The Homecoming

It felt like it would never happen but finally the day is here when Enid returns from the far end of the world.  She left on the 25^th of May which makes it close on two months that I had to live without her.  There was not a day that went past that I did not think of her.  I even made her side of the bed up in the mornings!

She is due to arrive at 16h30 this afternoon and Mabel and Dean is ready to fetch her at the airport.  I did not prepare the proverbial fatted calf, but I did make a pot of soup.  It has the advantage that it can be heated up with very little fuss and leftovers can be frozen.  It is still winter and soup is always a winner if you get hungry.  I also thought it would be nice to have her car washed and filled up with petrol.  This nearly backfired because the regular carwash was out of action (their machine was broken) but fortunately I remembered that Michael once told me of a place where he took his car to be washed.  This carwash is very efficient and I was helped quickly.  To top it off they are cheaper and I only paid R30 for a wash and dry which cost R45 at the place I usually take the car to.  I will henceforth support the cheaper one, even a full job – wash, dry and vacuum cost R50 compared to R60.

The Dagwood days

The schools started up on Monday 16 June and leisurely afternoons with freedom to do as I please.  Why should a pensioner, and an elderly one to top it, be influenced by school terms.  Elementary my dear Watson, because there is a granddaughter that has to be fetched from school, see that she gets some lunch and make sure that she does her homework,  Cheryl is in grade 9 and does not need prompting to do the latter, so this blog is just concerned  with fetching and eating.  Sheryl attends The Way School which is scarcely two kilometres away.  So, the fetching is not much more than a five minute drive, depending  on the traffic.  We have a good understanding and therefore things that are discussed are not earth shattering, mostly to do with school, family or music.  One question that Cheryl always manages to get in is to ask what we are having for lunch.

Normally my wife (granny) is in charge of lunch and I can honestly tell her that I do not know what to expect.  For this week, however Granny is still visiting the family down under and I have to know the answer.  This is where the Dagwoods came in.  While perusing the confectionaries available at Spar Supermarket I discovered ready to bake Italian rolls.  A packet of six costs R13 and seemed good value.  In my mind I made up these rolls, fresh from the oven, loaded with all sorts of fillings.  This is what was popularly referred to as a Dagwood, a sandwich stacked with as wide a variety of fillings as can be managed.  To top off the lunch I bought some custard slices.  So, I was prepared when asked what we are having for lunch – Dagwoods of course.  I baked the rolls and explained to Sheryl what she can do to make up her own sandwich.  Grated cheese, sliced tomatoes and ham were the basic ingredients and flavoured a little bit of sweet chilli sauce it was a meal fit for a king.  The custard slices was also a winner.  The rolls were enough for a second day and we repeated the Dagwood lunch, much to the delight of Cheryl. Now I have three more days to think up lunch for Sheryl and me.  Not so difficult but cannot be avoided.