A Very Decadent Day at Sea

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Helga

Friday 25/4/25 – 8 months til Christmas!

Dear Elsie

Today was a deliciously quiet day at sea. When I woke up this morning and looked outside, the moon and Venus were one above the other. This was 7.22am.

Not quite an hour later, the sun was burning through the morning mist and shining its light on a passing tanker.

We had a lazy lie in with no formal exercise done.  I did do some work and then around 10am we went for breakfast. By 11.30am, in ship-appropriate dress we went to the main theatre.

There, the Master and the Chief Officers came out to say hello.

There was also a little dance team that impressed us with their moves.

This afternoon, we lazed around a bit. I did a fraction more work and we had a call with Julian who is cat-sitting in Cape Town. We are looking forward to him joining us in a couple of weeks…less than 2 weeks in fact.

The bulk of the passengers on this ship have been onboard since they left Genoa on about 4th January. I don’t know how they have done it. Their formal round the world cruise ends on 5th May back in Genoa.  On 6th May they will have to go back to the real world. The couple we spoke to the other day are full time travellers so their plan is to do a train trip, then hop on a plane and fly to northern Europe where they do another cruise. We too hop on a plane as soon as we get off this ship and fly to Istanbul where Julian meets us for a shorter Med cruise. We are really enjoying ourselves & lapping up each day. We have learned a few things on this cruise. We don’t need a drinks package. We don’t need an Aurea upgrade, but we do appreciate the balcony. We enjoy going to the evening sit down dinners where our attentive waiter is happy to serve us. Last night we went to the buffet for our evening meal for a change. I really enjoyed that too. Here’s some of the food!

Mike’s favourite spot!

Spoilt for choice. Tonight we will go to the main dining room.

David meantime, has arrived in Betty’s Bay for a short getaway with Anna’s family..

Such a great photo.

Tonight the clocks go back another hour so we’ll be 2 hours behind Cape Town. I don’t think it will be for long because the Canary Islands (Tuesday) are UK time.  Dakar is 2 hours earlier, so we have to change our clocks for our stop there tomorrow.

Genesis 1:9-10
Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

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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Thunder and Lightening at Sea

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

This month (and especially Easter) has been a pivotal time for you. After almost 7 years of dairy allergies, today you had scrambled eggs for the first time. And over Easter, you had marshmallow Easter Eggs. Both of these you have not been able to eat for the entire duration of your young life. You are growing out of some of your allergies and we couldn’t be happier!

Today is the 8th day we have been on board. And it was the day we went through a storm! The sea was flat but there was thunder and lightening and it was very close. I can’t remember having gone through a storm at sea before. In cruises past, we’ve had some very rough seas, especially off the African coast but there have never been big flashes of lightening and great peals of thunder booming across the sky. It was very dramatic & went on for quite a while. At 7.41am, it still looked very ominous.

We went to the gym for exercise. The gym is at the front of the ship with large windows. Whenever I walk on the treadmill, I imagine we are powering the ship along. This was my view this morning…

The weather cleared and we are now out the doldrums. The wind has picked up as well. We spent most of the day about 200 nm off the coast of Sierra Leone. Our next stop is Dakar which is just south of Mauritania

Last night the dinner theme was supposed to be for a rock concert. I left my rock concert outfit back in the ’80s. What I did have with me is the glitzy top Stacey wore to her Matric dance. It was when I was sitting at dinner with it on that I realised Stacey matriculated 20 years ago this year! Time has certainly flown past. The top has lasted well. It’s only been worn about once every 2-3 years, so it should have.

Today’s been a good work day. I did more than 6 hours. A lot of work came in. Tomorrow I won’t do as much.

Happy 30th birthday Jess!  I hope you’ve had a wonderful day and are doing something special either tonight or over the weekend. Double my age!  Happiest of birthdays! The best is yet to come.

Psalm 139:9-10
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

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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In the Doldrums

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we entered the doldrums. First when we woke this morning, I went up to pick up coffee and as my cell phone connected to maps, I saw we were on the equator.

It was only this afternoon, I noticed we had got to the doldrums

I was at the gym when there was a downpour. Then I noticed how glassy the sea is.

Almost oily and very very flat

It makes sense that the saying of being ‘in the doldrums’ has come out of this part of the world. When you are in the doldrums, you may be struggling along, wading through treacle, not progressing well at all. The sailors of old must have moved painfully slowly through this section of the sea when they were dependent on prevailing winds. It was wind that never blew.

With us, there is no problem. Our big 95 ton ship that is close to 300m in length powers through the water at up to about 40km/hour.  According to AI, “the MSC Magnifica utilizes a diesel-electric propulsion system, powered by five Wärtsilä 16V38B diesel engines. These engines generate electricity, which then drives the propellers via electric motors. The ship also has a fully automatic control system for the engine room.” It is very smooth. We regularly can hardly feel that we are on a ship. Our cabin is close to the front (about 30 or 40m from the door to the front balcony). We are on Deck 10 and so well insulated with other cabins above and below as well as either side of us. It is only our balcony that is open to the sea. It’s very quiet with no passing foot traffic, so no talking in the corridors is heard. We didn’t have a choice of balcony cabins. This was the only one left, so we took it. We have had very calm seas so far. The next stop is Dakar on Saturday. We have decided not to get off. We took a look at the excursions and there is not much to see. The cruise port is not in a great area, so walking off is not really suitable either. I will take pictures from the ship.

It’s really difficult for me to find something I don’t like about cruising. We have arrived at 23rd April, my dear Mom’s birthday. She would have loved cruising too. And tomorrow is Jess’s 30th birthday! Woohoo! Happy Birthday Jess!

The earth in our eyes is so enormous, but from outer space we are just a grain of dirt.

Psalm 33:7
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

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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Dancing Tea-Time

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie
Today was the day we hit a shipping lane off the coast of West Africa. When the captain came on just after 12, he told us the nearest land was Ascension island 500 nautical miles away. We are very close to the equator now.

We seemed so remote out at sea with no other signs of life, so it was a surprise to suddenly start having ships passing by.

As we get closer to the coast of Africa, we leave behind the middle of nowhere and will bring to an end that part of the journey. More ships & land will become the norm. I’m savouring every minute of this unique experience. I’m sitting on our balcony in sultry weather & what feels like 100% humidity. It’s quite a treat. Our balcony faces east so the sun has now passed overhead. The roar of the waves as the ship ploughs through the sea is not insignificant. My balcony view while doing my blog…

What we learned on Sunday when we met Steve and Mary is that every sea day, at 3.45pm,  in the  Ametista Lounge, tea is served. It comes with a pot of hot water for each person and you are offered a teabag of your choice, which you then put in the pot and let it draw. And, it comes with a tier of delicious snacks.  Whoever thought up dancing tea time was genius! It’s so different and creative.  There are always couples who get up and dance to the live music. Even if you don’t, the music is really listenable and pleasant to sit and enjoy. Those who love to dance include the Germans who lang-arm. I was so surprised to see couples lang-arming around the dance floor just like our Afrikaners do.

The Ametista Lounge…

Teddy getting ready for tea…

High tea every afternoon. Such an easy way to pass an hour.

Dinner last night was a ‘white’ affair, where wearing white was the flavour of the evening. They are not super particular about it & we soon found that pure white was not required.

I had the salmon…

And lime cake.

I’m always walking the deck curious about what people are doing. This must be the long cruise I’ve been on with the most smokers. There are loads of them which has surprised me. There’s also a lot of people doing exercise – yoga, Pilates and such. And there is Mike who did this today…

This afternoon we went to the Grand Finale of MSC Masterchef at sea. And the winner was…

It’s nearly dinner time and tonight is green, white and red. Mike’s got a red tie. I’ve got a green and white dress and green scarf. That will do.

Psalm 89:9
You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.

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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In The Tropics

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we woke to overcast tropical weather with gloomy skies above and warm air below. This is 6.37am from our balcony. All the orange things are life boats.

This is looking over our balcony. That’s the medical boat.

It was very warm and humid outside. By 7.14am, I was stomping around the deck. 10000 steps before breakfast!

I did a couple of hours work this morning. Then we went to the whirlpool for a soak. This is a good place of conversation as there are no cell phones to distract us. It is a relaxing spot where appreciation is high. It’s where Dave Ramsey’s advice comes to mind. Basically, his philosophy is to strive to have no debt, have an emergency fund, savings & sufficient retirement. With all that in place, be generous and have some fun. This is some fun. If we have done all the above, having some fun is guilt-free.

After the whirlpool, we dried off and went to the buffet for cappuccino.  I called Julian  and he told me the Pope had died. We had missed the news. Yesterday he appeared on the Rome balcony – today he is in eternity – that’s a life of service to the very end.

Back in our cabin, laundry had been done. One of the reasons we like having a balcony on a ship is because we always bring our own washing line and some washing powder. It won’t take long for this to dry.

When we went to get our cappuccino at lunchtime, I told Mike there were chocolate Easter eggs in the buffet. By then we were back at our cabin, at which point he hot footed it back to the buffet to get some of the leftovers. He also had pizza for lunch. I’ll have some of the chocolate after dinner, although last night I was so full, I could hardly eat another morsel. Here is the menu for last night. We had the soup, lamb and cherries.

Tomorrow is a proper work day for me, which entails 4-5 hours working. I had a little nap this afternoon which was very civil. If I only work a half day, maybe we can do the same tomorrow. Soon we will cross the equator. I think it will be the day after tomorrow.

Job 26:10
“He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters at the boundary of light and darkness.

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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Easter Sunday on the Ship

Posted on April 20, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was Easter Sunday 2025 and we spent it on the ship. There are a lot of Italians, so there was the entire crossing to the Vatican being played on the TVs in the public areas. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed. Sunrise this morning.

The first thing we did today, is turn our clocks back an hour. We are now an hour behind SA. When it’s not a port day, the rhythm of the ship slows down. Everyone is very relaxed and finds things to do that interest them. Walking across the deck, there are people playing cards, doing aerobics, reading, sleeping, playing dice, doing crosswords & sudokus, playing table tennis, swimming, sunbathing, working on their laptops, chatting, drinking, eating.

Our activity of the day took us to the tennis court where we set about a highly competitive game of very poor tennis.

Our umpire was in place, but didn’t say much.

The tennis court is surrounded by net so balls don’t go flying into the ocean or surrounding decks, but they did have a habit of slipping beneath the net behind Mike’s side and ending up on a platform. To retrieve it, a walk out the court down the stairs, round the back & up a ladder was needed. The job fell to Mike!

One of the issues was the tennis balls were pretty bad and didn’t have much bounce, but we did get some exercise and satisfied Mike’s yen for playing tennis on a ship. We lost track of the score. Calling it a draw is fair, I think!

This afternoon, we went to meet Steve and Mary, a YouTube couple who have posted monthly about their adventures on this cruise. I had watched their video and reached out to them. It was interesting conversation, hearing about all their travels, plus their experience so far on this cruise. They are full time travellers, a pastime they took up after the untimely and tragic death of their younger daughter 11 years ago. (She was in her 3rd year of college and was knocked over by a car). So very sad. After the accident, they just felt they couldn’t stay in their city, so they took off travelling. They love to hike and have been to all 5 continents as well as Alaska and the Antarctica. This is their first trip to Africa. They would like to return to Cape Town, so we’ll stay in touch.

The internet has been excellent. Here’s why – Starlink panels are abundant.

Now it’s time for dinner.

Psalm 93:4
More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea, The Lord on high is mighty.

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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Discovering the Pods

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we discovered the pods. Because this cruise is  part of the Round the World one  & this balcony cabin was the only one left for the 18 nights from Cape Town to Rome, we had to take what it came with. If we wanted to go, we had to pay the price, which was higher than usual for 18 nights. As a result we have got a massive cabin plus a few other perks.   We didn’t really realise all that it came with, so the very big cabin and balcony was a surprise. The eat whenever you like in the reserved seating is helpful when we are a little later in eating (very seldom because I’m still skipping lunch and by 6pm, I’m ready to eat a small pony). The big surprise came when we found out we had access to the ‘exclusive’ Top 16 which is the highest outdoor area at the front of the ship.  It doesn’t have any indoor space but it has a lot of out door tables with private booths shielded from the wind.

It has a couple of hot tubs.

There are far fewer passengers up there….& we discovered the pods. These are massive covered circular seats. This is what they look like from behind…

Inside, the view is of the ocean passing by. The stewards go round handing out fruit kebabs.

Mike and I in the pod.

Teddy came too.

We have never had this option before and I don’t know if we will again, so we are enjoying it this once. All these sea days are definitely giving us the rest we need. I’ll be ready to go back to work on Tuesday, that’s for sure. I may even do a bit of work on Monday.

The other thing that happened today is I may have set up a meeting with a YouTube couple who have posted a couple of their videos from this ship. I started following them because we were waiting for the ship to arrive in Cape Town. They’ve down the whole round the world trip, so have been on it for more than 100 days.  Perhaps tomorrow we will meet & I’ll hear more.

Mike and I did 10000 steps before breakfast. We sort of half-heartedly thought of doing another 10000 before dinner, but that’s grueling, so we just did what we did. We are not going to the formal dinner tonight but will go to the buffet.

Tonight the clocks go back an hour, so from tomorrow we are on UK time. I’m hoping my watch, cell phone and laptop will adjust itself. How does one know? We’ll have to find a ship clock.

We have been enjoying fair weather. This is our current location…

Julian will be interested in this: the ship to the left of us is the MSC Euribia which we went on last year on our trip to the Norwegian fjords. One of the best ships and the best cruises I’ve ever been on.   I’m not sure why it is where it is because when I click on it, it says it’s going to do a Northern Europe cruise (3rd -10th May), so I’m surmising that it’s come round Africa to avoid the Red Sea. It also is much further west than we are, almost as if it’s going to St. Helena Island. Perhaps it’s also doing a recce? I’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Isaiah 42:10
Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it.

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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Visiting Walvis Bay & Swakopmund

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today is Good Friday & it was the day we arrived in a very grey & misty Walvis Bay.

We needed to get our passports stamped. While all the Europe, UK & US passengers had to pay R1200 for a visa, we were greeted with big smiles and a warm welcome by the Namibian passport control. “We are brothers and sisters” they said. I don’t think there are any SA passengers on for the whole 120 night World Cruise. We have just got on for the last of it. Today when I was walking down a corridor, a couple passed me, greeting as they went. As they went past, I heard the lady say, ‘have you seen her before?’ Her husband said, ‘no’. We are new faces. Most have been onboard for more than 100 days. Friendships and clicks have been forged, so the whole dynamic is slightly different that it would have been if everyone had boarded in Cape Town. It doesn’t make too much difference to us – it’s just something I have noticed.

So, we walked off the ship in the morning and went to Swakopmund in the afternoon. Our morning walk took us to the Walvis Bay beach and one of the buildings that has always got Mike’s attention. It’s known as The Raft and is just off shore on stilts in the water.

Close up…

We went in to have a closer look.

No one could tell us how old it is but the waitress said she served someone the other day who had visited it in 1981.

While out we had the opportunity to get some photos of the ship from the harbour & we could see our cabin.

It’s the second cabin up from the red life boat in the corner.

Despite having been to Walvis a couple of times, we had never been to Swakopmund.

It’s about 30 minutes drive from Walvis past miles of sand…

There are lots of old buildings…

Mingled with new which are designed to fit in with the old.

We went to the museum which was very interesting. One of the things that caught my attention was a working clock which came from Germany and was made in 1880. The curator said it gets wound up once a week. So this was the time we were in Swakopmund Museum on Good Friday,  18th April 2025.

We got back to the port just after 5.30pm and went to our cabin to freshen up for dinner. Another delish meal followed.

Now we are in bed and watching Pride & Prejudice.

A good port day. Now we have something like 10 ship days before we get to the Canary Islands. We do have a stop at Dakar, but we are not getting off.  I think I may be stretched to find new things to write about. We will see!

Micah 7:19
He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot.
Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.

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 Full Day at Sea

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was our first full day at sea. Last night, we were due to leave at 6pm, but there were passengers that had not arrived back from their excursions. They were in touch with the ship so we waited and finally were able to leave at 6.30pm. This meant the sun had almost set but it made for some spectacular photos of Table Mountain and the Waterfront.

Back of the ship…

Front of the ship…

Last night we had dinner from the buffet. We also went to the Under African Skies performance. Wow, these ladies had amazing voices.

By 9.30pm, I was out for the count. I woke up early this morning. I looked out the balcony door and to my surprise found the orientation was exactly the same as our bedroom at home. There right before me was Venus with the two companions of Mercury & Saturn.

By 6.15am, I decided to head for the gym. That was when Mike stirred and woke enough to say he’d join me. We went to the gym for a while. Then I left and went onto the deck. I saw a whale breach. That was so unexpected. It was not far from the ship.  This was our first ship sunrise.

This is from the back of the ship early this morning…

Mike came & joined me on the deck. When we were on our way back to our cabin, he said how about 10000 steps before breakfast. Challenge on. He had just completed his, so I had some catching up to do. I went passage walking. Lots of steps to be had in the long ship corridors.

Through one of the doors at the end of a corridor, I found a very secluded balcony at the front of the ship. This is the view from there.

After my 10000 steps, I worked for a while, then we had breakfast and I worked some more. The internet is working very well. There are no issues at all, which is really helpful.  I stopped work around 4pm, put on my out of office message and really only need to return to work on Tuesday! Easter weekend off.

Late afternoon we donned our smart and went to the Easter musical presentation. A wonderful rendition of Hallelujah from Handel’s Messiah among other pieces. Then dinner happened. I was ready. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and dinner was at 6pm. I had the blue cheese souffle with fig and nuts, the roast pork with pear, rosemary potatoes and onions and a  coconut and pistachio dessert.

We picked up decaf cappuccinos from the buffet and bought them back to the cabin. I got changed and am now tucked up in bed.

I can understand why people want to cruise. It’s just completely stress free with lots of attendants running round to meet your daily needs. I don’t think I could do it all the time, but I certainly am going to enjoy the time we have on board this year.

Tomorrow we arrive in Walvis Bay at about 9am and we are going to Swakopmund, which we will get to explore.  It’s been a lovely first day.

Luke 18:27
Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

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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On the Ship in Cape Town

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we boarded the ship at Cape Town cruise terminal. It has been a lot of months of planning. We have missed 2 cruises due to the unrest in the Red Sea so we were delighted to get on this one.

I worked this morning and then just after 12noon, David gave us a lift to the cruise terminal in Cape Town and we walked right through, first through security, then passport control and right onto the ship. We were given our cruise cards, got internet and then taken to our room.  Wide angle view from the balcony side.

We have a cabin quite close to the front of the ship. It  is at the end of a passage. The balcony is angled with the orientation to the rear. This is that view..

This is looking straight out…current view is a cable layer.

We unpacked. There is lots of cupboard space. Riana asked me if I was packing light. Initially I said ‘no’ and then asked her what she thought light was. She said 15kg. My suitcase weighed about 15.5kg before I put one or two things in it. When I unpacked, I realised I probably packed too much.

We went walk about to see the sights. Mike looking Mr Cool!

It was warm up there, so we returned to the cabin to get changed into something cooler and went back up. The expected selfie

Us at the back of the ship.

We went to the gym and tried out the treadmills.

I think the ship is due to leave at 6pm. We haven’t been downstairs so there is lots more to explore.  Work is done for the day. Internet is perfect. Blog is now done. Time to relax. Sparkling day to cruise out of Cape Town.

I’m taking a break from Bible verses from my daily reading. I found a document I compiled on this little travel laptop that says “Sea Bible Verses!”

Psalm 104:25
There is the sea, great and broad, In which are swarms without number, animals both small and great.

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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The Ship is Coming!

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie,

Today was the day we truly began to believe we will get on the ship! After 2 cancelled cruises, we were never 100% sure that this one wouldn’t be cancelled as well. The difference was it is going up the West Coast, far, far away from the Red Sea troubles. I decided I would really only get excited once I saw the ship in Port Elizabeth. Last night it left that city & by lunchtime today, it was just past George.

Then it passed Swellendam. Now it’s about to pass Cape Agulhas

It should be in Cape Town in the morning. I think I’ll also be following our ship online as we creep up north.

Today I worked for more than 6 hours. I did no exercise. I took my next Boniva. I finished packing. My suitcase it ready.

Tomorrow, I have a meeting at 11am, so my plan is to pack up my technology just before then, have the meeting on my cell phone & leave after that.

Meantime, with all the packing, Raiku knows that something is afoot.

He has been very clingy. David will be home with him.

It is our last night at home for 5 weeks. It’s exactly 5 weeks. Tonight, in 5 weeks, we, God willing, will be home safe and sound.  It means, Elsie, darling, it is your 7th birthday 5 weeks tomorrow! Time will go by so fast.

Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favour and honour.

I will miss my physical Bible. I  will be following the reading plan on my  cell phone.

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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Well That Was Easy

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I got to experience the new (and improved) car licensing department in Fish Hoek. Not so long ago, the car licence department was moved from the Civic Centre complex to the old Standard Bank building on Fish Hoek Main Rd.

The Q3’s licence expires at the end of this month.  I hadn’t received a renewal notice, although they had sent me an SMS.  Early hours of Saturday morning, I woke up wondering if it was a job I could do later that morning. While I was online googling to find out the opening hours, I found a link to book an online appointment with them. There were no Saturday options but there was 12noon for today, so I booked it. I immediately got an SMS and then had another one on Sunday before receiving a 3rd this morning. I went down in good time this morning. There is a ticket machine which has an option to press if you had booked online. I pushed that and it asked me for my booking number which was on the SMS. I entered that, pressed the button and a ticket was spewed out. I took my seat. Within a few minutes, I was called to the window and the gentleman asked for my ID. He entered my number, asked if it was for the Q3, confirmed my address and that was all that was needed. I paid the fee, received the print out and the job was done. I was out the building by the time my appointment was due. Such efficiency.

The other thing that happened today: I woke up around 3am with what felt like grit in my right eye. I tried rinsing it, dousing it with eye drops and putting a hot compress over it, but nothing worked. Eventually, I googled it and read it may have been a slightly scratched cornea. It would take a day or two to get better. I decided to leave it alone and try go back to sleep. When I woke up a few hours later, the irritation was gone. What a relief, but then I got a pain 3/4 of the way round my right eye. My heart sank. If this is what eye pressure feels like, it could be serious. My vision was fine but the pain was unusual. So, after getting my licence done, I sought out an optometrist. I ended up going to Colin Rodd who was so professional and reassuring.  All is fine, so that put my mind at rest. He did say my eyes are very dry, so I must use eye drops on a regular basis. So grateful!

In the afternoon, a new guest arrived.

Needless to say I only worked 5.5 hours today. I’ll catch up tomorrow.

Luke 17:10
So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’

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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Teddy is Ready

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I got Teddy ready for our trip. His arm had come off (again) and I needed to sew it back on. Teddy lost an arm in OR Tambo airport a number of years ago and your Mom made another, which is his left arm. His right arm came off, poor thing, so today I reattached it. Teddy is now ready for travel…

Today, we went out for breakfast. I walked part of the way and then Julian and I walked home, including along Glencairn Beach.

By the time we got home, my 10000 steps were done and I was finished! A little bit of a rest and a cappuccino and I was ready to go again!

We have just about finished packing & it feels really good to be organised. I think the only thing that will improve today is if I get to put in an hour or two of work so I can be ahead of schedule by tomorrow morning.

This afternoon, we went to visit John and Avril, which is always meaningful. We did a bit of shopping afterwards and then I had an hour long conversation with Stacey. Dinner with Julian and now we are watching a grand design. Julian is about to make tea. 🙂

It’s been a good day.

Luke 16:10
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…

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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Breakfast in Bed

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I had breakfast in bed. It was a cool drizzly sort of start, so we had a lazy beginning. We had run out of berries, so Mike went down to buy some.  When he got back, I enjoyed my breakfast in bed!

Despite the rain, I managed to get washing out and most of it dry.

Gareth came for cappuccino to tell us about his holiday in Australia, which he loved. He plans on returning for a month in October. I thought he was going to move down under but conversely he has plans to spend more time here next year. We’ll see what transpires

After Gareth left, I did some packing and then spent an hour or so cleaning out our linen cupboard. That made me feel good. I don’t think we have been this organised before an overseas trip before.

This evening, we went to Barracudas where they have a  200g steak and chips (or fish and chips) special for only R89. We were joined by David and Anna.

We had a lovely evening. Home for tea and now Mike is chatting about the golf!

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

Psalm 81:1
Sing for joy to God our strength

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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4am Visitor

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I woke up around 4am and opened our bedroom balcony door for some air. I climbed back into bed and a short while later heard “whoo whoo”.  At first, I didn’t know what I was hearing, until it came again. I thought it must be an owl, so I went to the door and peered into the darkness, looking for any signs of it. When it came again, I realised it was on the Fish Hoek side. I went outside onto the balcony and as I got out there, it called again. A very loud and very close “whoo whoo”. I looked up and there, right above me on the corner of balcony roof of the top floor was the owl. I walked quietly back inside to get my phone, fully expecting it to have flown away by the time I got back, but it was still there. It was very dark and my cell phone camera isn’t the best, but I did get this photo.

It looked down at me. I went inside and never heard it again.  We have been here for more than 4 years and it’s only over the last couple of months that I’ve seen owl activity. They are special to see.

I went back to sleep and woke up a couple of hours later. A good night sleep, despite the 4am interruption.

This morning, I went to the beach alone. The sea was warmer than Wednesday. Word on the beach is that it was 14C on Wednesday. Today was about 16C. I had a good 30 minute swim and walked home for breakfast and to work.

I also had a chat with you Elsie and showed you how to make soap. You showed me Pennie and how green the garden is.

Later this afternoon, we did some shopping. I also had an afternoon walk with Julian.

This weekend is the Masters Golf Championship. It means late nights for Mike!

Luke 14:11
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

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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