FINALLY - THE 5 PAST 8 NEWS- The Billyreena

Normally one would read the news from page 1 to the end, But here on the 8cowlesblog we read from the "BACK PAGE" backwards to the front page, the sports are so much more interesting.

Here is Carol and Paul, looking at the blog with keen interest!

                                                                                Oh! PA - what big eyes you have got

                                              ******************************************

18th JULY 2010

Frank and Charnelle have popped into the UK for a small visit and for Frank it's work, at the Farnborough Air Show. We all got together at Leon & Elizma's house for a Sunday afternoon braai. Shaun pitched up as well as Tania and Andy. We caught up on some old family history and had some good belly-laughs. The Macarena was the hi-lite of the afternoon and it brought the house down. I must say it was a bit of a shame to take the Mickey out of THE EDITOR, but he has broad shoulders and will continue to amuse the family on the blog - come what may.

You send in the material and the EDITOR will mess with it for sure. before it gets published.

Well here are two videos, 1st of the Afternoon Braai and the 2nd is the FAMOUS BILLYREENA.

MY APOLOGIES THE VIDEO DATE OF JUNE SHOULD BE JULY 2010

Please take note that all the dancers taking part must

"FOCUS"

****************************************************
Now for Item 2

World Cup Soccer and some very interesting news

on the "Special Olympics"

Monica, the only other one apart from our Kevin in South Africa. If you were watching the news last night on TV you would have seen the ‘Special Olympics’ soccer game, well a snippet of it. Jacob Zuma and Mathews Phosa where there as Debbie is part of the organization team that organizes events like these. Debbie flew to Cape Town on Wednesday for the special soccer game. The teams come from all over the world and consists of mainly mentally retarded people or physical disability that still allows them to take part in events like these. The Special Olympics head office is in America, Debbie liaises with them months before each event as it takes a tremendous amount of organizational skills. Being part of the Special Olympics and other events for the mentally retarded is a part of Debbie’s job that she absolutely loves. There is a Special Olympics office in Johannesburg that has people working there that do only that as their job. I am very proud to say that Debbie co-ordinates the Johannesburg office with the American Office and together with one other woman they make sure it all comes together in the end. Next year the Special Olympics will be held in Greece so Debbie is very excited about that. I will ask Debbie to put some photographs on the BLOG of the Soccer game played yesterday and another today.
Here are some Photos of the Whitaker clan at the Nelspruit Stadium during the World Cup
Mr Editor you asked for news so that’s my fair share…CAROL

The Burnett's and the Ritchie's, Catherine (Molly Moo), did enjoy it after all, go off to the world cup match in 'Jozi'!! For those that are not in the know, Jozi is South Africa's slang for Johannesburg. Then included in these photographs, Tam and Kay came to stay with us for a few days and went to watch one of the games held in Nelspruit at our beautiful, awesome, Giraffe
like stadium. Bafana Bafana was out so 'The Down Unders' will be pleased to see that they each painted the others face and supported Australia. To finish off our world cup news and photographs Tam and Kay went to the local Fan Park held at Bergvlam School to watch a few of the matches on the big screens and blow their 'pupazelas' - yes that's what the team from Chile,
staying in White River, called the vuvazela's. I might add that Nelspruit/White River and surrounding areas in Mbombela Municipality have benefited greatly from the infrastructure and the beautiful 3, plus some 4, lane roads. Everyone agrees that the disruption and long wait has been well worth it. Proudly South African!
************************************************************************************

its finally here - well almost 10 past 8 on 9 July 2010

I am sure you have all had and heard the Apple hype of the IPHONE - 3G, 3GS, I4 and IPAD, well here is the 8C-PAD, and for all of you its free- just down load it and watch it - For free - right here on the 8Cowles Blog - JUST FOR YOU ALL.

The 5-past 8 news to follow............... at 10 past 8.........

Make them laugh-

Well I promised a bumper 5 past 8 news bulletin, but I had to practice some new ( for me that is) editing techniques. So here is a preview of what I have been practicing. I took some old photos and put them into a movie, the evidence is proof of a success, my first try at using this technique, so have a taste and watch what is to come in the 8 O'clock news.

Ria thought I had lost my mind, dancing in front of the video camera - doing nothing!

to all my Family and friends - with lots of LOVE

the EDITOR

its 5 PAST 8 and time for the 8 O'clock News

Yip it is a late bulletin, and well overdue, over the past three weeks I have stacked up quite a lot of items, the reason being that I have just been busy with a few odds and sods. never mind the EDITOR is back in the saddle so we will have a bumper NEWS, if you have anything to add to the NEWS then get it in the post right NOW NOW NOW and it will be added, remember, photo's, video's and a short story ( or a long one) but get it in now.

Items on the up and coming news are, Gordon turns 70, Wadey wedding, Oupa Bechard, Frank is a big chief and is coming to visit UK, Tricia is going places, Leon's back Yard, Liam is a big boy now, Billy does some garden work, Molly is in Utah, England bounce out of world cup, Summer hits the UK, Tessy well wait and see- she has promised a video, Carol will surely have something important to share, Monica - teachers always have something to say, Andy and Tania go camping with the DOGS, and lots more, and for those that missed it, a couple of missed blog birthdays, sorry Mitch has already turned 64, refer to the blog last year edition, click here if you missed it. When I'm 64.



The Editor

World Cup 2010 item 3 - LADUMA

Well I asked for World Cup photos and this one tops them all.

Santie, Ria's sister Sarah's daughter with her partner VIV.

Viv is the Blog champion Vuvuzela blower.

Kay and O'dee - the new Gonda Beatrix

Dear Editor – here are some photographs of Kayla,

she likes to be called Kay, with her beloved horse O’Dee.

Debbie took these while Kay was riding yesterday so maybe you can ask her for a story or make one up for the Blog.

Kay & O'Dee

Hey two articles for the BLOG in one day, now that’s quite something!!
Love - Carol

It is questionable if it was a Second Honeymoon

Sandra, James and Sarah went on a camping weekend recently and slept on their boat! When Dad/Grandad got to hear of this sleeping on the boat weekend he said ‘oh the Stapelbergs’ must be having a romantic evening sleeping on the boat! I said…WHAT, with Sarah around not a chance.

BUT most importantly Sandra SAID ‘Tell Dad his idea and my idea of a romantic evening are definitely not the same…

my idea of a romantic evening is a night in a 5 star luxury hotel,

NOT sleeping on a boat and having to prepare the food as well.

So here’s to

A romantic evening on the Boat for the BLOG.

World cup Soccer South Africa 2010 - RSA

This is what Debbie sent in....... Soccer fever has hit South Africa the last two weeks with a huge bang, especially in Sandton, Johannesburg. The city looks stunning with all the flags flying. A lot of the teams have arrived without incident – hopefully it stays like that. Our government has put out a strong message to the country that they will not tolerate any security incidents so let’s hope all goes smoothly. Our Gautrain will be operational within the next few days so we are looking forward to a 10 minute ride from Sandton to ORTambo airport. Beats sitting in the traffic for an hour. Our road infrastructure has been upgraded …. At times I feel like we are in Australia – our roads and major intersections are of a high international standard now – still a few road works in place but otherwise traffic flows smoothly, especially on the north rand.

I am fortunate to be co-organising the Special Olympics Unity Cup match hosted by Coca-Cola in Cape Town on 3 July 2010. This match is the first of its kind worldwide and takes place just before the FIFA World Cup Quarter Final Match. Hope to get a few photos with some of the soccer celebrities from around the world – will send photo’s if I get it right. Next year I get to go to Greece for three weeks with Special Olympics for the Special Olympic World Summer Games. How awesome….

World Cup Soccer in South Africa - 2001 - AUSSIE RULES

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
OYE OYE OYE Today (Sunday) all over Australia with our newspaper
for just $2-00 we got this scarf. We have very beautiful
adverts on TV showing the wild animals and the dancing
of the Native People. Wonderful positive adverts, showing
the beautiful side of South Africa.
The South Africa we remember.

So lets have some more competitive soccer photo's

The Student Princess of 2010

Those were the days when we would sit back and listen to Maro Lanzo.

For those that dont remember, we as the Cowle family were at Genazano on the South coast of Africa, The Rhodes University Students were there on a week-break away.

Molly and Carol were young ( very Young) ladies those days and they had their hearts set on joining these students one evening. Mom and Dad were dead against this, but gave in in the end. There they all were singing and dancing to the songs of Maro Lanza,

I can remember it - like it was yesterday.
The drink song - Drink-Drink-Drink lala - lala lala, and I think that's what put the folks off,

big time - there was a few bottles of wine floating around.

But there was one famous song that Maro Lanza sang - and that was also from the Film -

THE STUDENT PRINCE,

It was all in LATIN but very appropriate and fashionable under the student movement of the 60's - Oh how we wish it was the sixties once again.

Now one of the Cowle's in 2010 has brought this back to life
KIRSTYN
yes one of THECOWLES

Franky as the proud DAD sent an email to the Editor.....

Just a couple of photos of Kirstyns graduation on Sunday 16th May from the

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Thanks

Ciao - TheCowles

and here we have the

STUDENT PRINCESS

of

16th MAY 2010

The good old times and the new politics

Well what do we say, The editor and family reside in Great Britain, politics after the 6th May will never be the same again, forming a coalition of 3 parties that has never happened since the 2nd world war. Enough said, about the the possibilities of a 4th world war within the Cowle family.

Well it is about to happen......................................

There are 3 PARTIES, being- Billy & Ria, Leon-Elizma & Liam, Tania & Andy. or should I say 4 with Murphy & Roxy being the Dachshunds ( Sausage dogs) that are coming with.

We are all going away for a week to Center Parks Resort in the South West of England from the 24-28th May 2010.

Picture this, WHAT DO WE EAT?

Ria, Elizma & Tania have been exchanging emails for days now and there is still a week and a 1/2 to go. What the hell comes out of this remains a mystery. Who takes what- Who Cooks what and at what time, what is for breakfast, lunch and supper.

The three of them, have put menu after menu together and our Internet connection has slowed down to a trickle due to pure overload of ideas and different menus VIA EMAIL.

From - who does what, when and how, with what ingredients and how much it will cost.

All this, just to take a break from routine, leave it up to three woman and it becomes a major disaster, with tooooooooooo many answers and not enough questions.

Then from the dark dark corners of a small northern area of Great Britain comes a voice of minority in the form of a SCOTSMAN, yes Andy pipes up with the following question.

Of all the menus and ideas and creative cooking, with - what pans and pots and knives to take with, WHAT ABOUT WE "BRAAI" not BARBECUE but BRAAI, now, I ask with all the South African Blood and heritage the rest of us have, we kneed a SCOTSMAN to ask the question - WHAT ABOUT THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE 1 OR MORE BRAAI's

I rest my case and say - WELCOME TO THE FAMILY - "ANDY"

Now this is not the end of the story, episode 2 starts right here on the 8cowles blog

The moral of the following story remains -

"STILL BEAUTIFUL"

You have to read the story below and in your mind, picture ( with a little bit of creativity and logic) Billy at Waterloo with his IPHONE sending a sms/text message of his train he is about to catch ....................... the punch line at the end is AWESOME - JUST BLOODY AWESOME

As a pre-amble or introduction----The Editor, alias Billy, travels by train, to & from Woking-London every day to work. Every afternoon/evening he sends a text/sms to Ria, as to what train he will be catching home and this ranges from 5:15, 5:25, 5:30, 5;40; 5;50; 5;55 through to the 01:30 depends if he goes for drinks with the lads at work OR NOT.

This tells Ria what time to pick him up at Woking Station ABOUT 30 minutes later.

Now, what could be easier than that - plain and simple with a difference of 30 minutes.

JOB DONE AND DUSTED.

Just last night, Billy decides to make it interesting, out of the norm, he can - with a bit of special effort, catch the 5:15 and if he does he sends a text/sms as follows....

YIPPIE ON THE 5:15

Now this specific evening he does make the 5:15 and sends a one word text/sms "GOLDBERG", this is in the line of a cryptic clue, without time or nothing. Just a bit of fun to add to the routine messages.

Needless to say he arrives 30minutes later at Woking, with no taxi, in the form of Ria to pick hIm up.

He has to phone her on his IPHONE at great expense and ask? where the hell are you- I am at Woking, did you not get my text/sms THAT I AM ON THE 5:15.

Ria replies, - I got a stupid word of "GOLDBERG" and for the life of me, could not work out what it meant or what you were saying - I immediately thought you had gone for DRINKS with the lads.

Well, I explained my text/message of GOLDBERG and she said to me - ESKOM bent your mind and you are just like your wierd FATHER. I tried my best to convince her what the cryptic message meant, - to no avail.

Well the challenge was on, I said- if I send the same text to the kids, they will know exactly what it means - on the 5:15 TRAIN, she said DO IT, so I did, expecting a 100% positive response from LEON-ELIZMA-TANIA-ANDY and even LIAM.

To Ria's pleasant and sarcastic remarks, none of my beloved children responded in my favour but had some nasty things to say to me about my sense of humour.

I had to explain my cryptic clue as follows -

GOLDBERG = WHOOPIE = YIPPIE = 5:15 TRAIN - job done and dusted, I will be at Woking at 5:45 - YIPPIE, Early home and effort was made to make the early train.

ALL OF THEM JUST TOLD ME HOW STUPID I AM.

So I had to take this further and state my case of intelligence and rationality thinking by the following statement.

If I could send a text/sms to my DAD ( Hi Old Man) right now and send him one word "GOLDBERG" he would text me back and say.......... without a doubt...........

WELL DONE SON, you are on the 5:15 train home and will be in Woking at 5:45.

NOW WAIT FOR IT

I SAID " WAIT FOR IT" the punch line is coming

WAIT FOR IT<<<<<<<<>

WAIT FOR IT-------

I GET THE FOLLOWING TEXT MESSAGE.

Grand Dad would not have said " you are on the 5:15" he would have said............. in his text/sms --------- wait for it ----- it is well worth the wait ---------------

IT IS TIME YOU CAME AND JOINED ME - SON

I had to share that with the world and all of you......

"STILL BEAUTIFUL"

MULTI TASKING DOWN UNDER - with a PIZZA

As the saying goes, " WORK is for people who don't play GOLF" but some people can play golf and work at the same time, it is just the type of golf club they use.............

Multi-Tasking at its best

So in the end, we look forward to the promised video once a week, not just for Billy and Carol, but for the 8COWLES BLOG and everybody who logs on...............

On that note, the EDITOR says..... here is a motivation to get your weekly news in and onto the blog -

GO FOR IT

What is happening in your world???????, share it with the family right here on the

8COWLES BLOG

**************************************************************************

Here is a guy who makes the best Pizza's in town

Jean Pierre in his element

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ! mmmmmmmmmmmm

MORE PLEASE
He's not just a pretty face, he cooks as well.
Jean-Pierre enjoys cooking and making lots of mess he
must get that from his Granddad Bill and Mom Teresa.
The prawn pizza was wonderful once he had cooked it
He enjoys experimenting in the kitchen.

Love to all
Tessy / Teresa

************************************************************************

It is not often that the EDITOR passes a comment on the blog but there is always a first time, and you don't have to "CLICK" to read it.....

Was the mopping up after the pizza was made or was it after eating and celebrating the 59th birthday on the 1st of May.????... time to take it easy now, you are almost 60 going on 64.

THE EDITOR - BB

YES THE BIG "1" THE "21" TODAY

FRIDAY 16TH APRIL 2010

PAUL JAMES STAPELBERG

Now this is something to celebrate - what 21st is not!

BUT

this is a special 21st

Firstly

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL"

Secondly - Sandra and James your baby 21 years ago has grown from looking up to you and how it has changed NOW you look up to him with PRIDE and JOY.

Thirdly - There is Carol & Paul - what a day in your life from holding that little baby in your arms, with a special feeling of "AWE" with tears of Joy in your eyes, asking yourself is this little baby of ours alive and all ours.

- A MIRACLE to be treasured -.

Paul James Stapelberg, is not only the Stapelbergs first to turn 21, but Nan & Pa Whitaker's first Grand Child to turn 21 and then a very special 1st on the 8cowles blog - the very first grand child of all the family to turn 21.

For he's a JOLLY GOOD FELLOW and so say all of us.

SIR CLIFF RICHARD @ SUN CITY SOUTH AFRICA

IT WAS A SUNNY MARCH OF 2010

Molly, Gordan, Monica, Kevin and Tricia travelled to down town SUN CITY in the South African bush to see Sir CLIFF RICHARD on his final world tour with the SHADOWS.

It must have been amazing, Billy and Ria were at a show at Wembley Arena in London a while ago and there was a poster of up and coming attractions, so just guess who had to pose in front of the poster........ yip you got that one right.

Just sit back and enjoy snippits of the show with the crowd that did attend the show........

for ever young SIR CLIFF

Carol, I could not resist this comment -"JEALOUSY MAKES YOU NASTY"

WHEN I'M 64 - PAUL

THAT IS ME

PA WHITAKER

HE NOW TAKES THE 64 CROWN FROM MITCH

28TH MARCH 2010

MORE TO COME TOMORROW

Good Wishes and speedy recovery

The blog

wishes

Gordon

a speedy recovery and safe trip home back to Zambia

for

Him and Molly

from

EVERYBODY

Days and youth GONE BYE

One of the blog world wide reporters was just looking through his/her photos and thought you might like to see your brothers and sisters again when they had no grey hair.

SO HERE IT IS

For those of you who don't recognise anybody - from left to right

Bottom row - Patricia, Kevin, Monica

Middle row -Tessy, Carol, Molly

At the back - Franky and Billy

Now lets have some comments, who sent it in, where was it taken and what year????.

The reporter who sent it in, must stay silent for a while and the Editor will reveal all.

The BISTO KIDS

Gravy, yes the gravy, I can remember when Nanna, that is Mom Cowle's mom - Nanna Allcock used to call Molly and Carol or was it Billy & Tessy - The Bisto Kids, wow, now my memory is getting old and fading - Oh! how I miss my mind.... or was it the BISTO TWINS, I am talking about the two kids on the tin of Bisto gravy powder. Who remembers that...........

If we look back over time we get all sorts of TWIN comparisons, Tarzan & Jane, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Franky & Sammy Davey jnr, Rogers & Hammerstein, Elvis and Jail House Rock, Cliff and the Shadows, Michael Jackson & Thriller, Tom & Jerry, Laurel & Hardy, Julie Andrews & Sound of Music, Yul Brunner & the King and I, The Wright Brothers and aeroplanes, Niel Armstrong & the Moon .......the list is endless....... these are all inseparable Twins and they have all stood the test of time, just like the Blue Bulls and the Curry CUP. Now we are in real time looking at reality what do we get.....................................

Two young ladies who are born a little bit of a year apart BUT for two weeks of any given year since they were both born THEY ARE TWINS, yes twins, twins are the same age and here we have these two young ladies who are TWINS for two weeks only.

Any guesses, well here it is, They are Monique and Bernadette Bechard - Conlon, two inseparable sisters one born on the 7th and the other on the 21st of March and between these two dates they are the same age - 2010 both 38years old. NOW HOWS THAT for a blog item and from a Mom and Dad that wish them everything of the best of the best.

More then just sisters - twins for 2 weeks.
Bernadette will be 38 on Sunday 7th March and Monique will
only turn 39 on the 21st March, so they have always been
twins for 2 weeks.
Happy Birthday My Baidy Boom LOL Da Mummy and Dad

Times Square - The Cowle Cuzzies on the WEBCAM

NEW YORK - NEW YORK

START SPREADING THE NEWS

Cheane, Kirsten, Michael, Tania and Andy

It was 25th February 2010, and they all got together for Cheane's 25th birthday party. They went down town New York and stood in front of one of the many street web cams. Not the best quality, but it is an historic occasions, and sorry no sound, but it is LIVE.

You can log onto these web-cams on the Internet and watch the people in the street. It was all organised what time they would stand there and wave at us.

There were quite a few of us watching live on the net as it happened, so for those that missed it - here it is. Tania and Andy fly back on Monday 1st March and I am sure there will be plenty of photo's to down load onto he own blog as well as the 8cowles blog, so keep clicking........

If you fancy a look at the street LIVE in Times Square - New York just click right here

While they were there, apart from the all night party, they got together the night before for a BRAAI in NEW YORK click here.................. for a look at the venue, if you are ever in new York and feel home sick for a good old BRAAI.

One hell of a Town - NEW YORK _ NEW YORK

2010 - 25th February and its party time.

Tania & Andy flew out of Heathrow airport this morning 20/2/2010 and on their way to Washington DC for a couple of days, then catching the train to NEW YORK on Wednesday.

This is the first time Andy will be meeting one of the 8COWLES family in the form of THECOWLES,so here is a special request via the blog from the editor.

We all know Tania tooooooooooooo well, a party freak to say the least, but Andy is a very level headed lad, likes to be in bed by 10pm, he does not drink beer or any other form of liquid refreshment except orange juice. He is totally mad about salads and if he has a steak it is normally a very small piece.

Having said that, could THECOWLES please put their best foot forward, dress very conservatively, no jeans, preferable collar and tie where applicable. No late parties etc as this may cause Andy to get the wrong impression of the COWLE CLAN.

YEAH and I am a Monk in a monastery in the mountains, cut off from the rest of the world.

TANIA - ANDY - CHEANE and everybody else, we hope you have a cracker of a party and go right through the night & see the sunrise in NEW YORK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY - CHEANE

There is a wedding coming up in UTAH _ USA

Well here is the chain of THE WEDDING ARRANGEMENTS, Molly must really get organised or is it just old age catching up - after all the turmoil, and the typing of emails, lets have a big family drive and make her the proudest oldest of the 8 of us................ The last email is the one that you must really read.............

No 1.......
Yes, it's actually happening!!! Adrian and Lisa are getting married on the 3rd April 2010. The wedding will be a no fuss affair, just under a tree in the middle of the Luangwa Valley no long white wedding dress, no three tiered cake, just everyone in safaris clothes!!! No hats unless its a safari hat!! No fancy expensive invites - this is it. Lisa is so the right person for Adrian!!!
You are all invited!!! Trish, I do not have Megs address so will leave you to let her know.
I know its expensive to get here and I understand if you cannot make it but I would love to see you all. If you are thinking of coming, I can let you know by email what you would be in for financially when you get to Zambia so that perhaps you can all start saving. Tessy, perhaps Monique and her darling could come from down under as I know you could not make the journey, you will be with us in spirit and prayers. (Have I forgotten anyone???)
Well this is just the first email I am sending out about this exciting event, it will be a small wedding, that is depending on how many of my darling family can be here, around 30 people that's all. The date has been fixed to tie in with Tori's spring break so that she can be here.
Lotsa love and thoughts
Molly
No 2
Hi All,
Just to let you all know that the Wedding planned for April has been postponed to June/July. I am sorry to let you know this but there is nothing we can do about it. I hope now we have put it forward to June/July perhaps a few more of you can consider making a holiday to Zambia in June/July. Once the date has been fixed we can let you all know.
lotsa love
Molly
No 3
Dear All,
I sent you all an email telling you Adrian and Lisa were getting married in April in Zambia, then I sent an email to say they were not getting married in Zambia, now I am sending you an email to say that they are getting married on the 26th June in Park City Utah USA. I would be honoured if any of our family could make the celebrations - so it's not going to be a safari wedding but it will still be beautiful in Park City.
Let me know if you or any of your family are able or unable to travel so we can make plans for accommodation.
My love to you all this valentines day
Molly

No 4
Please can you do me a favour and forward my email to all your kids, who are in fact Adrian's Cousins so that they can also see if they would like to come across to America to Adrian and Lisa's wedding. (Two of them live in American anyway) I was going to send it to them myself but I am sure I would leave someone out and then would feel bad. Perhaps we can make it a huge family re-union -

Adrian did say he wanted a small wedding but then again he has a mother who is the eldest of 8!!!
Much love Molly

So JUNE 26th 2010 it is --in PARK CITY - UTAH - USA

for anybody who doesn't know where that is - it is just north of MEXICO

While the snow in the UK and USA is keeping everyone indoors and the cold getting to the bones, Megan is enjoying the snow at Ski Dubai. Hard to believe she is in the sand pit with temps pretty chilly for winter with lows of 18 and highs of 28 (outside Ski Dubai)

Oh well, there is a saying that goes " THE CAMERA NEVER LIES" so we have to beleive it

MEGAN IN DUBAI

Let me be your HERO - in your Soul tonight

YOU might say "What a strange heading", but then again, if we look a bit deeper, we would ask, WILL YOU BE MY HERO, from the 90+ down to the young, Would you cry for me, would you run for me, the young are the ones that must run and the old are the ones that must cry. Why..... because, as we get old we look to the young for strength. A little girl of 5 once said, I would rather go shopping with GrandMa than Mommy, because GrandMa walks slowly like me................

GrandMa is the little girls HERO.... This is what a Family bond is all about - when we have trials and tribulations, or something truly to celebrate, who better than with family. The institute of "A FAMILY" brings generations together around a table, holding hands and chatting - Young and OLD with a common voice and common cause.

While I was putting this picture collage together, I was thinking about the steel trunk under the bed of hundreds of photos, now we have CD's full and hard drives full of digital photos, looking through we say - REMEMBER THIS or THAT - wow we were so young - etc etc etc.

BUT - chuck some photo's together on a blog - add a music track ( but you have to choose the right one) and you get a complete different sense of LOVE and belonging, a True feeling of togetherness and feel the deep inner feeling of what we are and where we belong.

Sit back and enjoy this wonderful thing we all long for and love - its keeps us alive

A FAMILY TOGETHER

Here's to the BECHARDS from OUPA & OUMA 90+ down to the youth and young and a wind blowing through our hair even if it is a HURRICANE .

Mitch and Tessy this makes us all proud of you.

but what the hell - You are FAMILY that's what really counts,

even if you are 1000000miles away.

Dedicated to " FAMILY LOVE"

"Would You Cry for me - you are in my SOUL TONIGHT"

VALENTINES DAY 14th Feb 2010

From Me to YOU & You to me, us to them, sister to brother, mom to dad, daughter to mom, dad to son, niece to nephew, ouma to grandie, grandie to oupa, the list is endless into eternity.

I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU

-

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

For each one of us this is a special day for each one of YOU

For this special week-end, the Editor's PC randomly selected some photos and placed them to the back ground music

especially for

all of

YOU

from

all of

ME

EVERYONE

who looks at the

8COWLES.BLOGSPOT.COM

Family to Family

Friend to Friend

and

LOVED ONE TO LOVED ONE

Happy VALENTINES DAY

one of the special Birthdays this year

The Blog presents

Miss Cheane Cowle

25 February 1985 - 2010

It is all about 25 ............. 25 February and 25 means GOLDEN and she is 25 on this day, What a celebration this will be. We cant wait to see all the photos and the videos, The first BIG birthday of the year on the BLOG.

Although the Editor must say all birthdays are special.

This year we have some big ones, watch this space.

Someone is going to celebrate in style for this one on the 25th. NEW YORK one hell of a town NEW YORK - NEW YORK..............

lets all join hand and TOAST

Happy Birthday for the 25 February 2010

AND THE WINNER IS ..................................

MITCH MAKES THE NEWSPAPERS

Mitch is doing well with his golf and gets his name in the paper quite often I am attaching a results page from last Sunday morning newspaper, where he won some sort of points for winning something on the day, chasing a little white ball. See how much I know !!
You would have to blow this up a bit. Under Corinda you will see ..................
Corinda

Division 1 - A Grade - M. Bechard

anybody for a 4 ball - I will meet you at the 19th.

Stapelbergs go sailing - BON VOYAGE

Just a few photographs of the new addition to The Stapelberg Family, down under. She has not been named yet, but will let you know what she is called. So proud of James who has worked so hard for this boat and now has his very own successful business and employs two other guys. Congrats to the Stapelberg family and bon-voyage on its first launch in the sea.

Billy, how about that song, don’t know it’s name but goes like this – I am sailing, I am sailing……is it Rod Stewart? Or any appropriate song for a sea going boat. I am sailing might be a bit too much of a love song - but that's what this is all about , is it not - LOL Carol

Spot on Sir Editor AHA and I was right guessing it was Good old Rod…No one has a husky voice quite like his. Comes a good 3^rd to Sir Cliff Richard. Yes Billy go for it…hope to have some Aussie photographs from Debbie this weekend of their trip to send you with a story, she is just so busy at the moment to write a story but I know all about their trip. Failing that we are going to J’burg the following weekend and I will bring the disk back with 100’s of photographs and send you plenty so you can make a good ‘show’ for all of us to enjoy, especially me .

MY NAME IS - ??????????????
May you sail the seven seas and conquer all the storms

LETS GO VISIT DOWN UNDER

Sandra and James play host to Debbie and the two girls on a visit over to Australia. The Bechards joined them for lunch one day at a place in the middle of where everybody stayed. Tessy, googled it and all was arranged, so it was about 1/2hr travelling for everybody, it looks like they had a whale of a time.

I believe there are lots more photo's to come. These came from Tessy, as for Debbie who moved to Jo-burg just 1 week before going down-under has gigabits of photo's , but on her return has a whole house to unpack. So watch this space, as soon as they arrive in the Editors inbox, they will be posted right here on the 8cowles blog.

It is strange, when one looks at group photo,s like this, and then tries and work out the family structure, me I'm to old for this, so Tessy has gone and put it into perspective for us.

Monique's cousins are Sandra and Debbie and not their children. Monique and us have seen
Sandra almost ever year for a few years now. Until they moved here Sandra used to come here
for business and we would catch up with her. Debbie and Monique had not seen each other, except in photos on the net and the 8cowles blog, for 22 years. Just like Leon and Monique. So this was quite a historic visit, not only for Monique but for Debbie and the girls.

DOWN UNDER 2010

it is 2010 the next generation comes forward

Can you look back and see the "old man" in his vest - well done MITCH you are going on 65

and then its NEW YEAR in California, with THECOWLES

lots more to come when I finish building my new PC, this old machine is sooooooooooo slow

its New year in the UK aswell

Christmas in London Town

Well close enough to London anyhow, actually in Woking-Surrey, with the Cowles and Liam

It was 1999, when the millennium bug was to hit all our PC's, we survived, thanks to Leon and as he puts it "MY INDUSTRY". Through all this turmoil we sit at Christmas 2009 and with this technology I bring you JOY and HAPPINESS with all the blog updates and pictures/videos. Now here is a sample of real HAPPINESS - LIAM @ CHRISTMAS.2009

May 2010 be A WONDERFUL WORLD for all of YOU

STILL BEAUTIFUL

BILLY & RIA