We saw 2019 in...

Glenn's car's dashboard showed a warning light on our journey up...

That delayed our planned journey home on the 28th.

We took the car to the dealers on Thursday 27th December.

They said they could book it in on Monday 30th at 7am.

So - we had a few extra days!  We used the time productively...

The dry, dry construction woodwork of our new room got a penetrating wax layer...

It will get at least another layer of penetrating wax before some sort of sill 

and side-surround is fitted - in due time!

The three black-out curtains for our new bedroom pool-side windows got made
and hung.  Relief!  There are a lot of windows!  It is very light at night!
We had one night when the wind howled and a motion-detector security light
flicked on and off, on and off, as the light picked up the whipping shrubbery...

The remote transmitter for the drive-way lighting got moved from 

our old bedroom to the cupboard behind our-side old bathroom door.

Doug carefully and skillfully removed a tile to work on the pipes to disconnect 

the geyser from the our-old-bedroom separated side of the house.

Now the geyser only feeds our side - the other side has a new gas geyser.

Glenn replaced the tile.  Can you see the little white spot next to the shower hose?

The tile just above it is the replaced tile.  Good work...

When we go home again I will spot paint the white dot and few will notice.

Our new bathroom needed a mirror.  Puzzle... Where to put the new mirror!

There is a window right above the basin.

The new mirror is on the one cupboard door to the side of the basin.

Glenn changed the handle from upright to sideways, and when you want the mirror, 

you open the door and have a mirror to the side...  It works! 

Our side old bathroom toilet seal perished.  The leaking toilet was not usable.

Glenn replaced the seal with Doug's help.  Awkward space to get to...  

Happy day!  Two usable toilets again.

The silk plants in the bathroom were two-plus-years dusty.
One day it rained.  I took all the plants outside to be washed clean in the rain.
They look bright and cleaner again!
Next time I will take a photo of them...
I couldn't remember how best they fit together!
This will do for now...

Lovely-hostess Nadia invited us for New Year's Eve dinner - delicious curry and rice.

That was lovely!

Granny Miriam (Nadia's Gran) sitting comfortably to one side.

I joined her...

Granny Erene (Nadia's Mom) momentarily in the kitchen...

One of the games afterwards was - spread a beard with aerosol whipped cream...

Move a few paces away and toss little marshmallows at the creamed beard!

Good fun!  Good sports the kids were!

Another fun game...  

Give each a dice, roll one at a time, and draw body first, then head.

After that, draw whatever you roll apart from a six or a five.

For example - (these may be what the original were...)

6 = body, 

5 = head, 

4 = mouth, 

3 = hat, 

2 = scarf, 

1 = one of two arms, one of three buttons

First one to finish their drawing says... (I can't remember) and gets a prize.

Keep on until all complete.

Good fun!

Fireworks were strapped by Doug to the pool fence.
"They don't make a noise..." the lady who sold them said...  She lied.
We all enjoyed the fireworks and sparklers and saw the New Year in together.
I haven't stayed up for many years!
I would have been woken by the fireworks if I had gone to bed!

We left for KZN on the 1st January - "When we woke up..." - 6:30am.
Our journey was wonderfully cool again, and peaceful. 
There were not many cars and even fewer trucks on the road.
We stopped at the Little Church for a delicious breakfast.
We went straight to Craig and Roxane for New Year's Day lunch together.
We enjoyed being with them all.

By the time we got home we were well and truly TIRED!