Apologies that I have been missing in action for some time.   I have been putting all my energy into another writing project and have neglected the blogosphere quite considerably.  I will be getting back to reading and writing blogs soon.  

Here in South Africa, we have just come to the end of Level Three Lockdown.  Our president addressed the nation last night and announced that from Monday midnight the country will have some more restrictions lifted and we will be placed on Level Two Lockdown.  

When Lockdown began at Level Five there was a ban on cigarettes and alcohol.  The ban on alcohol was lifted at Level Three but then reinstated without warning so many of us were unable to stock up!  However, South Africans are resourceful creatures and when things are unreasonable they will make a plan to get what they want!  I say no more for fear of recrimination!   I just heard that some restaurants were serving ‘tea’ and if you asked for white tea you were sure to get something somewhat stronger!

But now there is great joy and celebration in the country that from Monday to Thursday you can shop for alcoholic and tobacco products.  The smokers amongst us are really delighted as illegal cigarettes were inferior and terribly expensive.  In my opinion, it is dumb to ban products and cripple the economy while criminals benefit from exploiting those who simply refuse to do without!  Has the American Prohibition not taught us this!

Here is a pictorial representation of what our new rules entail

Anyway this lockdown thing has not affected us much down here at the southern tip of Africa. We are a small community of mature age and tend to be quite law abiding. The problem is that the city folk come swarming in on the weekends and we have recently had school holidays – at a strange time due to the crazy changes in when they should and should not be at school! We tend to be a welcoming lot so have not made too much fuss about mixing with the outsiders.

Our youngest daughter spent the first half of Lockdown with us and then went home. She came back for three weeks and we all went to see our other kids in Plettenberg Bay over the Woman’s Day Weekend. They’re on a farm so there was not much contact with other people and it was lovely although the weather was freezing!

We stayed for a week and then came home to equally freezing weather here.

Lockdown has meant that tourism has been very limited. We have not been off in our caravan for the longest time and we are missing the bush. The provincial borders are now open but we still need to see when camping will be opened in the national parks. As soon as we can we will be heading off on safari!

For the next several weeks “Share Your World” will have two parts. Sparks explains:  “The awesome blogger, Roger Shipp, is the creator and host (if you will) of the first part.   He found a unique way of passing some of the quarantine time and that was from watching ALL the “Harry Potter” movies.   He came up with some really fun and intriguing questions (four a week for each movie) about the movie in question.   This week we visit “The Chamber of Secrets”.  

Share Your World Meets Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

• Harry Potter can speak to snakes. If you were able to have conversations with any one animal, what animal would you like to speak to? What would be the topic of your first conversation?

I would like to talk to the bunny that visits my garden from time to time. I mean really this creature is a mystery. Why did he choose my garden in the first place? He will come every day for weeks then decide someone else’s abode is a better option and goes missing in action without a word of explanation only to reappear a few days later. I want to ask him where he goes when he’s not here and if he loves it here so much why doesn’t he just stay. I also want to know why he won’t sleep in the sturdy, dry, comfortable and luxurious hutch built specially for him.

It is not just a dining room, Bun-Bun – it’s a suite in which you can live in comfort for the rest of your life. Why do you prefer to dig a dusty burrow and then not sleep in it either?

I’d also like to let him know that he is breaking the Earl’s heart and driving him into gloom when he chooses not to appear.

Have a heart Bun – The Earl worries about you. Just say the word and you can sleep on his bed! But no, you prefer the rain and cold of the outdoors to a place in front of the fire with us. And also – please stop eating my aloes!

• The portraits in Hogwart’s dormitories can talk. If your graduation portrait could speak to people passing it by, what would it tell them?

I don’t have a framed graduation portrait, just a snapshot of me in a white dress with a black academic gown looking rather proud of myself. My portrait would say to people glancing at it while browsing through old photographs – – – Yes – I was young once. The wrinkly old lady that I have become may not be as cute but she sure is smarter than she was on that day!

• Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger use the Pollyjuice Potion for finding new clues for the happenings at Hogwarts. (The Pollyjuice Potion is a magic potion that allows your body to form into that of another and live their life for a few hours.) If you could transform into another being, who would you chose to be? What would you hope to learn?

Bun Bun – then I would know all the answers to the questions above. I would hope to learn the secret of not giving a darn about letting those who cared where I was and what I was up to.

• There was a flooding in the girl’s bathroom where Moaning Myrtle resides. What has been the most dangerous (or comical) ‘flooding’ where you reside?

At the last school I taught at my classroom had a door exiting to the playground. When it rained heavily there would literally be a stream that needed to be forged to get into the classroom. The kids loved it and would make little boats to sail on the stream while the teacher would complain about getting her feet wet!

Mundane or “Muggle” Questions:

(Serious one which is rather creepy):  How do you think you’ll die?  IF you do think about it?

I do indeed think about it. Of course I would like to die without being ill first. How wonderful to just wake up dead and find yourself in another better place. I know sudden death is traumatic for those you leave behind but they will get over it. I also hope to die on the same day as my husband but what are the chances of that being peaceful? It would have to be a little more violent for that to happen and I don’t fancy dying in a car, aeroplane of sea accident!

What’s the best on-line screen name you’ve seen? “Best might mean the oddest.

I quite like sonofabeach because it’s a play on words.

What’s invisible that you wish people could see?

Ghosts

If over time you replace parts on a car, at what point does it stop being the same car you bought? How many parts do you need to replace to make it a new car?

There are about 30 000 parts in a car. Some of these obviously need replacing regularly while major parts would only need replacing if something went seriously wrong. You would have to replace all the parts to make it a new car so the best thing to do is just buy a new one!

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

Have you ever ‘dined and dashed” (i.e. eaten the meal and then run out the restaurant door without paying)?

I have been tempted when they take their time bringing the bill but no I haven’t actually done this.

Have you ever been in a car accident and either left the scene of the accident (providing it was a fender bender and not serious) or denied culpability for causing it when you did, (if it were minor or serious)?

No, but I did knock a signpost once and did nothing about it.  I got too close to the side of the road and my side mirror clipped the sign – It made an almighty bang and I got an awful fright!   I just carried on driving and I have no idea how the signpost fared.  My mirror was badly scratched.

(Oldie which has been asked many times before)   Have you ever found a wallet or purse or some money (over $20) in the street and just taken it, thinking ‘finders keepers, losers weepers?   Or would you be ‘good’ and hand it in?  

I have picked up loose money on the street and kept it.  I have not kept things of value that I have picked up, like cameras, jewellery, clothing etc.   Those I have handed into the lost property or police station.  However, I have lost a pearl necklace and a watch they were never handed in!

What was the last thing you stole or shoplifted?   If you never ever considered doing that, tell us your secret!   🙂

Not me! I didn’t do it.  It was him!   I was five!  My mischievous cousin swiped some sweets from my uncle’s cafe and tried to share them with me our grandmother who helped in the shop caught us. I was mortified but he thought it was very funny! She gave us each a smack and took the sweets back.

We were put on Alert Level 3 on 1 June.  Most of the economy opened up but travel services and restaurants were still very limited.  Beauty salons could also not operate.   But rumour has that this will change very soon.   Limited numbers of people may be seated inside restaurants and beauty salons will open under strict conditions.  Schools are still closed for all learners except Grade 7 and Grade 12 and visiting friends and relatives is still now allowed.  Clearly, the news about the curative effects of Dexamethasone has influenced these changes.

So far we have had only one confirmed case in Struisbaai. Our town is a popular weekend destination and many Capetonians have holiday homes here.  Recreational fishing has opened up and the weather was good for the Youth Day weekend.  We had quite a number of visitors here.   Hopefully, they did not bring the virus with them!

Here are my responses to this week’s Share Your World from Sparks

What do you think of professional motivational speakers?  Do you think they motivate?

I have heard a few good ones and I suppose it depends on what you’re looking for.  I definitely think they make a difference.

 Do you have a favourite flavour?

Chocolate every time!

While out walking, you hear a rustling in some bushes.  What do you think of?

If I am walking around my local neighbourhood it is probably a bird and I start looking closer to see if I can find it.  Sometimes it’s a little mouse or even a small buck or a mongoose.  The latter is usually very quick and only the tip of its tail is seen before it disappears.

What’s your ideal temperature (nature-wise)?   Hot, cold, temperate and mild, humid or bone dry?

The climate in the Western Cape of South Africa is Meditteranean which means we have warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.  We also have a ‘secret season’ when during a time when we expect it to be cold and rainy it is actually still, sunny, not too hot and not too cold. It pops up every now and then during autumn/fall and winter. This is my favourite time of the year.   Of course, I love summer – who doesn’t – and I can tolerate the heat.  I do not find cold weather at all pleasant but I do enjoy having a hot cup of soup in front of a warm and cosy fire.   The only snow we are likely to see around where we live is on the mountain peaks.  Sometimes there are snowfalls in places like Ceres and then the snow-starved inhabitants of my country go rushing off in droves to experience it.

The crazy thing about South Africans is that even it snows they still braai outdoors!

That’s me in the pink cap with a group of crazy South Africans having a braai in falling snow.   Verbier, Switzerland – 1993

We often travel to the northern parts of South Africa where it can be incredibly hot in summer.   As long as this is a dry heat, I am okay.  Our caravan and car have airconditioning so there is always an escape if it becomes too unbearable.

Attitude of Gratitude

Sparks shared something beautiful for the attitude of gratitude slot and left it up to us to post or not.  I have decided to post the beautiful aloes blooming in my front garden.

Today is the first day of Level 3 set by the South African government.   This gives a reasonable amount of freedom but as explained in a previous blog there are still a number of issues especially where going back to school is concerned.  Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners officially started today but there are schools that have not opened and some parents are refusing to send their children back just yet.  Online learning is continuing for grades that have not been invited back yet.

For most of us, the fact that we can now buy alcohol is a biggie!   The Earl delayed his walk this morning as he wanted to be the first in the queue.  He need not have worried – there was no queue and no limit on how much he could purchase!

It was wonderful not to have to worry about what time I could go out this morning!   It was a glorious morning but as is normal for this time of year still very cold in the early mornings.  Also, it only gets light after 7 am.  I left for my walk at 9:00 and returned at 10:15!    Later, the Earl decided to take his walk so we took the long route to the harbour.

Today I am participating in Share Your World from Sparks.

Is it ever okay to commit a crime?  Please explain.

There is always a grey area isn’t there!  If a law is stupid or makes no sense whatsoever then I don’t think it is ‘wrong’ to break it.  Take care, though, because if you are caught you could be in serious trouble.   I am a bit of a scared cat when it comes to civil obedience.  Why do something that will get you into trouble if you can avoid it. But I know that if I had to break the law to save or help somebody else I probably would.

Do you deal with change well?  (not money, because I know some wit out there is thinking how bulky coins are. Well I did any how.    ) 

Yes, I do.  I enjoy the challenge.  Having said that I lived in the same place for most of my life and have always had most of my family close to me.

Do you like birds?   The sound of bird song in the morning, taking pictures of them, as food?   

I am indeed a bird enthusiast.   Yes, I love the dawn chorus,  Yes, bird photography is my main hobby.  Wherever I go I’m turned in to the birds and will notice them while walking, driving or anywhere else I find myself.   I was once walking with a friend who is very fashion concious.   A woman passed us.   “Did you see her belt?”  she asked.

“No,” I replied.  “Did you see that heron fly over?”

“NO!” she replied.

We are both very observant – but for different things!

What’s the least used item of clothing you own?

I own a beautiful black lace dress that is about 100 years old.  It belonged to one of my grandmothers.  I have worn it twice and it fits perfectly.  But – it is broken in places and very difficult to repair.  My friend Dalene fixed it with a crochet hook recently and I am determined to wear it again – maybe to a cocktail party – not that we often go to such things anymore.   I don’t have the heart to get rid of this lovely item of clothing.

Gratitude:

If you care to share, what are you grateful for?  

We are now just two days from starting Level 3 of the Lockdown.   The numbers of C-19 cases are increasing in South Africa.  Cape Town has been identified as the worst affected area.  This is where most of our family and friends live.   We have felt sheltered and cocooned in safety here in Struisbaai but the latest news is not good.   We are part of the Overberg district which has also been identified as a hot spot.   There are a few big towns in this area including Hermanus which is still quite far away from us.  But today on checking the data I find that we have one positive case in Struisbaai!  Our nearest town, Bredasdorp, 30 km away has 3 active cases, nearby we have Napier, a small retirement village which also has 3 active cases.  This is now too close for complacency.  The problem is that most people from Napier to Agulhas are retirees.   We are all in the vulnerable category.

Today I am participating in Stream of Consciousness Saturday   The prompt word is Spay/Splay/Spray

During the past three months of Lockdown, I have become obsessed with cleaning.  Nothing crosses the threshold of my house without being completely sanitised.  I have a spray bottle filled with a mixture of bleach and water.  This is used to disinfect every tin, bottle, bag or other packaging in which our groceries are packed.  My fruit and vegetables are taken from the packaging and washed in a solution of vinegar and water before being packed away.  All this take time, of which I have plenty as what else is there to do when your movements are severely restricted.   Then there is the constant cleaning of the house.  I have never been extremely houseproud.   Our home was and often still is full of children, our own, cousins, grandchildren and all their friends which made keeping it orderly a little more difficult than when fewer people are about.   We had a fairly large family home where everybody was welcome and if there was a bit of a mess nobody really cared. On display at my front door is this sign.

It was clean enough.   The dishwasher was always packed and I didn’t like to leave things undone before going to bed but my home would never have featured in Home and Garden magazine!  It wouldn’t now either – but – I am sure you could eat off its floors as it now gets so cleaned and disinfected.  My spray bottle is always to hand!   The Earl gets irritated by my constant washing and wiping.  Towels aren’t used more than twice and into the washing machine, they go.  I don’t know if all this obsessive cleaning makes any difference but it’s part of my new routine now.

I visit the hairdresser every six weeks.  I have short hair and it is easy to maintain as long as I have my regular cuts.  It becomes unmanageable all of a sudden.  I wash it and try to blow it and it just does not do what it’s supposed to do so I go off to my stylist and all is well again – until Lockdown and a moratorium on hairdressing!   Even under Level 3, our hairdressers may not return to work.  So what to do!  I won’t allow the Earl near me with a pair of shears.  I never use hairspray but I’m wondering whether to try it or gel to tame my wayward locks!

We had a shower of rain this morning and it is very cold.  We did not go out for our morning walk as the idea is not to compromise our immune systems.  The last thing we want is to get sick during Lockdown!  Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!  However, I am not neglecting my aerobic and yoga workouts in the afternoons.

Today I am answering the questions for Share Your World from Sparks

In your opinion, does patriotism require the belief that one’s country is the greatest on earth?

I don’t think it is a requirement of patriotism to believe one’s country is the greatest on earth.  However, one can’t help feeling that one’s country is the best!

I am definitely proudly South African but that does not mean that I don’t see the faults present in my country.  Every country has a history.  Not one is innocent of doing atrocious things in the past. Patriotism used to mean that you would fight wars so your country could conquer another.  That was what happened for many centuries.  We are supposed to have evolved beyond that but there are still countries who would like to rule the entire world and expect their citizens to be patriotic enough to support them.

At the present time, there is a lot wrong in South Africa.  Corruption and crime are rife but from where I stand I see that other countries are not perfect either.  Some are worse and others are better.  In spite of the imperfections, I have never had a desire to seek my fortune elsewhere but at the same time, I don’t blame those of my compatriot who have.  I get annoyed though when certain individuals who have taken the chicken run insist on criticizing what they’ve left behind and try to encourage others to leave the country in the lurch instead of doing something to make it better.

Why is patriotism considered by some to be the highest of virtues? What is so important about love of country? Shouldn’t we be more concerned about humankind, or the planet as a whole, rather than a single country?

It is certainly a virtue but perhaps not the highest.  You can’t help but love your country. It’s like loving your parents or your children no matter what their faults are.  It is because you have a connection to your country.  Look around at all the different nationalities.   Nine times out of ten you can guess where a person comes from after spending just a few minutes with the.  Sometimes just the look of them informs you where they’re from.   Here in South Africa, we are a melting pot of diversity but we’re united in our South Africaness!

We should indeed be more concerned about humankind and the planet.  It is our duty to make sure that those who rule us consider that if they don’t put things in place to protect the planet there won’t be a country to take care of either.  Perhaps that is what Lockdown is teaching us.

What is the relationship between decisions and consequences?

I often think about what would have happened if I had made different decisions.   Your decisions have consequences for sure.  There is a huge relationship between decisions and consequences.  I can only surmise what would have happened had my decision been different.  All I can say is that I am pretty satisfied with the way things have turned out.   Most of the decisions I made have had good consequences.  But what I wonder is this – what if I had made other good decisions – would the consequences have been worse, as good or better than the ones I am experiencing now?  I shall never know!

What is social justice?

Social justice is all about human rights.   In a functioning world, we should all have access to employment, food, shelter, health care and education.

We have a long way to go to ensure that everyone in the world has social justice.  However, we should all do what we can to work toward this.

and one ‘easy’ one because those others?  Fairly difficult.

What’s one body part you wouldn’t mind losing? (told you.  Silly).

I wouldn’t mind losing my heart to my beloved!

Gratitude:

What is something that made you smile during the past week

Rediscovering my crochet hook and starting on a project.