We had hot and sunny weather all of last weekend and it extended into the week but it started raining midweek and has continued through the weekend so far. When Cape Town is good she is very, very good when she is bad it is windy AF. Load shedding has continued this week and meant missed meetings and inability to get onto the client database so you have to be aware and organised.
Last Saturday Norm and I popped out to the pet shop and I finally found the perfect dog bed. I have bought 2 so far but had to return one because it was too small and the other order was cancelled because they were out of stock. Sometimes the Universe aligns to foil your progress in one direction as you need to go a different direction and this time that was what happened. Our local pet shop had one that is exactly what I wanted.
I also found suet balls for my 2 bird feeders at the local shop and Norm and I hung them when we got home. I put this one in the tree next to the pool.
And we put the ring in a tree on the other side of the garden. The birds have discovered this one and have been pecking away at the suet. Some of the bigger birds can utilise this one, the other little houses are too small for them to perch on.
When we got home I pottered about the garden watering my flowers and doing a bit of weeding here and there. The vines we planted are starting to climb and are both blooming. We should have planted them against the little fence behind them but I did not know they were vines, I thought they were a bush. Oops.
The Wild Irises that I had recently tidied up seemed to be thanking me for re-energising them as they were out in all their glory. Their little purple and yellow faces open wide to drink in the sunshine.
My garden makes me so happy, I do not know if I could have coped with lockdown if I did not have a garden to allow me to sit among nature. I really feel for those cooped up in a small flat with no outside area.
Last Sunday I was able to really experience nature as Norm and I took Pixie and Panda to walk on the Alphen Trail. It is a walking path which goes along a little river and is surrounded by lush trees and vines. There were lots of other people and dogs and even a few horses out walking. Both of the poms were really well behaved and even Panda the anti-social gremlin did not go mental. They loved it and trotted along happily sniffing everything. We walked just over 2.2 kms. Luckily Norm reminded me that I had to walk BACK from where we had gotten to, I had conveniently forgotten that part. Maybe I thought they could teleport me back.
On Monday when I weighed I had lost 5.5 kgs (over 12 lbs for your Yanks). That motivates me to continue. However I have a long way to go and I will not look in that direction in case it discourages me. I have to look at this as a lifestyle change. I want to be able to chase my future grandkids and get down on the floor with them rather than needing a crane to move me.
Norm and I both went to the dermatologist on Monday afternoon. I had a unicorn-ectomy. The dermatologist injected it with anesthetic, cut it out and then burned the area to stop any remaining rogue cells deciding to come back again. She has sent it for biopsy but I am sure it will be fine. I just hope my scar is not too horrific as I tend to keloid. Even if it does it will be better than whatever the eff that was sticking out of my head.
Later that afternoon Vanessa came to give me a pedicure so that helped to calm me down a bit. You cannot be stressed with someone massaging your tootsies. We had such a laugh over all sorts of nonsense as we always do.
Tuesday I had another appointment towards dealing with my dental issues. Norm dropped me off as I took an Ativan beforehand to calm me down. Dr P gave me a new crown on my back upper right molar which sounds much less traumatic than it is as they have to grind off the existing molar. Why can they not make silent dental tools? He also worked on my bridge on the left side as it was very sharp and was making my tongue raw. So I was numb on both sides afterwards and the right side was quite tender. But I am proud of myself for sitting nicely for over 3 hours. I go back next week for round 3 to fix another cracked molar.
I have also booked my annual mammogram and pap smear to make sure all is well with all of my lady bits.
The attempts at fitness, dental health and other changes are all part of my decision to look after myself better. I am in charge of my own health to a certain extent, only I can decide to make these changes.
On Thursday a mobile dog groomer came to give the poms a wash.
I wanted to try a new groomer as our usual groomer is very expensive and does not do a lot of the things I expect from a groomer. Panda was not impressed and whimpered the whole time but Pixie reveled in the attention like the princess she is.
The groomers did a brilliant job and properly trimmed their legs and undercarriage with scissors and made them look so fancy. They even put a little bandana on them when they finished.
I have now booked for the mobile groomer to come once a month. It is so convenient and is cheaper and more thorough than my usual groomer so it is a bit of a no-brainer.
Today Norm and I went for lunch at the stunning Cellars Hohenhort where we had recently had High Tea on my birthday weekend. It is such a beautiful venue.
We were seated inside at a cozy corner table where we felt isolated from the other guests.
They quickly brought us a glass of ice cold unwooded chardonnay and a platter of a few different home baked breads with fresh butter and hummus.
Norm chose the wild mushroom, broccoli and crispy bacon gnocchi for his starter. It was topped with Parmesan, pine nuts, crispy sage and they poured a mushroom cream over it when they served it. It was R98.
I chose the Caesar’s Salad which is one of their specialties. It was done the classic way with a twist and contained proper gem lettuce, Parmesan, crispy hen’s egg, herb croutons, white anchovies, cured bacon bits for R115. The crispy breaded egg was perfectly liquid when you cut into it. It was a massive portion.
The catch of the day was Kingklip and we both opted for that. It was served on a bed of buttery crushed new potatoes, steamed spinach, tender stem broccoli, salsa verde, & slow roasted tomato and topped with pickled cabbage. It was really fresh and the fish was perfectly cooked.
We were both stuffed and could not manage a dessert so we ordered a cappuccino and relaxed for a bit before we waddled out. Norm and I both give our lunch 5 Kitten Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Everything was perfection and could not be improved upon.
This week Norm and I started watching a few new series. We are watching Squid Game because so many people were discussing it on social media. Neither of us had heard anything at all about the premise of the show and we were both shocked when we watched the first episode so I will not tell you anything about it other than it is based on a group of people who are in serious debt and are competing for a cash prize by playing a series of children’s games. The show is set in South Korea and filmed in that language with English dubbed over. It has some elements of humour but even that is usually macabre dark humour.
The other show we started is For Life. It is based on the true life story of Isaac Wright Jr. who was wrongly convicted for a crime he did not do and while in prison he obtained a law degree and managed to overturn the convictions of 20 of his fellow inmates. Ultimately he had his own life sentence overturned.
In ‘For Life’, Aaron Wallace is the main character and is played by the sexy and talented British actor Nicholas Pinnock whom you may know from Marcella, a UK series that we really loved. Aaron’s back story is that he was a former club owner convicted of drug trafficking, although in truth, the drugs actually belonged to one of his friends. Aaron is now serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole. While in prison he earns a license to practice law and works to help his fellow inmates in court while also trying to overturn his own conviction. We are enjoying it so far.
Unless you have been living under a rock I am sure you know that Adele is releasing a new album. The album is called ’30’ and the first song from the album is ‘Easy On Me’ and it is fabulous. Adele is the Queen of Self-Care and is an inspiration to all women who want to transform their bodies in a healthy way. Adele has gotten addicted to working out during lockdown and looks amazing. I admire her determination.
The other musical artist that I want to showcase this week is Emily Sage and the track is ‘Nearer to You’. It has such a dreamy lullaby type mood to it. I hope you enjoy it.
Finally life is starting to be a bit more normal. I have a few outings to look forward to. Lily is coming to do a wood working course in Cape Town and will stay over for a week with us at the end of the month. We have also been invited to stay for a weekend with friends who have a cottage by the sea in Struis Bay. The Agulhas wine festival is that weekend which is supposed to be amazing. It will be fabulous to get away and relax with friends. I have arranged for a friend to come and stay with the animals for the weekend so that Norm and I can just chill with no responsibilities.
Also it is only three more weeks until Finn McCool arrives here from the breeder so we are definitely excited about finally getting to meet him. He and his siblings are 5 weeks old today. You can see their facial characteristics and their ears are starting to develop into unique little pups.
That is all from me until next time. I hope you have a wonderful week and that you stay safe. Wear a mask, wash your hands and get vaccinated.
Kisses from the Kitten xoxoxox
Kitten in the City 