Good morning family and friends from a sunny, quiet little Village by the sea in South Africa. With all the reports of El Nino the weather seems to be all upside down here in the Cape. Today the air is still but cold, the sea is flat and the sun is shining. We are swinging between really hot days and then snow up country days later, looking out of the window to gauge what to wear is just not working at the moment. Normally we would be heading into the lovely mild days of Spring but seem to be stuck between complete opposites. To say that I am not looking forward to summer would be the understatement of the year.
What a month we have just had, WOW. This year truly seems to have been busier and gone much faster than normal. As a family we started off the month with our precious little Munchkin's 2nd Birthday, yep already, can you believe it? Mom and Dad had a super little party for him with his little buddies and friends, then on his birthday he had a little party at Playschool. He truly brings so much life and laughter into our lives and is a continual source of joy. He is such a gentle, appreciative little boy with a personality that absolutely sparkles. Every present was met with delight and wonder and some unique responses. When opening a gift we gave him all he could say was "Oh my soul", "Oh my Soul". We have the video to prove it and none of us realised how often we say that, heart melting moments I tell you.
Life on our home front was equally busy with work coming in, in a steady stream. I am still amazed that a chance remark by Poppet after I did an alteration for her three years ago, led to me starting a business and even more that it is still going and doing well. Sometimes it feels as if I can't keep up, but for the most part it is steady and at a pace that I can keep up with. God has shown His faithfulness to me in just this alone that I stand in awe. If anyone had told me I would do sewing, mending and alterations for a living I would have laughed them away. Special thanks must go to Big Guy for all the ripped rugby shorts and shirts that he produced during his career, that by necessity needed mending and fixing. Also to his brother and sisters for their ongoing contributions to the mending piles over the years, who knew guys? The knitting and crocheting seem to have quieted down somewhat ( also seasonal I guess). I am still busy with my Big chunky blanket which I have purposely drawn out, just because it is such fun to do, I also had to wait for extra wool to be delivered. Yesterday I started knitting a Chunky zip up Cardigan as an order for a client, this is a first for me so holding thumbs that it all works out and fits properly. I have noticed though, a strange thing, one cannot just go into a store and buy a knitting pattern anymore, no one sells them.
Princess is doing well and busy with her last push before finishing Uni in November. She has done so well and is looking forward to moving back to the Cape and putting all her knowledge into action. BigBear took part in a huge sporting even during the middle of the month, Hyrox Cape Town, and finished with his partner in 1:26:35. Well done guys for an outstanding achievement. Wednesday was MamaBear's Birthday and today is BigBear's birthday, Happy Birthday to both you you. I pray God continues to bless you both in every area for many years still to come. . Most of the family have been down with this year's version of flu, some more than once. Currently Jelly Bean, Poppet and Myself are trying to shake it off, it is a nasty one for sure. I haven't had flu in years, but this is the second bout this year and I am not impressed. When I saw the Dr last Wednesday he said that they have seen more people with this flu than they saw patients during CoVid.
Last weekend was my 70th Birthday and the whole family came together for the weekend, except for my little Princess. BigGuy flew down and we all spent a wonderful weekend with the Bears in Hout Bay. MamaBear had organised everything to a T, thank you precious for all the planning and preparation and thank you family for showing up and all you did, for all the spoils and love and just being present. At one point on Saturday night during the Rugby match we were watching, I was sitting slightly apart from the group and looked at all of the people I love most in the world (minus Princess), and I just thanked God for the privilege of being here to see my family all together, shouting at the TV just the way they did when they still lived at home, interacting with each other and just being .. FAMILY. It was a moment that touched me deeply as a privilege and honour to be here and share this time with them. I love you guys and being your Mom and Granny / AmAm is the greatest honour I have been given and what I dreamt of as a child growing up.
Hubby is inundated with clocks at the moment, with some very special and even rare clocks that are in for repair and or service. I can't keep track of what comes in and what goes out and, again, it is all thanks to the Lord because it is all word of mouth and his clients come from the other side of Cape Town to bring their clocks (or, more normally he collects the clocks) . After a couple of extended power failures recently here he has decided to upgrade our Inverter and Solar system. To that end he is busy gathering the needed upgrades and preparing to install it all. There are a lot of people upgrading their systems and so some of what we need he has been able to buy from people he knows, which is a huge help cost wise. Our current Inverter is small and just enough to charge phones and keep the fridge running, when we have sun. We had a period not long ago when we were without power for close to eleven days and most of those were wet and cold. The Electrical and Plumbing infrastructure in our three Villages is old and was not designed to carry the load that the influx of people has caused. also the weather plays a big part, poles get blown over and then Substations blow up and we then sit in darkness, so, every step individuals can take to get off the grid is important all round.
Well folks, I think I have rambled on long enough and brought you all up to date, more or less, on what is going on in my life. As we bring August to a close and start the last quarter of 2026 I pray that it will be a kind season for us all, a healthy season and a peaceful journey to the end of the year. Stay well and stay safe wherever you are. Ciao Ciao.
2nd Birthday Party treats.
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