Ilan's 4th birthday!

Saturday, 26 December

    Great excitement to have his lockdown birthday in the garden.  

  

One of his wishes.. A cement truck! 

We started the day with breakfast at Colchester where the swallows continued undisturbed with nestbuilding...

...  And water activity before the braai!

Christmas Eve!

Day 273 of Lockdown and the Covid situation is dire in our part of the world.

    Fortunately we move in our own bubble except for short excursions to walk next to the ocean or visit Grassroof. 

    Preparing dinner made me think about my mother who could make the most delicious dinners.  So I took out her roasting pan to do the leg of lamb Emile bought. 

Johannesburg family arrived

17 December - Day 265 of Lockdown

    Arrival at PE Airport

Katite awaiting the invasion on the bed Kia prepared for Ilan

Ilan on the wooden deck Kia built

     I had a belated birthday celebration with my bookish friends on Saturday. The flowers were from Marthie who could not attend. 

     Roline brought a Salmon treat all the way from Bushmans.

     

Civid stats are escalating and we heard the devastating news in Monday of beach and park closures. 

Celebrating my birthday on day 259

Lunch at Kindred Kitchen... own cutlery went with! 

   Ordered Beetroot and ginger juice and Korma with black rice. Kia had a falafel wrap.

We even had live music...

Andrew visited yesterday and brought two blueberry plants. Lovely surprise...

Kia spent the afternoon in the garden, building a deck and reorganising potted plants. 

Ready for a distopian future...

Tuesday, 8 Desember ...Day 257 of Lockdown. 

   Skateboarding has been recognised as an Olympic sport. And so is Breakdancing! 

   Matric exam papers leaked... 

   Paramedics are becoming soft targets for attackers on trauma scenes... 

   Various fires on the outskirts of Stellenbosch... Near Blauwklippen above the strawberry farms 

    Covid 19 on the rise.  Dawn Lindberg died in Jhb.  In PE well-known pastor / artist Marius Lourens passed away. 

   The world is a broken place. Just like this chair left for me by a very difficult tenant in Feb 2019.  It's beauty still entices, but one sits uncomfortably!

    Fortunately there won't be tenants in my life any longer...(although the last tenants were so considerate and cooperative). 

House sold! 

New owners of Sherlock!   Ruth and Shawn Lyon.  

Distressing figures and news... 

Fortunately I can "travel" to far-away places... 

Watching Zac Ekron's series on Netflix took me to Peru and the technologically advanced patato seed bank.

Inge getting ready for motherhood in NZ!

   And in Johburg Yael's dedication took place on Sunday.  I could share in the streamed event ay Breakthru Church...

Instagram... 

Day 252 and bad news for our Metro

Thursday, December 3

     Nelson Mandela Bay has been declared a Covid hotspot and strict measures will be in place from midnight tonight. The President spoke to the nation earlier... 

This is devastating news for Emile and family as they have booked to come down for a holiday at the coast and now all the beaches are closed. 

     Fortunately my garden is not feeling restricted... Except suffering some wind damage... 

    

Day 246 of Lockdown

Sunday, November 29

     Perfect sunshine day after a rainy Saturday.  Watertanks are overflowing and the back garden is a pleasure to be in. 

     Tomorrow my Sherkock Streey cottage will be registered in the name of the new owner.  Went there today to take stock of the items to be donated to a charitable house building project.

      I have many memories of me and Arie restoring the house to make it cosy for my late mother in 1985.  Also of Eon modernising it in 2015...   Well, now we part but I have this visual memory painted by Velia Offerman. I bought it in 2015.

My first "meeting" with Zoom on Day 241

 November 24

      Had a new experience on Zoom... Watching 4 interviews on Madibaland Literary  Festival organised by Richmond Booktown Fest.

      Back to 1984...the little bicycle my mother bought Emile came home from the Sherlock garage.  It will get a special place in my house... just thinking where.... 

And I found the poem I wrote after Kia was born, typed on our first home computer and printed in Dot Matrix!

Day 237 of Lockdown

Friday, November 20

     Exceptional weather after good rain. Both cat and tortoise enjoyed the garden...



   Today, exactly 13 years ago, I celebrated the 60th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II in the Chichester Cathedral...

Received this pic from my friend Christien in Switzerland, celebrating her birthday with coffee and cake.  Sharing the treat is Thomas Vogelsanger who was a guest in our house 25 years ago.

My instagram find...

233 days into Lockdown

Sunday, November 15

  State of emergency extended until 15 December... Absolutely fine with me. Just not sure whether it helps deterring the virus. 

This keeps me going...

    After 2 months of feeling awful, I switched doctors and bloodtests etc, revealed this preliminary diagnosis...

Eon and Inge video-called and it was good to talk.  They were on their way to a baby expo!  I received this pic of their Sunday lunch in the sun.

Katyte is still happy here... Naps on the coach on a daily basis. Also uses his tiny house on the verandah more... 

My Instagram finds...