Happy Boxing Day, Happy Chanukah to those who celebrate…Again, our itinerary, in case you missed it…

The Village is festive at night.
Christmas decorations at Luna Rosa.

We hope all of you had a delightful Christmas day. Our day was all we could ask for while away from family and friends. We savored our delicious leftovers as an early dinner, and later, Tom ate cake while I had some homemade keto fudge. During the day, we watched the colorized version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Tom and his complimentary birthday tiramisu.

We’ve likely seen it 20 times or more, but we notice something we missed each time we watch it. This movie truly epitomizes the perfect Christmas movie. After several phone conversations with family and friends, the remainder of the day passed quickly, and before we knew it, we were off to bed for a good night’s sleep.

Tom’s large portion of tiramisu. He shared it with me for a rare sweet treat.

We washed the bedding and laundry this morning, hauling it all to the laundry room way down the hall while wet. There’s a washer in our condo but no dryer. I love the online laundry app that doesn’t require cash. With only a few clicks on the app, the $2.00 fee for each dryer is taken from our preloaded funds. Easy peasy.

Here’s our new itinerary:

 Location or Ship  Days Dates
 Road Trip to Nevada 4 12/14/24 – 12/18/2024
 Lake Las Vegas, Nevada Condo 73  12/18/24 – 3/1/25
 Flight – Las Vegas to Nelspruit/Marloth Park, South Africa 2  3/1/25 – 3/3/25
 Marloth Park Holiday Home 90  3/3/25 – 5/31/25
 Flight – Minneapolis, Minnesota 2 5/31/2025 – 6/3/2025
 Hotel – Minneapolis, Minnesota 14  6/3/2025 – 6/17/2025
 Flight – Minneapolis to Nelspruit/Marloth Park 2  6/17/2025 – 6/19/2025
 Marloth Park, South Africa Holiday Home 90  6/19/2025 – 9-17-2025
 Flight to Barcelona to Spain Holiday home 40  9-17-2025 – 10-27-2025
 Cruise – Barcelona, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa  18  10/27/2025 – 11-14-25 
 Cruise –  Cape Town, South Africa to Singapore  17  11-14-2025 – 12-1-2025 
 Cruise – Singapore to Brisbane, Australia  12  12-1-2025 – 12-13-2025 
 Flight – Brisbane, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand 0  12-13–2025 – 12-13-2025
 New Zealand Holiday Home 60  12-13-2025 – 2-12-2026
 Flight –  New Zealand to Tasmania 0  2-12-2026 – 2-12-2026
 Tasmania Holiday Home 60  2-12-2026 – 4-13-2026
 Flight –  Tasmania to Brisbane, Australia 0  4-13-2026 – 4-13-2026
 Cruise – Brisbane, Australia, to Seattle, Washington  24  4-14-2026 – 5-8-2026 
 Flight – Seattle, Washington to Minneapolis, Minnesota 0  5-8-2026 – 5-8-2026
 Hotel – Minneapolis, Minnesota 38  5-8-2026 – 6-15-2026
 To be determined…
Total Days 546
It was delightful to be out to dinner for Tom’s birthday, relaxed and having a good time.

With dinner prepared, laundry done, clean bedding back on the bed, and my workout completed, today will be another easy day. Since we keep the kitchen and bathrooms clean daily, we’ll only vacuum and dust every other week.

That’s it for today. We hope you are enjoying the holidays as we approach New Year’s Eve, which we will celebrate in the Village like last year.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, December 26, 2014:

The prior day, daughter-in-law Tracy took this underwater photo using their GoPro camera. She said he was much larger than appears in this photo. For more photos, please click here.

Today is Tom’s birthday!…A celebration is on the agenda!…Photo of us from almost 30 years ago!…

Tom went through all of our photos of us and chose this one to post today on his 72nd birthday. This was taken almost 30 years ago.

How time has flown since the above photo of us was taken on July 4, 1995. He was 42, and I was 47. Oh, good grief! When we think back over the years since we met in 1991, as most of us can, so much has transpired, most of which seems as if it was only yesterday. Now, on his 72nd birthday, in many ways, he still feels and acts as young as he did then. I totally agree.

He’s still a kid at heart, with the maturity that years provide while maintaining a playful attitude and sense of humor that’s hard to top. He keeps me on my toes with frequent teasing and good humor while still being the adorable man he’s always been.  We are undoubtedly “glued at the hip,” as they say while being able to flourish in our own tastes, desires, and attitudes.

Ironically, we have little in common besides our lifestyle and passion for travel. Still, somehow, we blend our differences into a magical potion that remains fresh, entertaining, and interesting, never taking our lives or one another for granted. We couldn’t ask for or want for more.

I have no gifts or even a card for him today. Long ago, when we began traveling, we decided to forego gifts and cards, but on each occasion, we felt loved and appreciated. So, I baked him his favorite cake, German Chocolate, which he savored after dinner last night. He will do so again when we return from dining out tonight at Luna Rosa, a fantastic, elegant Italian restaurant a short walk from our building in Lake Las Vegas.

Tonight, we’ll take photos of our meals and each other and the Christmas decor in the Village, which is breathtaking at night. Before heading to Luna Rosa, we plan to go to Happy Hour at The Pub at 4:00 pm, located at the bottom of the steps from our building. Drinks there are $5 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, while drinks at the expensive restaurant average $15 to $25 each.

By the time we get to the restaurant for our 6:00 pm reservations, I’ll be ready to drink water, having had my two small glasses of wine at The Pub. That savings pays for one of our meals.

I realize we sound overly frugal, but one can’t travel for over 12 years and is not be mindful of saving money here and there while still having a great time. We are never obvious or embarrass ourselves being frugal, and, above all, we are generous tippers, knowing how hard servers work to make their customers happy.

And, although we don’t give one another “tips,” we both still find ways to show our appreciation for the many things we do for one another each and every day.

It’s almost noon, and I just returned from my workout in the fitness center. I’m feeling good about what I accomplished.  I have a schedule: the fitness center on one day and the BetterMe yoga exercises on an alternate day. Daily, I get plenty of steps logged on my Fitbit watch, ranging from 5000 to 7500 steps. I feel I’m doing all I can without overdoing it.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back tomorrow with more as we make our way into Christmas Eve with plans for a pleasant evening and Christmas Day.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, December 23, 2014:

Yesterday, we spotted this humpback whale on the Big Island and got this shot from the lanai. We couldn’t have been more thrilled! For more photos, please click here.

What are we doing for Tom’s birthday tomorrow and Christmas?…

All the shops and restaurants are decorated for Christmas.

We don’t have any big plans for the holidays. We’ll celebrate Tom’s birthday tomorrow by going to dinner at Luna Rosa, a short walk from our building. We spent my birthday there last February when our friends Rita and Gerhard suddenly appeared, having flown here from Vancouver, Washington, to surprise me. What a surprise it was!

There won’t be any surprises for Tom when he doesn’t even want me to buy him a gift when we have no room in our luggage and a need for so little. We gave up giving each other gifts for special occasions when we left for our world travels over 12 years ago. Our gift to one another has been the opportunity to continue to travel the world over all these years.

Yesterday, for the holidays, I made keto fudge and keto white fudge using recipes from several years ago when I first began eating this way. It’s wonderful to have a few treats for the holidays. Moments ago, I put two tin foil cake pans of Tom’s favorite cake, German Chocolate, into the oven to bake. Once it’s done and cooled, I’ll frost it.

The Village in Lake Las Vegas has multiple roads like this. Cars are not allowed. Over the next few months, we’ll walk these paved roads many times.

Each night, he’ll savor a piece of the cake that will last several days since I won’t eat any of it. Instead, I’ll have a few pieces of the fudge as a special treat this holiday season.

Usually, on Christmas Eve, we have steak and lobster tail and prime rib on Christmas Day. But after seeing the prices at the supermarkets in the area, I decided to make a seldom-made favorite dish, Keto Chicken, Sausage, and Cauliflower Bake, making enough to last to both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, along with a big salad and rice for Tom.

We’ll enjoy our meals with a glass of wine for me and a cocktail for Tom, Christmas music, and great conversation. No, we don’t have any Christmas decorations, but all we have to do is walk down that one flight of stairs to the Village, and the holiday spirit will surround us.

We are as cheerful as possible. We love our time here. We are looking forward to seeing family when they return from vacation after the holidays and enjoying every day during our remaining 69 days until we begin the long journey to South Africa on March 1. We’ll arrive on March 3 and then cherish the joys of seeing the wild animals and our many friends in the bush, including friends Kathy and Don, who will join us there from Hawaii a week after we arrive.

This area has many hills, making walking more beneficial for health.

On Christmas Day, we’ll probably take a walk in the morning and enjoy football in the afternoon, in between phone calls to and from family and friends. For us, living this peculiar lifestyle is as good as it gets. There is lots of love in our lives from family, friends, and readers, wonders awaiting us, and an itinerary we can’t wait to share on Christmas Day.

We will continue to post daily, even the trivialities of our daily lives, over the holidays and days to come in the New Year. May your holiday season be filled with love, faith, and hope for the future.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, December 22, 2014:

We spotted the Hawaii Snake Plant on the Big Island, Hawaii. For more photos, please click here.

Tom’s trip to Minneapolis for the union Christmas party…And more…

From left: Bill, Terry, Kevin, Jim, Tom, and in the center, Don.

With other topics to address the past few days, I failed to write and post photos about Tom’s trip to Minneapolis on Tuesday, although I briefly mentioned it. He took several photos, which we’re sharing today, which may be of little interest to most of our readers.

But, for those who attended the party, we prepare this post out of respect for their dedicated service to the railroad, which often kept them away from their families and friends during many holiday celebrations. Tom was excited to attend the party for the first time since 2011 when, ten months later, we began our years-long journey to see the world.

Seated, Jerry and close by to the right, Terry and Don.

Many of his oldest friends and co-workers, too many to mention, have since passed away. He realized when he booked the flight to Minneapolis, returning to Las Vegas 26 hours later, that there may not be as many of those old friends that he so well recalled from years past.

There were about 100 attendees at the party, 20% of whom he knew. The remainder consisted of many new hires he’d never known. Representatives of the various law firms that hosted the party were in attendance. Many of his old friends and co-workers were surprised to see him at the party when most knew we’d been traveling since 2012.

A group of partygoers and one of the attorneys in the suit.

Some of his old friends read our posts, and we are grateful and honored. For those who haven’t read our posts, we hope that at some point, they may check us out and travel along with us. But, need I say that we greatly appreciate everyone who reads our posts, most of whom we never knew or met at any time in our lives?

Often, readers write to us as if they knew us. But, over years of reading our almost daily posts, they come to know us. What an oddity it is when we meet people who have read our posts for years and know about everything about us.

A perfect example of this is when our readers, who have since become great friends Marylin and Gary, came to stay in Marloth Park in one of Louise’s holiday rentals, and we met them a few days after they arrived. When we were chatting with them and our dear friends (we met the same way), Rita and Gerhard, Marylin corrected me in conversation when I didn’t recall an event in our world travels I had written in a prior post.

Another group of partygoers.

We laughed out loud when Marylin recalled our travel history after years of reading our posts better than we had. What a hoot! Marylin, you are amazing! These beautiful couples came to see us in Las Vegas the last time we were here, in September 2023, when we came to Nevada to renew our driver’s licenses and stayed at the Green Valley Ranch Spa and Casino.

In any case, friends are important to us in our world travels, and we look forward to returning to Marloth Park in less than six months on June 15, 2024. We’d planned to return on June 1, but our grandson Vincent is graduating from high school in June, and we want to be in Minnesota for that.

They were all having a good time. Food was provided with a cash bar.

A few days ago, I notified Louise we wouldn’t be arriving until June 15, which worked out for her with us staying in the same house we rented in past visits, the Ratel house. At this point, I am counting the months until we return, but before too long, I’ll be counting the days.

We hope your holiday plans are going well and all is wonderful for you and your family.

Don and another Tom…

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, December 22, 2013:

We spotted giraffes lumbering into a front garden on our way to dinner. What a delight! For more photos, please click here.

Part 3…What an exciting location…Weight loss update…

The bar at Luna Rossa, where drinks and dinners are served. This looks fun!

Tom reminded me to mention that the boulevard outside our building is not the same as, or associated with, the Villages in Florida. Instead, The Village in Lake Las Vegas is located outside our unit in this beautiful building, Viera, that we can easily access only steps away.

It’s not so far that it’s hard for me to walk to explore all the shops and restaurants. We walked to the UPS store five minutes from the building this morning. The longest walk was down the long hallway to the elevator to the main entrance, one level up, and then to the store. This morning, I had to mail an envelope, and it was a piece of cake when we didn’t have a stamp or envelope. Less than $2.00 later, the letter was on its way.

This is the interior of Luna Rossa, one of many restaurants in The Village.

Tomorrow, I’ll explain what I was mailing and how it impacts me in the future, which may provide some valuable information for other travelers like us. More and more seniors are choosing to live a lifestyle similar to ours by selling all their belongings and making the necessary changes to live a home-free life.

It has been great with Tom back here after his one-day trip to Minneapolis to attend the annual Railroad Union Christmas party. Much to my surprise, when he returned from his 26-hour time away, he only napped on the sofa for about 20 minutes, while I made a special effort to be quiet and not disturb him. Otherwise, he was his usual upbeat self, and we had a lovely afternoon and evening.

The patio at Luns Rossa which is surely frequented by locals in the warmer months.

Gosh, we love it here. It has everything we could need or want. We can order our groceries online with the order being delivered directly to our door; we can shop for essentials by walking out the door to this building; we can dine out at any of about ten restaurants only steps away, and we can handle anything we may need without using the car.

Today, we will look at the possibility of canceling the upcoming rental cars, after which we’ll Uber to any other locations we may need to visit while we’re here. We already paid for the next month using points accumulated on a credit card. So we’ll keep those reservations since getting the rewards points back is tricky, and we’ll make a point of using the car as much as possible.

It appears this company was no longer in business. We are surprised so many of the shops and restaurants are still in business after the pandemic.

Had we known how easy life is living here, we’d never have rented cars when they are so expensive in Nevada, especially during the holiday season. Since we don’t gamble, we won’t be going to the Las Vegas strip unless we plan anything special.

There are no words I can use to explain how different life is here at this fabulous location than it was only a little over a week ago when we were in Ecuador. We are both cheerful and upbeat, practically giddy, especially during the holiday season. We’ve both caught up on sleep. I now have my refill prescription, and the two meds I am taking for Afib are working well. I couldn’t be more thrilled.

In the past several days, I have been heading to the fitness center down the corridor and doing a short workout to improve my strength and stamina gradually. I do a little more each day and hope to regain my fitness level after failing to do much over the past few years.

This establishment looks fantastic, with a wonderful menu. We’ll try this place soon.

As for losing weight to improve my health, as of this morning, I am down 20 pounds with only five more pounds to go. It’s slow going, but if I can lose one pound a week, that’s fine with me. All I did was cut my portions of low-carb foods down by about 40%. Other than around meal times, at 11:00 am and 6:00; I am not hungry and don’t think about food.

I don’t snack during the day, but shortly after a somewhat light dinner, I have one cup of Greek yogurt mixed with ½ cup cultured cottage cheese and about ½ cup of unsweetened mixed berries. What a treat this is and a perfect way to end the day! I am doing everything I can to improve my health, and the results are already providing benefits.

Of course, good sleep and the low-stress lifestyle we enjoy now are factors in achieving my goals. I bet many of our readers are busy getting ready for the holiday season. Although we don’t decorate the house with a tree and other decorations or bake Christmas cookies and treats, the Christmas season is in our hearts, and we revel in this particular time of year.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, December 21, 2013:

On the way to Nelspruit with our driver, Okee Dokee, she stopped to buy lychee nuts from this adorable girl, who was selling them on the side of the road with her mom. For more photos, please click here.

Merry Christmas Eve…Last night, we never took a single photo during a fabulous evening in the bush….

After spending an hour looking for a suitable Christmas Eve graphic, I gave up. I decided to post this favorite lion photo we took in 2013 in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, truly indicative of the life we live now with lions in Marloth Park and at our doorstep, Kruger National Park. For that post, please click here.

It’s gotten to a point where one can no longer easily find appropriate graphics without paying or signing up for some arbitrary “free trial.” After trying to find a Christmas world graphic suitable for our post, I gave up after a valiant effort, and I decided to post our photo to avoid paying royalties, choosing the above lion shot we’ve shared many times in the past. Sorry for the repetition.

It’s nearly impossible not to be repetitive when we’ve been posting daily for over ten years. This is our 11th Christmas since we left the US in 2012, the 4th Christmas we’ve spent in Marloth Park. Last night, at Jabula, celebrating Tom’s 70th birthday, amid endless toasts and rounds of merriment at the packed bar with every seat taken, with dear friends Louise and Danie at our side with Dawn and Leon joining it, it couldn’t have been more fun.

Being so close to Christmas, Tom’s birthday was somewhat of an inconvenience in our old lives. We’d often make elaborate plans to acknowledge his birthday, but with Christmas Eve the next day, we were always on a mad dash to roll into the holiday from the birthday celebrations.

Oddly, in our old neighborhood, every other house of five on the peninsula celebrated its birthday on the exact same date, December 23. It was our dear friend Chip, the furthest away, Doug in the middle, and Tom. How odd was that? We’d often celebrate together when we could. We are still in touch with our old neighbors, missing the merriment and celebrations over the Christmas season and also throughout the year.

We lost dear Chip a few months before we left in 2012 to begin our travels, and I had the honor of speaking at his memorial service only months before we were ready to depart. It was a sorrowful time. And now, looking back over the Christmases, the fun with our kids, grandkids, friends, and neighbors, it was an extraordinary time.

But, no, we have no regrets and don’t think of those times with sadness and sorrow. Instead, like last night, celebrating Tom’s 70th birthday, we were reminded of how fortunate we were then and…how fortunate we are now. Different? Yes. But, wonderful nonetheless.

While we sat at the bar, all of us talking at once and yet hearing every word spoken, I turned to Louise at my left and said, “There is nowhere in the world where we’d have made so many friends and enjoyed such camaraderie and lively conversation at a bar.” Although she and Danie are native South Africans, they are well aware of the magic of all these friendships and their special meanings.

Then, adding the cozy element of being in Marloth Park, a true Paradise on earth, and the commonality we all share with our love of nature and wildlife, it’s a combination unlike any to be found anywhere in the world.

No, we don’t have a Christmas tree or other decorations or the countless gifts under the tree. No, we don’t send out Christmas cards or even Christmas letters. After all, our daily posts contain everything we could possibly have to say about our lives. We leave no stone unturned. You, our treasured readers, know everything about us, almost down to our shoe sizes!

People often ask how we feel about being vulnerable and open about our flaws, foibles, and never-ending errors and mishaps. Yes, that includes some whining and complaining, some health issues, and some unavoidable repetition in both words and photos. What would be the point of our posts being fictional instead of the often harsh reality? We are fine with bearing our true feeling, thoughts and dreams.

As we wrap up today’s post, we want to wish every one of our friends/readers and their families, who celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, and many more (found on this site) a meaningful and memorable holiday season.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 24, 2021:

Christmas graphic we posted last year. For the story, please click here.

One last shopping trip…Why can’t we find this item?…Received all of our items from Amazon but one…

Penguin statue on the beach made of a penguin dressed in Christmas clothes and various locally inspired pins and decorations. From our post here on December 6, 2016, while living in Penguin, Tasmania, one of Tom’s favorite places in the world.

With Christmas shopping evident in every store we visited, we thought we’d better hurry and buy the one piece of luggage we needed to pack the clothing we purchased while here in Minnesota after having our bags lost from the fiasco we experienced on November 24, explained in detail in Part 1 this post and Part 2 in this post.

There was no way we’d get a big enough bag for under $100, so we headed to TJ Maxx in Bloomington, where they have quality brand-name luggage at reasonable prices. We also needed to buy a luggage tag when they are rarely included with the purchase of a bag.

We lucked out and found the perfect large suitcase in an obvious color and design that may prevent thieves from taking off with it. As I packed it, I wondered if we’d ever get this bag when we’ll arrive at Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger airport on Saturday, let alone our two missing bags from the fiasco on November 24.

This morning we packed the bag, and my carry-on bag, only leaving out clothes and shoes for tomorrow’s departure and toiletries in travel-approved sizes. This time, I packed pajamas and clean underwear in the same carry-on bag since we knew we would spend one night in the City Lodge airport hotel in Joburg to avoid driving in the dark to Marloth Park from Nelspruit on the dangerous N4 highway.

Everything we’d purchased easily fit into the suitcase and I have no doubt we’ll be within the weight limits. This time, we don’t have the portable scale to ensure that fact but based on the contents, I feel confident it will be fine.

The following day, on Saturday, we’ll fly to Nelspruit, collect the rental car at the airport and commence the 90-minute drive to Marloth Park, arriving around 2:00 or 3:00 pm. We’ll stop at Louise’s Marloth Park Info Centre to pick up the house key we left with her and then drive down the dirt road to our holiday house.

If we’re up to it, we’ll go to Jabula for dinner since we won’t have anything defrosted to make for dinner. Of course, with all the Stage 6 load shedding over the past several days, all of our meat in the freezer could have gone bad. Stage 6 is as follows:

  • 5:00 am to 9:30 am (4.5 hours)
  • 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm (4.5 hours)
  • 9:00 pm to 11:30 pm (2.5 hours)

This is a total of 11.5 hours without electricity in 24 hours. Also, there are severe issues with the reservoir based on chronic power outages. We may not have any water when arriving since our JoJo tank doesn’t pump water when the power is out for extended periods.

Oh well, TIA, “This is Africa,” and that is what we expect upon returning after two weeks away. The temperature will be tolerable at a high of 94F, 34C, and increasing in days to come. At least we have the inverter to run to the bedroom’s fan and lamp and the WiFi router. When we cook by Sunday, we can use the gas burners on the stove, lighting it with a lighter, and also use of the braai on the veranda.

We likely won’t grocery shop until next week after we access the power situation to determine what perishables will survive these long load-shedding periods.

Although two male lions were darted in Marloth Park a few weeks ago and moved to Kruger National Park, two females and cubs have been sighted in the park in the past few days. Warnings continue for diligence and caution when outdoors, walking to and from vehicles, and walking and biking only in daylight hours with added attention to one’s surroundings.

Juan, the snake handler we use, has issued warnings that many snakes have come out of hiding over the cooler winter months and to exercise extreme caution outdoors and indoors. Snakes often enter houses during the warm spring and summer months through open doors and thatch roofs, both of which we have.

Nonetheless, we are excited to return to the bush to see our animal and human friends and return to the lifestyle we so much cherish living in the bush.

On another note, we have been searching for thick neoprene Koozies to hold cold canned beverages and glasses. With the heat and humidity in MP. Koozies are an ideal solution to avoid cans and glasses sweating and drinks getting warm on hot and humid days and nights. The mistake we made was not ordering them from Amazon in time for delivery to our hotel.

We searched far and wide to find these neoprene thick-walled Koozies. Most likely, winter-time in Minnesota is not the best time to find these for sale.

We stopped at several stores in the past few days, hoping to find them. We couldn’t find them anywhere, and finally, we gave up trying. They do not sell thick-walled models in South Africa. We’ve searched everywhere online to no avail. And Amazon can’t send us items to South Africa due to high shipping costs and customs issues. It would take months for us to receive them. We’ll be returning to Minnesota next September and buying them at that time.

So that’s it, folks. We’ll do a short post tomorrow, and then we may not post again until Sunday since Saturday will be a hectic day. But, as always, we shall see how it goes, and if we can post sooner, we will. Often, I write the post on my phone on the plane and can complete it on the long drive back to Marloth Park. Thus, Saturday is a possibility.

We hope all of our readers/friends are enjoying preparations for the holiday season. Have a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 7, 2021:

Zoom in to note the difference in size between this massive elephant and the nearby male impala. For more photos, please click here.

Day #274 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Merry Christmas Eve…Scroll down for our Christmas poem from the past…

Today’s poem I wrote years ago is from a post on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2013, while in Marloth Park, South Africa. For more details, please click here.

The above Christmas graphic is to express our wishes to family, friends, and readers worldwide. In reviewing the countries mentioned in the above image, we haven’t visited four of these 15 countries: China, Israel, the Philippines, and Norway. We still have plenty of the world yet to see!

Tom was delighted with the endless stream of birthday wishes that came his way via Facebook and email. Many came through our site and my email as well. He appreciated every single kind and generous message. Thank you!

Tom and I never say “Merry Christmas” until the actual “eve” begins on December 24th, which is several hours from now. In our old lives, we were often still reeling from the festivities from his birthday the previous day. This year? None of the “reeling.” Instead, we wait with bated breath for the next 19 days until we know we can depart India and begin the long journey to South Africa.

There’s nothing that could bespeak the holiday season for us at this time. We have nothing planned for today or tomorrow. Instead, we’ll focus on our feelings of gratitude for that which we do have in our presence and afar at this time; the love and friendship for one another, our family, friends, and readers; safety from Covid-19; and of course, the fingers-crossed prospect of leaving India before too long.

As more and more news comes out of South Africa with a rapid increase in new cases, especially from a new strain, we wait with bated breath, hoping the borders stay open for the next 19 days and nights, allowing us ample time to get out of here.

Today, the air-con in the building isn’t working, but it is being worked on, based on a call we received from the front desk. It could take two to three hours until it’s working again. It’s stifling in our room and getting hotter by the minute. I just returned from a fast walk in the corridors, dodging guests talking loudly on phones, without masks, and I’m sweating up a storm.

Midway through my walk, I stopped to send an email to the front desk. They, too, are upset about guests not wearing masks and want us to report any discrepancies we observe, if we don’t mind. They don’t want to get sick, nor do the loyal staff who have left their homes, their families for months at a time to work and live here. It’s unfair for everyone.

Ah, anyway, we’re trying to get into the holiday spirit, and the best way we can do this is through memories of Christmases past. In reviewing which photos we’d post today for Christmas Eve, I stumbled across this poem I wrote in our old lives a few nights before the family arrived for Christmas Day dinner.

I decided to share this poem again today, seven years later. It seems all the more appropriate based on the circumstances everyone is experiencing all over the world. Here you go:

OUR HOLIDAY TABLE

Elbow to elbow, we’re all gathered here

Family and friends, sharing holiday cheer

Our plates, all filled with tasty delights

Our appetites whetted, to take the first bites

The candlelight glowing on each smiling face

As we look to each other, wondering who will say “grace”

The words are well-spoken, as hands are held tight

The meaning, so special, this holiday night

Elbow to elbow, we’re all gathered here

At this table, we’ve gathered for many a’ years

We’ve enjoyed fancy dinners, some romantic for two

And squeezed in so many, as our family grew

And now, here are our children, adult, and attached

In love with their partners and very well matched

With room at the table, their children are here

As we teach them the meaning of holiday cheer

A few are still missing, there always will be

Their gifts in the mail, not under the tree

We’re feeling their love, across all the miles

Holding back tears, remembering their smiles

Elbow to elbow, we’re all gathered here

Putting aside life’s trouble and fear

The food and the merriment, the taste of good wine

The joy and the happiness, knowing they’re mine.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

We’ll be back with more tomorrow on Christmas Day.

Photo from one year ago today, December 24, 2019:

No photos were posted on Christmas Eve last year other than the above. Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah to our family, friends/readers all over the world. For more on this post, please click here.

Day #273 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Part 2…Christmas wishes…Chanukah wishes (belated)…Kwanzaa wishes…Boxing day wishes!..

In an old vehicle, Us is located at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, as in the movie of the same name. For that post, please click here.

Today’s photos are from the post on March 7, 2020, the date of our 25th wedding anniversary, which we celebrated while in India on a private tour, before the lockdown, with several photos of us from other dates. For that post, please click here.

Are we celebrating Christmas? It’s a distant memory for us. The last year that we celebrated with all the family, decorations, baked goods, gifts, and numerous social events was in 2011. We left Minnesota on Halloween in 2012 to begin our world journey. Do we miss all the commotion?

We’d be lying to say we don’t miss many aspects of it all, particularly the part when we were all together. But, over the last few years, while in Minnesota, Tom and I often found ourselves alone on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a reality of the extended families of our three grown children and the creation of their own Christmas traditions.

But, even so, Tom and I created a series of traditions of our own, including special meals we prepared, always steak and lobster on Christmas Eve, and other such special treats for Christmas Day. Our home was filled with the intoxicating smells of scented candles, potpourri, and the burning wood in the fireplace. Christmas music played in the background. Our hearts were filled with the anticipation of seeing everyone soon and enjoying the festivities.

With Tom’s birthday on December 23rd, we added another reason to celebrate and that we always did with aplomb! We often visited with friends, and they with us, on the days before and after the holidays. Of course, our close neighbors played a vital role in adding to the Christmas spirit with numerous celebratory occasions,

And now? Not so much. Over the past several years, we spent two Christmases in Marloth Park, once in 2013 and another in 2018. There was no shortage of parties and celebrations surrounding the holidays, particularly at the bush home of friends Kathy and Don, on their third-floor veranda, overlooking the Crocodile River. The views were exceptional, the food fantastic, and the companionship and celebrations divine.

When it’s just the two of us in any international location, we will prepare special meals, enjoy some low-carb snacks, wine, and cocktails and listen to Christmas music. But, there’s no tree, no decorations, no baked goods, and getting together with locals. When staying in a country for three months or less, it isn’t always possible to make many friends quickly enough with whom we’d spend Christmas.

But, we’re pretty fine during these periods, and we’ve made the best of every day, every holiday, every anniversary, and every birthday finding ways to feel a sense of celebration while on our own, often laughing over the irony of our situation, so far removed from our old lives.

On our way in December 2019 to the Vegas Golden Knights game with son Richard. Thanks, Richard, it was an enjoyable night! Here‘s the post from that night.

With Tom’s birthday upcoming in two days, I racked my brain trying to think of something special for him. He’s been working hard to lose weight, and although slowly, he doesn’t want to “eat cake” and gain it back after all his diligent efforts over the past month. So special food or drink is out of the question. There’s nothing the cooks here could make that would keep him on track. Also, we don’t leave our floor with many unmasked guests here, so there’s nowhere to go, certainly not to the dining room or bar.

I considered buying him some type of gift on Amazon India. But, as mentioned in a prior post, we’ll be unloading “stuff” from our luggage when facing some strict and costly baggage fees, not adding to it. He’s OK with this reality as I am, too, based on his positive attitude.

Our primary concern right now is getting on that flight to South Africa in 22 days and arriving safely and healthfully in Marloth Park in 23 days. This morning, there was news out of Germany stating that all flights to and from South Africa have been suspended. Hopefully, we won’t see such information from India before we can depart.

Have a safe and healthy holiday season!

Photo from one year ago today, December 21, 2019:

With no new photos taken on a year ago on this date, we’ve included this photo from 2013 while on the way to Nelspruit with our driver and dear friend, Okee Dokee. She stopped to buy lychee nuts from this adorable girl, who was selling them on the side of the road with her mom. For the story from one year ago, please click here.

Day #267 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…President of South Africa spoke last night…Holding our breath…

Colorful trees were blooming in the neighborhood.

Today’s photos are from 2015 while living in Pacific Harbour, Viti Levu, Fiji, where we spent the Christmas holidays. For more, please click here.

The Christmas season is upon the world, and for most, this will be a very different holiday than most years. With gatherings being held to a minimum with COVID-19 restrictions, which we hope people will observe for their safety and the safety of loved ones and friends, it will be an unusual year.

Access to the Qaraniquo river in the neighborhood.

The rollout of the vaccine couldn’t come soon enough. But, from what we’re reading on the news (accurate or not), many developing countries such as South Africa will only have enough to vaccinate only one-tenth of the population, which ultimately won’t offer any global protection to its people and visitors.

This article explains that this developing country cannot afford the low-temperature equipment to store the vaccine at adequate below zero temperatures safely. With this in mind, we doubt we’ll be able to get the vaccine if we so choose while in South Africa. Emerging the virus will continue to rage in the country while we’re there. We’re hoping to remain safe in Marloth Park.

What happened to this tree? It appears there’s been a human intervention.

Last night South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa conducted a speech about the rise in cases. Here is the link to the full text of his speech. In Johannesburg, our dear friends, Linda and Ken, watched the speech on TV and reported the results to me by text. Of course, I was concerned the borders would be closed once again, shutting down tourism, subsequently preventing us from flying out on January 12, 2021.

Thankfully, no such action is being taken at this point. Many of the restrictions imposed by Cyril during the past nine months are again re-enacted as Covid-19 cases rise, such as no alcohol sold over the weekends, curfews at 10:00 pm, mandatory mask-wearing, handwashing, and social distancing in any public venues, shops, restrictions on the number of people attending celebrations, and more, all of which is subject to fines or six months in jail if violated.

Flowering shrubs line the boulevard.

However, we do not doubt that the first time we head to Komatipoort and its overly crowded streets and shops, that mask-wearing will be at a minimum. In that case, we’ll choose to shop in small, less well-stocked shops in Marloth Park as needed. We will drive to Komatipoort for pellets for the wildlife since this purchase enables us to stay in the car while the trunk is loaded with the 40 kg (88 pounds) bags.

We’ll figure it all out, even without the vaccine, and do our best to avoid contracting the virus, taking every possible precaution. At this point, our imminent concern is getting there safely when flying on three flights and going through four airports in the process.

We’d never encountered this particular flower.

Of course, everything could change in the next 28 days when we head to the Mumbai International Airport for our flight in the middle of the night. Suppose gatherings during the holiday season, resulting in even more outrageous increases in cases in South Africa. In that case, Cyril could easily decide to close the borders again, crippling the much-needed tourism business in the country.

Thanks to Linda and Ken for updating me late last night. I couldn’t fall asleep anyway, knowing this speech was imminent at 8:00 pm, South Africa time, and midnight here in India. By 1:15 am, I finally drifted off to a night filled with dreams about Christmas and buying gifts while living in various houses in my distant past.  Hum…

It was only a short walk from our holiday home to the river.

Have a pleasant day.

Photo from one year ago today, December 15, 2019:

We attended a brunch with Tom’s sisters and spouses at the resort in Arizona, highlighting “omelets in a bag.” Here is Tom’s three-egg omelet after it came out of the bag. For more photos, please click here.