CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - CANINE STYLE

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!!!

"Yes! Mom...it SPOKE to me!!!"

Enjoy your shopping...all my furry friends!

Lotsalicks

MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA

A SOUTH AFRICAN CHRISTMAS STORY...FROM "MOM"

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

(Please note that copyright is attached to this blogpost!)

(MAXDOG...in Christmas mode!)

(TOFFEE-DOG and our "prospective Vet"...in Christmas mode!)

MOM'S CHRISTMAS STORY...

About 5 years ago our family hosted two very gifted and endearing exchange students.
Jan was from Germany and Adam from Sweden. These two young boys, both aged 18 years at the time, spent an entire year with us in our home. They attended school with our daughters and became totally integrated into our family and life…indeed I will always regard them as my “Sons” !

Well, as you may expect, South African Christmasses are quite different from our Northern Hemisphere friends' festive seasons. Here, the weather is sweltering and very far from the snowy wonderlands we see across the blogs. Usually our decorations are simple and echo the culture of our wonderful land...


AFRICAN!
VIBRANT!
COLOURFUL!
CREATIVE!


Gifts however usually vary from home to home and are generally determined by affordability.



Well, living in a new country can be quite daunting and a culture shock, so my boys sheepishly asked me that year…
”What do we get you for Christmas?”
Jan (the young German lad) explained to us that in his country, the gifts are usually ‘practical’ and based on improving the recipient’s lifestyle. Adam was more circumspect and inclined to go with the flow but he seemed to echo Jan’s sentiments.

As their ‘host’ mother, I always spoke openly - from my heart:

“Well boys,” I ventured, “How about buying me something that
“SPEAKS TO YOU”
and
“SPEAKS TO ME”!?!”.
My suggestion seemed to confuse them even more, so I took pains to sit them down and explain how I personally go about buying gifts…

“You see,” I explained, “when I shop for somebody I usually don’t shop for something in particular. I find it a lot more interesting and creative to wonder around the stores, looking at the items on display. Eventually I will find something that simply jumps out at me…almost saying;
“Buy me!”
Usually that item will reflect something of the person for whom the gift is intended. It may “feel” like that person and may say something about your relationship with that person!”

Well, the boys looked totally confused and left me grinning inwardly. I love making my children think and bringing out their emotional side, but this time my explanation probably added to their dillema. They left our conversation more confused than enlightened….
(Or so I thought…)

Well Christmas day eventually arrived and their package peered at me enticingly from under the Christmas tree.



I was aware of their sly innuendos and elbow nudges as I looked at my gift. A few days previously they had arrived back home from a Christmas shopping expedition, arms laden with parcels, their faces sporting smiles - which could "fit bananas in sideways."
“We found something that SPOKE TO US!”
they claimed, grinning widely.
“We are certain that it will SPEAK TO YOU too, Caryl!”

Well, I was really curious. Had I, at last, generated lateral thinking in these beautiful boys? The parcel was now on my lap. It was beautifully wrapped as only loving boys can wrap gifts. They had obviously spent an enormous amount of time on it and I was fascinated. Had I left it there on my lap, that day, and not opened the gift at all, its intention would have been totally complete!!!

…afterall, it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?!!

But as I looked at their gleeful faces and their excited anticipation, I slowly unwrapped my gift. I knew the love that had gone into buying this special gift! I knew the hours of deliberation which had produced it and I felt their joy at their selection…

THIS WAS THEIR GIFT...



For those who may be confused, this is a fully functional little FM radio!!!

It can be tuned in to receive all the radio stations on the FM wavelength here in
SOUTH AFRICA.
It is beautifully and cleverly crafted - out of standard wire - and decorated with recycled materials.
It is a RADIO – A COMMUNICATION DEVICE – THAT DEFINITELY
"SPEAKS'’ TO ME!!!"
My boys’ gift is one of the most memorable and beautiful gifts which I have ever received!!!
The thought and love that went into this gift remains unmatched.


(photo: Christmas 2008)


THANK YOU AGAIN, JAN AND ADAM!!!

You will always be MY boys! I love you and will never forget you!

With lots of love from

YOUR 'HOST' MOM IN SOUTH AFRICA!

(Caryl Moll)

CUTENESS OVERLOAD & CHRISTMAS FARE

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

MAXDOG here...

(I haven't forgotten that it is supposed to be 'wordless' Wednesday!

...sorry about the words!)

PRESENTING...'CUTENESS'...

A SOUTH AFRICAN MALL (at Christmas time..now!)...

MORE 'CUTENESS'...

LOTS OF zzzzzzzzzzzzzz's

SLEEPY MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA

SOCCER WORLD CUP PREPARATIONS

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

MAXDOG here...

Hello there all my furry friends!

As you can see, I am well and happy. My scar is healing up really nicely. Thankfully I have a lot of skin, so we can think of it as a 'tummy tuck'. My fur is starting to grow and if I pose nicely (like this photo), you can't even notice - except for the 'drip' area on my left front paw. Mom and I are really thankful for my new lease on life!

Now that mom is back from her holiday, I'm going for my regular walks too - although she doesn't really like me to play zoomies yet.

---xXx---

Today is a relatively short post, but I do have a few more interesting photos for you to look at...

Some of you might know that SOUTH AFRICA is hosting the

FIFA SOCCER WORLD CUP

next year. Our country is abuzz with preparations for the big event! Highways are being reconstructed, accommodation spruced up and stadiums are being finished off.

Here is a picture of the brand new stadium in DURBAN...
(This photo was taken on a rainy day - the stadium is the big white thingy in the distance - about 15 km away)

A closer "rainy" view...
...and in CAPE TOWN, the streets were recenty lined with soccer balls - for the big 'DRAW' - to see who would play who...
(SOUTH AFRICA will be playing MEXICO in the first round)

Check out the table cloth (in the background) on TABLE MOUNTAIN too!


No day is complete without an impressive sunset!!!...

So to all my buddies that are flurrying in the snow....

COME AND ENJOY THE WONDERFUL WARM WEATHER HERE IN

SOUTH AFRICA!

Lotsalicks

MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA

I PLAY "TOUR GUIDE" TO MOM'S ADVENTURES

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!!!

MAXDOG here...

As you might be aware, our humans are back from their short holiday to the seaside. I have decided to play TOUR GUIDE with Mom's photographs and am busy selecting the best pic's to put up as blogposts. If you haven't yet seen yesterday's post, please do so...it's a little summary of their holiday. But here are some more pictures...

The road trip from JOHANNESBURG to DURBAN (in South Africa) is about 615km.

Our humans travelled by car for about 6 and a half hours, stopping at regular intervals to renew their energy. It is interesting to note that they travelled from an elevation of 15oom (in JOHANNESBURG) to sea-level. Over that distance, they through

3 provinces of

SOUTH AFRICA.

The Vaal river (pictured above) is the main border between the first two provinces.

The scenery is really beautiful along the journey. One travels through the flat landscape of the FREE STATE towards the numerous hills of KWAZULU NATAL...

The landmark of MONTROSE...(below)

...it's an incredibly picturesque mountain and heralds the forthcoming drop down the escarpment...

Our humans' destination was:

UMHLANGA ROCKS

(pronounced...OOOM-SH-LUNG-GA ROCKS)

They stayed at..

CABANNA BEACH RESOURT

(Pictured second from the left)
The hotels in the area are magnificent!...Tourists welcome!!!

Notice the ships in the bay!?

The beaches are also beautiful and at low tide, many of the rocks can be seen:

- sculptered by the sea...

Mom says that she often thought of my doggie-buddies in cyber-space. She particularly rememberred my "rabbit and squirrel chaser" friends.

Yes...there were RABBITS in the sand!....(hehe!)

There are many creative people around! Look at this beautiful sand-sculpture...

Featuring the animals of AFRICA...

Mom missed us doggies and attended to her emotions by photographing all the other dogs frolicking on the beach.

(Oh how I wish I were there with them!!!)

This Schnauzer was really cute!...the owners would throw it's ball and it would run to it and roll on it....(strange dog!)...

This muscular canine (below)was really photogenic!

All the dogs brought their balls to the beach, it seems!

She met a border collie who was extremely well behaved- It sat nicely (on instruction from its owners) for other photographs, but mom preferred the 'natural' photograph of the 'free' dog...

This is what the beach looks like when the sun decides to show its face...

It was the beginnning of the school's holidays and all the 'matriculants' (school graduates) were celebrating....

There were loads of young, vibrant people!!!

Mom was one of them...! (hehe!)

But now she's back home...with me!

Yep, I love having mom home!!!

Maybe next time she will take me with her to the beach!?!

(But it is a really long journey for a dog!)

More photos next time!...

Lots of licks

MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA