My Life's Winding Roads: November disappeared - Merry Christmas everyone

My Life's Winding Roads: November disappeared - Merry Christmas everyone: Hi folks, here I am albeit a week late if I'm going month by month, this Blog will cover November as well as wishes for Christmas. Shees...

November disappeared - Merry Christmas everyone

Hi folks, here I am albeit a week late if I'm going month by month, this Blog will cover November as well as wishes for Christmas.

Sheesh where are the weeks going ?  This year has literally flown by and the last couple of months even more so, since I started my mending business.  It has been wonderfully busy as well as a learning curve all at once.  I still find it hard  to believe that I can earn money by sewing and mending.  If anyone had ever asked me where sewing was on my list of 'career objectives' it would have rated right down at the very bottom if at all, my Father God has a sense of humour. 🙂  I have had some unusual sewing 'jobs' but each one has stretched me and taught me something.  This past  week, among other things, I made and inserted pockets into three skirts, mended holes (some tiny and some enormous) in seven plush, fleece blankets - one blanket had twenty holes. And my favourite was removing a polo neck  on a brand new jersey, unwinding it to about 2 cm and reattaching a part of it onto the back neck of the jersey.  That one was fun.  A friend in the Village reminded me that I also mend and fix stuffed toys. I've had loads of experience with Princess and her Flopsy. The best part of all this is that I enjoy each item as a challenge.

Weather wise, we have gone straight from winter to a scorching summer - extreme temperatures and either a gale or not a breath of air.  Definitely not my favourite weather as most of you will know.  JB and I even put the Christmas tree up early in the vain hope of cooler weather 😂😂.  We figured that seeing as it has been yet another crazy year, why not start the Christmas season early and really get into the swing of the Season.  I am happy to say that apart from one stocking filler gift I have completed all my Christmas shopping. Yaaay 🙌.  I still  have some baking to do, my christmas cake amongst other things. 

Village news is that we are still mostly restricted from getting into Somerset West and Cape Town because we still have to go around the mountain and over the Pass.  Truly it now feels like a picnic basket and a flask of coffee is required for any trip in that direction, the result of that being, when we do go in I tak a detailed list for every stop.  The one thing I keep forgetting is Christmas Mince Pies 😭, only one of my most favourite things.

This past month did not pass without incident, and by would it ? Haha.  Over the time I have had my generic FatSak,  Jasper (BIG, fat, lazy tuxedo cat), has periodically peed on it to my immense frustration.  Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was able to get it clean. Then the piddle of all piddles and I tried everything I knew, all to no effect.  I was desperate and made a snap decision to cut off the offending section of the inner bag, wash it and then restitch it back in place.  I planned to remove any soiled foam at the same time.  Well ... The deeper I reached in the more smelly foam I pulled out. 🤦🏻‍♀️. This bag was originally 25 kgs of foam.  Washing the cover and the piece of the inner bag in the machine had worked perfectly, so that let me with only one solution - wash the inner cover and  the foam.  OMW do you know how many little pieces of foam make up 25 kg.  Hubby had the idea of pouring the foam into a queen size bed and base,  thick plastic, enormous bag.  Hmmm trying to lift that heavy a bag and pour the foam out did not work so we resorted to pulling out arm fulls and smelling it.  If it was not smelly it went into the bag, if it smelt it went into the bath.  We had a three quarter of a bath full of foam, soap, vinegar and bicarbonate.  My next job was to get it from the bath and spun and dried.  I tried a duvet cover it did not work.  Pillow cases did not work. Eventually I found the zip up inner cover from one of our couch cushions.  This worked like a charm, I half filled it in the bath dragged it into the machine, rinsed and spun, then hung the bag on the line.  I wore a path to the washing line with the uncountable  trips it took. Load after load after load.  All dry foam was then put in the big plastic bag which eventually split. Therefore there were two growing piles of foam 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️.  The inner bag got washed, the missing piece stitched back into place and refilling begun.  Good grief there was foam everywhere you looked, inside, outside, all over us and the animals.  We resorted to using plastic bowls to scoop foam back into the inner, together with liberal amounts of essential peppermint oil and citronella oil.  After much sweat, frustration and exhaustion we got it all back in, minus about 5kgs of foam  which I just tossed out because of total the exhaustion.  Despite the drama and hard work I now have a fresh, clean smelling FatSak.  This week one of my clients gave me a packet of linen savers  which I taped together and liberally sprinkled with citronella oil and I now drape it over the FatSak at night. 🙏🤞🏻 Please God that is the end of the story.

We also had a wonderful two day visit with Miss Muffet who did a flying trip back home.  It was really good to spend time with her and just reconnect and catch up.  Poppet also surprised us with a visit last weekend and we picked up on an old family tradition, which had slipped through the cracks the last few years.  We made yummy salad rolls and settled down to watch Dirty Dancing for the umpteenth time.  Our annual Christmas movie - my heart was warmed and full.

The rest of the family are all well and busy ahead of the holidays.  It is going to be a very strange Christmas this year because for the first time ever Princess will not be here (we will see her a few days later), Poppet will be with friends, the Bears will be away and Big Guy just cannot get down this year.  So for the first time since 1977 all but one of the kids, JB, will not spend the day with us. We are doing a mini Christmas with the CT based family on the 22nd with a video link up to Princess and Big Guy.  I am planning on cooking a big Christmas Eve dinner and then, on Christmas day the three of us will literally veg out and watch movies etc., no cooking just plenty of left overs.

This was a lot of news about a busy month, I will put the next Blog up before the New Year.  To all of you I want to say thank you for taking the time each month to stay connected to my crazy life. Thank you for your encouragement and comments.  From my family to yours I wish you all a truly blessed Christmas and wonderful holidays.  Please stay safe on the roads and wherever you may be. Ciao Ciao.

The jersey make over, before and after.

A glimpse of foam insanity

My Life's Winding Roads: What a month

My Life's Winding Roads: What a month:   Good morning to everyone wherever you are. Well ... What a month in just about every respect including  ending it off by winning the 2023 ...

What a month

 Good morning to everyone wherever you are. Well ... What a month in just about every respect including  ending it off by winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup, well done to our Bokke, you are the best, it really came down to the wire , nail biting from start to finish.  As you may remember, we entered the month almost cut off from everything - that actually hasn't changed much.  We can get through to Kleinmond, our closest town with a stop / go at the bridge, which allows only one lane of vehicles through at a time.  From there we can get to Hermanus also with a stop / go at the turn off to Hermanus, which is actually a 3 way stop /go as it is a T junction and turning left is our only way to Cape Town via Sir Lowry's Pass. Despite being a national highway it is not a pleasant drive as well as being quite dangerous on the Pass, it also takes an extra thirty minutes. As a result ,  trips to Somerset West are now down to only the most necessary.  We are actually very blessed to be in the Western Cape because out of 154 roads which were closed we are now down to 37. In other Provinces in SA most of these roads would still be closed.  Our beloved Clarence Drive is being worked on from both sides as there were so many areas affected, there is hopeful talk of it being opened on a stop / go system possibly before the end of the year 🙏.   Our weather remains completely upside down with no two days being the same.

I had my reconstruction done on the 3rd and it is not quite the full stop I had hoped for; it is a comma as the Dr feels there should be one more next year some time.  Despite having really had no issues with the first reconstruction, this one knocked me flat and exacerbated a bad flare which is still plaguing me.  I actually made contact with the Anaesthetist to find out exactly what drugs she used, because the nausea was so bad and lasted well over two weeks. Never mind the pain and bruising, shucks.  Having said all  that I could not be happier with the results and am loving my somewhat flatter tummy 😁.  I am in no hurry for the next one, and after seeing my Oncologist last week I am now officially cancer free for 2 years and 12 days) I am now on a six monthly check up with her, whoop whoop.  It has been a very long road but one that has taught me a huge amount about myself, compassion and life.  For all who pray and support me, I thank you. I can't imagine having done it without your love.

Work wise things are going well, it was a bit quiet in the middle of the month so which worked out perfectly. Then last week someone called and asked if I can alter curtains. Not my favourite thing to do but I said yes and she duly dropped them off.  Oh my goodness 😳 those curtains tested every reserve I had and then some. Apart from a fairly complicated alteration they were 2.72 m long, made out of expensive block out fabric with another thick block out  lining.  There were some areas that I could not even get the material into my sewing machine (I did those by hand).  It took me the entire week where the dining room table looked like a tornado had struck.  I eventually finished them at 17.00 on Friday afternoon and she happily collected them on Saturday.  That one goes down in my history book 🤣.  Late Friday another client brought in a pile of clothing which needs repairing and small alterations and I was so excited to see what needs to be done. As for Dragon Drizzle the oils went onto the shelf in the Coffee Shop on about the 18th, I haven't been in to see what's happening there.  But I do know I am gong to have to rethink my labels.  Unless there is light behind the bottles the label gets lost completely.

Hubby has a steady flow of clocks and has just rebuilt one for one of our local charities, after being given just  a box of loose parts.  He certainly has  a talent for them.  On a different note I am still trying to get my head around the fact  that my precious little Princess leaves home next Sunday to fly up to Gauteng and prepare herself for Varsity next year.  What happened to the tiny bundle that captured my heart the minute she opened her eyes in the delivery room?  We are having a joint belated birthday and going away lunch for her and Poppet and Hubby this coming Saturday.  I am going to miss her beyond all words.😥😥 as is her Mommy.

On Saturday we went along to Stony Point, our penguin colony to watch the release of rehabilitated penguins. Jelly Bean and I have wanted to go for so long and always miss it.  So braving the cold wind we stood in place and waited. It is always so very soul refreshing to be able to just look at the ocean and not hear anything but the pounding if the waves and call of the gulls .. At the end it was well worth the wait when they released twelve penguins and we  watched them trying to orientate themselves and slowly, slowly approach the water. Eventually one brave guy jumped in and the rest followed almost as one.  We were on a complete high after that, a bucket list item  -  ✔️.  Yesterday we went to a craft market just up the road and it was actually really lovely, lots of unusual things, local crafts and some yummy edibles.  I did not take Charlie as I had read that dogs were not allowed, I had to come home and apologise to him because there were two dogs  there 🤦🏻‍♀️ oops.

Well folks I think that about covers the past month without going into too many details hahaha.  Now the trot up to Christmas starts and I for one want to try and get as much done, as early as possible. I also want to send out a virtual hug to all of you that are battling with pressure, stress, depression, illness or sorrow.  Take a deep breath and just take life day by day, hour by hour and minute by minute where you need to.  If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night in a panic about something, write it down and hand it over to God.   Keep a pen and paper by your bed.  That way you can let it go and deal with it in the morning with fresh eyes.

Stay safe and stay healthy folks.  Ciao Ciao.

Shipwreck from 1926 at Stony Point.

Penguin Release.

My Life's Winding Roads: And it rained and rained and rained

My Life's Winding Roads: And it rained and rained and rained: Good morning folks from a somewhat soggy village on the Cape Coast.  October has arrived and who knows what is in store for us. I am so grat...

And it rained and rained and rained

Good morning folks from a somewhat soggy village on the Cape Coast.  October has arrived and who knows what is in store for us. I am so grateful that with God as our  anchor and refuge we do not have to fear the future.

Living down here has certainly given me a deeper respect for the laws of nature.  When the wind is blowing gale force and the rain unceasing it can be somewhat daunting. Over the last three weeks we have had two bouts of extremely bad weather.  The second coming last weekend and causing the most damage to an already water logged area.  Betty's Bay hasn't actually completely dried out after the storms in June and July so it is only to be expected that we were in for a heap of trouble.  It started on the Friday,  and unusually for the Cape, it just kept coming down.  Poppet came through on the Saturday morning - after having such a strong wind where she  lives that it blew their  two surfboards flat and right  across the tiny balcony in the middle of the night.  Fortunately knowing how vulnerable our roads are, she left early enough to get through on Clarence Drive, our coastal road.   During Saturday night a really large portion of Clarence Drive literally just collapsed and washed away.  Sunday morning dawned and we found out that our three villages were completely cut off from everywhere.  The only other road out is via Kleinmond which includes crossing the Palmiet bridge, not something we ever give a second thought to.  Well ... not anymore. Along with the roads went our electricity which remained off in our road for the entire day. Some homes were without power for much longer.  Within hours all bread and milk was sold out and then following them the only petrol station sold out as well.  I'm not sure why everyone stocked up on fuel when there was nowhere to go 🤷🏻‍♀️.  Our home and property were undamaged as we are a little higher, we did however develop a couple of really prolific leaks.  In typical Sharon style I put a towel under the leak, totally underestimating it and after twelve hours only thought to add two bowls (3 litre capacity each) 🤦🏻‍♀️.  By Sunday they were both half full.  The deck also sprung a couple of leaks but I have learnt that this is part for the course living down here.  Eventually by Wednesday the Palmiet bridge had been partially opened to traffic with a stop/go in place.  Clarence Drive remains closed indefinitely.  Sadly large areas were largely without water completely due to damage to dams and infrastructure etc.  The entire town of Hermanus was completely out of water as was Kleinmond. Some areas have been restored but not all to  my knowledge.  Yesterday the main road linking us to Hermanus and Cape Town had to be partially closed due to collapse.   I will say that being totally cut off and knowing that you cannot go anywhere is quite a strange feeling.  In Betty's we had a little baby born during one evening, a child was helicoptered out after being knocked off his bike. There were numerous other medical emergencies which were dealt with by our local emergency medical teams.  The biggest thing was how everyone stepped up to help each other.  People in Kleinmond offered help and did shopping, then met people on our side and exchanged goods by walking over the bridge. Chemist personal delivered medication to the bridge where they were met by the recipients.  The manager of the Spar was taking people, four at a time, in his own vehicle, to his store to shop and then returning them to the bridge to walk across.  The tough part of the walking across is that parking on our side was a kilometre from the bridge, uphill.  It is a very special place to live.

Apart from the weather which was somewhat consuming, it was a busy month.  Hubby has made an incredible recovery and three weeks post op was given the green light to continue normal life, and respecting his knee.  He had ditched his crutches within ten days of having the surgery.  

Tomorrow I am booked in for what I pray will be my last surgery, the second part of my reconstruction.  It will be five days short of two years since my bilateral mastectomy and for me is a personal goal, or a full stop if you will, to say I am finished and healthy.

As for my little foray into business - Overstrand Mend and Patch, I have been more surprised than anyone else that I have actually had a fair amount of work.  On Thursday I had a lady ask if I could alter/ make more comfortable three dresses for her little daughter, before Friday evening.  Each 'job' I have had come in has been a challenge which I have really enjoyed conquering.  I have to think out of the box some of the time, but it seems to be working and my customers appear to be happy.  I also have an order with our very popular local Coffee Shop / Deli, for my Chilli Oil - Dragon Drizzle.  Delivery for the middle of the month, so will fit around my recovery.

In coming to a close I want to wish Poppet and Hubby a Happy Birthday for Tuesday and Thursday respectively.  Enjoy both of you and I pray each of you has a special day.

Folks that's enough for now, the weather really was the pivotal point of the entire month.  Despite all the issues for our area some other places were worse off and the list of road closures remains as long as an arm.  To all of you out there stay safe and stay healthy.   Until next month Ciao Ciao.

Clarence Drive

R43 Hermanus to Cape Town 

Franschoek mud slides

None of the above pictures are my own 

My Life's Winding Roads: Wait... What ??

My Life's Winding Roads: Wait... What ??: Hi folks, I can't even say good morning because noon has come and gone.     Is it just me or is anyone else feeling like they are on a t...