Fingers Crossed For Normal Service To Resume!

Well.

As I write this, Morris is bounding round the garden chasing birds.......... Normally we would yell at him and throw a shoe or whatever comes to hand, but today we are happy just to see him back to normal.

Yesterday morning we had to take him back to the vet. Same problem, dig, squat, get up, nothing. He had had a restless night and we heard him licking himself every time one of us got up to do what it is you do when you get older!

The vet saw immediately that there was a crystal that was causing the problem and she tried to manipulate it by hand.

He was not impressed!

So, a quick injection and he was nodding off as I left him in her capable hands and we picked him up an hour later. He was woozy for the rest of the day and wobbled his way round the house as he followed the sun. Last night he lay on the couch until we went to bed and then he lay the whole night on top of the hot water bottle..... but on top of the blankets. Basil's nose was a little put out of joint as he usually nabs that spot.

And this morning, Morris wee-ed! He was next door at the time, so Emma our neighbour, and I stood and watched him until he had covered up the hole!

A 'eureka' moment!

Normal Service.

And, speaking of normal service, I shall not be writing for a couple of weeks. I am winging (stomach churn there) to the far corner of the country, Pietermaritzburg to be precise, to spent some time with my sister and her husband. I am really looking forward to being with them and catching up, even though we spend an hour every Saturday chatting on the phone and we whatsapp each other daily!! Nice to actually clink wine glasses!

Hopefully their water supply has been fixed by then, hopefully a plumber has been found and even more hopefully, that he actually found the problem!! Usually it is because the reservoir has run dry! They are regularly without water or power.....or both and unlike our little village, nobody there seems to care.

So, let's hope that all the services have returned to normal, sooner rather than later..........

See you soon.

East, West..........................

Well, as promised, here I am again!

Home, safe and sound (as sound as I can ever be), after a wonderful holiday, eating, laughing, eating, playing with my gorgeous grandchildren, eating, cheering for the Lions and Stormers rugby teams and Real Madrid and Barcelona football teams! And, did I mention eating? And lots of vino blanco!

Friday's lunch......paella, what else!!

Catherine and I flew from Cape Town on the 14 April. Our Emirates flight was scheduled to leave at 17.55 (our time) and arrive in Dubai 05.30 (Dubai time). That gave us a clear two hours before our Madrid flight left at 07.40 (Dubai time). Plenty of time to get through the hugeness of Dubai airport, and make our way to the departure gate.

Yes. Well.

Ground Hog Morning!

Do you ever have days where you think that you should go back to bed re-play the day properly tomorrow? Like that wonderful Bill Murray movie called 'Ground Hog Day'?

I had one on Tuesday!

It started like any normal day, slow wake up, roll out of bed, straighten slowly and with much grunting, shuffle downstairs, feed the birds/cats/dog, make coffee, clamber back into bed and plan the day! Rob was away, he was swanning around in the Kruger Park with people, so I was keeping Alfie's spirits up by singing to him and spoiling him and that sort of thing.

My Tuesday was planned and went something like this: Nip to the Post Office and post a parcel to my sister, then pop into the Bank and organise some money movement ready for my trip next week (yes, it's stomach churn time again as I fly to Spain on the 14 April!!! And I can't wait!) Then another nip to the Pharmacy to collect a month's supply of my tablets, up the road to have my hair cut (so I look fabulous for said trip), a leisurely stroll through the local mall to gather the last minute things for everybody to take with me. And home.

Movies in the Sky!

I watched a wonderful film in April. (If I sound excited it's because the closest Movie House we have here, is in Cape Town. No more pensioner mornings at the local one in Vredenburg!) In fact it was on the plane when I was flying from Madrid to Dubai. Now, I normally battle to see the screen as it is fixed to the back of the seat in front and even with my glasses I am long sighted! And just when I am able to focus, the chap in front decides to tip his seat back a notch or two! So it all becomes one long fuzzy, neck-aching-with-my-head-tipped-back experience. Actually, on the flight to Dubai I watched a movie that the chap two rows in front of me was watching. He was on the aisle seat and fortunately it had English sub-titles that I could read from my seat! I don't remember the title, but it was set in Holland and was quite watchable! The wife was guilty of kidnapping the daughter, very twisty plot! And the husband kicked her out in the end. As he should!

But, back to the movie that I so enjoyed. It was called 'Saving Mr Banks' and was all about the author of the 'Mary Poppins' books (P L Travers, real name Helen Lyndon Goff) and her somewhat fiery meetings with Walt Disney. I shan't mutter on about the plot, but if you haven't seen it, look for it, it's lovely, and it got me singing all the wonderful songs all over again! Apparently P L Travers never wanted the film to be a musical, or to have any animation in it all, but thank goodness she finally relented.

I love the bird handle.

Now, the point of all this is Mary Poppins' umbrella. Not the whole thing but the handle to be more explicit. I know that the bird is a parrot, but it reminds me of our beautiful Blue Crane, our National Bird. I know that the beak is the wrong shape completely, but the shape of the head and the exquisite long neck seen from a distance through squinted eyes, does in fact bear a resemblance.

Our beautiful Blue Cranes

And I saw some on the way home the other day, at least eight of them in the field happily eating whatever it is that they eat. It's wonderful to see them, there were adults and youngsters, and the sight of them just makes my heart sing!
And the song?

'Feed the birds, tuppence a bag, tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag..........................'

Bet you're singing it now!

Viva España!

Dubai is an incredible place. A mix of very old and brand spanking new, shiny buildings. Clean, green and flowering roadsides rub shoulders with sand dunes. There are gigantic air conditioned shopping malls, man-made islands sprouting from the sea, shops that have absolutely everything from everywhere. My two weeks flew by and it was time to leave. Sadly.

Petunias in the desert!

Next stop, Spain!

The best part of flying is getting off the plane! That sounds odd I know, but, for me, the anticipation of seeing my family waiting in the arrivals hall, makes the whole ordeal bearable! So, when I left Dubai early in the morning after a wonderful holiday, I spent the entire flight to Madrid imagining myself walking through the doors and seeing my son! And after seven hours in the air and another almost twenty minutes after we landed waiting for the 'air-stairs' to be put in place, a march of what felt like ten kilometres, down several escalators, a five minute ride on an underground train, (I kid you not), a ten minute wait in the passport line, another five minute wait for my suitcase, (we took so long to get there, they were just about waiting for us!), a quick loo visit, and a fast walk with wheelie-case and bag, dodging past slower moving people, there he was! With my gorgeous granddaughter Emma! And as I cried with joy, she cried with horror at this strange lady doing a one-person version of a group hug!

Up, up and Away!

I am writing this with a flutter of butterflies in my stomach and a dry mouth. Am I going to the dentist, I hear you think?? No, I am about to head to Cape Town, to the airport, ready to board an Emirates flight to Dubai. I make no bones about it, I am NOT a good flyer, I have a fear of heights and I get claustrophobic, not a good combination when I am hurtling in a small time capsule above the clouds! Add to that the desperation I feel every time we hit a bump, and you may have an inkling of how I am feeling right now! I keep thinking, 'this time tomorrow...' but I still have to get through today!!

Fortunately I am not flying alone. This leg! My daughter is with me, she has been here on holiday with her husband who flew back last week. I was so lucky, my sister was here too, and that really was fantastic. I cannot remember the last time that we were all together, and sadly, my son and family were not here this time. Maybe one day............................

At the other end, well, I have so much to look forward to. Two weeks in Dubai, then off to Madrid to meet my gorgeous grandaughter, and to renew aquaintance with my handsome grandson. My case is packed with goodies for them, books, toys and clothes. In between I have shoved a few bits for me to wear, a pair of jeans and two shirts!!

I know that my time with them will speed past, it always does, but I aim to fill every day with as many memories as I can. My camera is packed and ready! I shall miss Rob and Alfie while I am away, I always do, and I know that they will be at the airport to meet me when I return in four weeks.

And the butterflies will have a couple of weeks rest between flights!