FOTD: Mourning...

The lady, 2nd from the left, the extremely well, elegant, perfectly coiffed lady, is my Ouma (granny) Babs.

2nd from the left, is Katerina Engelina Francina Venter, my Ouma.

This is how I will remember her. Well, that is not strictly true. More like: Its one of the ways that I will remember her.

 on her wedding day to my Oupa (grandfather), she is beautiful.

I will also remember how she ALWAYS, wore flesh coloured pantyhose/stockings to the beach. How good her rice and gravy tasted. How she always wore jewellery, and was always impeccably turned out, even when living out of a caravan for 5 months (my grand parents loved to caravan). I still hear her in my head saying "Ag Heppy Birfday my ou Dolly", with her mixed accent and her soft musical voice.

I will never forget how she gave us me a hiding with the back of her wooden paddle hairbrush when I was particularly cheeky one day. It was the only time I had ever seen her loose her composure. 

I will never forget her teaching me to sew, and how to brew "moer koffie", how to polish the stoep and the furniture and how she would treat us by putting condensed milk into our coffee, along with milk and sugar. How to make Tinned Bully-Beef into a proper meal (using fried onions, garlic and green and red peppers).

Black is the colour of mourning. So I am wearing black and gold. Black for mourning, Gold for her life.

  

Aunty Jane: I hope you don't mind that I used your pics of My Ouma Babs, but I don't have any of her here with me in Ireland. Thanks for putting them up on Facebook.