My Life's Winding Roads: It was a long month

My Life's Winding Roads: It was a long month: Greetings everyone on this lovely mild late winters day.  July felt like it was a very long month in all ways; good grief, so much packed in...

It was a long month

Greetings everyone on this lovely mild late winters day.  July felt like it was a very long month in all ways; good grief, so much packed into one month that I am not quite sure where to start.  Weather wise July was COLD, there is no other way to put it.  We thoroughly enjoyed having our fire going most days and every evening as well. It almost feels like the weather knows the date because the moment August rolled over on the calendar it picked up a few degrees and has become a little bit milder.  I know I am definitely nowhere ready for summer 🌞.  

One of the highlights of my month was the most wonderful day out at a wine farm with the Bears.  They decided that it was Mom treat day and took both myself and BabyBear's Mom for the most splendid lunch and catch up time.  We spent the whole afternoon eating, chatting, laughing and then dozens of photographs were taken.  I came home on a high of love, feeling very special.  Thank you both again for such a special memory.

Another highlight was I just happened to see on Facebook a gentleman who recovers old Bibles.  My favourite Bible goes back to the 80's and is irreplaceable in terms of my notes, references etc. After having a chat with him I very carefully packed it and couriered it to him, here in the Cape.  Three weeks later I got it back, looking like new.  The original cover was so worn and even  torn in places and he has literally breathed new life into it, we are good to go for another 40 years.  If anyone wants his number please send me a message and I will be more than happy to pass his details on.

There have been lots of quick 'pop in' visits with the girls on various trips into town,  and in between her trips up to Pretoria we even have Princess come and stay for a few days which was very special.  I know that I am trying to squeeze in as much time with her before she moves as possible.    On her last trip up country she caught  flu which the Dr initially thought was swine flu, but turned out to be the RSV virus.bthank goodness there is no such thing as distance when praying.   She was really ill to the point that her return flight home was delayed by a few days.  Shame it was a rough month health wise for her  but thankfully she is now looking and feeling tons better.  

For those of you who are in South Africa you most probably know about the Taxi strikes we have had during the last week in the Western Cape.  Unfortunately Poppet had to go into the office last Thursday and the strike started sometime during the morning.  She left her office at 2pm and it took her until 6.45 pm to get home.  A journey of normally 40 minutes.  Every single road in and out of Cape Town was grid locked, the highways were at a standstill as the taxi drivers filled all lanes and then switched off their vehicles. So much stress and heartache. The roads are still being closely monitored by the authorities and not quite back to normal. More opportunities to pray unceasingly.

The culmination of all my tests and procedures was a visit to the Oncologist who is delighted with my results and has officially given me the all clear.  Apart from having the bi-annual calcium drip tomorrow I am done.  Hubby saw the Orthopaedic specialist and is booked to have a total left knee replacement on the 22nd of this month. We've known it was on the cards at some point which it turns out is now.  He has the same surgeon who operated on Princess and is excellent so we are praying for and claiming a successful operation with a trouble free, quick recovery. 🙏  There is still one final reconstruction operation for me, which I will schedule more towards the end of the year when Hubby is up and about.  This op for me is important in that I see it as the final, I'm done and dusted, door closed.

Miss Muffet and the family just came back from a summer holiday to Turkey and as the boys are on summer break and at a Camp for a week she and Mr Muffet jetted off to Ibiza for four days on their own - I'm not jealous at all 😉

Last Wednesday evening Jelly Bean and I whisked ourselves off to Kleinmond to do a Sip and Paint Pottery Class.  Oh what fun it was.  There were about eleven people and each person chooses an item to paint, chooses their paint colours and gets busy.  They provide wine and we had the most delicious sourdough breads with it.  Lots of chirping amongst everyone, lovely music and a general, all round evening of fun.  When we get our items back from being fired etc I will post a picture.  I must say that since CoVid there are now so many things to do in our area and surrounds, that we really do have the privilege of being able to choose whatever we want.  JB and I will definitely go back to the Sip and Paint evenings.

On the hobby side of my life I am 3/4's of the way through my biggest Diamond Dot Painting to date.  It is a custom picture I ordered of the sea and I cannot wait to see the finished canvas.  I was given another DDP on the Mom's day and have called that one the first of my 'stash'.  During a chat with the girls one day Poppet asked why I don't buy an overlocker and get to do more sewing.  It is something I have always wanted but never got around to making it a priority.  I know absolutely nothing about them and so phoned a friend who I knew years ago had one.  Well ... Within minutes she told me she hasn't used hers in years and promptly blessed me with it even though I wanted to pay for it.  I was speechless and on Friday my Overlocker arrived via courier, wrapped and stickered up with Fragile / this way up covering every centimetre of the box.  On Saturday I sat down with a YouTube tutorial and successfully threaded everything correctly, to my astonishment 😀.  Hubby then took it to the garage to give it a quick service but somehow broke the two needles.  I have now sat the entire weekend just itching to try sewing something / anything and looking at it.  First thing today is new needles and then the all important test......so watch this space folks 👀.  

On that newsy note I am going to end off (I need to get to the Haberdashery shop hehe) .  The last few weeks have been so busy that I have had a bit of a battle physically, in keeping up.  Apart from having the drip tomorrow my plans for the next week or so are all centred on catching up with myself and getting out of the nasty flare I've been in so that when Hubby has his operation I am ready to pick up his reins during his recovery💪🏻.  Folks thank you for your constant support, I wish you all a wonderful week and wherever you are please stay safe and stay healthy. Ciao Ciao

My gorgeous recovered Bible

Charlie back from the groomer sporting the latest Teddy Bear cut