90th Birthday Celebration

90 beautiful roses for the birthday girl!

We celebrated Mom's 90th birthday on 12 April 2012 with my two sisters and their husbands, Lesley and David and Barb and Russell at Ama Casa in the Natal Drakensberg.  Les and Dave have a beautiful home in the "valley" in the Drakensberg mountains where they run a very successful Bed and Breakfast hospitality business.  They have 3 self-catering cottages with stunning panaramic views of Cathkin and Champagne Castle.

A view from the front garden looking out onto the peaks

We were blessed to stay in Di and Colin's lovely cottage with Barb and Russ.  Such peaceful surroundings as is obvious here!

Barb relaxing!

The lounge which also looks out onto the peaks

    

 And then came the gastronomic delights!  Barb and Russ brought a prawn starter which was followed by a scrumptious dinner of Moroccan Lamb prepared by Dave and Les, well actually Dave!  Les prepared the salad and set the table with her table cloth from Mauritius.  I provided the Lemon Meringue Pie - the amount of lemon to Mom's specifications!

The table set for dinner

Dave putting the finishing touches to the Lamb

Well, we drank wine and ate delicious food and talked and then talked some more.  I think that Mom was quite exhausted as we had spent a harrowing day before sitting in stop/goes on the way to Bethlehem and then again on the way down to the Berg.  To top it all we were held up by a HUGE herd of cattle being herded in the same direction in which we were traveling, and which we gently - actually not so gently - nudged passed.

We departed the next day with Mom returning home to Kloof with Barb and Russ and ourselves back to Harrismith.  We left Les and Norah to do the cleaning up before the next lot of guests arrived in the afternoon.  Three cheers for Les and Norah!!

I was delighted to make Mom a quilt for her birthday which I know she will enjoy having on her bed and undoubtedly will show off to all the residents at Chartwell Retirement Village.  It was a privilege to put many hours of hard work into this quilt which I know Mom will appreciate.  I also made her a knitting bag out of Dad's ties.  I feel that this turned out a little large for Mom's diminutive size but I'm sure will be put to good use during flea market shopping expeditions!

Knitting bag made from Dad's ties

Quilted with meandering FMQ and feathers

No quilt is ever quilted without Purdy making herself comfortable!  What a spoiled cat!

Barb, Lesley, Mom and myself