Part 1…Wow!…What a fantastic party!…

Here we are with Dooc Theo, who saved my life, and his lovely wife, Myrtah. We were so happy they came to my party along with the other two doctors in the practice, Doc Mel and Doc Philip, and their lovely wives.

What a fantastic party it was. Louise and Danie couldn’t have made it more perfect with the beautiful decorations, delicious food, and inviting ambiance. They worked hard but seemed to enjoy seamlessly and professionally putting it all together. We have many more photos to share and will continue to post them over the next several days.

Delicious welcome drinks, including Bloody Marys, topped with a slice of crispy bacon and non-alcoholic vegetable juice. We caught a kudu eating off the wooden board.

With lots of catering experience in the past, they knew exactly what to do, never for a moment leaving us wanting for another element when every detail was presented to perfection. I can only imagine a fabulous wedding, anniversary party, or any other special occasion coupled with the bush’s wonder and exemplary services.

Because they are both such great friends, we trusted their decisions on every aspect of the party. Under any other circumstances with any other caterers, I would have had a significant hand in every area of the planning. With them, we could sit back and let them do their magic.

One of several breadboards with delicious toppings.

Adding to the blissfully planned event were our guests. Everyone who’d RSVP’d showed up and made us both feel so special. The lively conversations, laughter, and camaraderie fell into a leisurely pace. Unfortunately, the evening seemed to pass too quickly, and I didn’t get to spend enough time with each of our guests.

Amid all the rain, Louise and Danie beautifully set up the house and the garden. It rained briefly but never caused issues with the guest’s enjoyment at the party.

As mentioned, we’d invited the three doctors and their wives to spend the night. They took off for bed by midnight while we sat around the big table on the veranda. But seeing everyone having such a good time warmed our hearts throughout the enjoyable evening.

Danie had baked bread, and many kinds of cheese were available during the appetizer course.

I felt bad we were all so noisy, having an ongoing great time that by about 1:00 am, we scooted everyone home so our overnight guests could sleep. Tom and I never got to bed until after 2:00 am. We were both wide awake, reeling from the beautiful evening. Finally, we dozed off, not awakening until after 9:00 am, a rarity for both of us.

A beautiful gin and vodka bar were set up in the dining room, where everyone could make their welcome drinks.

With everyone gone today, by late morning, we returned to the party house and collected all the unopened bottles of wine. We supplied about 42 bottles of wine and have about 20 bottles, which I’ll eventually consume over the next many months, sharing with visitors who stop by.

Delicious foods stayed warm in the oven, including meats for sliders and various delicious foods.

I don’t usually drink wine other than the lightest varieties, but I will simply drink less of the regular wines in any particular sitting, perhaps no more than one glass at a time. As a result, we won’t need to buy any more wine while we’re still here in South Africa. Plus, it will be fun to share any of the white or red wines with visitors.

We’d specified on our invitation, “Please, no gifts,” but some brought gifts and cards anyway, every one of which I will thoroughly enjoy and do appreciate.

In the back row from left to right, Lorne and Sydney. and Tom. Sinndee, Leon, and, Dawn are in the front row from left to right.

There’s no way we can thank Louise and Danie for all they’ve done. We can only hope that some of our readers may consider Marloth Park for any special occasion to savor this magical place and have this fine couple help them arrange their special occasion with memories that will last a lifetime.

More will follow tomorrow!

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 26, 2022:

This young male kudu is sprouting his horns. So adorable. For more photos, please click here.

Today’s the party!!!…It’s raining buckets, off and on…

One of the two identical chocolate keto cakes I frosted this morning. They are not perfect but they will be tasty.

Soon, I will frost the two cakes for tonight’s party. But I only took the blocks of butter out of the refrigerator a short time ago. In this hot, humid weather, it should soften sufficiently to begin to make the frosting for the two-layer cakes. All I have to do to prepare to arrive at the party house at 4:30 pm, 1630 hrs., is frost the cakes, do my nails, pack the cooler with the breakfast foods for the docs and their wives, pack the cakes, and get ready.

Forty days ago, I ordered four shirts from a company that ships to South Africa. When the package hadn’t arrived yesterday afternoon, I gave up hope that I’d have something more dressy and new to wear to the party. Surely, one of the four tops I selected would be suitable.

Wouldn’t you know, last night, while we were at the bar at Jabula, I got a phone call from the delivery guy that he was in Marloth Park but needed someone to sign for the package. He offered to drop it off at one of the security companies, Securicon, located on the main paved road in Marloth. We appreciated his willingness to do this.

On the left of this photo, you can see the humidity in the air when Octomom and her eight piglets visited. Of course, we tossed pellets their way.

After we had a fun time at Jabula, on our way home, we stopped at Securicon, and they indeed had the package with my four tops. Any one of the tops will be suitable for the party since I am thrilled with each one. Currently, they are hanging on hangers on the clothes drying rack outside under the veranda roof, hoping the wrinkles will come out.

I purchased them from Lightinthebox, a company I’ve used in the past where I can buy decent quality, reasonably priced clothes that require six weeks shipping time to South Africa. By making purchases from this company, they deal with customs and shipping, so I don’t have to do a thing, a far cry from ordering anything from the US which is expensive and a hassle.

It’s raining off and on in buckets today. It seems to rain for 30 minutes, then stops for a while, the sun comes out, and then starts up again. If this continues this way, I don’t think we’ll have to be concerned about guests coming to the party. If it rained non-stop, the dirt roads in Marloth Park might be challenging to navigate. But, right now, we’re optimistic.

The piglets have a great time playing together.

Speaking of Jabula, the visitors scheduled to meet with us last night couldn’t make it. They didn’t get into Kruger in time to meet up with us after their game drive, and we understood. Most people come here for the wildlife in the gardens of the holiday homes and an opportunity to get into Kruger. With access to Crocodile Bridge impossible for weeks due to flooding, we sure understood when they could finally enter.

Nonetheless, we had a great time at Jabula chatting with Dawn, Leon, David, and guests that we’d already met at other events. Once again, it was another fun evening. And, of course, we’re looking forward to seeing Dawn, Leon, and David at our party tonight.

Also, we can’t stop thinking of all the hard work Louise and Danie are doing right now preparing all the food and decorations for the party in this heat and humidity. We’re heading to the party house at 4:30, 1630 hrs., so Louise and Danie have time to shower and get ready for the party. They’ve been working on it for days.

Johnny and his mom Jasmine in the garden this morning with three more bushbucks on the opposite side of the little fence.

This morning, low on photos, we were thrilled to see Octomom and her eight piglets stop for a visit. They were all soaking wet but were playful and happy. Their mom is taking good care of them. We hadn’t seen them in about ten days and were thrilled that the eight piglets were still intact. It was fun to watch them playing with each other in the rain.

I just finished frosting the two cakes. The heat and humidity were so high that I had to rush and get them into the refrigerator right away to avoid the frosting melting. Since they are homemade keto cakes, they don’t hold up in the weather as easily as cake mixes with fillers and preservatives. I’m not the best at frosting cakes to look perfect, but I did my best.

Well, folks, that’s it for today. Tomorrow’s post will include the first batch of photos from the party and will continue over the next few days.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 25, 2022:

Our upcoming June 29 Azamara cruise to Ukraine’s scheduled itinerary raised significant concerns. Eventually, the cruise was canceled. For more, please click here.