Fun with friends.

So far this year has been a year of family get togethers but now it is time for friends. Firstly we had the Moults pop in. They live in Sierra Leone and have a flat in Durban to which they love to escape to. While here, they do all their medical visits, shop and catch up with friends. Unfortunately they no sooner arrived and fell ill with the flu! As we also had coughs and colds so they found themselves in good company. Old friends are like comfortable slippers, all warm and fuzzy!

Mary and Gavin stopped in for two nights en route to Knysna. We have not had quality time with them for ages. We all commented on how time absolutely flies and how important it is for us to spend time together with our "adult" friends.

Marilyn Gosnell has had an offer on her beautiful home down on the beach in Ramsgate.

 

We have been to many happy functions here and I know it cannot be easy for Marilyn to part with this home which is steeped in many happy memories! With Jerry gone I suppose it is not the same and also the safety factor for a woman living on her own.

The grandchildren will miss coming here too as they spent hours and hours on the beach. Everything has a season and perhaps it is time for Marilyn to move on. I know we will miss knowing she is in her Beach house!

With Wendy and John being in town, Marilyn thought it is a good time to invite a whole lot of Big Benders over for lunch on Sunday. it probably will be our last visit to her beautiful home. We were amazed to see some folk we had not seen since 2000 when we left Big Bend!

The Rostrums, the Canters, Annie Waterhouse, John and Wendy Moult and the Du Casses were all there

Lots of lively chatter and good laughs took place around the table. If only tables could talk as that table has hosted so many people for so many different functions!!

Good food, good company, good wine! What more can you ask for!! Thank you Marilyn! We miss you Jerry.

This was made from a recipe from Charmaine Crous and is simply delicious!! I will have to try it some day!

Back home.

It is always good to get home and back to base. It was fun putting my new quilt out. Diana made this specially for me.....I SO appreciate her kindness and generosity. I am not sure how she does it with three s all children, no home help and a hubby who is often away!! I feel so honoured. Thank you Didee.

Diana made a second quilt using her collection of "African" fabrics featuring people of all walks of life obviously from Africa. I took these quilts to our guild meeting and they were amazed to see these lovely quilts using such interesting fabrics. Why do you have to go to America to get such lovely and interesting African fabrics.

 

Every panel tells a story! It is one of the quilts that you can sit and look at for hours.

Thank you Diana! You are amazing!

The last week.

Back in Sabie Park several of Christopher and Diana's friends were able to join us for braai at the picnic spot. Once again the children were able to run and play and enjoy each others company.

It was so special having Nick and Joshua with us together with Sarah and Oscar. The three boys were quite a handful getting up to all sorts of mischief.

Every morning the adults would set off to be at the Kruger Gate by 6:00 am and the grandchildren, Warren and I would have lots of fun together.

 

This was the most special time ever being with these amazing children and seeing them interact. We are so proud of our children, their partners and their children we are so blessed.

The week passed by so quickly and soon it was time to say goodbye and wave everyone off. The house was so quiet we couldn't wait to pack up and move on too. A sign of the silence was a visit from the giraffe, the Zebbies and even the warthog....who all had been rather scarce!! Till next time.....

 

 

Christopher has put a wonderful you tube video together capturing all the special moments of the holiday.

Molly on Safari.

Parteeeeee Time.

Our eldest son Christopher, turned 40 on the 3rd January. He celebrated this in Australia with Diana's family. Nick was able to join him with Joshie and they had lots of fun. However it was Christopher's dream to celebrate in style in the "bush". He asked us to suss out a suitable spot which we duly did and fell head over heels for a beautiful spot on the river, Sabie River Lodge. 

With the venue booked it was over to Chris to send the invites out and sort out the finer details. On Friday it was time for us to leave Sbie Park and head for the Lodge where we would meet up with the other guests including Sarah, Adrien, Oscar and Nick and Joshua. Having all five grandchildren together and three children is amazing!

 

 

The setting was perfect. Hippos were wallowing in the water and enjoying the lovely weather. Guests arrived from all corners of the world. Those folk with children slept in the Protea hotel and spent most of their time with us at the lodge. The children loved running wild on the lawns. Joshua and Oscar having driven from JHB were thrilled to meet their cuzzies and enjoyed running wild.

 

It was a wonderful reunion for Christopher and Diana and their friends. We all enjoyed reconnecting and Friday was taken up with connecting. Golf at Skukuza was scheduled for Saturday morning.

 

Saturday morning started off sunny and no sooner had the staff set up for breakfast on the deck and the heavens opened and the rains began. It rained the whole day. The golfers got stuck in the club house, the cyclists continued for as long as possible, the children watched T.V. And Marion, Joyce and I spent the day playing scrabble and drinking amarula coffee.

The staff were so accommodating and set up for dinner in the upstairs lounge and the show went on!!

No sooner had the dinner ended and guess what...the rain stopped. The decorations went up, the music set up, the fire started and it was parteeee time! It was a glorious evening and sitting around the fire with the great selection of music playing in the background, no one could wish for anything better. Once the children started getting weary they passed out in front of the teleVision. At one stage I counted fourteen children.

 

The party went on for many hours accompanied by the happy hippos!

After breakfast on Sunday morning it was time to head back to Sabie Park.

Bush time.

It was time to head off to our Bush Home and to get the place ready for the Ozzie/American Bodens. We really wanted everything to be ship shape before their arrival and all the cupboards stocked to their full capacity.

Before we knew it it was time to dash off to The airport in Nelspruit to fetch the family. We took two cars and Diana and Molly drove back with me. What a long trip they have had all the way from San Francisco. Molly was wide awake and full of beautiful smiles and stories. What a special girl she is!

Molly is very interested in horses right now so I made her a hat and bag made from "horsey" fabric.

Hannah is our "fashionista" and she tole me that when she grows up she is going to call her Fashion shop Penelope's as she loves my real name!!

 

This is Ben's first visit to Africa and what a character he is! He just loves playing outside but we had to watch him all the time as the baboons and leopard lurking around we're a constant threat.

Poppie and I had lots of fun with the children while the folks went off to find the animals in the park.

Diana, Molly and I popped off to Hazyview to stock up before the Talbots arrived and could not resist stopping at the fabric vendors. These made lovely gifts for their friends back in the states.

Granny couldn't wait to see the children in their new beanies! What a beautiful family! We are so blessed.

 

Johnnesburg's Botanical Gardens.

The Botanical gardens must be one of the best keep secrets of the city. Sarah, Adrien, Warren, Oscar and I went off for a few hours. It is just a short drive from where Sarah lives.

As it was late on a Sunday afternoon many of the day visitors were leaving however lots of folk arrived for their Sunday walk or run or even cycle ride.

The gardens are well looked after and the beautiful lawns go on forever

This monument is to honor the Huguenots.

 

 

 

Thank you to those responsible for these gardens and may they continue to bring much pleasure to the public.

Easter Weekend.

The road to JHB. Is lined with beautiful cosmos, in fact there are fields of cosmos wherever you looked.

While taking care of Oscar during his Easter Break I took him and his friend Afika to the Children's theatre to see "Gogos". This was a delightful production in a tiny theatre where little ones could feel secure and safe. All those little faces showed such concentration and pleasure.

Meeting the Princess Butterfly afterwards was very special.

It was soon time to pack up and join the Boden family at their lovely home on the Vaal River. As Colleen's house was overflowing she arranged for us to stay on a friends house two houses away.

The weather was lovely and it was special seeing "The Family".

Neil and Lisa, together with their children William and Meghan had come out from England. Grandpa Brian had flown in from Cape Town.

Oscar had loads of fun with Willyum! Meg just loved sitting and sketching.

Captain James and Captain Darryl took the family on a few joy rides along the Vaal. The littlees just loved it.

Aunty Glynne had her hands full with her charges.

The kitchen staff had their hands full catering for the masses.

It was great meeting Darryl and Denise's girls. What lovely grandaughters.

 

It was good to see Dom and Mark too. Mark is such an interesting person and is always good for a long chat.

 

A wonderful time was had by all. A great Boden get together! Thank you to the Mitchell's for hosting such a special weekend.