One step up!

It is Sunday afternoon, I have just had a lovely relaxing bubble bath, well deserved I might add because we have really been busy today! I have had an idea in my head for ages about what to do with my front garden, and today, with the ever willing and much valued help of my son in law, Paulo, my daughter, Loren, and my husband Kevin, the four of us worked really hard, and the end result is lovely! Now just to keep our dog Largo OUT of it!!! as she loves to dig in that spot, so for now we have had to prop up a piece of pool fencing in front of it to try to keep her out - I hope it works because much hard effort went into that garden. We have two beautiful pots with a plant in each, and a water feature in the middle. I planted some little tufts of special grass and some ferns to complete the effect.

Here is a photo of our finished garden to the left of our front door.

I am also preparing for our friends who are coming to stay with us for a few weeks from Australia, so I am fixing up the flat for them, and making it comfortable. We want them to have an unforgettable stay, and I have been planning a trip to one of our most favourite spots in the Waterberg for them and some
day-trips to game reserves in the area. I am very excited about it, and can't wait, and will share some of it here on the blog with you, so you can be a part of it too.

It was my DIL Chantal's birthday on the 25th January, so we went to their home and enjoyed a lovely party with them and their friends with good food, and lots of chatting and fun. we had to dress up in the 80's style - plastic bangles and earrings, bright colours wide belts with huge buckles, and high 'up to my eyes' jeans and doc martin shoes - well surprisingly I still have some of that fashion hanging in my cupboard - that is terrible I am ashamed, but my daughter and Diane thought it was very funny though, until I pointed out that my daughter should have worn nappies and baby grows because that is what she was wearing at the time!! :) The music was great, and we had fun.

God bless, speak soon, (This blogging is fun after all!) Shirley

Still climbing

Today you can be impressed! I drove our Series 11a landrover through town, double de-clutched up and down the gears without grating them, and managed to get our dog Largo to dog training without a fifty car pile up! for those of you know anything about a Series Landy you will know what an achievement that is.





We came to Johannesburg from Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe, and my husband used to come home in these old landies from time to time as he worked in the BSAP. They were fun and exciting vehicles, so a year or three ago Kevin wanted a hobby to occupy him and so we decided to get our own one, and found a long wheel base 1969 series 11a for sale. It is a full time hobby, and an expensive one.

We left Zimbabwe quite a bit reluctantly to come to South Africa to start a new life here when Kevin was needing a better job opportunity. Our two beautiful twin sons, Kirk & Steven, were only just over two years old at the time, (people used to say 'wow twins must be double trouble!', but I said 'no they are double blessings!') and a few years later our lovely daughter Loren was born here in SA- what blessings children are! they are all grown up now, and Steven, who works for a Diesel Engines company and is a mechanical engineer married his long time special friend Chantal this last year in May and live in a lovely home in Sunninghill, and Loren, who is completing her 4th Year Occupational Therapist degree, and her husband Paulo, who is a qualified BMW Technician are married a year already and live in Struben's valley in their beautiful home too.

Kirk has just graduated as an Optometrist after 4 very hard years of study at UOJ and he has began working daily now in a practice in Johannesburg, which he has an opportunity to buy if it works out for him. He is dating Diane, and they hope to get married and get a home of their own soon too.

My children are a constant inspiration and support to me and they all love the Lord Jesus Christ, so family gatherings are happy, noisy events which I love and look forward to.

I had lived for 21 years all over Zimbabwe up until coming to SA and had a happy free and wild childhood with many fond memories to think back on. There were also some challenging, interesting and exciting times too. I may share some of them from time to time.

Now, after 31 years of marriage to Kevin there is much to reflect on. God has been a solid rock all through my life, and as I look back I can see where He has been and how He has taken care of us even when we didn't deserve it. He is merciful and kind and a loving Father, and as I face the challenges ahead of me this year and feel that a change is brewing, I pray He will continue to be there and a part of my future.

Getting going - up the bean stork!

A few friends have been 'nagging' me to start a blog telling me how much fun it is, and then inspired by a family I know who have began one to keep their friends informed of recent changes happening in their lives, I decided there is no time like the present, it is time to start one, so with a little intrepidation, here goes...