Here are my answers to this week’s SYW from Di

1.  What was your favourite TV show as a kid?
Television only came to South Africa in 1976, and by then I was 23 years old. There were, however, some lovely programmes on the radio. At 7:15, after the evening news, the whole family would listen to “No place to hide”, which was a Cold War-era adventure in daily 15-minute slots! On Friday nights we got to listen to half-hour episodes of Squad Cars, which dramatised the South African Police solving crime on the streets of our cities!
My daughter’s favourite TV show when she was 2 years old was “Liewe Heksie,” which was in Afrikaans. She couldn’t understand a word but loved it anyway! When it ended, she would cry to watch it again. We did not have a VCR so I could not record it for her!

2.  Do you have a favourite ‘tipple’? (alcoholic drink, or something when you are out for a meal etc)
My favourite wine is Springfield’s Life from Stone, a Sauvignon Blanc from a Robertson Estate. It is a fairly expensive wine so we don’t have it every day. Instead I enjoy Van Louveren Sauvignon Blanc, which is also from a Robertson Estate. At home, wine o’clock is at around 5pm when we will indeed indulge in a glass or two before and with dinner.

3.  Is there a movie you can watch again and again and still enjoy?
There are quite a few that I always enjoy if they come up, and there’s little else that grabs me – Something’s Gotta Give, Yentl, Fiddler on the Roof, Scent of a Woman. These are some of my favourite movies.

4.  Did you have a favourite toy as a child? Or perhaps one you wanted and never got?
My sister and I were given infant dolls when our baby brother was born, and we both loved them. We also enjoyed playing with cut-out dolls. We would have loved to have had a Barbie or two but were in our teens when they became popular. However, we had a younger cousin who had several. We made the excuse that we were entertaining her so we could get to play with the dolls without being embarrassed.

Gratitude:
I grew up without television and became a bookworm instead. I am truly grateful for that, and the awesome childhood with its lack of adult supervision that I enjoyed. I find it ironic that our moms stayed at home to look after their offspring and yet we had more freedom than is given to the children of working moms today!
I am grateful for all the technological changes which make life very enjoyable for retirees. What would I do without television, computers, and smartphones? I have kept pace with technology and love that I can use it to my advantage.