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Pictures from 2006 Family - Anniversary - Botswana 40 - Tanzania - Toronto - Tauxemont We closed the door to 2006 in Sweden and are just about to bid January 2007 goodbye. Yes, we had thought that we could get away without sending our traditional holiday greetings—but the dream is over. We have finally decided to respond to wake-up calls by friends and relatives who have not heard from us since we posted our 2005 greetings. We simply had to honour the tradition—and here comes the 2006 summary! In March 2006 we went to Sweden to help Per’s father, Axel (93) to move to independent/assisted living. He had resisted the move for years and when he finally called to say that he had found a place he liked, we rushed to Stockholm to make sure he moved before he changed his mind. Together with Per’s niece, May-Karin and Petter (Per’s son), we moved all the belongings he had had in the flat he lived in for 50 years and helped decorate his new place. He has never stopped saying that he wished he had moved to his new home much earlier! Mid-year, our children switched residential places. Anna and family moved from New Jersey to Sigtuna in Sweden. Petter and family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Moleko and family remained in Botswana but moved to a new house in Orapa. We have always wished we could miraculously have all our grandchildren as near as possible to wherever we where, all the time. Thanks to technological advancements, we were able to stay in touch will all of them via e-mail, skype, etc. We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Pittsburgh trio (Josefin, Julia and David) at our home in DC; spent time with Nyaladzi and Chedu in Botswana during our visit in September/October; and caught up with Asali in Sweden during Christmas and New Year. Per continued to enjoy his job at Training Futures, but quit end-year following a change of location. Julia bounced between Kosovo and Tanzania for her IMF work travels. We travelled twice together to Tanzania during Julia’s IMF mission trips in January and November 2006. Together, we also travelled to Toronto to spend time with Ross and Puseletso Kidd (our friends from Botswana) who were in Toronto for the 16th International AIDS Conference. We had a wonderful time with them and their children and grandchildren at the Kidd’s family farm. In September, the 2005 midsummer celebration dream came true! Some of the people who had resolved to be part of Botswana’s 40th Independence Anniversary celebrations, honoured their pledge. Twenty-two of us converged in Gaborone for the independence celebrations, followed by memorable trips to Masunga for Julia’s sister’s wedding; the Okavango Delta; Chobe and Victoria Falls; Khutse Game Reserve in the Kalahari and other places. The group was homogenously diverse! On December 30, 2006, at least 50 friends and relatives joined us to celebrate our 30-year of happiness and tolerance for each other. We were honoured by the presence of Åke Aastrup (94) who had been part of our wedding ceremony on December 18, 1976. Åke and his wife Greta have always been the admirable couple that we looked up to during the 1970-ies when Åke worked as an advisor in Botswana. Among other guests were some who had been part of the 1976 ceremony; the formidable Sigtuna friends who had helped organize the wedding arrangements in 1976, and who prepared a most entertaining renewal of vows ceremony on December 30; and our family (Per's father, Anna, Safi, and Asali). Great friends and relatives, wonderful memories!! Tauxemont continued to be a great place to live. We enjoyed the annual garden walk; potluck, cultural activities; characteristic of the ever-so-friendly neighbourliness of the woody historic place. Latest
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Our 7th grandchild, Tesana, was born on January 29, 2007 in Orapa, Botswana.
She is the daughter of Kutlo and Moleko and sister to Nyaladzi and Chedu. Let there be Peace and Happiness in 2007 and beyond! Pictures from 2006 Family - Anniversary - Botswana 40 - Tanzania - Toronto - Tauxemont |