Linen Day

Monday

Today was the day…

We did loads and loads of linen.

  • 4 duvet covers
  • 4 fitted sheets
  • 4 flat sheets
  • 14 pillow cases
  • 1 counter pain
  • 10 towels

We don’t have enough drying space for all this, so rotated between outside, inside and the tumble dryer. Most of it is dry now with a few leftovers hanging in the scullery.

Tonight we have no guests in the units. The cottage emptied yesterday, the Little Lookout today and the guests in Sea-View apartment are on an overnight hike. There are no cars on the kerb. It’s the first time for a long while. Tomorrow, I’ll get to clean the LL and get linen on the beds in the cottage.

Today I worked best part of 8 hours.

And we got to swim this morning. The wind died overnight, leaving calm warm waters, ideal for a lovely morning swim. I guess the water temperature to be 17C. The high tide bought with it a ton of seaweed which got deposited high on the beach. Piles of sea weed on the beach with the shark spotters pulling the shark net up to its anchor…

Tomorrow, it may rain, so we don’t know if we will swim.

A good first working day of the week.

Ephesians 2:4-5

Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.

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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Trip to GB

Sunday

Today was the day…

We slept in and had a relaxing morning. Late morning, we went across to Gordon’s Bay. We went to Bikini Beach Bookshop.

On entry, this chap caught my eye. Meet Cat

Poor Kitty. Everyone has asked about his foot, so they posted the story so they don’t have to keep telling it!

After browsing and a little buying, we went to the nearby Waffle café for a waffle and coffee.

It was such a pleasant outing.

Home. The cottage guests have left. Tomorrow, the LL guests leave and the Sea-View apartment couple go hiking, so we’ll be entirely empty for a night. Next new guests are only due on Friday.

Google reminded me today of what the entrance to the Little Lookout looked like a year ago…

Crazy hey! This is the after…

This is another one from a year ago…

And now…

It’s hard to believe we have come such a long way in  a year. Courage and Mike have worked really  hard.

A good weekend and a new week ahead.

Exodus 34:6

The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

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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Hedge Plants

Saturday

Today was the day…

We drove miles and miles to buy hedge plants. This is not an unusual thing for Mike to do. He had in mind conifers but in the end we bought hedge plants. Mike did his research and found this nursery just off the N1 direction of Joostenberg Vlakte. It’s called the Cape Garden Centre and it’s massive. It’s really impressive and worth the drive. We start with breakfast at the Bamboo restaurant and then went in search of conifers. We stopped to ask an attendant who radioed to the appropriate department who sent someone to come and show us the conifer department.

It looks like I bent the bench!

The conifer man gave us wise advice. We want to put these plants as a divider between the Sea-View Apartment front door and the door to the storeroom. He suggested these as an option, so we got 4, bought them home and have lined them up…

Courage can plant them properly next week. They are fast growing and easily trained and because we don’t want a massive hedge, they will be okay in pots, or so we are told. Time will tell! They will add privacy to the Sea-View courtyard, when we need to access the storeroom.

It was a lovely outing. Home, coffee, rest and then I got a call from Stacey and Elsie. That ended with the arrival of my guest into the Sea-View apartment, so he’s now settled.  Talking of Elsie, this was her afternoon activity…such control for not yet 4.

Such a cutey pie.

Now I think we must go for a walk. Trout for dinner.

2 Corinthians 12:9

My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.

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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Socks!

Friday

Yeah! Today was the day…

We did a lot of work. One of the biggest irritations of my life is holes in my socks! I bought a bunch of socks at the beginning of summer and within a few weeks they had holes in them. I have favourite socks and they were in the wash so this morning I was complaining about my lack of socks. Mike needed to go out. He was gone for ages, but when he returned, he declared he had a gift for me – an unexpected gift at an unexpected time goes a long way in a marriage. I have 5 more pairs of favourite socks!

Perfectly in time for winter. Thank you Mike.

Graham checked out of the Sea View Apartment last night, so today it was all hands on deck to fix some things and spruce it up. I’ve put up new photos on Airbnb, opened it up for Easter and will wait and see what happens. The next guest comes tomorrow for 5 nights.

Cleaning it and all the other upping and downing the steps has gained me 15478 steps today. Very satisfying to get it ship-shape.

Time to kick back and rest a while.

2 Timothy 1:9

God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time – to show us His grace though Christ 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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A Sea Tale

Thursday

Today was the day…

We went to swim. As we walked down the road, you could see mist rising off the sea on the Clovelly side. That looked cold. When we arrived, one of the locals merrily announced the water temperature was 11C! No, can’t be, was my response. I donned my cap and off I went. It was cold but didn’t feel unbearable. I swam for 25 minutes. But the sea was more than colder than usual. It was also rough. The tide was super low and still going out (low tide was just after 9am). The underwater drag was noticeable. The water sucked back and then gathered large waves that loomed up and rolled menacingly and powerfully onto the beach. When we first arrived, there were a lot of surfers. By the time I got in, they had gone off to find better surf. I swam through the churning water trying to get over the breakers. Just when I thought I had, a monster of a wave approached. I realised I wasn’t going to get over it, so I dived below it just as it came down on top of me. It grabbed me swung me under the water, swirled me a little so I was facing the beach, kept me under for an extra few seconds until the wrath had passed and I popped up above the surf. It’s not sharks that are the danger of the sea – more like rough waves. And yet, when you look at it from the cat walk or from the beach it looks benign. Flat, unthreatening and safe as a baby pool. But beneath the water lurks a rip tide that can prove dangerous.

So the cold was not my only challenge today. I swam out the barrel where I felt safer.

Tide was so low, I was still in depth quite far out.

I swam for 25 minutes and then sat on the bench and dried off. I was glad I took a jacket. There was much discussion about the low water temperature. It seems winter has come early this year. This time last year, I wasn’t yet in my spring suit. That only came at the end of April, so to need it now is very early. Today I was in my regular summer swimming costume, but I may make the change in the days ahead.

That’s my sea tale for today.

I worked 5 hours, had an outing for Mike, said goodbye to the guest in the Sea View apartment and said hello to guests in the cottage.

One of the highlights of the day was a message from David who is planning a visit and it may coincide with a visit from all the family. It really is something to look forward to. I think April won’t be so busy with the rentals. I’ve blocked the calendar for towards the end of the month as Mike and I are, God willing, going on a 5 night cruise. It’s scheduled to be to Walvis Bay, but we’ll see.

I can’t complain of boredom.

Revelation 1:6

All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen!

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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Coffee Deprived

Wednesday

Today was the day…

I was coffee deprived. It is not a good thing to be a fussy coffee drinker. We only drink coffee made from Woolworths organic beans & I only ever have it with full cream milk and a dash of cream. Today we ran out of cream and the milk was sour. I had a flat white with the last cream first thing. Then I had half a cappuccino before the sourness made me toss the rest. And now it’s 5pm and I am coffee deprived.  We are going out tonight and will pick up milk and cream.

I spent 5 hours working this morning and 2 hours this afternoon cleaning the cottage. The nice family (originally from Brazil) checked out and Mike and I did the clean as Ruth couldn’t come. It’s not a bad thing us doing it because it gives us the opportunity to ensure everything is spic and span. A family of 5 arrive tomorrow for 3 nights.

We didn’t swim this morning – surprisingly, it rained, but there is no wind, so it’s a fine night for a walk. There was a spectacular cloudy sun rise.

And so that’s it. The penultimate day of March 2022. A quarter of the way through the year.

2 John 1:3

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and 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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Our Entrance Has Changed

Tuesday

Today was the day…

A few things happened. We swam! It was crazy because we woke up to drizzly weather, yet with not too much wind, a trip to the beach seemed a good idea. We took jackets with us. On Sunday, Mike ran 7km, leaving me swimming for 52 minutes. So today, he decided he would just do a short 2km run. I swam for 26 minutes. The water was 14C according to another swimmer who had a water thermometer. It was beautiful swimming weather and with the water colder, the chance of sharks is less. I swam to the barrel and back and really enjoyed it. No hypothermia today.

Home, shower, breakfast, work.

Then this afternoon, I bravely went to FNB to get an error lifted off my bank account. I couldn’t transfer from my savings into my current account. It needed some clarifying information. I don’t have the app so had to go into the bank. We waited an HOUR before being seen. Job was done in about 3 minutes!

There has been a change to our entrance and it’s time to reveal the progress. Courage has built the wall up. Once upon a time it looked like this… a month before we moved in – September 2020 massive rocks needed moving…

Then over time,  Courage built it up…August 2021

Til it looked like this…at the entrance December 2021

And by Christmas we had paving…

Now when you come up the stairs, this is just before you enter the patio area…

The front door…next to one mighty big stone wall…that’s not going anywhere any time soon. Rocks all from the property…

And the rest of the patio…

Still a lot of work to do,  but we have certainly come a very long way.

Jude 1:1

I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.

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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Triple Hat Trick

Monday

Today was the day…

I came out of my funk. I’ve been so overwhelmed by work and working. Yesterday I pondered if what I was feeling was burnout. The to-do list is constant and  there’s never a time when there isn’t one. That was yesterday.

Today we planned on going to the beach, but the north wind was blowing more strongly than normal so we put that to one side. I also did my Bible reading at 4am, then went back to sleep. When I woke up, I made coffee and started working.

As a result, I got on top of the work. It does help that it’s spring break in the Middle East and most schools are on holiday.  Add to that I got another 3 offers for another school group. This is the most unexpected amount of success I’ve had in a month. I’ve had 3 offers for one school, all accepted. I’ve had 3 offers for another school, all accepted and now I’ve had 3 offers for a 3rd school and I am sure all will accept. It’s a triple hat trick.  A hat trick is a rare event. Two is amazing. To get 3 in one month is probably going to be a once off event for many many years.

Also, the new guests arrived for the Little Lookout and the Cottage. They got safely installed and their timing didn’t interfere with  my work meeting at 10:30am, so that was another stressor down.

This is the view from the entrance to the Little Lookout. I could live with this… spot Mike behind the lattice – he was doing the art work on the welcome board.

Talking of Mike, look what he bought me today.

He holds up my arms.

Yay!  I have the evening off.

1 John 2:14

God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.

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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Hypothermic Helga

Sunday

Today was the  day…

I swam 2.5km in water that could quite possibly have been 15C. It was cold. Mike ran 7km. I was in the water for way too long (52 minutes) and spent a chunk of time afterward trying to warm up.  It was a glorious autumn day. The wind had died down and the sun was shining. I took an afternoon walk right up to the top of Rob’s plot behind us. I sat on a rock and enjoyed the view. This was on the way up…Rob has a storage shack…

From the top of his plot…

Quite view. The rock I sat on is circled. This is where I was…

A new and busy week begins. Off now to watch Pride and Prejudice remastered. So entertaining.

James 1:17

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

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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Error of Judgement

Saturday

Today was the day…

We found out what happened with our Airbnb guest who was asked to leave yesterday. We still don’t know all the details but she sent me a whatsapp message to say that a guest at her own Airbnb had given her a terrible review because the guest had arrived to find the estate’s communal pool was empty. She had only booked because of the pool so she was very disappointed and decided to cancel. My guest gave her a full refund. Her guest gave her a terrible review. She replied to it and then contacted the guest directly and offered her 2 free nights because she was inconvenienced. That’s what my guest told me. Now whether she asked the guest to remove the bad review in return for 2 free nights, I don’t know. What I was told was that her guest reported her to Airbnb saying she was being bribed with 2 free nights accommodation. And that was why Airbnb shut her down. She made an absolute error of judgement. I was so disappointed for her. There were no winners. I lost a guest for another 3 nights. She lost the rest of her break. Airbnb lost a host with 2 units. No winners.  She said she is going to put her units into the hands of an agent. It’s a good idea. I hope she does well.

The cottage has been semi-fumigated after a guest said he saw two cockroaches. I was pretty shocked at that. I know we have little beetles that visit – we are on the mountainside – so maybe that’s what they were. None the less, they have to go! Tomorrow Ruth comes & cleans ready for the next cottage guests on Monday.

Mike and I cleaned the Little Lookout. It’s sparkling. Next guest for the LL comes on Monday.

Two  years ago today we were on the eve of lockdown. Little did we know what was to come. That day, Julian’s floor of the house was having its concrete thrown.

26th March 2020..

2nd May 2021…

26th March 2020…

2nd May 2021

Maybe tomorrow, I’ll go take a few more pictures.

Tomorrow should be a swimming day.

Philippians 1:2

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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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An Airbnb Shock

Friday

Today was the day…

I got an Airbnb shock. I’m trying to get my head around what happened today.  I worked the morning and then went and had a lovely sushi lunch with my friends. I haven’t seen them for ages. It was to celebrate Karin’s 60th birthday.

Such a lovely time.

So, I got home and my cell phone connected to the WIFI and, as I walked up the stairs,  I started getting a whole lot of messages from the guest in the cottage. Had I cancelled her reservation she wanted to know. What? No, I hadn’t. She said she’d got a message from Airbnb to say her reservation had been cancelled and she had to leave immediately! I told her I’d investigate and let her know. I went up to my laptop and found this email waiting for me…

It was so crazy, because the guest had been here since Monday, payment had gone through, full payment had been made into my account and suddenly out of nowhere, the booking was cancelled. Monday to Friday were open as if she had never been and Saturday and Sunday were available for new guests to book. Airbnb had tried to phone, but my phone went to voice mail. I phoned them back but couldn’t get through to the right department.  I was told they would phone again, but they haven’t. The main guest looked & sounded credible. They were supposed to be here til Monday. They protested a little, complained about Airbnb and then left!

It was the most bizarre thing. Anyway, the cottage is now empty for the weekend. Next guests arrive on Monday.

So last night’s guests got in at 00:30, so I wasn’t far off thinking quarter to 1. I think they were a little delayed at customs and then trying to get data for their phone took a bit of time. Everything else went quickly and literally they took about 20 minutes to get from the airport here.  Lovely couple from South Africa working in the UK, home for a few weeks. In Fish Hoek for two nights, Paarl for two nights then to their family in KZN.

Weekend!! Happy dance!

Galatians 4:6

Because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father’.

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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I’ll Come With You

Thursday

Today was the day….

We swam! The wind was gentle, the sky was overcast and the water was COLD. People always exaggerate when they guess the temperature of the water. One person suggested 13C. No ways. It was probably about 16.5C but as it’s been 18 of late below 17 is cold. I swam 2.3km and it took me 52 minutes. My feet were numb as we sat on the bench. The air temperature was certainly warmer than the water. The hot shower back home was delicious!

Because we got in late from the beach, I started work late and only sat at my computer for 6.5 hours. This week, I’ve been constantly trying to catch up. I have made great progress but still have a bunch of work to go before I can log off my work server and say hello to the weekend. Amidst the chaos, it’s been a profitable week. The UAE schools close for spring break for about a week next week, so maybe things will be a little more relaxed.

Tonight we have guests coming in very late. I’m watching a KLM flight from Amsterdam, creep down Africa.

Land 10:33pm. Taxi for 10 minutes. Deboard for 15 minutes. Go through customs for 30 minutes. Get luggage for 15 minutes. Pick up hired car for 20 minutes. Drive to Fish Hoek for 40 minutes. 00:45am.  I’ll let you know tomorrow how accurate I am. I will sleep and set the alarm for maybe midnight. Mike is the night person in our house.  I will be very groggy!

After dinner this evening, it was time to go to the Seaview Apartment and change the linen. It’s the last change. Next Thursday my guest flies back to the UK. He messaged to say he was leaving for the evening. I waited a few minutes and then got up to go down. I told Mike I was going. His reply was (gentle classical) music to my ears – “I’ll come with you,” he said. Aaaaah!!!! How can I love him more? Instead of 30 minutes, it was quick quick with his help.

Now the blog is done and he has got a series for us to watch. Let me go.

2 Corinthians 1:3

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.

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 Significant Day

Thursday

Today was the day…

That was significant for South Africa. It was the first day that we can legitimately be outside with no mask! Yay! It was wonderful walking outside today, maskless and not worried about it! What a big step forward.

It was a day that dawned with thunder and lightening. I woke with the flashes and sat in my rocking chair trying to capture it.  The flash is far faster than a finger on the button, so I was wholly  unsuccessful, but there was this guy, Jon Kerrin who was ready with the right equipment for sure….spectacular!

When we built the house, our builder Werner asked what colour we wanted it painted. Mike and I immediately both agreed – Fancourt Slate. It was the colour we painted the inside of our old house and it became the colour of both the inside and the outside of the new house. It’s a greyish colour with an under-tone of blue. Quite often, like today, the sea & sky resonate with a similar plain colour, although when we chose it, we could never   have predicted that.

I have many Fancourt Slate days – days that are maybe a bit featureless. The events are largely made up of what goes on in the street below or who comes up my stairs – guests & workers. The circumference of my working life involves reaching out to teachers far and wide, but most of my days are made up of a few regular events – walking to the beach, swimming, birds on the bottle, workers doing the landscaping, receiving guests, walking to the end of the road! Fancourt slate days. Truly, I would have it no other way.

Today the early events took place on the street as the rumble of cement trucks drew my attention. This one reversing up the road, so it could make an easy return.

It was on its way to the end of of Echo to pour cement for the new build. We took a walk to see the results…

A compact house with majestic views.

Today has also been a significant day in my work life. This last week, I got a hat-trick of placements. I placed three SA teachers at the same school. Today, believe it or not, I have got offers for 2 more teachers at a different school and I am awaiting a 3rd. It is not often this happens, that’s for sure.  But all the hard work is paying off.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love 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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The Clouds at Sunrise

Tuesday

Today was the day…

That began with me looking at the clouds at sunrise. I was sitting in my rocking chair and had been doing my Bible reading. I was reading about the hard times that people went through. From time immemorial mankind has encountered easy days and hard days. Sometimes days are diamonds. Other times days are coal. What struck me as I looked at the dark clouds – the hard times – I marvelled at how close they were to the light clouds – the good times. Not only that, the clouds – most of them – are surrounded by silver linings.

Those dark clouds are so close to the bright ones. The silver linings are truly there. Great swathes of glorious light may be just around the corner, so if you feel you are in the dark cloud, surrounded by a gloom of grey, hang in there, the brightness is moments away. That was what I got from the clouds at sunrise.

A busy day followed. I worked about 7 and a half hours. At least I got through my inbox and am left with a list of 12 things to tackle tomorrow.  Main thing is, I’ve finished the work for today.

Time to relax.

John 6:27

Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.

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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I Did This For 2 Mins

Monday

Today was the day…

It was a holiday in South Africa but not for me. I had a lot of work to do, both with the rentals and with my regular work. Fortunately, Ruth was coming to clean the cottage which she did in time for the new guests to arrive. They have now checked in.

I worked most of the day with some breaks in between to check the cottage and do laundry. I also had a two hour lunch break.

We didn’t go to the beach. It’s blowing gales here right now.

I did get some exercise. When I was going to the gym, planking was regular. I haven’t been to gym for more than a year and I don’t think I’ve done a plank in that time, until this week. I surprised myself. All that swimming must work on my core. Today I did this for 2 minutes…

I don’t think it’s a very good plank, but there it is. I managed to stay horizontal for 2 minutes which surprised me. It also surprises me to see my hair is still not too grey from this angle! I do have grey patches. I also have some sun bleached locks. Anyway, apart from going up and down the stairs several times, that was my exercise for the day. It must be quite a slow day if this was the main event! But it was an achievement.

Now I just need to work on my form.

Today, we saw a beautiful pair of Cape Bulbuls. Here is one of them…

The birds have been very active around the bottle.  These crested bulbuls are not as common as pair of black collared ones which frequent the bottle more often.

They provide endless entertainment. Just so long as I’m providing an on-going supply of sugar water, they’ll be there to fight over it.

Dinner is coming next!

Psalm 89:26

You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.

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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