We had so much fun and a lot of chaos during our visit to George in the Western Cape. I flew down with my daughter Caitlin and her daughter Bree on Friday after work. Bree was so good on the flight, barely made a peep and happily chomped on our Chicken Tikka sandwiches (the best sandwich I have had on any of these flights).

Josh collected us at the airport and we went to Lily and Josh’s house where Caitlin and Bree were staying. When I walked in I was hit by a running Amelia who grabbed me and I picked her up and hugged her until she loosened her grip on my neck. It is so lovely to have this relationship with her. She then ran off to see her aunty Caitlin and cousin Bree. She absolutely adores Bree.

Lily had cooked lasagna and made a salad so that we could eat when we arrived and we all dug in happily. By then it was time for the girls to go to bed and Josh drove me over to the King George Protea which is located just around the corner from their house.

The last time I stayed there it was a bit of a nightmare. They had ignored my request for a ground floor room, my sheets had holes in them, the bathroom was set up for a wheelchair user (very low), the toilet seat fell off and had a weird bar which meant it would not stay up, there was nowhere to hang any of my long dresses as there were only a few shelves. I tend to wear long dresses most of the time. I also felt persecuted by the dining room hostess who chased me down at least once a day to ask for my proof of residence.

I wrote to the hotel and complained and I was given a 2 day complimentary stay. This time when I arrived it was like night and day! The staff recognised my name and were ever so polite and friendly. I had asked for a room with a view of the golf course and I was given one. I even had a wee gift basket with fruit and chocolate and a handwritten note. It was a lovely, clean room with plenty of hangers and a full length cupboard. I had asked for swim towels for the pool and they were there ready for the next morning.

The next morning I was woken by loud hammering. It was not even 8am and it was a Saturday. WTF?? I went ahead and got up and showered and dressed and went for breakfast. The lady at the front desk asked me how my night went and if everything was fine with my room. I told her about the hammering. On my way out of the hotel after breakfast I also saw my neighbours were complaining. You can hear him say good morning to me at the end of the video. I was standing out on the patio in my PJs at the time.

After breakfast I decided to walk over to Lily’s house as she had too much to do to prepare for her baby shower to come and collect me. I left with wet hair and it dried in no time at all.

By the time I arrived at their house I was dripping with sweat as the day had started to heat up.

The baby shower was at 2pm and the babies napped until right before it started. There were loads of children and mothers there, Dads were not invited. My ex-husband did not realise he was not invited and just showed up and did not seem to notice he was the only bloke there.

Lily had filled both of Amelia’s splash pools with water and set up a table and chairs for the kids to sit when eating their pizza. Most of the babies and toddlers spent the day splashing around and playing in the water. Some of the larger girls played inside with the toy kitchen and dollhouse. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.

The table for the baby shower was lovely.

I love the little sign Lily always decorates for her parties.

Lily had ordered pizzas from The Pottery. The owner of the Pottery, Jos, attended the party with her daughter Summer and Josh went to their house to swim with her husband.

Lily ordered a cake from the local baker and sent her an image to print of a little duck with a brolly. The cake was gorgeous and so tasty!

After everyone left, the family all hung out for a while recuperating from the heat. My son Trevor came over to spend the evening with us and see the girls. He is such a brilliant uncle and the girls adore him, especially Amelia whom he sees often.

On Sunday morning the girls and the babies and I all swam at the hotel. I am not one to swim in public but I wanted to make these memories with my grandchildren so I threw on a kimono and a Wonderfit costume and braved the world.

After our swim the girls went home to nap and once they woke we headed out to Wilderness to have lunch at The Girls. It was incredibly hot again. I wore a loose kaftan type dress to stay cool.

Their father came with us again and he and Caitlin drove up in Lily’s car. Lily, the babies and I drove up in Josh’s truck. Trevor came through to meet us and we had a long leisurely lunch. The restaurant had a playground for the kids in a more private area so we could keep an eye on the girls. When we arrived there was live music and the girls were both dancing away. It was so funny watching people watch us go by, a very pregnant Lily carrying a one year old and followed by a 2 year old. I could just hear ‘look at all the gorgeous girls’ as we walked through. It felt like we were on a runway.

Amelia had on sunglasses and a sunhat and was drinking out of a cute little glass bottle with a funky straw the waiter brought for her. I wish I could show you but we do not post either girl online. We had an amazing waiter!!

Most of us ordered the cheesy chicken burger. I added bacon to mine. It was absolutely gorgeous!

The babies shared some salt and pepper calamari and Bree loved it but Amelia thought it was ‘too spicy’. Caitlin, Lily and I ordered milkshakes afterwards and Trevor had an affogato.

Lily had made a plan to meet a woman who was selling a rocking chair on Marketplace and she popped out with Amelia and Trevor to collect it while Caitlin, their dad, Bree and I waited for them at the restaurant. It seemed to take days but in reality it was only about an hour. The road there was a dirt road which was hard to access without a truck.

By the time we finally got back to Lily’s it was late and it was time for the babies to head to bed. I went to my hotel to relax and cool off under the delicious air conditioning.

On Monday loud noises woke me again. First I heard a very loud phone ringing for what seemed like 10 minutes, then someone finally answered and started shouting to a woman on the other end of the phone. They took the call on speaker and at very loud volume as you can hear below. This was happening 2 or 3 rooms away from mine. After the call ended I could hear the workmen saying disparaging things about women at full volume and laughing. Not cool maintenance men, we can all hear you and yes, we are judging you.

Every morning I got into a routine of going for breakfast, having an omelette and getting a full belly to last for the day. The girls came to swim at the hotel early on Sunday and Monday mornings. I had another swimsuit cover up that I felt comfortable walking around in.

We started out at the larger pool on the first day but it was really busy and Amelia was intimidated by the older girls jumping and splashing. Also, it had no steps to enter gradually, only a ladder. With 2 babies, a pregnant woman and my ancient, arthritic, tubby arse we needed steps. We decided to head to the other pool away from the main hotel. It had a ledge at the deep end to sit on and steps on the shallow end for the girls to play on.

There was no one at all at the other pool and we had such a peaceful swim on both days.

The first day Bree did not want to get out, she was shivering and her lips were blue but she was loving the water. Amelia however was very grumpy and did not want to swim much at all that day. Then the second day, they swapped roles. Bree was not happy and Amelia swam for hours! Both days I alternated swimming with keeping in the shade as I did not want to get sunburnt.

On Monday after swimming, Bree did not want to go down for her nap. She cried for over an hour which is not like Bree at all, she is always a happy smiley child. Caitlin gave her a bottle as she did not want to eat anything solid and she eventually calmed down. I was ready to take her to the Emergency Room because I was worried. I am zero help in an emergency, I am the one leading the panic! Eventually she seemed to calm down but she was still not her usual self. Her nose and eyes were running and full of gunk.

That night Trevor came to join us after he finished work and we ordered take outs to have at home. We phoned my Mom and had a long video call with her getting to experience the chaos of all of us in the lounge laughing and talking nonsense. Trevor dropped me at my hotel when he left as Josh had work early in the morning. I love spending time with them all together as it happens so seldom that we are all in the same town.

On Tuesday we had planned to swim before I checked out, but it was drizzling rain when I went to breakfast. I dressed in a cool dress as it was still very hot despite the rain.

The rain ended soon after I finished breakfast. I had gotten into the habit of bringing back a coffee to my room and sitting outside on my balcony. I enjoyed my last coffee by the golf course.

I finished packing up my bags and went to check out. I have to say that I had a very pleasant stay, the breakfast buffet was brilliant, the staff were all friendly and not over-bearing and it was a lovely room with a nice view. The buck on the course even came to visit on the golf course. The only blight was the maintenance staff. The maintenance team need to learn to behave more professionally and to be aware of their surroundings. I understand that a hotel has to do maintenance in preparation for busy season, but IMO they should do it mid-winter and ensure the entire block where they are working is empty of guests. It would take planning and coordination but it could be done.

After I had paid my bill I messaged the girls who said that they were taking Bree to the doctor as she woke with her eyes stuck together with goop. The doctor said she had no fever and that it was just a normal cold and the gummy eyes were due to blocked tear ducts. Panic over, but Miss Bree was not a happy girl for most of the day.

After I checked out I chilled on the balcony at Lily’s and I thought it amusing that I went from one golf course view to another as Lily’s house overlooks a different course just over their hedge.

Before we went to the airport I changed into linen trousers and sandals with a strap to hold them on my feet as you have to walk across the tarmac and climb a set of ladder like steps to board a plane in George and then to exit the plane in Cape Town. I was wearing a lightweight long sleeved top.

When we headed off to the airport Millie cried for ages when we left. She thought her dad was also leaving as he drove us there but we reassured her that he was coming home. It is so difficult for the littles as they understand a lot but not everything and it is easy for them to get upset due to a misunderstanding.

When we arrived at the airport gates the air conditioning was not working (if it even exists). I was dripping with sweat so I changed for the third time that day and put on a short sleeved t-shirt. I do not like to have my upper arms out but needs must, rather be exposed than dead of a heat stroke.

Bree was fussy for most of the flight, she only cried for a few minutes but it seemed to be stressing Caitlin out, I think she was concerned about upsetting other passengers. I am never bothered by other people’s opinions, I was just upset about Bree being upset. It was so hot when we landed. Wes came to the airport to collect us. By the time we got to the car Caitlin and I were both dripping with sweat and exhausted. Bree was happy to see her Dad however so the trip home in the car was far more cheerful with her shouting ‘Dada’ from the back seat and Wes answering her. It was adorable how excited she was.

We got home quite late on Tuesday so we ordered a take away from the pub and I just zonked out on the sofa. I have been struggling to regulate ever since I got home. Norm has been so kind to me and is understanding that I am sometimes unable to function. Autistic meltdowns are a bit like depression, without the sadness.

The dogs were delighted to see me and I have enjoyed their welcome.

Poppy just wants to play fetch all day.

Norm cooked dinner for us on Thursday as he wanted something home cooked and I was still struggling to function.

I am so lucky to have a husband who looks after me with such care.

Many women do not have any support from their partners and there are many others who are victims in their own homes. As a survivor myself I understand how hard it is to get out of these situations when your self-esteem has been whittled away and your self confidence no longer exists.

The fact is that gender-based violence is a massive issue in South Africa, and although the government and corporate world often run campaigns addressing it, real change still seems out of reach.

Women for Change has decided to initiate a national shutdown on Friday, 21 November, just one day before South Africa’s crucial 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg.

South Africa faces a gender-based violence crisis with femicide rates 33.8% above global averages. The statistics paint a harrowing picture: a woman is buried every 2,5 hours due to gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. This translates to approximately 15 women murdered every single day, a crisis that has reached epidemic proportions yet continues to be inadequately addressed by authorities. If you know someone who is struggling, check on them. If you know someone who needs help, please do so. You may be their only point of safety.

Yesterday we had a fire in our village. It occurred at Veldt DBE, a restaurant I have written about before. We had takeaways for dinner from there on Wednesday evening. Veldt is managed by one of our favourite humans, Spiro and his lovely wife Julie also worked there. The entire center of the building was destroyed. It makes me so sad for them, the owner and the other staff.

This is the post made by the venue after the fire was extinguished. It is so heartbreaking.

This morning I slept until 9am which is unheard of for me. I had a few coffees in bed delivered by my amazing husband, then I had a shower, washed and conditioned my hair and did a full body scrub. I feel a bit better but am still struggling with my energy levels and my mental health. I just feel like my life energy was sucked out of my soul. I hope I perk up a bit after a few days of rest.

Norm popped out and got us a cappuccino and a bacon and egg box from Bootleggers. He also bought some beautiful proteas for me. He is a one in a million husband.

I have no plans this weekend and I am going to do absolutely nothing. I might swim if the weather accommodates it, but at the moment it is hot but very windy.

I hope you all have a good weekend. Until next time, Kisses from the Kitten xoxoxoxox