Spending Time with Mom

Matthew, mom, and me

In South Africa today is Human Rights Day, a day off for the family. Lynda had to get a new dress for a wedding that is coming up and since I already have a suit that hopefully should still fit me, so I thought that that today would be a good day to drive or ride up to Pretoria, pick up Matthew and visit my mom whom I never saw since her operation last month. My mom is staying at my sister and her husband's place, recovering albeit very slowly.

Theresa, mom, and I

I arrived at Matthew's dorm at about 11:30am and found him still fast asleep after an all-nighter watching movies. After a shower, Matthew jumped into the driver's position as he has his driver's learner licence and he drove us to Theresa and Han's home where my mom was staying. Of course we came baring gifts of cake, cooldrinks, hotcross buns, and shortbread briskets in time for lunch.  

Hans, mom, and me

Matthew and I, had a lovely visit of my sister and her family, and a recovering my mom. Her wound is slowly healing and hopefully God willing will be allowed to return home in Sabie. Just before we left, we just had to have a impromptu family photoshoot. Oh course that is how we roll. 

Matthew, mom, Jaen-Jurie (Hans and Theresa's son or Matthew's cousin)

Operation Mom

Today Matthew wrote his Maths bridging exam and I had to pick him at 10am in Pretoria. From there we popped into the hospital where my mom is for a visit. She was supposed to have an operation on Tuesday but that was postponed until today because of life critical complications that cropped up.

Now that my mom is stable she can have the operation today at 1pm. Reports that I received from my sister that it all went well and the surgeons are satisfied with the out come. After the hospital visit while mom was in theatre, Matthew and I met up with my brother, Anthony, and his wife, Helene, to sign papers for Matthew's student loan.

There was 3 things that I prayed for this morning, mom's operation, Matthew's exam, and his student loan, all by end of the day was successful, thank you God.

New Wheels

It is another sweltering day and I had to take Matthew to Pretoria as he starts his Maths course at the Belgium Campus today. He had to be there before 8am and although schools haven’t started, we didn’t take any chances with the traffic so we left just after 5am.

It was an early start and after dropping off Matthew, I went to the hospital to check up on my mom who is having a vascular operation today, and of course to check out her new wheels.

Lemon Meringue Pie or Key Lime Pie

It is the last full day mom is with us and we ended up at some Turkish restaurant which happened to serve a South African favourite, Lemon Meringue Pie. This bought up a time long question I have wanted to answer, which is the best Lemon Meringue Pie or Key Lime Pie, but never got round to tasting a Key Lime Pie so I am starting to wonder if this question would ever be answered in an unbiased way.

So these are my questions...

1. Who makes the best Lemon Meringue Pie?
2. Where can I get a good Key Lime Pie so that I can use for a taste experiment? 

I am based in Johannesburg, so I can't get to any exotic places where some of you live unless you can courier a pie to me. Anyways I love a good lemon meringue pie but can't wait to experience why some make a big fuss over key lime pie.

Relaxing by the Pool

Yesterday afternoon a storm was blown in due to the tropical storm off the Indian Ocean and colder air was sucked in from the south. It is a relief that that colder air sweeped away the heat wave. This morning we woke up to an overcast misty day but thankfully the sun broke through late in the afternoon, just enough for my mom to warm herself on the deck by the pool.

Backyard Tourists

With my mom staying with us for the week, it is have been left up to me to look entertain as Lynda is back at work. Oh well our first stop is the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens just below us. We took an easy stroll up to the waterfall and on the way back we stopped for a nice light lunch at the tea garden halfway. Ahhh being tourists in my own backyard.

Granny in Sunglasses

Matthew and I had to go up to Pretoria to see about a Student Loan for Matthew. And today the temperatures soared to the high 30°Cs. I think we are in for a scorching hot few days as we sweated in the heavy Pretoria heat.

When we were finally finished, I thought that we would take a turn to see my mom who is up from Sabie to see the vascular specialist. So perfect opportunity to get a photo of granny with her grandchildren minus 1. From left to right is Matthew, granny in sunglasses, Danielle, and Jaen-Jurie.

But Grandmother

It is a hot Friday, and Matthew was on his way to spend the weekend with me to help with the move but before that we had to stop halfway to see granny, Matthew’s grandmother, as she is heading back to Sabie next week.

Making a Beany

My mom is recovering from her major surgery at our home and she needs to keep her hands busy, you know what they say about idle hands. Well here is mom busy trying her hand at making a beany for someone. The main consolation of her being at our home during her recovery, is now the cats don’t have to be locked up during the day. I wonder if my Minky will enjoy a beany.

Happy Birthday Mom

Okay the day did end a little weird but it is my mom’s 69th birthday and sadly she had to spend it in hospital up in Pretoria. So off we went to spend the afternoon with her and make her day special.

Anthony and his wife Helene, joined us later and gave mother dearest a lovely birthday which ended in the weird part, Anthony dropping his pants to model the latest in men’s under garments. As you can see, you can choose your friends but when it comes to family well you can only love them.

Mother Dearest

All the preparation during the week has been for this moment. I had to go to Pretoria to pick up my mother dearest who only coming up for a few days because her brother, Ronnie, had passed away. This is the same brother that I took down a few years back to say goodbye to his mother, my gran, just before she went to heaven. I think I will have to look for that story of that trip down, which I think is in my other blog which I hardly use, but it is an awesome story of how God spoke to me in an audible voice once upon a time. Maybe tomorrow, I should put a link to that story.

The Day After

It may be the first day of Day of our Lord 2016, it was surely the day after the party on auld lang syne.

We had a late start to the morning, sleeping in after our wonderful drive around the southern parts of Kruger National Park. We arrived at our family in Steiltes, Nespruit just before mid day, for a family lunch since we missed the Christmas day one. And this is what we found; everyone must have partied hard the night before.

Looking back 2015 has been a hard year and we are all glad to see the tail end of it, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Anyway 2016 is going to be a blessed year even if I don’t know what God has in store for me, all I pray is for God to give me wisdom so that I can make the correct choices. Here's to 2016!

Sunday Family Lunch

One thing which you can’t miss up when in the area is Sunday lunch at the folks. It is times like these that whatever family is around joins around a table for a mother’s home cooked meal.

Around the table from left clockwise are Danielle, Matthew, Jaen-Jurie, Hans, Theresa, Lynda, dad, and mom. Okay photos done, prayer, and now bring up the scrumptious grub.

Mothers

Amma, ammi, em, ma, maa, mam, mama, maman, mami, mamma, mammy, mata, mom, momma, mommy, mother, mum, mummy, oma and ummi, are many words used for mothers. Excuse me if I missed a few but I am sure my readers will come up with many more. Anyway why this post? Well this past Saturday my mother rushed up from Nelspruit to admit my step dad into hospital at Montana to see a vascular surgeon. And while he is in hospital my mother is staying with her brother-in-law.

Pretoria is becoming very confusing place with all the latest street name changes to people I don't even know. They are not even famous, just some friends of the cronies in local government. I wonder how Tshwane municipality can afford all this with them being so close to bankruptcy. Well my mom was getting so hopelessly lost and she urgently called out for help this morning as she didn't know how to get back to the hospital. So up I rushed to Pretoria to help. You know men never ask for directions, we just find our way. It was a brief visit and so far it looks like today's surgery was successful.