Father's Day

We spent a happy, peaceful Father's Day, celebrating this wondeful father and grandfather of the family.

Gert and Dorette came for lunch. Gert was in Japan last year on Father's day - when Franco was only 6 or 7 weeks old, so this was his first father's day that felt like Father's day - at least I hope so Gert! It was Frans's first Father's day but he andThelwyn had to go to Vanderbijlpark to fetch Douel - a well trained Arab gelding. (Anyone interested in buying a good Arabian horse with lots of endurance potential?)

Franco spent the day exploring new frontiers. Our sitting room is quite big, so normally we arrange the furniture in two groups. Franco discovered the lovely tunnel between the two couches.


What it is to be a grandfather!

Franco just loves being outdoors. (Trouble is, someone else must also share his enthusiasm for the great outdoors...!)

Another irresistible Ouma Elna smile.

The "ringworm" on the back of his head is not ringworm, but a bit of plaster stuck to his hair. The plaster was stuck there after blood was drawn for tests during his grommets operation. His Ouma was brave enough to rip it off when he had his bath that evening. As an ex Speelgroeptannie and preschool teacher, I am used to plasters and pulling baby teeth. However, I tried to loosen the glue first by rubbing on a little bit of peanut butter when the plaster has started to peel away - I know peanut butter helps to loosen chewing gum in hair. It didn't work though, but after the bath, Franco had a nasty rash in his neck. It seems he is VERY allergic to peanut butter! - had never eaten it before and also (fortunately) did not want to taste it when I offered some while he was in the bath. The blood tests revealed that his iron is too low and that he is allergic...but not what he is allergic to, so now it will be a process of elimination. Sterkte Dorette!

Very nearly walking on his own. His balance is much better after the grommets, but he is in in no hurry to walk on his own - pushes his bus and kitchen stools around though as gets where he wants to be.

We got some sad news a few days before Father's Day. Farao has bone cancer. See the lump on his right front paw? There is nothing to be done, but to make his last days as comfortable as possible. He is on painkillers and they help - he still goes with us when we go for a walk - even limps up the koppie! He still digs in the garden - this hole is right next to my only rose bush and right by the front door! However, such "mishaps" are now ignored... and he may get some titbits hereto forbidden due to his big mass. (He weighs more than I do!) Who has to die with a healthy heart and kidneys anyway? Let him enjoy his last days.

Franco in hospital and Martelize on the go

Why is my mommy undressing me?

Why am I wearing this funny gown?

I'd rather stand... I love my blocks....

Franco (13 1/2 months) recently had a grommets operation. He was as good as gold and only cried a little when he woke up after the anaesthetic. For the rest of the day he played and played and talked and talked. The operation immediately made a big difference in his general well being.

"What is in Ouma's handbag?" Martelize (10 months) is a constant explorer and has to be watched very carefuly. She crawls very fast! (These pics were taken recently when I looked after her while Thelwyn went to the stables.)

Generally my dressing table looks something like this...

But with Martelize around I have to quickly remove the electrical appliances and she sees to it that the rest of the stuff is "cleared"!

"Why are these bristles so hard?"

"What on earth is this?"

"Hi Ouma! You don't really need this stuff do you?"


Today is father's day. The L's are coming over, but unfortunately the H's have to go to Vanderbijlpark to fetch one young horse who has completed his training and take another for her training. As Thelwyn says, they can't pay for stabling when a horse does not really need it! At least we watched the rugby with them yesterday. (The Springboks beat the British Lions 26 - 21 - a bit of a close shave!)

I'll blog about our Father's day tonight. In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day! (My own father was killed in a car accident on 10 June 1987 - 22 years ago! He was a wonderful man.) Waardeer jou pa, ne! Hendrik is busy making coffee for his dad (and hot water for me), so let me finish here and go wake the father of the house in time for church.

June news of Friends and Family

Earlier this month my dear friend Alet and her son Roby popped over for tea. It was sooo good to see them - must do it more often.

On Thelwyn's birthday we all popped over for tea....

Frans asked whether we would like some supper and in no time he prepared this FEAST! So instead of coffee we first had a scrumptious meal and then delicious treats. Dit wil gedoen wees Frans om so onverwags vir die hele familie 'n fees voor te berei .... in 10 minute ...... nogal op 'n Dinsdagaand na 'n besige dag!

Gert en Dorette is lekker honger en die kos lyk en ruik heerlik.

In the meantime Franco and Martelize enjoyed playing with Thelwyn's new egg beater and Martelize's 100 balls on the carpet - clerverly cordoned off with poofs. The poofs make a sturdy fence to keep little ones in and big dogs out and at the same time the provide the children with a safe place to pull themselves up and to stand and play.

Thankfully on the Road

I drive exactly 50 km to work every day. This week I tried Pollyanna's glad game on my way to work:
I don't complain about the long road to work: At least I have a job and thereby one that I really love. (I blog all about it in homeschoolingaspecialchild. It's listed in my bloglist in the sidebar.) Just think about all the people who hate their jobs and worse, all the people who do not have jobs...

Thankfully not all days start like this....However, on cold days like this, I am grateful for the car heater and my gloves - and especially for Jan who always opens the gate before breakfast! Come to think of it, I am extremely grateful for the breakfast that either he or Hendrik makes every morning. They are keepers for sure!

My departure scene: the red reflector tape cross we put in the garden Christmas 2008. Like the big cross on the koppie, it is a comforting sight. I especially like this one, because it is so very close to home - a personal thing.

The sun is rising... a sign that I should have left at least 5 minutes earlier...! But what a glorious sight!


The T-junction with the Moloto road. I was once in a nasty accident here - on my way home from work. Today I just enjoy the view. The car lights in dawn are actually pretty.

Now is also the time to drink my "coffee" - a mug of boiling water. Jan fills it for me every morning - I am a spoilt woman! If you look carefully you can see in which varsity hostel Jan was and what radio station I listen to. I am not so much an early morning music person; I prefer discussions on current issues. Radio Impact has a message this time of morning and I like to listen to that too.

The infamous Moloto Road... but look at the view through my back window!


(If you wonder why you see more car than view, it's because I am driving and just clicking away without having an idea of what the camera is capturing!)

Some of the many buses on the road. I am very thankful for my little car and that I do not have to go to work in one of those... Let's spare a thought for the millions of people who have to get up in the middle of the night to get into one of those to get to work in time!


Here I just had to get out of the car to snap the sunrise. Hendrik passed me here and I got a very concerned phone call of a late-on-his-way-to-work son. "Is Ma O.K.?"

Passengers next to the road. Broken down buses are a common sight and then there are these hords of people desperately trying to get a lift. All the other buses are full and do not stop. They have to wait until doomsday for a substitute bus.

The radio (and Thelwyn) warned that there was an accident on the high way, but seeing that the street through East Lynne is often blocked when there is a jam on the high way, I decided to risk it... waiting at the toll gate, I realised I had made a mistake - but there's no turning back of course. I am thankful today that my car does not have funny rubber burning smells as it has had before in such traffic jams.
I hope the accident is not as bad as the one I encountered yesterday (Thursday) afternoon on my way home on the Atterbury bridge. (There a truck trailer had overturned - in the hour after I had crossed same bridge to go to Menlo Park and before I came back again!)
I am very, very grateful that a) I was not in that accident and b) that I did not see it happen! The photos of that accident are horrific - miraculously the woman in the squashed car escaped with only a cut hand!

To while the time on the road, I play games with number plates: see how long it takes me to go through the alphabet starting with the car in front of me... This black car has one of the "newest" number plates i.e. YFW. I have yet to find a YG... Gauteng car.

Finally the scene of the "accident" - it looks like just another "broken down truck". There are broken down trucks, or trucks that have lost their load, somewhere on the N1 nearly every single day - especially a little further South between Atterbury and Rigel Avenues. The economic impact they have in terms of lost man hours - and increased stress levels- must be enornmous!

The flow of traffic improves, but it is still slow - the road works on the N1 ask for patience, patience, patience! But.... think of the improvement once the road works are completed!

Near Menlyn and the temperature has increasead significantly - I switch off the heater.

Properly late, I am glad that there are no trucks on this hill close to Mooikloof - the posh residential area where I work. Atterbury Road is narrow here and it is impossible to overtake - there is a loooong solid line.

Once inside Mooikloof, I relish the splendour of the area: the houses and the views are magnificent - and the crisp, blue sky is a treasure.

The temperature on arriving at the Tamerin's house. Unfortunately I am now too late for us to go to our water aerobics class. We'll go again on Monday. I am grateful that Tamerin's cold is better and that she can swim and do water aerobics again. I am thankful that I can exercise in work hours - I have lost 4 1/2 kg since February!

Homeward bound: I am glad I can go home early. Hardly any traffic on the N1 North - but look at the opposite side!

Thank heaven for E-tag. The toll gate costs me R13.20 per day, but fortunately I do not have to queue.

Back on the Moloto road and a late afternoon magnificent sky - I feel God's presence in that light. Can't stop to take a photo and point the camera through the dirty window in the right direction, but then the road turns.

Again pedestrians next to the road.

Winter on Malperthuis. I pray that the grass will not burn down. One sees veld fires nearly every day. We have just spent R3000 on fire breaks, but they will not really help if there is a wind blowing.

The garden cross as seen driving up to the house - it is visible all the way as you drive up the farm road and gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Thank you for a welcome by Farao and Jakkie!

Look at all the leaves in the road....! Thank you for cleanly swept and watered lawns.

I get out of the car and there is the moon already.

Last but not least, I am thankful for a cleanly swept "agterplaas." Herzberg said that good environment factors like an empty dustbin do not make one happy - merely satisfied - but that poor environmental factors - like a dirty dustbin - made one seriously unhappy! I am determined to notice environment factors more and to be grateful for the small stuff.