LOCAL resident Alvina de Jager organised the jolly rendezvous with Granny Pom-Pom \u2013 a ripe 96 years young \u2013 because she (and everybody else) loves the feisty lady fiercely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Loraine Edkins or Granny Pom-Pom, as she is affectionately known, is going on 97 later this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After 41 years in Jeffreys Bay she is lifting her roots with her dog, Chester, and moving to Howick to live near daughter Dee Joubert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Granny Pom-Pom touches up her lipstick as I walk in. And steals my heart, as she has done with neighbours, friends and passers-by over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She holds court from her comfy chair angled just so at the wide upstairs lounge window overlooking the bright ocean. A pair of binoculars stands sentinel on the windowsill, but she doesn\u2019t use them much nowadays as macular degeneration is taking its toll on her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Alvina, Dee and Pom-Pom is dear friend Trevor Morris who has popped in at least once a day over the past years. Granny Pom-Pom affectionately calls him her \u2018toothache\u2019, but he has been taxi and dog whisperer and friend.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n He spills the beans on her love for \u2018chokkies\u2019, as if the brimming bowl near her is not evidence enough. She pushes it away, proclaiming \u201cno more for me . . .\u201d They all chuckle knowingly. Trevor says their grocery shopping used to consist of her ticking off the list \u2013 Nestle and Cadbury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He went to introduce himself in 1997, and after Pom said \u2018Have you come at last\u2019, they have been firm friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Gutsy<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Granny Pom-Pom is a gutsy woman with a positive outlook and a spunky attitude. At 85 she tackled the bungee jump at Bloukrans \u2013 the highest in the world. She then said, \u201cIt is the most incredible feeling to fly like a bird\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now? \u201cIf Dee takes me to Bloukrans . . . I\u2019ll do it when I\u2019m a 100!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Naturally, I ask the clich\u00e9d question of what is her secret recipe for beauty, smooth skin and health at this good age. Granny P promptly sings the entire: Starkle starkle little trink\u2026 to great applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dee pitches in: Whenever someone says anything negative near her mom, she sings John Denver\u2019s \u2018Home on the Range\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dee: My father used to say, \u201cPom, is everything a joke? At which she will laugh merrily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when I ask Pom-Pom when her birthday is, she quips, \u201cWell, darling, my birthday is when crackers go off!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n To JBay<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the coalmines in Witbank Granny Pom-Pom moved to JBay with husband Lester Douglas Edkins who passed away at 85, sixteen years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They had a son, Dee followed, and six years later another girl. There are eight grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. When she still could, she crocheted them each a blanket, as well as the pristine curtains and a lampshade in the lounge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI used to walk my pet dogs walk before the sight got poorer. People got so used seeing me next to the road, that they started to ask Trevor whether I am still alive when I slacked down a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was great with bowls at the local club at her time, and Lester was a champ. Trevor says that Pom-Pom is a wizard at crossword puzzles, and as sharp as a tack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We make a jolly bunch, laughing and sipping tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I ask about her grasp on technology, they tell me that she has a cell phone with big buttons and made a call to England the day before, but she just tweets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m hopeless, darling!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n The move<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n About a year and a half ago, they all had a huge scare when Granny Pom-Pom fell at 8am. Trevor found her at 15:00, as he \u201cdidn\u2019t want to disturb her earlier\u201d. She had broken her left hip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After that incident, Dee took care of her mom for 16 months. They had been chatting about semi care for a while, when the pet-friendly, flexible Amberglen Retirement Village in Howick called with an open spot. All fell into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such a transplant can be traumatic for some, but Granny Pom-Pom faces it with her indomitable spirit: \u201cNow I am turning over a new page. I am excited. As one door closes another opens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Last day in JBay<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her last day in JBay started with breakfast at the local Wimpy. Her favourite Paul fetched her at the car, served her beautifully, and even made her a balloon animal. \u201cHe was just so sweet and attentive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trevor just says he is going to miss Pom very much. Alvina says they are family in spirit and it is a tough goodbye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I leave, Granny Pom-Pom puckers up for a goodbye kiss, and I go feeling enriched and a bit bereft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" LOCAL resident Alvina de Jager organised the jolly rendezvous with Granny Pom-Pom \u2013 a ripe 96 years young \u2013 because she (and everybody else) loves the feisty lady fiercely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":57828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"da7d3b32-009c-474f-924f-c9c8888b5fc7","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Marinda Visser-Hough","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-57826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n