Waffles for Breakfast

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

It was good to speak to you today! I’m glad you liked the frilly skirt I gave you for your birthday. I can’t wait to see you again soon.

I didn’t tell you but today was the day we had waffles for breakfast. We decided to walk to Kalk Bay and chose Waffle & Co for breakfast. We used to go to this terrace restaurant in years gone by when it had a different owner. It was closed for a long while and now is Waffle & Co. It’s on Kalk Bay Main Rd. with the al fresco section under orange umbrellas.

There is also seating inside and apparently there is a fireplace and it’s warm and cozy.

I prefer outside because of the view.

The Menu…

Mike chose a Winston Churchill.

I chose Not a Waffle…

It arrived quite quickly and was not delayed due to load shedding at all. One thing I can tell you, the place was buzzing. When we walked past later, they had closed it due to being full. It was a good choice and we’ll happily go back.

We walked home and were happy to put our feet up. It’s about 4km each way.

I have started a knitting project! More about that another day. I don’t think I have done any proper knitting for about 30 years. Hopefully, I will finish this project otherwise Stacey may have to come to the rescue! If it’s red, it must be for someone special!

It’s been a good Saturday and there are burgers for dinner.

Psalm 119:19
I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from 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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Fish Hoek Dune Rehabilitation

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today it has been overcast and chilly. Late yesterday afternoon, we took a walk to Fish Hoek to see the dune rehabilitation. We could see they had been working on the dunes but now there is more to see. This is what it looked like when they first started…

Now it looks like this…

This is the entrance to the Surf Ski club. It’s the point where the big orange bin was a useful marker for when paddlers returned to the beach.

The big front end loader going home for the night.

Now they are working way down on the Clovelly side so we’ll have to walk down there one day and see what’s happening.  Time will tell how effective it is.

I worked for 6 hours today. We also took a lunchtime walk to Fish Hoek to buy some groceries.

Today I saw the fantastic 3 sheep in the field you, Elsie did at school. I love the picture. Well done!

Weekend!

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

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 Main Event

Posted on May 25, 2023 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

The main event of the day was David’s return from Johannesburg. He arrived back safe and sound. We had gone to the airport in driving rain which is still falling. I met him at arrivals and we went up the escalator and out to Mike who was waiting at the drop/go. You are not allowed to go out the ‘in’ doors of the drop/go upstairs but I asked for permission for David and I to sneak through. It’s by far the shortest route. He hopes to have his passport picked up Monday or Tuesday and then Julian can bring it to Cape Town on Wednesday. Now he has time to rest and recover. Hopefully the medication he is on will start to kick in in the next week or two and he’ll start feeling better – that means getting his energy back. But this was a huge step. At least he has kept alive the opportunity to go to China, albeit in three months time.

We woke up to falling rain and it rained steadily until after 12noon when there was a short respite. Now it has started again. The wind is not blowing – it’s just steady light rain. Very good for the dams and the tanks. Not so good for solar panels and charging batteries. We need Eskom to do that so we can get through the next loadshedding and the night to come. Tomorrow, by 9am the sun should be out enough to charge the batteries.

Brian and Courage have had to find other things to do. Courage put up a few pictures, wooden tables have been sanded down, wood has been painted and Julian’s unit spruced up. This afternoon, Mike is working in the workshop on his lampstand while the wood dries. I guess it’s not a bad thing for the guys to have a break from moving massive rocks to make gabion baskets and walls. At least their muscles can rest for today.

I’ve worked for 5 hours and have turned the clock off and am enjoying the rainy day. Hence the super early blog.

Psalm 119:12
Praise be to You, Lord; teach me Your decrees.

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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Outside Work Continues

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day David had his visit to the Chinese embassy in Johannesburg and all went well. His passport should be available for collection by Monday and he will then have 3 months to get better enough to get to China. We’ll take it day by day.

Meanwhile, back home, Courage and Brian have been working hard. Down the side of the house, initially, it looked like this…

Then a bit of levelling and paving happened.

This year Courage and Brian have been building gabion baskets down the side.

Now it looks like this…

Meanwhile at the very top of the stairs on the other side, foundations have been put in for the feature wall

And Mike has been working on the gate to our entrance which we will soon get. He’s putting in space for a lamp and a camera so we can see who is coming up and down the stairs.

It’s always fun to see things happen.

I worked for 8 hours and have pretty much caught up. Tomorrow rain is due to set in from about 4am. The morning looks like this…

It’s due to abate a bit in the afternoon.

The other thing that happened today is guests arrived! Mom and Dad with little 18 month old Ava booked the Seaview Apartment. They asked for an extra mattress. I asked a few questions and quickly learned the cottage would suit them better so when they arrived I showed them round both places and they chose the cottage. Airbnb has an easy swap function where you can change one rental unit for another, so that’s what we did and now they are happily ensconced in the cottage til a week on Friday.

As I wrap up the day, I was thinking about last night. By 8pm, I was so tired, I could not keep my eyes open. I feel asleep minutes after 8pm and slept soundly through to 3am. It was amazing! I woke up at 3am feeling so refreshed. I managed to have another hour or so and feel I have caught up some lost sleep.

Psalm 119:11

I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.

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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David Arrived in Jo’burg

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day that began super early with Mike taking David to the airport. His long Covid results in him having energy in the morning and none in the afternoon. He also struggles to walk further than about 200 meters so walking through the airport was always going to be a challenge. He has left this trip to the Chinese embassy to the very last minute. Literally he has one more week to get a visa in his passport before he would have to start the long drawn out and expensive process again. So he took the plunge, booked his plane ticket – requested a wheelchair and made an appointment with the embassy for tomorrow. Mike saw him to the Safair counter where he was managed by an air hostess who wheeled him all the way from the counter, through security to the Mugg and Bean for breakfast. Leaving him there, she returned in time to get him on board. On arriving in Johannesburg, she wheeled him 100s of meters to get him through to the exit where he walked a few steps to an Uber. That wheelchair took a great deal of humility to order but it was the perfect answer to maintain his energy levels.

In Johannesburg, first thing he needed to do was to meet Elizabeth, who has got so big. Jess tells me she now almost weighs 5.5kg.

Precious one.

David can’t believe how cold it is in Joburg – he’s glad he has Stacey’s super warm jacket.

Meanwhile, at home, the early morning looked magical from my desk.

And the sun soon rose.

I did all the laundry and worked for most of the day. Later in the day, Julian also caught a flight back to Johannesburg, so he’ll have dinner with David tonight as well. David considered getting on the same flight, but decided to find an earlier one so he would have more energy to manage it.

Tomorrow rain is forecast, so I need to get out and get some walking done.

Today I listened to all of Psalm 119. Such an excellent 15 minutes.

Psalm 119:10
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

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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Quick Trip Home

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we had a quick trip home from Swellendam. Somehow, leaving on a Monday morning at 7.45am was the sweet spot. It was 6 degrees in Swellendam  this morning, so we noticed the chill. There was not a lot of traffic and we drove up 3 hours later. It took us an hour and 5 minutes from Paul Cluver which was really good timing. Somerset West had load shedding so most of the traffic lights were out which made it quick and easy as stop streets.

After getting home, I had a little break and then worked for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying very much my unique “manicure by Elsie!”

David really enjoyed his jacket made by Stacey – it looks like it is just off the shelf of Cape Union Mart. Made to fit for David. What an amazing job.

David meantime is particularly tired today and has a headache, but hopefully a good night sleep will enable him to fly to Johannesburg early tomorrow. He’s hoping to get his passport to the Chinese embassy on Wednesday and fly back on Thursday. And with his medication kicking in, it may be a grueling few days. Fortunately, he can rest in Johannesburg before and after the embassy visit.

We returned to a beautiful windless day in Cape Town & tomorrow should be okay as well.

Psalm 119:1
Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of 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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Elsie Turns 5

Posted on May 21, 2023 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today you turned 5!! I was so excited to be with you and we had a lot of fun. You got lots of lovely gifts including books from Oupa, Lego & nail varnish from Mama and Papa (among other things) and we gave you some clothes and a tent! You also got other things from other people including marshmallows and a sticker book. Here are some of the photos from the day. You loved the wooden letters for your name.

In the tent….

We had such a fine time in the tent. I got to hear all about you wanting to become a teacher like Jevrou Elisma. She was kind to you which has left a lasting impact. At 5 you have a special emotional intelligence which is noticeable when you talk about school. You think more than you speak. I loved that you wanted to pray before we ate your birthday cake.

The sticker book.

And I got my nails done!

I just loved it! You are beyond special. I look forward to seeing you again soon & every time I look at my nails I think of you!

Back home, David has had some symptoms become a little worse which is good. He gets somewhat worse pain in his legs after taking his medication. It seems to indicate that the microclots are breaking up. The Doc said it should take 3 weeks for this to happen. We’ll see.

Psalm 105:5
Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced

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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Jeffrey’s Bay to Swellendam

Posted on May 20, 2023 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we drove from Jeffrey’s Bay to Swellendam to see you! You have been sick and so have your parents. Your Dad described it as ‘properly sick!’ You poor thing. All of you have got antibiotics and have had rotten coughs.  It was wonderful to see you and we will keep our distance so we don’t take germs home to David. I am so looking forward to your birthday tomorrow!

For today, we got up early and by just after 6am, we glided quietly out of Jeffrey’s Bay and hit the N2. There was not much traffic. We got to Storms River where a man asked us to buy a subscription to his YouTube channel!

When we drove into the Wilderness, we decided to turn right to Hoekwil. Back story – Almost 37 years ago, part of our honeymoon was at a remote wooden cottage on a river in Hoekwil. We have not been back since so we wanted to see if we could find it. One of the things I remember clearly was we were doing a lot of walking because we were about to walk the Otter Trail (also on honeymoon), so we went for a walk and I remember the Hoekwil Post Office. We found it – it’s still there and looking pretty smart.

We found the road the house was on but there have been changes and it’s not as remote as it once was. We couldn’t get down to see the actual house. We did find some friendly curious cows.

And a fabulous friendly Hoekwil cafe which wasn’t there 37 years ago.

We bought the most delicious lemon cheesecake (for breakfast – as one does) and cappuccino. Inside the cafe..

We stopped at a layby overlooking Wilderness and with this view we drank the coffee and ate the cake.

Onwards, we drove through the beautiful Garden Route. We had decided to do a detour to Stilbaai because we’ve never been there. Mike saw a turn off on Google map and thought that would be a good road. “As long as it’s not a dirt road” I said. “Oh good point.” He took another look and decided it probably was. Looking at other options, he said, “There’s a road coming up shortly, take that one.”

This would take us to Stilbaai. The road less travelled. A beautiful tarred road with lots of great scenery.

Finally we got to the sign to Stilbaai.

We had no idea all this lovely tar would end…

40km of dirt road. Mike was really unhappy! We encountered this unusual sight. Horses were being guided along the dirt road by a lady and her workers in the car. Not sure if they had escaped or what.

But after crawling along, we arrived in Stilbaai, visited the market and drove around a bit. By 2.30pm, we arrived in Swellendam and I have to say, we were tired! Enough travelling for one day. Visited the family and we are now tucked up in bed. I’m typing this superfast because we are loadshedding and my laptop battery is about to die.

Psalm 111:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.

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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Monica’s Funeral

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we celebrated the life and mourned the passing of Monica, my sister-in-law, Granpa’s sister. We woke at about 7am, had coffee and breakfast, showered, dressed and left at 9.30am to get to the 11am service in good time. It took us an hour. We met up with Monica’s sons Dean and Sean and joined other family members in the church. Mike’s Aunt Sally was also there. It was great to see her – we haven’t seen her for a while.

The service was very meaningful. At almost the start of the year, Monica had been told her heart was failing and she wasted no time in sitting down and planning her memorial service. She wrote a bit about her life. She chose the hymns and the Bible reading. She wrote in a file a list of what her sons had to do should she pass away, listing them numerically, starting with phoning her church. She made it very easy for her sons to plan her service. Monica was part of a tight church group at St Hugh’s Anglican church in Port Elizabeth. A big imposing church that must have been around a long time.

The Rector, Rev Andrea Potgieter led us through a meaningful service which had Monica’s prayer group take part. These are special ladies who prayed diligently and effectively for numbers of people, including David. We will always appreciate them.

Monica had requested in her notes the service was to be followed by ‘simple snacks’ so to the hall we went for a tea and delicious goodies.  We caught up with the Eastern Cape family and then headed back to Jeffrey’s Bay. We are at peace.

This afternoon, we went down to the amazing SuperTubes beach where all the massive surfing competitions take place. We were there yesterday and spoke to a couple of surfers who were from France. Surfers come from all over the world to try these waters. There is a big surfing competition coming up in July and it is here that they will compete. Loads of surfers both local and foreign are practising.

The waves weren’t quite as big today as they were yesterday, but we still saw massive swell and brave souls riding the tunnels. It was quite a sight.

The most treacherous part of Jeffrey’s Bay has to be the roads. Oh my goodness. The pot holes could puncture every tyre and swallow you up. We are in the Eastern Cape and road maintenance don’t seem to be a big part of the budget, although they are finally resurfing the freeway between J-Bay and PE. The money doesn’t seem to extend to little towns.

Now we are back at our comfortable rental and in half an hour the lights will go out, the internet will go off and we will be relegated to reading by solar light and surfing by battery. Tomorrow, we will be up early and will head back towards Cape Town.

Next stop, Elsie-land! We are off to see you!

This was the psalm Monica wanted read today.

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

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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Jeffrey’s Bay

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we left home really early and drove to Jeffrey’s Bay. We left super early – earlier than we have ever left home before – 4.18am to be exact.  We arrived at Jeffrey’s Bay at 1.30pm after a really uneventful trip down the N2. Leaving that early meant we got to Paul Cluver Wine Estate (around Elgin) in 55 minutes – an all time record for us. We only passed about 2 dozen cars on Baden Powell Drive and were through Somerset West 40 minutes after leaving home. We stopped at Caledon for our coffee. It was still pitch black by the time we glided past Swellendam with my body veering left as we did so. It was very strange not stopping there. We drove onto Riversdale where not much was open. We got there a bit too early so stopped for a bathroom break at the garage, took a drive around the very unremarkable town centre and then pulled up outside Mugg & Bean in time for opening time.

A hearty breakfast followed. We touched sides with the family and then continued on our way. We stopped briefly in Sedgefield because a junk shop caught my eye. I found wooden letters inside and believe it or not, they had most of the letters in YOUR name Elsie! Today was the day I got these for you. This is how they originally looked.

A little bit of wood work and they will soon look like this…

One day when you read this, you’ll say ‘ I remember those!’ Now you know, they were purchased for R30 per letter from the little second hand shop in Sedgefield & arrived in time for your 5th birthday.

Onwards we went with our next stop being at Storm’s River. We filled up with fuel, working out it cost us R700 to go from Cape Town to PE. We rested on a bench drinking coffee and a snack that was of great interest to the very tame starling population. Hungry eye.

This poor young one had a deformed claw. He must have broken it at some stage.

Less than an hour later we pulled up to our digs for the next two nights. It’s interesting to see how others do things. I have to meet guests at the bottom of the stairs on the road to help with luggage and show them where to go. I have yet to see our host & to be honest, I don’t think I will. She’s in the main house, but she had given clear instructions as to how to get in and here we are. Kitchen is well equipped.

The place is nicely furnished and very shabby chic

Bedroom is very comfortable.

No view though. No steps here.  Ah, those steps are worth it.

We are 80km or so away from the church where Monica’s memorial service will be tomorrow so it will be easy to get there. As we drove we both agreed it is surreal to be going to her funeral when just days ago we were wishing her a Happy Mother’s Day and she was doing so much better than recent weeks. Life is so fragile.

Mike is having a nap now. When he wakes up we’ll go for a walk to the beach and then find a place for an early dinner. That will end by coming home by 6pm when loadshedding is due to start for 4 hours!  We bought some solar lights with us and have books to read in case the internet doesn’t work.

I just got off the phone with David. I really want to find out how he is each day seeing at he’s now fully on his meds. He said he was still feeling slightly shaky but not too bad.

Psalm 104:33
I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

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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Plans Unfold

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

We are going on a road trip and this weekend get to see you! We looked at prices last night to fly to PE for Monica’s memorial service on Friday, thinking we could fly in and out on one day – which is possible – but for 2 flights it was more than R7000. As we are planning on driving to Swellendam on Saturday anyway, we decided to leave tomorrow, drive to Jeffrey’s Bay for 2 nights and drive back to Swellendam as planned on Saturday. J-Bay is close to PE so we can drive through to PE on Friday for the service. It’s 71km away. Our plan is to leave really early tomorrow.

Today, the rain set in. I got two loads of washing out early and got some of it dry-ish before it became decidedly drizzly.

I worked 8 hours and now I’m ready to stop and get ready to pack.

David meanwhile has had his entire first dose of his anti-coagulant medication. He said he was feeling a little shaky, but otherwise fine. The other thing the Dr said yesterday was with long Covid like this the person’s blood becomes like honey instead of water. It’s just way too thick and sticky. The anticoagulants will change that.  We leave tomorrow, but Julian arrives so he will be able to keep an eye on David. And David has the doc’s direct cell phone number, so he can drop him a Whatsapp if he needs reassurance about anything.

A nice late afternoon rest on my rocking chair is called for. It’s waiting for me.

Psalm 102:18
Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may 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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Monica’s Passing & David’s Appointment

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

In the course of your life you will have sad days and bad days and sometimes those days will be turn out to be overwhelming days. Today was one of them for us. We woke up this morning with news that Monica, Mike’s sister had passed away this morning. What a shock. She had been recovering so well. Back in February when Mike was absolutely compelled to go to PE to visit her, it was because of such an eventuality as this. We are so glad we got to see her.

She took a bad turn yesterday and slipped away today.  We were so shocked when we heard. It happened so suddenly. But as I say every single day – it’s not about now – we are only passing through. And this morning, Monica went from this life to the next – arms wide open to be received by Granny and Granpa, by her husband Brian and more than anyone by Jesus Himself. That’s what it’s about.

The memorial service is on Friday at 11am. We are not sure if Mike will go on his own or if I will join him. We are due in Swellendam on Saturday so it may be worthwhile driving to PE and then driving back to Swellendam.

So after the shock, I did some work. Mike wasn’t feeling all that good – flu’ kind of feeling, so he stayed behind while I took David to see Dr. Laubscher. It was a good appointment. There were not really any surprises this morning. David’s plasma and platelets showed signs of micro blood clots. The image below is of platelets and these splotches should be pin pricks.

The treatment is 2 anticoagulants in the morning with a stomach lining protection pill plus one of the anticoagulants in the evening. It is strong medication and will thin his blood to get his endothelial lining to start functioning again. He should be on the medication for 3 months. He should see some improvement in 3 weeks. We have started the clock. He took the evening anticoagulant this evening. We are grateful for a solution but a little nervous at the same time.

Mike meantime tested himself for Covid and is negative. He’s still feeling slightly off colour but not too bad.

What a day.

Isaiah 24:4
Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock

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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Now What Have I Done?

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I mainly worked! But I began the day by reading the Bible as usual and I came across a verse that I’ve read before but not really paid attention. Today I noticed it and smiled. It’s a verse we don’t really want to quote too much because it’s the kind of phrase that is said in irritation to family members!

Yep!

“Now what have I done?” It comes out of 1 Samuel 17:29 and it’s the part that comes just before the account of David and Goliath.  David had been asking the soldiers about Goliath and what will be done for the man who kills him. Eliab hears him and gets really irritated, belittling him and criticizing him. David’s response is “Now what have I done? Can’t I even speak?” Then he goes off, is taken to Saul and he volunteers to go after Goliath. The rest, is famous history.

I’m sure those words have come out of my mouth in the course of my marriage. I’ll think twice before I say them again. One Bible verse I don’t really want to quote.

After work, Mike and I took a walk around the loop. Down Highway – up Hillside – along Daisy Lane – back down Highway. The view from the lane at sunset…

This afternoon, we got a call from Mike’s nephew Sean to say Monica, Mike’s sister is very ill. She was rushed to hospital in Port Elizabeth today and has been diagnosed with renal failure. Apparently, she was struggling to breath and it is expected she will need intubation. Such a sudden and unpleasant turn of events. Mike is naturally really worried and has been staying in touch with Sean. Life is fragile. We continue to pray.

1 John 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

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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Answers Are Coming

Posted on May 14, 2023 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie,

Today was the day of three powerful words – Answers are coming. Three words out of thousands of words spoken in church today, but three words that are a great reminder for me. Answers are coming. George Muller who was born in 1805 and died in 1898 at the age of 93 was a man of prayer. He prayed morning, noon and night. As he got up and went about his business, he was praying. As he walked the streets of Bristol, he prayed, as he went to bed in the evening, he prayed. God was his constant companion and talking to Him was his ongoing conversation. And he knew, answers are coming. If I took anything away from church today, it was that. Answers are coming.

Mother’s day today. David went to the nursery and bought a lovely gift.

He got the helper at the nursery to put it in the boot and then Mike bought it up the stairs. This won’t be forever. He’ll soon be able to do that himself.

Cappuccino and rusks.

We had a lovely lunch and messages from Stacey and now I’m going to spend the rest of the afternoon chilling. I may go for a little walk to the end of the road later but for now, to my rocking chair I retreat.

Maureen Hawkins quote – but words Jesus would say.

“Before you were conceived, I wanted you. Before you were born, I loved you. Before you were an hour, I would die for you. This is the miracle of love.”

Luke 11:10
For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

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 Cape Doctor is in Town

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I went birthday present shopping for YOU! That was fun. In collaboration with your Mom I bought the things we think you will love. They are now mostly wrapped & ready to be taken to you. We are excited to spend your 5th birthday celebrating with you.

The wind continued to blow today. It started with a black south-easter – now there is no sign of rain and the wind is a howling Cape Doctor. Watching the sea from my rocking chair I am reminded of what it looks like from the ship.  This was it at lunchtime today.

At 3.30pm, it looked like this, so the wind has certainly picked up since then…

The waves rise and don’t quite break fully. Instead their tips turn to foam and then they are sucked back under to create the next swell. In doing so, they leave a sea of white dots & lines across the surface of the water. It goes on and on until it sweeps into the shore, masses of gushing white foamy water crashing onto the rocks, with the wind sending great clouds of salty mist across the coast. The birds meanwhile have their work cut out for them. Swooping and diving and fighting the wind, mad flapping of wings, searching for their next meal. Quite often flying on the spot, eventually, they turn around and let the wind carry them effortlessly back to where they started. They look like they are being battered about relentlessly. When they are tired, they can just land on the surface of the ocean. Yes, a windy day brings out nature’s busy-ness – everything moves more – the sea, the birds, the trees, the clouds. Windows rattle and the wind whistles through our double-glazed doors.

There was a lot of chatter last night on the street whatsapp group about the Cape Doctor and how strong it is. There are a few newcomers who have moved to Cape Town from Johannesburg and this is an early encounter with an autumn gale. May usually brings with it calm days and cooler weather, having left the summer south-easter behind. One of the long-time residents reminded the group of this event…it wasn’t a SE wind but rather an early winter storm from the north.

I remember that particular storm. I had only been in Cape Town about 18 months and was visiting a friend in Kenilworth. The winds were so strong and the storm raged right through the night. I really didn’t feel safe driving home so I stayed the night and left early in the morning to return to Somerset Hospital nurses’ home. I remember there being a lot of debris on roads out of Kenilworth (Rosmead Ave particularly). I also remember thinking I may get into trouble having stayed out for the night (I was only 19) and thought maybe they would wonder where I was. Unbeknown to me, the night matron didn’t really have a record of who was in and who wasn’t & I was relieved to find I wasn’t missed.  Funny what you remember. The biggest Cape storm in 50 years – I was safer to stay off the roads at 10pm at night.

We are expecting this blow to come down a bit by tomorrow night – then hopefully we’ll return to autumn’s gentleness for a few days. I have just taken a look at Windguru and it forecasts winds of up to 90km/hour in a northerly storm expected on 26th May. We’ll see if that comes to pass.

I have to admit, I love winter!

Psalm 96.12
Let the fields be jubilant and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

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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