Always something new to learn.

Good morning friends and family as yet another new week is here and waiting to be 'painted' and filled in. Last week for me was quite a busy one but with a good amount of things achieved, not in the 'I stripped the wooden unit down' or did a major spring clean kind of way but, in getting some answers and actually taking a few minutes out for myself. I had an appointment at the Vet with Charlie and it was really a top to tail consultation, starting with the age old problem of finding the right food to avoid him being sick or fasting for 24 hours at a time, the fact that for weeks he has really been smelly, despite being bathed more and more frequently, his allergies which result in him chewing his feet until they are raw and *whisper* having his anal glands milked 🤢. The good news was a change in food which appears to be working well🙏🏻, his rear end being sorted out, an ear infection which was causing the smell and is responding to ear drops and an injection for the allergies, which are environmental. For that we have used a prescription tablet, allergex, colloidal silver, aloe Vera, pretty much everything around. Our wonderful Vet said she does not want to put him on cortisone as he is still young and therefore gave him this 'newish' injection (I forget the name), which he will have once a month, he has not chewed his feet since the day he had it. It feels so weird not telling him to stop chewing every five minutes and oh how much happier he is. Naturally it is costly but, after every other expense and product I've tried this is money well spent. So, although a very busy day because as usual we added in stored up chores which needed to be dealt with in town, it was a really good day. I eventually got my Blood Test results back from the Oncologist and thank the Lord, everything is exactly what is supposed to be, hallelujah. I remember every time Poppet had and has her annual check up, how the wait for the results feels never ending but the joy that comes with that good report is immense. I had a very 'scatty' week in terms of remembering things which is an ongoing challenge at the moment. For three nights when I took my medication I examined the pills, counted them, knew something was missing but for the very life of me I did not know what it was. For three days I felt progressively worse until on Friday it dawned on me. I was missing the tablet which after weaning myself off, the Dr very quickly put me back on ....... hmmmm here I did a three day cold turkey so no wonder I felt awful but even worse was realizing how silly it was and yet no amount of looking and counting made me remember arghhhhh !! On Friday morning as I hung out the washing I realized what a perfect day it was and immediately decided that going to the beach was the best thing in the world. Hubby went off to do the shopping and at the last minute Jelly Bean joined me and we took both dogs down to Silversands Beach for half an hour and it was absolutely wonderful, just the slightest of breezes, and warm which quickly started to get hot as we left and, an almost empty beach. The dogs splashed around in the little pools between the rocks and I just soaked in the view and the peace whilst making a promise to myself to do more of the same a LOT more regularly. I also found two very unusual shells which I have never seen before and later whilst having coffee with friends whom we haven't seen in ages, mentioned them and my friend knew exactly what they were. They belong to the very big black and white snail like shells that are found on the beaches, about 13 cms long, what I found is the 'trapdoor' that gets pushed out - I am fascinated. The family are all doing well and yesterday BigBear come through for lunch, BabyBear is in Johannesburg for work. It was so good to see him and just spend time catching up, the months seem to fly past so fast that we hardly realise it. Hubby has almost finished fixing his car and is waiting for one more part to arrive, but everything is back where it belongs and we are hopefully days away from having it back in use. The clocks continue to come in regularly and there is never a day where he isn't working on at least one, this week he even managed to get some work done on the deck and we are just that little bit closer to being finished 👀. Our latest brood of baby doves hatched on Thursday and mama dove is being kept very busy with their little bobbing heads demanding food - when they leave we are going to have to take the nest down so that we can install the glass and close that side of the deck completely, I have already been thinking of where it would be possible to build future dove families a nesting box 😃. Folks there are many people who are really struggling at the moment with feeling alone and inconsequentia, in particular and probably made more so since the CoVid pandemic started and everyone was isolated to varying degrees. The 'challenge' is, I think, that we feel it is something that should not be spoken about, is seen as a weakness, is labeled and judged. I remember my late husband saying that "one can be an island of loneliness in a room full of people." Please know that you are not the only one feeling like this, if it is possible for you to reach out and talk to someone please do - sadly though the very reason for feeling alone is that there is no one you trust to speak to. God says in His Word "The Lord Your God Himself goes before you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged". Deuteronomy 31 v 8. When you feel lonely God is still there with you, and He is not going anywhere. If possible try and write in a private journal how you are feeling and in so doing at least release some of those feelings, spend some time in prayer and allow God to give you His peace. Those feeling and emotions are real and you are not weak or a failure for having them, as hard as it is to do at these times, do things that make you happy. You will get through 'this', you are precious, you are worthy, you have value, you are loved. I will end on that note and wish you all a blessed week. Reach out to someone, share some love and care with those you come across this week, perhaps try and look beyond their smile. Ciao Ciao. PS. Can anyone tell me how cats know exactly what time it is when it comes to dinner. We feed ours at 6 pm and Jasper will come from wherever he has been sleeping within literal seconds of dinner time and sit on the arm of the couch staring at me, summer or winter makes no difference 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Unusual sea shell -snail trapdoor 

Silversands Beach, please turn sound up.