A Very Chilled Day

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was a very chilled day. It was cold and squalls of rain blew across the Peninsula. We had a late start. It was sometime around 11am that we began doing something useful. I did some cleaning. I also did some clothes retrieving. I had looked over the balcony and seen something lying below. Obviously, with the rain, it was getting wetter and more bedraggled, as was David’s cap that had somehow landed on one of the gabion baskets on the right side of the house – that was weeks ago. Today, I scrambled down and found what I discovered was a t-shirt. Then I did some Pilate like maneuvers to get David’s cap. Both need to dry out, then be shaken free of excess dirt and then put through the washing machine.

In the afternoon, it looked like the rain was holding off. I needed to get some walking done so I set off doing a round circuit of 6km. Water is pouring off Fish Hoek mountain, causing streams of water to flow steadily down the road.

There are always interesting things to be seen when I go out walking. I saw two dead fish in a drainpipe. I went via Valyland, did a walk through and on my return passed 3rd Crescent. I couldn’t help myself but to walk that road. 32, 3rd Crescent was where the Beales live in the 90s. Almost every Thursday I went to this house and had lunch with Aunty Wyn.

Back then, it only had a single drive entrance and they had not built the upstairs section. There’s a boat in the front garden now. The Beales used the same spot for a caravan. I stood opposite the house and let my mind wander back to the countless times I had entered that front door and enjoyed many hours of meaningful conversation. Aunty Wyn was certainly another Mother and a great mentor.  I found this photo of her from what  must have been the late 80s. That’s Aunty Wyn on the right with Oupes,. In red is Wyn’s Mom, Violet and Violet’s younger sister Fuscia. Violet and Fuscia emigrated to South Africa in about 1984ish. They were both in their 80s and tired of the English weather.

I remember going to stay a couple of nights to ‘Granny sit’  while Aunty Wyn and Oupes had a break. Fuscia welcomed me warmly, offering me a drink. She opened the fridge & took out a can. Squinting at it she said, “Oh, Coke. Have you heard of it?” So sweet.

My walk eventually took me via the Beach where I managed to get a photo of this cheery gent before his visitor flapped it. I’ve never seen a seagull land on someone’s head on Fish Hoek beach before.

Just on a coincidental side note, the blue roof house above the seagull was another of  the Beale’s homes for a season. I remember celebrating Christmas 1984 with them there.

We’ve had a good day today. While I was not doing much, Mike turned his office upside down and inside out. It’s looking much better.

This Bible verse is of significance to me. In 2023, I remember crying out to the Lord and pleading for answers – for an improvement in David’s health. There seemed to be no response. I learned God’s silence is not His absence. When we call, He answers.

Psalm 3:4
I call out to the Lord, and He answers me

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Travelling Date

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day you went back home. Ahhh, it was so wonderful to see you. You were fascinated by our snake!

We will see you again soon. Not long after you left, the heavens opened and it poured with rain for most of the day. It was a good day to stay indoors. Raiku thought so too.

But we are very much in a rut and if we don’t make the effort we will not go out, so we are trying to have a couple of dinner dates a month. Mike made a reservation for at Thorfynns at Monkey Valley and we had dinner there.

It was warm and cosy…

I remember the first time we had dinner here. It was the 1990s and a local organisation ran a competition where the first prize was dinner at Thorfynns. To enter, you simply had to fill in the details and mail it to a PO box at the Noordhoek post boxes. They said the first entry received would win the prize. I noticed ‘the first entry received’ and I quickly hatched a plan. I put the entry in an envelop and addressed it. Then, armed with sticky tape, I set off for Noordhoek. I found the right PO box number and I stuck my envelop to the door. The person who was going to open the door to clear the mail first had to take off my entry. I figured, if they were true to their word, mine would be ‘the first entry received’ & I had a good chance of winning. Of course, someone else may take my entry off or someone may have handed theirs to the organisers another way, so it wasn’t a certainty. But, it worked! I won! Mike and I had a lovely dinner that night.

We enjoyed our dinner this evening as well. As we finished, a huge party arrived and took their seats in the room next door. There were so many of them and immediately it went from quiet and intimate to loud and noisy. We decided to leave and turn it into a travelling date. We went to the Spur for dessert! We haven’t been there for years!

Now we are home and tucked up in bed.  It was a good day.

Psalm 2:10-11
Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Scratch Patch

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we went to the Scratch Patch. We had a great time choosing mainly pink, purple and blue stones.

We haven’t been there for years and it was fun to find stones. I want to go back because I have two vases that I use as candle holders, which could do with some stones at the bottom.

There are so many to choose from and so many different colours. Afterwards, we wandered through the shop and I felt a wave of nostalgia. It reminded me of the curio shop in Zimbabwe that I used to buy a few gifts at every Christmas about 5 decades ago.  We’ll definitely be returning. We put some of the stones in vases.

This evening we will enjoy a family dinner. My heart is full.

In my Bible reading this morning, I read about Josiah, King of Judah, who became king at aged 8 and died at the age of 39.  His was a life, cut short, but well lived. It was during his reign that the book of the law was found in the temple and when he discovered what was in it, he tore his robes. He effected change in the country and pledged to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.  His legacy was secure.

2 Kings 23:25
Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

His life ended in battle. Bad things often happen to good people. These are things we don’t understand. He served his purpose and after all…

…it’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Look Who’s Come to Stay

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day YOU arrived! Yay! You built a hug stick castle and you also watched Grandpa make bread.

Watching it in the breadmaker.

When you have a lot of energy and you need to burn it off, wheelbarrowing is the way to go!

Such fun. Now you are watching Papa playing a computer game.

I got up early this morning and went for a 5km walk. It was very overcast but no rain fell.

I found a good route. Because my walking shoes are so worn out, I didn’t want to go on the mountain and down slippery rocks, so I walked up and down Highway and went up Ravine steps (91 of them) and then up Berg Road to Peak Rd. Up Peak road with more hill climbing before getting back down to Ranger & returning home. I’ve never gone that exact route before and it was great. Exactly 5km and with the hill climbing I got my heart rate nicely up.

It’s great to have the family here. I am excited and on my excitement spectrum, it’s way up there!

Today I finished Psalms and tomorrow I start it again. The final verse of the final Psalm.

Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

It’s  not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Winter Sunrise

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie,

Today was the day that came with a beautiful winter sunrise. I watched the colours change and took a few photos as different shades of pink and orange were splashed across the sky. This was moody 7.13am. The black cloud over the mountain looked like a plume of dark smoke emanating from a fire, but it was just a cloud.

Usually, with time, the initial dramatic colours fade but by 7.46am, the opposite had happened.

It was after that,  the brightness of the sunrise tempered the drama of the glorious firey red clouds. This was 7.53am

Then I started work and forgot to watch, until suddenly the sun had risen. This was 8.14am

As the day has progressed, it has become cloudy and gloomy. Thick cloud hangs overhead and it has become what I call a Fancourt Slate day. The sea and the clouds resemble all grey. This is 16.28.

In that sea we have seen the first whales of the season. There are not a lot of them but from time to time we see a spout of water and the slow disappearance of a hulking mass into the murky depths. There are regularly seals feeding, energetically slapping fish on the surface of the sea with hungry seagulls hovering in the hope of snatching a piece. There’s always something to see.

It’s been a quiet day. Julian left this morning.

I’m excited Elsie, because tomorrow, you come! I’m going to get everything ready for you.

In my Bible reading today, there was a phrase that some people have used menacingly, never knowing that it was spoken by Isaiah as part of a word against the King of Assyria, way back about 500 years before Christ….

2 Kings 19:27
But I know where you stay and when you come and go…

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Fish Hoek Beach Solar Lights

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I worked the entire day from sun up to almost sun down. June was a very full and productive month. July, I can imagine will be a little less demanding, but we will see.

After work, Julian and I walked down to Fish Hoek beach and we got a good look at the new solar lights that have been installed. They are all the way along the beach front.

And are currently being installed along the cat walk.

It’s an excellent addition to our beach & great to see our rates being spent on something that adds value to our environment.

Lots of paddlers at the beach this evening as well….

It was so pleasant today to have a sunny day & an opportunity to catch up with the laundry. There’s a brisk north wind blowing and more rain is forecast in the days ahead. This is winter! The clouds in the above photo tell the tale.

It’s a super short blog today because my computer screen capacity is complete! We are having tea and watching a Grand Design. I have until tea has been made to get this posted.

There are always verses from the Old Testament that jump out at me. This 8-word turn of phrase that succinctly sums up the error of the Israelites & the outcome was in today’s reading…

2 Kings 17:15b
They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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First Days in Cape Town

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today I am going to tell you about my first days I spent in Cape Town. My friend R met me at Cape Town airport and took me to the Nurse’s home. Somerset Hospital Nurses Home had just been built but wasn’t quite finished, so they housed all the Somerset nurses at Woodstock Nurses’ Home. R was a little unsure about this. Woodstock back then was highly undesirable, but I didn’t know that. R was a couple of years older than me and so self-assured. She had a car and had no trouble driving in Cape Town, confidently navigating from the airport along the freeway to the off ramps Woodstock. On arrival, she made sure I was expected and then off she went.

In those days Woodstock nurses home was well run, clean and organised. It was on Mountain Rd and down the road there was a glimpse of the sea. Looking up the road was Devil’s Peak.

Everything was new and exciting. I couldn’t believe I was in Cape Town! On arriving at the nurses home, I was shown to my room. I was something out of the ordinary. The staff had all been told that I was arriving from Zimbabwe & to make me feel very welcome. They did.  Another student nurse named Sonia who had been there a little longer than I, was asked to show me around and let me know how everything worked. She gave me a guided tour of the building, told me about meal times, where the laundry was and when I would start working. Then we went outside the TV lounge and sat in the sunshine. She said, ‘tell me about yourself.’  It was the first time I was free to be whoever I wanted to be. I was under no jurisdiction of anyone. I was far from home and family and this was the dawn of a new life for me. If I wanted to explore everything through a new lens, now was the perfect time. The first thing I said was, ‘I’m a Christian – that’s very important to me.’  Within days everyone knew the new girl was religious! There was no going back.

I had a day or two to settle in before I began my nursing career. New Year of 1982 was very quiet. I spent it on my own. I remember going to the laundry and doing some washing. I stood on the stairs outside where the washing machines were and looked out the window. It was dark, a few hours before new year. I wondered what 1983 would bring. I felt very alone. I was disappointed that R hadn’t contacted me to join her and her friends for new year. She knew I was alone and knew no one, so I expected some sort of contact. It never came,  so I spent the evening on my own and went to bed early. After all, I had to get up at the crack of dawn to start work the next day.

And that was what I did. By 5am I was up, dressed in my brand spanking new nurses uniform with my funny little nurses cap perched on my head. My hair tied firmly in a pony tail. I had breakfast (was it Weetabix?) and at about 6.30am all the Somerset nurses piled into the kombi and were taken across to Somerset Hospital. The upper freeway became my friend. I sat on the right side of the vehicle and opened the window a crack. A fresh whiff of salty seaweed greeted me. It was a memorable smell that would define my first month in Cape Town.

And that’s it for today. I’ll see if I add more in the days ahead.

Psalm 147:11
The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip

Gran xx 🙂

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How I Came To Be In Cape Town

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today is the day I tell the story of how I came to be in Cape Town. Given that I was born in Zimbabwe – Lady Chancellor Maternity Home to be precise – 5th November 1964. I’m giving these details which are for our family common knowledge but for the generations to come may not be.  Being the youngest of 4, I enjoyed much attention. Our family circumstances changed when my parents split when I was 12. At age 14, my Dad decided to move across town and I completed my high school education at Oriel Girls High School. We lived at 38 Hindhead Ave. Chisipite. I took a picture off Google earth, but they don’t have street view. The green arrow shows roughly where the driveway was. I lived there from 1979 to the end of 1982 and the whole plan of moving to Cape Town was dreamed out of  this house.

In fact, it was in this house, in the front bedroom, that I prayed to ask Jesus into my heart (17th July 1979).   I’ve written and celebrated that day many times. You can read about it here. That decision defined what would happen in my life because I started reading the Bible and finding out how to seek God in all things. It was Proverbs 16:3 that I learned to live. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. Whenever I had plans, I committed them to the Lord. And so it came about as I entered my O-level year at school, that I thought nursing would be a good idea & that plan began to be committed to the Lord.  I didn’t really want to do M-Levels, so in 1981, I started writing to hospitals in South Africa to see if I could do a registered nurses course on O-Levels alone. I wrote to Greys Hospital in Durban, Johannesburg Gen and Somerset Hospital in Cape Town. I’d heard of others going to Greys. My family had moved to Johannesburg and my dearest Aunty Wyn Beale was on the point of moving to Somerset West. I mistakenly thought Somerset Hospital was in Somerset West (why wouldn’t I?). There was no Google to double check. The snail mail of the day was efficient and within a week or two replies started coming in. Greys said ‘no you need M-level’ . Jo’burg Gen said ‘no you need M-level’ . Somerset Hospital also said no, but they said, here is an application form anyway. I filled in the application form and returned it. They wrote back and said, we’ll keep your application and you can start the ‘Sister’s course’ on 1st January 1983, once you have your M-Levels. And that was that. When people asked me what I was going to do when I left school, I had an answer – I was going to Cape Town to nurse. I had a goal. I finished my O-Levels, started M-Levels and kept in touch with Somerset Hospital. By the second half of the year it was all finalised. My Dad arranged for my emigration allowance of 600 Zim dollars ( I got more than R700 for it). He booked the plane ticket. I had Christmas of 1982 with my family and on Boxing day I kissed everyone goodbye and flew to Johannesburg. It was my sister Anne’s birthday and she and Derek met me at the airport. I stayed with them a night or two and then flew to Cape Town.

And that was how I came to be in Cape Town. Tomorrow, I’ll write about arriving at the nurses home and my first days in the city.

I’m so grateful that I got to move here.

Psalm 146:5-6
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—He remains faithful forever.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

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I Beat the Rain

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day you got your school report for Term 2 and you did so well. We are so proud of you.

For me, work was relatively quiet, so as soon as it was light I headed out for a walk. It looked very overcast. I decided to go to the beach. Despite the lack of sun and the thick cloud, there were still swimmers.

But they had a plan. Go for a very cold dip and then head for the portable sauna that was parked in the car park. Such a good idea.

It’s definitely something I would mind trying out some day.

There were other bathers. This time in Silvermine river, crowds of seagulls taking their morning bath.

Beautiful Fish Hoek beach.

As I walked back, I thought about how I came to be in Cape Town. That’s a story I will soon tell. I’ll explain how I got from Harare, Zimbabwe and landed up 2500km in this beautiful city of Cape Town.  It was a series of circumstances that God orchestrated to bring me here.

I got home and had completely beaten the rain. Not a drop fell while I was out. I had breakfast and started work. Later the rain set in and now it’s drizzly, cold and wet. Winter has truly arrived.

The other day, David had a glass of water and decided to see how Raiku would respond if he poured some of the water onto our big ginger. We expected him to jump up and run away. He didn’t. So now it’s become a thing. With Raiku staying inside a lot, he spends quite a lot of time in his bed next to my desk. I had a bottle of water, poured a capful and then emptied it onto him.

It’s so funny to watch! He’s got such a thick coat, it doesn’t make an impact on his skin.

Yay the weekend is here. Not much planned, if I am to be honest. We’ll see what the weather does tomorrow.

Throughout 2023, I took great comfort from the Psalms. We have experienced his faithfulness.

Psalm 135:13
The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving towards all He has made.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Fat Cat

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we weighed Raiku again and found he had gained 300g in a month. He’s now 6kg! He’s becoming a fat cat.  This is him a year ago. April 2024. Sleek and fit.

Here he is today…

I think it is winter weight. He has been spending much more time inside instead of trawling the neighbourhood looking for entertainment, other cats to see, mice to find and critters to torment. Now he’s hanging around inside, with periodic wails for extra snacks. He’s eating more and exercising less….like me! I’ll weigh him again when summer comes.

Meantime, Mike woke up this morning and declared a long run was a good idea, so off he went. I was not tempted. We went to bed with it pouring with rain and woke up with more water coming down from the sky. Mike was welcome to it. An hour later, David and I went out on the balcony to watch the dolphins that were passing by. David caught sight of Mike on the road below.

He came back wet but very satisfied and not at all tired. In fact, he did another little walk this evening. We went to the end of the road and I discovered a fluffy ginger lives down the road. Maybe Raiku visits him on dry days.

The sky is not so cloudy and the hope of clearer weather is upon us.

Today Julian arrived & dinner is about to be enjoyed.

Paul’s powerful words from Acts

Acts 17:24-25
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
and verse 28 “For in Him we live and move and have our being”

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Cape of Storms Day

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day you tasted ice cream for the very first time and you loved it! Your blood results came back to say you have outgrown your allergies for wheat, gluten and dairy, so many fun new tastes are coming your way. What a good day!

Today was also the day the Cape of Storms lived up to its name. A significant frontal system swept by, dumping rain on the Cape, causing flooding in low lying areas. This was what we were in for…

For me it was a stay-at-home day where I wandered between my desk and my rocking chair, taking advantage of my blanket and my heater.

Raiku spent almost the entire day inside.

Lunchtime view…

It’s raining again. Some people had predicted a drought for Cape Town this year. The dam levels are 65.4% full so this rain is most welcome. Hopefully it’s also falling in the catchment area.

Today, 25th June is always a good day to reflect on my brother Arnold, who would have turned 65 today. A life cut short, but it’s not about now – we are only passing through. He’s arrived, so while we are apart for now, it won’t be forever, of that I am sure.

Psalm 143:5
I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all Your works and consider what Your hands have done.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you!

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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June Swim # 4

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we had our 4th swim this month. I think it may be our last given the massive cold fronts that are heading our way. This is what FlowX shows us will be happening at 8.38am tomorrow morning.

Today was beautiful, clear and initially quite windless. The sea always looks flat but today, like the other day, it belied the strong backwash and massive waves. I swam out to beyond the breakers and then bobbed out to the barrel where I swam up and down a bit. The incoming tide was significant and I unwittingly was pushed in towards the beach. I swam out again. Eventually, it was time to swim in just as Mike was coming in from his run. He didn’t stay in for long – the water temperature seems to be steady at about 12C. I waited until the sets of big waves had passed before swimming back to the shore. It was great. I love it but can’t imagine going in tomorrow.

Today Courage worked hard on finishing the steps between the Little Lookout and Seaview Apartment. I’m not sure he will be able to do the landing for the Seaview tomorrow, so he’s planning some rainy day work. This is how far he has got…this the landing outside the SV apartment entrance.

Watch this space

He’s rebuilt these stairs. They are looking great.

Another good work day.

The biggest thing about 24th June is that is it Ella’s birthday. Ella is my sister Anne’s granddaughter and today she turns 3!  Anne’s granddaughter is Ella. Julian’s granddaughter is Elizabeth and my granddaughter is you Elsie! Happy birthday Ella!

Mike felt like chocolate, so we took a drive to buy some and dropped a little snack off in the cottage as well. Time now to wrap  up the day.

Psalm 142:3
When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who know my way

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Unexpected Rain

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day after a terrible night sleep! I had too much sugar last night and I ended up not being able to fall asleep to start with and when I finally did, I woke up 2 hours later with terrible heartburn and boiling hot. I slugged down some Gaviscon and tried to go back to sleep. Then I was tormented because I couldn’t remember the word Gaviscon. That was so annoying. I could remember crepuscular but not Gaviscon. It’s crazy how my mind works or doesn’t work – however way I want to feel about it. Eventually, I remembered it and finally fell asleep only to wake up at 5.21am. I had 6 hours of what felt like poor sleep. Tonight will be better.

I looked at my weather app and it said there would be rain this afternoon, so I decided to go for a walk to the end of the road & then do the Daisy Lane loop. Just before we left, I went out of the balcony and saw rain coming in. Too late. We set off with a blustery shower and that was our lot for most of the walk. We decided to to to the end of Daisy Lane and then turn back, so we didn’t have to go down Hillside and up Highway.

Despite the rain, swimmers were swimming.

When I got home, I turned my computer on and worked for 9 hours. It has been my most successful month with this company but on Tuesday 1st July, we draw a line under June  and start at naught again.

Today I was reminded of unwavering faith. 2 Kings is filled with the miracles of Elisha. Yesterday, I mentioned the Shunammite woman who was blessed with a son.  That son was a young boy when he got sick & died. Devastated, the woman set off to find Elisha.

2 Kings 4:25-26
So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite!  Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” “Everything is all right,” she said.

Everything is all right? How can she say that? When everything is not all right, God sees the bigger picture.

Elisha returns with her and after praying to God the boy comes back to life.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Hiking in Our Own Back Yard

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we went hiking in our own back yard. Elsie, we climbed ‘your’ peak before breakfast!  It is something I have wanted to do for a long time but just haven’t had the opportunity. One day Elsie, when you visit, we’ll take you up here.  We left not long after 7.30am. On the way up the sunrise was quite beautiful.

We climbed up the regular route, past this stile

Mike coming up the hill…

There is a lot of beauty on the mountainside this winter. A king protea.

And lots of winter fynbos

Approaching the top…

And finally at the top…

…with beautiful views of Simon’s Town…

….and Fish Hoek…

Hiking in our own backyard.

We were home a few hours later, a tiny bit damp from some passing showers, but happy to have conquered the hill before breaking the fast.

I have a new big screen attached to my desk and it’s going to make all the difference to how I work. I think, largely, it will improve my posture as I am immediately not hunched over my laptop.

Last night we went to Anna’s home and had a very nice dinner with her and her parents.  They have some beautiful pieces of furniture, antiques of note including an 1860s ornate, with bird carving dresser. It’s got so much detail.  We had a lovely evening together. We also got to meet her cats, one of which was very affectionate. Meet Cat-Cat with his black and ginger splotches. So sweet.

This evening, the Berettas are coming for spaghetti bolognaise, hence the early blog.

Every year on 22nd June I read this verse. A heart-warming prophecy by Elisha to the Shunammite woman.

2 Kings 4:16-17
“About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord, ” she objected. “Don’t mislead your servant, O man of God!” But the woman became pregnant and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Winter Solstice 2025

Posted on June 21, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the winter solstice for 2025 – the shortest day of the year and the longest night. This was the sun coming up behind the clouds. It was going to be a sunny day.

And so we decided to go for a winter solstice swim. The beach was very quiet. The sea was very cold – today it felt like 12. I spent my 30 minutes dawdling out to the barrel and swimming back. The sea, while flat and the wind, while low, belied the strength of the waves and the power of the undercurrent. The tide was coming in, but whenever there is a weird kind of riptide, it’s best to swim parallel to the coast – along the line of the wave. Mike arrived from his run and came into the water for a few minutes. A massive wave came and we both got dunked. Usually diving beneath them is the safest option, but this one was big and strong and I didn’t dive deep enough so as it broke over my head, it swirled me around, making me disorientated for a moment before I came up and broke the surface of the water. I’ve always thought I have more to fear of the sea than of sharks. And Fish Hoek waters are generally tame.  Despite being able to swim & confident in the sea, I am careful.

We came home and had breakfast and a rest before getting stuck into housework.

Today I told Mike, with work ramping up to new levels, it may be time to go back to having two monitors…a big one and my laptop. He jumped all over that idea and has gone off to make the purchase!  I’ve taken the printer out my workspace as I wasn’t using it and I’m going to rearrange my desk area. I’m spending so much time there, I want it as comfortable and functional as possible. The reward for work is more work!

I’m off to get the washing off the line. I have a bad habit of not pegging the socks to the clothes horse but just hanging them over the washing basket. A gust of wind took some of them over the balcony and I needed to go retrieve them from 3 stories down. Two of them had landed on the ground and two on the laundry roof. The ones on the roof needed a stick and a stretch to hook em up. I announced out loud (to nobody) that I was quite proud of myself in being successful! Some family members accuse me of reducing the impact of excitement by being excited about everything. When pointed out to me, it did highlight the number of times a day I say, “I’m excited”. How can one be excited about being successful in retrieving socks from the laundry roof? I think it was because I didn’t break any bones in completing the task.

Today is Riana’s birthday!

The poignancy of Psalm 139 was before me this morning.

Psalm 139:1-2
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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