Christmastime is here!

Literally stuffed like one of the three turkeys we served at last night's Friendsgiving feast, I am jetting off to the USA tonight until early January.

Looking forward to my first white Christmas in years with both our sons and lots and lots of family and friends; decorating real pine and spruce Christmas trees; skiing on real snow in Colorado; ice-skating outdoors (!); drinking hot gluhwein and cocoa because Jack Frost is nipping at your nose; being dazzled by the Christmas decorations in New York, Philadelphia, Denver, KC and San Fran (Nobody does Christmas like NYC though. No. Bo. Dy.); and reuniting with my jewelry in storage!

Visions of rutabaga, jicama, & Cheese Danish dancing in my head. Tidings of comfort and joy. Comfort and joy. It is going to be the best Christmas ever!

God bless us, everyone.

ice sculptures in the windows at Barney's

gingerbread at Lord & Taylor's

The Met’s Christmas tree and Neapolitan Baroque crèche

Breck

KC's Crown Center Plaza

A Farewell Friendsgiving

Ros and me

I have to admit, I had my doubts we could pull it off.

We had invited 25 guests to Valley Lodge for a final Friendsgiving in South Africa ... on the eve of my leaving the country to fly to the USA, the movers and packers coming to pack and ship our household goods to Singapore and the USA, and the dogs and Vince leaving for Singapore the next day.

Especially since at the last minute I was invited to be inducted into La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs at the Westcliffe Four Seasons. I had to dash out for two hours at the height of rush hour and leave our guests in the middle of the festivities to take my oath and receive my sash. How rude! And a little hectic to say the least.

But it all worked out! So thankful we braved it.

Menu - our farewell cocktail? A Singapore Sling!

Friendsgiving Bunting by B's Pin-Cushion in Parkmore

Balloons from The Balloon Stop in Parkmore

Jonnie was one of three American guests invited for dinner

deep fry (photo by Theresa Vermeulen)

pre-dinner party (photo by Theresa Vermeulen)

Bye-bye tree! (photo by Theresa Vermeulen) Enjoy it Strauss family!

(photo by Theresa Vermeulen)

Fried Turduckenwors: Turkey, Duck, Chicken and Boerewors!

Dinner is served buffet-style (photo by Theresa Vermeulen)

speeches (photo by Theresa Vermeulen)

(photo by Sarmistha Bhattacharya)

we're going where? (photo by Theresa Vermeulen)

Farewell speech (photo by Theresa Vermeulen)

Happy Friendsgiving! (photo by Theresa Vermeulen)

And thank you Marguerite for the beautiful beaded lariat you made for me using some of the flamingo feathers I brought back from Tanzania. Everyone loved it!

Bye bye Bookworms!

Delicious and festive pot luck Christmas lunch with the International Women's Club of Johannesburg Bookworms book club.

savories

sweets

My Easy Pea-sy Pea Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
2 (16 oz packages of frozen petite peas)
6 oz. smoke-flavored almonds, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise, or more to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Place frozen peas in a colander; rinse under cold water until thawed. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add almonds and onion; mix well. Fold mayonnaise and black pepper into the pea mixture until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!

The Holiday

Happy Mandela Day!

I took advantage of my July summer holiday in the USA to celebrate a real American 4th of July with fireworks and a barbeque as well as Mandela's and my niece Jill's birthdays on July 18th.

But I also recreated many of the other non-July holidays I missed celebrating this year with friends and family by being an expat living in South Africa. The month was like Christmas, Mothers' Day, my birthday and Thanksgiving all rolled into one big month-long holiday celebration!

Happy Independence Day in Denver!

my contribution to the 4th of July barbeque ... a peach, blueberry & lemon thyme cobbler!

Merry Christmas in July in Denver too!

Christmas crackers and Rwandan shweshwe bunting

shweshwe stockings hung by a real fireplace where they belong!

mini rhino crackers on a Christmas giraffe plate

Happy Mothers' Day in Austin, Texas!

Just like the Thanksgivings in Kansas that I remember!

friends, family, good food! (@ Milano in the Crown Center, KC)

more family!

Thankful for new babies!

Belated birthday cocktails cruising to Catalina Island in Cali

an aquarium birthday party in Long Beach, CA

and a birthday party at The Magic Castle in Hollywood ... complete with real magicians!

Okay and I even celebrated Cinco de Mayo several times over in Denver, Austin and L.A. ...

Feliz Cinco de Mayo in Denver!

Happy holidays!

Happy Mandela Day 2015!

My niece Jill shares a birthday with Nelson Mandela!

Happy Nelson Mandela Day!

This year, I took Nelson Mandela Day International by celebrating it in the USA.

Mandela Day in SA is all about service. Here are some examples from previous years in South Africa: 
Service 2013 
Service 2014 

I am covered for Mandela Day in SA this year, but I still took the opportunity to celebrate Mandela Day in the USA by volunteering at a School Supply Drive with Catholic Charities.

And since my niece Jill shares a birthday with Nelson Mandela, she had a Nelson Mandela Day-themed party to celebrate her birthday Saturday night in Denver, Colorado.

Happy Birthday Jill!

We had a South African braai / US barbecue along with South African specialties such as bunny chow, boboti, chakalaka, and malva pudding. (Mealies are really just corn on the cob and we couldn't find ostrich on the day so we had regular beef burgers and turkey burgers instead.)

sundowners with the Colorado Rockies in the background

And of course we had Amarula sundowners!

Nelson Mandela Foundation beaded bracelet favors

Mandela shweshwe on the buffet table

Happy Mandela Day!
Happy Jill Day!

I love her Mandela shweshwe outfit!

Someone else very special who lives in South Africa also celebrated her Mandela Day first birthday in the USA on Saturday. Happy Kayla Day too!