The years in between then and now ......

It's been just over 7 years since I, rather enthusiastically, started this blog, yet somehow just lost the thread, or was it the plot?
It's been irking me for a while to pick up from where I left off, but couldn't find a way of linking the missing years.  So much has happened between then and now -  minor irrelevant things, major issues, and life changing events have all played a role in where I am now, and who I am now.

So here I am, trying to pick up from where I left off:

While I was still in the USA in 2011, I got to witness the birth of my granddaughter, Kate - this was part of the reason why my trip was planned around that time, so I could be of some help to Jake and Carla as they adjusted to parenthood with Luke, who was then a fiesty 2 year old, and a new born.
Being present for Kates birth was a huge highlight, and when I say 'present', I mean 'present', as in I actually stood next to the obstetrician and watched her enter this world.
The antics that took place that day in the labour/ delivery room were actually on one of my unfinished, unpublished drafts.... maybe I'll finish it one day :)

The morning after the night shift :)

I did a whirlwind trip to Washington DC a few weeks later. Caught a Greyhound bus, missed the connecting bus, and ending up sleeping on a bench at a bus station in Richmond, Virginia. The sights I saw that night!!!!  When I finally got to DC, I checked into a bed and breakfast, took in all the landmarks the next day, then caught another Greyhound bus back to Rocky Mount where Carla picked me up again the following morning.
She could only hope that I would be more or less on time, as my phone connection had decided to go on the blink and we had had no contact at all, so all we could rely on was common sense (when it comes to direction, I have very little) and the hope that I hadn't got lost, or delayed again.

Finally on the road

Lincoln Memorial

Zoomed in through the fence to get a close  up of the White House.

Capitol Building

Washington Monument

FBI Field Office

Shortly after that I was off to the UK where I had registered to do a frail care course and meet up with family, some of whom I hadn't yet met, and some who I had last seen when I was 6 just years old.

I spent the first couple of days in a hostel in Birmingham, sharing a 4 bed dorm room.  I met a guy from Poland, a girl from Czechoslovakia, a guy from Nigeria, and an Irish girl, all of whom were my roommates at some stage during my stay. 

I cant find my pic of the green door, so this one I downloaded from the internet

During this time, I also met up with one of my online scrabble opponents, who walked the streets of Birmingham with me, while listening to me complain about the cold, the gloom, and the fact that I had hardly seen any sunshine since arriving there.  After spending a day with Ms Misery Pants, it's hard to believe that we have remained friends :D
I then moved on to Gloucestershire, where I did the care course, and then met up and stayed with family which was awesome.
Public transport in England is tops!

One of the highlights of this time was going back to the house that I hade been born in 50 years earlier. I knocked on the door, hoping to take a look inside, but either there was genuinely no one at home, or they were keeping dead quiet waiting for the crazy foreign lady to go away.

My birthplace - as in the midwife rode on her bicycle to deliver me in this house.

I was offered a position as a live-in carer, within days of completing the course -  which is what my actual intention was - to stay in England for a while - earn some pounds, and then play it by ear from there, but the gloomy weather, a touch of homesickness, and my gut, was telling me otherwise and something just felt off.  I declined the job offer, stuck around a couple more weeks and then decided to head back home to Cape Town. By then I had run out of money and was unemployed, yet going back home felt like the right thing to do. The sunshine was calling me!

Back in Cape Town I got an awful temp job to tide me over,  and after 6 months was given an opportunity to visit Dubai. How could I refuse? So off I went again....... and spent an amazing 3 weeks in Dubai with two of my special people.
I saw the desert, crossed the creek on an abra, ate lunch at a restaurant on the top of a flat roofed building that looked down over the city and the creek, shopped at the little stalls along the side streets, bargained with the stall holders, and bought a handmade wall hanging that is currently displayed on our dining room wall.   I  visited the local museum, and floated (yes, me who cannot swim, floated) in an ocean that was as warm as bath water.  I also experienced heat like I could never have imagined possible - it was as high as 49C, on one of the days that we were out - fortunately everything is airconditioned. I also got to watch the magnificence of a sandstorm as it built up to its peak.  I went up the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world (one of the Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible, movies was filmed there), and although I had to crawl to the observation deck because I was so woozy,  I was eventually able to stand up and look over the edge (I cannot recall how high that building is, but it was HIGH).
 The highlight, of course, was riding a camel in the desert - scratch that one off my bucket list.   Beautiful, graceful creatures (once they have stood up) with the most amazing eyelashes. That sense of open space, and miles and miles of nothingness in the desert, was the absolute best.

Observation deck of the Burj Khalifa ….. looking down, down, down

Traffic jam while crossing the creek

The next couple of years were tough, and we had some ups but a lot more downs. Everything that could go wrong did, yet we always managed to find the humour, no matter how down and out we were. Bottom line - we survived, as we always do, and that's all that matters. 
On the bright side, I had secured a half day position, which eventually evolved into a full day position, with the company I am still working for now, 6 years later.

Jarryd headed off to Thailand towards the end of 2013, and so I had 3 children on 3 different continents.  I remain eternally grateful for technology that, besides having to calculate the time difference, allowed us to keep in touch on an almost daily basis.
He's still on a different continent, although somewhat closer now as he has settled, and is extremely happy, in England.

2014 brought the birth of little Eden, my third grandchild.  I was on skype with Carla for most of the time that she was in labour, then logged off to drive home from work.  I drove like a bat out of hell to get back onto skype again, only to find Eden had chosen not to wait for me, and had made her appearance during my 25 minute drive home.

Eden - Just one day old

I was able to meet Eden the following year in 2015 on my second visit to the USA. By this time, Carla and Jake had moved from North Carolina, back to Michigan, so I got to experience yet another part of the States.
During this trip, we went over the border into Canada - bearing in mind that Michigan is only about an hours drive from the border -  got another stamp in my passport as we entered Canada (it's a hobby lol - collecting passport stamps) and spent 2 days at Niagara Falls, which formed part of my upcoming birthday weekend.
 I remember, back in Primary School days, we used to do geography projects on various countries and one of mine was about Canada and the Niagara falls.  We used to collect brochures from travel agents and cut out the pictures to paste into our project books, and there I was, actually standing in front of it, feeling its force and getting drenched from the spray.

 2014 was also the year that we had to say goodbye to Lisa's beloved Max, my 4 legged Yorkie grand-doggie.  He had suffered heart failure the previous year and was being constantly monitored and on permanent meds.  He got to stage where the attacks were happening more and more frequently, he was starting to struggle and he was tired, and after 7 months, we had to make that call to send him to the Rainbow Bridge to get his angel wings. He went to join Jake, Micky, Bobby-Jean and Twiggy - all the fur-kids who have made our lives a little richer over the years.

18 months later, Kota came into our lives.  I was still in the USA, when Lisa called me to tell me about this approx. 4 month old GSD cross who had been picked up wandering the streets not too far from home.
Kota touched the hearts of many people, and one thing led to another and within days a few people had rallied together and sponsored her adoption fees.  The adoption was approved and Lisa went to fetch her.  When I got home the following week, there was this beautiful, gangly, dorky, clumsy furkid waiting to greet me, and home, as it had been before I left, was never the same again.

Kota is now a beautiful 3½ year old, with so much love to give and even Diesel Dude, who doesn't like anyone, took to her.

Of course, it didn't stop there ……. 2016 came along, and, as usual, I was browsing through the rescue sites, and stopping at each picture to say a prayer for each and every homeless dog to find the loving home that it deserves, when I came across Amy.  She was dirty and matted and looked so, so sad. She had been surrendered because "they didn't want her anymore".  She had subsequently been adopted, but was returned because "it didn't work out" and so there she was, back in foster care.  I see this on posts every single day and I know I cant save them all, but something made me act on this.  I was able to by-pass the home check and full process - this was already a sign -  because it turned out that work colleagues were very involved with that specific rescue organization so they vouched for me.  The following day Amy came home with me for a trial run ……. and she never left.  There have been some health issues along the way, as well as serious anxiety issues (this is why she had to come home with me - we can relate to each other).  It's been a long hard road of rehabilitation to teach her how to be a dog, but you should see her now. She barks, she plays with a ball, and she runs around the garden - none of which she had done before.

Unfortunately when I left Cape Town and moved up here to KZN almost 2 years ago, I had to leave her behind with Lisa, and the home that she had grown accustomed too. The move would have been too traumatic for her, and could have set her back and undone all the progress that she had made, so we chose what was best for her.  Lisa has been just amazing with her.

This pretty much brings me to where I am now and how I got here -but that will be my next post.

For now, having just written about and recalled the events of the last few years, it has just reiterated how blessed and how privileged I have been and still am.  Yes, there have been days so dark that I haven't been able to imagine ever seeing the light again.  There have been unexpected expenses that just seemed to pile up. Yet, at the last minute, something always happened to make whatever the issue was work out.
My faith has been tested time and time again, but my Angels and the good vibes out there continued to keep me covered every step of the way - even the times when I doubt that they even exist.
I remain grateful and thankful for a minimalistic and simple lifestyle where my riches are not counted in material value but in memories, chances taken, and  fears faced.

The other side ..... the sadness and the homesickness ..... it's all part of the journey!

When i initially started this blog, it was with the intention of capturing my doings, thoughts and feelings for the next 50 years so in 49 years time, when i am sitting in my jail cell, after being arrested for public indecency, I could look back and reminisce :)  It was meant to be fun and spunky and depict the side of me that travelled, had fun, met new people and would make good reading for my Special People who I know are following my "journey"


What i didn't realise how badly the homesickness and a sense of such absolute sadness would come to overwhelm me.  This came to a head on my trip to Washington which is why i have been so hesitant to blog about it.  It would have been so much easier to post a bunch of pics in an album on FaceBook and leave it at that.


But, as do most of us, i have 2 sides to me (only 2?) and if this is going to be a true reflection of my life for the next 50 years, then i have to show the other side as well.  The side that causes me to withdraw - my motto being "if you dont have anything positive to say, then dont say anything at all"

I guess I realized what a big world this is, and how small and insignificant I really am. Yet, I know that I matter to my 'tribe",  my children and the small group of people who 'get' me and my somewhat unconventional ways.

Tomorrow will be better, because there is always something to look forward to. So I will allow myself my few minutes of homesickness and sadness, and then I will move on even if it's just five minutes at a time.  

Simple things .....

I have never been able to decide if I was blessed or cursed with my childlike ability to be entertained and amused by the simplest of things.

This evening, a simple shopping trip had me entertained from beginning to end.  

The shopping carts ( yes I am already starting to speak American English lol) in one of the grocery stores are kitted out to simulate a kiddies racing car, right down to the flames painted on the sides, so they can "drive" while mom is shopping. In this case, it was to keep Gogga and Luke occupied while mom was shopping :))

I decided to practice my "driving" on the right hand side of the road in the shopping aisles with Luke "steering" in the shopping cart. 

Needless to say I am as big a danger in a grocery store as what I would be if i even attempted to drive in the USA,  but we had tons of fun speeding up and down the aisles, with me shouting "  Turn the wheel, turn, turn....."  and Luke screaming with laughter and turning the steering wheel like a race car driver and then we would skid to a stop, with screeching brake sounds.  

Years from now I can see this happening in reverse, Luke pushing me around the corridors of the old age home in my wheel chair..... " Brrrrrrm,   brrrrrrrm,   brrrrrrm,  turn the wheel Gogga, turn, turn, turn ......"   

As we were making our way to the check out, a man who had been shopping with his son, stopped and asked us where we were from.  I love telling people that i am visiting from Cape Town and during our brief chat, he mentioned that his son had overheard Carla and I speaking earlier and had asked "Dad, why dont I talk like they do ?" 

Lol, yes I grew up in South Africa and yes, i talk funny !!!!

Then came the next highlight of the evening ...... my first self service check out.

Carla knows how difficult i find technology of any sort, so she says "Okay mom, I am going to show you how to do this, then you are going to do it yourself ......"  

I watched as she hooked a carrier bag over some hook thingies, pressed the payment selection on the screen, swiped her card and then swiped the barcode on the first grocery item over the scanner. Then it was my turn .... the more i swiped, the more excited i got.  I can only imagine how it looked to the other shoppers in the store - me jumping up and down with excitement, grinning like a Cheshire Cat as i am scanning groceries with Carla standing by taking pics.

Welcome to my world, people, where Food Lion Grocery Store can be just as much fun (if not more) than any regular tourist attraction.

 On the way home, Carla mentioned we had to stop to put in gas (another word i have picked up very easily).   

"I want to pump gas, I want to pump gas ....."   "Yes mom" Carla replies as patiently as she would with Luke "you can pump the gas"

So there we are at the gas station ( i dont think that there is such as thing as a petrol attendant in the USA) and Carla is once again patiently instructing me step by step how to pump gas.

It may be a small insignificant thing to some, but to me, I made yet another memory. Who would have thought that on the 1 October last year, i would be pumping gas in the USA a year later :)

 

Sight seeing in New York, riding a camel in Dubai, and back packing around Egypt (all items on my bucket list) will still come,  but for now I have experienced and enjoyed some new simple things, things that i have never done before, in a small town in North Carolina.

My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is.  ~Ron Olson

Love is... sharing earphones with your grandson while watching the Bon Jovi concert ....

Yesterday it was the live stream of Bon Jovi's concert in Lisbon - the last concert of the Circle Tour and well, i dont need to explain how i have perved over this man for 25 years, so of course I was all settled down to watch, giving strict instructions to Carla that i was not to be disturbed.  This is Jon Bon Jovi after all, and he deserves my undivided attention..... :))


A little while into the concert, Carla came in and gave baby Kate to me. I took her rather absent mindedly and continued watching with her lying on my lap.  A while later, when it was getting close to feeding time, Carla came in to fetch her, this time with Luke in tow.  I handed Kate over to Carla, barely looking up from my laptop screen lest i miss something, but out of the corner of my eye i caught a glimpse of Luke standing watching me, looking so forlorn and neglected.  My heart melted as i turned to him and asked "Do you want to come and sit in Gogga's lap and watch some Bon Jovi ?? "    His little face lit up and he immediately clambered onto my lap,  pointing to my earphones and asking what they were.


The pics tell the rest of the story.... There will be other Bon Jovi concerts, but these moments with Luke can never be recaptured......

Yay for Bon Jovi

 

Play time with Luke

It gets really boring for a 2 year old to be dragged around shopping malls (and Walmart lol) with his mom and Gogga, so we have tried to include fun things for him to do as well to keep him entertained (okay, they are fun for me too, I am just using Luke as an excuse lol).

 We had lunch at Mc Donalds  and while Carla sat and rested, I took him into the play area.  Lol the bruises on my knees and arms from crawling through the play centre with him are only just starting to fade.  After doing the entire circuit a few times with him, he was able to do it by himself, but after only one solo attempt, he decided it was more fun if i did it with him, so my poor knees took another beating..... coming down the slide was really fun though :)

On Friday we were browsing around the Golden East Crossing Mall in Rocky Mount, and Luke was really patient while we did some bargain shopping at some of the awesome little shops there, so as a special treat we took him on the train ride around the mall.  Once again, i dont know who had the most fun. It is a miniature version of a real train that whistles and chugs around the mall,driven by a little Chinese man dressed in a uniform.  We getting some really strange looks from people walking through the mall, probably wondering if this strange lady from Africa had ever seen a train before lol 

There is a wishing fountain in the middle of the mall, where you are supposed to throw a coin in and make a wish.  Carla had already told me how much Luke loves the fountain, so after the train ride we headed there. I had already filled a little bag with all my South African coins to give to him to throw in when we got there. 

On Saturday, although it was a scorching 33C, there was a lot less humidity so we could finally spend sometime outside without running inside to the aircon after just a few minutes.  I got to spend some quality time in the sandbox with Luke, making sandcastles and decorating them.   He was so funny..... if he liked how i decorated my sand castle (using twigs and leaves etc) he would clap his hands and say "Yay".   If he didn't like my decoration he would break it down and say "Oh No"

All was good until "Along came a spider and frightened poor Gogga away"  lol

 It was just a random garden spider, but didn't look like anything i knew, so that ended my time in the sandbox.  I decided being inside with the aircon was much safer :)