The forty-sixth day of Lockdown dawned gloriously this morning.  My walk was idyllic but I decided not to go along the beach as there have been rumours that fines will be levied on all who venture down the long white sands!  How ridiculous is that?  Perhaps the easiest place to practise social distancing is on the 14 km of Struisbaai’s beach!  We have a small population and at the moment they are all concentrated on the streets between 6 and 9 am!   The rules simply defy logic!

Now that all the usual chores of the day are done I am settling down to a challenge.  Today’s comes from Sparks in which she asks us to share our world by answering a few thought-provoking questions.

Questions:

• I asked this on an award thingie I was nominated for, and I got such interesting responses, I thought I’d ask it on Share Your World too:  Do you have a favourite kind of tree?

My favourite tree is the milkwood tree.   It is indigenous and common in this area but it is also protected.   If one is on your property, you may not cut it down and there are rules on how much you’re allowed to trim it too.   Such trees can take over the entire garden and ours, if we did not trim it, certainly would!   I love my Milkwood Tree because it is beautiful, provides lovely shade and attracts birds.   I have named my house Milkwood Manor for two reasons; Milkwood for the tree and Manor because an Earl lives here!

• What bridges are you happy you burned? 

Leaving a bad marriage was the first fire I set to a bridge.   I lost a lot financially and materially but it was the most glorious blaze that ensured that the rest of my life would be free to build better structures.

The second one came soon after that.  I was a single parent. For the first three months after leaving my ex-husband I worked very happily in a temporary job at a school for the dear.  That came to an end and I was appointed to a different position  which after two days I knew I would hate so I quit.  It was a relief and I managed without an income for three months before finding a new very satisfactory post. Those three months were idyllic.  I had a little money saved and while I waited for something to turn up I spent quality time with my two-year-old that I shall never forget.

It was well worth burning those bridges.  Things only got better afterwards.   If I’d stayed in those intolerable situations I would not have met my current, very supportive husband.  If you don’t like the situation you’re in, it is best to get out of it sooner rather than later.  Today my daughter thanks me for taking the steps I took.  Life would not have been good for her had I remained in a bad marriage and stuck to a job that made me miserable.

Many years later I burned another 2 bridges but their blazes were not as scary.  Both those bridges involved leaving unsatisfactory employment but at the time I walked out I had financial security.  I could afford to be choosy.  But those choices also led to better posts and happier environments.

• Would you sacrifice yourself (die) for a stranger?

I don’t know but I once took a personality test that said that I would.  The reason for this is that I don’t think things through before acting in an emergency situation nor when I decide to burn bridges!  If something needs to be done I tend to act instinctively.   When I think sanely about what I would do in a life or death situation laying down my life for someone does not feature in my reasoning.   But in real life, I have hurt myself trying to go to the rescue of someone else – because I didn’t think about my own safety at all!  Luckily it was not a life/death situation but you get my drift!

• How have your priorities changed since the C-19 virus took over?

Here are six things to prioritise during lockdown.

Number 1 – video-called two of my friends today.   This was something I did before lockdown too as we live far apart so that hasn’t changed.

Numbe 2 – No, DIY is not a priority for me – never was never will be.  I have the Earl for that!   Hobbies – Bird Watching – not a priority at the moment but I do watch the birds in my garden and I have gone onto Youtube safaris!   Entertainment – not a priority but I do watch more TV than before.

Number 3 – Definitely a priority before and after Lockdown and forms part of my loose routine these days.

Number 4 – Stay Calm – I have a Greek temperament.   I don’t do the Keep Calm thing!

I have a ferral  rabbit in my garden – he is a priority to the Earl who rushes to feed him the minute he enters the garden!  Does that count as a pet?

Number 5 –  Information about world events was never on my priority list – but yes, now I am keeping up with the info on C-19 – it is important.

Number 6 – I didn’t much care about routine after retiring but now it is quite important but is still pretty flexible.

Cleanliness is more of a priority for me now than before C-19.  I was a follower of the 5 second rule but no more!  I am fastidious about sanitising everything from groceries to people! Obsessive Compulsive is a new part of my personality that never existed before!  Fruit and vegetables are washed in a vinegar solution, every surface is washed down several times a day, nothing enters the house without being completely decontaminated!  And I worry more than I ever did before – hence the Stay Calm thing doesn’t work!  I worry that my strong-willed offspring will be arrested if they’re caught breaking some stupid Lockdown rule!  My kids, of course, don’t listen to me – why should they – they’re very grown up!

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Gratitude Section:

Please feel free to share your gratitude!  During this troubling time, some positive input is sorely needed, so any memes, stories, photos, or anything else you find uplifting is welcome!   Please share!   Thanks!  

 

 

It’s Mother’s Day today!   My cell rang just as we were getting ready to go for our daily walk.  Our rural daughter was video calling to say Happy Mother’s Day and was also about to take her family for a walk on the farm!

The weather was misty but not too cold at 8 o’clock this morning.   There were a few people walking on the shore but we decided not to as we have heard that they are going to close the beach to keep in line with the rules in the rest of the country.  It is a dumb rule in my humble opinion.  You are more likely to catch the virus in the shops rather than walking on the beach!

My Lockdown Challenge today comes from A Guy called Bloke 

He is asking 12 questions for the month of May and they may be done all at once or a few at a time.  Thanks, Rory for such great questions.

1. Where is your usual location for meeting friends?

As you all know it’s Lockdown now so no meeting of friends.    Most of my chats and video calls take place on WhatsApp or Zoom.

When we were young and our kids were growing up, we would mainly entertain our friends at home.  We had a lovely braai area and reception room which was ideal for entertaining.

Until we moved to Struisbaai I belonged to a book club where I would meet friends once a month and I also kept up with old college friends at a monthly breakfast.  Going to coffee shops with my girlfriends was also a favourite way of meeting up.

Here in Struisbaai we still entertain in our home but we usually limit the number of guests to no more than four at a time and more usually just two.

2. What is your favourite time of the day and has it changed recently due to current events?

I used to be a morning person and getting up to see the sunrise was never a problem.  But since retirement, I get up later unless I am in the bush. The early morning is definitely the best part of the day.  The stillness is awesome and it is also the best time to see birds and wildlife.

2. What do you find embarrassing to talk or write about? [Or do you not suffer with this?]

I don’t really find anything embarrassing to write about.

4. What will you NEVER write about?

I don’t write about things that are too personal. I also don’t write things that might hurt another person.

[Why not?]

I don’t think people would be interested and I don’t want to offend my readers.

5. Do you ever read erotic fiction or exotic literature of another kind?

Not intentionally but the stuff I read often has erotica and I don’t skip over it.

6. How confident are you about …. you?

I am confident enough to speak up and not shut up.  I don’t mind public speaking and I am not too shy to talk to strangers.

7. Do you think in today’s digital climate with social media and so on … that people have too much to say and that they should be quieter or that people still are not talking enough?

In my own personal experience among my generation, I don’t think much has changed.  Some people talk and others don’t.  Perhaps those who didn’t before are more confident to express themselves on social media but I’m not sure.   Certainly, some people have a lot to say on social media that they might not say out loud.   I am not against social media.  I certainly am able to connect with more people than I could before. I probably would have lost touch with nieces and nephews and other relatives living abroad if it weren’t for social media.   I used to write letters to a few people but they were not as regular not as instant as my social media methods of communicating.

8. Do you censor your own writing before publishing?

[As in prevent yourself from writing or expressing certain things the way you really want to?]

I do check for spelling and grammar (sorry if I miss a few) but otherwise, I don’t change much.

9. If you weren’t already you upon waking to a new day, who would you want to be the next time you wake up?

Someone I know would answer this by saying, “My husband.” That’s because she does everything for him.  But that answer doesn’t work for me.

I have never wished to be another living person but the fantasy person I would like to be is prettier, smarter, richer and kinder – actually just a better version of me!

10. Have you done everything with your life you set out to when younger or are there still things you wish to achieve?

At the age of seven my teacher asked us to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up – my answer – “A housewife”  – Got that one.

Not long after that I decided that I would like to be a teacher – got that one too.

It was a given when I was growing up that girls would marry and have children. I wanted to do that but I also wanted to go to college and have a career before I settled down to domestic bliss.  As it turned out my first marriage broke up after five years so I had to go back to teaching when my baby was just two years old.  Six months later I met my current husband who had two pre-teen girls. It wasn’t long before we became a blended family.  I taught on and off for the next 35 years and helped raise five children, my own, two step-daughters and later, two grandsons.

I wanted to travel and work abroad before I got married but life happened and I do that.  However, I have been lucky enough to travel as a tourist to a number of countries and I am sure if Lockdown ever ends I will still see many more places in the world.

So, to answer the question – yes – I have achieved my dreams and more. And yes, there are still things I would like to achieve.  One is to have the book I’ve written published.   Lockdown has prevented that from happening yet – but watch this space!

11. What do you use when creating your blog posts and what would you sing the praises of with regards the creation of written content as opposed to a desktop or a laptop?

I use my laptop at home and if I don’t take it with me when I travel I use my Ipad.  In spite of being sixty-seven years old, I am not a fan of writing in longhand on paper. I love modern technology, spell check and how easy it is to make corrections.  I am forever grateful that I learned to touch type at school – a very useful skill indeed.

12. Do you give your readership what they want or what they need? 

I don’t presume to give my readers what they need.  It’s more that I need to write and I am happy if others enjoy reading my pieces.

My husband and I often visit game reserves in South Africa and its bordering countries.    Friends and family politely ask how about these but after the fifth photograph their eyes glaze over so I decided to Blog instead.  Then if they are really interested, they can read about it and see the photos at their leisure!   I am now confident that what I write is only read by those who are interested and my readership includes people from other countries too which is lovely.

Once I got into blogging, I started writing about other things too. I did a series of blogs called Back in the Classroom on my previous blog site. (I changed the name of the site to  “Diary of an Adventurous Retiree” after I retired then when I ran out of photograph space, I started my new site.)

My posts in Adventuring into Retirement are about my travels and my life in South Africa as a retiree.   I hope it’s what people want to read. It’s a place I can post my photographs and share my life and travels with both friends, family and people in the blogosphere that might like to know more about my country.

What do you as a content writer and creator get from that for you?

I get a lot of pleasure from writing my blog and from reading others.  It’s a great way of getting to know people from all walks of life from all over the world.

This week’s prompt for Socs is cave

It’s Day 43 of Lockdown in South Africa and many people are ready to cave in and ignore the rules.  The problem is so many of the restrictions just don’t make sense so who can blame them.   We are a little better off where I live in this small fishing village at the southern tip of Africa.  There are no queues at the supermarket,  only one COVID-19 infection has been reported and most people are wearing masks and following the sanitising rules.  However, nowhere in the country can we buy cigarettes or alcohol and there are restrictions on some other items like underwear which don’t make sense!  Also the exercise slot of 6 am to 9 am is unsatisfactory.  Here in the Western Cape we would prefer to a later slot or a morning and afternoon slot as it is still very cold and dark until 7 am.  So far it hasn’t been too bad as the real chill hasn’t set in yet but come June and it will be darker and colder in the mornings.   Today was the first day since 1 May that I did not go our for a morning walk.   Confession time – I only woke up at 8.  It was overcast and chilly, the Earl and Lollz did not feel like moving so I decided to clean house instead  – well that is exercise even if not as enjoyable!

But enough about the Lockdown – let’s talk about caves!

Nestled high in the Cedarberg Mountans near Clanwilliam in the Western Cape is the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve.   It is a great place for a weekend getaway of hiking, game viewing and visiting rock art sites.   When the Earl and I visited a few years ago we stayed in a cave!  There are ten  man-made cave-like suites that were constructed to integrate with the natural Sandstone formations.  I am sure the cave-dwellers of old did not have quite the luxury that we had though!  It was great fun and I can highly recommend it.

I grew up in Fish Hoek, a small sea-side village and a suburb of  Cape Town.  One of the things that Fish Hoek is famous for is Peers Cave where the remains of early man were found by  father and son Victor and Bertie Peers, in the 1920s.   They found a shell midden, spear head, small leather bags and several skeletons.  They dated back 12000 years.  The earliest occupants of the area were known as the San people and the discovery of a human skeleton fully intact and dating back to the stone age was the first found in South Africa. It was also the largest brained type of man thus far discovered.

 

It is a relatively easy hike to Peers Cave which is still unspoilt to this day.  It has been a while since I’ve visited but I used to do it fairly frequently when I was younger.  The view across the valley is spectacular.

 

 

The sun shone brightly all day today. There was no problem getting up early and taking our daily walk on the beach.    It was also good for doing the laundry and enjoying the garden!

For my Lockdown challenge today I am participating in a photo challenge I have not previously participated in.  It is all about posting a weekly photo relating to seating.

The Lockdown Challenge I am participating in today comes from Cee

“The topic for this week’s CFFC is Sense of Hearing.  Anything you like to hear is allowed in this challenge.”

Today for my Lockdown Challenge I am participating in Share Your World from Sparks

QUESTIONS:

What can you break even if you don’t touch it?  (yes there is a real answer to this.  I’ll reveal it in the next week sometime.  Still, answer how you would like – no right or wrong answer)

Your heart can break if you don’t touch it.  Your spirit can break too.   A heart and a spirit are both strong and delicate.  Handle both with care and try not to break either.   If someone breaks your heart, believe me, you can get over it and make that heart strong again. Nobody is worth all those tears.  Having your spirit broken could be harder to heal but with work and strong and caring people around you, you can get that back again too.

What’s the most useful thing you own?

My husband – but I don’t really own him do I?   Joking aside I think my most useful possession is my computer.   Certainly, lockdown without it would be so much harder to deal with!

What’s The Silliest Reason You’ve Ever Gotten Into A Fight With Someone Over?

I can’t think of one thing but I am sure most of the things I have fought over were silly. Except for the non-silly things which I ended up doing something constructive about so that I didn’t fight over that again – like leaving a toxic relationship!

If You Were A Snake, How Long Would You Want To Be?   No, size does not matter.  😛

If I were a snake I wouldn’t want to be too long and visible to my enemies.  I would want to be the sort of snake that was thin and slithery and able to disappear from sight very quickly.  I’d like to be able to slither into places to observe fun things without anybody knowing I was there.   I’d like to eavesdrop on my enemies and know what evil they were panning so I could possibly do something to stop them. I’m not sure what a snake could do but perhaps I would be a magic snake that after I’d spied on the evildoers I could change back into a person and catch them in the act of doing what they shouldn’t!

Gratitude and/or uplifting?   Please share.   We can all use some of those.  

This week I’ll share one I heard on the radio in my car one day.   The DJ has begun a ‘uplifting story’ segment to his program.   The story he shared (sent in from someone in California) was of a man and woman who met as children, when they were 9 and 6 respectively.  When the boy was 16 and the girl 13 they began to date, and dated all through their high school and early adult life.  They married when the girl graduated high school and they celebrated this year (2020) their 48th wedding anniversary.   The DJ’s point?  Sometimes true love endures.  I thought it was wonderful to hear that story, because I don’t personally believe there is ‘true love’.  It doesn’t exist for folks like myself.  So to know that others (and I’ve met my share in real life of long time lovers/spouses) can enjoy that?  Uplifts my spirit greatly.  Thanks for sharing your story too if you like! 

And this is my uplifting story for this week!

It is my friend’s birthday today.  Life is very hard for her at the best of times but during Lockdown it is even worse.  Just over a year ago she lost her mother who lived with her and just a few months later her husband died too.   She was left then to take care of her disabled brother and her small business on her own.  This business is totally dependent on tourism and the few local regulars.   Forty-one days of no income is crippling her.

I rang to wish her this morning and she was very emotional.  She’d had some lovely calls from her son in Cape Town and a few other far-away friends and relatives.  The day continued to go extremely well for her.  Her doorbell rang and one of the Agulhas councillors stood there with a food parcel.  She was gob-smacked.  She had not asked for help but here was Derek all smiles saying – I know you’re in need.   She told him it was her birthday which made the unexpected delivery even more special!  On top of that, she received a call from another local business owner a little later.  He said, “I’m bringing you and your brother your dinner tonight!   She was overwhelmed.   What a huge blessing on her birthday and how wonderful that there are people in our community who care!   No visiting each other is allowed but we dropped off a cake and a small gift!

I was also grateful for the glorious weather this morning. Getting up for our morning walk was a treat.

 

Level 4 Lockdown is only marginally better than Level 5.  We have not missed a day of going out for a morning walk even though it’s quite cold between 6 am and 9am. In other provinces of South Africa, the sun rises earlier. In the Western Cape, however, it is still dark during the first hour of the exercise time. On Friday, the first day of our liberation the weather was glorious and everybody took full advantage of the privilege of being allowed out to play.   But since then the mornings have become cooler each day and fewer people are out.   Those who normally cycle and jog are certainly not missing the opportunity and nor are those who have kids in their care, but the rest are staying snugly in bed!  We are hoping that our premier, Alan Winde,  is going to get t an afternoon slot added to our exercise time.  He was interviewed while cycling on the Sea Point promenade and this is what he had to say:

 

Wise words from our esteemed premier!

On Saturday we ventured to our nearest big town, Bredasdorp, which is 30 km away.  Just driving there was a treat!   Lollz and I wanted to do some clothes shopping and we thought we would do our grocery shopping at the big Checkers supermarket too.  But we soon changed our minds about that!  In Struisbaai there are no queues to get into the supermarket.   After standing in queues to get into Clicks and Total Sport we changed our minds and decided that our home store would be a better option!  In spite of the waiting, we enjoyed our shopping while the Earl went to Agri where he also had to wait in a queue.   We got make-up, health foods and vitamins from Clicks.   Lollz got a pair of tackies from Total Sport and I managed to get into Pick ‘n Pay clothing without queueing.  They were not allowing patrons to try on clothes nor would you be able to return as they did not have the required spray to sanitize the unwanted items.  I bought three pairs of jeggings that I was confident would fit – and they did – so I’m set for winter!

South Africans are quite fed up with the rules of Lockdown!  I fear there might be a backlash if the government does not loosen up a bit.  The sale of tobacco and alcoholic products are forbidden!   Take away a South Africans dop and ciggies and you’re asking for trouble!   People are making their own brews and getting cigarettes on the black market – This is not a good thing!   It also doesn’t make sense that some items in shops are off-limits.   You cannot buy toys or games.  Some stores are not selling underwear while others are.  If things don’t make sense to the citizens they are going to rebel.  So please Mr President, work with us here so that we can get this virus thing sorted sooner rather than later!  In the beginning, most of the general public were behind the government but now there is a stirring and it is very worrying.

We don’t smoke but we like a sundowner and glass of wine with dinner.  These are small pleasures and we’re running out of supplies!   We won’t die without but it will make Lockdown less bearable if we have to give up too much!   We don’t know anybody selling alcoholic beverages on the Black Market!  Not that we would dream of going that route if we did -LOL!

Yesterday, I made brownies with the mix I got from Clicks.  It’s a low carb version and was quite good.   I sprinkled Flake over the top. Flake is not Low Carb, but a little bit won’t hurt!

We saw the owl that visited our garden a few weeks ago.  This time he chose a house down the road from us.   We invited him to come back but he hasn’t turned up yet!

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my contribution to this week’s Black and White Challenge from Cee

This week s topic is Heads or Facial Features.  Post heads or facial features of people or animals or even things like look like facial features.  

Today is Workers’ Day which I think, is celebrated in many countries in the world.  South Africans have been looking forward to this day for another reason too.  It marks the first day of Level 4 in the Lockdown series!   The big thing we were all looking forward to was the chance to get outdoors for exercise.  However, in their wisdom, our government decided that there would be a three-hour window of time in which everybody would be allowed out and that would be between six and nine in the morning!  It was a beautiful morning and after five weeks of not having had this privilege, it was not surprising to see so many people out and about.

Usually, at this time of the year when I’m out for my daily walk, I seldom see a soul.  But today was different.   It was great, it was fun but was it healthy?  Surely it would be better to stagger the times allowed out so that there would be more social distancing?

The earl was the first to head off from our house just after 8 am and of course, his destination was the harbour!   What a disappointment then, to be stopped at the entrance and told, “Sorry, you may not enter.”   The crowds were furious but they were told that the area was too small to allow the public in.

I followed soon after and met my beloved as he staggered home.  I told him to continue a little further with me but he said his muscles were too sore – he’d had enough exercise for one day!

I continued on my own and was delighted to see friends and have a chat from a safe distance.  I headed to the beach hoping it would be open.  It was!  There were scores of people walking and jogging and a few were even in the sea for a swim! Those were the young and brave – it’s too cold at this time of the year to be in the water!

Lollz took a different route but we both made it back home just on the deadline of 9 am! It is amazing how just this little change to our freedom made a huge difference to our morale.   We are also now allowed to buy clothes and as winter is approaching, Lollz felt the need to get some new warm clothes so she went off to Bredasdorp to shop.  I decided not to go with her.  I have given my aching back a rest for a few days but today was the day I needed give the house a good clean instead.  So now all the laundry is done and the house is sparkling!

After a wonderfully happy start at Level 4, we had bad news this evening.  The first case of Covid-19 has hit our area.   A local policeman has tested positive for the virus as has one in Bredasdorp!   The two police stations were closed and the staff moved to temporary premises while the buildings were sanitised.  They will be closed for two days.

For the first time in five weeks, we can now order in!    Yesterday I put in an order for sushi from Agulhas Seafoods and they were supposed to deliver at 6pm this evening but it was after 7 when our order arrived!   Everybody is taking advantage of these new privileges and so it took a while to get to us all!   I am sure they will get better at it as the lockdown proceeds!

 

 

Day 35 (Wednesday 29 April 2020)

I don’t often bake but after reading Thistles and Kiwis’s blog post this morning I was inspired to make something. She made a pear and almond loaf but I decided to do a banana one instead as I had all the required ingredients and didn’t need to go shopping.

It didn’t turn out too badly and after one slice I couldn’t resist a second!

This morning my son-in-law rang to ask me to find some photographs of my granddaughter. (Granny is the main photographer of the family) He wanted photos of her on her own from her primary school days. It sounded easy enough but of course, most of my photos are of the kids together. The search kept me occupied for a few hours and got me all nostalgic about their fast disappearing childhood! After a bit of cropping, I managed to get a few reasonable ones to him.

Day 35 (Thursday 30 April 2020)

It is the last day of Level 5 Lockdown. We have been looking forward to the end of this phase but will it be that different?

We know that we have to stay at home, keep social distancing, wear masks etc, but we will be able to buy more products, get takeaway food and get out for exercise. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma addressed the nation regarding all Level 4 rules last night. Regarding exercise, it seems that we may only exercise outdoors between 6:00 am and 9:00 am. Hello! I am still in bed between six and nine. And if I’m not that’s when I slowly start getting my mouth into focus and my back out of spasm! Why on earth would there be a time frame for exercise? If we gave a wider range there would be fewer people on the streets, at the beach, in the park etc! This is a dumb rule which I hope is not going to be adhered to in my neck of the woods.

It was originally thought that tobacco products would be on sale but this has been retracted. The reason was explained thus by the esteemed minister.

“Even those who do zol. Sometimes when they zol they put saliva on the paper and then zol and then share that zol and it means if one of them has the virus, they are moving saliva from one to the other.”

For those of my readers who do not understand the term ‘zol’, it usually refers to a hand-rolled marijuana joint but can also refer to hand-rolled cigarettes. Zol can also be a verb – if you zol, you smoke a hand-rolled joint or cigarette.

It is a glorious day again today. I had banana bread for breakfast while my housemates indulged in the last two croissants the shop had left. Croissants are my favourite but I am a non-carb kinda girl so only indulge is such treats very occasionally – more during lockdown I must admit! Anyway, the banana bread has fewer carbs and is pretty delicious so I made the sacrifice.

Our tame commercial fisherman dropped off a fresh fish yesterday so we had it for a late lunch today. We don’t usually deep fry anything as that type of food makes me sick but Lollz loves the Earl’s battered fish so he decided to indulge her. Of course I just ate the inside – just as delectable I assure you.