AND THEN ALONG CAME NATHAN

My 7th grandchild and 2nd grandson came into the world at 3pm on Tuesday 15th June, 2010, weighing 3,5kgs, with a yell measuring 10 on the richter scale. (what a beautiful sound it was) I know this because Kerry, my second daughter and one of Nathan's aunts was ready and waiting to take photos (see above) and record the yells within 15 minutes of his birth with her phone! She played it for me over the phone I LOVE technology! He gave his mother a very long and hard run for her money, poor girl, nothing was as she had planned it and he was born by c section after 36 hours of labour. You in a hurry to do that again Louiza?! However, we have a good God and we have been so designed as mothers to quickly forget the bad and instantly love the little bundles that we are blessed with. Brian, my son and Nathan's dad could not take his eyes off him and I will always remember the pride in his voice when all he could say to me on the phone was "he's beautiful mom!"

Kerry was with them for both days and Brian was very grateful as he really needed the support when Louisa cried in pain and he was powerless to do anything about it.

They took him away and cleaned him up, and is he not gorgeous?

I scratched through my many many photos and found these of Nathan's dad. He was 3 days old in the top one. The second one is proud dad celebrating with his gran at 3am. You look great for 3am mom, I just love this picture!

Before Brian was born, I remember telling my gynae that I wanted an epidural. I wanted no part of an a la naturale birth. "No" came the reply, "this is your 4th so you should be an old hand at this." "I know" I said "that is exactly why I want an epidural! Didn't get it, I was cured, he was the last especially when I discovered that babies of the 80's did not come with volume controls and on/off buttons!

And the last picture? After work one day with food to prepare for the rest of the family, (this was the best part of have a late lamb) there was always someone who wanted to get to know him. In this case he is getting to know dad.

Brian and Louiza, may Nathan bring you many years of joy, it is humbling to know that this special child was given to you to take care of in every way, it is the most important job you will ever have.

It is awesome.

FATHERS DAY Hmmmmmmm....

Fathers day. There are 3 men who come to my mind.

I am 58 and am the owner of no less than 3 fathers. But I want you to see them as I do.

The first, which would be my PATERNAL father and not photogrphed here, was mostly an "idea" to my young mind. In fact he was an atrocious womanising man who had no qualms when it came to signing me away when I was 3 years old, once he discovered he would not have to pay my mom child support if I was someone else's kid. I met him once when I became an adult and felt no bond whatsoever with this man or my half brothers and sister. In fact, I decided my mom had been lucky to dodge THAT bullet. I had always wanted to satisfy myself though as to where some of my attributes had come from.

My mom married the man who was to become my ADOPTIVE father, and he is photographed above, younger than he is now! He is with my son Brian when he was a toddler. This man never treated me any different to the 2 daughters he and my mom had' 5 and 7 years after me. Not that I noticed anyway. He always seemed fair and I was secure. Thats a medal right there! I say this as I was really not an easy child to raise, and was way ahead of my time in imagination and doing that which was wrong and frowned upon. It guaranteed me a place in the minds of the residents of Thornhill's Airforce Married Quaters in Gwelo, Rhodesia for decades after I grew up (I kid you not).

He cared when I got low grades, brought home undesirable boyfriends, our constants fights about fashion "should it be below the knee or or below the pants", my plastered on make up and long fringe - it was the sixties after all - magical time for me that was.

He also gave me away on my wedding day to the man I was with for more than 30 years.

As happens in life, my mom and dad had problems of their own which manifested over time, and my mom married again, by this time I had 2 of my 4 children.

Above you will see my STEPFATHER with my mom. He was the one who became the grandfather to my 4 children and my sisters 2 children, and, how lucky can a man get, the greatgrandfather to my 7 grandchildren. He passed with flying colours! My children adore him and especially Tessni, JP, and Shanni (who call him grandpa too!) see them often as they live near one another. He has made them wooden puzzles which fascinate them, apart from having made desks and other things for my children before them.

I have known him almost as long as I knew my adoptive father as he too was in the Rhodesian Air Force and lived over the road from us at Thornhill's Married Quarters.

Now, fathers's day is upon us again, and it is time for me to reflect upon what these men have meant to me in my lifetime.

Who do you think are in my heart on this day? I will give you a hint.

It is not my PATERNAL father.

Take a bow Dad and Chris, for me, blood has not been thicker than water, you are to me what my own father never wanted to be.

SOCCER FEVAH!!!!!!!!

Personally, rugby is my game, but when I walk through the streets of South Beach, I cannot help but be bitten by the soccer bug. People are joyful, laughing, their arms are flung around one another and there is a sense of goodwill among men out there. This would not be the first time that sport has brought a nation together.

I walk along the pavements the find pictures of large orange footballs stuck to the sidewalks and wonder where they lead! Out of nowhere we have huge green and white busses on the streets with "people mover" written in bold black lettering on the side. They are everywhere.

The pavements that were being being dug up as part of the improvement to Durban's South Beach area have miraculously mended and we no longer trip over uneven pavements.

Wherever I look I see flags of all nations blowing in the wind, taxis and private vehicles are proudly displaying the South African flag, and rear view mirrors are covered in the flag colours too.

There is so much suffering and hardship in our third world countries, that my heart lifts when I see so many people of so many races and cultures all striving for the same thing, to unite in a common cause, and I do not care who wins or loses, but our efforts to get there TOGETHER and all the joy it has brought to millions of people around the world would have made all the hard work that has gone into this world cup very well worth while.

So yes, today, I have SOCCER FEVAH!!!!!