About to start the road trip on our new adventure.

It's Friday evening and the end of a totally crazy week. Good evening folks, I hope this finds you all well and looking forward to your weekend, I don't know about you but whew what a week. It has flown past and yet at the same time feels like it was a month long. Our week has consisted of goodbyes - very hard, dozens of last minute details to be attended to, meeting a 'new' friend and then today just manic activity. I am sure you will be relieved to hear that the packing is FINISHED, we are down to three forks, knives, mugs, plastic plates, curtainless windows, furniture in all the wrong places and sheer unadulterated exhaustion. Tomorrow we will have both cars washed and I still have to clean the oven (very sad face) then we will get some time to spend with the girls. We have already said our goodbyes to Big Guy as he is away this weekend, and that was really hard. Yep I know it's only a two hour flight but there is still a big distance. My darling Hubby and I were blessed to celebrate our ninth wedding anniversary yesterday and even managed to go out for dinner which was a wonderful treat. the removal van arrives at 8.30 Sunday morning so hopefully we will be on the road by lunch time, and so the new adventure begins on this winding road which is my life.

I will be posting the next Blog just as soon as our Wi-Fi is installed next week. We will be in Cape Town by Monday afternoon and then on Thursday everything starts again, in reverse hahaha, in my opinion the unpacking is much quicker than the packing. It reminds me of Christmas, it takes months of planning and gift buying, days of cooking and preparing and in a couple of hours it's all finished. That reminds me, once I have settled in it will be time to start thinking of Christmas and having the family there woohoo.

Hubby dearest finished working today after 49 years of diligence. Well done and congratulations my Darling you have definitely earned your retirement. Thank you for being such a wonderful provider for our family and all your love and care.

Please allow me a little bragging. Today our little Princess had Inter House athletics at school. She did amazingly well in all her events and ended up winning two Gold Medals, two Trophies, one Bronze Medal and a first place ribbon. What a little athlete I can't describe just how proud I am of her, just really sorry that I wasn't there to see her compete. Her mom and uncles were all very sporty at school so it must be in the genes. Well done Nu.

Friends, even as I type this my eyes are 'yelling' bed, sleep. So I will wish you and yours a wonderful weekend. Whatever your plans I hope the weather co-operates and that you have a wonderful time. Don't forget to tell your loved ones just how precious they are and how much you love them and as always please stay safe.


Our garage at the moment

Baby it's cold outside

Greetings from a freezing Johannsburg friends, and oh my word it is cold. The winding is howling and we've had rain but alas no snow. Definitely my kind of weather although from what I am hearing it is much colder and wetter down at our new home with enormous seas. I can't wait for the first time we light a big fire in that gorgeous fireplace and sit all wrapped up, listening to the weather and eating a lamb stew, yumm yumm. With just about everything being packed, stews and soups and maybe even a homemade loaf of bread are going to have to wait a week or two but they are definitely first up on the menu when I get going.

Well, as my precious Hubby said when we woke up this morning, this is going to be a week of lasts. Last Sunday in Johannesburg, last Monday at work etc. We had the most wonderful lunch with his brother and wife on Saturday catching up, showing pics and just a really special time together. It is so difficult to say goodbye to those we love and care for, but thankfully we now have Sykpe, and face to face calls which will help a LOT. The rest of the weekend we spent ............packing, you guessed it. URGHHH. Happily nothing major left to tackle and then the unpacking which is a pleasure, re-discovering all those 'treasures' we haven't seen for a couple of months, it will be like a mini Christmas haha. I am seriously thinking of advertising 'moving boxes for sale' when we are finished, they cost a lot and I would hate to just have to toss them out. This time next week we will be driving the long road down to the Cape and possibly even still see some of the snow that has been falling. It's a very long trip which we normally do in one day and share the driving, but this time as we are each driving a car with the animals, stopping overnight in a small town called Colesburg seemed the best solution and then complete the trip on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday (next week) while waiting for the truck we are going to hang all the curtains, do whatever shopping needs to be done which needs to planned because the nearest supermarket is about 12 Km's away, the internet and alarm system will also be installed. I am praying that if all goes according to plan when the truck arrives it will just be a case of unloading and getting settled. One day, hopefully soon, I will be able to report a quiet week haha if such a thing exists.

I do believe that our pets are sent to provide moments of laughter and lightness, as well as frustration. Yesterday in the midst of chaos the doorbell rang and it was our new neighbour, whom we have not met, asking if it was our two dogs running around the complex. It is a long established fact that Max the yorkie is a cunning escape artist. He literally looks and waits for opportunities to dash out of a door and then generalily runs like mad as soon as you get close. Somehow he pushed the gate open and coerced Sasha, the Maltese to escape with him. There they were running from one end of the comlex to the other, our poor neighbour who was on his way out had tried to catch them, they ran away, in desperation he came and asked if they were ours. Of course they are who else has dogs like that? So there Hubby and I were, no make up, old 'packing' clothes, running around calling these two in a dignified manor, it took a few minutes but both escapees were captured. The other amusing thing is at times when we've needed to put Kiko in a room for awhile and then I go to let her out, Miss Chatty doesn't even begin to describe her, she weaves inbetween my legs, chatting up a storm. This morning I so badly wished I had my phone or camera handy. She has a pink teddy bear which is one of two favourite toys and carries it around from room to room. Earlier she came running in with it but she was holding him on his tummy so the head and body were in front of her face obstructing her view. While running she was moving her head from side to side in order to negotiate the table legs and walls, I couldn't help it, I just burst out laughing.

Right now a big cup of coffee is calling my name and I am frozen, so until Friday have an awesome week, stay warm and always, stay safe please.

Tying up loose ends.

Happy Friday to everyone, I hope your week has gone well although I am sure each and every one of us are delighted that it is at last weekend. For some it is a chance to catch up on household chores, for others a time to rest and recharge their batteries, or, lots of socializing and or shopping. For us this weekend is going to be a mix of all of the above. Already the 'goodbyes' have started but now to start saying goodbye to family which is HARD and I'm not looking forward to that, but then i remind myself it is 'Au Revoir' and not goodbye. Somewhere inbetween the shopping, chores, lunch date and packing I will be finding an hour or two to recharge my batteries. At long last I can see properly, this has been an extremely long 7 weeks since the first surgery on my left eye, from then until yesterday I could not read or see any detail at any distance, a real danger to society I was haha. Yesterday I was blessed to be able to collect my new glasses (even though I still do not like wearing them) and it was like switching on a spotlight. Everything is so bright and crisp but when I walked into my house, oh my goodness I nearly fainted. All I could see was dirt to the point that I grabbed the broom and got cleaning, and I clean this house every day. I am now able to see what the riders in the Tour de France look like and actually read the distances and times. I had not realized just how depressing it has been in not being able to see clearly until I drove home wearing my glasses. Wooohooo. As BigBear said, now I will be able to see the Cape in all its HD beauty. My contact lenses are still being manufactured and I pray that their progress speeds up beyond what we are expecting.

Last night we loaded the dogs and Gemma into the car and chugged off to the Vet to get them up to date on all vaccinations, rabies shots and travel documents. Also to be told that Gemma has a bit of an unstable knee, it tends to pop in and out of position but doesn't cause her any pain, so something we will have to keep an eye on. Quite an adventure I can tell you and another item ticked off the list, which now only has two tasks left to do. Yaaaay I think I will throw the chalk away before anyone can add more chores. Unfortunately one of the frustrations that cropped up this week was the fact that although our furniture is being loaded onto the truck on Sunday the 31st, instead of unloading on the 2nd or 3rd they can only unload on Thursday the 4th. Everybody forgot that the 3rd is Voting Day and a Public Holiday...... GRRRRR! I will admit to being very upset at the time to the extra delay because all I want right now is for this move to be over, being upset doesn't change anything so I just had to adjust my emotions, re-arrange accommodation details etc and 'get over it' as we say.

Kiko however, never fails to add entertainment to every situation. As mentioned before she has single 'handidly' managed to destroy my indoor plants, from nibbling the chilli bush, digging in my cacti pots to killing my Violet altogether she certainly hears the 'no' word a LOT. Only yesterday it dawned on me to switch the two cacti pots so that the one she can reach is the prickly one, I have no idea why it took me so long to figure that out #facepalm. On the pro side she is biting less when she plays, still has to be a part of everything that I do and follows me from room to room. In fact the times she is at her naughtiest is when I am busy hmmmmm, perhaps there is a message in there somewhere?

Friends, have a wonderful weekend, and as always - be safe wherever you go.

Fun and games

Happy Monday friends, before I go further please allow me to apologize for the 'problem' we had with Friday's Blog not showing. I was completely unaware that it had not published until Poppet asked me yesterday where it was. What a busy weekend, oh my gosh. Last night I saw a meme which said "Nooo, it's Sunday night and tomorrow is Monday, I need another Sunday." That's kind of how I feel, what happened to the weekend? Even though it was super busy we accomplished a huge amount. Yesterday we had our last Sunday family lunch in Johannesburg. There will be many more but mostly down in the Cape. I made a full on Roast Chicken, stuffing, roast potatoes, rice and vegetables, we don't often eat as much as that but it was a special occasion. Poppet provided the pudding which was the perfect end to the meal. It is so special to be able to just sit with the family, no pressure, no stress and just enjoy each other's company. I eventually finished the Poncho / Sweater that I started knitting awhile ago. Some of you will remember that back in an earlier Blog I mentioned that I had seen it in a picture but could not find a pattern anywhere. A friend challenged me to just 'go for it' and with toes crossed (I needed my fingers for the knitting haha) I did lots of calculating and started. Well I am quite happy to say it actually worked out well. Princess loves it and surprisingly says it's very warm. So ... Knitting a garment without a pattern - check. Picture below.

Our garage is now fast getting to the stage where we have to be careful where we walk, Kiko however thinks it is the most magical place to play hide and seek. The pile of boxes and bags is growing upwards steadily whilst the house is starting to echo. Not long now I keep telling myself :). Whilst we were chatting yesterday Hubby dearest mentioned that he started working in 1967 which makes his 'working life' 49 years, so I quickly made a mental note to keep him busy with furniture projects in order to 'help' him ease into retirement hahaha, well done my Darling you certainly deserve this retirement, just think of all the adventures and fun we are going to have. One thing I am looking forward to is getting the kitchen up and running, I am missing being able to bake or be creative. We had a really good laugh yesterday while making the lunch, on Saturday I happily packed all my casserole and Pyrex dishes, plus a couple of weeks ago, all the excess cutlery was packed. Yesterday I reached into the cupboard for a dish and ...... nothing haha, then Poppet was setting the table and we were short of knives and forks - clever mother! we improvised and I don't think the guys were even aware of what was going on, but we certainly had a chuckle.

Friends I am going to wish you a wonderful week, full of good things, happiness and peace. I hope your week is not going to be stressful or madly busy. Hopefully you will be able to take time to 'smell the roses' and breathe. As always please stay safe whatever you are doing.

The Poncho

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Countdown is now at two weeks.

Eeeeek two weeks and counting down fast. No matter how many things I cross off 'the' list, more always seem to pop right back on it, it's nearly over. Good morning folks, I hope today finds you and yours safe and well. After watching the news this morning about the tragedy in France, yet once again I am reminded of just how important it is for us to take the time to tell and show our families and those close to us just how precious they are and how much we love them. As I once read, and have experienced more than once, tomorrow is not guaranteed, please make sure you never miss an opportunity to love your family. My prayers and thoughts are with all the people involved in yesterday's attack and the hundreds of people that have been impacted by it.

As Big Guy would say my life is s tad manic at the moment in many different areas, to that end after a sleepless night (due to the fact that I hurt my back yesterday) I decided to get an early start this morning and just 'get things done'. So far it appears to be working so far haha. Happily on the 'new house' front things are in the final stages and we couldn't be happier. God has been so amazingly good to us, we have seen His hand at every stage of this move since we made our decision and fell in line with His will for our lives. I can't wait to actually arrive at our new home and to be able to settle, unpack all my treasures and enjoy every aspect of our new lives. Saying goodbye to our children here in Johannsburg and close family and friends is going to be extremely difficult, I'm at the 'ostrich' stage on that one, trying to pretend it's not going to happen.

Eye wise the news is not quite so exciting. I saw the surgeon for the final three week check up this week and she only told me what I already knew. The two left eye surgeries did not produce the expected result, in fact the astigmatism in the left eye is slightly worse than it was. She thinks the implanted lense may have moved, I personally believe that in the second surgery it wasn't placed in exactly the same position. The overseas company are unhappy as this was the first time their product was used here and they were involved right through all the surgeries. Unfortunately the risks of operating again far outweigh the benefits at this stage. So, after the excitement and expectation of never wearing lenses and glasses again, here I am wmaiting for new glasses to arrive and new lenses, which are going to take four to six weeks to make. Can you believe that? The left lens still has to be specially made up for me. To anyone who knows me well, they will tell you that I hate wearing my glasses out in public. Joy of joys - I will see better than before, only just with added help AND the cataracts are gone. I chose really funky glasses, so now I have to have the courage to actually wear them out hahaha.

At the moment I am trying to train Kiko not to bite. I was reading last night and apparently it is more prolific when kittens are removed from their mothers when they are too young. So, after trying a number of things which have not worked i.e. Blowing in her face or tapping her when she bites - she bites back, harder. Saying no is not terribly effective, so, I am now going to hiss like a mother cat, hold her by the scruff of her neck and give her a time out. This little fur ball is quite spirited, mischievous and not scared of very much. Two minutes ago. She climbed the security bars on the window and was on top of the curtain rail, a little earlier she jumped into a plastic shopping bag and was quite happy to let me carry her around the house in it. When she is not running around playing and getting into things she is the most lovable little poppet.

Friends here is wishing you a fabulous weekend in whatever you are planning to do, treasure your families and make the most of your time together. Whatever you do and wherever you go please stay safe.

It is well with my soul.

Happy Monday folks, it's a brand new week which is no doubt going to be a busy one for us all. I just heard someone sing the Hymn 'It is well with my soul' and was reminded about the origin of that particular song. If you will bare with me for a few minutes I will give you an abbreviated version. The Hymn was penned by a wealthy Chicago lawyer called Horatio Spafford in 1873. He was married to Anna and they had five children. Their young son died in 1871 from pneumonia and in the same year they lost most of their business in the great Chicago Fire. They were blessed to see their business flourish once again. In 1873 his wife and children boarded a French Ocean Liner from the U.S. to Europe, at the last moment Mr Spafford was unable to go due to a business complication and was to join them a few days later. About four days into their journey the Liner collided with an iron hulled Scottish ship. Anna took her four daughters up on deck and prayed with them. It took twelve minutes for the Liner to sink taking the lives of 226 of the passengers, including Anna's four daughters. A passing row boat saw Anna holding onto a piece of wreckage and rescued her, they were then picked up by another large vessel and nine days later landed in Cardiff, Wales, from where she telegraphed her husband saying "Saved alone, what shall I do?" Mr Spafford later framed this telegram and had it in his office. He booked passage on the next available ship to be with his wife. When his ship was four days out, the Captain called him to his cabin and told him that they were on the spot where his children had gone down. It was after this that Mr Spafford penned the hymn

'It is well with my soul,
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.'

Anna went on to give birth to three more children, one of whom died aged four. The Spaffords moved to Jerusalem in 1881. Mr Spafford died in that city and is buried there.

Philippians. 4 v 7. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, shall keep your hearts, your minds through Christ Jesus

Whatever you are going through, or this week may throw at you, friends don't lose the Peace of God in your soul.
We can lose our peace through the smallest things which then become mountains. My prayer for each one of us is that no matter how busy our days may be, we will remain at peace and keep our joy.

My week started off busy, what's new? And looks like staying that way, I will admit tha right now having to live with the 'untidiness' of boxes and bags is starting to become somewhat tiresome, hehe. I thrive in order not in chaos, but having said all that I can say I've broken the back of the packing, definitely more than half way done. Yaaaay.

Yesterday we delivered Poppet's dining room table and benches that Hubby dearest designed and made, and we were then spoilt to have a super lunch cooked for us where we all enjoyed 'christening' said table. If I may say so, it is GORGEOUS. I have a very talented husband. Poppet and Princess are thrilled with their beautiful table. It was a little bitter sweet as I realized that the time is going so fast and Sunday's like this with the girls and Big Guy are soon about to end and will then become holidays with them, and Sunday's with BigBear and BabyBear will then take place. So much change ........ and it's happening so fast. Time for new beginnings and new traditions.

Hopefully my new 'eyeware' will arrive this week and I will be able to function properly again, it's been a while.
In the meantime friends, have an awesome week, stay focused, stay happy and ........stay safe.

Poppet's Dining Room Table.




Dining Room Table, Wine Rack and Kitchen Block on wheels.

Looking forward to a walk on the beach after this week.

Goodness gracious me, what an insanely crazy day. Ever had one of those ? Of course you have it's part of life nowadays haha. Hi friends I hope your week hasn't been too bad, and if it was I hope you have a restful, weekend planned. It feels like someone put the speed cruise button on and things are just going faster and faster. Deep breath ....... breathe.

There is so much happening on this particular leg of my life's winding road, that it is hard to know where to begin. This week has consisted of packing, putting things in order, organizing so many different things both here and down in the Cape and all the while the clock is ticking. Praise God for His hand in this move and for the way He is going ahead of us, ever step of the way. On top of all the move 'business' I have also been facing a challenge with my eye. Bit of a long story, but the short version is that ever since the second surgery on my left eye I have still not been able to see clearly. I saw the Dr last Friday and after doing some tests she looked very surprised that the readings had gone up from those taken the day after surgery. I still have to see her again next week but there is nothing more she can do. Happily there is no infection or other complication but she did say that I would still have to wear contact lenses and/or glasses, and here I was thinking they belonged firmly in my past. Apparently not to be. I saw my Optometrist today and she did all the necessary tests. My right eye is almost 100% normal but in the left eye the astigmatism actually got worse. Nobody can explain it or give a reason. So, lenses (which still have to be specially made) are ordered, glasses (with a very funky frame) are on order. I decided if I have to still wear them, then I am going to be funky LOL, and I am focusing on the fact that there has been a big improvement overall, the cataracts are gone and once it is all done and dusted my sight will be better than it's ever been. This is just another one of those times when focusing on the glass half full and, how far I've come are the options that I choose to take.

On top of all these happenings my dear, darling, little fur ball Kiko has been a complete little horror for the last few days. Yesterday in the space of a couple of hours, she tipped over a pill box, shredded and scattered a toilet roll, dangled from the blind cords, tried to jump up the wall and fell back knocking her food bowl over scattering food everywhere, ran around the house like she had swallowed an expresso shot, and, oh did I mention climbing up the security bars and hanging from the top? On top of all this she has single handily (or should that be four paw'dly) killed my 6 year old violet plant, chewed my chilli bush and my mini cactus plants....... Right now, as I type she is diving underneath my iPad and then trying to catch and kill my hands. Eeeeek. Just three weeks until I get to go for a walk on 'my' beach and just watch the waves and soak in the peace. Wooohooo.

Hubby has finished the Dining table and benches except for waxing them, and oh my word do they look amazing. Princess has asked almost daily for a picture but we have not complied as we want it to be a surprise. I will post a picture on Monday to brag a little on his handiwork.

Friends, have a lovely weekend, if you can slow down and relax enjoy it to the max, if you are going to be busy, take time to breathe and enjoy whatever you do. God Bless, thank you for your continued support and whatever you do - Be Safe.

Kiko trying to make up for being naughty.

A busy week ahead.

And a happy Monday to you all from a very cold Johannesburg, the sun is shining but goodness gracious it is cold. I decided that today was going to be a rest day. After packing so many boxes over the weekend an 'executive' decision was taken - I believe it is well deserved hehe. To that end typing this finds me wrapped up in a blanket, the gas heater is on and copious cups of tea are being consumed, but can you believe it I'm still cold? There is a pot of Spicey Chorizo and Bean soup on the stove and everything else is 'sorted'. My amazing Hubby built Poppet's dining room table over the weekend and is now busy on the two benches, it looks stunning and I cannot believe how quickly he has done it. Sweetheart you truly have a God given talent, I'm so proud of you. One of his first projects when we get to the Cape is to build a duplicate table, just a little higher and a bit narrower for our kitchen/gas stove area. Talking about gas stoves we have wanted one for ages, I love the way they cook. Our gas hobb is going to be set into the table, it is so exciting being able to design all these different features. This morning whilst out shopping I saw some beautiful gas whistling kettles in gorgeous colours, when asking the price I was astonished at how cheap it is especially as it's a 3 litre in cobalt blue. Needless to say I just could not resist.

It's also that time of year when I get to tour Europe as the Tour de France is on, this is my absolute favourite sporting event of the year. as well as enjoying the race itself, I love the commentary when they give out historical facts and information etc, definitely a highlight for me as well as being a time when I get a lot of knitting done. The poncho jersey which I started a while back for Princess is now coming close to being finished. During a quiet moment this weekend I happened to see a photograph of Kiko when she was a baby. I can't believe how much that little face has changed in three months. Her thirst for adventure and playfulness has not diminished in the slightest though, which is unfortunate for Max, our Yorkie. He is her latest 'target' to tease which is really funny because he tolerates her at best. He is a real grumpy little old man and unless Gemma is fighting with Kiko he avoids her. The new game is at night when he is trying to get into his bed, which is next to my side of the bed. She chases him through the house and when he runs into the bedroom he has to go around the bed, she merely jumps over the bed in two leaps and ends up in the basket. The way he stands looking at it in utter confusion is hysterical. He looks from her to me as if to say "a second ago she was behind me, how did she get there?" He will then turn and go back to the lounge and we start all over again and again until she gets distracted or one of us steps in and stops her. Shame poor little guy, not always the brightest button in the tin. He and Gemma would be quite happy being the only animals in the household.

Friends I sincerely hope your week is going to be a good one, I know mine is going to be super busy but I choose to have a good week. My thought is that tomorrow is a brand new day which is completely untarnished, trouble free, and can go either way. It's my 'job' to make it as good as possible. Have good days, choose to be happy, forgive quickly and as always .... Stay safe (and warm).


Kiko when she was about 6 weeks old



Kiko last week - she is now about 4 months old. That look says "what do you want now mom ?"

Four weeks to go.

Four weeks to go, yippeeee. Just that thought is keeping me going in all the chaos that is my life right now. My house is starting to look empty and untidy, which anyone who knows me will tell you that untidy is difficult for me to live with. But, packing is progressing well and all the little ducks are lining up nicely. Water connections, sewage, telephone, postal box etc have all been organized. If things continue to proceed as planned we are good to go. My little book of lists is being well used.

Apart from all the moving details it has been a relatively quiet week in my part of the world. Mostly due to the fact that driving is still a challenge. I think it is safe to say that Hubby dearest is going to be under a little pressure as he still has most of the garage to pack as well as a Dining Room table and benches to make for Poppet, before we leave. Just another beautiful furniture piece to add to his 'catalogue' and then it's my turn. Hehe. My list of furniture needed and required is growing, keep those saws sharp and hammers close My Love.

One thing that has grown this week has been my knowledge of European politics. Jelly Bean has followed the whole England / Brexit story from the start, so by default have I, the major difference being that she grasps all the finer details quickly and then has to explain them to mother dear. The more I see and hear of what is going on in the world in general as well as our own country, the more obvious it is that the world is lost without acknowledging God. He is the only source of Peace and Hope that we have. At times it is very easy to get hung up on the details of whatever is going on in our lives and around us, forgetting that He is the God of miracles. When we expect miracles we will see them. Jelly Bean's words to me this morning after I received some not very good news were - 'Mom, God will perform the miracle, whether it the way you expect it or in a different way.' Such profound words, but even though we 'know' it, we need reminding time and time again. Friends God will ALWAYS come through for you, if you allow Him to, it's just not always in our timing and the way we may visualize it. Don't grow weary in your Walk of Faith, stay focused and keep your eyes firmly fixed on The Lord.

On that note, I am going to wish you a beautiful weekend full of peace, joy and love. Whatever you are planning make the most of it and as always - stay safe.