Today we had a lazy morning doing chores and laundry – there is something special about sun-dried washing that you have hung on the line yourself. Even in winter, washing dries in a couple of hours outside and it always smells lovely – like fresh air and sunshine.
After that we drove to nearby Port Alfred, where we met up with my cousin and her family at the family cottage, where we will be staying for the weekend.
The cottage is a small wood and iron ‘shack’ which is very basic but has a brilliant view and so much character. I spent weekends and holidays here with all my cousins. I grew up an only child so my cousins were like brothers and sisters to me and I spent as much time with them as I could. The cottage was tiny and only had one bedroom, so we slept two by two in old caravans in the garden. Each pair of us were given a potty and a candle in the evenings and off we went to bed. In the mornings we had cold showers in the open outside. The caravans are no longer there but the memories remain.
We sat by a fire and everyone else ate huge, freshly caught oysters. It is so nice to sit and chat into the late hours with loved ones in a relaxed atmosphere. Love and laughter is the best thing.
