Don’t Argue With a Woman Who…

Posted on November 27, 2024 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I woke up to a still perfect sea.

We just had to go to the beach.

And it was around the trip to the beach that a couple of sayings of the day arose. Both made me laugh.

The first needs a bit of explanation. One of the things I’ve never written about is our morning beach routine. I always pack a change of clothes and go down to the beach with my backpack. The backpack contains my change of clothes,  a packet for my wet swimming costume & two towels – one hand towel & one beach towel. I also take 2litres of hot water, which gets wrapped in the beach towel. To pack the bag, the wrapped bottle of water needs to go in first. This morning, I put the other stuff in first and then tried putting in the bottle, and true to form, the bottle started sliding down and the towel didn’t get in. This is the reason the bottle needs to go first, so I started chiding myself, “Helga, this is the whole purpose of putting the bottle in first! I don’t know why you didn’t!” Mike was standing waiting for me and in response to my conversation with myself, he said, “Don’t argue with a woman who is arguing with herself!”  That made me laugh!

Off to the beach we went. Mike went off on his run and I headed for the surf. Sally, (Paul’s wife – the same Paul who brings the shower heads), was on her way out of the water. As I passed her, we greeted each other and with a twinkle in her eye, she said, “It’s delicious” talking about the water.  How could that be interpreted, I wondered? I soon found out. Literally first steps into the water told me ‘delicious’ was a post-swim term for ‘freezing cold but now I’m out”! It was bone chilling, ankle cracking, wrist wrenching…at first. But 3 minutes later,  once I had got in and further out, it improved. I went to the barrel and back, eager to watch Mike’s first response. I was not disappointed. It was really cold in the shallows. I did my 30 minutes, by which stage light rain had fallen and most of the locals had left. Joe was there though and he announced with honest conviction, “the water temperature is 11C!” I would not have been able to manage half an hour if it was 11C but I did notice the shallows were considerably colder than further out & that was where I spent most of my time.

It really was “delicious!” Walking home, our feet were numb. A hot shower warmed me up but I have been in long sleeves all day.

Julian arrived.

David live streamed an exciting chess game. The 18 year old Gukesh won. All of India celebrates. Tomorrow is a rest day.

We have everything we need for life…

2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

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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With Rain Come Rainbows

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day it rained, but I managed to get out early and have a 5km walk. I stayed quite close to home because I kept feeling drops & wanted the option of getting home fast. In the end I walked down  Highway, up Hillside and then up Zoutendyk steps…..I forgot how many there are of them – 165! That was part of the walk – I also walked to the end of our street and back a couple of times to make up the distance. One thing I can say is there was no one in the sea. The wind was cold – twas not a swimming day.

I got home and put the finishing touches to the Seaview Apartment as guests were coming in.

David live-streamed.

I worked.

The guests arrived.

Mike took the broken pump to a specialist place and bought a new controller so that problem should be solved. The pump that broke is one that pumps water from the tanks to the toilets.

With rain come rainbows and this afternoon amidst the clouds, there was a majestic one. They will never look as good in a photo….this was from my bedroom window.

David took this one, adding some saturation to show just how bright it was & to bring out the second rainbow. It’s one of the best we’ve seen. David’s camera is better than mine, that’s for sure1

I had quite a long work day today, so I’m happy to turn off my laptop and call it a day.

1 Peter 4:8
Love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.

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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A Lot of Prayer Today

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I prayed a lot for my friend Deborah vZ who had a (benign) brain tumour removed. The surgery was long and slow. She went into theatre just after 8am. By 4pm, the surgeon sent news that 85% of the tumour had been removed, but he was going very slowly due to the tumour’s position. We’ve just heard the op is done and Debs is in ICU. Everything went well. Such a long surgery. She’s been very much on my mind and in my prayers. So good to see this update on our Whatsapp group…

We are so grateful.

The sun rose over a very flat False Bay. I haven’t posted a sunrise photo for a while.

We went to the beach – the water was as mild as it was yesterday. There were lots of people enjoying it. Now that we are confident there are no great white sharks, there are a lot more swimmers swimming back and forth to the barrel.

The lovely flat sea, scattered clouds and blue skies with sunshine. At the same time, what you can’t see is a fresh north wind. Rain was forecast and just after lunch, suddenly, the sun was gone, along with the warmth – it felt like someone had turned the aircon to very very cold.

While I worked, for most of the time,  I also had David’s live stream going. He did very well, given that he started around 10am and finished at about 3pm. Tomorrow, he will do it all again. It was a tense game at times. The Chess world championships are being played between a young 18 year old Indian, Gukesh Dommaraju and China’s Ding Liren (who is the reigning world champion). All of India wants Gukesh to win – all of China wants Ding! Today, Ding took the game (winning $200k). There is much more to come (14 games max). I think with Gukesh being the underdog we are hoping he will win. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. 11am SA time, 5pm in Singapore.

I had a solid day’s work.

1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

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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Mystery of the Flat Tyre

Posted on November 24, 2024 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was a beautiful Sunday.

A good rest day after yesterday’s hike. I woke with aches here and there, but we still walked down to the beach. The plan was we would both go and loll in the water, letting the cold soothe our muscles. As we walked down, I bet myself that Mike would end up going for a run before the swim. Regardless of aching feet, he is so in the habit of having a pre-swim jog, even though he said he wasn’t going to, I was pretty convinced he would. I asked myself what are the chances? I guessed 90% but then, playing in my mind as we walked, I decided I had to guess yes or no?  Without hesitation, I bet YES. So with my interest peaked, we arrived at the beach and I started taking my shoes off for my swim. I turned to Mike? “I’m just going to have a short run,” he said, and off he went. I had a little laugh. He did make it shorter. The water was wonderful. Then we came home and did very little.

Last Wednesday I mentioned that late in the day,  I had gone to pick up a couple of groceries and when I came out of the shop, the rear driver-side tyre was quite flat. I went to the petrol station and had it pumped up and then drove home. What was interesting is the tyre was fine. Mike went and had it checked and there was no leak. When I thought back to that evening, I had parked on 1st Ave outside the back of the PnP centre. I noticed there were a a few guys hanging about outside Buco, but that’s not uncommon. I slung my handbag over my head as a precaution and zipped inside. I was super quick because I think I only needed milk and yoghurt. As soon as I came out, I noticed the tyre. I didn’t look for anyone suspicious at that time as I was thinking about what to do. What I did do, is walk around the car and check the rest of the tyres which were fine. Then I got in the car and drove to the garage, but in hindsight, we wondered if one of the skollies had taken a matchstick and let the air out. I guess it could be a ploy late in the day to delay a woman on her own – maybe try make some money on changing the tyre – or have some other malicious intent. I was so quick, possibly the job didn’t get finished. The mystery of the flat tyre will remain, but it’s been fine ever since.

That’s the weekend over.  Tomorrow, it’s a month til Christmas.

1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.

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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God’s Grace on the Contour Path

Posted on November 23, 2024 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we did a very long trail walk. We started off  at 6.30am with the plan to walk along the Contour Path from Constantia Nek to Table Mountain Rd & that was what we did.

We were in shade for most of the way. This is not far along.

We know the path from Constantia Nek to Kirstenbosch as we’ve done it a few times. From Kirstenbosch to the King’s Blockhouse (Rhodes Memorial) was less known to us. We knew it would take us through Newlands Forest but were not very familiar with the route. We had been up there once and found a massive table, so we were expecting to pass that. But first we had to get to Kirstenbosch. It was there that we became very evident of God’s grace on the contour path. When I planned this hike 3 or 4 weeks ago, I had no idea that it would be the day of the Ultra Marathon which would leave from Constantia Nek and be mainly along our path. Last night I read they would go to the Blockhouse and beyond and then come down to the city. My thought was they may pass us, but I didn’t think how well this would work out for us. Their route was clearly marked with flags. We just needed to follow the flags & so that was what we did. They were a Godsend.

What it also meant is there were marshalls & security along the way. We had chosen the exact right day to do this hike – we wouldn’t get lost or mugged!  We were on the right track – Smuts Track..

We got to the turn-off…

And it was here that the going got tough. To go from Kirstenbosch to Newlands Forest you have to climb. We are not afraid of steps but the unexpectedness and number of these were enough to challenge even us!

They went on and on and on…

Eventually, I stopped taking photos of them. We did meet very interesting people and had a number of chats along the way. We soon got over the worst of them and got a gap where we could see the view of Kirstenbosch below.

All this time, we hadn’t had breakfast. We were hoping to arrive at the bench. We had been walking for more than 2 hours. Up the endless steps, over a lot of rocks (so grateful for the flags) and past the ‘rocky scree’ which was on the map and looked like this…remnants of a serious rockfall.

Finally, the bench was in sight. Just before it was this map….the red arrows I’ve put in to show how far we’d come.

With the map was this sign….

If we were 2 hours from Rhodes Memorial, we were 3 hours from our destination. But first breakfast! We got to the bench and ate! I took this photo at 9.41am, 3 hours after starting.

With tummies full, we set off – initially, very slowly and sluggishly. Our blood supply now had divide loyalties – it had food to digest and so our leg muscles took second place. For about an hour, we felt particularly slow! But it was onwards and upwards.

The path was well marked, shady and easy walking….and it wasn’t long when we reached the stile…go right here for Rhodes Memorial. Go through the stile for the Blockhouse.

Through the stile, up the road, following the flags which took the short cut to King’s Blockhouse.  It was 10.55am when I took this photo. Funny story, with my sunglasses on, I thought the big bush was the blockhouse. I only got the corner of it.

At this point, we were feeling really good. We were amazed we had got so far. The runners were now coming through and along the Contour path between the Blockhouse and Tafelberg Road, we did a lot of clapping and encouraging.

As we progressed, we went under Woodstock Cave….

And got to the trees…

And the view was spectacular…

We made our way down to the road, while the runners continued on the mountain. And soon we were here!

I set up my cell phone and put the timer on…

David was there to collect us and take us back to the beginning. The only issue was, there are roadworks on Table Mountain Road, so we walked down to him.

It took us 5 hours and 52 minutes and ended up being 25.08km!

When we were in the car, I glanced down at my watch and laughed. “Check your steps” I said to Mike. He looked at his watch and he found it hilarious. Never before have we seen so many – 31000 steps!

So, if someone is every Googling, ‘how far is it from Constantia Nek to Table Mountain Rd’,  or “how far is it along the contour path from Constantia Nek to the Cableway”, it’s 25km. It was more than double the distance of when we climbed Table Mountain but it wasn’t as hard.

Those flags had me thinking….we go through life, trying to find our way. God never leaves us without flags to direct our path. They may not be there all the time, but they are there. Today’s flags were such a help. We knew exactly where to go.  God’s grace on the contour path that’s for sure.

1 Peter 1:25
But the word of the Lord remains 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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David Live Streaming Chess

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I spent a number of hours this afternoon with David’s live stream on my screen.

 

Magnus Carlson was playing Fabiano Caruana. It’s down to the end game. Anyone interested in Chess, can visit David’s channel Blitz Breakdown Chess. The world championship is coming up next week so David is gearing up to live streaming that event. This was a good way to get ready for it. Such a fascinating duel, but now it looks like it will be a draw.

The first thing we noticed this morning is the wind had dropped, so we decided to go to the beach. The water was warm, but there was quite a bit of cloud about and the wind was chilly.

This morning I also had tea with Riana which was a treat. Worked the afternoon and then have had the chess open.

Meanwhile, Mike has gone off to buy a few things for our trail walk tomorrow.

This is good for me to have because our plan it to continue along the around the front of the mountain to Tafelberg Road. Just sounds so straight forward but it’s a walk of anywhere between 14 & 17km. It’s going to be quite a day.

I found this on Cape Town Hotel Guide’s website

Hopefully, this time tomorrow, I’ll be able to write all about it.

I love this verse.

Psalm 119:32
I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

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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Living Life Authentically

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I didn’t go out the front door at all. I only went onto the balcony a few times. I did no exercise. It was a rest day. I’m gearing myself up for the 16km trail walk on Saturday. I won’t complete my rings today.

I had a good day’s work. I also saw on the traffic whatsapp group there had been a massive accident on St James Main Rd. We can see the road from our balcony, albeit through the telescope. I could see the congestion, that a bus was involved & the lights of the emergency personnel, but it was only later when someone posted this photo, that I saw the severity of it.

How that happened, can only be guessed.

I try to live life authentically. While I’m often told what I write here makes my life look idyllic, there are always ups and downs and I have written about those…2017 being plagued by break-ins and worse still, David’s Long Covid which has turned into a chronic illness not unlike Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The other day when friends came to visit, they went upstairs and took a look at our the main bathroom, which has the amazing spa bath in front of a viewing window. This was me in it in 2022. Okay this does look pretty good, but there is more sky than sea.

One of my friends was really impressed, but I was quick to tell her that in actual fact the bath hardly gets used and when you are in it, you are too low to enjoy the beautiful view, but it does look impressive when you walk in the door.

Here’s another picture that is deceptive. We have just been out on the balcony where we had sundowners. If I lean forward and take a photo through the wires, this is what you will see through the lens of my camera…

But in reality, while sitting on the balcony chair, this is what I’m seeing. I took this photo at eye level….

It’s easy to mislead people on social media. I appreciate the view either way. The other day when I visited Sue who is on the sea-side of the road, she told me that she had specifically chosen the see-through panels of glass so she wouldn’t have this kind of visual obstruction. I can see her balcony from mine and the glass becomes very murky and needs constant cleaning. You have to pick your hard. But my point is it’s easy for social media to portray a deceptive view of anyone’s life.  I try to live life authentically. Everyone has difficulties. Life may look one thing and be something completely different.

Just Mike & I for dinner tonight.

I read all of Psalm 119 today. Longest psalm in the Bible.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.

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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Figuring Out Fish Hoek

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

One of the best things about the summer months is that the sun rises so early. By 7am, when we are not having a beach day, I put on my walking shoes and off I go. Some of roads on the mountainside are in bits and pieces and the most famous one is Ranger Rd.

Ranger Rd begins at Highway.

Where this sign is…

It arrives at Berg, so it’s necessary to turn right into Berg and then immediately left into the next very short section of Ranger. Just 10 houses long, this is a cul-de -sac…

It ends at a little path through to the next section – maybe the rocks had something to do with why they didn’t build this part of Ranger road.

Then there’s a long section that joins up with Pass Rd.

From there, the next part of Ranger Rd is up the hill…

I didn’t walk that way today, choosing instead to walk down to Kommetjie Rd. to take a pic of this sign. If you are ever visiting someone in Ranger Rd you need to know which part.

Poor delivery vehicles need super-navigation powers. Ranger Rd ultimately continues all the way to above the Sun Valley traffic lights, where it ends at the bottom of Harrington.

I walked back along Berg Rd. to Highway and back the way I came.

My 6km walk took just over an hour and mitigates against me sitting at my desk for the next 7 hours.

There’s been a black south-easter today – a strong wind accompanied by a spattering of rain and this afternoon, for a short while, some thunder. The rain was just enough to mess up the windows, leaving them streaked and dusty.

Mike has had a run of maintenance issues. First there was a plumbing rattle. Then suddenly today, the electricity went off. He thought one of the invertors had died, but turns out there was a minor issue in the Seaview Apartment which caused a trip. Late Monday afternoon, we had a massive load on our internet and it slowed everything down. We couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, so today (apart from the electricity), Mike has spent the day splitting the internet zones so each one can have its dedicated connection. This means that heavy use by a guest won’t impact me. And finally, I nipped out to buy milk late this afternoon and had to come home via a petrol station as one of Mike’s tyres was really flat. 0.7 bars. I had it pumped up to 2.3 and it got me home and looked okay an hour later. It’s probably a slow leak and will need to be sorted. It never rains, it pours! There’s always something but it’s not so lekker when they come in batches!

Psalm 118:29
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures 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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Life Without Lunch is Working

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I got evidence life without lunch is working. I went to the doctor to get my cholesterol medication prescription renewed. I am on 10mg Aspavor but because I don’t like chemicals, I diligently cut the pill in half and only take 5mg. The Doc took my cholesterol to see how I was doing. He was really happy. Before I started on the Aspavor 2 years ago, my total cholesterol was 8 and my LDL was 6, which freaked him out. LDL is the bad cholesterol.

Considering this was non-fasting (I’d had half a cappuccino at around 2pm), these are good numbers.

Then he weighed me and measured my waist. I was shocked when he told me I was 4kg less than I was a year ago and I’d lost 3cm around my waist. Life without lunch is working. Not that it really gets any easier. I have to remember to drink more during the day and I find it very difficult to get through the afternoon without the half cappuccino at around 2pm. Then there is also the temptation to over eat morning and evening! I do feel better in general.

More good news came in today –  Stacey’s application for British citizenship has been approved. As it pertains to the female line, there’s no guarantee that David will get the same benefit, not that anyone is planning on going anywhere, least of all the UK! It’s just helpful to have.  Maybe one day, the UK government will lift more restrictions and David will be eligible.  We were so happy Stacey’s was approved.

I had a good work day too.

So, all in all, a good day.

James 3:17
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

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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Beach Morning & Evening

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I was at the beach twice. In the morning, we went down to swim. As usual, we crossed the bridge at Sunny Cove station, where a train was passing through…

It was a perfect swimming day. Sea was so flat.

The Trek Fishermen were tethered to the barrel again, so I swam out and asked what type of fish they caught the other day. All were yellow tail. I told them the water was very warm (later I heard it was about 18C) and they were very interested in that. I swam back to the beach and up down, back to the barrel and back to the beach. Turns out I swam 1.6km and was in the water for 40 minutes. It was wonderful.

Afterwards, we walked to the shops and on our way back, the Trek Fishermen were bringing in a haul.

Some nice fish there.

Home for breakfast and work.

Then, at 2pm, engineer Paul and plans lady Leanne arrived for a meeting on the next steps for Julian’s build in the plot behind us.

After work, we took off to the beach again, but not to swim…just to enjoy the evening…

Another lovely evening.

A couple of fire engines have just rushed past on their way to Simon’s Town. A fire has broken out on the mountainside just after Harbour Bay. I think the Simon’s Town Boat company took this photo and called it in…

Hopefully, they will get it under control quickly.

Let me wrap this up but not before I say, Happy Birthday Barbara! I hope you have had a wonderful day.

James 2:8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right.

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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Early (Perfect) Summer Day

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day summer & Fish Hoek showed their best side with hardly any wind and beautiful, clear water….not very warm, but not bad. There’s always a debate about when summer starts in Cape Town. September and October are considered spring – some may throw in November to make it a quarter of the year, but today it sure felt like summer.   I sensed it’s not going to be long before my 30 minute dips stretch to 45 minutes. The swim was that good.

When we got down to the beach this morning, we noticed a couple on the sand, close to the cat walk with a small whippet or maybe it was an Italian Greyhound. It was not a big dog  and looked like a greyhound/whippet kind of breed. Two things: it was altogether gorgeous and it was not supposed to be there. The dog side of the beach is the Clovelly side. From the cat walk to the little yellow and white lighthouse is dog-free. From there to Clovelly, dogs have the run of the beach and it’s about 3/4 of the whole beach, so dogs are far from compromised. The owners of the dog left him sitting on the beach and went to have a dip. He was so cute, staring out to the water keeping an eye on them – running up and down, then sitting and staring, the odd woof – running up and down again.

Fish Hoek people can be a bit picky about dogs on their side of the beach and as I entered the water, I noticed the owners looking a little concerned as their pup attracted ongoing attention. People approached, looked at his collar, looked around him and wondered what he was doing there.  “Don’t get involved” I said to myself, but as more people looked at the dog, I decided to swim to the owners who were still not sure if they should continue their swim, and let them know the Fish Hoek rules. There are no big noticeable signs that end of the beach saying “No Dogs”, so it’s understandable that visitors may think they are allowed. I engaged the owners and told them where the dog zone was. They were very appreciative. I went on with my swim, but later saw them walking towards the dog side. They let their dog off his leash and off he went to find an abundance of new friends! There’s always something happening on the beach.

A good relaxing day, spent mainly at home.

I started the book of James today. He doesn’t hesitate. He has something on his heart…. an important message to tell. Twenty words in and he jumps straight to it…

James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the test of your faith develops perseverance.

God never wastes pain.

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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A Huge Catch of Huge Fish

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day the wind finally dropped and we were able to go to the beach. One significant thing that happened yesterday and today were the fish were biting. Yesterday evening Julian walked down to the beach and it was all happening. The trek fishermen had pulled in an enormous catch. Julian took this photo – a huge catch of huge fish

Possibly a thousand fish. Fish Hoek living up to its name.

Early this morning, we saw them out again. When we walked down to go for a swim, there were 5 bakkies on the beach to load up the first catch. A boat of trek fishermen, meanwhile, were tethered to the barrel.

They were still there when I got in the water, so I swam out to them to ask them how many they caught yesterday. They said it was more than normal but they hadn’t heard the exact weight. I asked if it could have been 1000 fish & they said that was possible. That is a lot of fish. I asked what they were waiting for and they said the fish were now swimming past Fish Hoek and not entering the bay. They were waiting for a shoal to come in. By the time we left, they were still there, but began rowing to shore because the shark net was going to be put out and they were in the way.  There were a number of other fishing boats around, but I don’t think the abundance of yesterday carried over to today.

Today, guests arrived for three nights and this evening Sandy is coming for dinner, so I am getting this wrapped up. Such a beautiful evening which even less wind expected tomorrow. Windless summer days are a treat.

An easy Bible verse choice from my reading today…

Hebrews 13:14
For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

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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And Then This Happened

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we got a new dining room table. Ha! Yesterday, I wrote it was too big and too round & then this happened…

For months and months, Mike has visited Nused in Fish Hoek and admired this table. He has walked around it and looked beneath it and appreciated the wood selection and craftsmanship. Overnight, he decided to go and buy it and if it doesn’t work sell it back, so that’s what he did. The moment it was delivered and put in place, we knew it was here to stay! Mike is thrilled.  It doesn’t take up as much space as we thought it would.

It’s definitely a table of substance – yellow wood and imbuia. We are very happy to have it.

My walk today took me up Highway, down Zoutendyk steps to Hillside,  down Mossop steps to Simon’s Town Rd, to the Glencairn lookout and then back. I went up Echo Steps and arrived at our front gate at exactly 5km. It was quite a blow walking on Simon’s Town Rd. The wind didn’t hold back and I strained into it on the way and blew joyfully back on the return. It is due to drop tomorrow and Sunday, so hopefully we’ll get a swim in soon.

Work is done for the week & the weekend lies ahead.

Hebrews 12:14
Make very effort to live in peace with all men..

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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We Changed The Lounge Around

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

You know it’s a slow day when the ‘big’ news is we changed the lounge around!

My walk this morning was to Fish Hoek to buy a few essentials. We walked past Nused to see if the beautiful round yellow-wood dining room table was still there.  Too big and too round for our apartment but Mike absolutely loves it and is always hoping he may be able to use it. It was still there. It opened up the whole conversation again about our dining room table needs. The plan was for Mike to make it. Remember these marvellous pieces of wood? It’s black wood.

Mike hasn’t been able to make it because he had a rotator cuff injury, so we are left making do with wonderful (late) Aunty Wyn’s patio table, which Courage did a great job varnishing. It does warm my heart to use it, just not as a dining room table!

So there’s been debate about which table to use for Christmas. There is the option to bring up the (very big and heavy) pearwood table which David has in the cottage. Mike, now that his shoulder is improving,  could put together the wood for the table top and use it for a trestle top. That’s probably what will happen.

Today I read Hebrews 12. The first verse always takes me back to when we bought the cottage, which is 10 years ago next month.  I was so shocked the seller accepted our offer.  When the estate agent came round for my signature I asked what happened. He recounted the story saying as he had arrived, she (the seller)  said, “Polly,” (the estate agent was an ex-policeman so they called him Polly!), “we need to pray.” He told her she didn’t know what he was coming about. She said, “It must be business”. I’m not sure of the order of things, but after the prayer, there was discussion about our offer. The owner asked if we wanted to flip the house or live in it and he told her we wanted to live in it. At some stage, she took our her Bible and turned to Hebrews 12:1

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..”

And with that, our offer was accepted.

I was stunned. There were many things going on in the background. And that’s so with life. We pray, by faith, we hope and wait but we seldom know how God is at work behind the scenes of our lives. Sometimes, we get a glimpse and we are in awe. That was one of those occasions.

It’s now about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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From the Roof

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Yesterday, I finished the blog with a mention of plumbing issues. Grandpa and Courage went off and got the parts needed for the repair and came straight home & up the ladder. I decided to go up and look as well and as a result got some lovely photos from the roof. Trying to find the problem… 

Solar panels & gabion baskets…

The photo above will look entirely different in a year’s time I think. It’s a good one to keep.

And the view towards Fish Hoek. The higher you go, the better the view.

At least the issue is now fixed, but it took more time than we hoped.

Today, I glanced at my Easter Lilies and they are opening! What a transformation.

I’m told the red stamen must be avoided – apparently they stain something terrible. They are the part that gives off a beautiful fragrant aroma, so what I’ve done is cut off the ones that are about to fall and left them in a plastic container. Hopefully the scent will hang around a while.

I did a good day’s work and tomorrow there will be more. No swimming until the wind has died down, but I have been getting some enjoyable walks in.  Julian arrived today, so maybe we will go walking too.

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

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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