A Day of Freedom...

Yesterday morning at about 1am, Mary passed away peacefully in her sleep. After her long, tough battle with Cancer, I think that this is a relief to all who knew her, especially Paul and TJ. Mary was wonderful lady, a devout Catholic and a loving mother. It was an honour to have known her.

The funeral will be held on Thursday afternoon at 3pm at the Catholic Church in Pinelands. Please keep the family, especially Paul and TJ, in your thoughts as they say their final farewell to their wonderful mother.

Much love, Susan XXX

Election results...

For those of you interested, here's a link to the official election results. The ANC (Jacob Zuma) came through with a 65.9% victory, which was just marginally less then their required 2/3rds majority, which would've entitled them to make uncontested changes to our constitution (thank goodness for free & fair elections!!). While they only reached about 16% nationally, within the Western Cape (our part of the country), the DA came out tops, with just over 50% of the total provincial vote. Well done to Helen Zille and her team!!

I hope that you are all enjoying your weekend, it's rainy and cold in Cape Town and my bed is calling me in a huge way! I've just had soup and bread, followed by braai'ed (BBQ) chicken & salad for dinner with my in-laws. Oh, it was followed by braai'ed marshmallows - delicious, I'm so full I could burst! My child is exhausted, it's nearly 9:30, but there has been so much good wine flowing - it's like a mini wine competition here!! I'll deal with a grumpy child tomorrow!

Catch up again next week with photos! XXX

PS. Also to take this opportunity to let you all know that Mary is really not in good shape. Paul spent the night with her last night and is there again tonight. Her breathing is very irregular and she's not really conscious at the moment. My thoughts are with them non-stop, this is a very emotional time for them all...

Update...

I know I have a few readers out there who check my blog from time to time and just want to ask for you all to hold Mary, Paul and Joanne close in your thoughts this morning. Mary is really not doing well, she hasn't been eating or drinking for a few days now and Paul was called to be with her at 4:30 this morning. Jo and Connor have gone through now too, to be with Paul and his brother at their mother's home in Pinelands. Things like this are never easy and the next few days are going to be tough ones, but I know that as Mary spends her last moments surrounded by her family, she is a very proud and happy woman.

Sue x

Tomorrow...

I will be getting up early, to go and cast my vote at our nearby school. I hope that you will all (local readers, of course) be doing the same. I believe that, if you don't say your say when it counts, shut up when things don't go the way you want them to!!

Besides the voting and trying to explain to Jake what exactly it means to vote, the concept of politics; what a government does and who a president is (seriously, I can't answer all these questions!! Political ostrich, remember??!), I'm hoping to have a very lazy day tomorrow. Jake & I are going to watch a movie and take it easy with friends. These days it seems we're more on holiday then at work and I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with working a full week again next month. For those who don't live here, besides the Easter Weekend (giving us two 4 day weeks), tomorrow's a holiday, the 27th's Freedom Day and the 1st is Worker's Day, which means next week I'll only be at work for 3 days! It makes work quite busy and I have so much to do in the next couple of days. Quite a month...

Hope you all have a good day tomorrow and enjoy the extra time with your families. I have been terrible with my blog - I have lots of new photos and need to update Delicious Divas soon too (dinner was last Tuesday). I'll catch up on every one's news on Thurs.

Lots of love XXX

The Easter Weekend...

So, our count-down to Easter has come and gone and now we're counting the days until Jake's 5th birthday! Jake had a ball this weekend. He was spoilt and has enough chocolate stashed away (hidden) in the draw in his bedroom to feed a small army. And I seriously don't think he's going to want to eat anything else for the next 2 months. At least. Still, Easter morning was tons of fun and it was fab sharing it with Jake. He really understood what was going on and the build up to Easter has been great! Jake spent Saturday night in my bed and the bunny was a little late with his deliveries, so Jake and I actually lay in until 7:30 on Sunday morning. He was awake at 6:30, but I had to keep checking and the bunny didn't come until 7:30 (lazy boy!). Jake wasn't too stressed about getting up and we read stories and cuddled and chatted for nearly an hour before we finally decided that the bunny had to have finished the job and got out of bed. When Jake looked out the window and saw the garden littered with eggs, he was shaking with excitement.

Jo, Paul, Connor & Paul's brother, TJ, came around for breakfast (it was nearly lunch time by the time they got there and we ate) and it was good to catch up with them all again. Jake is really sweet with Connor; he loves holding him and it's going to be fun for him to see Connor grow and learn. I'm also sure that he'll remember Connor as a baby, which makes this such a special time. I can remember back to when I was about 5 (not too well, but snippets), so fingers crossed...

Jake trying to get Connor to hold a little plastic football... Connor was much happier gripping the champagne cork that I gave him...

Jacques' family were away camping for the long weekend and we went through on Monday to spend some time with them. My dad came with us and we dropped him off at the slip to go cray fishing with Jacques' dad. He had a good time and it did him good to get out the house. He came home with 4 crayfish for us, so we were all happy!! Since it was the last day of the cray fishing season, we'll have to wait until November before we can have more! The girls stayed at the camp site with the kids, who rode their bikes, swung in the hammock and looked for feathers. We took them down to the beach for a while too, which is always great. The tide was out and they had so much fun looking through the rock pools together.

And with that, here are some photos from Kommetjie...

Jake waiting at the slip for his grandpa's boat to come in and fetch his Pa (my dad)...

The water was really busy on Saturday, but the conditions were great (bit bumpy further out). With it being the end of the season, everyone wanted to have one last fish...Jake got bored of waiting and decided to chase the birds on the beach instead. Sorry about the sun spot...Down at the beach with the girls...These two are thick as thieves. And almost as much trouble together. They fight like cat and dog, but get on so well at the same time... The water was crystal clear, made me wish I'd brought my cozzie with. Until I put my feet in...The tide was out, so the kids were able to explore the rock pools that are normally well underwater...We tried really hard to get the kids to pose for a photo together. It's impossible. Abigail's 8, Rebecca's 6 and Jake's 4 - no chance. First we had Abi behaving like a monkey, while the other two posed...Then Jake & Becky got bored, but Abi carried on her act...And then Jake & Becky decided to join in the fun...I think I might just disown them all... Granny came to the rescue and we managed to get at least one nice photo of them all looking at the camera at the same time...

This is the view back down Kommetjie Beach, towards Hout Bay. Again, sorry about the sun spots. I quite like them though...

And that's about it. The rest of the weekend was pretty busy too. I had book club on Thursday night and it ended up getting a bit rough. We landed up at Guzzlers in Milnerton of all places (it's SO dodge) and then at the Edgemead Soccer Club. I got home at 3am and had lost the back of my cell phone, so I'm using an elastic band to keep it all together now (classy). I also left my car in Royal Ascot, so had to collect that on Friday morning. I wasn't feeling hot on Friday morning and was so tired (Jake was up at 7!). My folks gave me a good break and took Jake to the beach so I could sleep a little bit more. We took it easy on both Friday and Saturday, hiring DVDs, slobbing on the couch and catching up on sleep. Just what I needed after Book Club. After the egg hunt and breakfast on Sunday, we had a few visitors and I had dinner later with my friend Jacki & her boyfriend.

Hope you all had a good Easter weekend too!!

Love Sue xxx

A visit from the new arrival...

Jo and Paul had to take Connor to the doctor yesterday and stopped in to visit afterwards. Jake was in his element and was just so excited about seeing his cousin again. They'd planned to stop in, bath and feed Connor, have dinner and then go home early enough to get Connor to bed by 7, but opted for taking dinner home instead. They're working really hard at their routine and it seems to be going well so far.

Anyway, here are the rest of the photos (I know you're all more interested in the baby, then you are me)...

I swear to you that my child's hands are clean. He washed them and everything. In truth, they're stained. He got hold of some unripe walnuts at a friends house, dissected them and now has 'dirty' hands. He spent Tuesday night with my mother-in-law and she even tried, to no avail, to bleach his hands clean...This time, I managed to get Jake to give Connor a kiss. I first had to make sure that nobody was looking and then it was OK to go. But only 1 kiss...All embarrassed...Cheeky brat...My dad with his two boys. Talk about proud...Hee-ha - there are finally more boys in the family then girls!!Auntie Rose with the boys...Bath time. Look how tiny he is...

Jake making sure Connor's OK. He's so chuffed to have someone else in the family who looks like him down below. We used to bath Jake in a blue basin like this when he was little too, worked so well and he loved kicking his legs and splashing the water in it. I cannot believe he ever fitted into something that tiny! I have hundreds of photos of Jake taken in front of the mirror like this too...A beautiful, happy baby...Mom and dad getting some cuddles...

Hope you all have a stunning Easter weekend with your nearest and dearest. I hope the bunny doesn't forget to stop at your house. I can't wait for our egg hunt on Sunday morning, Jake's so excited!!

Lots of love, Sue XXX

Family Snaps...

So, before Connor was born, we were looking through old family photos, to show Paul what Jo looked like as a baby and came across the above shot of Joanne and I at Uncle Paul's party. that's Uncle Paul standing in the red tracksuit top next to Father Christmas. Joanne's right in front of him and I'm next to her. Yes, we're dressed the same and both have our hair in pigtails. And we're wearing (heaven help me!) dungarees. It happens when you're merely a year apart. We're also helping to blow the magic lights out so that Father Christmas's fairy can come and join the party. The funny thing about this photo and my reason for sharing it with you (besides to distract you from my earlier post) is that Jacques' standing right there next to me there in the light blue Pitsburg top (directly in front of Father Christmas).

As most of you know, Jacques and I were in the same pre-school class (in 1983). This must've been Uncle Paul's Party of that year, just before we went to Sub-A (grade 1). I guess that, at that age (6), if you bump into someone you know, you naturally just spend the evening throwing straw at them. It's funny to think that we spent time together at school. I mean, he wasn't my best friend, but we must've gone to birthday parties together and he'd have had to have sung to me on my birthday when I took cakes to school for my friends. I wish I could go back and see how we interacted with each other back then! I wish I could remember...

One thing's for sure though, I need to get our box of photos out again and sift through for any hidden shots of Jacques!!

A Touchy Subject...

I was going to title this post 'April Fool', but decided it'd probably be best not to. Politics are always a touchy subject, especially in this country, but, with elections coming up in just 2 weeks time and the recent media coverage, well, I just can't keep my mouth shut...

First, I have to admit, my knowledge of politics, South African specifically, is very limited. I usual change the channel on the television when then news heads towards politics, call me a political ostrich. Still, I always feel like I don't know enough at election time. I don't know what each party stands for, or what their aims for our country are if they are elected. I know who they represent though, that much is obvious and I know who will get my cross. Still, I have been feeling like I need to read a little bit up on who's who in this zoo. I have just been on to the Independent Electoral Commission's web site and found a list of all the registered for this election. And while I was expecting a little bit of background, it simply gives lists and lists of names of people I don't know.

Don't get me wrong, I know some of the 'big' names, like Jacob Zuma. Zuma's our current deputy president and president of the African National Congress (ANC), which is our current ruling party.

Jacob Zuma was born in Kwa-Zulu Natal. His dad died just after WWII and his mother was a domestic worker. He has an informal grade 7 education. Zuma's is the presidential fore-runner for this election (on the 22nd). He's been in the media a lot for plenty of 'silly' things lately. Most recently, his corruption charges (read more here), from which he was officially free of on Monday. He also appeared in court in 2005 on rape charges, for an incident with the daughter of a deceased friend. This too was dismissed from court, it was believed that the incident was consensual. It was revealed during the trial that the young woman was HIV-positive and that Zuma, knowing her status, had not bothered to use a condom during their encounter. Zuma stated, in court, that he'd had a shower after the fact, to reduce his risk of HIV infection. Surely not one of his proudest moments!! He also recently stated that of the white population, only the Afrikaans speaking people are true South Africans. This comment didn't go down too well with the rest of us, but, I guess is all part of his political game. Zuma's a polygamist and has had 5 wives, 3 fiances and a total of 18 children. He's had extra-marital affairs, has been divorced and has had a wife commit suicide. He is a very traditional Zulu man.

I think, what's more frightening then having a president who's an unconvicted criminal, is Zuma's support of Robert Mugabe, although (in his defence) he has criticized their election processes.

I do think that the ANC has done a lot for our country (with a few exclusions, such as public housing and crime), but I am starting to think that perhaps it was just Mandela who led our country out of the white supremacy and carried us into a new era so successfully. I'm not sure how proud he would be of how things are headed at the moment.

So, I've said a lot here, maybe too much. I don't think I should write any more. We really do live in a beautiful country and I do worry about where we're headed at the moment. While I'm not quite sure (OK I'm almost sure) who I'm voting for in this election, I know who I'm not voting for. Do you? XXX PS. Do you think it's OK for me to put this 'out there'? I'll delete this post if you think I should rather have kept my mouth shut...

The big cousin...

This is the gorgeous little face of a cousin that has Jake waited so long (OK only 4 sleeps, but don't forget the 9 months before!) to meet up close. I took him through to see Connor on Friday afternoon and he was just so excited, he couldn't wait to get there and to get his cuddle. When we arrived, Connor was sound asleep and try as we might, we couldn't get him to wake up. All Jake could say was that Connor's was cute and that he's so tiny.

I tucked Connor safely in Jake's arms and captured a few precious shots of their first moments together. I tried to get Jake to give Connor a kiss, but he decided to act a little silly becuase Uncle Paul was watching and wouldn't... This was the closest he got to a kiss...I know this doesn't really fit in anywhere, but just look at these cute little toes...

After 5 minutes of holding Connor, Jake had had enough and went outside to look for caterpillars on Jo and Paul's tree. Truth be told, I think he was expecting to have a fully grown cousin to run around outside and play with with, but he'll just have to wait. He's still very excited and has been speaking about Connor so much.

As for the new parents, Jo and Paul asked my mom to help them out for their first 2 nights at home and I think she's going through there again tomorrow night. They're working hard at getting Connor into a routine and I think having my mom around to help, just gives them a chance to catch their breath and get some sleep. Jo's perservering with the breastfeeding, so fingers crossed for her that it all goes smoothly for her from here on!! Paul's mom's seen Connor a couple of times too and on both occassions, Connor was a little angel. They tucked him into bed with her for a cuddle, so some very special moments for Mary too.

The rest of the weekend was pretty laid back. We spent a bit of time in our garden and have quite a few things planted for the winter season. Jake spent a bit of time with his granny and grandpa yesterday afternoon too, which he really enjoyed. He's on Easter holidays now until the 14th. My dad's still off work (This is his 3rd or 4th week off) after his eye op. He's really battling with his vision at the moment and can't see well at all. He's been booked off work until the end of April and we're all really hoping that this comes right for him, but it's not looking great at the moment. It does mean, though, that Jake's got good company in the mornings while I'm at work! They've got lots planned, so I'm sure Jake will have a good holiday. Over the weekend, Jake & I baked Easter biscuits. Jake loves baking and I literally give him the ingredients and instructions and he does everything else himself. Anyway, these are our delicious (seriously good!) Easter biscuits...

OK, it's nearly home time for me now. Better be off. Hope you all have a great week and I'll try catch up on everyone's news tomorrow!!

Sue XXX