In Memory of Jess

Just over six years ago, this plant was given to Ned and me on the passing of Ned's mom, Jess, at the grand age of 95years. It flourished in a pot in our home for a while and then I planted it in the garden where it has continued to bloom around the anniversary of Jess's death. To me, it is not only a reminder of Jess and all that she invested in us as a family in the way of joy, traditions we chose to adhere to, love and faithfulness, but it is also a reminder of the love and faithfulness of friends who care and journey with us through the tough times in life. Thank you, Jenny. You are a friend whom I truly appreciate and value.

A Family Celebration

On the 29th April 2011, Dave (Ned's brother) and Colleen celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Their son Andrew organised a holiday for the immediate family, and all but 2 grand-children joined them in Port Alfred for a week of special time together. It was a 'once in a life-time' sort of affair with all the children being able to join them from as far afield as England and New Zealand.
From left to right: Nicollette, Michael, Dave, Colleen, Natalie, Andrew

Dave and Colleen with 6 of their 8 grand-children.
Jessica, Lucia, Matthew, Aimee, Sarah, Joy.
Some of the extended family joined the holiday party, and celebrated in style together on the evening of 28th April. Long-standing friends and bestmen from their wedding came from as far as Cape Town to share in the joy and celebrations.
Life-long, faithful, friendships and shared memories are a joy to be treasured.

Richard and Liesel's Wedding

The 14th January 2011 was a day of joy and celebration. Richard and Liesel, after many months of planning and organising, were joined in matrimony, to the delight of both their families!

Ned and I are thrilled to have a second daughter-in-law!
The whole party looked stunning and happy. Inge and Heidi attended their bride-sister, and Paul, Allan and Ian kept their groom-brother on his toes.
The Donkin Drones (Ned, Paul, Derek, Richard and Tim) added their flavour to the enjoyment of the occasion.
How lovely it is to have an expanding family.
We are truly blessed!

30th Birthdays

I remember a young friend of my mother's turning 30 many years ago. For her it was a seemingly traumatic experience as I remember her crying and believing that it was the end of her life as she was getting so old now - crossing some sort of divide.

I don't remember my own 30th birthday - not surprisingly as I had a 3 week old baby (Ian) at the time. This is how I looked then! Note that I had very few gray hairs.

It is now 30 years later, and this 3 week old baby turned 30 in December. Ned and I went down to be with Ian and Juliette in Hilton for the weekend of 10th December.


This photo is of Ian in November just before his birthday - growing the Movember! He does not usually look like a mafia agent!

We had a full weekend of celebratory dinner at their home, breakfast at the Karkloof farmer's market, visit to the Karkloof Falls, lunch at Piggly Wiggly's, afternoon tea at home, evening braai with my sister Wendy and family in Pietermaritzburg, then church together on Sunday morning.
All this together with various friends and family.
It was truly a blessed weekend, and a good way to remember 30th birthdays!

Mother's Day - Joy and Drudgery

Yesterday was Mother's Day - a bit of a mixed bag as days go. It highlighted for me the satisfaction I receive seeing each of my young men pursuing their unique purposes in their lives and in the world. Richard and Liesel spending time after church with an uncle and aunt, booking a wedding venue, and helping a soon to be sister-in-law with maths; Paul touching base with band friends; Allan, Ian and Julz continuing their paths in the Western Cape. It is a blessing to know that they have found their niches and are building their futures.

The drudgery of the continuous never ending tasks of running a household - as in washing, cooking, cleaning - is turned around by the appreciation received in terms of gifts, notes and words of affirmation. I was spoilt with flowers, a note, a 'Peter Rabbit' mug, a chatty sms, and the dishes being washed.

This photo was taken on Allan's 27th birthday in January.
From left, back: Allan, Shanley, Paul, Julz, Ian, Richard, Liesel.
From left, front: Beryl, Ned.

Connections

As a young child I was often amazed at my dad when we traveled anywhere on holiday. It seemed that whatever route we drove, and whatever insignificant (to me) town we passed through, there was always an "I wonder if so and so still lives here". Fortunately we didn't often stop to check the telephone directory and find out if that long-since-seen distant relative or friend was still around. I think - at that age - I would have found it very frustrating and an intrusion on our holiday time! However, the older I get the more aware I become of connections that make the world a much smaller place than we would imagine.

Recently a very close friend of mine (Marcia) celebrated her sister's (Bev)60th birthday. I saw the photos on facebook. In some of them are a couple that I know. The connection is this: Marcia's sister Bev is married to Arno. Arno has a sister Anne who is married to Richard. Richard has a sister Rose who is my sister-in-law. Now how is that for a small world?
Seems to me that it all comes from having sisters!

Allan - Before and After

Allan is on the right of the photo.

Here he is after being assailed by one of more cutting instruments.

Whether he has much or no hair, he is still the same great guy on the inside!

End of a tradition?

Ever since Ian was about 2 years old, I engaged in a self-defense mechanism of keeping sweets in a jar. Two sweets after lunch was the 'rule'. This meant that I was not pestered for sweets while out shopping, because the children knew that they could have sweets after lunch - and they kept to the rule much to the astonishment and amazement of visiting friends! As the years have passed and they have grown up, the 'two sweets after lunch' was no longer adhered to as they would help themselves whenever they felt like it - though I must say that it has always been within reason. Now that only Paul is at home I have noticed that I hardly ever have to buy sweets anymore - the ones that are there seem to last forever. So it wasn't really a surprise when Paul said to me the other day that it was no longer necessary for me to buy sweets because he was the only one around. So the question arises: what do I do with the sweet jar when the few remaining are gone? Sure, I'll wash it - but what then? Do I turf it - or do I wait until there are grand-children?

Murphy's Law ++

Ned finds more sayings to add to Murphy's Law. The most recent one, applying to himself, is:
"If there is dog pooh lying anywhere, Ned will be the one to step in it". AAAARGH!!

Bonny

Meet Bonny, on the left - our 'adopted' Husky-cross-SPCA-special. She joined us yesterday (Saturday) after being spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, and 'tagged'. At about 8 months old she is bigger than Bess (our bull-terrier cross on the right), but will not grow too much bigger. Bess was rather subdued when Bonny arrived - not too sure how to respond. But today they are almost playing together. Rumble (our 15year old Labrador/ Dalmation) wisely keeps out of the way. She is too stiff and senile to take much notice of the other two anyway. Hopefully Bess and Bonny will be good companions for the next 12-15 years, or however long they live!

First Book

I am in print!
"There is at least one book in every person" - that's what I have been told. It has also been said to me on more than one occasion that I should WRITE. I never intended to - really don't like writing! However, for my birthday, my son Richard had my blog put in print - and here is the result. Surprised? - I certainly was!

Isn't it Beautiful?!

Ian and Juliette gave me this butterfly orchid for my birthday. It has continued to bloom. Stunning!

Double Scrabble

We have taken to playing scrabble with two boards adjacent to each other and two sets of letters. It makes the game more interesting, and we have played easily with 8 players.
There were only three of us for this game - Paul won.

Christmas 2008

We got round to cutting the Christmas cake on the Sunday after Christmas. Here we are, preparing to enjoy it with ice-cream. We were all together as a family this year - something that will happen less and less as our sons spread themselves more around the country and the world. Unfortunately, by sunday, Allan had already returned to Somerset West - hence his absence from the photo. The table cloth is one that I brought back from Mexico - a wonderful, cheerful, celebratory splash of colour!
Seater around the table in an anti-clockwise direction are Ian, Paul, Devan (Richard's friend who lives in Canada), Richard, Liesel (his girlfriend), Beryl (me), Ned. Juliette is taking the photo - you'll see her behind the lens.. On the bookcase behind Devan/ Richard, note the Lesotho hat - brought back by Richard after spending a month with the missionaries who run the orphanage at Semonkong.
Juliette is now included in the photo with ian, Paul and
Devan. Note the clock on the wall - it is permanently set at '5 to 11' - time for a liitle something. Those who know about Winnie the Pooh will know all about that. The clock has been set there for about 20 years now - we have never gotten around to replacing the 'works' inside.

Bearded varieties

Paul, the lesser bearded variety - not because of the quantity of beard, but because he is younger than his brother Allan - the greater bearded variety.
Paul only grew his beard during the Varsity holiday, from October to January. He is now of the beardless variety.
Allan, the greater bearded variety. His hair is currently much longer than shown here.
Both of them handsome young men, don't you think? I do, but then, I am their mother!

Nativity Scene

These ceramic figures were made for me by my "American mom", Jackie Edele, the year I spent in South Charleston, West Virginia as an exchange student. Every time that I have set up this scene for the past 40 years, I have marvelled at its beauty. This year was no exception. It's not only the beauty of the figurines that shines through, but also the love and acceptance that I received from the family, and community among whom I spent the year.

A Year of Celebrations

2008 has truly been a year of celebrations.
Nephew, Phill Rodda and Ashleigh in November

Niece, Sandy Forrester and Julian in September

Son, Ian Donkin and Juliette in May

Nephew, Andrew Fath and Lara in March

Nephew, Sean Hendrikz and Tam in March

Two great nephews born, for which I have no photos.
We are truly blessed!

Natalie's Wedding

Natalie is the youngest daughter of our very close and dear friends Dave and Les Morgan. She married David Mendes on Saturday 13th December in a beautiful, happy ceremony on a farm just outside Barberton.

I don't know what it is like for a dad to let his daughter go, but Dave managed to 'keep his pose' remarkably well!

Dave, Les, and Les's mother Dora. Natalie is the first of her grandchildren to get married.

The very happy couple.

We have known them as family since their eldest daughter Kirsty was born, and our eldest son Ian was 1 year old - so they really are an extension of our family!

Sixty Years

It seems like such a long time - but when you look back it's not really. I have known my sister, Wendy, for 58 of her 60 years. Ned and I went to celebrate with her and her family at the end of November.

The combined ages of everyone in the family photo is about 547years!
The Lord said: 'Go forth and multiply' - and that is what has happened. My mother, the oldest relative alive, aged 85, has multiplied to 1078 if I add up the ages of all her children, children-in-law, grandchildren and grandchildren-in-law, and great grandchildren. Imagine that.!

Household Glitches

Isn't it strange how things go 'wrong' when one or other spouse is out of the country for a while?! Ned left with the Mozambique Outreach team in the early hours of Saturday morning 28th June. On Saturday evening Richard and I noticed that the geyser was 'dripping' - and turning it off at the electricity box made no difference. So, in came the plumbers on Monday - to replace the safety valve - and on leaving informed me that there should be two vacuum release valves in the two copper pipes. If they'd told me in the beginning of their 'job' I could have got them to do that at the same time! I was left wondering whether their late information was as a result of their non-reflective status - but perhaps that's a bit unfair!

Then this evening I wondered why the food in the oven was taking so long to cook. The lights were off, which is normal when the oven is up to the temperature set. When I opened the oven I discovered that it was cold. So the fuse had to be replaced. Thank goodness I replaced the spare fuse last time. So we will have supper tonight - courtesy of the microwave which was put into use while I did the fuse replacement thing.

It makes me wonder what - if anything - will go 'wrong' when both Ned and I are on our travels to England and Mexico in August/ September and Richard and Paul are keeping the fort. Is it only a spouse thing, or is it a parent thing as well?