March 2026

 

We got Prepaid electricity this month for the first time and are slowly getting used to it, we haven’t run out yet.

 

Devin and Kayleigh must move, and they are searching for a new place, hopefully in the same area.

 

Kiaras work function for her year end was held at Sophies Palace in Sandton and she looked amazing and had a great time.

 

Boston turns 1, it seems impossible and he’s still such a smiley smart baby. Tarryn sent us a video of him unpacking the dishwasher, putting the bowls in the correct spot, closing the rack then the dishwasher door and then closing both cupboard doors!

 

Parkruns – Bapsfontein hotel, Ebotse, Greenstone Hill, Atlasville.

 

Brian has been hard at work getting the House ceiling painting done before Devin and Kayleigh move in.

 

Bookclub at home I did a Greek lunch with homemade tzatziki and hummus, pita and fillet of beef and chicken, Individual peppermint crisp desserts, mango and watermelon fruit salad and marshmallows, Beyers chocolates and ice cream, followed by a murder mystery.

 

We were lucky enough to get a visit to Harries pancakes with Nanna, Devin and Kayleigh before they closed the Pretoria branch.

 

Kiara starts NQF5 for estate agents, she found out she only has to attend the workshop and do the exams

 

Kayleigh turns 29, we got to visit her for a lovely halloumi chicken wrap dinner among the moving boxes, exciting times they have found a new place and can move in on the 19^th so they are staying with me for a couple of weeks.

 

Devin and Kayleigh move in for 2 weeks 

 

 February 2026

I started off the month with a fractured rib from a tumble at parkrun and Nanna was experiencing low oxygen which seems to have improved now. She got her own Purple Peach box and is now able to watch to her hearts content. I got rid of Netflix and am saving that money. I did a Discovery money coaching course this month and I am going to be on a mindful spending month for March.

Home maintenance has been the order of the month starting with painting of the ceilings.

Parkruns, included new ones (to me) at Soweto and Blades Hotel in Pretoria, where Nanna joined Dolores, Marina and I and we went for a lovely breakfast at Bamu Haus in Pretoria as a bit of Marina’s 50^th celebration.

Catcat passed on this month, and Kiara bravely took her to the vet and sat with her as she peacefully crossed over. Last photo I have from the day.

Cali started grade 0 this month, it seems like she was just born the other day. So far, she is enjoying school and has a lovely school uniform, and I was lucky enough to do a viewing of her school when I visited in October.

Kora is still a smiley little kid that loves her KPop Demonhunter outfit. She is doing well at daycare and goes 3 times a week. I am lucky enough to get updates from Kindy that includes photos of her day.

Boston is walking about and still smiles all the time, he has leant to climb off the bed by himself and attends daycare 2 days a week now.

Nanna’s birthday was celebrated on her day with a lovely family dinner that Devin and Kayleigh, Lawrence and Lizanne joined us and she got wonderful gifts including a lovely plant from Tarryn, flowers and money from Devin and Kayleigh, perfume, make up, sponges and a whole lot of goodies from Kiara including balloons that displayed 86 instead of 84 but we had a great time anyway.

Decluttering and getting rid of a whole lot of stuff was done this month and I know have many empty plastic bins, so I hope that I keep them empty. I must go through clothes next. I’m looking at a place at Eastlands lifestyle centre where Linda lives, but it’s a huge decision. I have lived at no 12 for more than 35 years now and I love the space, garden and pool so much, Nanna loves it at home too.

I have been doing Meal prep this month and do it on a Sunday. I make dinners for the week and freeze them and do nightly overnight oats with protein powder, chia seeds, nut butter, yoghurt and fruit. Kiara is enjoying breakfasts too and has offered to make them next week.

 

 

January 2026

Started the year with a parkrun with Dolores at the Botanical gardens in Pretoria and a lovely breakfast.

I have created my goals again and have more than 101 this year.

A busy month getting over Christmas, which was a fabulous event at home. Getting the house back to normal and trying to get healthier.

I had my heath check done and have to focus on reducing my cholesterol so red meat and cheese are now a treat.  I’m back to Walk 4 Life and got my 2000km badge this month so another goal completed.

Got to go away for the weekend to do the Amanzimtoti parkrun, ended up in a lovely guesthouse but in a dodgy area so abandoned that one and ended up in a fabulous hotel in Ballito that I didn’t want to leave. Got to see the cousins who were having a reunion and saw the flat where we had our honeymoon and spent many happy family holidays, loved a swim in the Boulders pool and a swim at Granny’s beach, highlight seeing dolphins

 

 

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Linda and I each paid for a spa massage as Christmas gifts and we went to enjoy that time in Bedfordview, a lovely time and we had a swim too.

We were all very excited to be at Sam’s wedding, which was a wonderful occasion, it's so lovely to see how much love there is when the Dawson’s get together and our B&B in Robinson was perfect. I got to do the parkrun with Scott, Jenna, Werner, Devin and Kayleigh!

Got to meet my friends Elsabe and Marcus for a few breakfasts and dinners.

The pool is blue again and Boston has started walking!

 

Red wine and good friends

 I love a glass of red wine and have for years now been an only-red girl. I don’t like the taste of white wine, even though in our youth Richard and I only drank white wine. Kupferberger was one I remember and that weirdly rounded shaped bottle of Grunberger that everyone used as a candle holder after they had finished drinking the wine.  Pic below from Google.

During covid in South Africa, buying alcohol was banned and many of the wine companies lost millions of rands. I managed to secure a case (6 bottles) of the most beautiful red from Saronsberg called Full Circle. I had been to the estate and enjoyed a lunch and wine tasting there. I opened drank bottle on my birthday and another for New Year.

This year, one of my favourite friends Peter came to visit and I opened a bottle to celebrate. We shared a bottle of the wine and Kiara ordered sushi that was delivered to us, my mom joined in on the evening. We sat outside on my patio and had my new festive lights on. 

It was a lovely, special evening shared with a wonderful friend. 

I saw a bottle for sale at Checkers today and took a photo of it so I could remember the price. I can’t remember how much I paid for it originally, but it’s worth every cent. I promised that I would share one of the bottles with an old work colleague of mine Brian,  we are just waiting for us both to be available for the event.

The Nutcrackers

 I have always loved these, but they have not been easy to come by in South Africa until recently. I got mine in Australia, I think it was at a boxing day sale and I just fell in love with it.

I brought it home and on my next trip I found smaller ones that were also on sale. I managed to get 3 smaller ones, and they were just perfect to complete my family. 

We have Tarryn, the Baker and Kiara the glittery musician and Devin the Peter Pan looking one.

Love these so much.

Dawsonbunch timeline

 I started this on an excel spreadsheet a number of years ago so that I could keep track of things that happened in our lives. I have kept up the practice and its really cool to look through years and see what happened. I shared it with the kids so that they would have it too.

I find it very helpful when I am trying to remember when some event happened. I separated the months so it’s easier to view and highlighted when I went overseas and when my grandchildren are born 😀. I like that it’s so easy to update.

Here is an example from 2022

Jan	Natasha still in Australia	Nerine dies
Feb	Nanna Natasha Pine Lake and Marloth Park
Mar	Natasha weekend with Karen and the lions	Dev Namibia c license
Apr	Luke Tarryn and Cali here	Tarryn & Luke Easter pregnancy announcement
May	Luke Tarryn and Cali here	Natasha to Chakas rock	Cali's 2nd birthday here
Jun	Got a generator	Dan
Jul	parkruns, Linda	Clearing out, making pasta	Sandhurst massage day
Aug	Natasha Oudshoorn	parkruns, Gerrie, caves, Peter
Sep	Scott plays for RSA hockey	My Cyprus band from Costa breaks	started Walk 4 Life	Tyler visits
Oct	Palace and Sun City	Swaziland	made tshirts for Cali and Kora	Kora born
Nov	Australia met Kora	visited Jacs
Dec	Mike & Rene wedding	end Dan	got shingles

 

Bear

 He is the latest addition to the Dawsonbunch, and he arrived in September 2024. Kiara bought him from a school friend breeder. Bear is a cross Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd and this cross breed know as a Mali-Dutchi. The breed is very intelligent and is a working dog, so Kiara has her hands full with keeping him exercised and interested. 

So far Bear has been through teething and he chews everything including shoes, socks and inflatables meant for the pool. He loves sneaking inside my house and heads straight for my study, where he steals a teddy bear and runs outside with it. Luckily Kiara has been good at teaching him the command ‘drop it’,

From the start she taught him to sit, give paw and lie down. I hope he loves official training when he starts and that they both get much joy from the relationship.