Fun times and heart warming visits.

It is a gorgeous Monday just because we are at the start of a brand new week where we can write our own history. Hi all I hope this Blog finds you well and ready for the week ahead. Well our week kind of started with a bit of a burst haha, but firstly our weekend was a home 'work' weekend. As I am anxiously waiting for my darling Hubby to build my kitchen table and other furniture, yes I do admit to mentioning it every now and then, he needed to bring some kind of order to his garage or up until now the dumping ground. Since we moved in all the excess boxes and bags etc were stored there, being the incredibly clever man that he is he made a suspended platform on Saturday and then yesterday we relabeled and listed all the boxe and bags and packed them up on the platform in order of what is most likely to be needed first. The result is he now has a BIG workspace with a table, his little office and all his tools etc have been put where he needs them and now he can soon start on the furniture. Whoop whoop pictures will definitely follow.

This morning we needed to go to Pringle Bay for a few things and so off we set, but it turned out to be a little more complicated than just get in the car and go. Whilst trying to open the gate and remove a stone which had found its way onto the rail Max and Sasha snuck out behind my back and took off down the road at a speed, ears flapping in the wind which I am now positive is all those ears are good for. The louder I called the faster they ran so we followed in the car, by now having lost sight of them altogether we went literally in every direction possible until eventually we found Sasha coming from the opposite direction they had run in, she was quite happy to get back into the yard so one down and one to go. By now Jelly Bean was also involved in trying to control both cats who had come to see what the fuss was about and now Sasha, off we went again this time heading for the main tarred road where lo and behold about a hundred meters up the road (also in the opposite direction) we see Max casually running down the middle of the road as if it belonged to him, not a road sense brain particle in his head I tell you. Without much fuss we got him into the car while avoiding the other traffic, got home and as I opened the door to get him out he jumped right out of the car and took off again down the road. I was absolutely dumbstruck and the more I called and whistled the faster he ran, Hubby called him and he slowly turned and debated returning which he eventually did and was soundly placed back in the yard. By now we were 20 minutes late and totally frazzled, I have no understanding or explanation for how that dogs mind, or ears, work.

The occasion that we needed to go to the shops was we had very dear friends coming to visit for tea and needed something yummy to serve with it. We haven't seen each other for 8 years and oh how their visit blessed and energized me, a true friendship is when you don't see each other for a long time and yet pick up as if you were together the day before. We go back about 26 years and it was just amazing to spend time catching up, reminiscing, chatting and being together thank you SO much for the visit and laughs and tips. As I write this today weather wise we have gone from sunshine and all doors and windows open to a bit of a south easter blowing and cloud and mist covering the mountains behind us, I am hoping we can light a fire this evening as I'm going to be very lazy and am making savory mince (ground beef) on beautiful fresh Panini rolls which when I saw them this morning just called out their role in our supper. Cats and dogs are all sleeping, Hubby dearest is working in his man cave aka garage and the only sound is the waves, the wind and the clock ticking, more peaceful you cannot get.

Friends I wish you an amazing week and may you take every opportunity to shapenit and not allow it to shape you, overcome every challenge that arises with grace and integrity and in so doing encourage those you come in contact with. Please be safe and enjoy every moment with loved ones and friends.

Last night's exquisite full moon rising
No filters or editing used just my trusty Cannon camera.

Life is always going to change.

Greetings friends on this Friday afternoon, I hope today's Blog finds everyone well. I don't know about each of you but in our house this has been a very quiet week, partly due to our Princess not being here and partly because for me it's been a week of recovery. Apart from a few challenges we have pretty much stayed under the radar. What challenges you may ask? How does a mobile phone charge to 65% and then suddenly stop charging due to the charging dock breaking, during the night when no one touched it ? Yep my Samsung is not well and I am waiting for the repair company to get the necessary part. Then out of nowhere Gemma has developed four balding patches on the back of her neck, being made bigger by her licking them, we went to the Vet this morning thinking it was a food allergy because being unable to get her normal food we bought a different one but the same brand. According to the Vet it can't possibly be food so we have to take her in a little later this afternoon for him to see, joy of joys, she is not a small cat who likes to travel - exactly the opposite.

Weather wise it has been cold with us making a fire almost every evening, today being the first day where the wind is not howling and there is some sun peeping through the clouds. On the brighter side of the scale Poppet and Princess have booked their flights for December, as has Big Guy, so now the planning can begin. Christmas is always an extremely special time of the year for me in every sense and this year promises to be a memorable one. I don't know about most of you but we as a family have decided to go 'less expensive' and more personal this year so woohoo it is time to get cracking. One of the first things on my agenda is to make everyone their own Christmas stocking to hang on our beautiful fireplace. I did manage to make the Lace Cover Up that I spoke about before and all in all am very happy with the way it turned out (at a quarter of the price in the shops) and also baked a huge batch of rusks, which were much easier than last time and means the cookie jar is full and Hubby dearest is quite happy. We did have a really good laugh at Max yesterday, he and Sasha were frantically barking at something on the other side of the fence in the fynbos and he got so worked up that he actually climbed up the mesh fence. Literally he climbed close to about four feet in height of the fence before falling back to the ground and eventually giving up. He definitely forgets that he is just a mere, little Yorkie.

I read something this week which really stuck with me. I was reading a Blog that I follow written by a lady who Blogs about Fibromyalgia. In this week's page she writes about what one experiences when dealing with a Fibro Flare but I truly believe it applies to each one of us in varying circumstances so please see it from where you are or may be coming from. She said "when you are struggling to get through a flare (or any challenging czzircumstance) don't allow yourself to get stuck thinking that this is all that your life is going to be. It really struck a chord for me because when you are so sore that you don't know where to sit then it is easy to think along those lines and get discouraged, but, as I reread her words it occurred to me that whenever we find ourselves in difficult circumstances of any nature it is very easy to think that's all it's ever going to be like. If we would just stop for a moment and look back in our lives there have been innumerable occasions when the circumstances inevitably change and life became normal again. It may not go back to what was normal exactly as it was before, but it does go back to a 'new' normal. I know I have said this before and it is easier for some than others, that we always try and look at the glass half full instead of half empty. Nothing in life stays the same, there are ups and downs and whilst the ups are glorious we learn the most during the downs. Just like the waves of the ocean go out - so they always come back, the wind blows and then it does not blow. Today I really just want to encourage any of you who are in a dip due to whatever circumstance, don't allow yourself to believe you will stay there forever, there is a flip side to that circumstance and you will get there too.

Friends I wish you a beautiful weekend, for those who are traveling please be safe and aware, for those young people who are studying for exams good luck, and to all keep well and in whatever you do be safe.

Lace Cover Up

Giving thanks in every situation.

Sending breezy greetings to you all from Betty's Bay while trying to adjust to a quieter house and schedule. We had a super quiet weekend after dropping Princess at the airport on Saturday morning at the fresh, early hour of 6 am. This necessitated everyone being up just after 4 o'clock and a very silent drive into town, due mainly to the fact that we were sad to be parting and also still busy waking up. What a wonderful week we had with our Princess which has left us even more excited about having all the Johannesburg family here in December, and how much we are all missing her bubbly, happy, busy little personality. It actually felt as if the whole of Betty's Bay decided to stay indoors and hibernate through the weekend, hardly a soul to be seen or a sound to be heard.

I will admit that we did practically nothing this weekend which for us is quite an achievement, after we got home I actually fell asleep for more than two hours which is unheard of, unfortunately I am in the middle of a really bad 'Fibro flare' and with Hubby dearest having a sore knee we were extremely lazy. This morning we tootled off to see a Doctor about it and he says nothing serious, gave him some medication and expects it to clear quickly and was brought on by all the bending up and down whilst fixing the fence to keep Max in.

I am on another 'mission' so to speak, our neighbours are extending their house and have chopped down a really big, bushy tree/hedge which has left us exposed to the wind on the driveway side as well as staring at their soon to be garage wall. To anyone who knows me they will know that I have a 'thing' about trees being cut down and bare walls. So I turned to my good friend Google and am looking for fast growing shrub/hedges/trees to plant on that side of the yard. Obviously they will need to be sturdy enough to stand up to the wind we get from that side. I phoned the Botanical Gardens which just up the road and discovered that they have plant sales there daily as well as being able to advise us accordingly. So guess what we will be doing in the near future? Yep, we will be adding to our garden and privacy.

I am also going to have to find a Cel Phone repair place as soon as possible after discovering yesterday that for some unknown reason my phone stopped charging and on investigation we found that there is some tiny little piece in the charging port that is broken off. This is a mystery because when I plugged it in on Saturday evening the battery was flat, it charged to 68% and then just stopped even though it remained plugged in, grrrrrr most annoying to say the least.
I am also planning to bake more rusks (it's hard to believe, but yes they are finished), do some sewing and other projects that are waiting to be tried out, one in particular I want to make is Peppermint Thin sweets, I had them many years ago and they were delicious. Anything peppermint is a favourite of mine so it will be a case or trying until I get it right haha.

Every day as I look out of the windows or stand on the deck I am so grateful and in awe of the beautiful home and village that God has put us in. It is so easy for us to take life for granted or as our 'due' that we very often forget to give thanks or show appreciation for the small things. With all the negativity we are bombarded with on Social Media and the news, the blessings we do have can seem to go by unmentioned. Having a home to live in, people who love you, food on the table, the ability to earn a living, even just the ability to walk on our own and go about our daily tasks are reminders to me of God's infinite goodness and blessing toward us.

As we go into this new week friends lets 'pay it forward' to those we come into contact with, a smile, a word of encouragement or praise, a prayer of thanks for what we do have. Have an awesome week and always stay safe and well.

Beaches, projects and fun.

I cannot believe it is Friday already, this week has absolutely flown past. We have had a very busy week with our little Princess, we have been shell collecting, beach walking, boogie boarding (she was in this cold water for more than an hour BRRR), coloring, a secret project which her Mommy doesn't know about and so much more. We had a visit with some of the Cape Town family which was wonderful as we hadn't seen them in a year, gosh and the list goes on. I am so very proud of this young lady and her Mom (Poppet), she is a credit to you my beautiful daughter well done on raising a confident, capable, bubbly, well mannered daughter. We are a little disappointed that there were some things we just did not get to due to time constraints and also the weather but this is just the start of many holidays for all the family.

We also celebrated my darling Hubby's 67th Birthday on Wednesday by having a relatively quiet/normal day, Princess baked Grandpa a perfect Vanilla Sponge cake which she iced with blue frosting and in the evening we met with BigBear and BabyBear at a gorgeous restaurant right on the beachfront in the Strand where we ate a delicious dinner, a truly special evening. Once again we really missed those who couldn't be here which makes us look forward to the December holidays even more.

This part of the country is an enigma when it comes to the weather, this morning we lit a fire because it was so cold, it then poured with rain and the wind blew and right now the sun is blazing down. The one event I am not particularly delighted about was last night as we went to bed Princess called us into the lounge to say there was a scorpion on the floor............. what on earth??? and as true as I sit here there was a small scorpion scuttling along through the lounge, it did not go on to live a long life!!! On the animal front all of ours are happy and well, staying where they are supposed to and just generaly enjoying life.

Tomorrow sadly we have to send our precious visitor back to her Mom, her flight leaves REALLY early in the morning so we shall be rising at about 4 am in order to get her to the airport in time. All I can think of is how very quiet this house is going to be but I also know how much she and her mom have missed each other, and she is going back to celebrate Mom's birthday and give her all her prezzies.

As life become a little more normal I realize that Christmas is not very far off and unless I get my list going it's going to sneak up on me. A little more planning will now be required as there are new factors to take into consideration such as the distance to shops, airline weight limits etc, which collectively add up to making sure I have a plan, make lists and stick to them. The one thing I definitely want to do is make Christmas stockings for every member of the family to hang on our beautiful fireplace, so red material is now on the list. How far are you with your Christmas planning friends ?

Well folks we are planning a very quiet weekend and whatever you have planned I trust you will have a fantastic time, enjoy your 'downtime' and I really hope that you get to rest a bit and recharge your batteries. Wherever you go and whatever you are doing please be safe and try to someone a compliment or tell them how much you appreciate them.

This morning on the beach I saw this exquisite blue sea anemone in a rock pool.


Princess examining shells

Visits, memories and victories

It's a new month, a new week and in South Africa it is school holidays which means our quiet little town just got a whole lot busier. Thankfully we are not overrun with visitors but there is definitely an increase in people who I am sure are delighted with the perfect weather Betty's Bay has delivered today. Our little Princess arrived yesterday and I was absolutely stunned to see how much she has grown in the two months since we've been here. Good grief she has overtaken Jelly Bean and BabyBear and fast on her way to overtaking me, where oh where has the time gone ? What a blessing it is to have her with us for the week, so far today we have been into Kleinmond, then stopped at 'our' Shell beach where we all meandered around finding treasures and now Grandpa has taken her off to the main beach to go Boogy boarding, I am waiting to hear how long that lasted with the cold water hehe, I think she is in for a shock. I begged off this little excursion in order to recharge my batteries a bit which frustrates me beyond words, just the fact that I have to miss out on anything makes me GRRR.

Well friends what can I say it is always busy for some reason. We have now reached the point on Hubby's long list where all the small indoor 'changes/chores' are done and from here we move to the exciting stuff, like building the kitchen farmhouse table unit, tea station, bookshelves etc wooohooo. So far and I say this with thumbs crossed, Max has not found a way through or over the fence and that is not for a lack of trying so we hope we can finally tick that off the list. Although this morning he and Sasha found a way around the back of the garage, which is blocked off, and smelt something in the air vent holes in the brick wall which has kept them obsessed ever since to the degree that there is a wet patch on the bricks from where they have been sniffing, I just shake my head in bewilderment. As a bit of a report back I can say that a Bicarbonate/baking Soda paste has removed whatever little ticks were bothering Kiko as well as healing the sore spots (from scratching), I did however buy her a tick collar as well - it's war on ticks and fleas in the house. Then another good report back is my attack on the mold in the shower, first of all I blasted it with high pressure steam then I made up a mixture of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water in a spray bottle and I keep spraying that on. Apart from a slightly vinegary smell it is working like a charm and most of the mold is gone and the stubborn areas are diminishing daily, apart from the success it is cheap and has no chemicals so a double win.

As I sit and type this there is not a breath of air, the sea is the most glorious colour, birds are chirping, my dogs are barking at something (of course) and I can hear the waves breaking in the rocks in front of us - I am indeed blessed beyond measure. It is Poppet's birthday today so I got to speak to her early this morning and a couple of times since then, it is Hubby's birthday on Wednesday which means we will meet up with BigBear and BabyBear for dinner in the evening, that way they will also get to spend some time with Princess. I got a phone call from my handsome firstborn - Bug Guy which was awesome, I miss the Jhb and UK family so much, in an ideal perfect world we could all live in the same city at the same time. Tomorrow we have my darling Hubby's son, my step-son, and family coming for a visit which will be wonderful as we haven't seen them for absolutely ages and in between all this we are going to try and make the most of the good weather for every day that we have it, being the Cape it could be doing exactly the opposite in 24 hours.

As I end off for today friends I would like to encourage you to appreciate and make the most of every moment you have with your loved ones, let them know how much you love and appreciate them, be kind to yourself, I hope this week treats you well, and always, always please be safe.

Betty's Bay this morning

Conquering battles one by one.

Whew my head is so busy that it makes me tired. Good afternoon all, I trust this finds you all well and looking forward to the weekend and everything that comes with it. I feel like I am on the 'warpath' on a couple of fronts, the first being my darling cats and TICKS aaargghhhh. About ten days ago I dosed all the animals and naively thought that was the end of it, how wrong can one be? There are literally dozens of these infernal little pests which, I will admit are mostly dead, but there are still many teeny tiny little ones every time I look, the entire situation is not being helped by the fact that Kiko and Gemma love being outside and are quite vocal when they are kept in. Just now I spent quite a bit of time on the internet looking for safe home remedies to use in conjunction with the drops we've already used and have a couple I am going to try, but if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. Whilst on the subject of Kiko, I don't know if I mentioned that she lost her collar more than a week ago. We looked everywhere and even asked the builders next door to keep a look out, then kind of stopped expecting to find it. Well this week one of the chaps next door called Hubby darling and holding up the collar asked if it was ours, he had been for a walk and saw it on the side of the road in the bushes....... who would have guessed ?

My other 'battlefront' is mould which I am seeing much quicker results in winning. I think due to the constantly damp weather etc, I noticed that our shower was busy with a 'science project' all of its own. Always the optimist I quickly found my new high power steamer (which I bought just before we moved) and after some initial frustration due to the fact that it has an international plug, I got it steaming away and climbed into said shower and got busy. It is having the desired effect I am delighted to say and the mould is going and gone. Wooohooo. Hubby dearest is busy with his personal battlefield which is working on keeping Max in the yard, that dog is untiring in his efforts to get out. We have raised the fence four times now, this last time being with chicken wire above the initial plastic mesh....... and each time we've said "well that should keep him in" only to be proved wrong so here's hoping we can put this one to bed now as well.

Only two more sleeps until our little Princess arrives which is so exciting, I keep thinking of things she needs to bring with and between the two of us there has been a fair amount of scheming because Mommy's birthday is on Monday and Grandpa is on Wednesday, there are a number of secrets floating around I can assure you hehe. I can't wait to see her, it feels like forever and I am sure she has grown inches since we left. Apart from all that, this morning I got a bee in my bonnet about making a crocheted summer cover up, similar to a cardigan but a much more open stitch. After having priced them in the shops I decided I would try and make one and went into the haberdashery shop this morning to price cotton etc, imagine my delight when I discovered that they sell crochet lace, ready made by the metre. I can make it for about a quarter of the price of the shop ones so guess where I am going tomorrow morning ? Yep, right back to the store to get my lace, if it turns out well I will post a photo in due course.

The Hermanus Whale Festival started today which is apparently quite a huge event taking place over the next few days. I am told it draws over 100 000 people so being the crazy people we are, tomorrow morning will find us on our way to Hermanus to the Festival as my dear Hubby wants to see the vintage car show and then we will meander a bit, hopefully we might even spot a whale. On that note folks, I am going to bid you goodbye and wish you a magnificent weekend doing what makes you happy and always friends please be safe wherever you go.

Blowing our way into the week

Well our week started with a blast today in the sense that the wind started blowing, and I do mean blowing a gale, definitely not beach weather. After having fought my way to the washing line and wrestling the washing to hang it up, about an hour later found me doggedly plodding back out to rescue it all. I was quite expecting to find half the garments missing and on their way to Pringle Bay, it was like trying to calm down ten hyperactive, irate octopuses just trying to get everything unraveled and off the line. As we say in South Africa .... EISHH. Well folks I hope you all had a good weekend and for those readers in South Africa that you enjoyed Heritage Day.

As predicted our weekend was a very busy but thoroughly enjoyable. On Saturday we had to collect something in Stellenbosch so decided to kind of make a day of it. We did all the necessary and then went off in search of a little restaurant we had read about called Basic Bistro. For those who don't know Stellenbosch it is a very busy small town which centers around the wine farms, University and Schools, it is also one of the only towns in SA that has not modernized with tall buildings, lots of glass and open space. Stellenbosch has managed to stay true to its heritage and kept the narrow tree lined streets, traditional architecture and generally olde world quaintness. There are so many eating establishments there that it is hard to choose but I digress, we found our little Bistro and being a cold and wet day opted for indoor seating. Basic Bistro is a tiny little place which is literally jam packed with tables and atmosphere, I take my hat off to the waitron staff being able to negotiate their way in and out so well. After a truly lovely, well priced meal we then meandered back to Strand and spent the afternoon with friends of ours arriving home in the early evening. Yesterday we had BigBear and BabyBear come over for lunch which was super and we all said that it still feels strange that they can just pop in for a meal because we actually live close, it was just what I needed to see some of the family, yes I admit I miss them all like crazy. If it wasn't for our Family chat group I would feel totally lost. Once we get going on that it just escalates. The other day Hubby came in from working and looked at his phone, the look of shock on his face as he said "38 messages? What on earth have I missed?" The extra nice thing about it is that Miss Muffet in the UK gets to join in and be part of the whole family dynamic. One of the boys told me awhile back that when he is extremely busy and looks down seeing 30+ messages, he quickly scans to see if there are smiley faces and no drama and will then read at a later stage haha.

Speaking of 'drama' we had a mild dose on Saturday which thankfully was resolved quickly. Princess had gone to a sleepover on Friday night, something she very seldom does and they planned on going ice skating in the afternoon. Apparently the arrangement was the hosting parent would take and fetch to ice skating between a certain time. When we got home in the early evening Poppet phoned me sounding extremely stressed, She had been waiting for two hours to fetch our Princess and could not reach any of the kids or the parent on the phone. She had been to the house and waited and eventually went back and spoke to the eldest son to get him to raise his parent on the phone. Next thing she gets a call from said parent to say they are at the ice rink and can't find the girls..............hmmmm we did some really quick and urgent praying at the same time taking captive the immediate thoughts that jump into ones head. About ten minutes later Poppet got another call to say the girls were on the way they had been at the rink the entire time, Princess's phone had run out of data and the other parent had for some reason fetched them two hours late (let me not 'g o there'). Great relief but you can rest assured new boundaries were in place immediately together with new rules. Jelly Bean walked into the lounge when we got the call to say that they were safe and looked at me and said "Gee this parenting thing is hard." I burst out laughing and immediately said "you should try having FOUR". Hahaha parenting it definitely not for sissies at any age, I sometimes think that the older they get the more you 'worry' about them which results in much prayer.

Yesterday we set the date for our family 'Express Christmas' which means we have a small Christmas get together on the years when not everybody can be in the same place on Christmas Day. This results in those who will be 'away' on the day get to open all their presents from everybody and the rest of us open one present each. Apart from the family time it also means we all get two Christmasses. Wooohooo now we can start planning and if I am not mistaken it will be the first time this year that we will all be in the same house at the same time - can't wait.

Friends that is all the goings on at this particular point in my Life's journey, I trust and pray that you all have a week filled with good health, peace, creativity, wisdom, love and lots of laughter. Be safe as you journey through the week and until next time Ciao ciao.

The beautiful view on our way home Saturday afternoon.