My Family's Fourth of July Picnic Story in Pics

This will be a story in pictures again. But first, here are some of the things I made for our picnic:

1)  Mexican Roll-Ups
2)  Meat Roll-Ups
3)  Stuffed Eggs
4)  Curried Walnuts
5)  Bobotie
6)  Grapes
7)  Diet Splenda Coke and Miller light beers and ice cold water
8)  Sandwiches for the boys and cheese hamburger buns for us with cold meats, cheese and tomato.
9)  Chocolate chip scones

If anyone is interested in any of these recipes, let me know and I'll post it.

Okay here is the story.  Don't laugh at me too much, okay?!!




The boat trip and one of the inhabited islands on the way.  I got to walk in this village - very interesting.  Some youngsters barely 5 years of age were dragging palm fronds for repairing a bungalow roof.  Little kiddies said hello to me and stared curiously at us. These Indians have a simple way of life but quite peaceful and one cannot argue that the scenery they enjoy is spectacular.
 Buying low-carb food - big crabs!  They cook them for us on the island.

 Approaching the island where we will spend almost 6 hours.  The weather was perfect, the temperature even more perfect - just right!  The sun - waaay too strong and hot for my delicate, older skin. I was determined to avoid a sunburn. 

 My eldest son, Daniel, contemplating the fallen Palm tree.

 My youngest son bbm'ing a friend on his Blackberry.  A Brazilian beauty in the background taking photos.  She and her fiance were off to Spain to get married in a day or two.  They got to sleep on the island that night.

  Dan and Jon hanging out on a Palm tree over the water and a huge school of colorful fishes.  I'm holding an enormous shell that weighs about 5 lbs. 

 A view of the crystal clear sea and part of the beach. A bungalow off to the side with roof made out of palm fronds containing 3 beds for overnight visitors.  We could not stay overnight as Smiley was patiently waiting inside our home on the mountain for us to return.

 A better view of the bungalow and yet another small one on the point.  This side of the beach is lovely for bathing but the other side of the island is full of coral and has small waves; hard to believe looking at this tranquil scene.

 Jonathan monkeying around and looking buff.  He is the most avid low-carber in the family!

First of all, this is how I used to go the beach at the age of sweet sixteen . I was a brunette then but now I'm a blonde.  Gee, I wonder how that happened?  I get highlights to hide the gray but now I have so much gray that my hairdresser is threatening to color the gray brown. Go figure!  Next to me is Ian who also became my husband.  We celebrated 32 years of marriage this year.  It is a long story but due to problems with our papers and emigrating, I married this same man 3 times!  Yep, you read that right!  (wink)










Our two wonderful sons flanking mom sitting on her chair, feet dangling in the water.  Yep, this is how I go to the beach these days at age 54!  Daniel called me "Little Purple Riding Hood".  Jonathan called me "Little Bo Peep" and Ian called me "Jungle Jen."  Haha!  I am so afraid of getting too much sun as I burn red-red within minutes it seems and later turn into one big freckle in my mind!!  Everyone looked a bit like a tomato at the end of the day but I was absolutely fine except for a sun-kissed look on my face and chest.  Daniel got a serious burn on the part of his back that was sticking out of the water while snorkeling and viewing pretty underwater creatures, including tiny purple and white jelly fish and colorful sea urchins on the bottom of the ocean lurking between bits of coral.  I hope he wears his shirt next time.  I do feel bad about that.   At least he did manage to sleep.  I remember putting sunscreen on Jon's back because he asked me, but I completely forgot to ask Dan if he had done his back.  He is darker than Jonathan and I worry less but this sun is not to be underestimated! (Update:  Dan informed me that he covered his own back with SPF50, so it was swimming at midday that was the problem and perhaps some of it washed off.  Either way, it is shocking.  Days later, he is still red!)  I'm holding a huge coconut.  People drink the fluid in these enormous green coconuts.  The last time Daniel went to the beach he got an upset tummy from doing that.  It can be rough on the system if one is not used to it.  All in all this was a lovely and memorable day and the picnic was real tasty!