Journeying and a new bear.....................

It has been a week of contrasts. We have found a wonderful house but now have to start the stressful process of rent application. Cannot understand why being self-employed bothers people so much, have worked from home for some 15 years and have a sound credit rating but it seems to terrify agencies particularly when they realise that you 'make bears' for a living! We will hopefully know later this coming week whether we are considered suitable tenants.

In the meantime I have to make a 'flying' visit to Cape Town to sort out our finances. Not a planned trip but due to exchange control regulations I cannot transfer money without being personally there with an air ticket. I have been invited to stay with a very dear friend which will be a special blessing as I am not looking forward to the trip, a long flight via Dubai as it was the cheapest fare available, remembering to lock the doors on my car and put my handbag and mobile out of sight and all those sort of things I have forgotten about. Perhaps some warm sunshine after a hard winter will be something to look forward to and of course that beautiful mountain in the middle of the city.

My list of things to buy is getting longer, some of the over the counter medicines we became so used to having readily available plus my special vitamin supplements, could make some customs official think I am a total hypochondriac I suppose. I also need to find the special thread we use for jointing our bears as I have not found anything similar in the UK and other silly things like pepper and herb grinders.

I have listed a little girl on e-bay. Aurelia is wearing another flower trimmed tatted scarf which Megan kindly made for me. Tatting is a knotted lacecraft made using a shuttle, something I tried to learn many years ago but just could not get the hang of. Fortunately Megan learned this technique and has become very skilled at making beautiful items of lace. I just make the crochet flowers!

Have a good week.............

"You haven't lost your smile at all, it's right under your nose. You just forgot it was there"