#MemoirMonday has taken off like wildfire as more and more Hiveans discover the value of storing memories here for future generations! @ericvancewalton's question this week is:
How do you plan to spend the next decade of your life?
This is quite a challenging, but also exciting question for me. Will I still be around for the next ten years? I am 7-T-1 after all!
I still have a long bucket list to fill before I kick the bucket ;)
That little girl in the photo below did not know what life had in store for her!
I've had a wonderful, fulfilling life, but also took some hard knocks. I lost all the important men in my life unexpectedly and two under tragic circumstances.
Finding myself being a solo traveler has been a difficult journey, but I've had to dust myself off and get up. Life will never ever be the same again, that big hole will remain till the day I die, but I still get much joy from life. I'm just very sad that hubby still had so many unfulfilled dreams.
Our Lily's Cottage is still alive and well, and has been a lifesaver. I will not leave her in the lurch, she makes me feel alive and still a part of the world. I've made small changes to make it possible for me to run it on my own, with the help of my excellent staff, of course! Bonginkosi and I have taken on small improvements, and done quite a bit of sprucing up. It will be an ongoing job as always with a big property. It's been exciting when the job is done, like this pathway on the side of the house.
Curiosity kills the cat
I'm not sure how that phrase came about, but it certainly is an apt description of Poe! He follows me like a little puppy dog wherever I go!
He never was part of my plan. I'm a bird lover, but when our son emigrated, we inherited Poe, who also loves birds, but with wilful intent, so I had to stop feeding my garden birds!
He for sure is a handsome dude, and eventually won my heart!
Sometimes things don't go to plan, but there always is a reason, something we only see afterward. Poe has been there when I feel down and alone.
My plans aren't great, and I hope I do see the next ten years, so while I am able, I will continue running the BnB, and travel every so often, with friends or family, especially the ones below.
As you've gathered by now, I love exploring the world around me, and further afield. Travel enriches one in so many ways. I've discovered the most amazing wonders of nature, met wonderful people, had loads of fun, learnt about various cultures, and history, and made fabulous memories.
It's mostly been here in South Africa, but my solo trip to the Netherlands last year, made me want to see more of the world. I will return next year, and if all pans out, I will visit other European countries with my son and his girlfriend.
Victoria Falls, 'the Smoke that Thunders' is a destination that's been on my bucket list for a long while, and I hope to get there while I'm still relatively fit. I want to get wet and feel the intense spray and hear that thundering noise of the rushing water!
My school friend Melanie and I reconnected, and we're planning a blissful retreat, joining group walks at some great venues, and exploring local hidden gems.
Meeting guests from all parts of SA and the world in our BnB, gives me a glimpse into their worlds and a taste of various cultures. It is the most satisfying and fascinating job ever!
I hope to be Hiving till the day I close my eyes, as this has been my place of refuge through stormy weather, especially this past year!
Did I ever think that blogging would become a kind of therapy and part of grief recovery?
I never imagined that I could earn from writing, meet wonderful people, and discover kindred spirits from near and far!
That has been the biggest surprise of them all.
Thank you Hive!
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Can a blog make me feel sad, and good, all at the same time? So much loss, and yet the appetite for life endures. What's that saying? Head not bowed.
I admire your steadfastness. You smile. That's the greatest clue to your endurance. It's a beautiful smile. And you have friends. Obviously, your warmth is rewarded as others return it.
May there be many more trips. Life is a journey and yours, it seems, is not nearly complete.
Awe thank you for the lovely feedback @agmoore, I'm glad you enjoyed reading.
I have been immensely blessed with wonderful people in my life! The biggest compliment I ever received came from a skeptical, rather aloof guy I worked with many moons ago; he said I bring out the best in people. I believe we all have that ability, and should all strive for that. Unfortunately, that's not how the world thinks, right?
I like that saying -
I will remember it!
I believe we both still have quite a journey.
They say the older one gets, the older old becomes. It's so very true, there is much living still ahead.
Have a wonderful Sunday @agmoore <3
🌹💐🌷
Have a great Sunday @lizelle 🌈
A visiting cat looks a lot like Poe, I love that white vest. This one is curious too and gets into every problem.
I often look at my old photos and I also say to myself, "you didn't know about this or that here," it seems to be an inevitable behavior. It's good that he keeps up the projects that had been done before. I wish him a lot of life and health so that he can make those journeys he has planned.
Greetings and hugs
Ah sweet, he looks just like a miniature Poe😉 Thank you so much for sharing the photos @charjaim!
I hope to see more of this wonderful world of ours.
Thank you for the nice 'visit'💕
You are so strong, Lizelle! You are going to be around enjoying life for a good long while. I hope you get to see all of the places you want to see. If all goes as planned I'll be in The Netherlands next July for about a week. It will have been six years since I've been there. Thanks for your contribution to Memoir Monday!
Ah thank you Eric, I hope so, don't always feel strong.
Well, if I have my way, I'll be there as well and we must try to meet up. My son bought a house in Zevenaar, on the eastern Netherlands border, very close to Germany. Their trains are super efficient, so who knows, maybe we could meet.
Thank you for Memoir Monday, Eric.
You're welcome! That would be wonderful to meet. I'll be walking 10-12 hours a day in De 4 Daagse but I'm sure I'll have a day or two before and after the event to spend some quality time. I really hope I can make it happen. My wife has been very sick this year and I planned this in anticipation of her getting better prior to July. Enjoy the weekend my friend!
I watched that video you shared, it's very inspiring. I sent it to my son.
I'm so sorry to hear your wife is not well Eric! I do hope they soon get to the root of the problem
Thank you Lizelle. It's been such a tough year for her. We're taking it a day at a time. We've joined an online community of long-haul Covid patients and are discovering she's not alone. That virus has done things to people that the medical establishment simply have no answers for. There are bright spots then set-backs, it's kind of like five steps forward, four steps back.
That's just awful Eric!
I believe many health issues people are having is due to the COVID vaccine. I never was anti-vax, but I had seizures three weeks after both vaccines and was diagnosed with epilepsy. No family history of epilepsy. The neurologist told me they don't know enough about the vax so he could not say it's due to that, but neither that it's not!
I now take anti-seizure meds and have been fine except for occasional spasms in my one hand.
I've also never heard of so many fit young men dying of cardio-related issues as is happening recently.
I pray your wife's health improves!
Thank you my friend! The medical system here in the US is just in shambles too. It takes 3-4 months to see a specialist sometimes. We're going on close to a year of dealing with it. I'm so sorry you developed epilepsy but am glad you've been able to manage it with meds. One of the YouTubers I watch Kara (from the channel Kara and Nate) developed epilepsy out of the blue as well. I believe the MRNA vaccine (and maybe the virus as well) seeks out and exploits whatever weakness a person carries in their DNA. This explains why there's such a wide variety of symptoms and conditions post-pandemic. It gave me a heart murmur that will have to be monitored for the rest of my life and could turn into congestive heart failure. I found that Natto (Japanese fermented soybeans) and the supplement that is derived from it, Nattokinase, clears the blood of spike proteins that result from taking the vaccine or getting Covid and cause a lot of these cardiac issues. I've been taking it daily for the past four months and my heart palpitations have mostly cleared up. I'll follow up with my cardiologist in a year to see how the murmur has progressed. My wife is in a wheelchair and can only eat a handful of things. Most foods trigger a histamine (allergic) response and raise her blood pressure to dangerous levels. She's currently tolerating pea soup, walnut butter, cantaloupe, crackers, bison, and a nutrition drink. Neither of us will ever take the vaccine again.
It's demanding as well as cheerful, we get tired, exhausted but we enjoy it. I never thought blogging would be part of my life, long back, I used to post photos on blogspot.com, but for sure, its a nice way to express our emotions and it has become a therapy over time.
It sure is tiring but so worth it.
You're certainly storing priceless memories here for future generations, @sanjeevm, awesomeness!
Yep, you have many adventures awaiting you still milady. As for me, I can now only take things day to day, and if I make another 10 years, it will be a miracle. Not that it bothers me, as at the moment, life goes on Selah.
!PIZZA and !LUV
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Thank you my friend! Meeting you and your dear Marian, finding two angels disguised as people, yep it's true, has been one of the big surprises here. I've been immensely blessed, and for that I am truly thankful.
I hope you will be a miracle, but as you say, for now, life goes on!
I'm enjoying my life but will also welcome the new mysterious life, when that day comes.
Take good care of yourself 🤗
Thank you for the kind compliment milady, but we are only ordinary people. Glad that you have gratitude in your heart, as it always makes life better. We all look look forward to that new "mysterious" life my dear.
Please, also take care.
!PIZZA and !LUV
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Planning what I want for the next 10 years is not difficult, but I wonder if I will be able to achieve it. Today I am 72+10=82 the math remains the same but life does not. But the law of probabilities can help us achieve our desires. Let's work based on that and we will make it, I have so much to do and enjoy yet. So do you. thanks @lizelle very interesting your post. 🥰
Wow @mamani, and you're still so young in spirit, that is amazing!
Thank you so much for always being there, cheering me on. I appreciate it more than you know, always warms my heart seeing you here🧡
It sounds like you've got a busy ten years mapped out there, my friend. <3 Good on you. Looking forward to being on the same (or near enough) timezone for a change!
<3
Still better than the other way around, no? Dying with no dreams. I don't know a lot, but it does seem like things have a habit of ending while we're still in the thick of it, so that regardless where it ends, we still would've liked to do more.
It's beautiful reading you as always.
Awe thank you @honeydue, you're one of my very special friends here.
I never thought of it that way, but it's so very true, imagine dying without any dreams, awful, such a waste of life!
Hubby was super excited to go to the Netherlands but I took him with, in my heart.
My Mom lived to 90 and even though her last month was an awful suffering, she still had dreams. All the other men, Dad, 2 brothers and my special uncle, died while still active and living life!
Seeing it from your perspective makes me realize it wasn't in vain. Thank you for that💕
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@papilloncharity(1/15) tipped @lizelle (x2)
Hello kiddo, I loved your post. I always get positive vibes while reading them. I know you have had a pretty tough year or so, but you have come through with flying colors.
I just turned 70 so I feel you, 10 years from now? Duh, I just hope to be alive hehe!
Be well @lizelle
Thank you dear Robin, you are one of those kindred spirits I've met here. Imagine meeting in person, that would be a dream come true!
I'm sure you sometimes can't believe you're already 70, it often feels unreal. I mean, that age was for our parents or grandparents 😅
Take good care of yourself, I know you do that for Bob and the family, but don't forget about yourself❤️
I wish you well, Ma'am on your desire
Thank you @christybliss.
Bucket list plan, an awesome trip by train and return by plane at least 4/5 days required in Victoria Falls area, take US$, ZAR and only convert small amount into whatever Zim use at the moment. Loved every minute up there as a child and an adult.
Come a long way, mileage left in the tank with more to do. Memories, love follow you whatever decisions taken. Enjoy planning!
I'd love a train journey up there, wonder what the cost would be...I'll look at what's available and start dreaming, hopefully will manage to fulfill that dream!
Did you grow up in Zim, or travel there? Everyone who's been, absolutely rave about it.
Thank you for the visit Joan <3
Rovos Rail is the only train that still goes up to best of my knowledge, another possibility Blue Train to Zimbabwe. Shosholoza Dbn to Jhb I know nothing about this train, used to be the old green train.
Comparison 1964 vs 2006 Victoria Falls never lived there although my parents were tempted having had their honeymoon there, then never did.
Hope you can get up there well worthwhile trip to enjoy.