No way to start the week.

Good morning family and friends and so the week begins in earnest.  This morning saw Hubby and I up at sunrise and off to town as Gemma was unwell over the weekend, she had gone totally off all food and would only drink a little bit of water, so after speaking to the Vets yesterday we were at their rooms at 7.45 is morning.  After doing an initial biliary blood test which was negative, the Vet sent us off for coffee while she ran a full panel of blood tests.  She then called us back and gave us the very bad news that Gemma was in kidney failure, with her creatinine  and urea results off the measurable charts.  We had to make the decision then to put our precious girl to sleep, as there was no way of being able to reverse the damage.  Although,  as Princess says she was a real grump and had mood swings she was a very precious, beautiful baby and we will bury her near to CeCe, I have had enough of losing my babies now for more than one life time.

It was a very busy week, but  a good week at the same time, we had Miss Muffet come through to spend two days with us which was a truly precious time.  She had some good one on one time with her Dad and it was good to see her relaxed despite the unfortunate reason for her flying visit. I also had a check up visit with the Dermatologist who is delighted with my healing but has put me back on the pills for a further two weeks because it was so aggressive and the odd stubborn spots which itch Between that and all the usual day to day adventures it amounted to a very busy few days.  Yesterday my talented Hubby started to remove the awning frame that has been on the deck - a HUGE metal thing which is our first step towards building the deck, the awning frame will in time, become a carport in front of the garage.  All the family are well, working hard and naturally today, very heartsore.

Jasper outdid himself this past week in terms of 'fails' and on many occasions embarrassed himself thoroughly e.g. Trying to jump over a board and missing by a mile so that he was left hanging by his nails (more than once), trying to jump through the trellis door and a closed glass door, being chased by Zeepha and skidding out of control around a corner, and quite a few other incidents.  Little madam seems to have grown so much in the last month but is still just a wee little thing, a very adventurous little soul and definitely not scared of heights.  About two weeks ago after much deliberation we changed the dog's food from dry pellets to raw meat/chicken because of their constant scratching and licking.  Sasha was the worst and it seems to have only gotten worse since we've lived down here, I am delighted though to say that the raw food diet agrees with both of them and there is now hardly any scratching, the other plus factor is that it works out cheaper than the dry pellets.  The bigger pet shops down here sell the frozen food in 500 gm and 1 kg packs, which makes it convenient to purchase as well as better for Max and Sasha.

Folks just a quick Blog today, I wish you all a wonderful week, please stay safe out there and when you get home go and give your pets a big hug of appreciation for their love and devotion to you.

R.I.P. My beautiful Gemma.

New endeavors.

Good morning everyone, every day that passes brings me closer to winter and so far the main thing keeping me sane is the fresh South Easter that comes off the sea, it's been hot and for me a very long summer haha.

Well there has been so much happening it's a case of where to start.  After finishing the design of our 'enclosed deck' my extremely talented Hubby went off to town, list in hand and bought the first amount of timber needed.  This is going to be SO exciting to see go up and much more so to have the extra space.  Currently our deck is a 6m X 5.5m open  space which we plan on enclosing with glass and then putting in an L- shaped bench with storage underneath, maximizing  our space to the fullest and keeping our view, wooohooo.  So, apart from the watches, clocks and normal day to day things that's the big project currently underway although how he/we are going to lift the 6m roof beam remains a mystery to me.

On my side of things I've had a productive week.  After having being told by my  Nail Technician that she did not want to do my nails in case "I infected her and her other clients", and this long after the Dr cleared me and after being with her for more than 2 1/2 years, I decided that I will learn to do them myself.  I already had the correct lamp, purchased the necessary extras and on Thursday my 'private salon' opened LOL.  I will admit that it took me the whole day but the end result is fabulous and looks no different to a professional overlay.  So, no more having to rely on someone else, waiting for an appointment, saving a ton of money and no judgement.
On Saturday I took another chance and made my first ever jam,  we had some plums that hadn't been eaten and I saw a recipe in my Bread Machine book so quite literally 1,2,3 and put it all in, left it to cook and voila we have a super yummy plum/tangerine chunky jam.  I could not believe how simple it was - one adjustment for future making though will be less sugar, I cut the sugar by 200gm and added a squeeze of lemon juice but it is still just that little bit too sweet for us.  I am super chuffed with the result.  At the same time I restocked the rusk tin and baked a wholewheat bread (also a new, easy recipe plus it's not baked in the machine) which was a total hit as well, so I am figuring it was a good week for new endeavours.

Poppet and Princess took delivery of their new car which they love, Big Guy worked too hard and is counting the weeks until his overseas holiday.  BigBear flew up to Johannesburg to spend most of the week and Valentines with his gorgeous wife and Miss Muffet landed this morning in Cape Town for a quick visit as her Nana has been unwell and she wants to spend some time with her, we are praying for a full speedy  recovery for Nana. Jelly Bean wasn't well but seems to be doing better and I am pushing through the current flare with all the above distractions.

Little Zeepha has had quite a growth spurt and actually topped the 1 kg mark, she now weighs a whopping 1.060 kg at the ripe 'old' age of 4 months haha.  This little treasure just keeps getting cuter and sweeter by the day.  In her opinion everything I eat is rightfully hers as well as her food of course, she has found ways of getting up onto the kitchen counters and that means I have to use the island counter to keep food safe, she has even developed a taste for popcorn and will squeak to let you know it's time to give her something.  Despite this obsession with food her favourite time of day is still her 9pm syringe of diluted kitten milk which just puts her into pure heaven.

Folks that's it for this week, I want to leave you with this thought.  I saw a Facebook  post yesterday that was addressed to husbands the title of which was 'Ten ways to kill your wife's love'. It is an excellent read and got me thinking about how once people settle down into marriage all 'courting and the little extras' seem to fall by the wayside.  I really believe we should never stop courting our spouse, ladies do you still put make up on if it's just the two of you, do you still make little treats for your husband, surprise him with a coffe date etc?  Husbands do you still make an effort to look and smell good, open the car door, buy her flowers, take her on a coffee / dinner date, surprise her etc?  Something to think about and perhaps put into practise ????  Ciao ciao and please stay safe.

Little Zeepha sunning herself on the kitchen counter 

The beginnings of our enclosed deck.

I can't believe it is mid February already

Good morning folks from a slightly cooler Bettys Bay after a seriously hot and busy week.  Gee whiz it was a really busy week with trips to Hermanus,  a day in Somerset West (exhausting) and then yesterday we did a visit to Elgin,  more on that later.

As for the family everyone is well and as usual busy, the girls should be getting their new car in a day or two which will be a relief  for them, it's been a crazy two weeks.  My precious Hubby is very happy as he has had a number of watches,  fit bits, clocks and even a cuckoo clock in to repair - all of which are complete and either delivered or awaiting collection, well done my Angel.  He has been designing the enclosure of our deck and will hopefully be starting on that this week, wooohooo, I cannot wait for it to be up.  After all the activity I find my self in a flare #facepalm, which I need to work through, and the itchiness  aaargghhhh.  After eventually getting hold of the Specialist I was told that I might need a longer course of treatment, due to the fact that I had such a severe case.  All the spots have healed but every day random scars will have bumps on them which itch like crazy, then a day or two later they are gone and come up on a different scar.  I have an appointment with him at the end of next week so we will see then.

As for our mini zoo all the residents are well or in various stages of healing.  Jasper is looking much better, Gemma is actually nose kissing Zeepha WITHOUT a growl which is historical, Sasha has a bump/sore on her head which we've been treating but might have to take her to the vet to check it out and Max is ........ Just Max.  I eventually found little Zeepha a harness, for hamsters, LOl which fits and she is currently running around in it and trying to get head rubs and bumps while I am typing causing all kinds of problems on the screen, this week I hope to take her out and introduce her to the great outdoors.

Yesterday we awoke to a beautiful cool, wet day and decided to go through to the Elgin Railway Market in ....... Elgin.  They have converted a huge building in steam punk style and it is truly gorgeous, there are lots of different food stalls,  live music which was nice and created a fabulous atmosphere.  I must say I was disappointed in the market stalls as they were more like exclusive shops and not in the least like a market, with the exception of the leather stalls.  At some point they advertised that there were vintage clothing and vintage jewellary stalls but we did not see anything close, that was a disappointment.  I would definitely say though, that the building is the 'draw card' and on Saturdays a Steam Train comes in from Cape Town which is obviously a special experience.  What we saw of Elgin as a little village was absolutely exquisite, they have managed to maintain an almost English Village look and feel to it.  All in all it was a lovely, relaxing day before coming home and curling up with a good book.

Folks that's my news for the week, hopefully this one will continue at a more sedate pace as  I do some rest and recovery.  I wish you ALL a wonderful week please take care and be safe.  Ciao ciao.

Elgin Railway Market

Beauty through the ashes

Good morning friends and family on this gorgeous sunny morning.  We woke up to the sound of gentle rain yesterday morning and it continued though most of the morning, we had 32 mm, giving us the most perfect cool day. The electricity was also down which just added to the relaxed feel of the day - it was off for just on twelve hours which is a tad long but we relaxed and enjoyed the peace haha.

Well, a fairly normal week for us, my darling Hubby had a steady stream of watches and clocks coming in which makes him very happy. The one mantel clock handed in has apparently not worked for years despite being sent back to the factory and yet in a matter of hours he had it working again, a very talented man.  He also got in his first cuckoo clock which he is just itching to get to.  After Poppets 'little' car accident the previous week her insurance decided to write off her vehicle which was a total surprise and they are now having to decide on a new car.   Jelly Bean and I were invited out on Wednesday to our friend who used to live in BB, their house was damaged in the fires and they are currently staying in a Golf Estate just the other side of Kleinmond.  Well, we had ourselves a mini half day vacation lol, after some serious catch up and chatting we meandered down to the Hotel/Spa where both of us jumped into the glorious swimming pool (salt water) and had a delightful time cooling down.  It is too many years to count since either of us were in a bathing suit much less a swimming pool, on a blistering hot day it was sheer indulgence. Thank you for a wonderful day E.  The rest of the family are well with our UK family freezing whilst we are cooking in the heat - oh how I am praying for a cold, WET winter.

On the health side, all my spots have healed except that I now find I get itchy bumps on the scars which don't seem to develop any further except to itch, I am waiting for a reply from the Dermatologist on this.  Last week we found that dear Jasper, our scaredy cat, also has ringworm so now he is on the medication along with myself and Zeepha.  Speaking of whom, I was in complete shock on Friday.  We had ordered a new electronic kitchen scale as our died awhile back, when it arrived the first thing I weighed was this little madam who, I might add had already eaten her three meals for the day - she weighed in at 850 gm.  I truly thought she had reached close to a kilogram but apparently this little one is always going to play in the lightweight division.  Bless her heart, she is such a joy to us all, including Jasper who is so happy to have a friend to play with, when things get too rough for her she dives under the nearest piece of furniture and leaves him looking totally confused.  This little Squeek has a love for food, particularly mine haha and her biggest weekness is her bedtime Kitty Milk, she appears to be in NO rush to ever give it up.  She gets about 20 ml of Kitten Milk at 21.00 before bed, in a syringe, and heaven help me if I forget or am a little late in getting it.  She will follow me into the kitchen squeeking all the time and then runs ahead of me to the chair and jumps on before I can even sit down, that's when the fun starts because she looks just like a starving baby bird the way her head bobs up and down trying to find the syringe, once she has it the ears go flat, and her little purr engine starts up until the syringe empties then it's all paws, clamping onto the syringe so that it doesnt get taken away, this gets repeated FOUR times as we go through the milk.  EISH.  Last week I bought her a kitten harness so that she can get used to it for going out to walk etc, well ........ I bought the smallest they had and even after trying to make it smaller she just walks right through it, so back it goes and we will try a hamster / bunny harness  hahaha.

It is such a beautiful thing to see people starting to rebuild their homes after the fires and even more precious is to see how quickly the fynbos is healing.  Don't get me wrong the whole one side of BB looks like a war zone and is still all black, but to see plants coming up and flowering just barely two to three weeks after being destroyed is an example of how now matter how many times we fall, it is the getting back up that is important.  Nature is an incredible thing and far stronger than we think, just as we humans are - just when we think we cannot take another step, or this is the end of the line, there is no further hope, God will give you the extra boost, strength and determination to rise up and fight again.  There is no situation we face that is too bad that our Heavenly Father cannot fix or turn around, it just takes us to believe and have faith in Him.

On that note folks I am going to say Ciao Ciao and wish you a fantastic week.  Go out there and turn situations around, trust God to give you the wisdom and the strength to help you overcome every challenge and obstacle that comes across your path.  Please stay safe and as always be aware of your surroundings.

Two beautiful pics that prove there is hope

Little Zeepha posing

Peace at last.

Good morning world, I hope this finds everyone well.  At last all is peaceful both in our home and our Village, this year certainly started off with a bang in every sense as you know and I am really looking forward to our first normal week since early December.

At last on Thursday I was 'deemed' non contagious and so Friday saw us off to the shops in Hermanus to stock up our seriously depleted kitchen pantry, it was exhausting but good fun to get out of the house and see life outside haha.  Needless to say the kitchen is now restocked, dinner choices are plentiful and I foresee a fair amount of baking in my immediate future = busy week.   On  Saturday we went into Somerset West  and then met up with BigBear for lunch at a lovely Spanish restaurant.  We had the most wonderful afternoon catching up despite the fact that it was 35c, and when we eventually left I realized we were the only ones still there.  Getting home to a cool 25c was the topping on the afternoon.

Sadly we can't say all fires are out as they have continued to blaze in other areas in the Overberg and on Saturday/Sunday a huge fire started in Table Mountain which very quickly got out of control jumping to Singal Hill and  posing a very probable threat to Sea Point which is where BigBear is.  It was with great relief this morning that I saw it is now under control and there was no damage to humans or structures.  This month has been quite something to live through as well as seeing the complete and utter devotion and tirelessness our fire fighters have.  They are truly the unsung heroes in the country.  The residents of BB are picking up their lives and looking out for each other, I saw a post on FB this morning that one of the nurseries is giving every family whose garden was destroyed a free tray of seedlings with which  to restart their gardens.

Gemma is still sulking with the family, and for some reason Jasper has been in the wars - we are guessing there is a new cat in the area as he is sporting quite a few battle wounds, which is most unlike him given he is a total scaredy cat.  I must mention here what happened yesterday morning at about 07.00, we were still both asleep and I felt him jump onto the bed but decided to keep my eyes closed, then felt him walk up between us until he was level with our faces at which point I opened my eyes and screeched .......... Not even 5 cm from my nose was Jasper with a mouth full of BABY DOVE.  My outburst woke Hubby who was standing up before he was even awake and then had to wrestle said dove from a very mad, very big cat.  He as not going to give up his gift/prey easily and my darling Hubby got a nip for his troubles, what a way to start  the day #facepalm.  Little #princesszeepha is growing nicely.  Last week Hubby took her to the vet for her vaccinations etc, she was a total hit there and all the ladies want her, she also weighed in at a whopping 800gm lol at 13 weeks.  She is just the cutest and most lovable little thing ever and definitely prefers Mommy's food to anything she gets and even eats lettuce.  When we are eating there is a lot of squeeking which takes place as she begs to be fed, last night Jelly Bean put her in the bedroom for a dinner timeout LOL.

The family are all well, busy back at work and school with the BigBears busy with their commuting.  Poppet and Princess had a small motor car accident involving a pavement on Thursday evening coming home in a very bad storm, thank the Lord neither of them were hurt but obviously quite shaken and the car is in for repairs.  Hubby dearest is busy starting to get more watches in for repair and has also been designing our deck which we want to enclose ...... all very exciting.

Folks that's it from me for this week, please stay safe and alert wherever you are and in closing I want to leave you with this thought -  Your first thoughts and decisions in the morning can are what will set the pace and influence your entire day.  If you wake up and make a decision that you are going to have a good day, you will.  That doesn't mean that everything will go like a well oiled machine BUT your attitude will determine how you react and in so doing will influence the overall outcome of your day.  With love from Bettys Bay.

Zeepha showing off her only long whisker

Never to be repeated

Good morning friends and family, I trust you are all well and into the swing of the new year.

These last couple of weeks are definitely among those that I never wish to have to live through again, this year definitely got going with a blast.  At last on day fifteen the terrible wild fire which razed though our village and the neighboring mountains was declared out.  Teams were left in place to monitor any hot spots and Praise God there has been no more damage, although having said that the damage done is going to take a long time to heal and rebuild.  One of the most precious and amazing things to me is the miracle of nature, barely days after being completely obliterated there were tiny shoots of green and even flowers which have sprung up from the ashes.  On our first drive though the village my heart was so touched to see a very elderly couple whose house had withstood the fire, working in their driveway tending to their plants that had been scorched and burnt.  I know that the effects will be with many people for months and even years to come, but, I also know just how strong the human spirit is to survive and rebuild.

It was an exceptionally tough week for me healthwise as this virus on my skin just kept on spreading, despite seeing three doctors etc and trying every cream know to man (slight exaggeration) they then appeared on my face which was the last straw.  I  ended up going to see a Specialist Dermatologist on Thursday.  Because I have Fibromyalgia pain is something I live with every single day, but the pain caused by these blisters/sores has been on an entirely different level.  God bless this Dr who very kindly squeezed me in and,  after taking skin scrapings off various blisters he diagnosed me with Zoophilia Tinea Corporus - laymens terms a fungal virus I got from Zeepha who had live ringworm spores.  He got quite excited about the diagnosis and asked permission to take photographs for their files, as long as they keep my name out of it haha, he prescribed an anti fungal cream and a month long course of tablets due to the severity and aggressiveness. Zeepha is also on tablets to kill off any remaining spores. Thankfully my face is looking better now it is just a case of getting the others to dry up then I will not be contagious anymore.  Both Poppet and Princess came out in a couple of sores last week but were lucky enough to be able to the right medication immediately and are both on the mend.

Now to the source of all this drama - Zeepha, oh my word what a little angel she is,  as bright as a button, and she will play with anything and everything including her own shadow.  She has settled into the family so well and even Jasper has become very fatherly towards her.  Gemma of course just growls with disdain at everything and anything new.  Little Zeepha a.k.a. Squeek (because she doesn't meow she squeaks) however is completely unconcerned by this and just carries on with all her adventures.  She really is a tiny little thing and when I weighed her last week she was a whole 590gm  she is now almost 12 weeks old so you can imagine.  She adores lying in the sun and being on my lap, which sadly I haven't been able to do too much of yet, I cannot wait to get better and be able to give her all th cuddles she wants and deserves.  Her absolute favourite time of the day is at 21.00 when she gets a half an egg cup of kitten formula with a syringe - there is nothing wrong with her eating or drinking, but this little treat I don't see her giving up anytime soon.  She goes into total heaven as she sucks and the little paws cling to and knead my hand as she drinks, she actually gets quite frantic as the syringe empties, like a baby bird wanting food.  Talking about birds, since the fire we have seen  an increase in the amount of birds coming to feed and have now put out a one litre bottle which doesn't even last the day.  They have become so tame that when Hubby goes out to refill the bottle they will actually sit on his hand while he is busy with it.

Folks, that is more than enough of me rambling for this week, something to hold onto - No matter what life throws at you, no matter how bad, chaotic, heartbreaking or desperate things appear the very God that created you will NEVER leave you or FORSAKE YOU.  Deuteronomy 31 v 6.  I know that it can feel like you are all alone on an island but, God is right there giving you the strength and the wisdom to take one step after another, one hour at a time, one day at a time.    Stay safe and lean on your Heavenly Father.

Zeepha looking sleepy and cute.

The queue at our 'fly through' feeding station 

Picking up life after tragedy.

Good afternoon all, definitely a little later than usual today due to so many factors, but better late than never.  All I can say is WHAT a week we have had. As a lead on from last weeks Blog the fires continued as did the chaos and stress which comes with such an event.  After days and days of having the helicopters and Spotter planes flying overhead, and the Ground Teams trying everything in their power to contain the fire, it was announced on Thursday (day 10) that the situation in Bettys Bay was under control.  Sadly the fire had continued to burn West and our beautiful Clarence Drive was closed for the entire week as the fires raged through the mountains towards Gordons Bay. Friday arrived and with it came gale force winds  from the North with gusts of 101kmph and then all hell broke loose.  The fire turned back and what had been smoldering was re-ignited and razed through our beautiful Village leaving absolute destruction and desolation in its wake.  The Village was being  evacuated systematically which was beyond stressful, our resources were diminished due to wild fires raging in Hermanus and Gansbaai.  My precious Hubby went up to the main road to assess for himself what the situation was and whether we needed to prepare to evacuate.  When he came home, after discussing the situation we decided to wait awhile and see what happened as the wind was blowing away from us at that time.  It was heartbreaking hearing voice messages on our Community Group of people crying and asking for help, people going down to the sea and dropping 'location pins' to be rescued, others who were trying to locate or establish.where family members were ............. In all of this what struck me most was the utter selfless help and hard work by the members of this community. Volunteers who have manned our Community Hall and fed the hundreds of firefighters 24/7, the donations of food and now accommodation, hot showers,, laundry, clothing services etc.   I am so proud to be a part of this amazing, not beautiful at the moment, but strong community, God has been SO gracious to us as a family.  I went though to Pringle Bay last week and was amazed to see that after only 10 days there were new shoots sprouting up out of the  burnt ground, the birds are returning as are the baboons and life will blossom again in our beloved Bettys Bay.

During all this I was dealing with what I thought were flea bites from Zeepha which  became  progressively worse despite seeing the Doctor, the pharmacist, and the clinic sister who gave me a huge injection, all to no avail. This morning when I woke up to see I know have these marks in my face I will admit to feeling more than a little freaked out.  I went to see the Sister again who managed to get me an appointment with a Dermatologist tomorrow morning, it would appear that they are stress related (I wonder why ??) now to add insult to injury these spots have become infected, with ice providing the only relief I find myself digging in the freezer with regularity haha.

As for Zeepha this little 'Squeek' is a constant source of joy.  She is just the most precious little soul and completely enthralls everyone who meets her.  She has well and truly settld in and is looking so much healthier, even Jasper has succumbed to her charms and last week I as so touched to see him trying to help her  - she used the litter box but didn't cover everything so he came along behind her and looked at her as much to say "now this is how it's done littl one" and promptly proceeded to cover her 'tracks'. Right now she is involved in a very energetic game with a red ribbon and the sofa.

The rest of the family are all well and back into the swing of work, school and routine.  Folks that is it for this week - next week I will share much more of the  day to day life with our new addition and the normal routine of life.

I wish you all a wonderful week, please stay safe, look after yourselves and appreciate the small things we tend to take for granted, treasure your family and friends and store memories in your hearts.  Ciao ciao for now.

Princess Zeepha