I'm currently writing my blog from my cottage in the Drakensberg, Champagne Valley, Kwa-Zulu Natal; South Africa
memorablemeanders.blogspot.com
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Serene Scene
Saturday, May 30, 2009
WooHoo! Faster, cheaper and more Internet
I now have lots of bandwidth and pay half the price of the old system and am as happy as anything. I can visit other blogs to my heart’s content and surf whenever I want to.
Whoo-hoo!
Friday, May 29, 2009
God's Promise
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Happy Birthday Rose
Today is my sister, Rose's birthday. Even though we live in different countries (Rose lives in the UK and I live in South Africa) we have weekly contact by telephone and regular contact by e-mail. You can read my post about my sister here
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Happy Announcement!
Even though my husband and I have three grandchildren, the announcement another precious baby from Angus and Amanda is very exciting all over again. On Monday night the proud, expectant parents shared the news with me. They then e-mailed my husband in the Sudan who rang me at daybreak on Tuesday to tell me the news!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A Party to Remember
A few weeks ago Angus and Amanda asked if they could celebrate his 30th birthday at my home. Of course I agreed and on Friday 15th May, Amanda and her sister came to set up the venue in our pool room/recreation area. (This used to be the TV room but I do not have television anymore)
The room had an alluring atmosphere of warmth and expectancy while Amanda (photographed) and Angus waited for their guests to arrive
A blessing for Angus from a youth pastor in our church:
"May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you His favour
and give you His peace"
Numbers 6:24
Even though not everyone is a catlover such as I am, two of my cats ignored this fact and were present at the party! (Chip above and Clarice below)
Angus makes a 30-year- old face.
Angus barbequed the meat having been taught well by his father, who is a "braaimaster extraordinaire "
Steaks from our local butchers sizzle over the flames
People enjoyed the evening together; the children were also in the company and very well-behaved. You can see me bringing in pans for the cooked meat
Angus asked for a birthday cake (just as he'd had as a little boy) so we had this speciality cake made by the new bakers in town
Monday, May 25, 2009
Canine Fashion
The weather is steadily cooling down and the garden, although still primarily green, is slowing down to its winter dormancy.
My dogs sleep in blanket-lined-raised-on-pallets- baskets in the garage. The electric door is left open at the bottom so that especially Angie can make a quick exit. She likes to patrol the garden at night and I often hear her padding past my bedroom window. She is very serious about her job of guarding me and all on the premises.
This morning I went into my winter storage cupboard and unearthed the dogs’ coats. Eddy and Megan are quite used to donning their winter pyjamas every year at this time. Angie, however, was another kettle of fish altogether. As I pulled the tartan coat over her head, she ducked and I ended up pushing her head through a sleeve! A major tussle ensued (have you ever tried to hold a dog who is moving backwards at high speed?) while I pulled the coat off again and quickly pushed the turtleneck collar over her head. When I smoothed the coat down over her back, she turned and began to pull at the edges. I’m praying she doesn’t chew her coat overnight.
Ladies and gentleman, here we have the perfect coat for the shiniest girl in Africa!
A professional model has to catch up on some much-needed sleep
Uh-oh! Looking out of my office window this minute, I see Angie lying fast asleep on the lawn beside the driveway. *sigh*
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Serenity
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Animal Welfare
Friday, May 22, 2009
Sunrise over the Free State
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Family Trip to Johannesburg Part 1
The log cabins, which were our sleeping abodes, were comfortable and warm and set among old trees and on rolling lawns
On Monday morning John, Debbie, the children and I left home for Johannesburg. Our motorbike, loaded in the back of John’s practical and comfortable vehicle was being taken to an engineering shop on the outskirts of the city for a service.
We arrived at the workshop at 11.30am and once we’d off loaded the bike we drove off to our accommodation on the eastern side of Johannesburg. What a wonderful surprise when we arrived at the most beautiful farm; log cabins, which were our sleeping quarters,nestled under old plain trees with rolling lawns where the children immediately expended most of their pent-up energy from the long road trip.
The landlady was very concerned that Debbie would have no en suite facilities for our eight-week-old baby but I assured her that they had slept in township huts with no running water or electricity while they were on their discipleship course last year.
Once I had helped the children to shower and dress, while Debbie tended to the baby, we all enjoyed pasta, sauce and copious cups of tea in the communal kitchen.
By early evening we were all in bed and woke fresh and eager in the morning for our next adventure: We were on our way to meet a friend of mine for tea.
More about this exciting event later...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sandstorm!
Hubby arrived home from work last Thursday and photographed the sandstorm from the rooftop of his apartment. In his e-mail to which he attached the images, he wryly added: “Khartoum at its best; certainly not for sissies!”
Monday, May 18, 2009
A trip to the City
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Nose by any other Name?
Golden Gate National Highlands Park which is situated in the Eastern Free State, boasts natural rock formations which have been given intriguing names: Gladstone's Nose, the Titanic and Brandwag (the sentinel). The Titanic looks exactly like its namesake while the Brandwag stands like a sentinel on the road to the campsite. However, I’ve travelled through this park many times over the past fifteen years and always wondered where Gladstone’s Nose got its name. I decided to Google it and all I came up with is that it’s named after a Victorian Prime Minister named Gladstone. I’m not sure whether he frequented this part of South Africa, but the name suits the rock. See for yourself...
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Angus turns 30!
Today, our younger son, Angus turns 30.
Like our older son, John, Angus has always been a pleasure and never gave us as parents an anxious moment while he was growing up.
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do." Proverbs 4:23
Happy Birthday Angus!