Letters to my Grandchild

Hello my darling, Another year is coming to an end, and what a year it has been. You passed grade 6 with being home for 3 terms with mom doing homeschool. You actually did really well. You have been back to school for the last term and you are much happier to be with your friends again.  On the 10 of December you had your second 'booster' Covid Vaccination.  'Ouch' Then a HUGE fright!  Alex, Sharon, Greg, Dennis, Rita, Gumpie and I all had covid in the middle of December!!   Fortunately we have all been double vaccinated so didn't have it badly.  I think Rita was most affected and Gumpie the least affected.  I was wpman-down for a night and day when I shivered, sweated, coughed and slept for 24 hours.  After that I felt better but we have all had lingering fatigue and find it challenging to do any chores for any length of time. We moved Christmas to your house to have it outside and Dennis and Rita couldn't come beacuse they were still positive. A...

Hello my darling, In the middle of exams you cracked a finger.  You had it Xrayed and you can see the fracture. You were able to use a scribe for your last test. Your Dad had many cracked fingers, toes, ribs, and other small bones.  We never counted them, pnly the long bone fractures.  Somethimes I wish that there had been a pamidronate treatment for him when he was a baby.  I'm sure he would've been just as active as you and would have had far less fractures.  But, there was nothing like that in the 1970s qand we are just grateful that you have been saved from being really fragile. You went to watch Cristina at her horse riding We decided to put solar lights on our path and also on our tree in the front.  They look very pretty!

 This will be the final post for Book Three in "Letters to my Grandchild". Book One covered 2008 - 2015 your first 7 years, and Book Two ended in September 2018. This book covers  3 years from October 2018 when you turned 10 years old to October 2021 when you became a teenager One day, if you decide to write about your life as a story, these 'Letters' should provide you with a good historical resource for your early years. You always liked to dance Em, even before you could walk - a testament to your bravery and tenacity.  You joined a dance class, learned tap, hip hop and other dance routines and spent hours dancing to the routines of YouTube and TikTok dancers like JoJo and others. Keep dancing Em!

Hi Em, There hasn't been a case of Covid at your school for 3 weeks so, for the first time since March last year,  you have started going to school for a couple of hours in the mornings.   This is a photo of you at school getting your certificates. Back row Dean Hart , Bradley Miller and Luca  Christodoulou Front row you  and Eesha Ramrall  Granny Laura came to stay with you for a few months. HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Miss Teenager!  Its hard to believe that you only came into our lives when I was over 60.  But, you have enriched our lives a million % darling Em. You had a small birthday party, just for family on the 16th October.    On the 22nd you went to Fabrica - your first 'teen agers' outing. Tessa ,Eva and you Finally you could have your Pfizer vaccination!   AJ and Ruby Sharon and AJ at Granny and Gumpie's house This is a special photo.  5 generations of Norwegians in Otto Aadnesgaard's captain's chair.   Ott...

We went to iMfolozi for 4 days during the September holidays.  It was lovely to be back in the bush. Granny Laura picked up a tortoise on the road and moved it out of harms way. Soon after we got back there was news about the Pfizer vaccine being approved for minors,12 to 18 year-olds, in South Africa.   There is a good chance that after you've had the vaccination you might go back to school full time.  That would be good for you Em.  You haven't been able to see or be with your friends for 18 months, since March last year.  In a couple of weeks time you'll be a T-t-t-t-t-t-...... teenager 😱 ... a scary thought!  Also, once you have been vaccinated, we might all be able to get together again as a family.  Covid really kept people away from each other but now we might be able to carry on with our 'new-normal' live     These photos were taken at Greg and Sharon's house.  Sharon still drops Alex off at your house every second week and...

 You are a young lady! Yes you are Em.  You are nearly as tall as me.  I think you are cleverer than me!  You certainly know more about cell phones, apps and other technology than I do! Ruby survived being on heat for the first time.  She will be a year old next month but she is still just a puppy.   She enjoys coming to our place and we always try to play with her, throwing the ball or pulling a hairband.  If you put the hairband on your wrist she takes it off very gently.  She's a lovely little soul. It was my birthday on the 6th August and you made me a divine chocolate cake with caramel popcorn on top!   You are a good baker and you made a lovely loaf of bread in the Meller bread-maker I bought for your Mom.    Your Mom found that Alex likes to sit in the pram like a play pen.   It won't be long before he tries to climb out of the pram though! When I see you two lying on the ground together like this, I ...