I can hardly believe that it was exactly one year ago today that the offer we put in on our house was accepted and the ball gathered momentum surprisingly fast. The whole of this week I've thought back to this time last year and our trip down here to find a house in five days, we bought the second house we were shown and what a year it has been, our dream come true. In one sense it feels like just yesterday and in the other like we've been here forever. Exactly two months after signing we were here lock, stock and barrel and have not looked back for one second, It has been a year of discovery, adventures, meeting new people and an entirely different way of life. I still get a thrill when I step outside and look up at 'our' mountain, or stand on the deck on a pitch black night where there is not another light to be seen, and all I can hear is the pounding of the waves as they break on the shore. We are so incredibly blessed but that doesn't mean it hasn't been without its challenges, that is life, the ups, the downs and the in-betweens. The most important thing is to ride the waves, get through the valleys and appreciate all the blessings and positives. This past week I had every opportunity to get stuck in a valley, I am not a depressive person but I woke up on Thursday feeling awful in every way, Fibro flare, and so depressed that I had trouble living with myself, thankfully Hubby and Jelly Bean were out most of the day which in itself didn't really help either. There was no tangible reason to feel the way I did so I took it easy, paced myself physically and prayed. Through the years we as a family have had a lot of experience with depression and anxiety but there is no instant or magical cure as we all know, people may ask why you didn't talk to them or tell them ? Most people who are battling with anxiety or depression will seldom tell you outright how they feel. The reason I have mentioned it here today is because depression/anxiety have been hidden from 'view' for too long and it is only now that folks are speaking out. Friends I would really like to urge you to be sensitive to those around you, encourage them, listen to them, don't dismiss what they are feeling as unimportant, to them it is all consuming, pray for and with them and just be there, love them. The next morning I woke up feeling much more my normal self and was able to view things objectively again and carry on with the day.
The one thing that continues to puzzle me is that we are still busier than we ever were back in Johannesburg. This last week has been a blur between Jelly Bean taking driving lessons and working a lot of shifts we have had a sunset picnic on the beach in Gordon's Bay, a morning spent doing various errands and shopping, a trip through to Stellenbosch and sucessfully de-fleaing Jasper who for some reason has been immune to all treatments, until Saturday when we were given a tablet for him to take and then certain drops to put on his neck, the result no fleas and no scratching with a happy kitty and happy mommy (I detest fleas and ticks with a passion). Last night we were blessed to have BabyBear spend the night as she was working in our district today although I am not sure it was such a comfortable evening for her. Whilst we were all chatting last night Jasper had a spurt of energy, running around and playing, which is fine except for the fact that my precious Hubby had pumped up an air mattress and brought it into the house in readiness for her visit. Somewhere in all the playing the 'sweet, innocent' Jasper must have pierced it and when she woke up during the night she was lying directly on the floor, not a puff of air in said mattress, so when I came through this morning there was my poor daughter(in law) curled up on the sofa - so sorry BabyBear.
As June rolls around so does my gorgeous grand-daughter's birthday, she will be turning 14 and again I cannot believe that we are there already, just yesterday she was a tiny little babe in my arms. This will also be the first birthday of hers that I am going to miss which breaks my heart, needless to say that we are going birthday shopping this week as I saw her Birthday 2017 wish list and it is long haha.
Update on the Sourdough starter and its results - woohooo my starter is working perfectly and I will continue to 'feed' it. So far I have made two Artisan Sourdough Breads which were fantastic although, the first was a better texture and the second a better shape. I am looking forward to testing out more recipes and hopefully enjoying the end products.
Friends I wish you a fabulous week, keep your eyes on the positives and please stay alert and safe.
Magnificent sunset from Bikini Beach and a bigger one of the thousands of tiny jellyfish scattered on the beach.
My artisan bread
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