Aug 31, 2010 | South Africa, Travel..ling Tuesdays
Happy Tuesday, guys and gals! We are back on the part of the map that says Gordon’s Bay, and I’m hoping a momentary gush of bandwidth will carry this Travelling Tuesday to its intended URL destination — our internet’s not doing so well today. The travels with my Mama in tow did not disappoint when it came to photo opps! She left Sunday and I cried like a baby. And the next morning the Imagination Movers were singing an “I Love My Mom†song which the Bear seemed to enjoy. I however, since we were in someone else’s holiday home, resisted the urge to throw something at the TV.
Anywho, Knysna. The first syllable rhymes with “eye” and the second rhymes with “duh”. Knysna was the first stop on GC’s African Road Trip adventure (not including Gordon’s Bay and the other adventures around Cape Town). We had a beautiful and sunny couple of days there. But illustrations are better than explanations!
Knysna sits on a lovely estuary, often incorrectly referred to as a lagoon. But lagoon sounds more romantic and exotic doesn’t it? The lagoon estuary has a narrow exit way which flows into the Indian Ocean between two lovely cliff rock faces called the Knysna Heads. There’s an eastern head, a western head, and plenty of nice places to stop if you need to hit the head.
Look, here’s one now! The Eastern Head to be more specific…
And another one! The western one, methinks. Those black spots are birds…I think cormorants.
We took a boat trip along the lagoon estuary and enjoyed venturing out towards the heads. After around 49 vessels sank trying to enter through these narrow straits, they decided to close the port. Probably a wise decision. Care for some more illustrations? (Not of sinking vessels, mind you…)
For some reason the Bear thought we were aboard the poop deck…
Or else the bumpy ride we experienced in the rough waters near the heads scared him poopless.
See, there’s not much space there…
I’d been on this lag estuary twice before this and it had never been calm enough to get this close. I didn’t know there were caves and paths past the big rocks!
I thought about dunking our camera in the water to see if I could catch a shot of the unique Knysna Seahorse, but I was afraid HH might not appreciate that effort. BTW, did you know that male seahorses carry the babies and give birth?
Our comfy accommodation was on the Knysna waterfront where we enjoyed nice restaurants and touristy shops, along with a pretty view from our place…
And we went for a wee walk along the eastern head and enjoyed sundowners at a little restaurant with a gorgeous view. Hero Hubs and GC enjoyed Long Island Iced Tea. This Mama enjoyed a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri instead. The Bear enjoyed it too.
All in all, Knysna is a wonderful stop along the garden route. G.C. enjoyed her oysters, the Bear enjoyed a boat ride, HH and I enjoyed not working for a few days…who could ask for anything more?
Hope your Tuesday has been a good one! And that you enjoy the moment wherever your journey takes you next!
xCC
Aug 27, 2010 | South Africa
Hello again from the road! We’re enjoying our travelling ways these days, Mama D is enjoying her first taste of Africa, and the Bear is just being an all-around superstar, no matter where his head hits the pillow at night! Here’s the proof:
Can you believe he put that Wonder Pet Tuck the Turtle on his own head, and then went to sleep like that? Well he did!
I thought this Free-For-All Friday, you might enjoy a few posts I’d like to feature by my awesome sister (Dodi) and hilarious brother in law (Andy Konigsmark). Please don’t ask me to pronounce their last name for you. I’m still working on it. Well, I think I have it, but Hero Hubs says I’m not saying it right.
But first I want to remind you, in case I managed to let you forget, that a certain charity is being featured as the We Are That Family Back to School Do It For Others Project. Yay!!!! Ahem.
Now it’s time to find out how to make a Joy List. (I think we all should.)
Then learn how to act right at a restaurant. Having also worked in the food service industry, I think this is an important skill.
Last, join Andy and Dodi (and me and my Mom) in having a good laugh at the best of the best of the things the Campers said at the Young Life camp they brought their youth group to a few weeks ago. I am just dying for some context on some of these, and to know how many of them were actually said by Andy! (By the way Andy — you should submit something to stuff Christians like!)
Well friends, we should be back in Gordon’s Bay and life as usual early next week. I may or may not have the internet access to post anything else between now and then…but perhaps the excitement at all the photos you’re going to enjoy when we get back will be enough to hold you over until then!
With love from the road,
xCC
Aug 26, 2010 | South Africa
Are you on Twitter? It’s okay if you’re not, I’m just asking. In case you need an explanation, on Twitter you basically share news in 140 characters (not words) or less with anyone who is “following†you. You use hashtags “#†if you’re speaking about a particular subject that you think other people are likely to search for. It’s an interesting experiment in social networking. Anyway.
When I was waiting for my Mom to arrive at the airport last week, I wished I had internet access because there were so many things I wanted to tweet during my adventure up to Joburg and back. This is Africa and there wasn’t much wifi for the taking, unfortunately. So I wrote down a few tweets I thought you might enjoy in hindsight. Some might be more than 140 characters but since this isn’t twitter, who’s counting?
Oh great. I’m sitting in front of a loud talker/chair pusher. At least he’s not speaking English. It’s a lot easier to drown out.
Wow. Two gentleman were just about to fight in the aisle before exit. #Gentlemanisaloseterm
The convo ended w/ the very buff guy telling the overweight guy (who was definitely talking a ridiculous amount of smack) Shut up, Fat Man.
Why do potential fights give me that excited-butterfly-oh-no feeling? I’m not in high school anymore.
I just ordered a salad at Mugg & Bean. I’m pregnant and I ordered a salad. This is unbelievable.
I think that was 1 of the best salads I’ve ever had. Enjoy the healthy goodness, wee one on the way. Can’t promise it’ll happen again soon.
I just found an amazing bakery with a million things I want to try. #PregnantLadyinaCandyStore
I’m gonna have to be honest. That chocolate chip muffin needed more chocolate chips. #Dern.
My Mom’s going to land in a few minutes! Whoo-hoo! Time to find a potty and get my waitin face on!
My Mom is heeeeeeeeeeeereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
My Mom is here and she has snacks! Chocolate covered pretzels, howzit? I’ve missed you!
Did I mention my Mom is here?
Thank you, South African airways for that tasty second supper. I didn’t even need that half a PBJ twenty minutes ago.
The rise of Jimmy Choos is being told and retold on TV on this flight. #SoRandom
A safe landing in Cape Town, my Mama in tow. #BestdayI’vehadinalongtime
Perhaps worth a few smiles and laughs? Maybe a retweet? 😉
xCC
P.S. Here’s a token of promise that great photos are on the way! (In case you’re wondering, that’s two handfuls of sand on the way.)
Aug 24, 2010 | Travel..ling Tuesdays
Happy Tuesday, friends! We’re on the road with my Mama and loving the adventure together! I will have some wonderful photos for you from the places we’ve enjoyed along the way for a few Travelling Tuesdays to come!
In the meantime, this Travelling Tuesday is a birthday edition! You can travel to our new place where you’ll get a few glimpses of what it looks like furnished – but more important, you’ll get to see the Birthday Bear, enjoying the travel into the world of being tewwwwooooooooohhh, as he puts it.
We’ll start things off with the most important part, the labour of love which was the birthday cake. He likes stars, so there ya go. I worked hard. That icing is from scratch!!! And I don’t have a sieve for sifted the powdered sugar, so it was slowly slowly blended with lots of love!
And here’s the cake with the age appropriate signage. Can you tell I was proud?
The boy is overjoyed with guests arriving!
Hannah isn’t sure she wants to smile for the camera.
Mom meets one of my neighbours and her daughter. The Bear ADORES this little girl! He walks over and gives her a gentle pat whenever she arrives.
Liam finds my MacBook, carefully stowed under the couch where it can charge in peace. Uh-oh!
The Bear was impressed with Sarah’s big girl skills: going down the stairs forwards like a grown-up. (He still goes backwards on his belly.)
He occasionally gave overwhelming hollers of thisisthebestdayever delight – wish I could’ve captured one on the camera for you!
Brother and Sister. Sweet hey?
Trystan is always smiling.
Trystan’s Mom is a sweet friend!
The Bear decides I can blow out the candle. He’ll just grab some icing.
Liam likes cake.
So those are the highlights! Besides taking pictures of all the great prezzies, which just seems excessive. It was a wild event, but lots of fun! Glad birthdays come once a year. 🙂
Blessings as your adventure continues, friends! Happy Tuesday!
xCC
Aug 23, 2010 | Stories, The Good Word
This is an excerpt of an email reply I felt prompted to write a few weeks ago. I thought I might just drop it into a post, because for some reason I thought it might also be a word for a few of you, friends. It is amazing how a word that is in season for one of us is also in season, and encouraging, for others among us at the same time. If it’s a word for you, I hope you’re encouraged and you’ll take it to heart!
The excerpt:
Before I answer your questions, if I may, I just want to encourage you to press into the Lord to ask Him to continue to confirm His will to you. It’s easy to read into our circumstances (and what other people think), and that might try to dictate to us whether or not we’re walking in His will. But sometimes we are like Peter, getting out of the boat, walking on the water over to Jesus. He was in Jesus’ will, because Jesus said “Come” but he saw the wind and was afraid. The wind is likely to blow in an attempt to hinder you from walking in the plans God has for you. But don’t let the wind convince you that you’re not walking toward Jesus. Let Him confirm it to you. I say this now because when you arrive and things get tough, the enemy will creep in and whisper “Did God really say…?” and you’ll struggle to stand on faith through those tough moments if there is uncertainty in your heart. Transcontinental moves {insert your calling here} are not for the faint of heart — especially moves called by the will of God.
It sounds like the Lord might have a boat for you to get out of. My simple prayer when I was uncertain about my move to Scotland was just like Peter’s: “Lord, if it’s You, bid me come.” He did, unmistakably, and it was good to be able to point to that at moment when the enemy crept in to say “Did God really say…?”
{end excerpt}
Is there a boat the Lord wants you to get out of today? I hope you’ll run after the Lord, listen for His will and with simple and childlike faith respond like Peter: “Lord if it’s You, bid me come.†In His good timing, I trust you’ll hear His “Come,†His “This is the way, walk in it†— His voice with unmistakable power and peace, bidding you to follow, to walk in His glory.
Was that a word for you? If so, I’d love to know!
xCC
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