Just Journaling ~ 26th September – 5th October

Compiled and shared ~ 13th October 2017 ~
 
26th September 2017 ~ Tuesday
This evening we had our town house meeting.  I can’t tell you how nervous I was.  You’d think I was at school still and was going to have to face the headmaster!  Ridiculous.  Anyway, my neighbour accompanied me so it wasn’t too bad.  I imagined that the body corporate were scary people who were always watching us… maybe even looking over our walls to make sure you obeyed the rules and that they worked things to see how much money they could get out of us, but after this meeting, I understood things better and feel safer and more at peace in my little house now.

27th September ~ Wednesday
My daughter in law came to pick up the children in the evening and brought some salad groceries and cheese with her.  We have been so blessed this month by the kindness of friends and family, and have gotten through by the Grace of God.

Our garden helper called me on the phone to collect him along with a good few bags of compost that he’d collected for my garden.  What a blessing he is also.  He helped mix the compost and a bag of manure we had bought previously into the one long garden bed so that it would be ready for planting seedlings into.  When it was time to give him a lift back to his house, he loaded my car with the remaining bags of garden refuse which I had struggled to get rid of for quite some time.  I was so grateful to him for just taking charge of what he could see needed to be done without us even asking him.  Both the bringing of compost and taking away of garden refuse was his idea… he’s a very good man.  He also took the empty bags back with him to fill with more compost for our last bed that needs topping up.

In the afternoon, I shortened and pinned my daughter’s new jeans… that also gave me a sense of happiness… to still be able to do mom-things for my children… pure joy!

28th September ~ Thursday
In the morning I accompanied my little sister to the hospital for a small procedure she was getting done.  As I waited for her in the waiting room with quite a few people sitting there too, I found myself yawning my sweet little head off with tears rolling down my cheeks from it all!  Oh, my goodness me, how embarrassing.  I realised that without doubt now, yawning is my stress response to being in stressful social situations… even as mildly stressful as sitting in a room full of strangers in a hospital waiting room.  I also yawn like that when I’m at the university with our Logotherapy group there… fear of being asked a question I can’t answer and making a fool of myself, etc. can trigger the yawning attack. I sometimes experience it at church too and when I go to pick up my grandchildren… just leaving the safety of my car to go meet the little one at her class and having to walk among strangers to do so… by the time I get back to the car, you’d think I hadn’t slept in a week the way I yawn… my poor grandchild must think I’m terribly board with her conversation… hahaha!

In the afternoon today, I prepared for a student’s exam tomorrow.  This one student was not able to make a plan to attend the workshop in November… the July workshop had been postponed due to our mentor’s accident.  So, we arranged for her to take her exam while she is on holiday visiting her family in Johannesburg.

29th September ~ Friday
Today my youngest son was off duty to accompany me to the East Rand Mall to meet my student.  At the Mug and Bean, I presented to the student from my computer and she did her exam right there.  She insisted that she had no problem concentrating in crowded and noisy places and she also chose the place for us to meet.  Her husband sat nearby and later, kindly took a look at my computer to see if he could set up all my e-mail addresses to come to one e-mail address… but for some reason we couldn’t get it right.  Another friend and Logotherapy trainer joined us right at the end, in time to answer the student’s questions on the way forward with her Logotherapy courses.  I had a special time with my student and her husband, my son and my trainer friend.

When we used to live in Benoni for over 30 years, our one most favourite place to visit was the Flora Farm garden nursery.  The quality of the seedlings and plants there would rival any other nursery that I’ve ever visited… they have really healthy and strong plants.  My son and I were so excited that we still had time to go visit there before it closed for the day.  Of course, we could not come home empty handed and I bought a few vegetable seedlings, knowing that if they grew well, we could potentially save a lot of money, especially on my regular salad requirements.

The seedlings we bought:  perpetual lettuce, frilled parsley, green pepper, egg fruit and chives.

I was unbelievably energised after our Flora Farm visit and couldn’t wait to get home to plant our new seedlings out in our new garden bed.  As soon as I arrived home, I planted them and I felt so happy and content by the end of the day.  I love having a food garden… it gives me a real sense of security and joy.

30th September ~ Saturday
Blessed by cooler, overcast weather, our seedlings had hardly wilted at all after their transplant and looked as though they had settled in really well.

A friend called to ask if I’d look after her disabled child for a few hours, so while there, I finished sewing my daughter’s trousers.  Of course, I still do the herringbone style of hemming that I learned at school… tiny crisscross stitches… just like my teacher of many years before had taught us… Miss. Dauber was her name if I remember right.

In the afternoon, I marked the student’s exam and sent her, her mark and certificate.

With new plants, I’d need to water twice a day and keep up with weeding… but gratefully, the cooler weather and occasional rain showers has gone a long way towards helping my seedlings to set their roots in.  Today, I also planted a few bush zucchini seeds, red onions and spinach seeds… oh… and some bush beans.

1st October ~ Sunday
I had an off day today… felt ill… upset tummy, headachy, weak and felt very flat, so it was a bit of a wasted day… I didn’t get much done at all.  I did spend some time in my garden though and secured a cherry tomato bush to sticks.  It was a tomato bush that had come up on its own… I never planted it… I always say that those that come up on their own, are Gifts from Heaven, so I take extra special care of them.

During the day, my son took my car to my daughter’s house where my favourite, one and only son-in-law’s replaced the thermostat on my car.  My car has been boiling after short trips, so my son-in-law wanted to see if it would improve after the thermostat change, and so far, so good.

My son came home with curry and salad from my daughter for our supper… a most delicious and welcomed surprise.  My daughter sure knows how to cook!

2nd October ~ Monday
I received an unexpected phone call today from my mentor who invited me to join her and her husband at our favourite meeting place… the Cow Farm in Pretoria.  I couldn’t get there quick enough and we had a truly lovely and peaceful time together over lunch.  I needed today so very much.  I have been beating myself up terribly since the hard drive crash in June, and the unconditional love and reassurance I received today was sorely needed in so many ways.

After lunch, we visited the farm stall, petted the calves and I hugged the big tree that I love there… hugging that tree is totally irresistible to me!  I don’t care what anyone thinks of me… I’m a tree hugger and I love it! 

During the morning, before I went to Pretoria, our handyman surprised me with a visit… he had taken two working taps off of an old basin and came to exchange them for the broken taps we’ve had on our kitchen sink since we moved in to this house in 2012.  Their heads could not be secured, so they kept falling off and broke many a glass or plate while we were washing dishes, and they had been dripping for a while also.  It is wonderful now to have our kitchen taps in working order and no more dripping… thanks to our kind handyman.  He did not charge us for that job.  I am grateful to him.

We also have a next door neighbour who loves to spoil us, so she too is always popping around with some yummy surprise or other… she is such a sweetheart.

What a lovely day full of wonderful surprises!

Before our handyman left, we heard a huge crash… one of our neighbours security gate fell off of the rails… so thankfully we were all able to go over to help her set it back on the rails.  We think that perhaps a crook had tried to tamper with her gate during the night.

5th October ~ Thursday
We found a frog hopping around in our lounge this morning… my inner child squealed with delight!  We took it out to our rain drenched garden where it happily hopped away.

Later in the day, I received an email of doubt in me, from a friend that absolutely shattered me… instant deep depression and suicidal thoughts buzzed around in my head for hours on end.  To help myself, I checked in on a friend who I knew was also in a very depressed state after a family squabble… being there for my friend helped me, so that worked well.  I did not let on that I was also depressed.

9th October ~ Monday
A tornado and terrible hailstorm hit our city… I’ll write about that in another blog post as soon as I can find time.
 
Thank you for sharing with me.  Please feel free to post a comment.
 
~ Panayiota