Tuesday 20th May 2025
Dearest Elsie
Tomorrow is your birthday and I am so excited for you. You are turning 7! I’m sorry I won’t be there to celebrate with you but will see you in a couple of weeks and have our own delayed celebration then!
Today was the day we got home from our 34 nights holiday. While we dreaded the flight home, the low expectation paid off and it was probably the best flight home we’ve ever had. The plane was half empty. We had booked an aisle and window seat in the hope that no one would get put in the middle seat. That has worked for us in the past. The flight ran late.
It meant hanging (sleepily) around the airport a bit longer. We ended up finding seats and joined the boarding queue late in the process, getting on towards the end. There were not too many people behind us so when we got to our seats and found the back part of the plane very empty, we were very hopeful! Mike slipped across the aisle and bagged himself a row of empty seats in the middle. The doors closed and all the pre-flight instructions commenced. That was when the guy who occupied the row in front of mine moved forward a row and so Mike took the 3 seats in front of mine. Each of us enjoyed a 3-seat bed and for Mike it was the first overnight flight that he’s had a decent amount of sleep! There was an abundance of empty seats.
Mike sleeping.
As a result, the flight went by faster than usual. I was awake at 6.10am and funnily enough on the plane map it came up to say the current time was 6.10am and we had 6.10 (hours & minutes) to go before arrival.
The flight was altogether uneventful and soon we had landed. They were told to let us out the other side of the airport and bus us to the terminal building. Oh joy! It was pouring with rain! We got a good photo of the plane from the bus.
We caught a Bolt home and arrived home just about 3.30pm. What a treat. The thing that struck me as I walked into my bedroom was the spectacular view we have. It may not be the Bosphorus with all it’s history but I’ll take Cape Town & False Bay over Istanbul any day, even with a drizzly homecoming.
Courage was here to meet us. Mike is very happy with the work he has done in our absence. He’s rebuilding the stairs and has done a fabulous job. Raiku was also home and came to greet me a little quizzically – as if to ask, ‘were have you been?’ He happily let me pick him and give him a hearty cuddle. He is looking very well and certainly seems a little heavier….
…which I am too – 2kg heavier than when I left.
David arrived home and we had a quick catch-up with him. He will come up for dinner a little later.
My heart is full of gratitude that we took 3 lots of antibiotics with us and needed none. We weren’t sick, weren’t mugged, lost nothing & everything went to plan. Very grateful that we have been away 34 nights and travelled in the region of 25000km without mishap.
Psalm 100:4-5
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.
It’s not about now – we are only passing through.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Gran xx 🙂