I’m grateful that it’s sunny in Joburg on Christmas Day, even though the weather forecast predicted clouds and rain.
I’m grateful that my sister flew here from America to be with me, and that she decided to stage an impromptu photo session in the aloe tree this morning. That was a really nice Christmas present. Here is a photo strip documenting the experience.
Susanna climbs the tree.
Victorious in the aloe tree.
Photographing the Melville Koppies.
Then she realized getting out of the tree wasn’t as easy as getting in it. So she beseeched me to fetch her shoes.
Success. It felt good to laugh.
I’m grateful to the friends and readers who have reached out to me, lessening the weight of my grief by saying wonderful things about Jon, and about me. To each and every one of you, thanks. I’m especially grateful to the ‘blog girls’ (Martina, Namrata, and Karen) and my other Jozi friends (you know who you are) for taking such good care of me. I’m not sure I could have survived this week without you.
I grateful for Jon’s photographs, which I can use to remember him for the rest of my life. Here are a few more that I didn’t include in my previous post.
Mokhotlong District, Lesotho, September 2010. Jon watched these kids skipping rope for about 20 minutes, waiting to get the timing just right. Moments after he shot the frame, the rope fell apart.
Nelspruit, South Africa, November 2010.
Mfanzile Dlamini and his daughter Phiwa, Mukhulamini, Swaziland, November 2009. There is a beautiful, sad story behind this photo, which is too long for me to tell here. You can read more on Jon’s website. I also blogged about this family last year.
I’m grateful for a photo that Karen took of Jon and me a couple of months ago. It’s the best photo ever taken of the two of us. It’s also the last photo ever taken of us, and probably the last photo anyone ever took of Jon. Thanks to this photo, I will never, ever forget what Jon and I shared.
Merry Christmas, everyone. Thanks for reading my blog this year, and for being the best online friends a girl could ask for.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
For those looking for details on Jon’s memorial service: The service will be held on Thursday, 29 December, 11:00 a.m., at St. John the Evangelist Church in Benmore, Johannesburg.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
I’ve been dreadfully uninspired lately, struggling to think of anything I want to blog about despite having a long list of great ideas (many of which you, my readers, provided in September). I’m finding it hard to feel positive about life at the moment. But on Saturday Thorsten and I got the chance to visit Indwe Park, an indigenous garden and sculpture park in Braamfontein, and I knew I had my topic for today.
Given this week’s political nuclear bomb blast, it feels like a weird time to publish a light-hearted post about my recent (pre-election) jaunt through the United States. But I’m hoping you’ve have had enough of the U.S. election horror show – I know I have – and are ready (at least temporarily) for some wholesome American travel adventures. If so, please read on about my four-day visit to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the lower 48, with my sister, Susanna.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.