Fun at Bontebok National Park

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Friday 6 January 2023

The dawn chorus woke me early this morning and on peeking out of my window I saw that the rain had gone. By eight o’clock we were on our way to Swellendam to do some shopping. There is no restaurant in the park and we had not yet provisioned for the next part of our extended holiday.

As we were driving toward the exit gate I checked my phone for messages and found I had a missed call from our friend, Carl. I rang him back. He asked if we were in the park and when I said we were about to leave to have breakfast in Swellendam he was delighted. He was almost there himself having taken a motorbike ride from Napier and was planning to have breakfast at Grace and Merci. So of course we met him there and had a lovely catch-up before he rode back home and we got on with our town chores.

A lovely place to stop for a meal in Swellendam – Grace and Merci
Our timing was perfect – got to have a meal with Carl
Discussing the pros of riding a bike!

Swellendam has a good Checkers and we managed to get everything we needed, then returned to the park. I was delighted to find that the camp had a laundry with a washer and dryer in good working order. I obtained two tokens at R15 each and put on a load of washing. While this was doing I got stuck into tidying the caravan which was in serious need of a spruce-up. I donned the rubber gloves and gave it a thorough scrub. By the time I was done, the washing was ready to go into the dryer.

Luckily a caravan is quick and easy to clean.

Once everything was neat and tidy and the laundry folded and packed away, it was time to explore our surroundings.

The park is situated 6km from Swellendam at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains and it is bordered by the Breede River in the South. This small park was established specially to protect the endangered bontebok which need the type of renosterveld on which this species thrives. They were hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s and when only 22 remained, a park to protect them was established near Bredasdorp but then moved to Swellendam where the vegetation was more suitable. The park now has between 200 and 300 individuals and De Hoop nature reserve also has a number of these beautiful antelope.

Because there are no predators in the park it is safe to walk and cycle in the park and a number of cycling and walking trails have been created. They are well-signposted and easy to follow. The Earl and I started on the Aloe Hill trail but then turned off to have a look at the river where boating, fishing and swimming is allowed.

The rain was gone and the bridge was not slippery
The Earl making his way safely across
There is a campsite without electricity right beside the river
Tubing, swimming and riding the rapids is being enjoyed by some fun-loving kids
Fishing is allowed – someone is all set up for the afternoon but he is nowhere in sight!
There were lots of weavers in the reeds
And a Cape Bulbul asked to be noticed too

It was quite hot and after walking for half an hour the Earl decided not to continue. So I walked back to the caravan with him and a little later went off on my own. The birdlife in the park is prolific and I hoped to get a few photos. I certainly saw more than I could capture digitally though!

I have no sense of direction whatsoever so hoped the signs would guide me both there and back!
As I adventured on I imagined that I was an explorer not knowing what was around the next bend
Certainly lots of aloes
And beautiful succulants
It was quiet and only the birdsong could be heard
I thought that if I followed this sign the aloe hill trail would get me back to camp
Lovely flora of all different colours to admire
Hey – You’re in my park – The bontebok owns this place
He introduced me to his friend
Another bridge to cross
This Karoo Prinia literally yelled for his portrait to be taken

I continued to follow the signs but I must have missed the Aloe Hill sign and found myself on the bushbuck trail which petered out and so I turned around and retraced my steps until I found the sign that pointed me back to camp. This all took over an hour but I had the most awesome time being an almost lost in the bush explorer!

Fortunately, I arrived back just as the Earl was waking from his nap. “I thought you were lost!” he said. He has no faith in my ability to find myself without him!

It was soon time for a sundowner and to make a salad while the Earl did the braai. What a beautiful day it was after all the rain yesterday. We chatted to our neighbours – campers are always friendly and then had our dinner before settling down for the night.

Our campsite – The Earl doing the braai
Hungry after my long walk!
A beautiful sunset

Camp Facilities

The camp facilities are lovely. The kitchen has electric hot plates, food preparation sinks and a microwave. There is a laundry with big basins for hand washing and a washing machine and dryer that work. Tokens must be obtained at R15 each from reception. There is also a scullery where you can wash dishes. Everything is neat, tidy and functional.

The kitchen
A picnic table and braai under cover for campers’ use
Scullery has double sinks with plenty of space to put a drying rack
Laundry sinks
Washer and Dryer

The ablution block is modern but the shower cubicles are quite small with just one hook behind the door and a small fold-up bench.

Basins with mixer taps
Make up counter with plugs for hairdryers and shavers
Shower
Bathroom for mobility challenged

This is certainly a park that is worth a visit. There is lots to see and do.

Bontebok National Park

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5 January 2023

It’s not so bad finding yourself “homeless” when there are so many awesome places to stay cheaply, assuming, of course, that you have a tent or caravan!

As I mentioned in my previous post we have taken on the gypsy lifestyle while our house is let out for the holidays.

Today we left Warmwaterberg where we spent two lovely days and as we travelled toward Swellendam we enjoyed the scenery before the rain bucketed down.

We stopped to have breakfast at the infamous Diesel and Creme in Barrydale.

Always an interesting place to stop
The weather made us sit indoors this time
As you can see only a few chose to be chilly outdoors
The Benedict Wraps were delicious

We really should have ordered one wrap to share because neither of us could eat both halves!

Thus fortified with food we continued on our scenic drive to Bontebok National Park.

We love this little town of Suurbraak between Swellendam and Barrydale
This made us giggle

The homes are simple but everyone makes them look really pretty.

I love the yellow door
And this blue one
What a welcoming mini market
Goodbye Suurbraak – we will visit one day soon as at Warmwaterberg we met some folk who have a home here
And then the rain came down in torrents
Waterfalls in the mountains

It was still raining when we entered Bontebok National Park. I asked the reception staff to please turn it off but they just laughed at me. Anyway, my spirits were up when we saw our first Bontebok of the trip.

Well a wet good morning to you too!

We settled into our not-too-muddy campsite and huddled in the Gecko till the rain let up a little and then went for a drive.

The red hartebeest was too grumpy even to lift his head.
And this spotted thick knee looked amazing in spite of being wet
The wildflowers were also quite cheerful – I think this is some type of Erica.

The park is very pretty but in the wet weather, there was not too much to see.

At supper time we did not need to cook outdoors as we had leftover Benedict wraps and leftover ribs from Warmwaterberg both of which were still quite delicious.

More to follow tomorrow. I promise the weather improves!

New Year and Warmwaterberg

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1 January 2023

We woke to a beautiful morning at The Homestead Caravan Park had a champagne breakfast at the camp’s restaurant. It was awesome. Our table was decorated, the champagne waiting on ice and a fresh fruit salad ready in a pretty glass. This was followed by a lovely English breakfast and of course some excellent coffee.
The rest of the day we spent swimming in the pool, walking in the shady gardens, reading, and napping. It was a wonderful way to start the New Year.

2 January 2023

We left The Homestead at 8:30 and made our way to Plettenberg Bay, stopping for breakfast at Bay West Mall just off the N2 then made our way to Plett. The traffic was flowing until we reached Keurbooms. From there we crawled for half an hour! This is Plett in season – we should not have been surprised! But it was lovely to be back at our daughter’s now much quieter home as all the guests had left. Our granddaughter and her boyfriend had also gone off to his parents for the rest of the holidays. For supper, we ordered Sushi in and it was delicious.

3 January 2023

We managed to get a caravan site at Warmwaterberg for two nights so left before 8 this morning in lovely sunny weather. We like sites 17 a b and c in front of reception and next to the pool but they were fully booked. Instead, we got a very private and shady spot, Number 16, behind reception. It was too hot to set up so went straight to the pools. Usually, we enjoy the hot springs but today we wallowed in the cold pool. Because it is still school holidays it was busy and there were lots of families with kids. However, it was still quite pleasant. We chatted to some of the parents and the kids and everybody was having a lovely time.

We decided that as these two days were the last of our holiday we would eat our meals at the restaurant. This evening I had bobotie and the Earl had Oxtail. The reasonably priced portions are really generous and come with plenty of vegetables. We really should have ordered one meal and shared!

4 January 2024

Isn’t it amazing how weather can change so dramatically? After a very hot day yesterday, the wind got up in the night and this morning was quite chilly. But this made being in the hot pools an enjoyable experience. We spent the day in and out of the pools and just relaxing.

In the evening we went to the restaurant again. I had the lasagne and Earl the ribs. Once again we were not disappointed.

I did not take any other photos of our two days here because I have blogged a few times about this spot. If you want more info I have written about the campsite here and what to do in the surrounding places here.

This was to be the last day of our holiday but a phone call while having breakfast was to change that. We were expecting the tenants in our house to move out today and tomorrow we would go home. But our agent called to ask if she could let to new tenants until 15 January! Yes, it was very last minute and we were not prepared but the opportunity to earn some more money made us bite the bullet and say, Yes, Okay – we will make a plan!

“We’re homeless!” I said to the Earl when I ended the call. But of course, we have our Gecko and so it would be home for another 10 days! We just had to decide where to go next.

Very quickly a plan took shape. We needed to go somewhere nearby. So after some discussion, we decided to go to Bontebok National Park for two nights and then to Cape Town but we couldn’t stay with the kids because there would be no place to park the caravan. But parking off at Chapman’s Peak Caravan Park for a week would be ideal. We have lots of friends and family in the area and really need to catch up with them. After enquiring we were told there would be plenty of space as most of the holidaymakers have now left.

So watch this space for news of the Homeless Gecko Caravanners!

Share Your World Monday 2 January 2022

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This is the first SYW of 2023 hosted by Pensitivity100

Did you stay up to see the New Year in?

We were camping and some of the other campers stayed up. A young girl gave us sparklers to light at midnight but I am afraid we didn’t make it. We were asleep by 10!

Are there any special occasions or events coming up in 2023 for you or your family?

2022 was an awesome year. We had regular visits with our Cape Town and Plettenberg Bay kids and grandkids. Thankfully the younger generation is still happy to spend time with us. The highlight of the year was celebrating my 70th birthday with all ten of us gathering for a weekend at Fransvliet in Franschoek.

The boys looking forward to digging into that delicious cake!

We also went on a cruise to Marion Island and did a few caravanning trips. We certainly plan to have as much fun in 2023.

Leaving Table Bay on our Marion Island Cruise in January
Gecko Caravanning Weekend in May

One trip already planned with our friends Cathy and Alec is a caravanning trip to Kgalagadi in August 2023.

My granddaughter is turning 21 next month and ‘something’ is planned. We don’t know what yet.

 Do you keep a diary?

Yes, I do. At first, my diaries were erratic and dealt with the progress of my children and holidays. I have kept all of them. In 1999 I started to journal more regularly as some serious things were happening in our lives. I used these diaries to help write my book, A Judge Decided. Since starting those diaries I have continued although I don’t do entries every single day.

 How did yesterday differ from January 1st 2022 or was there no difference?

Let me check my diary.

Well, it seems that I didn’t write anything about 1 January 2022. But there is an entry for 31 December 2021. We all had different plans for the evening. The Earl and I were not going to stay up till midnight and that plan worked out for him. But our youngest, her friend and the friend’s young man who was also staying over with our Plett family, went out to a party, but the young man being of a rather shy disposition came back early and he and I sat up till midnight chatting! It was a most unusual New Year’s eve but very enjoyable. (He was good company one on one – just didn’t like parties!) I have no idea what time the girls got home but it was well after midday when we all met again for our next meal!

This year on New Year’s Day we had a champagne breakfast at our camp, The Homestead’s, restaurant. It was awesome. Our table was decorated, the champagne waiting on ice and a fresh fruit salad ready in a pretty glass. This was followed by a lovely English breakfast and of course some excellent coffee.
The rest of the day we spent swimming in the pool, walking in the shady gardens, reading, and napping. It was a wonderful way to start the New Year.

Gratitude:
A smile is infectious. Spread it around.

I am grateful that The Earl and I are still in good enough health to do the things we do. Each year just seems to get better and better.

A Day visit to Addo Elephant Park

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This morning we awoke at stupid o’clock, had a cup of coffee and set off from The Homestead to Addo Elephant Park. We arrived at quarter to 8, checked in for a day visit, and then went to the restaurant which is a Cattle Baron, for breakfast. For R55 each, ($3.20) the Sunrise was well worth it. You get two eggs, two pieces of bacon, two small rostis, a grilled tomato and two slices of toast with butter and jam. We also had coffee – Americano for me and Cappuccino for the Earl.

A scrumptious breakfast at Addo’s Cattle Baron

While waiting I yawned without putting my hand in front of my mouth in time. While rectifying my rudeness I caught the eye of another tourist! He laughed. I said, “This early rising is not easy!”

He had a Scottish accent and was there with his wife and three kids. Later we met them at a lookout point and I told them the names of the birds. They were in an awesome hired campervan that accommodated all five of them and he let us take a look. It was lovely but I still prefer my Gecko!

It’s not the best visit we’ve had to Addo. The park is recovering from a serious drought and is looking much greener but the animals were scarce and we saw very few birds.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the flora in the park was lovely.

These bushes were in full bloom
Vygies
These wheat-like stalks were all over the park

Here are some photographs of some of the birds that made an appearance. Some of the usual suspects like bokmakieries were missing in action.

Southern masked weaver
Rufous-naped lark?
Yellow-billed duck on a puddle
Red-backed shrike
Egyptian Geese and Cattle Egret at Carol’s Rest
Beautiful in his breeding colours
While a black-winged kite looked on
My favourite waterhole is Marion Baree but only one elephant and this black-headed heron made an appearance.
Oh and these two Egyptian Geese
It looks like the crowned lapwings were having a convention
And were the pied crows planning a murder?

We missed seeing suricates but did see a few yellow mongooses – no pics. Also no jackals.

The zebras were few and far between which is unusual in Addo

Most of the red hartebeest we saw were languishing lazily
Young male kudu – we usually see lots of adult males.
Elephants were all over the park but only in small groups
Even the warthogs were missing in action but this mom and piglets entertained us near the gate

It is the last day of 2022 and although we have been invited to join our hosts and their extended family for a bring and braai we have decided not to. It will be early to bed for us and we will greet the New Year at a more reasonable hour tomorrow!

May you all have a fun-filled, prosperous and happy 2023. Embrace every opportunity that comes your way and remember Life is not made up of the breaths you take but of the moments that take your breath away! Live adventurously!

A Short break-a-way for Gecko 81

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Last Friday we hitched up the Gecko and headed off to Plettenberg Bay to celebrate Christmas with our kids and grandkids. Our daughter and son-in-law generously have an open home at this time of year and now that the children are growing up there are bound to be extras invited along. Having the caravan provides extra accommodation if necessary and also gives us flexibility if we feel the urge to go off somewhere.

The week we spent in Plett was lovely. The house was overflowing with young people which came with all the accompanying joyful noise too. Every day meals for up to thirteen were prepared with the minimum of fuss with everybody giving a helping hand where they could. You might wonder where everybody slept and I’m still not quite sure but the caravan was not required. The house has four bedrooms and a study which had a few mattresses thrown down on the floor. Two daughters shared a room, the earl and I had another, daughter and son-in-law had one that is separate from the house with its own bathroom. We had our own bathroom and there is a family bathroom too. The youngsters sorted themselves out on mattresses and beds wherever they could find a space!

The weather in the Southern Hemisphere is splendid at this time of year and a lot of time was spent on the beach. One of my grandsons signed up for the five-day swim challenge and was on the beach by six o’clock each morning. The boys also hit the gym every day. Oh to have such energy again! You can read about our Christmas celebration in my SYW Post previous to this one.

After a week of trying to keep up with our young relatives and with the threat of more friends arriving to join the fun we decided to escape to a quieter location. We could not get a campsite in Addo Elephant Park at such short notice but we did get a spot at the Homestead just 14km from the main gate. We have camped here before and find it a very pleasant spot.

There are different types of campsites. Some have shelters, some have slabs, and some are grassy. Most have shade. The ablutions are basic but clean and neat. The hosts are very friendly.

Ours is called The Palm
The grassy ones are roomy and easy to park in and there is one with a slab
This one has its own stoep The one in the background has a picnic table

The campsite is leafy and bird-friendly and has little nooks and crannies where you can sit and relax and enjoy the surroundings. There are inspirational signs all over and some are quite amusing.

Yes – well!

There is a play area for kids and also two pools.

A splash pool
Play area and swimming pool

We needed to fill the caravan tanks with water and there was a tap near our camp. It had sprinklers attached to it and when the watering was done we asked if we could attach our hose but were told not to use the water as it was not potable. It came from a dam. But the owner then organised a tap to be installed close by! We were hugely impressed with the two guys who did the job.

Such obliging young men and what an awesome job they did
The Earl filling our water tanks
Then relaxing with a glass of wine
Before getting the braai on the go
Happy wife – Happy life

Share Your World Monday 26 December 2022

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Here are my answers to the last SYW of 2022 from Pensitivity101

It’s Boxing Day for those of us who celebrate Christmas, but hopefully, these questions are suitable for those who have alternative celebrations be it now in December or another time in the year.

1.   If you have been given a variety of gifts, do you have a clear-out of older stuff to make room for it?

I don’t specifically have a clear-out after Christmas but I do try not to keep things I no longer need. I either give stuff away to people less fortunate than I am. The real junk goes into recycling.

2.  Do you overindulge in food for special occasions and then come to regret it with either weight gain, guilt or severe indigestion?

I do indulge a little more than usual on special occasions. Who can resist that special dessert after a delicious Christmas dinner? If I really overdo it I pay with an upset stomach. So I try to just have a tiny bit of the ‘wrong’ food that I indulge in.

This year everybody had a job to do for Christmas Lunch.

Getting ready to prepare Christmas Dinner
Preparing the meal
Josh set the table
Gammon by Lauren, Greek Lamb by Gran, Tzaziki by Laurie, Potato Salad by Lisa, Greek Salad by Shannon
Trifle by Gran

Those who didn’t cook, cleared away and packed the dishwasher!

3.  What is your favourite part of any celebration?

Having the people I love most in the world all together to celebrate. Right now I am with all my children and grandchildren. The grandkids are all over 18 now so I’m not sure for how much longer I am going to be this lucky!

Oldest daughter and Grandsons 1 and 2
Son-in-law, Middle daughter and youngest grandson
Granddaughter and her young man
Youngest daughter and my hubby

4.   Are you looking forward to getting bargains in the January Sales?

No, not really. I am not a bargain hunter. I think I have everything need but if I see something that takes my fancy and it is going cheap I might not be able to resist.

Gratitude:
Every day is a gift and a chance to make memories.

For our family that is what it is all about. I am the family photographer and have a huge collection of PowerPoint Memories. I am grateful that I get to see my family often and that we enjoy doing things together.

This morning the younger members of the family hiked the Robberg. I have done the Robberg a few times but gave it a miss this time as my foot is sore. Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

Me on Robberg Hike in 2019

Lauren, The Earl, and I went to The Old Nic for breakfast and to help Lauren spend her birthday gift vouchers. Lisa and Laurie joined us a little later.

The Old Nic has lovely gardens, a nursery, wine tasting centre and a few speciality shops
Mungos sells African woven fabric and Lauren had vouchers to spend here. She bought a lovely beach towel.
We couldn’t leave without popping into the chocolate shop. I indulged in a chocolate shot – chocolate from a fountain poured into a dark chocolate cup. It was to die for and worth every cent of the R27 I paid for it. We also walked out with a packet of treats – all dark chocolate without sugar – that’s allowed isn’t it? I do believe that chocolate is an essential food group and a little goes a very long way to making me happy.

Share Your World – 5 December 2022

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Here are my answers to this week’s SYW challenge

Do you have a favourite outfit you like to wear?

I had a favourite long-sleeved shirt that I bought at Marks and Spencer in 2013. I would have it still but it actually wore out! It got a tiny hole in the back. I darned it and as the hole became bigger I darned it some more. It tucked into my jeans so you could not see it but very recently it just got too bad to mend. My friend, Stephen saw me tear up my beloved shirt and said, “Hey, I can use that – I need rags in my workshop.” And so my beloved shirt lives on doing menial labour.

I live thirteen thousand kilometres away from the nearest Marks and Spencer but when next I visit the UK I hope to find another shirt like the one I loved so much. Sadly, I can’t find a photo of me in it!

I couldn’t find this photo when I first published but then this turned up!

I also have a favourite dress – also bought in 2013 at a little boutique called East. I have it still and wear it often.

My dress in 2013
Only the wearer has aged – Me in my favourite dress – my grandson, Josh, beside me

What is the worst thing you were forced to wear as a child (school uniforms aside)?

My parents gave me free choice as far as clothing was concerned but I did have to wear a hat to church. I don’t know why, but I hated wearing a hat. I still hate wearing a hat but I did wear one to Harry and Meghan’s wedding.

Okay – so I dressed up to watch the wedding on TV! I had a few friends over for tea too!

Do you have a sweet tooth, and if so, are you a chewer, cruncher, or sucker?

I do have a sweet tooth but not for the kind of sweets/candy/lollies that most children like. I hate chewing gum/bubble gum – so I’m not a chewer. If I do have a boiled sweet then I prefer to suck. Chocolate is my preferred sweet treat and I allow that to melt slowly in my mouth and may have it with black coffee which makes the experience even more enjoyable.

Do you think you could eat your weight in chocolate?

When I was much younger I considered myself to be a chocoholic. I could certainly consume an entire bar all by myself. No, I could not eat my weight in anything in one sitting. Chocolate is still a favourite treat but these days it’s dark chocolate and only one square at a time. I do, sometimes, indulge in the odd chocolate from a box – Lindt! Anything chocolate-flavoured goes down well with me.

Three Thing Challenge M167

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Here is my contribution to today’s TTC from Pensitivity100

This week’s theme is HOLIDAYS
Your three words today are:
VACATION
ABROAD
ROAD TRIP

Being retired is like being on a permanent vacation. We even live in a holiday resort. From Monday to Thursday during the working week, it is a sleepy, quiet and peaceful place to be. Come Friday afternoon, the village becomes quite busy as the weekenders arrive for a break from city life. We try to avoid shopping on weekends as Hubby gets very upset if he can’t get his favourite parking spot outside our local supermarket. During school holidays Struisbaai becomes even busier and the vibe is completely different. But because we have such a lovely, long, white-sandy beach there is plenty of room for everybody. The harbour is also a popular destination with a lovely restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating where one can enjoy a meal, coffee or sundowner and watch the fishermen come in with their catch.

Even though we live in the most beautiful place in the world, we like to get away from time to time. In fact, when we tell our friends and family that we’re off to some far-flung place, they respond, “What, again? Do you never stay at home?”

Yes, again! We have a Gecko Off-road caravan and we love to hitch her up and head off on a Road Trip Sometimes this will be planned and sometimes it will be a spontaneous decision. Our favourite destination is The Kruger National Park and we like to go there at least once a year. The problem is that now that we are getting older, longer trips are becoming stressful. It is almost 2000km away, fuel is expensive and because of the increase of the number of huge trucks using the highways the roads are a nightmare. We take it slowly though, choosing the easiest routes rather than the shortest and making the trip part of the holiday. We won’t drive for more than five hours each day. This year we gave a long road trip a miss because of the huge increase in fuel prices. Camping is inexpensive but when you tow you use twice the amount of fuel than when you don’t. Next year, our long road trip will be to Kgalagadi National Park in the Northern Cape.

The Gecko all set up at Kruger National park

We have not been abroad since 2019 due to COVID restrictions. Now that they are lifted we are dreaming. After doing a month-long cruise from Mauritius to Venice in 2019 I have become very keen to do another cruise. It really is the most relaxing way to travel. Your floating hotel provides you with accommodation, food and entertainment and drops you off to explore a number of places along the way. The only deadline is to get back on board before the ship sails. All things considered, it is also less stressful and less expensive than booking a number of flights, hotels and meals. But still, it is expensive to travel abroad no matter how you do it. Our biggest expense would be the airfares to the starting port and back home again. Right now I’m dreaming of an Australia/New Zealand 30-day cruise. The trick is to think of some novel ways to earn some extra cash. Letting our home while we’re off caravanning is one way! If I can get somebody to rent for a year we could go on a year-long road trip caravanning vacation so we can afford to go abroad.

Costa Victoria berthed in Seychelles

Three Things Challenge #M163

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For the first time, I am responding to The Three Things Challenge from Pensitivity101

Each week there is a theme – this week’s theme is Time. Today’s words are Life, Birth, and Occasion. We are challenged to use any one or all of the words in any way we like.

The birth of my child was the most amazing occasion of my life. No, I did not enjoy the actual birth nor did I glow during pregnancy. Some women love being pregnant, I did not. Most say they forget the pangs of labour. I did not enjoy morning sickness, back pain, exhaustion and discomfort. Labour was the worst pain I have ever experienced and I have not forgotten it. I swore that I would not go through that ever again in my life and I’ve kept that promise!
But when my baby was put into my arms, I fell instantly in love and went on a high that I have yet to come down from. She was the best thing that ever happened to me. She was just perfect and although plenty happened in my life after that none of it spoiled my relationship with my child. I know many mothers struggle to bond with their babies, suffer post-natal depression, anxiety and feelings of inadequacy and while I can’t say things went swimmingly, nothing could take away that love and connection I had and still have with my daughter.

I did not have any more children of my own. My child was two years old when my marriage broke up and almost three when I met my husband. He was widowed with two daughters aged 11 and 12. These two girls brought joy to my life too and we have certainly grown closer over the years. Because I adored my own child so much I didn’t think it would be the same with her step-sisters. So I was surprised when I became like a she-tiger if anybody messed with them! The mother/baby bond was not quite the same but boy did I care!

When our eldest daughter divorced she brought her two babies to live with us and they and our youngest lived together till the boys left school. This meant we were involved with each other completely. They are all in their own homes now and we live 200km away in the house that was once our holiday home.

What a rewarding family life we have had. When we were not helping the eldest raise her two, we were dashing off to visit her sister and our other two grandkids 1400km away. No, we could not do without being completely involved in their lives.

Our grandchildren are all grown-up now. Our daughters are still precious to us. They all live busy lives but we make time for each other without being controlling. I don’t call my kids every day and I don’t expect them to constantly check up on me. I want them to live busy, exciting, fun-filled lives without worrying about their parents/grandparents. Heck, we’re still having our own fun and beware if they tell us we’re beyond it and need to settle down now.

Christmas is our next big occasion. All ten of us plus one or two extras will be together again for a few weeks. Believe me, we will be bonding and having lots of fun!