Fun-filled Week continued

As mentioned in the previous post, I arranged a surprise birthday party for Linda at my house last Wednesday. Four of us SA ladies get together at the client camp on Wednesday afternoons for a time of fellowship and Bible Study. Linda ordered several DVD's from the states and we're following one course at a time. As I'd had my very dilapidated and torn lounge suite recovered by the fundi tailors at the nearby workshop, I requested that we have fellowship at my house on the 24th. Linda was told that I wanted to show off my "new" suite. The other ladies knew that after the Bible Study session, we'd be having tea and cake to celebrate Lindas big day, her 30th! 

I baked a two coffee cakes - not my preference or forte; Marita brought a Lemon Meringue Tart and Chef Paulo and team sent over two dozen donuts dripping in Lyle's Golden Syrup and dusted with icing sugar! I'd also baked a batch of old-fashioned sweet biscuits (called Soetkoekies) in the traditional Voortrekker style. Voortrekkers were pioneers who loaded their possessions and families onto ox-wagons from the Cape coast into the South African interior in the 19th century. In search of pastures new, they trekked over the vast Karoo plains, into Northern Natal, across thousands of kilometers of the massive Drakensberg mountains until they reached the Transvaal where they settled. Of course, their journey was fraught with danger: wild animals, hostile tribes, fevers and fatal accidents, births and deaths. When they camped out for long enough, they hunted and planted, cooked on open fires and bakes in clay ovens  Soetkoekies was a traditional Voortrekker treat. I didn't know any Voortrekkers, as they were before my time! But it's part of many South Africans' heritage and of course we know the history. 

At 3pm Tilla arrived and I told Linda that today was a surprise party for her. 

 Tilla, Marita, Jo-Anne and moi; seated is Birthday Girl, Linda

First we watched as Linda opened her gifts

Then Linda stood in front of her 30 cake!

She blew out the candles and of course, we sang to her!

Coffee cake, donuts, lemon meringue pie, and soekkoekies (in foreground) were the delicious fare for Linda's party

Tilla was first to pour hot water from my bling teapot. As she did so she said her daughter, Ina would never permit her to possess something like this. I said that my daughter-in-law would probably also shudder if she saw my gold-rimmed set! Here the donuts and soetkoekies are very much in the foreground! 

The ladies enjoying tea and cake on my newly covered lounge suite!

And of course, ladies together are never short of something to talk about

I'm linking this post to Our World Tuesday which you can visit here