Three month anniversary

In October last year, we packed up our home of three bedrooms,  two bathrooms, two sitting rooms, double office space, an open plan kitchen and scullery and a large entertainment area which lead onto a sprawling patio with four garages, a laundry, garden room and the gardener's toilet and shower behind this. My compact garden made up the rest of the 3700m property which we'd owned and lived in for the past 16 years. 

I know people downsize; in a farming community like Marquard we saw many of our friends (and earlier years, their parents) leave the farm and move into town. Marquard has the beautifully neat and safe retirement village which is ideal for a couple who want to retire to a smaller place. 

Grant and I didn't move house; we stored all our furniture and possessions (that which I didn't give away) up the road from our old house and moved to the Drakensberg, to John and Debbie's property overlooking the beautiful Champagne Valley. 

In the middle of October, we loaded the four cats and two dogs (something we couldn't have done if we'd moved into the retirement center) into the back of the pick-up. We packed our personal belongings and here we are.

And how happy we are! 

As I've posted several times, Grant' s health has improved hundredfold. We've taken to the quiet and "aloneness" of living out here. The dogs and I have clocked up several dozen kilometers in walking the veld. 

So, yes, we had to downsize and pack up our life of 45 years marriage. 

We are pleased we did.

Grant and Skabenga walking along the servitude [road] on Sunday morning

Eddie who's young for her age, has an even longer lease on life, it seems

A morning perk on my walk with the dogs

Just one of the beautiful views from our rondawel

I'm linking to Our World Tuesday here

I hope you're having a wonderful day.