Day 95 of Lockdown

June 29...and the virus is a reality in our Metro with devastating effects. Yesterday RAPPORT featured shocking pictures and news of the State hospitals.  Imagine doctors cleaning wards and taking linen home to wash.

    Pregnant women were on blankets etc in the passages of Dora Nginza... The scenes looked strangely staged.  But it is the reality.

The acting mayor is suggesting we go back to Stage 4 of the lockdown because the public is not following the basic directives laid down by government. 

  Back to the hospial story... Apparently patients fight about the use of oxygen...  People die waiting for help.      Funeral undertakers say it is a struggle to keep all the bodies safe before burial. Space and logistics come into play. Etc etc...

     But we are safely at home while a serious wind is blowing outside.   Like our yawning happy cat, we feel physically far from the misery.  But it cannot leave the mind...

When Katite / Kata / Red - the cat with many names - is not lazing in the backyard, he is on the verandah in or near the tiny house Kia built for him.

    Kia went to J Bay on Sunday.   This is how the usually busy town's main stallholders area looked like. 

 In Middelburg my aunt Connie v d Walt (92.5) saw her great great grandchild  AC for the first time. 

  

Day 90 of Lockdown

Yes,  the virus is a reality and sweeping through our Metro, but that did not deter me from thinking of my late parents today.  They were both born on 24 June... 16 years apart!

My mother was born in 1919. That year marked the end of WW 1 and the devastation of the Spanish Flu.

My father was born in 1903 some time after the Anglo Boer War.   It must have been tough for their mothers to nurse winter babies in the freezing Karoo. 

Father's Day

Sunday, June 21... It is day 87 of lockdown and infections and deaths are on the rise.  And also Gender Violence.  A crying shame and another unstoppable virus in society...

     Emile and Jana had a special Father's Day treat... In this case it was a kiddies treat as they visited the park for the first time in almost 3 months.   Yael could experience her first swing! 

And at home they could make a wood braai fire. 

     On my side,  blessings abound...  I invited Kia to a cyber lunch that was delivered in reality.  Technology amazes me.  We ordered Chinese from a restaurant in Newton Park...

   
The cat is still happy with us and has visited my bed for a short time with the assistance of Kia.

Thr garden is still his favourite hangout place!

On Friday my friend Veronica Fourie came to visit for lunch.  I made a special effort as she missed having a 60th birthday bash due to lockdown.

I had several of my dolls attend as guests! 

With Kia's help we could enjoy panini and strawberry cheesecake from VovoTelo.

Day 84 of Lockdown

June 18...  Another magnificent winter's day and lockdown feels far from my garden where plants do what plants do!

Good news came from the Prez last night that hairdressers will be able to work soon.        My illegal flop haircut happened a month ago amd the damage is very visible.  Obviously more so as my natural grey is forcing itself in all directions.  Fortunately I will soon, God willing, look better than Barbie in the garden. 

In her case the birds stripped her hair to build nests... 

    I have been feeling lightheaded for most of the day. Tonight I experienced nausea as well. Kia checked my heartbeat on her phone and Jana said it was normal. 

    

Youth Day

 16 June... What a beautiful morning with sunshine in abundance after a dewy night.

    The cat is making the most of the situation and was reluctant to let us open the security gate!

The quiet athmospere of the morning is almost tangible...

Above pic is a close up of the drops on the Agave leaf. (used a filter for arty effect)

     For the first time since 1995 no public Youth Day celebrations can be held.  The president made a virtual speech with too many references to our political past as well as the Covid "war" raging presently. 

    But around us the hunger goes on non stop as well as brutal murders. 

 

Covid Visualiser: 17.00 today 

     And 100 off-road motorbike ambulances for the EC has been severly critisised as a thoughtless exercise... 

Some family (in-law) news from Portugal was a surprise. Jana sent these pics of her siblings with their spouses and kids. 

 

Willem D with Daniel and Samuel comfortable in the trailer.  Time for a new veg patch! 

It is day 80 of lockdown!

Sinday, June 13...   Exciting to have had WhatsApp conversation with Johannesburg and Wellington NZ.

     I dressed up for the occassion 

Yael was the star of the show from the "studio" in Kyalami...

It turned out to be a beautiful day here.  Absolute tranquil with no wind.  I prepared a dish of oven roasted vegs and we ate in the garden where Cat is now so at home!

    On a lighter note, yhe supplement to the RAPPORT today carried a feature about Covid fashion.  I told my children this morning that the Afrikaans word for houseclothes is PLOETERPAKKIE.  So apt!

Sad news just received is the death of one of my beloved Afrikaans writers Elsa Joubert

Day 77 of Lockdown

 June... Yesterday I celebrated my halfyear birthday. Had a surprise visit from my friend Shena!  Both masked and chatting "over the gate".  She brought a portion of cheesecake. Delicious!

    Just received this virus stats update 

Not good news... Here is a report in yesterday's BURGER about situation in E Cape.. 

It was such a windy day so I baked pancakes an listened to Erns Grundling's Camino walk titled ELDERS

on audio. 

   The cat had a fairly disappointing day.  A bird pood on him as he was resting on the garden bench.  I could get some off but had to wait for Kia to clean up properly. 

   He was not interested in a catnip leave I offered but took bits of my chicken sosatie. 

Just before the cold conditions set in we went for a walk on the beachfront.  Quite a number of people had the same idea.  Glad we are allowed to go there but sad to see everything in a forlorn state...

Day 73 of Lockdown

Sunday, June 7... 

     Received lovely photographs of Ilan and Yael in the bath!



I am so glad that we have access to Netflix.  Before lockdown I rarely watched any programmes, but now winter evenings brings many cooking progranmes into the home.

    We have been watching the British MILLION POUND MENU competition!

     Amazing what is going on in the way of Vegan! 

It's Friday again...

5 June... It is easy to loose track of time... Fortunately the moon keeps us "grounded"...

... While the virus stats are on the up... 

Fortunately our resident cat friend adds some normality to the situation. He is such a "willing" model and the winter days perfect for multiple naps. 

Speaking about a "model", my American cyber friend Bart, sent me two pics of himself.   Could go through as a mature male model in these heavily photoshopped visuals courtesy of his advanced Apple apparatus... But! after all, it is eye candy for my advanced age!  Haha!

On Wednesday we went to Builders.  Eon donated money for an electric drill.  I waited in the car for Kia's call to come into the shop to present my ID for pensioners discount at the paypoint. 

   What an experience to see this long social distancing que and dozens of staring eyes looking over masks.

    The shopping encounter took a long time but afterwards we went to Hobie for a walk... Obviously not on the beach!