7 quick takes....
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| Making a Lebkuchenhaus is one of my favourite december traditions. |
- Good morning. I am just ignoring that I ignored the blog (and realising that it is annoying if every blog starts like this) and jump straight in. It’ll be a short one because I have loads to do today (more about that later) but that’s better than nothing, right? Sophie is sitting next to me and reads everything I write, so I got a fact-checker right here. Doris is eating breakfast and sharing it with her chicken. We got a house-chicken who always invites herself to share food, and the girls happily let that happen.
- Rain season has started and we are so happy. Not in the least because it broke a long period of really high temperatures, but mainly because rain = food and because the rains were so late, farmers really started to get worried. Now they can plant their crops and hope and pray for a good harvest. Now that the rain has started, we also know how waterproof our house is. Or rather, how not-waterproof it is because the solid showers revealed several leaks in the roof. For now, we’ve put out pans and buckets to deal with it, but we won’t have to deal with it much longer because we are moving.
- Yup, we are moving. Next week. Which explains why I am busy this week. I need to pack up the house. Again. This move wasn’t really part of our plan, but we are getting evicted. We rent at a lodge and our landlord is, very unexpectably, losing his lease contract. It’s very sad for him, and having to move is definitely not what we wanted, but fortunately we found another roof over our heads in the house of a friend.
- Hopefully we’ll have help with the move, because if everything goes well, we get a very special Christmas present! After 2 earlier attempts, my parents have booked again to come and visit us in Malawi. Three time’s a charm, right? Now that it is coming closer, and most hurdles are out of the way, I finally dare to have hope that it will actually happen, and we are beyond excited to show them the country that we call home for almost 4 years now.
- One of the reasons I did not write much lately is that we had guests. Hartmut’s parents and a cousin came for a visit. Hartmut’s parents came for the first time 2,5 years ago, and this time I wanted to put together an entirely different itinerary as the last time. As a result, we went to see some places that we already knew and loved, but we also saw some completely new and different places. It was amazing to spend that time together and to experience Malawi in a new and different way. It’s a country that will never fail to amaze us, and we are so grateful that we get to see so much of it.
- The break with Hartmut’s parents was much needed for Hartmut. He has been working very hard. He leaves early, comes home late and works many weekends. It is great to see the progress in his projects, though. A few weeks ago, his first project (a 60mw solar farm) got inaugurated by the president (a BIG happening) and the second project is moving at a fast pace.
- Time to get going. Packing, confirming accommodation for the
trip with my parents, school with the girls, prepping for Christmas. There is
enough to keep myself busy with this week. Stay safe, take care and don’t
forget what Christmas is all about.
We played so many games when my in laws were here. Sinterklaas was also celebrated. The chicken is carried around everywhere.
