Christmas and all that

And so to more about the joys of Christmas in Norfolk. The main players in our Nativity drama were Marcela - in surprisingly good fettle considering the trials and tribulations she has been through, and also considering she is about 2 weeks from giving birth; Elena (her mother) who is a remarkably cheerful and industrious lady, dropping everything in Chisinau to come to our rescue when I was in Zimbabwe and Marcela became unable to get down the stairs in our little house in Norwich; my two much-travelled cats Emma (short for Emmeline Pankhurst, a suffragette and noted feminist) and Chifupe (Shona for "shortarse") who've been with me all round the world the last 15 years or more - and of course yours truly, Shane Hodgson - father-to-be.
















An eclectic bunch of guests for Christmas dinner, for sure. Back in Moldova Marcela's dad was fortunately able to spend the day with relatives while my merry bunch of siblings congregated (as they do almost every year) in Pietermaritzburg. Mom, three brothers and spouses and a total of nine and a half grandkids (Craig and Irma are busy gestating their fourth, must be something in the Harare water). Mom is as happy as a puppy with two tails - by May she'll have 11 grandchildren and all the attendant bragging rights that gives.

We sadly missed the chance to spend the day with those of our cousins now resident in England - but I managed to persuade an online South African foodstuffs shop to dispatch a hamper of SA products up to the tiny village in Shropshire where the cousins were lunching with an uncle and aunt, so hopefully the biltong, peppermint crisps and suchlike made up for our absence.

Boxing day was spent in a sort of post-turkey haze, watching those of my DVD's that have Romanian subtitles (strangely, all the Michael Caine ones) and occasionally taking a look at how SA were doing in the cricket (very badly indeed). Tomorrow it's back to a variety of admin. tasks involved in preparing for the project in Germany, and puzzling over the incredible variety of baby names in common use. Not knowing the gender of our baby Hogga yet is kinda quaint and unusual in the modern day, but it does of course mean I need to find and negotiate the use of both boy and girl names. And I just know that a phalanx of brothers, still smarting over comments I have made over the years about kids names, are waiting to chastise me no matter what names we choose....

In Memoriam - Arthur Robert "Bob" Hodgson

This is just a short post to notify friends and family that my father, Bob Hodgson, died suddenly on 24th November. He was 65. I have just come back from burying him in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he had been based since his farm was stolen by the Mugabe Government. The stress of trying to survive amongst the criminal venality, incompetence and filth of that God-cursed pack of thieves wore him out; the exertions of his latest mining project, which he hoped would save his descendants from having to live hand-to-mouth amongst enemies, finally killed him.

He leaves an enormous void and four grieving sons. We'll miss his energy, humour and sheer presence as well as the love and pride he showed in us all. He never quit.

Go well Dad.