GIDDY FAMILY DECEMBER 2005.

Christmas and New Year December 2005.

Over the past few months we have had visits from Nicci and her two children, Christian (2) and Aaron 18mts. Christian is starting to talk and Aaron is just full of action. They spent about a month with us before going to Cape Town where they met up with Stefan. At this stage Stefan is very busy at work and struggled to take the time off to come from London. It seems that, if all works out according to plan, that they will move back to RSA next year. During the time that Nicci spent with us she took Christian to Doctors and therapists who have diagnosed him with low muscle tone. He walks awkwardly but has excellent coordination, which indicates that he has learnt to cope with the muscle tone problem. We also discovered that he has flat feet, which adds to his discomfort. Nicci will have to work with therapists in London when she returns.

Nicci is expecting her third child in February 2006. We understand that it is a girl and that she is to be named Zara. (Ironically the South African Rand is know as the ZAR). Nicci was able to visit Ena in Plett with the two boys. Ena gave then T-shirts with animal motifs. Ena sees very poorly at this stage and this helped her to identify the children. We spent some time on the beach with them.

Shortly after Nicci left for Cape Town, Jacqui spent a few weeks visiting us from her home in London. Her husband Michael was also visiting his home in Israel at the time. Jacqui is also expecting her first child in March 2006 and has had a very difficult pregnancy with being sick constantly. We were worried that she would be too thin but she seems to have maintained her weight. Jacqui’s child to be is also a girl and her planned name is Emily. Barbara plans to visit London during April of 2006 while Ally & I will be on the Orange River. During Jacqui’s stay with us Barbara and her drove through to Cape Town where they met up with Nicci and had their baby party at the Stoneys. She also managed a trip to Plett to visit Ena who turns 90 in 2006.

Then Jacqui had hardly left when Cathy, who is presently staying in CT came to visit us for the Christmas weekend. That was quite and interesting event as she was due to come through with an ex boy friend but this chap let her down again and so she came through by bus. Cathy has spent the past three months working in a travel agency called Flight Center. It seems that she is making a success of this.

During December we attended the “opening of the season” which is something that we have been doing for many years since Nicci was a baby. We would walk down Happy Valley with 4 children in one push car pram with our eats and beers slung onto the back. This year we went to the Boardwalk at about 18.00 and sat down at the Dulce Café (as we had done last year) where we ordered a light meal. And, Just like last year Malcolm and Jasmine came past and we sat with them for a while. We also greeted Wayne, Sonja, Jean and Boston as they too were on their way to enjoy the festivities. Malcolm has just completed his Ph.D. And Wayne has a successful career at Fruit and Veg City where he is presently the manager at the Uitenhage branch.

After our meal and chatting we walked down to Hobie beach where we played games on the sand with Michael and his family joining us. Michael has also started a new career at Furn City (a division of Ellerines) where he is an assistant manager. Michael seems to be making a success of this new position and works very hard at what he does. He has been employed off and on by the Ten Pin for some years but now hardly visits that institution. Lene ends her maternity leave and will be back at work from early January. It seems that Barbara will continue to assist with looking after their children as she starts her Play School for in the middle of January 2006. Suzanne will be a partner in this venture.

The firework display started late as it always does but was magnificent as we lay on the beach that perfect evening and enjoyed the spectacle. There was a stage and band that was a bit intrusive but they certainly catered for many of the people there. We left immediately afterwards to get back to the car as soon as possible. Michael was a little slower and suffered the consequences. We managed to leave the parking area within about 30 minutes but Mike was still parked there an hour later when we got home. The traffic was backed up in all directions.

Christmas Eve was a fairly low-key affair with the small family of Cathy, Michael and family and the three of us. But we had a lovely meal together and made the best of what we had. While we were enjoying a balmy South African summer, Nicci and Jacqui had taken their famil9ies to the South of England to Devon and Cornwall where they were spending their Christmas this year. On Christmas morning Ally and Cathy had compared Christmas Stockings. Ally gloated, as her stocking was a very long and full stocking. Cathy was not able to find her own stocking and so had used Jacqui’s. We attended the 9am service where I had been asked to read a passage from Matthew. As we got to church early we were approached by Robin: the plan had changed and I had to read a complicated passage from Romans. Barbara & I lit the 5th advent candle.

After that it was back home to the traditional opening of presents which Barbara had piled up under the tree. Again it was our small group and the two younger ones, Ally and Jessica, received the lions share of attention. They were both the recipients of roller skating toy dolls. Barbara gave me a set of folding camp chairs. Cathy & I had bought her a Cranium game set. We managed to give both Cathy and Michael a few useful gifts.

At work I had had a very good sales Month for December and was number one region for that month. Our January month was by now also well under way and we seemed to be having an equally good month. At JDG we have what is called the 100-day period November to January. This is a crucial time of year because if we make it over this time we should be able to carry through to the end of the financial year in September. The company is quite generous and there is a possibility that I could earn a substantial bonus. This is, however dependant on the chain making the set target.

On Boxing Day morning Cathy left for CT and we drove thorough to Plett where my two brothers, Ian & Jenny plus Ian’s children, Julia (17) and Laura (15) were holidaying. Patrick and Patti with Dominic 17 and doing his Matric year in 2006, then Isabel who is now about 15 and lastly St John who is a really sturdy looking young man at 8 years old. I think that Ally is a week or two his senior. The younger set seemed to have a great time bonding after the Tsitsikamma hike where they had got to know each other well.

Ena had put us in the back flat for the night but this room had cockroaches and we could not sleep there. So instead Dominic gave us his room and he slept on the couch. Ena insisted on sleeping on the stoep on the couch. This evening we played cranium with all the family. We had half planned for a long walk the next day but is was not easy to get everyone going so ended up with an early morning walk on the beach where we met up with Peter and Anna Spence with their two children. Alexander is a two-year-old shy chap; the baby is a lovely child of about 8 months. After breakfast we did some shopping for cleansing stuff and did a bit of a roach spray in the kitchen and spare room. We decided to have a second spell of beaching before we headed home. Ian loves to play with Ally in particular on the body board. He had purchased one that morning after a bit of drama of firstly not having enough money and then trying to pay in Swiss Francs. The water was perfect for swimming at the Lookout beach.

Barbara and I managed to fit in a visit to the Spence's where Nicci, Mark and their three boys Chester, Daniel and Reggie were staying for the holiday. Alice spent some time with Barbara catching up with family news, which in our case is very difficult with the size of the family and the way it is spread out. On Boxing Day evening in Plett there was a concert at the Craggs (Kurland Polo). This show was reported by everyone who was there, to be a stunning evening. I am sure that we should make the trip next year if it is again on show. It was a classical evening which all age groups enjoyed and very reasonably priced at R100 per car plus a bag of goodies given to each visitor. Tim and his family were also there.

While we were in Plett we heard the tragic news that Barbara’s former boss from Blasting & Excavating; Basil Bartlett had drowned while swimming at Haga Haga on the East Coast. The funeral was held the following Friday in Port Elizabeth.

The next week was for me very busy at work. Barbara and I seemed to have caught ourselves a cold and were feeling in poor spirits. I tried to continue with running but felt low. Tim had been working in Stutterheim and had a bike accident where he buckled the front wheel. On the morning of the 31st I was running to the beacon and back when I heard my name being called. Suzanne had gone to the beach for a walk and an all night reveler had backed into her stationary car. It seems that the Gendalls were not going to have a lucky end to the year. On the run I also met up with a friend of Jacqui and Michael called Nicole. She had been at their wedding and I had seen her a number of time running but knew that she had moved to Ireland. It seems that Nicole was on holiday in PE and was still practising psychology in Ireland. I asked her to let me have her contact details so that I can forward them to Jacqui.

We had planned a New Year’s eve braai at our house and so on Saturday evening we fixed up a few things and got ready for the evening. Barbara made her traditional and delicious potato bake. I went shopping and without really telling Barbara what I had planned & bought a whole lot of goodies. That evening we went to a 18.00 church service, which was sparsely attended, but for us just set the tone for the evening. The weather had been a bit of a worry but it turned out to be a stunning evening and we were all able to sit outside.

Once we were back home we put the fire (Weber) on in the front on the stoep and settled down to wait for our visitors. Tim, Suzanne and Emma, Ron and Lynne and Stuart and Rianna. Michael & Family was also due to be there but was not able to make it. This evening I did something that could well become a pattern for the following years. I singled out each person, starting with Little Jessica and gave them awards for the person that they are as well as for any achievements that I was aware of. This seemed to go down well with everyone. Once I had had a little say then I opened up for others to say something positive. Barbara & I had noticed how easily tensions run high at this time of year as expectations from each other can be over estimated and so saying and hearing something positive seemed to have a great effect on the success of the evening.

Later we again played our new Cranium game. Even Ally and Jessica were there to welcome the New Year at Midnight. I was up early this morning and did some cleaning up and getting ready for church at 09.00. I was sorry to read Nicci’s email that their evening had not been that much fun as little Aaron was not well with Conjunctivitis. Patrick phoned me from Plett to say that they had spent the evening on the beach in Plett watching the Fireworks. Ian and Family had left for the US on Sunday morning. Peter Spence had driven to Cape Town and then realised that he had forgotten his tickets and passports. So Patrick had to drive to George to hand them to the courier company which had to drive them down to CT.

Barbara took full advantage of the holiday and slept till well after 9am on the first day of the new year. So we took a drive down to the beach at 10 where we spent an hour swimming. I was proud of Ally as she and I swam to the outer buoys twice. She was nervous but overcame the fear and did the swim. Later in the day Michael came to collect Jessica and for a visit and again we played our Cranium game.

The following morning was a Monday and also a public holiday so we started our run a little later at 05.30. We decided to run to Sunridge park for a change and time joined us but as he was not feeling well cut short. The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home. Barbara met Suzanne for coffee and purchased a new set of garden clippers. We have recently employed a new gardener Makulu which means big. He is a particularly tall man. Barbara had him cutting and cleaning the yard. Later in the day I met Tim and we all went down to Summerstrand where we had a good long surf swim. Ally again swam past the breakers just to where she reached a level of discomfort. She is gaining in confidence on the water every time we go out. On our way home Tim spoke about the Summerstrand Spar and this has stimulated Barbara to do some investigation into going into business for ourselves.

The next day (Tuesday 3 Jan2006) it was back to work for me. It was also back to disciplined running routine. In the evening I again took Ally to the beach where we did our swim past the buoys, she was nervous but hung in and did the whole swim. Later in the evening we went to Kerry & Rhoda to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.

Peter Giddy
4 January 2006.

Ps. The word Practise is used in South Africa to describe the activity of a professional person such as a Doctor or Lawyer. That is why I spell the word this way even though my spell check tells me I have it wrong.

Peter Giddy
2 January 2006.