Colin has been away for a few days. A new Cape Town based project, took him to Gauteng for a while. Some things just do not change. No matter how many people do the semigration, the business hub unfortunately may always be Gauteng. But you know what? Gauteng deserves it. They know how to get things done. On time. Let me not forget to mention on time.

As always when Colin is away, I get plenty quality time in with my favourite music. I wake up to Roxy music and I fall asleep to Meatloaf. I also have a packet of Simba chips for supper, and Choc-Chip biscuits for midnight snack, but let’s rather not go down that road. Now, when it comes to time to write my Cape Crawl, I sometimes have a topic, and Colin needs to scramble for a photo. Other times, he takes a photo which I really like, and I write around the photo. Today’s installment is one of those, where the photo took the words right out of my mouth.

Traveling back today, Colin was at one of the Stop-and-Go points on Clarens Drive. I think there are six of them, going back to the floods last year. If you could have seen the damage created by the water, you will understand why it is taking so long to fix. Looking at the wash-out a year ago, I did wonder how they were going to do the repairs. Well, they are. It is just taking time.

A while ago, do you recall me sharing with you that I found myself in an unpleasant space, and I had to find some emotional healing. It came. With the help of a Meatloaf song. The song in question was Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are. It is one of those Jim Steinman classics, released in 1994, on the album Bat Out of Hell 2: Back into Hell. This song, Aunty Google tells me is a three-part narrative of blah-di-blah-di-blah. Yes, after I Googled the lyrics and meaning of said lyrics, I realized that it was not the song nor the words that moved me, but rather the raw emotion in Marvin Lee Aday’s voice. I found a muse who could vocalize what I felt. Hmmm, I wonder how Meatloaf would feel about HIM being MY muse!

I was once told by a mentor that at times one must take a step back, to be able to take two steps forward. I can add to that, sometimes one must look back, to be able to look forward again. And sometimes, Colin has to get stuck in a stop-and-go, to see the image in the rearview mirror, which will remind his wife why we left Gauteng. Things may happen in Gauteng, but really, was it a life worth living? Clearly not, and here we are. It is hard to imagine sometimes that we are three years down the road. If you ascribe to five-year plans, which by the way I do not. Stalin introduced the concept of an economic policy based on a cycle of five-year plans. Stalin, by the way, met a sticky end, so not a good role model to uphold. With or without a five-year plan. But, for the sake of my analogy, had we had a five-year plan, we are now close to 60% into it, and surely the end must be in sight? Had we been in Gauteng, I know we would have been done by now with our building. But would we have had so much fun? Now there is the question.

I can also happily report that finally we have had a few very pleasant and sunny days, with little wind. Which means workers can get some work done on putting up the roof. With all the wind, my nerves were quite on end wondering if our very new, still fragile roof would hold. It did. Much better than one of the new windows did. Nothing that cannot be fixed.

With us ready to put winter behind us, we have the exciting job to plan what to do with our time. Youngest son reminded us that they have not had the pleasure of a mountain picnic on our erf yet. Fortunately, Picnic Rock is untouched. We will be enjoying a picnic up there soon. Picnic Rock is one of the very big rocks on the property. So big, that a family with a picnic basket can easily fit onto it. We are also planning an art walk with old and new friends. It has been far too long since I had coffee and scones at my favourite spot, Bistro 14, in Kleinmond. And cake at Coffee@Clarens. OK. I need to stop looking at memories in the rearview mirror, because it is reminding me of all the things I have not done for a while. Perhaps my focus should shift forward. A new friend of mine is always telling me of the wonderful outings she enjoys to a local brewery. Apparently, they make a seriously nice ginger brew. Yes. Maybe it is time to visit this venue. Her cheeks did turn a pleasant pink when she told me about her new favourite brew.

I think I can do with a little colour in my cheeks.