Christmas 2008

Christmas News from Di & Ian at the Sation House

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful, happy, healthy and prosperous 2009, wherever you are.

It is hard to believe that is again that time of year to catch up with old friends and to reminisce over the past year’s activities before yet another year comes around. The year started off well with us hosting friends and family at a sundowner party on our expanded patio early in January. What a pleasure to be able to entertain in our renovated home! The sad part was that it was also a farewell ” in January to Di’s sister Hilary who returned to Sydney as well as yet more friends from Johannesburg leaving SA - this time ”packed for Perth”.

Late in January, we drove down to Umhloti, on the coast north of Durban, to collect our new Ridgeback puppy. She was then 2 months old. What a gorgeous pup she was – brown with wheaten beige markings and a lovely black muzzle. Tessa started playing happily with Cindy, who was very wary of this little terror. It was not long though before they became firm friends. Cindy has always stayed around the house so it was natural that Tessa followed suit. They love being taken for walks, but when we go out, they stay home and wait on the patio for our return!! Tessa is now a big girl of a year, weighing over 40kgs which means she dominates Cindy who is somewhat sleeker. But our cat Zazu has never been happy when Tessa tries to play with him! Tessa still sleeps in the bathroom at night which gives Cindy peace and quiet in her “laundry bedroom”. Tessa’s favourite activities are playing with whoever’s dogs are around, wading and swimming in the dam as well as chasing buck and scrub hares. Other loves include eating and sleeping!

Di and her mother Chris “deserted” Ian for a month to go to Sydney to visit Hilary. A three night break en route in Dubai on the way was great – each day had something different to experience - apart from the shopping of course. The first day was spent on a city tour learning so much of the history of Dubai which is such a young but vibrant and fast developing city. The next afternoon was spent driving out to the desert. Chris had to sign an indemnity form as no-one over 65 is supposed to go on these trips. The dune bashing, camel riding (see the photo as proof!), dinner in a Bedouin tent, with a belly dancing show thrown in too, under the stars, was just magic. The henna painted hands were still very much evident for the first few days in Sydney.

Luckily Di got to “cat sit” a beautiful white Persian in a unit below Hilary’s 2 bedroom unit for the whole 4 weeks. It worked out well for all concerned – especially Bianco who did not have to go into a kennel!

Sydney was wonderful especially for Di who got to spend quite a lot of time with some “old” friends – all who worked together for a long time at Premier Foods. Those were the best of days!! She had not seen them for varying lengths of time – from 12 to 18 years. No-one looked any older but how everyone’s lives have changed over the years.

Our winter was surprisingly mild this year with the grass remaining green until August when it finally turned brown. This caused problems with the mandatory burning of fire breaks and the long grass since it was not dry enough. This should have been done by mid July. But we will not be complaining if the temperature is more temperate again next year!! The road to our house finally got repaired which is wonderful. Our garden is still undergoing reconstruction – it is an ongoing project. There are now more evergreen shrubs and conifers planted which bodes well for the coming winter. The roses are growing well this year - the balls of Di’s hair that have been tied onto each rose bush have kept the buck away! It is a “strange but true” method – and an easier solution than spraying them daily with lion’s pee!!

Twice this year, Ian took a few days break to go to Bivane Dam with the Johannesburg fishing club in April and then again in October with 5 fishing friends. He enjoys getting away for a few days with the guys. We drove up to Johannesburg with Ian’s mother Ena to see his daughter Fiona’s new townhouse and to celebrate her 26th birthday over that same weekend. How the city has expanded. It has got busier, more crowded and there is development everywhere - hard to believe that we had only left 2 years before. We enjoyed the 3 nights with family and friends but were pleased to be home in peaceful, rural Mooi River again!

The biggest surprise this year was the beautiful snow in late September. It fell solidly throughout day. Being a Saturday, we had guests in the cottage who were delighted as it was one of their daughter’s birthdays – it is one she will remember for quite some time. The percentage rate of occupation for our cottage has continued to increase – and long may that last. Ian spent quite a bit of time doing some much needed maintenance work on both the inside and the outside. We upgraded some pieces of furniture and some furnishings as well. Numerous guests are return visitors which is very gratifying. It is a pleasure and privilege to have guests who love the relaxed atmosphere and stunning surroundings.

This year we again entered the local fishing competition but we took home no prizes. Maybe it was a good thing, considering the results of the past 2 years. Ian managed to catch a 1kg fish but Di nothing. The wind was strong on a partly cloudy day. Ian had battled to catch fish over the previous weeks so it was not surprising that less than 30 fish were caught by the 120 odd anglers. Tessa decided to swim out to the boat to help! The fishing has been variable all year. At the end of last season fish were very active feeding up before winter. Ian could catch up to 10 1 - 1.5kg fish in a couple of hours. Water Affairs pumped lots of water to Midmar Dam downstream (ultimately a source for Durban), during winter so the spawn in spring wasn’t that great. Since then it has gradually got worse. With lots of rain lately, the dam is nearly full albeit a bit muddy.

There has still not been a record bass caught. The biggest caught this season? 2.5kg.
We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this month. Hilary has arrived for Christmas from Sydney. We drove to Durban to fetch her; the first time there since moving here. We plan a more relaxed visit for her this year, more restful than her last few months at home. So if you are going to be in KZN, please let us know. We would love to spend time with you in our own little piece of SA paradise.

Ian and Diana Cawley Email: stationhouse at yebo.co.za
Tel/Fax: +27 (33) 263-2501 Web: www.wheretostay.co.za/stationhouse
Address: Station House, Off R103, between Rosetta and Mooi River, KwaZulu Natal Postal: P O Box 179, Rosetta, 3301, South Africa

Merry Christmas from the Rowes

To all our friends and family, we would like to wish you a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2009.

It's amazing how another year has crept past so quickly, yet so much has happened, this has been both a trying year and indeed a very successful year for us, we have lost dear friends but have made some new ones.

The year did not get off to a very bright one, and in February my new boss who never really liked me offered me a voluntary redundancy, anyway to cut a very long story short I was absolutely devastated, although I should have seen it coming as every other person who had worked with me before he arrived, had left either by him convincing them that there was no position in the company for them or by just not renewing their contract.

It was absolutely amazing how my friends rallied around me offering me sound advice, and just being there for me. People who have been around for the past 7 years, I got really ill as well and got the worst bout of bronchitis since I gave up smoking 3 years ago. Anyway after loads of discussions with the Director I left the company at the end of June.

In March we went over to the UK on the ferry, decided to spend a week and see old friends, we saw Eric and Margaret who I had met in Australia in 1998 and had not seen them for 10 years, I had been promising them I would visit, Eric who was 82 had been diagnosed with Emphysema and actually passed away a few months later, so it was all part of the big plan for us to see him before he passed on. We also stayed with Guy & Wendy and had snow, since then they have parted company after 10 years but are still good friends. We saw the city of Bath which was amazing, and saw my half sister who is now 88 and her family in Manchester.

In April we went to the Isle of Man, which was very different.

Then in May by sister Irene came over for a holiday, it was a bit of a stressful time for me as I was on Garden leave, trying to pack up house and just in general unsure of what was going to happen to us. However I managed to spend some time with her and we got to see a few places, she also flew over to Manchester and Edinburgh.

Before Irene arrived we had to find a house to buy as there was no way that the bank would give us a mortgage for what we wanted if I was not working, we looked at loads of places and some I was keen on and Derrick wasn't and vice verso. Eventually some time in April we came across the house we are in now, I can't say we fell madly in love with it, but we decided it was the most practical and nicest house we had seen, and best of all it had lovely views of the Dublin / wicklow mountains from the back and was not over looked. So the process began and we got the keys for the house on the beginning of July. Emily was at summer camp for 2 weeks so I could get all the cleaning done and we could move over slowly.

My adoptive mother Irene S. came over in July and gave us a helping hand with the move, we had the worst summer in Ireland as it rained practically every day, and trying to move with the rain is just a bit of a nightmare. Irene was such a help as we had furniture delivered and when I could not be in two places at one time she was there to help out. We finally had the place looking like home and moved in. Irene went off to do some more travelling and a week later D's folks arrived from SA.

We had booked to go to Croatia in January that year, not knowing what was going to be ahead of us, and the tickets & accommodation were paid for so there was no way we were not going to have the holiday, besides by the time the holiday came around I really deserved it and was looking forward to 2 solid weeks of Sunshine, away from the miserable Irish weather, which we got!

We were in Croatia for 2 weeks from the beginning of August and we all loved it, the accommodation was perfect we were across the road from the beach and could go down anytime and swim. We did loads of sight seeing and decided it is on the list of places to go back to.

We were barely back in Ireland when D's folks left to go back to SA, and 2 weeks later Emily started her first day of school. D's folks were a huge help to us and his mom sewed on practically every label on Emily's school uniform.

While we were away on holiday in Croatia, I got a call from a company who wanted me to come and work for them on a contract basis, however they wanted me to have my own company as that way they would not have to get the approval of a headcount from their global head office. So I looked into starting my own company and got all the paper work together and got that off, so that is how Rowe Consultants was born, I decided on the name, so that if D decided at a later stage he wanted to consult he would not have to open his own company but could just work for me ;-) !!!

I put together my first business proposal ever and sent it into the company and it was accepted, so I started working there the middle of September, the great thing is I get to set my own hours (most of the time), so I work from 8 - 1 or 1:30 and then pick up Emily from school and take her home, it all works out well, at the moment anyhow.


The last couple of months have been pretty hectic, with work, school, etc.


Emily is doing very well at school and her teacher is surprised at her ability to learn Irish as neither D nor I speak Irish, she is apparently very good. I think or should I say I hope that she has a flare for languages as she has already learned a bit of Spanish from "Dora the explorer" and can count to 8 in Spanish. I do hope she decides to either to Spanish or French at school.

Her swimming is also coming along really well and the teacher said she may be able to take off the arm bands after Christmas. She participated in her class concert that we went to see, and yesterday at the Christmas Church service at St. Bartholomew's Church in Ballsbridge, she came in holding a candle. Hopefully next year she will be part of the choir as she has such a wonderful voice.


We went to quite a few concerts this year, Def Leppard in Belfast which was amazing! Derrick saw a few of his and then we saw, Swan Lake at the Gaiety and the South African production of the Magic Flute which too was absolutely brilliant. We saw Bruce Springsteen at the RDS what a man!



The best was however Amy's Angel at the Olympia in which Emily took part both as a ballerina and singing. Emily is really talented and loves the Drama, singing and also enjoys painting and drawing.



On Sunday we are going to see the pantomime Cinderella and that will be the concerts for this year, however we already have a few tickets lined up for next year as well as a trip to London on the 14th of February, to meet up with Gwen on the 17th who is coming over for a few days. So folks I have probably left out a whole lot of stuff that we did this year but I am sure that this is the just of it.


Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and looking forward to catching up with you all. May 2009 be happy, healthy and prosperous for us all!


Lots of LoveRED


xoxoxox

Merry Christmas from Dave

We're enjoying a white Christmas here in the Pacific Northwest. Aimee's mom and dad's house has been inundated with about 6-8 inches of snow so it looks like a real winter wonderland here.

Have a great 2009!

With love,Dave, Aimee, and Alexa