My Life's Winding Roads: Winter is on her way.

My Life's Winding Roads: Winter is on her way.: Greetings to you all, I trust today finds you ready for the new week and new month. Winter has sent out a few testers over the past week so,...

Winter is on her way.

Greetings to you all, I trust today finds you ready for the new week and new month. Winter has sent out a few testers over the past week so, things have really cooled down nicely.  From Friday, we had more or less continual rain with some extremely heavy downpours through Saturday night. Blessed, blessed rain.

This week was one of those weird weeks which felt totally disjointed 🤷🏻‍♀️. On Tuesday the Hubster and I left home early, as we had an appointment in Cape Town. Followed by ... you guessed it; a long list of chores and stops.  The most important (for me) was a stop at a carpet factory shop.  Once we recovered the couches we realised that we would  need to put a carpet in. Yikes! It is amazing how one small decision can have a knock-on effect.  As is my normal trend, I had been window shopping for weeks and thought I had narrowed it down.  Was I ever wrong.  Once inside the enormous warehouse and actually seeing the printed carpets, I quickly changed my mind and just as quickly realised that I have very expensive taste. LOL.   Thanks to two extremely helpful staff members, we were guided to a different pile of Indoor/Outdoor carpets.  I was pleasantly surprised.  After literally leafing through the entire pile and some quick bargaining, I found exactly the right carpet.  It even slid into the car without any need to be folded or tied down.  Once home we unrolled our new prize and it is absolutely perfect. Now I have to work on scatter cushions; still the knock on effect haha.  I must give credit where credit is due. I have to thank Poppet and Jelly Bean for their input and wisdom regarding design and colour. Thank you girls xx.

Somehow this whole day trip messed with the rest of the week and I was constantly on the wrong  day.  It turned out to be a very quiet week, physically.  Jelly Bean and Hubby basically grounded me because I developed two holes along my wound lines.  Praise the Lord one closed off really quickly. The other is still the same.  We also discovered that I still have a stitch which got overlooked.  Once I post this we are on our way to the Surgeon for a check in. 

I am really missing the family at the moment. Big Guy is so far away so visits are far apart.  The last time we saw The Bears was Mother's Day and we haven't seen the Bandy Clan for about as long.  Everyone has been so busy and most of them are working way beyond an 8 hour day.  Princess is still busy writing exams and has been studying every spare minute.  I think I have mentioned this before, but it seems that the chaos of the last two years has culminated in extreme work loads; with fewer people who now have triple the amount of stress.  Right now I have now idea whether life will ever revert back to what we used to call normal. Then I think that at some point it has to.  People are not designed to carry the loads and stress that they currently are.

A few months ago Hubby bought a very big pork roast as Food Lovers were having specials.  I have kept it in the freezer waiting for the right get together however the need for freezer space could no longer be ignored.  I decided to roast it and freeze the excess.  Well, thanks to the treasured Air Fryer and old fashioned roasting pan we had a perfect roast and for the first time ever, perfect crackling.  When the roast was almost done I was able to literally peel the crackling off. 6 minutes in the AF resulted in the best crackling ever.  We ate a huge meal; Hubby had some for supper and I froze a further three meals.👏

That's it from me for this week folks.  I wish you all a blessed week.  Please take a few minutes every day to just stand outside and breathe deeply.  Just smell the 'roses', loosen your shoulders and breathe.  Stay safe and healthy folks.  Ciao Ciao.

Our new carpet.

My Life's Winding Roads: Apologies to International readers

My Life's Winding Roads: Apologies to International readers: Hi folks, my apologies.  Since I got my new tablet I have not been able to share to Blogger.com.  Mostly my own fault , I blame it on not fe...

Apologies to International readers

Hi folks, my apologies.  Since I got my new tablet I have not been able to share to Blogger.com.  Mostly my own fault , I blame it on not feeling very well.  I have just figured it out and posted the backlog of four Blogs. I appreciate you all and your continued support.  Much love 

My Life's Winding Roads: It is a gentle Autumn.

My Life's Winding Roads: It is a gentle Autumn.:  Good morning everyone from a 'still autumn' Betty's Bay.  After loads of weather warnings about a cold front, we had one day of...

My Life's Winding Roads: Recovery time

My Life's Winding Roads: Recovery time:  Good morning folks on this crisp, fresh Monday morning, I trust you are all well.  I actually just realised that we are halfway through May...

My Life's Winding Roads: Here I go again

My Life's Winding Roads: Here I go again:  Good morning family and friends on a glorious, crisp, chilly morning.  Winter is definitely flexing her muscles and I for one am thoroughly...

My Life's Winding Roads: Happy May

My Life's Winding Roads: Happy May: Good morning everyone, sometimes I have to remind myself that it is Blog day especially when that day falls on a Public Holiday.  Somehow we...

It is a gentle Autumn.

 Good morning everyone from a 'still autumn' Betty's Bay.  After loads of weather warnings about a cold front, we had one day of lovely rain and that was it, somehow the cold front skipped over us and is battering a still recovering Natal.  My thoughts and prayers  go out to everyone affected in Natal, stay safe.

Well, it was an interesting but not very productive week for me although Hubby is making good progress on the deck, every day it changes a little more and starts looking more like a room.  Yesterday he vacuumed all the wood dust and dirt etc and I have put out our camping chairs for the time being, so that we can start utilising the space.  His Horology work continues unabated including the odd item like a barometer or strange vintage kitchen clocks.  He had a gardener here on Friday which was quite a business.  At the end of the day it took three car loads (my car with the seats removed) full of garden branches and bags of grass, what a difference. I'm a bit nervous of getting into the car now because of what kreepy kraulys might have been left behind 🌿🦖🦂🕷️🐛🦗🐌🐊

On Wednesday I had my appointment with the Plastic Surgeon.  This after having a bit of an emotional melt down last Sunday night when we changed dressings.  Nothing was how I expected it and it was all just too much.  Anyway, on Wednesday he was happy with the healing process although we are keeping an eye on two different areas where I had problems previouslyl with stitches not sealing the skin.  They took all the stitches out and bar any issues I will only see him in three months.  He answered all my questions and thankfully understood how I was feeling, saying that it is really early days and things are going to change literally week to week.   I am still trying to find a solution to the compression bra cutting into me, and am currently trying two strips of sheepskin.                                        On Tuesday evening I received a call from a dear friend of mine from Cradock, where we used to live, she is in CT and we

 made arrangements to visit on Thursday.  Oh my word this was such a timely visit and heart filling time.  She arrived after 10 am and we visited the WHOLE day, just what my soul needed.  Thank you W for taking the time and for such a special time and all the laughs, have a safe trip back home.

The family are all well, Princess is writing her mid year exams.  We were saying yesterday at how crazy the school schedule is currently, there is no such thing as breathing space.  BabyBear was in JHB for the week for business and everyone else was heads down and working hard.  I am so proud of you all family and love each one of you.                    Zeepha is loving the freedom of going out onto the deck and spends most of her day following the sun around or peeping at us through the open window.  I can just imagine once the benches are in she will just slide along with the sunbeams hehe.

As we go into this new week folks, I wish you peace and good health. May you be blessed going in and going out in all that you do.  Stay safe and healthy. With love from BB, Ciao Ciao.

A confused heron trying to work out what happened to his wetland. Progress interferes with nature, especially when aborted and just left. 🥺 Taken from my kitchen

Recovery time

 Good morning folks on this crisp, fresh Monday morning, I trust you are all well.  I actually just realised that we are halfway through May and yet again I cannot believe how quickly this year is going. 

Last week really kind of evaporated and I constantly had the feeling I had lost a day - you know when Thursday feels like Wednesday or Friday ?  Quite confusing !  Technically speaking I did lose a day as my surgery was Tuesday, I checked into the hospital at 6.30 in the dark and checked out at about 7 pm in the dark.   It is such a very organised and efficient day hospital and operates like a well oiled machine.  I was taken through to theatre at about 12.30 and the rest of the day was a blank haha.  The operation went well and I came out of theatre around 5 pm.  My biggest complaint is the compression bra that I have to wear 24/7 for six weeks........ Yikes.  By name it is very tight and catches underneath where the stitches are.  My Plastic Surgeon did Fat Grafting as well from my tummy in two places and on the sides of my chest, this caused the most pain - it feels like I had a very hectic gym session, which eases a bit more every day.  I am taking things easy and obeying all the do's and don'ts as instructed.  Saw the Dr on Friday for a quick check up and got the thumbs up, I see him again on Wednesday when I have a few questions I want to ask.

The family have been wonderful and as always JB picks up the slack in the house, I don't know what I would do without her 🤍.  Hubby has been working on clocks and watches as they continue to come in steadily and has also managed to technically close off the deck WOOOHOOOO.  I say technically because it still needs the Nutec boards (which are ready and waiting) and a lot of finishing off but yesterday we opened the glass door and Zeepha was able to go out on her own without a harness, the dogs were so confused, they just stood looking with their heads cocked to the side hehehe.  It has taken us just over four years to get to this point and now that the end is in sight I am beyond excited. 👏

Folks as you can imagine I don't have a lot of news, the above is pretty much my week.  I would like to ask though that you all take extra care of your health, we really do tend to take it for granted.  In the last six or seven weeks I have had one friend break her ankle, one friend fracture her knee. Another friend spent a week or two in hospital and yet another being really ill with a bladder infection.  I was scared to phone anyone else is in case they were ill as well, but thankfully all four are recovering well.  It seems like people's health has really been under attack.

I wish you all a blessed week, please stay safe and well.  Ciao Ciao

 

Here I go again

 Good morning family and friends on a glorious, crisp, chilly morning.  Winter is definitely flexing her muscles and I for one am thoroughly enjoying the drop in temperatures.

There is a lot going on behind the scenes family wise with BigBear landing two incredible work contracts, well done son.  Princess now has a definite way forward with regard to her knee.   Eventually she got an appointment with a very highly recommended Orthopedic Surgeon who, after an MRI diagnosed a torn inner miniscule.  This has led to chronic pain which absolutely nothing helps with.  She is not booked for surgery on the 15th June as they have had to take mid year exams into account.  She will then spend three months in a leg brace and all the necessary physio. Poppet, Big Guy, Jelly Bean and all the rest of us are well and working hard, that seems to be the way life is currently.

I managed to ditch my cold Praise God, and had a busy week within the house.  I mentioned last week that we had ordered couch covers and am delighted with them.  All three are now covered and it makes the room look so tidy and even classy.  Definitely a project ahead with scatter cushions and finding a rug to break the grey. I also took the plunge and managed to find a new tablet, my iPad was coming  a very rapid end.  It was mainly for this Blog and obviously everything else I do.  Typing the Blog on a phone was great fun haha.....not!

Tomorrow I begin the next stage on my journey to 'normality' and have to be the hospital at 9 am for my exchange surgery.  This is where they will remove the expanders and replace them with implants, they will also do fat grafting to get everything looking as normal as possible.  I will be honest and say I am not looking forward to the surgery and ensuing recovery time but, it is just another step on my healing journey.

Yesterday we had the most incredible day as all the CT family joined together at the Bandy Bunch's house.  As usual everyone pitched in and the food was phenomenal, Baby Bear's Mom and sister are in town from the Free State and Australia respectively and joined us, it was truly a special day for all the mom's in the family.  One vital person was missing and that was Big Guy, oh how I wished I could teleport him just for the day, I miss him so much.  It truly was a real family day with much laughter and just good fellowship, thank you guys for being such incredible humans.

Folks that is me for this week, I have a ton of things to get done before tomorrow and need to get busy.  I wish you all a blessed week, please stay safe and healthy.  Ciao ciao

A glorious view of the mountains.

Happy May

Good morning everyone, sometimes I have to remind myself that it is Blog day especially when that day falls on a Public Holiday.  Somehow we always have a slew of short weeks and Public Holidays during March and April and this year it seems the shortened work weeks have been continuous for awhile now.  Generally our Village gets busier over long weekends but this one was extremely quiet and still.  One of my favourite things  when I hang up the washing is listening to the birds chattering and from there I have a view right down to the sea, on 'still' days that sea smell is so strong, it feels like you are on the beach. Quite a busy week behind me as I managed to catch up on all things domestic which is a great feeling of accomplishment, but then I sit and wonder what else there is to do or what did I forget hehe.  Hubby got his rusks, I made a big batch of tomato relish which, got bottled and divvied up.  Some for family and some to a couple of neighbours who are always a blessing, and of course some for us.  It was a good albeit busy week.  Added to that I came down with a cold (haven't had one for years), just as I felt I was getting over it somehow I caught a fresh one. Crazy I know.  Anyway I am drinking all the vitamins and doing everything I know to get rid of it as quickly as possible before my surgery next week. Hubby spent most of the week making a very big window frame, which takes cottage panes, for the last area of glass to close up the deck, it is not installed yet but looks stunning.  We have the end in sight now and are pushing to get finished before the rains become consistent. I must share one highlight of the week.  A couple of years ago we bought a very big couch second hand and as it was off white to match our other two I have always kept throws on them.  I took the plunge and ordered a couch cover online, after doing all the research that was available.  It arrived last week and with a tempered down excitement we set about putting it on, there was a tiny part that wasn't sure it would work.  Well ...... it works and beautifully too, so much so that we have ordered one each for the other couches.  What a difference it makes to the room, everything looks far tidier and actually very smart.  I would have liked doing at least one couch in a different colour but, the brand we bought had quite a limited colour range so I will have to up the ante with scatter cushions.  These covers are so light and easy to put on and will obviously be much easier to wash and get dry which makes me a very happy lady. The rest of the family are all doing well after having really busy weeks.  Right now it seems that most people are scrambling to get everything done and I know the holidays have not helped in the slightest.  After today we should be back on an even keel and hopefully things will ease for the majority.  I am going to end off on that note and for those in SA enjoy your holiday today. Stay safe and healthy wherever you are. Ciao Ciao 

 Our smart couch 😁