the menu on the right is updated

I have added a link on the menu to the right.............. just type your email address in this block and you will automatically receive an email when the blog is updated. this will save you looking and there is no update, when you receive an email, then you know there is an update. billsparky - our personal blog has the same so put your email address in both. You only have to do this once.

cheers

Billy

its 1986 and someones 21st

13th August 1986, Molly and Carol arrive as a complete surprise for Monica's 21st, but before we see cuts of that major event, lets just sit back and enjoy one of the few occasions that the 8 of us were together for a HAPPY CELEBRATION., .........
never mind Franky, he was paid to do this stint.........................

Off we all go to Bonero Park - THECOWLES house the next day for a lekker old traditional FAMILY BRAAI.
For starters, its Franky again trying to teach us - HOW NOT TO BRAAI,
and Carol was setting the "hairdo standards"

Now we have a look at the 21st Party and presentation of The Key by DAD. The Party was at the Benoni Country Club and takes us back in time to 1986. Did we really dress like that...........


PARTY TIME

AND WE ALL KNEW THAT DAY THAT SOMEHOW MITCH WAS HIDING HIS BALD HEAD UNDER THAT HAIR .............
SORRY MITCH, COULDN'T RESIST THAT ONE

AND THE BRAAI CONTINUES - PLUS THE CHIT-CHAT
AND
THE WONDER OF BEING TOGETHER

IN THE END, THAT MEAT WAS NOT TOOOOOOOOOOOOO BAD FRANKY

FOLLOWERS OF THIS BLOG

I have just added to the top right hand side of the blog a FOLLOWERS item, click on this add your name and photo, then we can all se who follows the blog, done the sam on our own blog -

cheers. Billy & Ria

A wee bit more Xmas 84 - part 2 & 3 of 5

yip just keep watching, now you will all know the secret - WHAT WAS MITCH SAYING IN
" when I'm 64",
just start - watch and listen........................... and laugh

Part 2 0f 5

Maybe there is someone out there that will truly enjoy this, so this is for YOU....

Part 3 of 5

should this one be for
GRANDPA's COWLE & COOPER

As I said keep watching, next one tomorrow night just below this one.....I've got plenty to come and share with you all.................now this is what makes and keeps a family together-sharing love.
The stars of the show are the 8cowles - Care/Wadey, Whitaker, UKCowles, Bechards, Coopers, TheCowles, Barts & Kcowle and all those kids and grandkids added on over the years - Actually not kids in real life but will always stay kids to us - Why?? because that's what MOM's and DADs are therefore.......................... Lots of Love to you all - Ria & Billy

MAKING MEMORIES IN 1984

Once upon a time................................... in 24 Virtop road, the family got together for XMAS '84, and it was a time to be thankful, to be merry, to enjoy one another and now is the time to look back on those times and be thankful and enjoy them all over again.

....................and then the fun starts outside in the garden and in the pool - keep watching.......
and if you were wondering what Mitch was saying below in "When I'm 64" then definitely keep watching.

Max Bygraves, sang a song once that went......, we had such great big belly laughs - looking at those photographs, remember when we made those memories........... there's more - keep watching.............................. will add tonight

Going to listen to it in about an hours time. I know the song well, and remember – wow I was the same age as the beatles when they made their debut, Billy, you might remember the band called The Young Ones, I went out with the drummer Charlie Charlton, yep there’s a soccer player in UK by that name too, and also Ian Leach belonged to the band, he played the Saxaphone, he had gone over to the UK to see family and came back with their first ever record released and the Young Ones, the local band in Ndola, sang ‘Please Please me’ at a, what we called Disco, the crowd went wild.

I remember the days of stiff petticoats that we starched in sugar water till they stood up on their own!! Oh my word that really dates me, oops sorry ALL OF US!! Ian Leach landed up playing at ‘Smugglers Inn’ in Point Road in Durban, married with two childred. Sir Cliff Richard sang The Young Ones and I stand under correction, but I think that’s where they got the name from to call the band. Then when I moved to South Africa I met up with a band that played at the Youth Club at the Catholic church, NO SNOGGING ALLOWED outside. What a terrible name to kiss someone had…. to snog!! There were two sets of parents to keep an eye on all of us, I too met one of the organizers of the band, a guy called Johnny, and we dated for quite a while and I travelled with them a bit, when I was ‘allowed to’ but never allowed to ‘sleep over’. The singer of the band was a woman, believe it or not she is a Nursing sister in Nelspruit, her husband Stan, who also played in the band, was a QS in Nelspruit, and died many years ago of a brain tumour. Stan’s wife used to sing ‘Georgie’, when she sang Hey Georgie your hair on your arms stood up it was so very beautiful!! Do you remember ………….I can hear the words in my head but for the life of me can’t sing it Billy, did it have the words ‘last summer’ in it? In the song that started Do you remember…………………………oh I could go on all day about the wonderful memories we all had and here we are with you Billy, capturing them again in our 40’s/50’s and some us in our 60/s. No names mentioned. Thank you so much Billy for this wonderful Blog. Can I give you a snog?? Carol x

WHEN I'M 64................. JUST FOR A LAUGH

Thanks Billy & Ria, Carol & Paul and Monica & Kevin for sending Mitch birthday wishes I forwarded them on to his addy. He asked me to say thanks, now he only has to worry about being nearly 64 for a whole year. He spent the whole of last year complaining that he was nearly 63 and it aggravated me no end. 1 day after his birthday and he came out with " I'm nearly 64 " ! ! !
love and god bless
Tessy & Mitch

WATCH FOR THE PART " CANT TAKE MY EYES OF YOU"

MAKING MEMORIES

KEVIN COWLE - HAPPY BIRTHDAY

WHERE EVER YOU ARE BOET - HAPPY BIRTDAY FROM THE FAMILY

Mitch turns 63 - 17th November 2008

17th November 2008

Just wanted to share a few pictures with you of my beloved and precious family, who not only all year round shower me with love and affection but went completely over the top on my birthday today.
What a celebration, 63 years young and the only way to do this is with my family. Forget about the diet and the golf and get stuck into some real good birthday food. We all had a great time and hey you only turn 63 once - THANK GOODNESS.

as WE ALL, march on from the younger generation into the middle ages and then into the SENIOR CITIZENS BRACKET, where we get pensioners discounts and all the added benefits, we can all sit back-ponder & remember that the little poem " The Old Man " DAD used to say on his birthdays

OH, HOW I MISS MY MIND

It's just a line to say I'm living and not amongst the dead

But I get oh! so forgetful and mixed up in my head

I've got used to my arthritis and to my dentures I'm resigned

I can manage my bifocals but oh, I miss my mind!

For sometimes I stand at the foot of the stairs

Must I go up for something, or have I come down from there?

And often before the 'fridge my mind is in great doubt

Am I putting the food away or am I taking it out?

So I fit's my turn to write to you, please don't get sore

I may think I've written and don't want to be a bore.

But remember I love you and wish that you were near

And now it's getting near mail time so I must say bye bye dear

And there before the mail box my face so very red

Instead of posting the letter I opened it instead!

GREAT MEMORIES

JUST SOME NEWS ON UPDATES OF PREVIOUS POST

GO AND HAVE A LOOK, RISKON POSTING BELOW HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH PART 2

IS YOU ARE LAZY, JUST CLICK HERE TO JUMP THERE

WHAT A WONDERFULL AND TALENTED FAMILY WE HAVE WITH ALL THE HUSBANDS-WIVES-KIDS AND GRAND KIDS

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TALENT

Tessy goes SURFING with the D.S.A.

I have no video of the event that took place early in November 2008, so we put some photo's together and from all the Sister's and Brother's of Theresa and Mitch, we would like to say a VERY BIG THANK YOU to all the members of the DSA in Australia for the PASSION - DEDICATION and UNSELFISH ATTITUDE you all have in what you are doing DOWN UNDER.
from
MOLLY - CAROL - BILLY - TRICIA - FRANKY - MONICA & KEVIN and all the family

One just has to look on the faces of the stars in the picture not only Theresa but the faces on the REAL STARS - THE D.S.A
to see the enjoyment and thrill of what they are doing.
click here visit the DSA web site at http://www.disabledsurfers.org/

BONJOIR - said by MITCH in 1984

While I was talking to Tessy the other day, she mentioned the Xmas day at dads place when she asked Mitch to say hello to his Mom & Dad in French, well with Mitch's sense of humour it took a few attempts before he eventually said it "IN FRENCH".

Here I was digging through my old BETAMAX tapes of yester-year ( 1984) and low and behold - there it was...............................

Say "Hello" in FRENCH

RISKON - LOWVELD CONSTRUCTION PART 1 & 2

Part 2 of the RISKON PROJECT.

BY-: LOWVELD CONSTRUCTION - PAUL & PAUL
the photos in the video are progress photos and contain the following
Another floor takes shape Riskon
We have lift off - lift shaft Riskon
Underground parking taking shape Riskon
Taking shape, ceilings started
Paint sample for outside Riskon
No, not all 11 official languages
More Paint samples - which one will it be
The sky is the limit - Riskon
Who said building is 'straight' forward
Investec's verandah - Riskon
Are lifts safe - Riskon

one thing is for sure, I see a building as just more as bricks and cement now and even know what a lift shaft looks like. My two men and their team have worked their buts off and may I say - A fishing trip IS THE ORDER OF THE DAY and well deserved ( the words in the VIDEO).
Carol

Before ‘The end of the road’ on our Journey to and through, Riskon, I would like to make the following comments…the photographs will be sent shortly. Paul Jr, as he is known, Paul Christopher Whitaker, took the Riskon site over from the BIG D (Dad), Paul Sr, and together with our staff. it was a journey and a vision for Paul Jr. If there are any accolades for this project…then I have to take my hat off to Paul Jr…and his wife, Corli, for their devotion to this project. We are very proud of both of them. Not forgetting Kaitlyne cutting teeth and sleepless nights! Paul Jr got his teeth into this project and it reminded me of the days when Mommy used to say ‘there is a difference between dirt, and clean dirt. Clean dirt shows you have done a hard days work! Never be ashamed of that’…….the legend lives on, the heritage from both Mom and Dad, Bless their souls!

Carol l

***************************************************************************
RISKON PART 1
I'd like to take you on a journey of the building of Riskon Property Developments for Riskon, by Paul C Whitaker and Paul A Whitaker and our staff, who without them we could never have done it...I will be sending a few photographs at a time as you go through this journey with me, and I will make some personal comments when we turn over the last page of our journey
in picture form as we share this journey together!!

I hope all who see this will enjoy the ride!!

Life is a journey remember, not a destination....(anon)

Carol A Whitaker.

3rd November in the year of Our Lord 2008.

Sandra's birthday & Moms visit

Carol had a wonderfull time Down Under, not only spending some precious time with her daughter Sandra and family - with her GRANDIES but also joined in celebrating the birthday.

Tessy and Carol propose a toast to the next visit

30th October - Another USA Citizen

"The COWLES" as they are known on all forms on the WWW are now officially a family of AMERICAN CITIZENS. Today 30th October 2008 Cheane joined the rest of the family in becoming and officially sworn in as a citizen. Last but not least, visit/click on other sites below to see the others obtaining citizenship.Cheane became a US citizen on Thursday 30th October in Milwaukee, & Rozella (her Granny) was here from Canada to celebrate with her.