Monday, 25 November 2019
My Life's Winding Roads: Trials, Tribulations and .... Eeeek a mouse !!!
My Life's Winding Roads: Trials, Tribulations and .... Eeeek a mouse !!!: Well, good morning world at the start of another beautiful week. We have had the most wonderful weather so far, a couple of humid /hot days...
Trials, Tribulations and .... Eeeek a mouse !!!
Well, good morning world at the start of another beautiful week. We have had the most wonderful weather so far, a couple of humid /hot days but nothing too unbearable which compared to last year is a major blessing.
Oh my gosh what a week we had, I wonder what I have to do to have a quiet, uneventful week ? On Monday we had the most delightful visit by friends /ex neighbors of ours from Johannesburg, it is always wonderful to spend a day catching up on news and friendships. On Tuesdsy after our dishwasher deciding to give up on life over the weekend my dearest Hubby had to go into Somerset West for a plethora of tasks and 'to do's'. As I started cleaning the house, I opened a kitchen drawer looking for a dishcloth and, saw a tiny little MOUSE scrambling to the back of the drawer .............. with a quiet oooh I closed the drawer, and then realized my mistake and took it out altogether somewhat cautiously. When I looked into the space there was a hole in the back of the board to allow an elctrical wire to run through, hmmmmm !!!!!!!! Wait, I have not one but TWO cats, so carefully removing the other three drawers, I grabbed Zeepha and shoved her into the space where she gladly went sniffing, right to the hole. Jasper in true brave spirit hid under the coffee table. That started the ball rolling - I emptied every drawer, washed ALL the contents and repacked each one, there was a lot of 'mouse evidence' but no mouse. Immediately after my "Oooh" Jelly Bean sequestered herself in her bedroom and informed us in no uncertain terms that she as not coming out at all, she has an ensuite bathroom and would take her meals in the room. Hahaha. That didn't last too long as her curiosity and worry about where the mouse was got the better of her. Once I got going I realized that there were these blasted holes here there and everywhere, so there was only one thing to do, empty every cupboard, clean it out, and put duct tape over every possible opening. It took me ALL day. We have not seen or heard of Mr Mouse again and Jelly Bean still stands far back when opening the drawers, she also still walks into the room with her eyes roving everywhere. Need I even say that I have paid the price physically since then ? Grrrrr, one of the worst things about Fibromyalgia is the frustration at not being who I was and not being capable of doing things I took for granted and did all my life. Hubby got home late and in half an hour had the dishwasher purring away in our now spic and span kitchen. He had a real busy week with trips out, coffee with his friend and a charity golf day on Friday, makes me envious.
There are SO many people who are going through incredibly hard times at the moment that it is like a tidal wave - one of my very dearest friends is recovering from a surgery to remove a cancerous breast lump and lymph glands and will be starting chemo and radiation soon, another friend's granddaughter about to write her finals at university, fell through a glass door, and in the Doctor's words "guillotined" her arm to the bone, before undergoing a four hour surgery. Praise the Lord for giving her an excellent surgeon who painstakingly reattached nerves, muscles, tendons and skin. By Thursday she had some movment in her fingers which is a miracle and we continue to pray for both of these beautiful woman for God's complete and perfect healing, His peace and strength to face the months ahead as He continues to heal them. Other people I know are without work, broken relationships and financial hardships just to name a few of the issues, and the list just seems to keep growing. There are many, many people hurting and feeling desperate, exhausted, lonely, stretched beyond their limits - more than anyone person can help individually. The only thing I can do is pray for each and every one that I am aware of, encourage them and more importantly LISTEN. Something I have learnt this year is to listen, not to interrupt, not to give advice but, just listen, to be there for them. The Bible tells us that God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our comforter -
John 14 v 26 ESV. Jesus said " But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you."
John 14 v 16. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper, to be with you forever. 2 Corinthians 1 v 3,4. ESV. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in ALL our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who enables Christian life by dwelling in individual believers and enables us to live a righteous and faithful life. The Holy Spirit acts
as our Comforter or Paraclete, one who intercedes, or supports or acts as an advocate, particularly in times of trial. Folks this is the only way I know how to survive through the deepest valleys and tribulations, to totally rely on God and by asking the Holy Spirit to give wisdom, guidance, to show me what to do. In closing I wish I could make all the bad disappear, I can't but, I can listen and pray. I want to encourage each one of you this week to give God all your fears, cares and burdens and to ask Him who created this earth to show you the way through, to bring the right people into your life, to open doors before you, to give you wisdom and strength, healing and peace and to turn your trial into a testimony for His Glory.
Have a truly blessed week, with love and prayers from me, go and be a blessing.
The joy of a sunset.
Oh my gosh what a week we had, I wonder what I have to do to have a quiet, uneventful week ? On Monday we had the most delightful visit by friends /ex neighbors of ours from Johannesburg, it is always wonderful to spend a day catching up on news and friendships. On Tuesdsy after our dishwasher deciding to give up on life over the weekend my dearest Hubby had to go into Somerset West for a plethora of tasks and 'to do's'. As I started cleaning the house, I opened a kitchen drawer looking for a dishcloth and, saw a tiny little MOUSE scrambling to the back of the drawer .............. with a quiet oooh I closed the drawer, and then realized my mistake and took it out altogether somewhat cautiously. When I looked into the space there was a hole in the back of the board to allow an elctrical wire to run through, hmmmmm !!!!!!!! Wait, I have not one but TWO cats, so carefully removing the other three drawers, I grabbed Zeepha and shoved her into the space where she gladly went sniffing, right to the hole. Jasper in true brave spirit hid under the coffee table. That started the ball rolling - I emptied every drawer, washed ALL the contents and repacked each one, there was a lot of 'mouse evidence' but no mouse. Immediately after my "Oooh" Jelly Bean sequestered herself in her bedroom and informed us in no uncertain terms that she as not coming out at all, she has an ensuite bathroom and would take her meals in the room. Hahaha. That didn't last too long as her curiosity and worry about where the mouse was got the better of her. Once I got going I realized that there were these blasted holes here there and everywhere, so there was only one thing to do, empty every cupboard, clean it out, and put duct tape over every possible opening. It took me ALL day. We have not seen or heard of Mr Mouse again and Jelly Bean still stands far back when opening the drawers, she also still walks into the room with her eyes roving everywhere. Need I even say that I have paid the price physically since then ? Grrrrr, one of the worst things about Fibromyalgia is the frustration at not being who I was and not being capable of doing things I took for granted and did all my life. Hubby got home late and in half an hour had the dishwasher purring away in our now spic and span kitchen. He had a real busy week with trips out, coffee with his friend and a charity golf day on Friday, makes me envious.
There are SO many people who are going through incredibly hard times at the moment that it is like a tidal wave - one of my very dearest friends is recovering from a surgery to remove a cancerous breast lump and lymph glands and will be starting chemo and radiation soon, another friend's granddaughter about to write her finals at university, fell through a glass door, and in the Doctor's words "guillotined" her arm to the bone, before undergoing a four hour surgery. Praise the Lord for giving her an excellent surgeon who painstakingly reattached nerves, muscles, tendons and skin. By Thursday she had some movment in her fingers which is a miracle and we continue to pray for both of these beautiful woman for God's complete and perfect healing, His peace and strength to face the months ahead as He continues to heal them. Other people I know are without work, broken relationships and financial hardships just to name a few of the issues, and the list just seems to keep growing. There are many, many people hurting and feeling desperate, exhausted, lonely, stretched beyond their limits - more than anyone person can help individually. The only thing I can do is pray for each and every one that I am aware of, encourage them and more importantly LISTEN. Something I have learnt this year is to listen, not to interrupt, not to give advice but, just listen, to be there for them. The Bible tells us that God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our comforter -
John 14 v 26 ESV. Jesus said " But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you."
John 14 v 16. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper, to be with you forever. 2 Corinthians 1 v 3,4. ESV. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in ALL our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who enables Christian life by dwelling in individual believers and enables us to live a righteous and faithful life. The Holy Spirit acts
as our Comforter or Paraclete, one who intercedes, or supports or acts as an advocate, particularly in times of trial. Folks this is the only way I know how to survive through the deepest valleys and tribulations, to totally rely on God and by asking the Holy Spirit to give wisdom, guidance, to show me what to do. In closing I wish I could make all the bad disappear, I can't but, I can listen and pray. I want to encourage each one of you this week to give God all your fears, cares and burdens and to ask Him who created this earth to show you the way through, to bring the right people into your life, to open doors before you, to give you wisdom and strength, healing and peace and to turn your trial into a testimony for His Glory.
Have a truly blessed week, with love and prayers from me, go and be a blessing.
The joy of a sunset.
Monday, 18 November 2019
My Life's Winding Roads: Rainbows, Bunnies and Dishwashers
My Life's Winding Roads: Rainbows, Bunnies and Dishwashers: It is a fresh new week in which we can make a difference and explore new possibilities. Wow, well with a busy week behind us and a lot more...
Sunday, 17 November 2019
Rainbows, Bunnies and Dishwashers
It is a fresh new week in which we can make a difference and explore new possibilities. Wow, well with a busy week behind us and a lot more to come in the immediate future we roll into the end of 2019. I know this has been a very hard year for so many and all I can say is, well done !!! You have made it this far, you can make it until your new season.
Firstly, we are still being truly blessed with the weather - we have had mild, rainy, cloudy weather for the most part over the last couple of weeks and, compared to this time last year it is wonderful, although the humidity factor has been high. But yesterday I blessed Mother Nature, living down here and being exposed to the sometimes ruthless South Easter, it is very difficult to keep the windows clean with all the sea spray and dust etc., so usually we will just hose them down because by the time the next day comes around they are probably dirty again. When I looked at our windows on Friday I imagined a good deal more than a hosing was going to be needed, but we awoke on Saturday morning and behold, the world was crystal clear and sparkling - the night's wind and rain had done the job for us.
Last week Jelly Bean went through to visit Big Bear for a couple of days, so in keeping with 'tradition' we stored up all our stops and shopping to be done at the same time, it turned out to be a full 8 to 5 day and we were home for a mere half an hour before going to dinner with our dear friends at the Golf Estate just past Kleinmond where we had a truly lovely evening. I will admit that I was pretty whacked the following day and literally just rested and re-charged. On Thursday we made the trip again to collect JB but this time only three quarters of the way as BigBear was collecting his lovely wife from the airport and that is where we met up. Backing up to Tuesday briefly, one of our stops was a huge pet store to get cat-nip for the two blessings. Whilst there I asked to hold one of the baby bunnies, I had never held or owned one, oh my word they are just the cutest, cuddliest little poppets, I am quite smitten hehe.
The week just seemed to pass in a blur and apart from all the outings was a very productive one, clocks and watches just keep on rolling in and rolling right out again, they are really keeping my dear Hubby on his toes. In amongst all this our dishwasher has decided to become overly temperamental, making some truly awful noises and refusing to drain the water - Hubby worked on it and all seemed fine, until halfway through a cycle it started tripping the electricity #facepalm. So, yesterday it got pulled out, again, and for all the looking there would appear to be absolutely nothing wrong. Strangely the plug for the machine is in a 'corner' cupboard ....... I actively dislike these kinds of cupboards because unless you have arms twice the normal length, are a three year old or an octopus, they are impossible to pack and work with in general, I did have some choice things to say about whoever designed them! Once most of the things had been removed I could not just sit and leave it as it was and so a major clean up took place (under THE most difficult space constrictions), I discovered a few things we have been missing since we moved in, yay, and then enlisted my dear Hubbys help in re-packing the bottom shelf, he eventually did this by lying on his side and placing items inside, Aaaaargghhhhh. The dishwasher is no longer tripping the electricity, but is still not working properly or quietly, it also gave me a loving little zing when I touched the zinc so back to the tool box this week. In an aside I saw an ad on our local Buy & Sell Group asking if anyone had a lawnmower to sell as their lawnmower had "committed suicide in a spectacular fashion the day before" hahaha.
The family are all well, exams are almost finished and Princess will be here in just over two weeks so, much excitement and preparation ahead whoo hoo.
I would like to ask each of your reading this post to take a few minutes this week to bless a stranger or someone in need, it can be something as small as freezing a bottle of water overnight and handing it out to someone standing at a robot, just find a way of bringing some light and hope into another persons life. On that note folks, I am going to sign off for
now and wish you all a blessed, productive, healthy, happy week. Stay safe and aware out there please.
Some pics taken on our travels on Tuesday.
A exquisite Strelitzier at the Golf Estate.
Some pics taken on our travels on Tuesday.
A exquisite Strelitzier at the Golf Estate.
Monday, 11 November 2019
My Life's Winding Roads: We can't always trust the experts 100%
My Life's Winding Roads: We can't always trust the experts 100%: Greetings to everyone from a peaceful, rainy, mild Betty's Bay, after four days of a pumping South Easter the silence is magical. As yo...
My Life's Winding Roads: We can't always trust the experts 100%
My Life's Winding Roads: We can't always trust the experts 100%: Greetings to everyone from a peaceful, rainy, mild Betty's Bay, after four days of a pumping South Easter the silence is magical. As yo...
We can't always trust the experts 100%
Greetings to everyone from a peaceful, rainy, mild Betty's Bay, after four days of a pumping South Easter the silence is magical. As you can imagine it has been a noisy few days with gale force gusts, but we have grown used to the sound, it is only when it stops and there is absolute stillness that we breathe a sigh and enjoy the silence.
Well folks, a fairly normal week, I tried out a new rusk recipe which turned out very well, Hubby loves them but I prefer my original recipe so I will continue to experiment and tweek my original recipe or, just make both. Actually, now that I come to think of it last week was one for trying new things. I also used a new method of doing my nails, which happily I can say was a resounding success. From doing an acrylic/gel overlay which takes a long time, I did acrylic dip and that is exactly what I have been looking for. It is much quicker, thinner and much stronger (my nails are so thin I can quite literally fold them over like paper), so I am delighted to have learnt a new technique. Oh yes, then I made peppermint cream sweets, they are delicious and if I'd had chocolate I would have dipped them (see the recipe).
Jelly Bean hasn't been well for more than a month and eventually conceded to going to the doctor, what an eye opener that appointment was. We have a wonderful, if very unusual doctor who adores Jelly Bean and every appointment ends up taking longer because of all the chatting. Anyway long story short, in all the chatting we got to discussing her current medications and I asked about one in particular .......... It turned out that these pills have special precautions which among others include Hyperglycemia !!!! Anxiety !! Weight gain ! and a host of other things that are in direct opposition to her other meds. Seriously, for a Type 1 Diabetic ? and this was prescribed by a previous Doctor when we moved down here. I was so annoyed and it just brought home to me that irrespective of WHO prescribes any medications, I am in future going to thoroughly read all packaging inserts and will question anything that seems odd, when it comes to your health or that of your loved ones, don't always accept in blind faith that the Doctor is right, do your research and if needs be, get a second opinion #lessonlearned. We are now in the process of weaning her off the above medication and praying for an improvement in her health.
Family wise everyone is well, all busy as usual as we head into the last phase of this year, somehow Christmas seems to have crept up on me, again. Yesterday when Big Guy sent a picture of his first xmas mince pie I suddenly realized I haven't had even ONE, haven't even looked or thought of them, and they only happen to be my most favourite thing, it's scandalous I tell you. Tomorrow we are going into the city and you can be assured mince pies will be in my shopping bag hehehe. In three weeks and two days Princess will be here with us so, much to be done in the meantime. Sadly this year neither Big Guy, Big Bear or Baby Bear will be here for Christmas, which is going to feel very
strange, we will however have Poppet, Sonshine and Princess here so I am looking forward to a different kind of Christmas.
Folks that is about it for this week, have a wonderful week, find something new to do and don't let all the stress and drama into your life, rather spread love and kindness. Stay safe out there, Ciao Ciao.
Zeepha watching for the elusive laser dot.
Bright Coral nails - acrylic dip
Well folks, a fairly normal week, I tried out a new rusk recipe which turned out very well, Hubby loves them but I prefer my original recipe so I will continue to experiment and tweek my original recipe or, just make both. Actually, now that I come to think of it last week was one for trying new things. I also used a new method of doing my nails, which happily I can say was a resounding success. From doing an acrylic/gel overlay which takes a long time, I did acrylic dip and that is exactly what I have been looking for. It is much quicker, thinner and much stronger (my nails are so thin I can quite literally fold them over like paper), so I am delighted to have learnt a new technique. Oh yes, then I made peppermint cream sweets, they are delicious and if I'd had chocolate I would have dipped them (see the recipe).
Jelly Bean hasn't been well for more than a month and eventually conceded to going to the doctor, what an eye opener that appointment was. We have a wonderful, if very unusual doctor who adores Jelly Bean and every appointment ends up taking longer because of all the chatting. Anyway long story short, in all the chatting we got to discussing her current medications and I asked about one in particular .......... It turned out that these pills have special precautions which among others include Hyperglycemia !!!! Anxiety !! Weight gain ! and a host of other things that are in direct opposition to her other meds. Seriously, for a Type 1 Diabetic ? and this was prescribed by a previous Doctor when we moved down here. I was so annoyed and it just brought home to me that irrespective of WHO prescribes any medications, I am in future going to thoroughly read all packaging inserts and will question anything that seems odd, when it comes to your health or that of your loved ones, don't always accept in blind faith that the Doctor is right, do your research and if needs be, get a second opinion #lessonlearned. We are now in the process of weaning her off the above medication and praying for an improvement in her health.
Family wise everyone is well, all busy as usual as we head into the last phase of this year, somehow Christmas seems to have crept up on me, again. Yesterday when Big Guy sent a picture of his first xmas mince pie I suddenly realized I haven't had even ONE, haven't even looked or thought of them, and they only happen to be my most favourite thing, it's scandalous I tell you. Tomorrow we are going into the city and you can be assured mince pies will be in my shopping bag hehehe. In three weeks and two days Princess will be here with us so, much to be done in the meantime. Sadly this year neither Big Guy, Big Bear or Baby Bear will be here for Christmas, which is going to feel very
strange, we will however have Poppet, Sonshine and Princess here so I am looking forward to a different kind of Christmas.
Folks that is about it for this week, have a wonderful week, find something new to do and don't let all the stress and drama into your life, rather spread love and kindness. Stay safe out there, Ciao Ciao.
Zeepha watching for the elusive laser dot.
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