Hello All.

I wish I could take the credit for the above photo.
Taken by a friend in the complex.
There will be more.
I want his camera.

I am losing the plot.
Our managing agent, for the complex, phoned me yesterday.
I asked him why he was working on a Saturday.
Duh!

I think I might have told you that my friend, also in the complex, is going down to Swellendam tomorrow.
Bear with me.
Swellendam is where my eldest daughter lives.
And about 15 kms from younger son and DIL.
She is taking a box of books down to my DIL.
And, while she is away, I will be popping in to talk to her dog.
When her son is at work.
M came with me to drop off the books.
The first time he has met said friend.
And, he met the dog.
And, I think was quite smitten with her.
She is the sweetest 15 year old Jack Russell.
VERY well behaved.
I hope so.
I might just bring her home to visit with us.

This morning was hell.
I put an ad on the internet to sell my Dad’s old TV.
I had about 50 replies.
I spent the morning fielding questions.
Someone was supposed to come at seven this morning.
No show so it was back to the drawing board.
I am so over it all.

M’s great granddaughter.
Am pleased to announce she has really improved.
Sweetest little thing.

More tomorrow.

Good Morning all.

Have you missed me?
I thought so!

Have had a couple of days of not feeling too kosher.
Much better now.
The grim reaper can wait.

So, why luck?
Went to our local Spar to get a few things this morning.
The few things escalated into more.
The way they do.
When they rang it up I got it all for nothing.
It is a promotion they run.
I thought it was a con.
Sorry Spar.
Human nature being what it is, I thought bugger, why didn’t I spend more!

And now, short and sweet.
Have lots to do.
Have a great day/night.

Hello All.

It has been a day and a half.
Had to go with my brother to buy a TV and a TV stand.
I had to go with as I handle all his finances.
And keep his card.
My Dad has been talking about getting a TV like ours.
His is very old.
As my brother inherits the house and all the furniture, I decided he could buy the TV.

We found the one we wanted.
And the cabinet for it to stand on.
After lots of hassles we got it into the car and headed for home.
Then the fun began.
My brother is NOT a handyman.
He took one look at the instructions for assembling the stand and went into panic mode.
I will admit the instructions were not simple.

I phoned the tenant in my Dad’s flat.
He was fantastic.
I know he reads my blogs.
Once again Elliot, thank you so much.
He also connected the new TV.
Happiness all round.

Now, why my relief.
I saw the following on Facebook today.

Although we feel less fear and anger as we age, our sensitivity to spot happiness stays the same and slowly accumulates as we age. That’s probably why children are so excited to go to their grandparents’ house!

Older people also have a different mental perspective when it comes to aging. The more aware they are that they have a little time left, the more they tend to squeeze themselves into situations that include positive emotions and get rid of negative ones.

So there we have it.
I thought I was emotionally stunted.
It appears I am just old.

Good Morning All.

A quick post.
Am still in my gown and it is nearly nine AM.
Have a busy day ahead.
Dad and brother coming for lunch.
Already have the meat marinating.
Brother asked what was for lunch.
I said stew.
He said his second LEAST favourite thing.
Sometimes it takes all my self control.

I took Nancy’s advice and went back to one of my first posts on WP.
Looked at all the comments to see if I could get a clue as to where I used to blog.
No luck.
I did get a bit teary.
There was a lovely comment from my best friend.
My late best friend.
She passed from brain cancer a couple of months after her comment.
Still miss her so much.

The wind is howling.
And, we have had a little rain.
Poor Dad.
He feels the cold so much.

Dear heaven.
What a miserable post.
Better I end now.

Hello All.

My question?
I was talking to another blogger about ghosts.
Mentioned I had done a post about an encounter I had.
Decided to look for it.
Went to all posts.
They only go back to 2010.
When you have a lot of blogs does WP put the older ones somewhere?
Have I lost them?

I was about to do a post yesterday when I remembered we have load shedding again.
Tonight our lights go off at eight.
An early night on the cards.
I shall probably be awake at two in the morning.
I was awake at two this morning.
M came through at four.
Said, go back to bed.
In a very stern voice.
So I did.
But, only because I wanted to!!!

M and I went for a walk this morning.
Just a short one but it is a start.
On the way we came across one of the contractors.
He was sitting on the grass sorting out stuff.
I asked him how he was.
Apparently, not good.
Not going into details.
It is his story.
I said do you need a hug?
He leapt up.
Hugged me so hard I thought he was going to break a rib.
And then he cried.
He looked a bit better when we left.
Don’t think M is going to want to walk with me again.

I have done the complex newsletter.
One of our committee members resigned.
Has sold his house.
Found another one.
Updated the information sheets.

Picked up a whole heap of rain lilies from another friend.
Planted them.
Watered my garden.
And now, I have written to you.

We won’t go into what I HAVEN’T done.
Don’t want to have too much fun in one day.

Hello All.

It just goes to show you can learn at any age.
A friend, in the complex, phoned me today.
Something was making a nest just outside her bathroom window.
Out of mud.
My first thought was swallows.
She was worried it was the start of a bee hive.
She is not too keen on bees.
Especially outside her toilet window.

I went around and took some photos and sent them to our snake expert.
He know a lot more than snakes.
Turns out it is a wasp nest.
I think they only lay one egg.
They enclose it in the nest.
With a sedated spider.
When the wasp hatches it eats the spider.
And, leaves soon afterwards.
Who knew that?
Certainly not me.

I came home, after a long visit to my Dad, determined to clean my den.
If I put some seeds on top of my bookshelf, I could grow vegetables.
I did not do it.
Tomorrow is another day.
I shall also clean the bathroom.
Maybe.

So, another enthralling Granny day.
Wake up!!!

Hello All.
Missed me?
Good.

Yes, it has been a busy couple of days.
The sliding door, on my Dad’s flat, packed up.
Yesterday my brother and I went around looking for a part.
Which we didn’t need!
I took our wonderful gardener, from the complex, to have a look.
During his lunch break.
He sorted it all out in half an hour.
That was today.

In between have had a lot of complex work to sort out.
Talking to residents.
Writing copious mails.

I arranged for my brother to see the doctor this morning.
Depression problems.
Told them what pills he needed.
Doctor gave him something else.
Phoned the chemist.
Only to discover that the doctor had prescribed a pill that was going to clash with his current medication.
Chemist told me that one of the pills my brother is supposed to take, has not been available.
It is now back in the country.
When my brother gets it his depression should lift.
Think it is really time to change doctors.
Doctor same age as me.
Flipping ancient.

And now, I still have stuff to do.

Chat tomorrow.

Hello All.

As I started this I thought what am I going to talk about?
I still don’t know.
Bear with me.

I haven’t left the house today.
I HAVE watched far too much NCIS.
I could talk about that.
But, I won’t.

A friend sent me a video of a mixture.
To clean out aging arteries.
Mine can certainly do with a spring clean.
To all of my other geriatric blogger friends, here it is.

One table spoon of Virgin Olive Oil.
Cut some fresh garlic into it and leave for 15 minutes.
Add some cayenne pepper.
A bit of lemon juice.
A drizzle of honey.
Drink.
It sounds revolting but I find it quite tasty.
If you like garlic.
Which I do.
Stay away from other people.

It’s amazing I can drink it.
My beloved Mother sent me to a catholic boarding school before I was five.
The nuns believed in large doses of castor oil, in winter.
I used to spit it into my pillow.
I have not been able to take liquid medication for many years.
I seem to have, finally, got over that phobia.

They also used to make us visit a grave yard in the grounds.
And kiss the feet of a life size crucifix.
This might go a long way explaining my flippant outlook on life.
If a five year old can get through all that crap you can get through anything.

So, for someone who had nothing to say, I have said a lot.

Granny and the good news is?

Hello All.

Apparently, 12 hours can make a huge difference in a baby.
She is lovely.
I think we will keep her.

Her arrival got me thinking back.
To the four kids I gave birth to.
When I had my first one, the babies were all brought through on a trolley thing.
With lots of compartments.
Each one holding a baby.
I was the only mother checking the name tags.

Baby number two was 10lbs.
With a HUGE head.
Ouch.
He slept in a crib next to me.
Anyway, because of his size I knew who he was.

Baby number three was also big.
But, in proportion.
The doctor and husband number one had a bet.
Doctor said the kid would weigh less than ten pounds.
The minute the baby popped out the doc and hubby rushed off to weigh him.
Just as they were about to weigh him, he had a widdle.
Because of that, he came in at 9lb 15oz.
I was left there thinking WTF?

By the time number four arrived, times had changed.
She stayed with me and we came home the next day.

When we got home, son number two said “ANOTHER girl”
Son number one wanted to know when he could teach her to walk and talk.

Good memories.

Hello All.

Yes, M has become a great Grandad.

And, I am avoiding phoning anyone
You all know me by now.
I am liable to say something inappropriate.
Like, I am sure she will improve in a couple of days.

To be fair, most babies are pretty ugly when they are born.
They have just had a hard journey.

Bad, bad Granny.