Pre-Christmas December update

Sinterklaas 2011

Sam, Geoff, Claire

We had our annual visit from Sinterklaas and his helpers on the first weekend of December.  As in previous years, young Sam (now 5) and his parents, Vikki and Peter joined us. Sam is a True Believer. He tried hard to sing the songs because he understands that this is how Sinterklaas knows which house to visit as he rides past on his white horse, Schimmel. Sam couldn't wait for the moment when Sinterklaas would come and throw sweets and candy everywhere - right up until the moment Sinterklaas knocked on the front door, at which point young Sam leaped from his mother's side and dove under the legs of the people sitting on the couch!

Pieter opens his gift

Mark and Judith

For the same event we also had a visit from an old family friend, Pieter Grootes. Piet, Mark and Sean were in cubs and scouts together, so that goes back a few years. We really enjoyed having Pieter visit us and bring us up to date with all the goings-on oorsee in Madibaland, or should that now be Zumaland?  For his part, Piet seemed to enjoy getting the warm, leather gloves that Sinterklaas brought him after he helped us sing the Sinterklaas liedjes so nicely.

Claire encounters Santa Claus

Claire and Santa Claus

The day before that, Miriam took Claire to get her picture taken with a certain Santa Claus - all very confusing. No wonder Claire regarded this guy with a great deal of suspicion. This picture shows the very closest she was prepared to get to him.

December Birthdays - Jonty Turns One

Jonty getting ready for Sinsterklaas

The following weekend we all trooped out to Peterborough to celebrate three birthdays: Heather (Stephen's fiancée), Mark Dankowych (Judith's boyfriend), and Jonty - his First Birthday!  Yep, it's been a whole year since Jonathan Tiago arrived three week early - and all that went with that.  If and when his dad shares some pictures with us I will put them up on the blog. Meanwhile, have a look at the December page of their Christmas letter - shared on my last blog entry.

30 Bottles of Wine

Ingrid and I decided to give each other a Christmas gift of 30 bottles of Cheeky Monkey Pinot Noir assisted by a local wine making shop. We bottled, corked and labelled them two weeks ago. One night last week Mark was here for supper and he prevailed on us to open one and then had the audacity to tell us it was "obviously" still quite young !

Aunty Bessie and Telkom

Penny, Dick and Joan with Aunty Bessie

Last Saturday we phoned Aunty Bessie in South Africa and found her quite upset - which is most unusual for someone who is normally sparkling and full of laughter - even at the age of 95. She had been having phone problems for nearly two weeks and from the noise and other dialling tones on the line as we spoke she was clearly still having phone problems. Judith had tried phoning a few days before and Aunty Bessie could hardly hear a thing and told Judith to try again another day. Her neighbour phoned the telephone service (presumably Telkom) and was told it would cost R200.00 to send a technician and another R200.00 for a phone replacement! What? Hello? He was told to forget it and Aunty Bessie burst into tears. She is blind to all practical purposes and the telephone is her only communication with the outside world if her neighbours aren't around - which will be the case over Christmas. Thankfully, a friend of a friend has invited Aunty Bessie to have Christmas dinner with them so she will get to go out on Christmas Day.

Aunty Bessie

Here is one of the best recent photos of Aunty Bessie that I have seen, and another of Aunty Bessie with her wonderful neighbours who show her such love and caring friendship: Penny, Dick and Joan. Photos courtesy of Ken, Penny's son.

On Holiday

My good news is that I am officially on vacation as from this afternoon. Judith is already home from Chiropractic College. Ingrid starts her holidays on Thursday. I'm already in the holiday mood.

O come, Emmanuel

Happy Chanukah

The Moomba Song - Lyrics

By popular demand Kwa-McCann brings you the lyrics of "The Moomba Song" as sung by the McCann Family Singers at Luisa and Mark's wedding reception.

Words by Ingrid "Moed" McCann

To the tune of Zulu Warrior

Moomba Song

Mark found his Moomba, Moomba, Moomba

Mark found his Moomba, Moomba Love. 2x

Hold your course you mighty captain,

Straight and fast you mighty chief, chief, chief, chief.

Here comes his Moomba, Moomba, Moomba

Here comes his Moomba, Moomba love. 2x

Then Mark met lovely Luisa,

Mark has found his wedding match, match, match, match.

Ayikhona Moomba, Moomba, Moomba

Ayikhona Moomba, Moomba love. 2x

One bright day, Luisa’s family,

Came to visit very brief, brief, brief.

Mark went boating with his Moomba,

Luisa’s heart was filled with grief, grief, grief, grief.

Mark chose his Moomba, Moomba, Moomba

Mark chose his Moomba over me.

Mark loves his Moomba, Moomba, Moomba

Mark loves his Moomba more than me.

Mark decided to do something,

He proposed for them to wed, wed, wed.

One romantic Saturday morning.

With rose petals in her bed, bed, bed, bed.

So…. Here comes the bride,

All dressed in white…

Slipped on a banana peel

And went for a ride.

Movember: MoCann Terriers Poetry Competiton

Please do go to our official Movember Log and click on Comment next to any photo of your choice. Enter your name and email address, and in the comment field put in a rhyme of two lines or more. It could be as simple as: Poor old Terry's mo, the damn thing just won't grow.

You don't have to be a sponsor/donor - anyone can enter. The only rules are:
Leave a comment in verse. Please do not curse.
I will publish a good rhyme in good time.

I will take counsel on which rhymes are considered the "best" and the winners will get public acclamation on our Movember Log as well as on this blog.