A lot has happened...

since my last post of last year on 30th October.

We decided to move to a new rental (out of the floodzone) because of all the problems with the old house. Robynne and Marco had in the meantime decided to try and buy their own house and were working towards putting finances and paperwork in place and finding a suitable house for themselves and their dogs.

Jerome and I had also been continuing to spend time with each other and enjoy outings and alone time together. He was starting to become discontented with his rented cottage which was becoming cramped with me being around as well as his teenage son from time to time.

I moved with the kids at the beginning of December to a large rental just down the road from our previous house and we settled in, sectioning off a portion of the garden for my cats so they could have their own space away from the dogs.

At Christmas, I arranged to spend a full two weeks with my parents and travelled down by bus. Robynne and Marco kindly looked after the kitties for two weeks. I spent time shopping, sitting and chatting with mom, tidying up dad's office and mom's sewing room. I got Dael to bring down my small Christmas tree on his motorbike and mom enjoyed seeing the Christmas lights every evening. She was tired and weak when I first got there. My sister, Sharon, had spent the week before I got there with our parents and arranged for all their carpets to be cleaned as well as a lightweight and easy to manage wheelchair to be purchased for mom to use when she was out and about. I arrived virtually a day before Christmas and when we went last minute shopping, Mom became tearful when we battled to find a parking. During the time I was there, I saw her become stronger, enjoying our quirky family jokes, snacking on Christmas fare and pottering around in the garden. I encouraged her to renew her interests such as painting and she was strengthened by the time I was to leave.

Mom and me - Our last hug on this earth
 

I returned to Jhb with Jerome, who had been in Durban as part of his annual holiday with his son.

 

Soon after starting the year, tragedy struck at our new rental as some of my young cats left the safety of their enclosure and the dogs suddenly started to act as a deadly pack. I lost 3 of my kittens who unfortunately wandered to the dogs side. Animals that had grown up together suddenly were prey and predator. Robynne also lost one of her rabbits in the same manner. Another of my adult males succumbed to illness and one of my mom cats disappeared after some deadly screams one night, I think killed by the dogs of one of the neighbours. Five cats gone in four months.

 

All this on top of mom's illness caused me some stress related illness of my own, sore throat, anxiety and elevated blood pressure and as I grieved for my cats and worried about my mom, wheels turned to guide me to where I find myself now. My kids signed papers on a compact house with a large garden just down the road from our new rental. Jerome was offered a lovely thatched cottage to rent on a friend's plot and we decided to share this cottage. Everything fell into place at the same time for the kids and the dogs to move to their own new house and for Jerome and myself and his dogs and my cats to move to our own rustic cosy cottage with lots of space. We have been there for one week and I am looking forward to spending time with my man and our furkids in our own space.

 

So, as can be seen, a lot has happened in a short space time and those who know me will know that I find it difficult to write when I have a lot of stress going on. The fact that I have started writing again now is proof that I am feeling more relaxed.

 

It is my birthday today and I am looking forward to my next year with anticipation and eagerness.

 

Hold your loved ones tight,

 

Momcat xx