you can read my story about that here.

As we were wandering around choosing our dishes one of the servers said, “Would you like some mopani worm?” “No thank you,” I replied. “But you must,”he insisted and not wanting to offend him both my hubby and I swallowed one each. It really wasn’t bad but not something I’d rush back to have any time soon! Well, we continued with our meal and when one of the hostesses came to enquire how we’d enjoyed the food, we told her that it had all been delicious. “Did you have mopani worms?”she asked. We replied proudly that we had and she promptly wrote out a certificate for each of us. So we have proof!

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

This week I am grateful for my precious husband, the wonderful friends we have made in our new home, Struisbaai and of course for the family and friends in Cape Town and the rest of the world too.

Young and in love – On our Wedding Day – 1987-01-30

Still in love thirty years later – 2017-01-30

We don’t have many friends in Struisbaai but last night we invited them all to help us celebrate our thirtieth wedding anniversary. Looking back on our years together brought home to us how much we have survived and how much we have been blessed. They have certainly been dramatic, exciting and adventurous years and we would not have changed a thing.

We don’t plan ahead so I am just looking forward to the surprises that are bound to happen in the coming week.

#NABLOPOMO 8 Life is Good

2015-11-08 | puppy1952

NABLOPOMO

It has been such a happy day today and it got me thinking about how lucky I have been in my life. Even though there have been hard times and struggles and days where I’ve thought I can’t do this anymore. But looking back nothing seems bad at all. Everything seems so worthwhile. Some things I used to stress over make me laugh now and I wonder why was I so fussed about it all! I am talking about raising kids of course. All that nagging and training and insisting on good manners and responsible attitudes – I took it all so seriously. That’s the great thing about being a grandparent – you’ve done it all and the kids turn out fine – well most of them do. I do know the most amazing parents who did everything right who’ve had little demons that turned bad and I am not one to blame the parents – there comes a point where the child has to take responsibility for the path he chooses! But when one’s child does make wrong choices in his adult life it is heart-breaking for the parent. How does one cope with that! Tough Love – that’s how. I strongly believe that you allow so much and no more. Let that adult child know – I’m here for you – but there are the rules. Allowing them to abuse you is not love. Giving in to their demands is destructive to you both. It is hard but there comes a time when you have to let them go their own way and then to move on with your own life because usually you’re not the only one affected and you are needed by other people in your life too.

But I am so lucky – my daughters and granddaughter are perfect and my grandboys are getting there – hey – boys take a little longer.

I had a good giggle when I saw this on Facebook this morning – this could have been written by me!

This has been the story of my life! But lucky for me my hubby catches the fish, cleans it and I don’t even have to cook it – he does that perfectly too. So he takes his rod and goes fishing and I take the gold card and go shopping!

Today was such a day – look at the happy faces of these two guys out on the boat.

My hubby on the boat with his mate, Tommy

While this fishing excursion was on the go, I took Baby Daughter and Second Grandson out for a bonding breakfast. I had not seen them in some time and had some catching up to do. I wanted First Grandson to come too but he was gamed out and sleeping it off so we left him at home. Hubby phoned to say he’d hooked enough food to feed half of African and that I should be sure to invite two couples over for dinner. Baby Daughter had plans for lunch so bade us farewell and off she went while Second Grandson and I finished the shopping – what a pleasure to have him as my assistant – he put all sorts of things in the basket that I might have forgotten – cupcakes being an example! But seriously – having a 17 year old push the trolley, pack the car then unpack it is such a privilege and saves an old lady’s back. And it’s all done with a smile. Then as I was setting the table I knocked one of the candles of the chandelier with the tablecloth and it broke. He rushed to my assistance and informed me that actually they were all dead and needed replacing – I wouldn’t have found this out till the evening – remember I’ve been away for 4 months! And hooray we had enough replacement candles which he changed for me and helped give the dusty chandelier a clean!

First Grandson was gaming – again. “I don’t need to study, Gran, I know my Physics.” No arguments – I just switched off the internet and said, “Then get an A, boytjie – Study some more” And he did! When Grandpa got home he asked him all kinds of questions about his work which he ‘knew’ and now ‘knows’ better! Yes I am a lucky gran!

Our guests arrived at 6:30 and what a great evening we had. It’s so good to get together with wonderful friends who have always been around in good times and bad. These are the kind of friends you hang onto forever. Some people come into your lives for a season and a reason and sometimes you’ll see them again and sometimes not. If you do it’s great if you don’t you’ve valued the time you did have and no regrets – but then there are those with whom you have a real bond and that is what I appreciate about the friends we had this evening. Always a pleasure to be together.

Enjoying the Braaied Yellowtail caught by Hubby

Oh yes – Life is Good – Very Good indeed.

And I’ve done this Blog 8 with two minutes to go before the end of this day!

Celebrating 60 Years of Me

2012-11-27 | puppy1952

When you teach small girls its hard to get away with neglecting to confessing when your birthday is and also how old you are! At my school birthdays are celebrated anyway – and its hard to keep it a secret. There are three members of staff with birthdays on the same day as mine and we each received a gift voucher at an early morning staff meeting last Monday morning. Isn’t that amazing? My little girls also spoilt me with little gifts and cards and I think they were more excited than me. Two of them wished me a Happy 40th birthday! I don’t think I’ve taught them their numbers very well!

I was in the middle of opening presents on Thursday morning when the school secretary arrived at the classroom door. “There is someone here with a special delivery,”she said. I’d ordered cup cakes from Cake Creations so said, ”Oh I was expecting them at 10 ——Omigosh” And there was one of the moms with an enormous cake – iced with a picture of me on top and all the kids around the edge. Wow!

The Surprise Cake

I was spoilt with choccies and smellies, pretty necklaces and bangles and a dozen other special little things. Most of them had chosen their gifts and made their cards themselves – and that is what made it so precious.

I decided not to have a huge celebration of my coming of aged. The guest list would just grow to a proportion that was unmanageable – so instead I settled for a dinner at a restaurant with close family and friends. There were 14 of us and it was lovely.

Lovely Setting

My sister and brother-in-law – Tana and Brain

Sharon and Tony

Peter and Heather

: Chantal and me

Chantal and Jeremy

Lisa and The Lads

A toast

Jay – It’s only sparkling water!

Josh

My darling husband and me

On Saturday my breakfast friends helped me celebrate at Bistro Sixteen82. What a stunning venue. The food was excellent and service good. It was also Cheryl’s birthday – but she’s not as old as me!