Friday afternoon "Cupcakes and Tea" party in our sunny garden with some friends from the village: Hamish, Harriet, Dylan and Sam.
Having fun in the Bloxham School pool with Uncle Nico on Saturday.
Dinner on Saturday night at an Indian Restaurant in Banbury with Nico & Fi, Andrew & Brigette.
Anna Banana is two today! And so begins silly season in the Schonken household: three birthdays in two weeks...
Happy Birthday too to Michelle A and Matthew Mc!
Full of smiles at the coffee shop in Banbury this morning.
Tea with Leone, Ruth, Brigette, Josh and Luke.
Playing with one of her fav pressies: her Barbie tent (note drop-dead gorgeous Monsoon party dress she's wearing - thanks Auntie Ruth!)
Anna packed her little Tweenies bag this morning and spent her first couple of hours with Lisa, our chosen childminder, who lives in the village. She apparently was "just too easy" and happily played with Lily and Kaylee (Lisa's two other charges) while mom hit the oven and baked some Saffershire Rusks. A pleasing arrangement all round.
It has been a sad day: my dad's older brother, Thomas, passed away this morning.
I remember oh so clearly his early Saturday morning visits (generally before 7am). He'd arrive (wherever we were living at the time) in his (always) beat-up farm bakkie with some old, dazed-looking dog in the passenger seat. His visits were always short and he always seemed to be on his way to somewhere else. Perhaps he'd have a cup of tea and some of my mom's chocolate eclairs/layer cake/fruitcake/cheese scones. If we were lucky he'd throw in a story about what the four James boys used to get up to as children, but always, there'd be lots of dry jokes and when he'd gone, the sound of his booming voice and raucous laughter resonated in the place long afterwards.
I remember Uncle Tommy for his dedication to my grandparents during their lifetimes and for his love of the land: for rearing our best pork roasts ever and for his never-ending supply of delectable tomatoes, onions and more. (We've recently started our own vegetable patch in the "secret garden" behind our house and now realise how much diligent care and effort this demands).
In the world's eyes, there was perhaps nothing remarkable about Uncle Tommy and nothing about his legacy that would declare him a "successful" man . But what made him remarkable was that he was my dad's brother. And he was my uncle.
Hamba kahle, Uncle Tommy...
Your voice still resonates in this place.
Enough of squeezing into our 3 man tent. Our new (positively palatial) 4 man tent arrived today (thanks to those who funded it by buying rusks). It's a dream: middle "living" area and two sleeping "pods" on either side. Counting the days till we head to the Picardy region of Northern France with the Burbridges at the end of May.
Testing out the tent in our garden.
Southern Hemisphere gloaters: please note the abundance of sun and blue sky in above pics.