A Most Unexpected Half Hour

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Helga

Wednesday

Today was the day…

I woke around 7:20am after a very restless night. It was after 11pm that I started to drift off to sleep and was just dozing off when I heard a bang.  What was that? Mike stirred and said he didn’t know but it was loud enough and close enough for him to get up to go to investigate. At first I thought it was a bread board falling off its rack (that has happened before), but Mike checked there first and said it wasn’t. It sounded like a plank or piece of wood falling.

When I had closed our bedroom balcony door for the night, I first peered out into the night and noticed the neighbour’s house was all in darkness. There are new guests in the house next door and that was the one I had glanced at. After the bang, I opened the balcony door again and looked outside to see if I could see or hear anything. The neighbour’s lights were on, so perhaps the noise came from their house.  This morning Courage checked around the property and all was well.

We have just had a most unexpected half hour! I had showered, changed into my pajamas and just sat down to write the blog, when suddenly “ping” – an Airbnb booking. “Yay!” I said, “We have a booking”. I went to see when it was for.  “Oh no!” “What?” said Mike! “He arrives in 9 minutes!”. I quickly changed and then phoned the guest  – he was 10 houses away driving slowly up our street.  This was immediately very messy.  I told him there was good news! We have accommodation for you. The bad news is it’s not quite ready! But more good news – you get an upgrade! LoL. Mike and I sprang into action, grabbed what was required and rushed to the Sea-View apartment. The guest  had actually booked our Little Lookout which is the only one that can be booked for last minute, but David is still sleeping there and wasn’t home. The guest arrived and was very congenial. Jess and Gerrie who were last there (and left on Monday)  had left the unit very clean. We put the linen on the bed – I checked the bathroom, put in towels, clean bin liners, checked the loo, put in refreshments and have left him to have his online meeting with a Ghanaian.

Yay! A booking, but what a rush.

This morning we went to the beach and while Mike ran, I swam. A lovely refreshing bout of exercise. Now it’s time for Vanity Fair.

2 Chronicles 7:14

If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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Other Side of Autumn

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Helga

Tuesday

Today was the day…

That dawned with thick mist. So thick was it, we forwent the beach and I got stuck into work.

The sun rose and started burning it away…

Once the sun had risen the day turned into a beautiful summery day – a good washing day. Then suddenly as the sun set, the mist returned.

And we find ourselves in a cloud…

We are cruising through the other side of autumn. Winter is around the corner. I have my (favourite) jersey on – the one knitted by Stacey (and Elsie!). It’s snug.

Today, as I worked, I had a whiff of the ship smell. I love cruising. A ship carries you away to a different life. It’s a care free way of life where responsibilities are few and pressure is non existent.  I’m looking forward to the next one.

In the meantime, all the grown-up activities that make up our life continue. One issue is the lack of bookings for our three Airbnb units. We have no bookings! I’ve reduced the price, so let’s see if that lures a taker or two.  We’ll see what happens in the week ahead.

I did more than 8 hours work which was a useful day.

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Sound advice.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

 

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Last Day of the Shark Net for Now

Posted on May 2, 2022 by Helga

Monday

Today was the day…

We swam and it was the last day the shark net will be put out until next season. I was out by the barrel wrapped in deliciously cold water when the shark boat came up and said ‘today’s the last day’. For the rest of winter, there will be no shark net.

Shark spotters with their boat.

You can see what a majestic day it was. These are the locals on the beach. We have got to know a few of them – they are good fun.

We got home just after 10am and then it was a quick shower before my 10:30 team meeting. That done, I worked a few more hours, but there was no stress. Being a public holiday, it’s been quiet.

The day has been particularly windless. The sea is like glass and the mountains across the bay have been so clear.  There may be a little wind and cloud tomorrow, so it’s great to lap up the beauty of today.

Today Jess and Gerrie left to go home and tomorrow Julian flies back as well. That will leave David with us for another ten days or so. It’s great to have him home for a while.

1 John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of Him.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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Feet on the Beach

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Helga

Sunday

Today was the day…

We overslept! I woke up at 7:45am -Stacey had messaged half an hour before asking if we had gone to the beach. She messaged again and the ping woke me up. I was so shocked at how late it was. I dressed and everyone came up for coffee. Then we went to the beach. It was such a glorious day. 1st day of May 2022 – there was very little wind and beautiful blue skies.

There were loads of sea gulls waiting for shoals of small fish – sea gulls and one imposter…

I think the imposter is an egret.

Someone ran past and they all took off…

Elsie loved watching them.

When Adrian and Stacey returned from a little walk, we went up to the playground where the first stop was the see-saw. Elsie loved that.

Some swinging, then the jungle gym.  She’ll remember this playground when she comes again.  We said goodbye and after a little while sitting on the bench, Mike and I wandered home.

It’s been a quiet day since.  I did some work but I think the week ahead will be really quiet as it’s a bank holiday in the UK and Eid in the Middle East.

2 Timothy 3: 16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

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Family Day.

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Helga

Saturday

Today was the day…

We had the whole family here! It was great. Mike & I started the day going to the beach for a swim. I chose to wear my spring suit for the first time this year. I just figured the water was going to be chilly and I was not wrong. It was colder than before. I guessed 13C or maybe a little lower. I’ve just checked my watch and it reports it as 12C!!  It felt that cold because swimming crawl was uncomfortable – my face got too cold!  I stayed in shorter than usual – 24 minutes and only swam 1.1km.

The tide was very low so swimming to the barrel was easy.

Adrian, Stacey and Elsie arrived a short time after we got home. It was great to see them. Julian, Jess and Gerrie came out on the balconies to welcome them.

I need to take a photo like this but have everyone in it!

Elsie is shooting up.  Stacey has been knitting me a jersey. I just love it. Elsie contributed by knitting a few stitches. Not quite 4 and she can knit!

Me in my new jersey! This will be used and appreciated for many years to come.

With David here, it was great to have the whole family together. The weather was perfect so a braai on the balcony worked well.

Such a special day.

Galatians 1:15

Even before I was born, God chose me and called me by His marvellous grace.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

 

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Beautiful Views of Table Mountain

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Helga

Friday

Today was the day…

We sailed into Cape Town harbour. The sight that met the earliest settlers to Cape Town must have been glorious. It still is, with the many additions of buildings and development. I woke early and peered out the balcony door to see the sun trying to rise. I could also see the lights of the West Coast. We were almost home. Soon, this came into sight. Robben Island – this was from our cabin.

That got  me scuttling onto the deck to see the other side. It did not disappoint.

We took a number of photos and asked a passerby to get one of us…

Everyone was enjoying the spectacular morning…

The ship turned its engines off and just stayed out in the bay for a while, waiting for the pilot to arrive. We meantime, had breakfast and got to see the tug arrive.

We finished packing and went down to Deck 5 to wait for the call to disembark. It soon came and around 10am, we were dashing through the rain to get to the terminal building. Then it was quickly through passport control – way ahead of the pack and onto catch an Uber home. On the M3, there was an accident involving a small truck towing a caravan and another towing a trailer. It blocked two lanes, but meant we only got home around 11am. It was good to be home and to see Julian, Jess and Gerrie who are here for the week. AND, David! He’s been away 3 months and has come back for a couple of weeks. We had a wonderful holiday. Paddy did too. He was happy to return to his friends – until the next time.

There was a massive burst water main on the mountainside and it has resulted in us having no water for the last 11 hours. It’s supposed to be coming on imminently. It would be nice to shower! Fortunately, Mike has prepared for such an eventuality and had filled up 4 x 4 litre containers of drinking water for each unit. At least we have drinking water.

I had a good rest of the day, chatting with the family and we enjoyed a meal together this evening. Tomorrow, Adrian, Stacey and Elsie arrive.

1 Peter 5:10

The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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Surprise Delivery

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Helga

Thursday

Today was the day…

We had a quiet day at sea, but it did come with a surprise delivery. Back story – on our first night at dinner, we found ourselves very close to a family with three young children, who spent the entire dinner either crying, shouting or running around. We were patient and understanding and sympathetic. Night two, same story. Night three, we were sort of running out of patience and Mike decided he’d rather sit somewhere else, so, wisely, after dinner when we had returned to our cabin, he went back down on his own and had a word with the dinner manager. Last night, we were allocated a new table and a peaceful, uninterrupted dinner ensued. When we got back to our cabin, there was a message asking if we were happy with the new dinner arrangement and to please phone the manager. So Mike did and said it was fine. Today, this arrived:

And with it a bottle of Valdo Prosecco!

The canapes were delicious!

It was a full day at sea, so I managed to do quite a lot of work. I also got some rest in and this evening we have yet to dine, filled up on canapes and a late coffee and choc chip cookie.

Today we also found out that, with all the cruising we have done, we actually should have had gold cruise cards and because there was an error, we’ve missed out on a few complimentary things. At least we know for next time. We had our new cards given to us and will be sure to cash in on the extras next time.

The bed & pillows have been very comfortable.

Altogether, it’s been a great week. I’ve got work done. We’ve rested and enjoyed a number of activities and it’s been altogether great to be back on the ocean. And I’ve loved being on the Bok Cruise. Added bonus! Mike asked me why I was so enthusiastic about it. I think it’s because it’s great to see the Afrikaans culture all unfolding in one place.  Walking across the deck when the Afrikaans music is pounding out and seeing all ages singing at the top of their lungs – young and old dancing and enjoying themselves. It was unique. The common denominator wasn’t age – but a distinct culture specific to a small percentage of South Africans. I really enjoyed my inner Afrikaner coming out, much to Mike’s amusement. I have the name for sure!

And so we pack up our cruise belonging and tomorrow we get home.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

 

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You Must Win Him

Posted on April 27, 2022 by Helga

Wednesday

Today was the day…

We got to explore the dunes of Walvis Bay. They are amazing! We started off with a drive past the pink flamingoes – thousands upon thousands of pink flamingoes. The pinker they are the more vegetarian they are. They feed on algae that has a very red hue – the redder the algae, the pinker the flamingo. The carnivores have less pink feathers because they feed more on shrimps and sea food than algae. Very interesting it was.

Then it was on to the largest salt mine in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of this is for industrial use and exported to Europe for their icy roads in winter.

From there, we went over some humungous dunes…

We were on our way to famous Dune 7.  Those are people climbing it. And we decided to join them.

But there is an easier, albeit longer route and that is to go up the side of it…

So that was what we did.

It was quicker than we thought. When we got to this patch (above) – each indentation was like a step – and if we are good at anything, we are good at climbing steps. It took us 20 minutes up.

View from the top looking down. Mike decided to walk back the way we came. I decided to go this route…

I got down onto my backside and started sort of rowing myself down. You couldn’t just slide down. It was like flowing down. I kept getting the sensation I would cause a landslide but it never happened. Half way down, I stopped to take a few photos – looking each side…

And one of Mike coming down the ridge – this gives you a better scale of it…

I was just taking my time, but after Mike passed the man coming up, he (Mike) started jogging! What! He was wanting to beat me. I started pushing myself as fast as I could. Mike saw me going faster so he started jogging faster. What the flip. There were a group of people at the bottom of the dune and I started shouting ‘that’s my husband and he’s trying to beat me’.  They laughed and said, “Go go, you must win him!” So I went & went and just won – well sort of – we pretty much arrived at the same time.  We got a round of applause from our group. 20 minutes up, 10 minutes down.  It certainly won us the admiration of those watching!

From there it was over more steep dunes…

And a few stops for photos…

It was altogether a fabulous morning and well worth the money paid. We got back to the ship early afternoon. I did a couple of hours work and logged off in time for 4pm when the ship set sail.

It was fabulous cruising out of Walvis. The weather has been spectacular and it is only now that the wind has picked up and we are cruising directly into it. It’s been a day we won’t forget in a hurry.

Homeward bound.

2 Corinthians 8:9

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He could make you rich.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

 

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Smooth Sailing

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Helga

Tuesday

Today was the day…

We played around with ship terminology. It was no hardship!

It was certainly a day of smooth sailing. There was hardly a breath of wind and the ship cruised seamlessly through the water. Fair weather the entire way.   This is the deck in front of the Bok Radio stage with a couple dancing lang-arm.

We came to the top deck for a swim. The water was cold, so we lay on some loungers to dry off and warm up.

Internet is working well so 5 hours of work was done, some of it even from the lounger!

But the highlight of the day was arriving in Walvis Bay, an event that has just been concluded. Pilot being dropped off…

Floating dry docks…

Massive oil rig…

Walvis Bay is pretty featureless. It’s flat and in the distance are the mighty sand dunes for which Namibia is known. Tomorrow we get to go 4x4ing on them. It’s going to be an interesting outing!

So what did I eat today? Food is a big  thing on the ship. Mike loves pizza! He loves that there is pizza 24/7. Mike has no weight issues, so he tucked into a 5 course breakfast, had hot chocolate mid-day and a healthy lunch of two massive pieces of pizza. For breakfast I had muesli with fruit salad, egg, bacon, sausage, two very small waffles and another small pastry because Mike couldn’t find the choc chip cookie I wanted. Then I had a cappuccino at lunchtime and that’s it. So I had a massive breakfast and it’s now just gone 4pm and I’ve had my first hunger pang. I will have to wait for dinner. But at least this way, I may only gain 1 or 2kg while we are away.

I was thinking it was time for another swim, but now that we have docked, Mike is thinking we should walk into Walvis Bay and see if it has improved any since we were here in 2013.  We’ll saunter down at 5pm and see what we can see.

Feeling very privileged that we get to do this.

Acts 20:32

I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

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Lang Arm

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Helga

Monday

Today was the day…

We had our first full day at sea. The good news is the expired-in-2019 sea-sickness pills worked. I took two of them yesterday and today have fully got my sea legs. No nausea was experienced, although last night I was pretty zoned out!

There was also some irritatingly inconvenient news last night. My laptop has Mimecast (anti-virus software put on by my company) and as a result the MSC WIFI wouldn’t connect. That put a dampener on my plans to work this trip. It sounds great to some people but to me it was a difficulty to get my head around.  Mike tried everything.  By this morning, we had concluded the answer would be to put MSC WIFI on his computer and then link my work server to his laptop.  It worked perfectly!  That done, I could catch up with work and after 4 hours, it was back to play.

We had a fabulous day. Sunrise…

Mike ran 2km round the running track on the top deck. I went up and down stairs. This afternoon, we went on the outside deck under the massive life boats and walked up and down there for 15 minutes. Looking in one direction…

And the other.

And late in the afternoon we went for a swim. It’s great to be back in the a swimming pool – I haven’t swum in a pool since the gym.

But the sheer fun of being on this particular cruise is the pleasure and joy had by all the Afrikaners on board who are enjoying the Bok Radio vibe. Afrikaans music abounds and every time it does, crowds venture onto the deck surrounding the stage and the dancing begins. I’ve always heard of the lang-arm dance but never really seen too many people doing it. It’s great! Sakkie sakkie, lang arm, call it what you will – it’s vibrant and fun and must burn a lot of calories.

With Covid, they are trying to cut down on social interaction or so we thought when we were assigned a table for two last night at dinner. How marvellous, not being seated at a table of 8, with 6 complete strangers and needing to make conversation. However, today at breakfast, we found ourselves with 4 others (so much for social distancing) and needed to converse – they were part of the Bok Radio fan club and all Afrikaans. The Engelse van Niekerks spoke English.  Where are Adrian and Stacey when you need them?! This is one cruise they’d love.  One thing you can be sure of in the Afrikaans community – there’s no awkwardness when grace is said. They are all very appreciative.

Mike and I are now off to dinner.

Tomorrow afternoon we are due to arrive in Walvis Bay, but Wednesday is our excursion to the great Namibian dunes.

Acts 15:11

We are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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From The Ship

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Helga

Sunday

Today was the day…

We finally got on our cruise to Namibia. This was a cruise that was booked a couple of years ago and we never knew when it would happen.

The day dawned very still and windless. If we weren’t heading to the harbour, we would definitely have gone swimming, but there was no time for that today. We finished packing, cleaned the house and were collected at 9:45am by Don Grove (Drive with Don!). We recommend him to guests so decided to try out his serves. Such a nice guy.  We got to the harbour at 10:30am and joined the 300 strong queue going through the first station of checking we had the right paperwork and depositing our luggage. That took an hour.

The next stop was for a Covid test which was shorter – say half an hour – we were so grateful we had another negative test.

Then it was through to the queue for security which took another hour! Then it was half an hour to get the ship cruise card and go through passport control.

Three hours and 5 minutes later we were onboard. I bought a internet package but it will only be activated once we are on our way, so that will happen tonight. Mike lost no time sampling pizza. After 3 hours, we were ready to eat!

A fine view of Table Mountain from our cabin.

And me on the deck after a shower of rain.

It’s the Bok Radio cruise, which has added a great deal of vibe to the ride. The throb throb of Afrikaans music is going to be the sound track of the next 5 nights! We didn’t pay for that portion, but I think it is going to hard to miss. Giant size harbour crane.

Top deck of the MSC Orchestra. Our cabin is  actually on this floor, so we walk out of the deck door and onto the walking track.

It’s great to be onboard and I’m off now to try out the jacuzzi, to soothe my aching feet.

Happy birthday to my niece Jessica!

Ephesians 1:6

We praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son.

We don’t deserve it.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

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Our House is in Order

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Helga

Saturday

Today was the day…

That would have been my Ma’s 90th birthday. She rejoices in heaven, and maybe there is remembrance of her earthly birth. I seldom put nail varnish on but today I decided to and while I did I remembered my Ma who loved painted nails.

It was the day to get our house in order. The cottage got a final sweep. Courage and his family all had their names put on the welcome board, towels on the bed, smarties on the bed, biscuits (from Aunty Ivy) in the kitchen. I got the cottage into the exact state I would make it for paying guests. Courage, Ntsako (Ruth) Lwazi and Lwandle were thrilled. I think they thought they would arrive and have to clean up after the last guests, so it was a treat for them to find everything in order. They came up to say thank you. Shew! Those boys are a handful. The older Lwazi is 6 and is an eloquent, well spoken chatter box. He is very articulate, curious and clearly a bright spark. He opened my laptop and wanted to know where the on button was. I told him I wasn’t going to tell him, to which he replied, “give me a hint!” He only speaks English, much to the chagrin of his grandparents. He does understand Zulu but when spoken to in that language, he will reply in English. He looks like his Mom. Lwandle, (2 on Monday) is just like his Dad. He’s going to be slim and probably the runner of the two. He’s friendly and affectionate and loved the rocking horse. They were like a whirlwind, rushing in, spinning around our apartment and then rushing out. Such a treat. My only regret is I didn’t take a family photo of them. Perhaps Julian, Jess or Gerrie can make that happen when they arrive next week?

It wasn’t just the cottage that contributed to my 16000 steps for today. We double checked the Little Lookout, stocked it for David and put his name on the welcome board. Talking of the Little Lookout, this was where we were with it a year ago…with Courage painting the lattice.  We have come a very long way since then!

From the Little Lookout, we went to the Sea-View apartment. The guests had checked out and left the unit very orderly. I made up the bed; Mike cleaned the bathroom and defrosted the fridge. I swept it out,  put in clean towels and restocked essentials. And now it’s ready for Jess and Gerrie for their arrival.

I also cleaned half of our place. Not all, but I did do some cleaning. The only ones that may suffer while we are away are the birds. They go through a bottle a day, so I’ll fill it tomorrow, but from Monday, they will have finished it.

I’m half packed. Tomorrow, God willing, Covid free and all, the blog will be from the good ship Orchestra! (From the Vessel-finder website)

Psalm 103:8

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

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Negative

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Helga

Friday – 22/4/22

Today was the day…

That negative never sounded so good. Mike and I ticked off a lot of things on our to-do list and one of the most important was this…

Just for those who need to know – this was an antigen Covid test – also an uncomfortable nasal swab test, that cost R150 each and the results were out within an hour. I got an SMS with a link. that took me to a PDF. It got printed out and put in my all important flip file which contains everything – passports, ID, luggage labels, health forms, vaccination proof, boarding forms, proof of insurance and onboard purchases. And on it sits my (expired) sea-sickness pills.

I’m trusting the Stugeron will work because when I gave Mike one in March last year, it worked. That was when he had that weird turn of health. I wrote about it here. The pills expired in 2019, still worked in 2021, so I guess may still have some effect. I may need to take two. I’ll take one before we leave home and another an hour before departure. The things with pills of any sort, by law the manufacturer needs to put on an expiry date, even if they know the pills will never expire. We’ll see. If they don’t work, I’ll be in trouble, because I’m prone to sea sickness. Maybe I’ll take one tonight and see if I get drowsy.  They are less than R100 so it may be foolishness not to buy a fresh box.  That’s my rambling for today.

Last night I did 2 hours of work from 8pm to 10pm. It meant that today I only did about 4 hours and caught up with everything. My plan is to try keep an eye on things on the ship. In fact, I hope to even join my work meeting on Monday morning. I’ll see if that works.

Apart from getting the antigen test, I also finally did a sim swap to my new cell phone. It’s only taken more than a year. I’ve been using 2 phones. Crazy, I know. That was a big step forward.

I cleaned the cottage. Courage and his family are coming to stay and I wanted to get it up to new guest standard before they arrive tomorrow. Their names are on the blackboard.

The guests in the Sea-View requested an extra night, so I’ll only be able to clean that after they’ve left tomorrow. Then we will be ready to lock up and ship on out. (Did you sea that?!) Gerrie did I’m sure (if Gerrie reads my blog), which is unlikely!

Mike and I walked to Fish Hoek late afternoon (didn’t swim today) and on the way back we saw the husband of a friend of mine at their new house. I waved and called and asked if we could come up to see (they only move in next weekend). He said yes and Mike and I walked through the house. It’s so lovely. It overlooks the valley with Fish Hoek beach clearly visible as well. So happy for them. We’ll have to go again once the renovations are finished and they’re in.

Time to wrap up for 22-4-22.

John 1:16

From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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A Calm Day

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Helga

Thursday

Today was the day..

That was calm. There was only a slight breeze and the sea was so still. It beckoned us – lured us – and we went. But it was chilly. The talk of the locals was the coldness of the sea. 13c they said. Nah, can’t be. Yes, they said.

Off I went. It was cold, but certainly not 13c. Maybe 15. Let me ask my watch. What a shock!

I swam for 33 minutes on what was one of the best swims I’ve ever enjoyed. The sea was so flat and so very clear. It was so easy to swim and there were very few people in the water. I swam to the barrel a few times and enjoyed staring up at the mountains admiring all that I could see. What a blessing. After our cruise, I’ll transition into my spring suit.

Home, shower, laundry, work.

The cottage guests checked out. We did all the linen and I’ve started putting it back. The people staying in the cottage while we are away are only staying downstairs, so I can prepare the upstairs for the special visitors who come when we get back from the cruise.

And now it’s the end of the day and Sense and Sensibility awaits.

The day is still calm and the sky speckled with a few distant clouds.

Tomorrow is antigen testing day.

Romans 5:2

Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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A Good Fishing Day

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Helga

Wednesday

Today was the day…

That started warm and still. I woke early, did my Bible reading and then started work. Dawn was majestic…

As it got lighter one of the most fun things was seeing schools and schools of dolphins in a bit of a feeding frenzy. They were there in groups for ages & were such a treat to watch. We perhaps have seen them only 9 or 10  times in the last 18 months, so it is special when they do appear. Today was a good fishing day. The dolphins were at it and with them came loads and loads of fishermen. I worked for two hours before going to the beach, which was flat and calm and perfect for swimming. I swam out the barrel a couple of times. On one occasion there was a big sea gull standing on the barrel. I managed to swim round the barrel without scaring it off. The water was cool but not unbearable.  The tide was going out. The water was very clear.

Throughout the day, fishing boats were in abundance.

At lunchtime, I managed to fit in a haircut. Granny had a haircut…I’m getting a few streaks of grey but they are disguised by some sea/sun bleached highlights.

I worked for 8 hours and booked an excursion to the desert as part of our cruise. That’s faith. 4 sleeps.

Romans 6:14

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Freedom!

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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