I woke up to a sun that was trying to peep through my window, and the birdsong was something to really get exited about, so I got up, although it wasn't even five yet, and baby Emil was still deep away in the land of dreams.
I had a very sad moment because of the baby the night before.His mother had made a shield for the cot to prevent him hurting against the wood, a beautiful padded one, and she had tied it on the top sport all around, and although I knew it needed a wash, I just couldn't untie it. But one by one the bows came undone, and with every one that came undone, I felt another pang, as that was done so lovingly by a mother for her baby. Last night the last one came undone, and it was as if the last bit of his mother had now gone from his life,and I just felt the tears rushing to my eyes, and a great sadness enveloped me. I stood for a long time looking at this baby that would never know his mother, and realized that the last bow becoming untied was to me a kind of greeting, and also for Emil.
I took my coffee outside to watch the birds doing their early morning things, and sat wondering what was to happen in our lives in the near future. Jan was talking about going back to Denmark, where having help with the kids was so much easier than here in South Africa. He was actually talking a lot about different plans, one other was to go and live in Capetown.
I was really worried about him, as he was becoming so thin he resembled a pencil stripe, and I knew he was suffering tremendously. Not only with the death of his wife, but Rene was also giving him a lot of problems with not being able to cope, and using computer games to escape from the grieve. But I was worried, as to me it seemed as if he was just too into that for his own good, but at the moment Jan could not cope properly with that.
Xmas was nearing, and the fruit was swelling beautifully, and I was looking forward to drying peaches and apricots in Jan's solar oven, as I read that it is masterly for that. It is a wonderful contraption, made of tin or something, with a  shiny alluminium interior, and a strong reflecting lid, that reflects the sun into the oven. He had made bread in it a few times now, and although it could be a bitty browner, it baked perfectly. I mean to get one for myself if I go to the place called Riversdale again, as that is where the guy making them stays.
I mean to can a lot of fruit with the minimum of sugar, as I have been using a lot of the fruit I canned during the last season in my smoothies in the morning. If the peacocks and the snails do not get to the ripe strawberries before me, I managed to get a handful every morning to supplement my smoothy, and I also use bananas and all the fresh fruit I can get in winter.
So I am looking forward to the fruit ripening, as there is nothing nicer than a peach or apricot, picked and eaten from the tree when it is still warm from the sun. Delicious! And my smoothies would be so much fresher!