Blog 51: Nelspruit thats a wrap (sadly)

What an overwhelming, truly reeeeeeeevolting time it currently is! Oh, my giddy aunt, this thing called packing. They say it’s on the list of most traumatic life events, erm well that’s no maybe! Yikes, it is hectic, I would hate to know what it was like for my dearest friend who recently emigrated. She packed up her whole home and didn’t pack it in boxes for the next new homely home, nope all that was sold, and all that they took were their clothes. (Yes, the ones on their backs AND a suitcase or two!) I swear I constantly am thinking of her. Although I have to say on more than one occasion, I have thought I should literally pack my clothes and head into the sunset. It is has been a very hard task I would be lying to say I have enjoyed it – not at all! Fifteen years ago, we packed and came to Nelspruit, firstly I was way younger and the boys really were wonderful at helping. Erm sorry – I hear you pondering “and Gary?” ah may I interrupt you and ask, who the hell is Gary never mind who the F#*k is Alice???? Yip then and now NADA, ZILTCH, NOTHING, It truly, truly has blown my mind how he has not helped – literally, I mean literally at all – NOTHING!!!

Anyhow that is what it is as they say hey? What doesn’t kill makes one stronger, so Superman/Spiderman/Wonder Woman and the Incredible Hulk frikken move over because here comes DETERMINED DYNAMIC DIZZ!

So, in today’s blog I am reflecting on our amazing life in the Lowveld. No, no dear reader you won’t be reading a novel with a second and third sequel, not at all – truthfully if I had the time, yip, could have been but lucky for you I don’t have time so it’s a quick summary just so you know I am still here as is my blog and that dear reader is all thanks to the love, support you show me. 😊

We arrived in Nellies on the 9^th of July 2008, each year when the boys were younger I don’t know why the heck I did this – but I did – guess because I like KFC if I am honest, so each year on the 9^th – yip you guessed I would treat the boys with a KFC take away to celebrate the end of another year in the Spruit. I don’t think they ever really got to feel it as a “celebration” and in fact, in those early years it was to remind me of the nightmare of moving here – but, but, but dear reader you all know how that has ended. Yip, I will most certainly miss all that Nelspruit has been to us. The amazing friends, the experiences, the places we have visited and enjoyed.  On a serious note, also regrets. Last night I met two friends I have known forever, we have always said “we must get together for a coffee/drink” and we did occasionally, in fact, we even went away once or twice and had a ball. Corne your Hoedspruit house and the girl’s weekend was a true Godsend! Thanks for ALWAYS being the welcoming soul you are with all of your Chameleon homes. Thank you 😊 so as I was saying every time I would walk away and think I HAVE to make more effort with Corne and Tracy – we really have such good kueiers when we do make the effort. We have a good laugh, a serious section and then a counselling session. Last night we did one of those, girls I truly regret we didn’t start this yonks ago! BUT as I said we will ALWAYS remain friends and now we just going to have to travel further to kueier.

There have been some incredible memories with weekends away particularly to Kruger, the creatures great and small. Not sure if any of you are aware, a Pangolin is very elusive, and one of those that game guides in all their years as Game Guides very, very rarely have had the pleasure of seeing in their many, many trips to Kruger, however Gary and I have been lucky not once, but four times! I know – amazing hey! Both the boys also have seen them 😊 However, on the blady flip side, we in all the years, and in all the trillions of trips we have done to “the park” as the locals refer to Kruger, we have never, ever seen new born or teeny tiny lion cubs! Yip, sadly it’s the blady truth! I recall when we first arrived here, and people would ask “so have you been to the park?” I was seriously, seriously confused why the heck would I leave KZN and blady relocate here so I could go to the park. For months I was curious as to why they were so keen to know if I had visited the park, the merry go round the swings, and of course not to forget the slide! Turns out they meant the Kruger National PARK! One thing I do need to confess but quietly as we would never want Gary to be aware of this fact! Who knows how it could have ended for me years back if he knew this – sjoe could have been that you would not be reading this right now if he had known this one small fact: In all these years and all the roads we have traveled within the ‘Park’, I am still clueless as to which road leads to where, and what camp! If he had told me to get out the car in the middle of that dense, dusty landscape – I would have well and truly been buggered, so, so much more than “buggered” I would have had to have begged for my frikken life. Golly and how, oh how would he have blady loved that !!! (Raised yes – very, very raised eyes!) Even when we did the Honorary rangers stint, you will recall Gary took offense as I stayed closer than close, in fact closer than was really necessary to the experienced rangers, fearful that I would get lost – so yip missed opportunity right there for my beloved husband!

How life has changed from those early Kruger days, the boys still little boys – through their teen years (huffy and puffy when it was a family day in Kruger and it was compulsory they came dragging their feet!) I recall once Chad lying on the back seat we came upon a cheetah sighting, do you know dear reader he didn’t even sit up to see the blady cheetah! (Teens – ahhhhhh sigh sigh!) and now they are young men, both with wonderful woman at their side and we have had the pleasure of introducing Tide our little grandson to the park. And he most certainly shares the very same passion we all have for the wild. Chad’s passion ….not so much!

I have also met some treasured, truly truly treasured friends, they will ALWAYS be a part of my life, years ago they crept into my heart and there they will remain – even though we are seas apart these days – the book clubs, dinner clubs, what fun we had – thank you for the memories dearest, dearest friends!

When we first arrived here the horrific storms we learnt to endure, both in our path of life and the real storms as in the weather! I have learnt to dance in the rain. I have no doubt I will miss Nellies immensely but for me it’s not goodbye – I recall when we would head back to KZN to visit and each day and night would be jam packed with kuiering with all the KZNers – this will most certainly be a reverse we will be back for sure!

I do believe it is as an old, dear, dear bestie has always said “it is written in the stars” so as we enjoy the last few nights watching the stars of the Lowveld twinkling down – and winking at us we look ahead to the promised twinkling of the stars above in KZN.

 I recall when Gary first mentioned – in fact at that time – shucks now that I think about this – he no doubt had that blady all planned from the very start – this not packing up business! As back in the blady day – he said he would venture to Nelspruit and traverse back each weekend. That was until he traveled that first day – and realised this isn’t a frikken quick sticks drive down to the blady local café, it is an eight-hour journey between the two provinces! Anyhow digressing now – so the point I was getting to – before I realised his ulterior motive was I swear – I am not kidding now dear reader – I had never, in my whole life ever heard of Nelspruit! Nope, I am serious! They have always said – do you ever wonder who “they” is. We always say “they said” so “they” said: “When you arrive in Nelspruit you cry and when you leave you cry” I guess it’s true what “they” say. Anyhow so the plan was that Gary came and would visit, he soon realised that wasn’t about to happen and that’s how the boys and I became Nelspruiters – a perfect few chapters in my book of Life. I have no doubt, none whatsoever one day as I sit in my rocker and reflect on what has been I will smile fondly at the memories made right here in Nelspruit. So thank you Nelspruit – its been great.

And that dear reader is all she wrote; Dizabeth’s last blog coming to you from Nellies!

Stay well and remember always be kind to you.

 Thanks for loving my blog the way you do.

Till next time

Mwah mwah

PS : Typical Dizz; after I have published this blog I know, I just know I am going to think of a trillion things I could have included – so don’t be surprised if in fact there is a sequel to blog 51😊