Category Archives: Share Your World

Share Your World for Monday 18 March 2024

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After a brief absence, I am participating in SYW again, Thanks to pensitivity101 for the questions.

Here are this week’s questions:
1.  Did you wake up in a good mood this morning?

I am recovering from a bout of diverticulitis which had me laid low for a week so when I awoke this morning (Friday – not Monday) I felt on top of the world for the first time in a while. I have been living on broth for a week and not missing food at all! This morning I was full of energy and quite hungry but not dumb enough to indulge in a big breakfast! That will have to wait another week. It’s clear liquids, jelly (jello) and mashed food for the next week or so.


2.  What was the first thing you thought of when you awoke?

Yay, I’m better in time for Shannon’s wedding! She is getting married on Easter Saturday which involves a six-hour road trip and a weekend in Saint Francis Bay. I need to be well because I am —


3.  Tea, coffee, or fruit juice/smoothie for breakfast?

I had my first cup of coffee in a week yesterday! Yes, Coffee is my choice of beverage in the morning. While I was sick it was clear apple juice.


4.  What topping do you prefer on your toast?

I don’t eat toast and generally limit processed foods – bad for my above condition. For breakfast I usually have eggs done in various ways with various accompaniments and no toast is required.

Most foods, that are served with carbohydrates such as rice and pasta, can be enjoyed without them. I substitute cauliflower, courgettes (zucchini) eggplant or cabbage.

In the days when I did eat toast, I liked soft fried eggs on top for breakfast. Another favourite was toasted bacon and banana. Melted cheese with apricot jam was another treat I very much enjoyed but I have not eaten that for eight years!

This is what Earl thinks of Opal’s substitutes!

Poor long-suffering Earl!

Gratitude:

I am grateful that I have not had an attack of diverticulitis for over a year and that I have recovered well after this bout. It is unknown what brings it on but from experience, I know that if I have not been eating my usual healthy diet, I get sick! It is also stress-related. I felt it coming on during our week in Cape Town to do Visa applications. We were rushing around catching up with friends and family so our diet went south and so did my gut!

Share Your World – Monday 5 February 2024

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Here are my answers to Share Your World from pensitivity101


1.  What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “cuddly”?

I love stuffed toys and so a nice cuddly teddy comes to mind. 

When my grandsons were small, on waking would come and snuggle in bed with Grandpa and Granny.  Those were very cuddly moments.


2.  Would you like to own an exotic pet?  If so, what?

No, I would not like an exotic pet. Exotic pets usually belong in the wild and trying to tame them like dogs and cats should only be undertaken if the intention is to reintroduce them back into their natural habitat.


3.  If you were suddenly gifted £1000/$1000, what would you do with it?

I would put it toward my cruise fund. The South African Rand does not have the value of a pound so I would definitely want his money in pounds!


4.  Do you wear slippers at home?

I have worn slippers at home but not for the last several years. I sometimes go barefoot at home. I do not wear uncomfortable shoes so flip-flops or Tomy Takkies are just fine for around the house.

Gratitude:
Each day is a gift.

This is a mantra I live by. Each moment is precious and I believe we should live each day to the full. 

Share Your World 22 January 2024

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Here are my answers to this week’s questions

1.  Do you find yourself smiling at people for no apparent reason?

Yes, I do smile at people for no reason. Usually, they smile back.


2.  If someone smiles at you in the street, do you return it?

Yes, I absolutely do.


3.  Do you feel comfortable on a crowded street?

It depends on the street and what I’m doing on it. I avoid going to cities that are notorious for crime or if I do I don’t go at night. However the crowded streets of exotic paces really excite me.


4.  Would you prefer a walk in the woods, a walk on the beach, or a walk around a town seeing the sights?

I like walking anywhere. Walking around town and seeing the sights is great when travelling. I walk a great deal where I live because it is a small place and seldom necessary to take the car. We have a long, white, sandy beach which is great to walk along. Walking in the bush is great because of the possibility of seeing creatures.

Share Your World Monday 15 January 2024

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Here is my contribution to this week’s SYW from pensitivity100

1. Do you use an air freshener in your home? If so, do you prefer a solid gel, spray, timed release, potpourri or something else?

I use an air freshener spray in the bathroom. 

Sometimes I use a diffuser in the living area. You place a few drops of essential oil in water and the diffuser breaks them down into smaller particles and disperses them into the air giving your home a pleasant aroma. The oils are supposed to be calming too. 

2.  When good weather permits, do you open your windows to let in the fresh air?

Yes, all our windows are open during the summer months. We open the windows at the entrance of the house and also the sliding door that opens onto our back garden – this gives a lovely through draft which keeps the house cool.

3.  With the extreme variants in weather these days, do you feel the cold in the Winter months?

I have found that winters get colder every year. I am not sure that temperatures are actually dropping or whether age is preventing me from dealing with cold. 

At the moment it is summer in South Africa. I find that the warmest months these days are from January to the end of March. I prefer the heat to the cold.

4.  Which would you prefer………..
to curl up in front of a log fire or log burner, turn the heating up, or go to bed early with extra blankets

I really enjoy a wood-burning stove during winter. We usually light our in the early afternoon and then go to bed early. We have an electric blanket and a down duvet. The blanket is switched off once the bird has warmed up.

Gratitude:
From time to time, I find some wonderful Memes on other blogging sites and I will include them here. Forgive me if I cannot remember where I first saw them, but thank you.

Great meme. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all be like that toward each other?

Share Your World Monday 8 January 2024

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Here are my answers to this week’s questions from pensitivity101

1.  When you look out of your kitchen window, what do you see?

I don’t have a great view outside my kitchen window. It looks onto the side yard where the washline is. There is also a great big Cape Gooseberry bush that just appeared one day. I did not plant it so it must have come from a pip. It’s really in the wrong place as it is right next to the side door of the garage. I pulled it out and tried to get it to grow in the vegetable patch – but it didn’t. However, another one sprang up in its place – perhaps it migrated back from the veggie patch (LOL) Anyway, I’ve just left it and kept it trimmed. It grows really quickly and bears lots of berries so I shouldn’t complain!

You can see the caravan in the garage, the gas cupboard on the left, the Cape Gooseberry Bush which needs a trim and the retractible washline, 


2.  When was the last time you used public transport?

Ha! Good question! Public transport where I live is non-existent. The last time I used public transport was in London. I am over 60 but not a British citizen and yet I had an amazing experience. I didn’t realize that my travel card (Oyster Card, I think it’s called) had run out of funds. I hopped on a bus and swiped it only to be informed by the driver that it was empty. So I started digging in my purse to pay but he said, “Don’t worry – just take a seat.” I’m sure it was because of my age as local oldies travel free on the busses.
3.  Do you prefer cut flowers or a potted plant?

Cut flowers are indeed lovely but I seldom have them in my home. I don’t have many potted plants either as we are away so often and they need attention. Despite neglect, they have survived!

Vetplante thrive on neglect
I’m afraid this one did not do well while we were away – it needs a block of ice once a week which my tenants gave it but perhaps it needed a bit more?


4.   Do you believe in Karma?

The way I understand Karma is that it is the epitome of cause and effect so it sounds so smug to say, “Yes, I believe in Karma.” It’s as if people who exude goodness will have goodness visited upon them while those who don’t have awful things happen to them and that is not always true is it? And yet so often I see kindness is rewarded with kindness and those with positive attitudes tend to have happier lives. I do believe that Karma will ensure that evil people will get their just deserts in the end and that even if someone seems blameless and experiences bad luck it doesn’t mean things won’t eventually turn out well. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad. It’s not really for us to judge.


Gratitude:

I am grateful to be back home safely after travelling on the roads during the silliest of seasons. Good Karma? 
I am also grateful for my amazing children who ensured we all had a relaxed and enjoyable holiday together. Three generations together isn’t always easy but we have had so much practice that I think we’ve got it right :-) 

I know things are going to change now that the grandkids are all grown up but we have been so privileged to have had such a close relationship with them all these years that we can cope with whatever happens from here on. I believe that the future years still hold much joy for us all.

Share Your World Monday 1 January 2024

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So here we are on the first day of 2024 and a good day to start a new Share Your World Challenge from pensitivity101.

 1. Did you stay up to see in the New Year last night?


2.  How are you feeling this morning?

And it had nothing to do with a wild party last night!


3.  Are there any special occasions/events coming up in 2024 (weddings, special birthdays, babies)

Yes – our granddaughter is getting married on the Easter Weekend


4.  What was the highlight/s of 2023 for you?

Cruising with our kids in April was very special.

Leaving Cape Town
Dinner on board The Orchestra

Gratitude:

The little things in life are just as important as everything else.

I agree that the little things in life are important.

Christmas Share Your World

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Here is my contribution to this week’s special SYW challenge from pensitivity101

Message from Di:-

“Welcome to a special Share your World.

It’s Christmas Day and many readers will be celebrating with friends and family. However, some of my readers don’t celebrate this Christian holiday, so this week, I am Sharing My World and asking you to share your day.“

What will you be eating today?
We are celebrating with our three daughters and two of our grandsons. Everybody contributed to the preparation of our Christmas lunch. We had Gammon, Leg of lamb, roast sweet potato and veggies, tzatziki and for dessert Malva Pudding and custard. It was all delicious.

2. What was your favourite gift?
Soon after arriving to spend the holidays with our kids, we did a challenging hike. My son-in-law was concerned that I was wearing a rather inadequate pair of sneakers. It turned out that he was my Secret Santa and that gave him a great idea – Get Gran some decent hiking shoes! Best gift ever!

3. What is the worst bit, if any, about celebrating (Christmas or otherwise)
We were expecting rain on Christmas day but it did not arrive until today so nothing spoiled the day for us at all.



4. Do your pets get to join in with the fun?
The dog, Lucy, was delighted to receive lots of bones and leftovers. Grandpa shared his biltong with the cat.

Gratitude:
I am so grateful that we can enjoy time with our family not only at Christmas time but often during the year too. I am also grateful that I have had the privilege of watching my grandchildren grow up. 

Share Your World 27 November 2023

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Here are my answers to this week’s SYW from pensitivity101

1.  Do you watch and enjoy reality TV shows?

I have caught a few but I don’t really enjoy them. My hubby likes Survivor but I find it quite boring. And please don’t make me watch The Batchelor or Love Island!


2.  If you had the power, where would you send anyone you didn’t like?

I would condemn the contemptible narcissists that I know to an island surrounded by sharks with no means of escape. Only other narcissists would occupy this island so they would be unable to be in coercive control of another person again.

No narcissist will get this!

3.  Do you enjoy your own company and what do you do with your ‘Me Time’?

Yes, I really do enjoy my own company. It is wonderful not having to think about the needs of another person for a while. I enjoy walking on my own with my earphones in so that I can listen to a podcast or audiobook. On the rare occasion that I am home alone, I get stuck into projects knowing that I won’t be disturbed.

But, of course, I do enjoy the company of friends and family too. And I am most grateful that I am happy to be with my hubby 24/7 most of the time.


4.  If you wanted to change anything about your partner/pet/family what would it be?

I don’t really want to change anything about the people in my life. They are who they are and I love them unconditionally. That’s not to say that they’re perfect and there certainly are things that annoy me from time to time. But if I want to change them then they would certainly want to change me and I’m not having that!

Gratitude:

I am grateful that I have plenty of people to laugh with especially my grandkids who always give me something to laugh about.

Share Your World Monday 20 November 2023

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Here are my answers to this week’s questions from pensiivity101

1. What is your idea of a good holiday? Seeing the sights, lazing on a beach, hitting the night spots, getting away from it all……………….

Definitely getting away from it all. I have lived next to the sea all my life and beaches have played a big part in my life but these days I cannot lie in the sun for more than half an hour. Living where I do is like being on holiday all the time but it gets busy during the summer season and then we go away – to another busy seaside place but it’s bigger so you don’t really notice the crowds!

My best kind of holiday is in the South African bush at a game reserve. Getting close to nature really does it for me.

2. You are offered tickets to a show. Which would you prefer, Opera, Play, Cinema, Entertainment, Ice Gala, or something else?

I so rarely get to go to live shows so I would love to go to a play. Even the recent school production I attended recently was a treat!

3. Have you ever won a sports trophy (or something similar for a particular achievement)

I have not. But I did get a fake gold medal from my principal when I retired from teaching.

4. What is your dream car (fact or fictional)

Fact:- This may sound boring to some but I miss my dream car – a Volkswagen Caravelle which I drove for 10 years. This vehicle took us on the most amazing adventures and the whole extended family could travel in it in the greatest comfort. It was also easy to drive and easy to park.

Me at the wheel of the Caravelle when it was brand new in 2005

Fiction: A self-driving car might be nice. It would have to take me anywhere I wanted simply by obeying my voice command and it must be quick so it would have to fly as well.

Gratitude:
Knowing you’re loved is priceless.

The greatest gift of course is love. I am grateful to have been with the love of my life for 40 years.

Share Your World Monday 30 October 2023

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Here are my answers to this week’s Share Your World from pensitiity101

Although Halloween is about to happen soon, this week’s questions are not on that topic. Thanks Di!

I have taken the liberty to dedicate the gratitude section to the Springboks!

  1. Do you have carpets, rugs, laminating flooring, tiles, or wooden floors (or something else) in your property

We have ‘fake’ laminate flooring in most of the rooms but ‘real’ laminate flooring in our bedroom. The reason we chose vinyl is because it is waterproof and the main areas are open-plan to the kitchen. Also being a beach house, wet feet are often traipsing through. The bathrooms are tiled.

‘Fake laminate floors’
Tiles in the bathroom

We don’t have any carpets at all.

Do you have a bathtub and separate shower, or a combination of the two?

We have a full bathroom with loo, basin, bath tub, and shower cubicle.

Our second bathroom has a basin and shower. The loo is separate.

What is your favourite room in the house, and why?

I enjoy our dining/braai room which has an indoor braai/barbeque. It is one of the later extensions to our home and I just appreciate the difference it has made to our comfort , and how easy it has made entertaining friends and family.

Our Braai Room

We have an enclosed stoop extending from the lounge area which is lovely and sunny and I spend a lot of time reading there in winter. In summer it is a lovely place to sit and watch the garden birds that visit frequently. It has a sliding door which is always open during the warmer weather allowing lovely airflow through the house. The lounge is where we spend most of our time and is set up so that we have a lovely workstation for both our computers, and the seating area has a wood-burning stove which is so cozy during winter.

Seating area and beyond it the sunny stoop section. In the next photo, you will see the workstation and television

How many televisions do you have?

We have a big-screen LG television set in the lounge. I often connect my laptop to it so that I can show my photographs and PowerPoint presentations to better advantage.

Big Screen TV can be seen from the kitchen too.

We also have a smart TV in our bedroom.

TV is attached to the top of a cupboard with the connections inside the cupboard.

I am really grateful for my lovely, functional home. We travel a lot and sometimes let our home out on Air B&B.

Gratitude:
We don’t act our age, we act our shoe size.

On Saturday night we certainly did not act our age. We joined eight others at our friends’ home, enjoyed a good South African Braai and then watched the 2023 Rugby World Cup on television.

Earlier in the day while out doing shopping and other chores we noticed that absolutely everybody was dressed in Springbok colours including our Coffee Shop friend and the staff at our local supermarket.

Staff at OK Grocer getting into Rugby Mood
Our favourite Coffee Shop Owner dressed to win

At our gathering, we all dressed up too. The Earl received Springbok colours for fishing in 1971 and still has his green blazer and tie so he wore those! I donned green jeans, a a green top and tied a South African strap around my waist. My bag was in SA colours too!

Proudly sporting his Springbok colours as he prepares to support the Bokke
Go Bokke!

The game was nail-bitingly tense as the Bokke defended their title against the awesomely strong All Blacks. We shrieked and yelled at the screen as if our boys could hear us and maybe they could because I swear the whole country was supporting them as well as every ex-pat all over the world. My brother in England certainly was and I was texting the score to my friend in Tenerife!

This friend takes supporting the team very seriously!
Sonz having a tense moment!

It was close! It was seriously close! The All Blacks gave their all and scored the only try of the match. If they’d been successful in converting it they would have won. But the Boks defended to the bitter end and won by a hair – 12-11. They did it again and WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

Cheers went up, cars hooted and the entire country went into a state of euphoria. What a lovely feeling it is to win! All gratitude goes to our awesome Springboks for bringing the trophy home for the fourth time!