A-NOTHER Birthday!

 Dear Blogger readers. Just when you thought it was safe to visit this blog again...

LOL

However, this is a VERY important birthday, celebrated on a SPECIAL date in my life.

Thandi, my house lady of the past seven years has a birthday on 4 March. This is the same day which Grant and I married many years ago. This year, it was my 53rd wedding anniversary...

BUT 

more importantly it was Thandi's 60th birthday.

I had a personalized cake made for her and Estelle painted a personalized coffee mug as a gift. 

A cake and coffee mug with Thandi's photo 

In South Africa, when you turn 60, you qualify for the old age pension. Because you have to jump through several hoops, I helped Thandi through the process. 

We started off at a commercial bank; we waited in a long queue eventually getting to the front and opened an account in Thandi's name. Then we went to the municipality to obtain a "proof of residence" for Thandi.  Here we waited in a long queue before finally being served. We eventually arrived at the SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) at 1pm.  Yes, again, we waited in a long queue. By 4pm we had not yet been attended to, and we told to return the next day. 

Which we did...

Finally, by Thursday midday Thandi had been approved to receive her social security pension. Hallelujah! 

 I dropped Thandi off at her home and I returned to the farm. 

That night I received a WhatsApp from Ntombi, Thandi's adult daughter: 

Hi Gogo (pronounced gawgaw - Zulu for grandmother) 

Thanks a lot for taking my mom back to SASSA today.  She has been approved for her pension. You have given her a second chance. 

HAPPY MONDAY TO YOU ALL!