The new life

During my last weeks in Mwadui, I was so involved with cat travel arrangements, packing up and selling as much as I could, that I didn't have time to always post about our last birding, the last creatures I photographed and the last private visits with my precious friends. Therefore I'm still posting about many things I did until we left Tanzania! 

Meanwhile, we've been back in South Africa for three weeks and already so much has taken place. Apart from the two birthdays recently, Rina and I attended a friend's mom's 83rd birthday party on our first Saturday home.

Attending our first birthday party in Marquard 

My beautiful friend, Carin and her lovely 83 year-old mum, Anna

The same day our [brand-new] power generator blew some part and Grant had to take it back to the dealers, in another town,  for repairs. That same day, Riaan, who works for the diamond mine client in Mwadui, (but lives in Bloemfontein while on leave) and his wife arrived at our home for a visit. We'd never met his wife, Hestel and of course, Rina had never met Riaan and Hestel. 

Riaan, Hestel, Moi and Grant pose in front of Riaan's bike

Some readers of my blog may remember that we'd brought my mother-in-law to Marquard in August last year. She's been staying in a rented flat while our unit was being built. The unit is part of the building which houses three other elderly ladies, also living in units. Our unit is No 4 and a fifth one is in the same WIP stage as ours. 

The entrance to Marquard Community Center 

Grant and his mum on the veranda of the flat she presently lives in. If you look to the left of the photo, you can see the windows of the unit which MIL will move to 

The view over the garden from MIL's flat. She will have a similar view from her unit

We feel relieved that we're actually here in Marquard at present; the unit will be habitable within the next two weeks and it would have been a challenge for Rina to move MIL from the flat to the unit (about 800m down the passage) on her own. 

Meanwhile we've visited the unit in its finishing stages...

The kitchenette

The large picture window which gives lightness and airiness to the room. MIL's 3/4 headboard will stand against the wall tothe left of the plug point visible in the photo

The built-in cupboard/closets on the opposite wall from the window 

Rina and Pam discussing the unit

MIL was thrilled to see more hanging space in her cupboard.

She has more clothes than a model! 

The image above doesn't do credit to the actual size of the shower. It can accommodate a wheelchair and carer should the occupant be too frail to wash herself

The toilets in these units are the bane of the inmates. The bowl set is too far from either wall, making it very uncomfortable for an oldie to reach the loo roll! 

We popped into the unit next door  (No 5) which is a mirror-image of Grant's unit. Here you can see how well Rina takes care of Grant's mum who hooks into her arm before moving anywhere!

Happy Saturday to you all!