Ready, steady and we're off

Hi friends the week is off to a busy start and I have a vague feeling that it is only going to get busier for us all as this year draws to a close. We had a wonderful weekend although busy as predicted. On Saturday it was all systems go in the morning as BigBear and BabyBear were coming through and I had decided to do a slightly different lunch from the norm, this house and where we live almost seems to dictate 'different'. Hubby dearest suggested a roast and from there I tapped into my Italian heritage and went with a Mediterranean/Italian type of meal. I took a nice piece of beef stuffed it with garlic and other herbs and then a looooong slow roast during the which time I did a Polenta and Roasted tomato bake and a lovely Ciabatta. When the family arrived we added a great big salad, red wine and lunch went exactly as I'd hoped. We sat around the table talking, catching up, eating and just taking our time. Hubby and BigBear moved all the furniture to play some Carpet Bowls that he bought recently, after that everyone just chilled - it was awesome, so Jhb family that is what awaits you in a few weeks.

Yesterday was one of those typical Sunday's where we bathed the dogs and it seems like from here on out I am going to be the one grooming them, poor things. Sasha had so many tiny little seeds stuck on her legs that Jelly Bean and I sat trimming them and as a result this morning off to Hermanus we all trekked and bought a proper pair of clippers and tomorrow I will add 'dog groomer' to my list of accomplishments, I hope haha. After having bought my extra, extra thick cotton yarn on Friday I spent quite a bit of time over the weekend trying different methods such as arm knitting - it was too 'holey', I taught myself how to hand crochet which is great fun but was too 'knobbly' for what I am looking for, so to that end I now have a pair of knitting needles size 20mm, have started my throw and it is just right. That sounds a little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears hehe but I have a very specific image in my head on how I want this throw to look, I will say this - it's quite interesting to knit with broom stick sized needles and requires some dexterity and energy, so watch this space .......
Our kitchen Farmhouse table is in progress and every time I see it I get more excited! At the moment the frame is completed so from now on it will start looking more and more like a table, my husband is without a doubt a very talented chap.

Oh my word, how could I forget? On Friday night we were sitting watching a show on tv when all of a sudden we heard this very loud Woo woo Woooo outside. Hubby thought it was on the TV and I thought there was someone joking around in the street, needless to say after a couple of calls all three of us were standing in the lounge listening, then dived into the bird books. We had a Spotted Eagle Owl sitting on our roof chatting away to who knows who. He could have been looking through the top windows as the pigeons do, but what an amazing experience to hear. Yesterday I heard something which initially sounded like a small cat, both of our cats were accounted for and we have still not figured out what it was, this is just another one of the reasons why we are so in love with Betty's Bay not to mention that our weather is so mild. As the rest of the country melts under a heat wave of temperatures around 38 C our 'hot' days are 23 C and the evenings are cool, I couldn't ask for more and thank God daily for His Grace and Blessings.

Friends my throw is calling me so I am going to bid you farewell for now with prayers that you have a wonderful week and as always please stay safe and keep well.

The start of my throw, hopefully.


A pile of wood waiting for the craftsman

It's been a busy week.

Greetings folks I trust you are all well and have come through this week victorious. I cannot believe that is already Friday, it feels like Saturday, probably because this week seems to have simply flown past. Actually now that I look back it has been a busy but satisfying week. The grass was mowed by Hubby himself so is looking very smart while I am waging war on the weeds. We started pulling them out of the driveway which is little pebbles and as fast as we pulled they just seem to pop back up until I remembered that a few weeks ago I made up a solution of strong vinegar, boiling water and salt which we used to kill some weeds that had the temerity to try growing on the deck. Happily my natural solution worked like a charm so off to Google to see if it was a legitimate method and I am happy to say it is. Although I did discover that if you are putting it on weeds growing in beds or lawn don't add the salt - it kills everything, which in the driveway's case is just what I want.

I eventually got around to whitewashing the bathroom cupboard and was surprised at how quickly it went and how stunning it looks, we are delighted with the results and have resisted the urge to whitewash everything haha. Yesterday was pretty epic because after much calculation, designing and discussion we went into Somerset West and purchased all the wood for required for our kitchen table. I am so excited I could burst, it is everything I could possibly ask for and is going to be a stunning piece of furniture. Hubby is about to get started on the construction so I will be keeping him supplied with tea and coffee for the next few days. Pics definitely to follow. The Ciabatta Bread eventually got baked and was delicious, one of the things I was testing with it was whether it stays fresh longer than the bread made in our bread machine, which it does so yippee on that.

As I said friends, it's been a busy week and being a sucker for 'punishment' I went out and bought two HUGE balls of pure cotton 'yarn' which I was planning on arm knitting into a throw, hmmmmm it just doesn't seem to look right so I switched direction and will knit the throw on 25 mm thick knitting needles and see how that turns out, apparently it won't take long which is just as well because I am not sure how my hands are going to cope, I might have to type the next Blog with my feet, eeek can you imagine ?

Tomorrow we have our Cape Town family coming for lunch so much preparation taking place and excitement, it is always such a special blessing to spend time with my family and I am counting down the days until we are all together in December even if it is only for one day, the down side of that event is our UK family can't be here but we are hoping for a visit next year with them.

This week our weather has see-sawed from 17 C to 28 C and today back down in the teens with wind and rain, as I look up I can see the fire is in danger for dying so had better get busy resurrecting it quickly. Wishing you an absolutely, wonderful weekend I would just like to thank each one of you for reading this Blog and for your comments and encouragement along the way. Please stay safe and have fun this weekend.



Whitewashed Bathroom Cupboard that Hubby made some years ago



A very unusual rock we came across on 'our' little beach

Unexpected ups and downs

Hi folks, I trust this finds you all rested and ready for the week ahead ? Well after planning a relatively productive weekend mine turned out exactly the opposite, so all planned projects are now on my schedule for this week, Ho hum as my darling Hubby keeps telling me 'we are retired so it doesn't matter when I do it'. First success on Friday was that I made a fire and we actually kept it going for just over 24 hours, quite an event I can tell you. Ever since we bought our fireplace we have only once managed to keep the fire alight overnight. It would appear (we think) that the quality of anthracite we have been getting is not very good as it does not burn down completely. Ever optimistic I made a wood fire and through lots of tending and pampering it lasted until Saturday evening which was glorious. Sharon 1. Fire 0.

Then the event which altered the course of my weekend hehe, late on Friday evening just before bed I was down on the floor looking for a new book to read, when I got up for some reason my one knee gave in and I ended up having a very bad fall, kind of over the coffee table and then over the back of the couch to greet the cement floor mouth first. Not what was needed I can assure you. Hubby leapt to find tissues to stem the bleeding, Jelly Bean exploded out of her room demanding to know what had happened and me feeling very dazed and sorry for myself. Thankfully no lasting or critical damage unless you count my dignity, I bit right through my lip, somehow managed to bend my one finger right back on itself to the point my ring cut me, both knees badly bruised and a increase of bruises still appearing. Quite ridiculous the whole thing when all I did was stand up, anyway that put paid to my weekend plans of whitewashing a cupboard and making a Ciabatta Bread. Three days later and I feel a lot more human if somewhat tender, and tomorrow I hope to paint my cupboard and later in the week will make my bread. In the meantime this clever husband of mine has designed and modeled our new kitchen table and it looks AWESOME, can't wait for it to be finished.


Even though we have lived here for three months (it feels like forever) every day we discover new things to see, I am still searching for the small cove where shells are reported to be found and in so doing discovered a whole hoard of beach access roads and areas we did not know about, never mind all the coffee shops and restaurants that remain untested and so explorations continue. This is one of the amazing things about living here, the fact that every single day is beautiful in different ways, there is no such thing as mundane and boring. The very first thing I do in the mornings when I walk through is to look at the sea and just give thanks to God for putting us here.


Friends I am going to keep this short because I want to add a fantastic recipe for Ciabatta Bread which is easy and delicious. I pray that each one of you has a truly blessed week, even if you have to turn those lemons into lemonade just stay positive and in charge - it is YOUR destiny. Please be safe in all your goings out and coming ins.

CIABATTA BREAD

500 gm Flour (I use cake flour)
500 ml Water
1 pkt Instant Yeast (10gm)
2 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 220 c

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a K Beater for 10 - 12 mins on a fast setting until the dough forms a ball.
Cover with cling wrap and leave for about 30mins or until it doubles in size.
Gently tip the dough onto a floured surface and shape.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

This bread is really delicious and as you see can be made quickly if you have guests or just feel like a treat.


Last night just before 7pm a few clouds just hanging around


My beautiful Kiko, just look at that tail

I am SO glad it is Friday.

Greetings folks I am not sure about you but I am extremely glad it is Friday and that this week is now history. I don't often say that but whoop whoop it is finally weekend. We have had a week of extreme highs and lows and as usual God always, always comes through as King. I am sure that a lot of you are feeling very similar, it's that time of the year where everyone is trying to get through the last stretch before December, people are tired and the increase in end of year social engagements adds extra pressure. Thankfully we don't have to deal with that side of things but I know how difficult it is.

This week was Poppet's usual six month check up and for some reason we all tend to get a little tense as the time gets closer. She has been having really bad headaches for awhile so when she saw the Doctor she mentioned it which then led to a whole batch of extra precautionary tests one of which was a brain CT scan. With much prayer and great dignity and braveness on her part she did all the tests and when the results came back she opened them and read all the medical jargon which probably wasn't a good idea lol. After an extremely tense 24 hours, when her doctor eventually got back to her it turned out that she has a chronic sinusitis infection which caused the change on her blood tests and was also the reason for the headaches and what showed up on the CT scan. I am really over simplifying here because the details are long and involved but the result is, she is GREAT, she is clean and God is always faithful. Apart from increasing exercise, calcium, magnesium amd dealing with the Sinusitis everything is good. Thank you Lord.

We this week embarked on another 'exploration' as Hubby had some business to do in Paarl which is quite a way from where we are and none of us had ever been there. We left home with the temperature at about 19 C and while he was busy Jelly Bean and I went and had coffee and looked around a little only because it was SO hot. While we were waiting for him in the car the temperature was 39 C (yes I know it's always a bit higher in a stationary vehicle but really?) It just reminded me yet again why we moved to Betty's Bay, I literally could not wait to get home to the sea breeze and air. We decided to come back through Franschoek and over the Franschoek Pass then around the back way as such, stopping off in Franschoek for lunch which turned out to be a delightful stop. It is a very pretty little town nestled in the mountains and has retained most of its quaintness. Going through the Pass was really spectacular although by the time we got through the mountains all I wanted was to get home and have a cup of tea. We eventually arrived home at about 5.30 pm to the wonderful, wonderful temperature of 18 C - sheer bliss. Yesterday was a gorgeous clear sunny day and went up to about 25 C but the bonus here is the wind that comes off the sea which is cool. Today we woke up and it's overcast and about 19 C Yaaaaaaayyy.

We've had fun and games with the dogs - what's new? There is about 40cm space around two sides of the garage to the fence, which we blocked off as soon as we moved. At the very back of the garage there are two bricks missing (probably as a damp avoidance measure) anyway, some small creature must have moved into the space and our two nut jobs could smell whatever it is through the small air vents at the bottom of the wall. They nearly drove us completely insane, barking until almost hoarse, keeping their noses glued to the air vents, whining, whimpering and carrying on. Eventually after trying everything to shut them up we brought them indoors and next morning when let out they were right back at the wall with Max trying to climb the small piece of fence which Hubby dearest had quickly extended. Then detecting a change in the barking we went out to find that Max had forced his way through on the other side (where he had also tried chewing the cable ties that were holding a beam, and was now firmly routed in front of the missing brick and getting hysterical. After much ado we got him out and since then all has been quiet, they still sniff and sit looking expectant but no more hysterics as yet. I declare they are a handful at the moment whilst the cats seem to have had their fill of the outdoors and prefer to spend most of their time in the house which I am delighted about.

I don't know what you are planning for the weekend but on my list is some further exploration of a small cove I saw on Google Earth at the other end of Betty's Bay as well as, I want to do some preparation and research on a small quilt I want to make which should keep me out of trouble, Hubby dearest has a lot of work on the computer which came in this week so we shall both be busy and have a quietish weekend. For those of you that are up country and are experiencing the extremely heavy rain and hail storms, enjoy but do please be careful on the roads wherever you go.
Enjoy your weekend friends and always stay safe please.

Fun times and heart warming visits.

It is a gorgeous Monday just because we are at the start of a brand new week where we can write our own history. Hi all I hope this Blog finds you well and ready for the week ahead. Well our week kind of started with a bit of a burst haha, but firstly our weekend was a home 'work' weekend. As I am anxiously waiting for my darling Hubby to build my kitchen table and other furniture, yes I do admit to mentioning it every now and then, he needed to bring some kind of order to his garage or up until now the dumping ground. Since we moved in all the excess boxes and bags etc were stored there, being the incredibly clever man that he is he made a suspended platform on Saturday and then yesterday we relabeled and listed all the boxe and bags and packed them up on the platform in order of what is most likely to be needed first. The result is he now has a BIG workspace with a table, his little office and all his tools etc have been put where he needs them and now he can soon start on the furniture. Whoop whoop pictures will definitely follow.

This morning we needed to go to Pringle Bay for a few things and so off we set, but it turned out to be a little more complicated than just get in the car and go. Whilst trying to open the gate and remove a stone which had found its way onto the rail Max and Sasha snuck out behind my back and took off down the road at a speed, ears flapping in the wind which I am now positive is all those ears are good for. The louder I called the faster they ran so we followed in the car, by now having lost sight of them altogether we went literally in every direction possible until eventually we found Sasha coming from the opposite direction they had run in, she was quite happy to get back into the yard so one down and one to go. By now Jelly Bean was also involved in trying to control both cats who had come to see what the fuss was about and now Sasha, off we went again this time heading for the main tarred road where lo and behold about a hundred meters up the road (also in the opposite direction) we see Max casually running down the middle of the road as if it belonged to him, not a road sense brain particle in his head I tell you. Without much fuss we got him into the car while avoiding the other traffic, got home and as I opened the door to get him out he jumped right out of the car and took off again down the road. I was absolutely dumbstruck and the more I called and whistled the faster he ran, Hubby called him and he slowly turned and debated returning which he eventually did and was soundly placed back in the yard. By now we were 20 minutes late and totally frazzled, I have no understanding or explanation for how that dogs mind, or ears, work.

The occasion that we needed to go to the shops was we had very dear friends coming to visit for tea and needed something yummy to serve with it. We haven't seen each other for 8 years and oh how their visit blessed and energized me, a true friendship is when you don't see each other for a long time and yet pick up as if you were together the day before. We go back about 26 years and it was just amazing to spend time catching up, reminiscing, chatting and being together thank you SO much for the visit and laughs and tips. As I write this today weather wise we have gone from sunshine and all doors and windows open to a bit of a south easter blowing and cloud and mist covering the mountains behind us, I am hoping we can light a fire this evening as I'm going to be very lazy and am making savory mince (ground beef) on beautiful fresh Panini rolls which when I saw them this morning just called out their role in our supper. Cats and dogs are all sleeping, Hubby dearest is working in his man cave aka garage and the only sound is the waves, the wind and the clock ticking, more peaceful you cannot get.

Friends I wish you an amazing week and may you take every opportunity to shapenit and not allow it to shape you, overcome every challenge that arises with grace and integrity and in so doing encourage those you come in contact with. Please be safe and enjoy every moment with loved ones and friends.

Last night's exquisite full moon rising
No filters or editing used just my trusty Cannon camera.

Life is always going to change.

Greetings friends on this Friday afternoon, I hope today's Blog finds everyone well. I don't know about each of you but in our house this has been a very quiet week, partly due to our Princess not being here and partly because for me it's been a week of recovery. Apart from a few challenges we have pretty much stayed under the radar. What challenges you may ask? How does a mobile phone charge to 65% and then suddenly stop charging due to the charging dock breaking, during the night when no one touched it ? Yep my Samsung is not well and I am waiting for the repair company to get the necessary part. Then out of nowhere Gemma has developed four balding patches on the back of her neck, being made bigger by her licking them, we went to the Vet this morning thinking it was a food allergy because being unable to get her normal food we bought a different one but the same brand. According to the Vet it can't possibly be food so we have to take her in a little later this afternoon for him to see, joy of joys, she is not a small cat who likes to travel - exactly the opposite.

Weather wise it has been cold with us making a fire almost every evening, today being the first day where the wind is not howling and there is some sun peeping through the clouds. On the brighter side of the scale Poppet and Princess have booked their flights for December, as has Big Guy, so now the planning can begin. Christmas is always an extremely special time of the year for me in every sense and this year promises to be a memorable one. I don't know about most of you but we as a family have decided to go 'less expensive' and more personal this year so woohoo it is time to get cracking. One of the first things on my agenda is to make everyone their own Christmas stocking to hang on our beautiful fireplace. I did manage to make the Lace Cover Up that I spoke about before and all in all am very happy with the way it turned out (at a quarter of the price in the shops) and also baked a huge batch of rusks, which were much easier than last time and means the cookie jar is full and Hubby dearest is quite happy. We did have a really good laugh at Max yesterday, he and Sasha were frantically barking at something on the other side of the fence in the fynbos and he got so worked up that he actually climbed up the mesh fence. Literally he climbed close to about four feet in height of the fence before falling back to the ground and eventually giving up. He definitely forgets that he is just a mere, little Yorkie.

I read something this week which really stuck with me. I was reading a Blog that I follow written by a lady who Blogs about Fibromyalgia. In this week's page she writes about what one experiences when dealing with a Fibro Flare but I truly believe it applies to each one of us in varying circumstances so please see it from where you are or may be coming from. She said "when you are struggling to get through a flare (or any challenging czzircumstance) don't allow yourself to get stuck thinking that this is all that your life is going to be. It really struck a chord for me because when you are so sore that you don't know where to sit then it is easy to think along those lines and get discouraged, but, as I reread her words it occurred to me that whenever we find ourselves in difficult circumstances of any nature it is very easy to think that's all it's ever going to be like. If we would just stop for a moment and look back in our lives there have been innumerable occasions when the circumstances inevitably change and life became normal again. It may not go back to what was normal exactly as it was before, but it does go back to a 'new' normal. I know I have said this before and it is easier for some than others, that we always try and look at the glass half full instead of half empty. Nothing in life stays the same, there are ups and downs and whilst the ups are glorious we learn the most during the downs. Just like the waves of the ocean go out - so they always come back, the wind blows and then it does not blow. Today I really just want to encourage any of you who are in a dip due to whatever circumstance, don't allow yourself to believe you will stay there forever, there is a flip side to that circumstance and you will get there too.

Friends I wish you a beautiful weekend, for those who are traveling please be safe and aware, for those young people who are studying for exams good luck, and to all keep well and in whatever you do be safe.

Lace Cover Up

Giving thanks in every situation.

Sending breezy greetings to you all from Betty's Bay while trying to adjust to a quieter house and schedule. We had a super quiet weekend after dropping Princess at the airport on Saturday morning at the fresh, early hour of 6 am. This necessitated everyone being up just after 4 o'clock and a very silent drive into town, due mainly to the fact that we were sad to be parting and also still busy waking up. What a wonderful week we had with our Princess which has left us even more excited about having all the Johannesburg family here in December, and how much we are all missing her bubbly, happy, busy little personality. It actually felt as if the whole of Betty's Bay decided to stay indoors and hibernate through the weekend, hardly a soul to be seen or a sound to be heard.

I will admit that we did practically nothing this weekend which for us is quite an achievement, after we got home I actually fell asleep for more than two hours which is unheard of, unfortunately I am in the middle of a really bad 'Fibro flare' and with Hubby dearest having a sore knee we were extremely lazy. This morning we tootled off to see a Doctor about it and he says nothing serious, gave him some medication and expects it to clear quickly and was brought on by all the bending up and down whilst fixing the fence to keep Max in.

I am on another 'mission' so to speak, our neighbours are extending their house and have chopped down a really big, bushy tree/hedge which has left us exposed to the wind on the driveway side as well as staring at their soon to be garage wall. To anyone who knows me they will know that I have a 'thing' about trees being cut down and bare walls. So I turned to my good friend Google and am looking for fast growing shrub/hedges/trees to plant on that side of the yard. Obviously they will need to be sturdy enough to stand up to the wind we get from that side. I phoned the Botanical Gardens which just up the road and discovered that they have plant sales there daily as well as being able to advise us accordingly. So guess what we will be doing in the near future? Yep, we will be adding to our garden and privacy.

I am also going to have to find a Cel Phone repair place as soon as possible after discovering yesterday that for some unknown reason my phone stopped charging and on investigation we found that there is some tiny little piece in the charging port that is broken off. This is a mystery because when I plugged it in on Saturday evening the battery was flat, it charged to 68% and then just stopped even though it remained plugged in, grrrrrr most annoying to say the least.
I am also planning to bake more rusks (it's hard to believe, but yes they are finished), do some sewing and other projects that are waiting to be tried out, one in particular I want to make is Peppermint Thin sweets, I had them many years ago and they were delicious. Anything peppermint is a favourite of mine so it will be a case or trying until I get it right haha.

Every day as I look out of the windows or stand on the deck I am so grateful and in awe of the beautiful home and village that God has put us in. It is so easy for us to take life for granted or as our 'due' that we very often forget to give thanks or show appreciation for the small things. With all the negativity we are bombarded with on Social Media and the news, the blessings we do have can seem to go by unmentioned. Having a home to live in, people who love you, food on the table, the ability to earn a living, even just the ability to walk on our own and go about our daily tasks are reminders to me of God's infinite goodness and blessing toward us.

As we go into this new week friends lets 'pay it forward' to those we come into contact with, a smile, a word of encouragement or praise, a prayer of thanks for what we do have. Have an awesome week and always stay safe and well.

Beaches, projects and fun.

I cannot believe it is Friday already, this week has absolutely flown past. We have had a very busy week with our little Princess, we have been shell collecting, beach walking, boogie boarding (she was in this cold water for more than an hour BRRR), coloring, a secret project which her Mommy doesn't know about and so much more. We had a visit with some of the Cape Town family which was wonderful as we hadn't seen them in a year, gosh and the list goes on. I am so very proud of this young lady and her Mom (Poppet), she is a credit to you my beautiful daughter well done on raising a confident, capable, bubbly, well mannered daughter. We are a little disappointed that there were some things we just did not get to due to time constraints and also the weather but this is just the start of many holidays for all the family.

We also celebrated my darling Hubby's 67th Birthday on Wednesday by having a relatively quiet/normal day, Princess baked Grandpa a perfect Vanilla Sponge cake which she iced with blue frosting and in the evening we met with BigBear and BabyBear at a gorgeous restaurant right on the beachfront in the Strand where we ate a delicious dinner, a truly special evening. Once again we really missed those who couldn't be here which makes us look forward to the December holidays even more.

This part of the country is an enigma when it comes to the weather, this morning we lit a fire because it was so cold, it then poured with rain and the wind blew and right now the sun is blazing down. The one event I am not particularly delighted about was last night as we went to bed Princess called us into the lounge to say there was a scorpion on the floor............. what on earth??? and as true as I sit here there was a small scorpion scuttling along through the lounge, it did not go on to live a long life!!! On the animal front all of ours are happy and well, staying where they are supposed to and just generaly enjoying life.

Tomorrow sadly we have to send our precious visitor back to her Mom, her flight leaves REALLY early in the morning so we shall be rising at about 4 am in order to get her to the airport in time. All I can think of is how very quiet this house is going to be but I also know how much she and her mom have missed each other, and she is going back to celebrate Mom's birthday and give her all her prezzies.

As life become a little more normal I realize that Christmas is not very far off and unless I get my list going it's going to sneak up on me. A little more planning will now be required as there are new factors to take into consideration such as the distance to shops, airline weight limits etc, which collectively add up to making sure I have a plan, make lists and stick to them. The one thing I definitely want to do is make Christmas stockings for every member of the family to hang on our beautiful fireplace, so red material is now on the list. How far are you with your Christmas planning friends ?

Well folks we are planning a very quiet weekend and whatever you have planned I trust you will have a fantastic time, enjoy your 'downtime' and I really hope that you get to rest a bit and recharge your batteries. Wherever you go and whatever you are doing please be safe and try to someone a compliment or tell them how much you appreciate them.

This morning on the beach I saw this exquisite blue sea anemone in a rock pool.


Princess examining shells

Visits, memories and victories

It's a new month, a new week and in South Africa it is school holidays which means our quiet little town just got a whole lot busier. Thankfully we are not overrun with visitors but there is definitely an increase in people who I am sure are delighted with the perfect weather Betty's Bay has delivered today. Our little Princess arrived yesterday and I was absolutely stunned to see how much she has grown in the two months since we've been here. Good grief she has overtaken Jelly Bean and BabyBear and fast on her way to overtaking me, where oh where has the time gone ? What a blessing it is to have her with us for the week, so far today we have been into Kleinmond, then stopped at 'our' Shell beach where we all meandered around finding treasures and now Grandpa has taken her off to the main beach to go Boogy boarding, I am waiting to hear how long that lasted with the cold water hehe, I think she is in for a shock. I begged off this little excursion in order to recharge my batteries a bit which frustrates me beyond words, just the fact that I have to miss out on anything makes me GRRR.

Well friends what can I say it is always busy for some reason. We have now reached the point on Hubby's long list where all the small indoor 'changes/chores' are done and from here we move to the exciting stuff, like building the kitchen farmhouse table unit, tea station, bookshelves etc wooohooo. So far and I say this with thumbs crossed, Max has not found a way through or over the fence and that is not for a lack of trying so we hope we can finally tick that off the list. Although this morning he and Sasha found a way around the back of the garage, which is blocked off, and smelt something in the air vent holes in the brick wall which has kept them obsessed ever since to the degree that there is a wet patch on the bricks from where they have been sniffing, I just shake my head in bewilderment. As a bit of a report back I can say that a Bicarbonate/baking Soda paste has removed whatever little ticks were bothering Kiko as well as healing the sore spots (from scratching), I did however buy her a tick collar as well - it's war on ticks and fleas in the house. Then another good report back is my attack on the mold in the shower, first of all I blasted it with high pressure steam then I made up a mixture of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water in a spray bottle and I keep spraying that on. Apart from a slightly vinegary smell it is working like a charm and most of the mold is gone and the stubborn areas are diminishing daily, apart from the success it is cheap and has no chemicals so a double win.

As I sit and type this there is not a breath of air, the sea is the most glorious colour, birds are chirping, my dogs are barking at something (of course) and I can hear the waves breaking in the rocks in front of us - I am indeed blessed beyond measure. It is Poppet's birthday today so I got to speak to her early this morning and a couple of times since then, it is Hubby's birthday on Wednesday which means we will meet up with BigBear and BabyBear for dinner in the evening, that way they will also get to spend some time with Princess. I got a phone call from my handsome firstborn - Bug Guy which was awesome, I miss the Jhb and UK family so much, in an ideal perfect world we could all live in the same city at the same time. Tomorrow we have my darling Hubby's son, my step-son, and family coming for a visit which will be wonderful as we haven't seen them for absolutely ages and in between all this we are going to try and make the most of the good weather for every day that we have it, being the Cape it could be doing exactly the opposite in 24 hours.

As I end off for today friends I would like to encourage you to appreciate and make the most of every moment you have with your loved ones, let them know how much you love and appreciate them, be kind to yourself, I hope this week treats you well, and always, always please be safe.

Betty's Bay this morning