In November 2011 we traveled to South Africa and brought Charles's parents along for the ride. We spent a week in and around Cape Town, a few days near Hartbeespoort and the Cradle of Humankind, a couple days at Pilanesberg National Park, and two days with my friend Stephanie and her family in Pretoria. It was a FANTASTIC trip!
There are (currently) 78 photos in this album and don't include some of the great places we visited or people we saw. I may add more as we finish weeding through the approximately FOUR THOUSAND photos we took. Seriously. It was a great trip.
Charles's mom started teaching Aldus how to dance to "San Toki" over the Christmas holiday. He's gotten hooked on having us sing it to him (when we're not singing "The Victors," that is). And now he's starting to sing it for himself! He doesn't quite have the words right yet, but we can tell he's starting to put it together.
I try not to bust out the Christmas music too early in the year, but now that we're past Thanksgiving and into December I think it's acceptable. My favorite holiday listening pleasures in recent years have included Ella [Fitzgerald] Wishes You a Swinging Christmas and Starbucks High-Fidelity Holiday. Charles got me the latter several years ago because it has a great Cocteau Twins version of "Winter Wonderland", but I also love Keb' Mo's "Jingle Bell Jamboree", Dean Martin's "Baby It's Cold Outside" and Robbie Robertson's "Christmas Must Be Tonight." That last one always brings tears to my eyes. I have no idea why.
But I think one of my all-time Christmas favorites has to be the Pogues' and Kirsty MacColl's "Fairytale of New York (Christmas in the Drunk Tank)". It's not the most uplifting of Christmas tunes, but it's one hell of a great song. RIP Kirsty.