Sunday
Today was the day…
I trimmed some more of the ivy. At home we have a front wall made up of
pillars with iron verticals in between. The pillars are covered with ivy and with all the rain, it’s ivy out of control. Yesterday I decided to start trimming it. I did a couple of the pillars and realised I am out of shape and called it a day. Today I did a bit more. The most overgrown one is still to come.
The front garden is now in dire need of being mowed. Mike is so busy, but he may be able to release Courage for a couple of hours to go over it with the weed-eater. I may even brave that job, but truth be told I’m not good at it and having not been keeping up my strength, it’s going to be harder work than usual. Courage is willing and able, if Mike can give him an afternoon away from the building site so he can get it done.
Talking of not being good at something, I heard a webinar the other day on a whole lot of topics including time management and doing tasks that are not enjoyed. The guy suggested taking an A4 piece of paper and dividing it in 4. In the top left block write “What I’m good at and what I enjoy”; In the top right block write, “What I’m good at but what I don’t enjoy.” Bottom left, “What I’m not good at but I do enjoy” and bottom write, “What I’m not good at and I don’t enjoy.” List all the work that takes up your time and allocate them to the appropriate blog. Delegate the ones you don’t enjoy!
I thought that was good advice for overworked people.
This afternoon we were on our way to Echo when we passed David coming to us, so we turned around and went home to meet him. He was bringing Mike’s bike back. Mike has a plan to lend the bicycle to Courage. David had lunch and coffee and then helped Mike service the bike while I was cutting the ivy. Then all of us went back to Echo. We put some of the back splash tiles against the kitchen wall and I think they will work out…the grey in them matches the bottom cupboards perfectly.
It was quite fun trying to get into the upper floors of the house. We only have a key for Mike’s study and not for the front door. To get to the study door we have to scramble under the house! It’s a space I’ve never photographed, but just the sound of it is pretty much as it is. It’s ducking and scrambling over rocks. You come out the other side and have to duck under and over scaffolding to get to the door for which we have the key. The scaffolding goes up the side of the building and partially obstructs the door, so David and I chose to scale up the scaffolding and get in through Julian’s study entrance which has the door way with no door. If Werner could have seen me climbing his scaffold, he would have had a few choice words to say, especially as the sun was going down! Mike decided to wangle his way over the lower scaffolding and unlock his door. He was then on the lower level so he climbed the internal ladder to get to where David and I had entered. This is the kind of thing Mike and I would do on a Sunday afternoon….go and mooch around half built houses…only this time it’s ours. Pinch me.
David stood admiring the sun setting from what will be Julian’s Juliette balcony. It’s like being on a ship up there.
We went down to our level – this is looking up at Julian’s balcony from ours…
That was fun.
So it’s Sunday and I can say “next week I can chew!” It’s ten days time. The great count down begins. I think 2 weeks today, I’m going to get in my car, drive to Noordhoek Farm Village, walk into the Deli and buy croissants. I’m able to chew very soft food now, but I am super careful about it, mainly because I read this online…
I don’t want to do any damage. I’d rather have soup for another ten days! My stick blender is fantastic for making slightly lumpy food mushy. Mushy is fine. So it’s ten days to chewing more normally, but another 7 weeks to 🍕. I’m missing red meat. Ooh, maybe I can make Shepherd’s Pie. That’s a good idea. I’m not sure if I can eat biltong at 3 months. That will be the ultimate jaw test.
Corona stats – July 2020 – We overtook Peru yesterday so are now 5th in the world. I hope we don’t get higher than that ever. Next is Russia who has double our current rate.
- Thursday 9th July – 13674 new cases – this was the highest daily number, so I’ll leave it up. I’m waiting for us to have a massive spike.
- Sunday 12th July – 12058 new cases – 108 deaths (134 874 recoveries/ 137 289 active)
- Monday 13th July – 11 554 new cases – 93 deaths (138 241 recoveries/ 145 383 active)
- Tuesday 14th July – 10496 new cases – 174 deaths (146279 recoveries/147667 active)
- Wednesday 15th July – 12 757 new cases – 107 deaths (160693 recoveries/ 145903 active) Recoveries have overtaken active cases.
- Thursday 16th July – 13 172 new cases – 216 deaths (165 591 recoveries/ 153 961 active)
- Friday 17th July – 13 373 new cases – 135 deaths (178 183 recoveries/154 607 active
- Saturday 18th July – 13 285 new cases – 144 deaths (182 230 recoveries/ 163 701 active
Total cases: 350 879 Total deaths: 4948
1 Peter 2:20
If when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
Endurance!
The best is yet to come.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Braces:
1 year and 249 days.