JEFFREYS BAY – She was about to turn 50. She sold her business in Jeffreys Bay, packed her bags and set off to work as a chef in a factory in London.
But for Jeanne Neale-May, the work at the McLaren factory was only her means to get to tour Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
She spent her most memorable birthday in Bracknell near Ascot.
And one thing is for sure, this livewire does not do ordinary or boring!
Jeanne was born in Kariega as the first daughter of Elaine and Jock Ward. Her brother Andrew Ward was the eldest, and she had a younger sister, Delene Evert.
Since her early days, Jeanne knew that she had a deep yearning to serve others.
During her final years at Riebeek College, she realised that she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a voluntary worker. Nursing was her second choice, but this did not exactly pan out the way she thought.
She went to study Floral Art and Design at the Elro School of Arts in Pretoria while staying with her mother’s sister, Heather Gouws.
After obtaining her Master’s Certificate in the third year of her studies, Jeanne returned to Kariega.
On her return, she started working at Frost’s Florist in John Street, Kariega.
She remembers some of the weird orders during her years of being a florist.
“I had to do the flowers for a big wedding. The main arrangement was only a few flowers, but had to be elaborate and consisted of fruits, nuts and sweets. It was h-u-g-e, and we struggled with the transportation to the wedding.”
Another strange request was a half-moon arrangement in a wicker basket.
And then of course there were quite a few of those exorbitant “I-am-sorry” peace offerings.
“I once had to go to the couple’s home to strew rose petals from the front door up to their bathroom, while she was at work. And of course, he also ordered a very large and expensive bouquet of red roses!”
Jeanne married Tony Neale-May from Port Alfred in 1972.
He later sadly passed on after a serious motor vehicle accident.
Her mother had started the Drostdy Workshop for the mentally and physically challenged in Kariega. The first intake in the then Salvation Army Hall was for only six people.
Jeanne and her sister joined their mother, and their involvement soon had the numbers escalating to 45 people between the ages of 15 and 45 years.
“We approached different businesses to assist us in earning pocket money for our ‘patients’. Volkswagen and Hella came to the table, and soon we had happy people sorting nuts and bolts and doing menial tasks in order to be kept busy, as well as earning themselves some pocket money.”
One day, she suddenly had the inkling that moving to Jeffreys Bay seemed a good idea. Everybody in the Kouga region soon got to know Jeanne from Jenny’s Flower Shop!
Little did they know that after nearly every lock-up, Jeanne would rush home to go fishing!
Her son, Robert, owned a rubber duck. The two of them would launch and go fishing, usually to well after sunset!
Jeanne also soon started taking part in numerous fishing competitions.
In her best catch, she landed a healthy cob of 7kg, which she still hopes to surpass on the scale!
Her worst experience on a fishing trip was when taking part in a competition.
“It happened to be a scorching day. And out at sea, the glare was intense. That evening, upon arriving home, the doctor had to be called in.
“Even the white part of my eyes was burnt, and he had to give me injections and medication for severe sunstroke.”
Jeanne is also a very keen bridge player, which she started with her friend, Judy Slabbert, in 1979.
But in 2009, a big health scare changed Jeanne’s life.
“I suffered from high blood pressure and was a Type 2 diabetic. I knew I had to make serious changes to my eating habits.”
She immediately started studying different health practices on the internet.
She learned through trial and error, but soon she began not only feeling more energetic, but also started dropping weight.
Today, Jeanne is a fit, trim and healthy example of her gluten-free, green-smoothie-rich lifestyle.
She also has her regulars following her kombucha, sourdough tortillas, kefir and green smoothie eating plan.
“I just love my kitchen! This is where I experiment and play with recipes.
I have standing orders for my three different sizes of tortillas, which can be eaten with scrumptious fillings.
“I happily teach people to make their own kefir, which I use in my smoothies and as an ingredient in the tortillas.
So many people have been converted to a better lifestyle.
They are usually amazed at how you easily get accustomed to this lifestyle.”
Apart from playing bridge and fishing, Jeanne loves spending time with her grandchildren.
Her life mantra is never to sit still, forever gaining more knowledge and to make time for new, fun experiences.
