All's well!

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends. THANK YOU so much for the care and kindness you showed after I shared Skabby's traumatic experience. 

All is back to normal now again, although my workload seems to have increased substantially. Whereas I am normally quite at liberty to do part of my accommodation and Avon sales admin at the farm office, this week, I have had to ready several documents (read dozens to be photocopied) of Farmer John's insurance policies and other paperwork) which is filed for a consultant to peruse.  

And as always, my guests are in and out at an alarming rate, meaning Thandi and I are up at The Bunker , cleaning after and prepping before guests.

Comfortable and welcoming 

Fresh fruit in season alongside the welcome card

Continental breakfast self-service

Back to town to collect Avon, bring the order home and make up parcels for the customers. This week I did just this; went to the car and because I had bought greeting cards (at the shop where my Avon is delivered), I put the Avon box on the car roof. Because I had bought greeting cards from the shop, I placed these inside my bag on the seat. Closing the car the door I then walked over to the grocery store where I spent at least 20 minutes shopping...

When I walked out into the street, I noticed that someone had left something on the roof of their car. Looking again, I saw that someone was ME!

Mmm...

In between, I have had Skabby clipped and groomed in time for winter.

Can you believe this is the same dog from two weeks ago?

So all's well with the Champagne Valley Hedges household!

HAPPY MONDAY TO YOU ALL!

Family holiday accommodation

Good morning, dear Blogger friends. My blog would be incomplete if I didn't share the other accommodation which I manage. Nyathi Valley Berg House. 

I post quite regularly about The Bunker which is a two-sleeper holiday unit. Nyathi Valley Berg House belongs to Mark, who has his home base in Durban and works in Somalia. Mark is known as Buffalo in his work and social life. Hence the name of the holiday home. Nyathi Valley Berg House sleeps 14 people and has been very popular since I started managing for Mark in March 2021.

In October, my son, DIL and three grandchildren spent a long weekend in this house. In order to spend more time with them, once I had done Parkrun on Saturday, I drove up and spent the night with them. 

Apart from having an enjoyable evening, it was good for me to actually to spend a night in the house as a guest. At one stage, we had a challenge trying to have a hot shower. I phoned Mark and  he, in turn, guided Angus how to turn on the taps and activate the gas geyser. Hot showers for everyone! 

One aspect of this accommodation is the spectacular view of Cathkin and Champagne Castle peaks.

A breathtaking image of the sun setting over the Central Drakensberg

I was impressed with my photo at the top until I saw this one above... (Credit: Amanda Hedges) 

The children sitting on the rockery which my artist friend, Steven built for Mark

With Angus, Joel, Liam and Abby in the forest 

behind Nyathi Valley Berg House

HAPPY WEDNESDAY TO YOU ALL! 

The show goes on

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends. In between my cosmetic sales, online life coaching and farm administrative tasks, I have had almost back-to-back bookings at my holiday accommodation.

On Sunday Thandi and I went up to The Bunker to meet and check out the weekend guests. Once they had left, we started preparing for guests arriving at 2pm that afternoon. 

As always, we strip and remake the king-sized bed together. Then Thandi cleans the kitchen counters, checks and wipes the kitchen cabinets. She sweeps the floor and mops it with household cleaner and water. 

I set out the chocolates on rolled towels; fill the fridge with Continental breakfast food. I also polish all the wood surfaces, mirrors and television. 

Because the outgoing guests had used the braai (BBQ) facilities on the patio, which Thandi cleans, I opted to help her by cleaning the shower and toilet area. 

The king-sized bed made up complete with rolled towels and chocolate treats! 

Scrubbing the shower cubicle

Message in my guest book

On Tuesday morning, Thandi and I do this all over again. And again on Thursday...

My Christmas weekend guests arrive on Saturday and check out on 26th December. Thandi has the week between Christmas and New Year off, so I will go up and clean The Bunker and prepare it for the New Year week guests arriving at 2pm that day.

HAVE A GREAT MONDAY, EVERYONE! 

 

Eish...

 ...a nationalized South African word meaning surprise, annoyance, resignation. 

Eish! 

When I use this expression, I tend to stamp my foot in frustration; slap my palm against my forehead with exasperation, 

I never meant another two weeks to elapse before posting. But here I am again.

Apart from my work, I have returned to my weekly exercise classes in the Valley.   After our seven-minute-drop-a-dress-size-warm up- video, we set out in twos and threes to do the Friday 5km walk. 

I find since my knee injury, I am not at all adventurous any longer, no trying to better my time, etc. Fortunately, Estelle walks very slowly and she and I caught up on all the news while we covered the distance. Ironically, this was the FIRST time I attended since the last week in May; and we had a farewell brunch afterwards for our coach, Caroline. 

I know how to pick my events! 

Caroline is seated second from the end on the right of this photo. She has returned to Australia for two years

Estelle is continuing with the classes and to prove that I can attend functions and workouts without the lure of a meal, I joined the girls last Wednesday. It was a public holiday, the temperature sub-zero, but I enjoyed every minute of the exercises. I joined them this past Friday again and will continue to attend regularly, cleaning schedules permitting. Estelle supports my Weigh-Less group and I need to support her in this.

Meanwhile, during July and this far in August, I have had full house at The Bunker.  Thandi and I have cleaned after guests checking out and prepped for the next ones checking in.

 

A perfect 10 and positive review from guests is always appreciated 

Last week I offered to do "tea" after the church service. I supplied the sandwiches and scones and poured cups of tea after  attending the service! No freeloading this time, LOL!

The day before this, I did the Parkrun again after a long layoff. I'd had Skabby groomed and took him along: HIS first time back too. I don't know who was more excited: Skabby being back on a LONG walkies or my friends who had gotten to know him when we walked on my quest to achieve my 100th Parkrun!

The reason why Skabby hadn't been at Parkrun during the hot summer months is that I was trying to get his hot spot healed. Not just a teeny, little red dot. It was a HUGE raw area which took four months and many trips to the vets to heal.

Skabby's left shoulder area which had become a huge raw sore area

His left rump which was also a large painful area of raw skin

To add insult to injury (although it was for his own good), Skabby was fitted with a clone. This was to prevent him licking his wounds. The vets also bandaged his left rear foot to prevent him scratching the itchy areas and causing more problems.

Throughout this whole traumatic time, Skabby never once showed anything but a sunny nature. The surgery personnel marveled at how happy this dog always was, even when his mum brought him in for MORE injections and more treatment. And always he'd greet the vets with a lolling tongue and a wagging tail.

Finally the day arrived in mid-August where he was back at Parkrun. 

Cooler weather and a happy dog with a beautifully sleek coat

 

 HAVE A GREAT SATURDAY

With a little help from my friends...

 ...with apologies to The Beatles. And here I learned something today. I always thought that Joe Cocker was the original artist. 

Mmmm

We live and learn.

Good morning to my Blogger friends. Back to my injury before my holiday.  

The day I fell and was taken to the doctor, had X-rays and back to the doctor who arranged surgery in the city later that day, the Easter weekend was looming. And with me, long weekends (in fact, any weekend) I have holiday guests. In fact, I regulary have weekly guests too.

This was the case at the time of my fall. I had guests leaving on Thursday morning and the next guests checking in at 14h00 that same day. While waiting in the back of John and Ron's car to be taken to the hospital, I contacted my friend, Shelley. She and her husband own a large hotel. She also owns private holiday accommodation on the same estate where Grant and I lived before his death.  Even as I asked her if she could absorb my guests, I knew what the answer would be. It was the Easter long weekend, the middle of school holidays. Of course, there was no accommodation available in the Valley. 

While chatting, Shelley suddenly suggested that she could go and clean The Bunker and prepare it for the incoming guests. Can you BELIEVE that I have friends like this? Thanking her, I asked Ron to collect my holiday bags which I use to carry clean linen, toiletries etc.  On the way out, we first stopped at the hotel, Shelley took the bag and told me to worry no more about my guests. I was to focus on getting my knee surgery done and rest afterwards. 

Phew, the mind boggles at the community I live in.

After surgery and resting well over the long weekend (I mentioned in a previous post how Ron and Janine looked after me), it was Tuesday. Every Tuesday I run Weigh-Less groups in town. A member from the Valley Group had offered to transport me so Patrys drove me to my meeting, my Group Assistant and her DIL and granddaughter set up the tables and posters and I on crutches, weighed each member privately in the anteroom. I always do a motivational talk which I did this day as well. 

Wednesdays I run four online groups. This I do from home.

On Thursday it was time for my Valley Weigh-Less group. Ronnie took me to the venue, and while I rested knee on another chair, my Group Assistant weighed the members and did the talk afterwards. Sharyn, my Valley GA is very engaged with our members.

This was the pattern for the month of April. My Weigh-Less Groups continued with my friends helping.

Meanwhile, members continued to lose weight. Members continued to reach goal weight.

A couple reached their respective goal weight at the same time. 

I was able to award their Goal Weight certificates. 

Ron continued to drive me and Thandi to our accommodation to clean and prepare.  My Winterton Group Assistant's DIL, Helen told Ron that she would also help. The next week Helen and Chloe collected me and Thandi and took us to The Bunker. 

Chloe and Thandi fold the fleece throw while Helen changes pillow cases

Once a week Ronnie drove me to the physio in town. The first week on the therapist's bed, I was able to bend knee 11° . A week later we were at 33°. Two weeks after the surgery, Ron took me to the doctor who removed the 12 clamps and bandaged my knee. He told me to continue using the brace and crutches to move around. He gave me a reprieve:  I could sleep without the brace if I promised not to toss and turn. 

By the fourth week at the physio, I was able to bend knee 90°! The therapist said she had never seen such determination! 

I used the brace and crutches religiously 

Using the Thera band along with several other home exercises from the therapist, I improved mobility dramatically

All along I motivated my members to continue on their Weigh-Less program. I emphasized that even without my normal daily workout, I was still able to keep healthy and NOT gain weight.  

And using my accident, I reminded them that losing weight could ONLY be good for your joints: hips, knees and ankles. 

Motivational posters which I shared online with my members while I was recovering

I rest my case...

100th Parkrun

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends.  For those who have followed my blog for the past six years (since I moved to the Central Drakensberg) will know that in December 2016, Grant and I joined the newly formed Parkrun in Winterton. Grant became one of the regular tail walker volunteers.  I walked with our friend, Ant while we tried to better our time! 

After Grant's passing, I did three weeks of volunteering in his honor. In between I continued to walk my weekly 5km when work constraints permitted.(I was managing the Art Box for friends, Estelle and Steve at the time). During the winter of 2019, I was diagnosed with cancer. After successful surgery, I got back into Parkrun, reaching my 50th Parkrun in December 2019. During the ensuing months I reached 70 Parkruns. 

Lockdown April 2020 put paid to my job in retail as everything shut down. I was offered a position in the farm office, just across the lawn from my cottage. It also banned all sports and Parkrun was put on hold.

In October 2021 the Run Director asked me to join her and the two men who had been timing runners prior to Covid. We uploaded an app on our Smartphones and were ready to time parkrunners (and walkers) digitally from that weekend. 

I love numbers and statistics. In August 2022, I realized that I had reached 70 volunteering stints; I had stopped "Parkrunning/walking" at 70. My 70th birthday was approximately 30 weeks away.  With Skabby as my walking partner, I started on my quest to reach my 100th Parkrun milestone around the time of my 70th birthday, I started to walk the course again! 

At the Christmas eve walk, Skabby had developed a horrific hotspot ** so I stopped taking him along. The weather was terribly hot and even we humans were suffering out there. 

Training at the beginning of February, floods in mid-February, which caused Winterton Parkrun to be cancelled for the first time ever, and my Avon event at the beginning of March, meant I turned 70 but hadn't reached my 100th yet. 

Finally on Saturday 25th March, I was on the track and set out alone to do my hundredth Parkrun. Not far into the walk, I suddenly doubled over with severe chest pains. My friends Helen and Marelize were just behind me. Helen asked if she should accompany me back to the Waffle Hut. I shook my head, thinking IMAGINE having to turn back on this auspicious walk! 

As I stood up and relaxed, the chest pains subsided (turned out nothing serious, a rumbling ulcer😰) I started to walk with my two friends. On the last 400 meters, our photographer, Ann, was waiting to snap me

The ladies in blue and yellow. were instrumental in getting me to the finish line! 

Moi, after my 100th Parkrun achievement, with

Ezmarie, our Parkrun Director 

The two Run Directors congratulated me on my 100th and both said, "Now you can come back to volunteering! "

Don't miss the next post...

Note: ** Skabby is 100% healed. We will be going back to walking the Parkrun again during the cooler months. 

The show goes on

 With increasing regularity, Thandi and I are up at The Bunker. Cleaning after guests checking out and the next ones checking in. 

I'm dusting the surfaces while Thandi wipes the fridge shelves down 

Wiping the yucca plant with a wet wipe

As explained before, when guests check out, frequently I stand and talk to them on the patio while Thandi starts stripping the bed indoors and sweeping underneath. Once I have let the guests out of the property gate, I join Thandi and together we make the kingsized bed. Refilling that ultra large duvet covet takes two of us...

Once this is done, I place the pillows and cushions at the top of the bed. Roll the guest towels and prop a chocolate against each. 

Thandi is by now wiping all the kitchen surfaces (and refreshing the fridge - as in the photos above) and will ultimately mop the unit's floors. 

While she is busy sweeping the patio, I load the fridge with breakfast for two days; I write out the welcome card for the guests and send them a WhatsApp message with directions and key retrieval information. I reload the wireless dongle with 1GB Wifi complimentary and ensure the holiday bouquet on the DSTV is active.

HAPPY TUESDAY TO YOU ALL!