Are we making a difference ?

Hi folks, greetings on this gorgeous autumn morning. I think I can safely say that we are at last entering Autumn and the heat is abating just a little, which equals a very happy me. Thankfully due to the design of our house, open plan / barn conversion, we have learnt very quickly to see which side the wind is blowing from and then open up that side of the house. We've had to become slightly creative in respect of closing up the door so that Jasper cannot get out, but so far it is working.

Following a rather busy week, after we took Jelly Bean to work yesterday, my precious Hubby and I treated ourselves to a nice breakfast at The Belgian Waffle House in the Strand, went for a bit of a stroll and then took our fold up chairs and books and planted ourselves on the beach, where we wiled away the morning reading, watching humanity and the sea. The Strand beach is probably the best walking beach in South Africa as it is very long and extremely flat. Yesterday was one of the very rare days in the Cape where there wasn't even a hint of wind, the sea was calm and the sun wasn't cooking down, absolute bliss.

The one thing I can do for hours is watch people go by, and yesterday was no exception. There were so many people on the beach of every nationality, age, and walk of life. It was so beautiful to hear children laughing and parents actually playing with them, not just sitting supervising. Being such a large beach everyone pretty much has their own space, and what really stood out was, even though our country is so divided and has so much violence, the majority can and do live in total harmony. There was a group of ladies standing in the shallow water appearing to be having a prayer meeting, a young couple with a toddler who have a bicycle coffee cart and from the moment we arrived until shortly before we left they were inundated, I am guessing they ran out of coffee. All in all a couple of hundred people co-existing harmoniously and actually having fun and being happy. This got me to thinking about the struggles that I know so many people are going through at the moment, we are all fighting a war on some level. Most of these battles are largely hidden from others out of fear of judgement/criticism or even rejection. As society I think many of us have become very good at putting on a smile and acting like there is nothing wrong. However, I do believe that there comes a time when one needs to share with someone they trust to stand with them, whether it be through prayer, encouragement, some form of support, or just halving the burden. There are many times just uttering a kind word, a gentle hug, or an encouragement will totally turn around that individual's day. Folks, I would love to challenge each of you to go out this week and be aware of those around you at work, in your family, at the supermarket, wherever you go, listen to your heart and change someone's day, give them a reason to keep fighting, even give them a reason to smile. Pray for them, even though you don't know the circumstances God most certainly does and there is a reason your path crossed with theirs.

On that note have a fantastic week, I pray YOU receive encouragement and kindness and I am now going to cuddle my gorgeous Jasper awhile, it's Monday and the terrible red monster (vacuum cleaner) visited today, so extra cuddles are in demand. Until next week stay safe friends and go out and make a difference in the world.

P.S. This Blog is exactly one year old, I can hardly believe all that has transpired in such a short time. Thank you one and all for your support and encouragement and most of all for being part of this journey.


Pics taken on Strand Beach yesterday morning.

One week can only contain so much

Greetings friends how are you all today? The one thing about retirement is that sometimes it gets a little difficult to keep track of long weekends etc. I knew that tomorrow is a Public Holiday in South Africa but what I had not quite registered was that schools were closed today resulting in a large percentage of people being on leave. Ho hum, apart from traffic we haven't seen much difference. Although, having said that in all honesty we have been so busy that it could have been five holidays. Last week Hubby's car developed an 'ailment' in as much as the alternator packed up during one of the drives taking Jelly Bean to work. After much tension and careful driving he got home safely and spent most of the week under the hood of the car, thank the Lord among his many abilities auto mechanics is very strong so he is busy working on fixing said alternator.

I went and got myself bitten by a spider last Tuesday whilst getting dressed, I never saw it or found it but certainly felt it. The following day I saw the Clinic Sister at the local pharmacy, who is wonderful, and quickly confirmed the diagnosis. She put me onto antibiotics etc which Wa s all fine, but despite taking everything the red mark around the bite doubled every day. Yaay !!! Happily, although it is still red and big it seems as if the antibiotics are working.

Friday was our beautiful Jelly Bean's birthday, unfortunately she had to work in the morning but we had a super laid back birthday evening. Many years ago after my late husband passed away I began a tradition, whereby the birthday person gets to choose the meal of their choice for dinner irrespective of how weird that choice is. Friday proved to be right up there as far as unusual in that her meal choice was - ice cream, haha. On Saturday BigBear and BabyBear collected her from work and came through for the afternoon and a wonderful family braai (barbecue). It was such a lovely afternoon as we all sat out on the deck listening to the waves, with a nice fire going and good fellowship. Once again the sad part is we were missing the rest of the family, gosh it feels like such a long time and I miss them all SO much.

Yesterday at about 11am a huge veld fire broke out between Pringle Bay and Rooi Els, the next two villages. Because the winds were in excess of 50 kph it very quickly got out of control. We had to take Jelly Bean through for an afternoon shift and because the fire was so big the road was closed and we ended up having to go the long way around which is about 30km further each way, on a super busy road. Hubby and I went up to the Helderberg Nature Reserve where the temperature was a sizzling 34c and had a lovely time over tea and scones, before going to spend the rest of the afternoon with friends. The road remained closed, so again the long drive home and then arriving to a smoke shrouded Betty's Bay. Because we are on a local chat group we were getting all the updates and this was one really evil fire. We could see the flames from our home which is a good 8 or 9 km from Rooi Els, the fire jumped the road and spread across the mountain behind Rooi Els and down into the Nature Reserve destroying 3 homes, damaging others not to mention the affect on Mthe wildlife. On the ignition side it swept through the mountain, down through the gorge and up the other side before burning deeper into the mountains. The authorities evacuated the whole village, but most people are now back home assessing the damage. They had over 150 firefighters, 25 fire vehicles, helicopters and water bomber planes, our firefighters are so tired after such a long dry season and yet they continue to tirelessly push on. Thank you to all involved. Currently the fire is mostly under control and thankfully the coast road was opened at 6.30 am this morning, it was such a joy to drive along it although heartbreaking to see the devastation. Lord we need rain so badly.

As a result of ALL the above and not sleeping well, this lady is now running on fumes in terms of energy. So, that means I am going to end off and take a little 'me' time to recuperate and try and charge my batteries, this is one of the down sides of Fibromyalgie, chronic fatigue. Dear friends I wish for you a week of peace, success, good health love and lots of laughs. Above all and always please stay safe out there.

An interesting week to be sure

Hi there friends I hope this finds everyone well. Gee whizz it has been a busy week, last weeks post seems like a month ago haha.
As well as all the normal daily activities, we have done some serious driving. Jelly Bean started her new job last Wednesday and although we thought we would keep ourselves busy and explore during her shifts, we very quickly discovered that it was just too much, especially for me. So a quick rethink and we have found a system that works very well, one of us takes her to work and the other fetches and we rotate that every day. This way we can carry on normal home activities and the money we would potentially have spent in coffee shops etc is more than what we spend on diesel. There are obviously exceptions where we will go in and have things to do for the entire time, tonight is one I am really looking forward to, she is on 'night' shift from 4 - 8.30pm and we are going to meet up with some friends and have a leisurely dinner somewhere. For me that is always a treat. Thankfully our precious girl is absolutely loving her job and everything that it involves, God is so good to us.

The weather here has been unusual to say the very least. Last week we were in Stellenbosch where it was an incredible 37c, we went from there through to Somerset West - still a sweltering 36 c or so, but when we eventually got home it was a glorious 21c. I had even joked that the Cape was showing off for all the visitors, not much wind and lots and lots of sun (except in BB). Cape Town hosts the biggest road cycle tour every year with over 35 000 plus riders who come from all over the world to take part, as the week progressed so did the number of tourists. On Sunday morning just before the start of the race and due to exceptionally high winds the organizers shortened the route, and then all the 'drama' unfolded. The first batch of riders, the elite group started out and from there on it was chaos because the winds were in excess of 100km and the riders could not even get on their bikes much less ride them. There are so many videos online at the moment showing how the guys' bikes were being blown right out of their hands, blowing out horizontally. Eventually the race was cancelled which was the first time in its 40year history. My precious Hubby who has ridden 16 of these Cape Cycle Tours, previously known as the Cape Argus, was more than a little skeptical when he heard the race was cancelled, until he saw the video footage. It is so sad for all involved, all the training, the costs incurred, the build up etc but from what I saw on the road yesterday afternoon the visitors made the most of the situation and did a lot of sight seeing. All the food and drinks set aside for the riders along the route were donated to the victims of a massive fire which started in Hout Bay on Saturday and left many people displaced. We truly live in a magnificent Province where the community knows how to come together.
Well done Cape Town.

On the home front Max has not escaped since the last fence mend and Jasper all of a sudden found his springs and can now jump up onto the counters, which means he can now reach Gemma when she seeks refuge up there which makes for lots of fun and games. He is not the most sure footed of kitties and with regularity slips off a counter or a shelf and then walks away looking like he planned it anyway, right now he is sprawled across my lap fast asleep.

Friends my darling Hubby is looking like he is about to pass out from hunger so I need to say Au Revoir for now. I wish you all a fabulous week and as always stay safe and alert out there.

Driving into Gordons Bay yesterday and the Helderberg Mountains were blanketed in cloud.


The Cape showing off, view across False Bay towards Cape Town.

Good news, factory shops and alien plants.

Good afternoon folks from a quiet, still Betty's Bay. Whew it has been busy, but good busy over the last week or so. About three weeks ago Jelly Bean went for an interview in Somerset West which started the ball rolling rather quickly, the short end of the story is she got the position she applied for and starts work on Wednesday. We have been busy back and forth with second interview, signing forms, registering as a Tax Payer etc, which has been so much fun and excitement. She has literally found her dream job and can't wait to start, as she is still busy with her drivers license Hubby and I will be driving her back and forth which means that we are going to be doing much more exploration and make the most of this season. We always knew that our move down to BB was definitely God's plan but as each day unfolds we see more and more how much so. A friend said to me the other day "When you moved you thought you were just retiring to the coast, but God had Jelly Bean's future planned and knew just what this move was going to do for her, not just us." Never a truer word. We are ALL so proud of you sweetheart and so excited about this new phase of your life.

Last week we also met up with BigBear for a fantastic dinner in Somerset West (it is halfway for both of us), we ate at an authentic Indian Restaurant and I can honestly say the food was fantastic, not one dish disappointed. It was very special to have some 'catch up' time with him and also celebrate Jelly Bean's job. We literally talked up a storm over a long dinner, it is alays like a charge to my battery when we get to spend time with any of the family. Miss you guys LOTS.

On Friday while Jelly Bean was at a staff meeting we began our exploration beginning with some of the factory shops that abound in the Western Cape, there is literally a factory shop for everything down here just waiting to be found. We went to a chicken outlet where I purchased a whole free range chicken, skinless breasts and chicken pieces already cut for an A la King or chicken curry for the incredibble price of R120. At any retail outlet that would have cost us easily double the price.

In the light of the fact that we live in a protected Bio-sphere and all the wild fires that are taking place, Hubby dearest and I have decided that we are going to remove all alien plants along our pavement, we have none in our actual garden. So, after a quiet Saturday, yesterday we went to the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens just up the road from us. What a beautiful place, we went through their nursery and bought a couple of indigenous plants which we are going to plant along our fence where alien plants have previously been removed and then remove the rest one by one. Once we were finished there we decided to make the most of a glorious day and stop for coffee and the restaurant which faces the majestic mountains, not only did we have an incredible view but they had live entertainment, a lady playing the Saxaphone. It was awesome and I managed to chat with her, she recently moved to BB from Cape Town where she played in the orchestra. While chatting I asked whether she gave lessons and she does, for those of you who have followed my Blog for awhile you will know that Jelly Bean took Sax lessons in Jhb with a very well known teacher for about two years, and has really missed them. Not only does this lady teach but she knows the Jhb teacher and can also organize an instrument for Jelly Bean, just more evidence of God's purpose and provision. Friends God is interested in EVERY area of your life, nothing is unseen or too small and even when things look impossible His timing is alays right. We are SO very, very blessed to call Him Abba Father.

On that note I am going to end off for now and wish you a wonderful week, make the most of every opportunity that comes your way and always stay safe.

The Harold Porter Botanical Gardens.



Jasper posing in his 'toy box'