My Life's Winding Roads: And just like that we enter the second half of 2025

My Life's Winding Roads: And just like that we enter the second half of 2025: Greetings to everyone on this 1st day of the second half of this year.  What a year it has been so far, and as we go into the last half of 2...

And just like that we enter the second half of 2025

Greetings to everyone on this 1st day of the second half of this year.  What a year it has been so far, and as we go into the last half of 2025 and for our family what we call birthday season it promises to get busy.

Well, as usual June proved to be interesting but not as busy as most.  JB and I went through to Babysit the little BabyBear.  He is growing up so fast that every visit is filled with new achievememts and milestones.  He is crawling everywhere and standing and walking along any surface, just not walking on his own yet.  Don't be in a hurry Munchkin enjoy every little step.  This past weekend he said Mama for the first time 🥰 and as we haven't seen him for three weeks we are missing him so much.  

I had my Total Knee Replacement on the 10th, the day after we came back from Hout Bay .  Hmmm the surgery went very well and after spending one night in hospital I was discharged the following day.  I will say this... this operation was a WHOLE bunch more painful than I was expecting, and I can handle pain pretty well.  I started off with a "walker" / Zimmer frame which truly was the most comfortable way to get around.  The Specialist Surgeon I have keeps very up to date on methods, robotic surgery etc, he has an App which patients download.  It keeps you on a daily schedule re exercises, what to expect recovery wise, a chat to contact them if you are worried about anything, an all in one communication guide which has been very helpful and kept me on track.  I noticed the last few days the incision site was more red than usual but the dressing was clean and dry.  This morning I saw the Dr's nursing Sister who removed the dressing and gave me a thumbs up. It looks good and is a very neat incision. The redness is in direct relation to me overdoing things and trying to do more than I should. So im back on one crutch and ice therapy three times a day. So I guess I'm not going to be driving in this next week or so. On that note JellyBean has been an absolute star and my right hand in everything.

As I write this I have the greatest joy in saying that Princess and Sunshine are here with us.  She/ they saved up and booked  tickets down as a surprise for Poppet.  What joy it is to see them relaxing and just having them here. Yesterday Poppet brought them through and we had a lovely lunch together before she went back home.  Last night we played an old family card game before watching tv.  I miss them so much during the year, this feels like Christmas.  👏❤️. 

After all the weather predictions that we were going to have a drier than normal winter, the last week and a half have totally turned that theory upside down.  My goodness. For the whole of last week had unceasing rain, rain and more rain.  The result was that in many parts of the Cape this resulted in severe flooding.  Thankfully our ground at home is very dry and rocky and we experienced no floods and ... no leaks, for the first time in 9 years. Woohoo. But oh boy was it cold, maybe not as cold as up country but with the wind and rain it was COLD, colder than normal for the Cape.  Yesterday the sun shone for the first time in almost 10 days and today is the same. We have gone through all our wood and are needing to order some more. 🪵

What is on my needles at the moment ? I am busy knitting JB a pair of socks. My next project is a cardigan for Munchkin and then I want to make myself a Battenburg Throw. Lots of small single colour granny squares, in a set amount of chosen colours and joined together with white or off white similar to an afgan.  Last week I repaired a jersey for a client.  She purchased it in Peru, an exquisite pure wool cardigan which had a hoodie.  This lady did not like the hoodie so I was able to undo it and replace it with just a normal band collar. Thankfully she was very happy with the result.  That has been all the work I've done as it was hand work. See pic below.

Well folks there is only so much to write about when you have been housebound for three weeks haha. Everyone in the family is well and busy. Big Guy is still looking for a job and all our prayers are there and trusting God for the perfect job, soon in Jesus Name.

Ciao ciao. Take care and be safe please.

Charlie and Dash in their puffer jackets.

The altered Peruvian Jersey

My Life's Winding Roads: June and the onset of winter, eventually 👏

My Life's Winding Roads: June and the onset of winter, eventually 👏: Good morning family and friends. Seeing as today is the 1st of the month, I thought I would surprise you all with an early post 😉.  Winter ...

June and the onset of winter, eventually 👏

Good morning family and friends. Seeing as today is the 1st of the month, I thought I would surprise you all with an early post 😉.  Winter has finally arrived in the Western Cape, not as cold as I would like but it is here.  I said this morning,  out of all the different towns and homes I've lived in, in some of the coldest places of this country, I have only lived in one house that had a fireplace, which didn't work properly.  Ho Humm.  Now we have an awesome stove in the fireplace and it's not as cold 🥲.

Where has this year gone and on the other hand so much has happened that it seems New Year was forever ago.  May, as usual was a busy month, busy it seems is the new normal.  

JB and I went through twice to Hout Bay to assist with and babysit little BabyBear a.k.a. the Prince, Munchkin. He is growing so fast and reaching milestones so that every visit there is something new.  Now that he is crawling he is everywhere and yet stops as soon as he hears "no, shoo shoo, nee" (at least he doesn't laugh at my Afrikaans 😂) . It is hard to believe that in 4 days he will be 10 months old.  With each visit we have had the best time of fellowship with both BigBear and MamaBear. We are off again this weekend coming, yippee.

The rest of the family are all doing well. Hubby is out sailing today and as always busy with clocks.  One that he is working on was made in the 1700's.  Princess has had flu (more than once 😥), Poppet had some good news and moving around at work which is what she had prayed for. Big Guy has had a challenging month as his car (which is old) died over Easter. The timing belt had snapped and damaged the engine.  It took until this week to be repaired and delivered back to him. Then his company laid off some staff, of whom he was one. He negotiated a severance package and is currently looking everywhere for a new job. We are all standing with him in prayer. Then to top it off, he  had been given notice that the owner of his apartment wanted to sell 🤦‍♀️.  Good grief... his rental agent found another apartment which he viewed on Friday. He was in the process of accepting the new lease when the owner called, he had decided not to sell but to renew the lease for another year without an increase in rental. So two out of three challenges sorted and off the prayer list.  

On the four dotted family front  Dash and Charlie twice unpotted one of my snake plants I had in a pot on the deck 🤦‍♀️. It seems it is their payback at being left alone.  Little Zeepha has, I think the the sight in her right eye.  It does not seem to bother or hinder her at all and I am just keeping an extra eye on her (pardon the pun). 

There was some excitement locally this week when an Elephant Seal decided to go walk about in Gordon's Bay.  Gordy (now named) left the ocean and got himself through the suburb, over main roads, about 5 km inland. As you can imagine he caused quite a stir and became an overnight sensation. It took many hours of well coordinated work with security and animal welfare working together to keep him safe. The cars formed a moving wall keeping him on the sidewalks until the necessary equipment arrived,  loaded him and then released him about 20 kms away along Clarence Drive far away from suburbia.  The next day he popped up 45 kms away on the other side of False Bay, and then he settled further down the coast in Simonstown, at the Naval Base where he proceeded to sun himself and recover from his adventure. In typical South African fashion and sense of humor the social media posts and company ads had him front and centre before he was even relocated.  Stay safe Gordy. 

I had to eventually make the decision that it is time to go ahead with my right knee replacement.  Ugh.  This past week I spent half a day at the Hospital seeing the Anaethatist, sisters, Surgeon, pre admission and admission. It now done and organized.  I go in on the 10th June and am scheduled for theatre at 11.30.  I can't say I'm looking forward to this, but I needed to bite the bullet and get it done.

The little sweater I was knitting for Munchkin came out beautifully and what really surprised me was that it took just a little over one 100gr ball of wool. What my mind is trying to figure out is, what the difference is between the sweater and a cardigan.  The cardigan pattern calls for 5 balls of wool 🤔.  I may have alluded over the last couple of months, to something that I have been working on, and now I have taken the leap (a huge  one for me).  I have started a little online business, advertising on Instagram for now. It is called Hooked.in.Luv and the idea came from all the little things I have made since BabyBear was born.  I am making and selling 100 % Pure Cotton Olly Octopuses (named after my late Dad), Wooden Teething Rings treated with Coconut Oil, Worry Worms, and No Fall Snap Straps, which attach to highchairs, prams, baby seats, car seats, hiking seats etc and are adjustable. See the link at the end of this Blog and I will add it in my Bio.

Well folks that's the news for now, there won't be too much running around for me this month, just mostly recovery and getting mobile.  I wish you all all a blessed month, face your challenges head on and let your faith in God carry you through.  He never fails or leaves us.  

Ciao ciao for now.

Instagram Link :  www.instagram.com/hooked.in.luv    Please feel free to share the link to far and wide.

Shop Images.

Hout Bay warm and Cosy with Panda being curious.

👏

My Life's Winding Roads: May in a small seaside Village

My Life's Winding Roads: May in a small seaside Village: Good morning family and friends from my little corner of this great continent.  Winter is definitely making some gentle advances. I hear tha...

May in a small seaside Village

Good morning family and friends from my little corner of this great continent.  Winter is definitely making some gentle advances. I hear that there is snow on mountains not too far from us and we have now graduated to long sleeves during the day 👏🏻.  The nights are pleasantly cool so I am a much happier camper.

April seems to have been such a busy month in our Villages. South Africa has a huge amount of Public Holidays during April together with school holidays.  Many people were able to take just a few days of working leave and  have 2 and even 3 weeks of holidays.  That in turn brings an influx into our area and many people walking around and just a general busyness.  I am going to tentatively / very quietly say that Charlie and Dash do not have quite as much to bark at this weekend thank goodness - all the holidays are over.  It has been quite a challenge calling them in every time they get going, a lot of up and down for both JB and myself. 😂

We had a very quiet Easter weekend and had a wonderful visit from Poppet a day before the actual weekend.  It had been such a long time since she was here and we truly had a wonderful visit.  She is back to all her activities - yes including playing Paddel, camping etc, etc. the rest of the family are doing well, overcoming their challenges and living their lives to the full.

Being April it was once again time for my 6 monthly check up.  I made an appointment with my Breast Surgeon as I am not totally fond of my Oncologist.  My Dr gave me a complete check up and the required full panel of blood tests and I am delighted and so blessed to say that everything is 100% normal.  She has written out the request for the the annual MRI, CT, CAT scan and  Mammogram now I just need to find a date and make the appointment. God has been so very good to me in my healing journey.  The one thing about having Cancer is that it changes you. You look at life differently and realise just how precious and fleeting our time here on earth is.  There is no time to  'save it for later ' / 'tomorrow is another day' and all the usual platitudes we use  to excuse ourselves.  Whether you are healthy or have been ill, don't take any day or occasion for granted.

Work wise it continued to be a challenging month, I am sincerely glad to have torn April off the calendar haha.  One of the 'delightful' jobs I  did was to convert flat sheets to fitted sheets and extend fitted sheets to make them bigger. 🥴.  I have a couple of nice and normal items that have come in, requiring some good old fashioned mending which I will get to this week. After some really deep thought and consideration I have made the decision to only take in mending from now on.  I really dislike turning anyone away and am always 'ready' to tackle something new, however, the toll it takes on my health Fibromyalgia wise is not worth it.  

JB and I just got back on Friday after spending the most wonderful week with MamaBear and little Baby bear a.k.a. Munchkin.  BigBear is currently in the USA on business and we went through to support her as she was working as well.  Oh my soul, I am the happiest GranGran, this child is growing way too fast. He is 9 months old today and is crawling everywhere, he can stand on his own for about 6 seconds, is crazy about his books and will turn the page when asked to, waves goodbye and adores peek-a-boo. Even at this young age he has a sense of humour and will mimic anyone who sneezes or coughs. We truly had an amazing time helping with him and also just enjoying the special time with his Mommy.  Thank you family for allowing us not to babysit but to make wonderful memories, it is such an honour.🤗❤️

As for the work in my knitting and crochet bag, that carries on as I continue working on my project. I am also currently making Munchkin a pullover jersey for winter, I had forgotten how quickly it grows on the needles. 🧶

In true domestic style, after many years of excellent service our Bosch dishwasher decided to stop working.  Hubby fiddled and fixed then something else went wrong. Eventually last week we called time on it and I was really blessed to find a much newer machine (on marketplace). It is an LG and was at a good price which we could afford. This little helper arrived yesterday and oh how happy I am to see it. 😁 Now I need to get rid of or sell for parts the old one.  The other thing I am trying to find, after missing the bargain of the year, price wise, is Sheer material to make curtains for the deck.  You may remember I oh so proudly made beautiful curtains from calico, which promptly absorbed all the moisture and got mildew.  I still not replaced them and am looking for a synthetic/polyester sheer fabric but, not the very fine sheers which we used to call net curtains. Just a medium type sheer with a bit of texture which will block out some of the sun.  So far no luck but I shall keep looking.

Well folks that's my news for now, April really was a work, work, work and no play kind of month.  I pray you all stay safe and well and have a good month. Ciao ciao

Charlie playing the cute card

This is the second snail of this size I have found in as many months.  This one was in the deck window and truly jaw dropping in size.  Bigger than my hand. PS. The red stripes are a reflection from the cushions.

My Life's Winding Roads: April is underway.

My Life's Winding Roads: April is underway.:   Good morning all, apologies for being a couple of hours late.  It has been somewhat of a whirlwind, very long month.  We have still not le...