My three babies were all born at the Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo.
I will always remember those delicious cups of milky coffee served
with the Lobels ginger biscuits that you could dunk in the coffee if
no-one was looking !!
The maternity floor was quite high up in those days and one could
look across the city at the magnificent display of purple jacaranda
trees. One of my fondest memories were those tranquil and beautiful
Sisters who wafted in and out of the wards in their starched crisp
white habits.
And then there were those tiny little grey trollies on wheels with
the pink or the blue wraps, in which the Nuns would bring the babies
to their mothers every morning ......
Our own personal amazing blessed miracles arrived safely thanks to
the dedicated staff of the Mater dei Hospital.
I left my tonsils and my appendix at the Mater dei Hospital, Mum had
her thyroid operation there, and my Mum-in-Law recovered from her
stroke there...
The Head of Our Household was even carted there forcibly in an
ambulance during a particularly severe bout of malaria one year.
I must have gone in those vast elevators many times, visiting various
friends and acquaintances. When the doors were opened at the start of
visiting hours you would have a quick look first at the quaint notice
board on the ground floor - a veritable Who's Who of what was
happening medically and surgically in the city !!
Those notice boards were a fount of information. You could see
exactly who was in the Men's Surgical Ward, Women's Surgical ward,
Men's Medical, Women's Medical and Maternity or Paediatric Wards.
You could also establish who their doctors were and what religion
they were, and so it was a very congenial place to visit.!!
You could hop from friend to friend and spend a couple of interesting
hours in an ER environment every day if you were that way inclined.
The I.C.U. wing of course was taboo and you never knew who was tucked
away there unless you were unlucky enough to be invited in personally
!!
The Mater dei has always been there. Tall forbidding, austere, but at
the same time comforting and solid, a kind of bastion within the city
walls where peace has always reigned and stability is paramount.
The fire on the fifth floor this year was a shock to us all, but
although the devastation was horrifying, the way in which the city
folk gathered round like a great protective blanket and sorted it all
out in no time at all, shook us all to the very warm cockles of our
hearts.
The rains are now threatening, the builders are working frantically
to get the new roof back on before the rains come in earnest.
Where were your babies born ?
The Mater Dei needs you now ......
One day YOU might need the Mater Dei .....
Please help us to rebuild the Mater Dei hospital.
email the fund raising co-ordinator for more details of how you can
help - magskriel@mac.com
It was with great shock that we all heard the news of passing of Phil
Whitehead.
Phil stood tall in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, the Methodist Church,
Business, Rotary and
Comrades.
He was an example which we all could well to emulate.
Phil had run his race here on earth, and a very full race it was.
Now the Lord has need of him to run a heavenly marathon!
Sandy, Wendy, Mark the twins and Joan have lost a wonderful husband,
father and son. Maureen, and Laurie Bond have lost a dear friend,
example, and Rotary have
lost an irreplaceable leader.
CONDOLENCES
DUDLEY CLAUDE WILD, BELOVED HUSBAND AND DEAR SPECIAL FRIEND OF
JILLIAN, FATHER OF FAY, ELENA, ALFRED, VERONICA AND JENNIFER, PASSED
AWAY ON FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2005.
jillianwild@gatorzw.co.uk
THE FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE ON 2.30 P.M. AT THE WHITESTONE CHAPEL ON
WEDNESDAY 9 TH NOVEMBER.
CONDOLENCES
KERSTEN DIRK - BELOVED SON OF FLORA AND HANS KERSTEN - BROTHER OF
JASON. TAKEN SO TRAGICALLY IN CAPE TOWN ON 4 NOVEMBER 2005. WE GRIEVE
WITH YOU HANS AND FLORA.
e mail - < flora@mweb.co.zw >
WHITEHEAD PHIL.
It was with deepest sadness and shock that we learnt of the untimely
passing of Phil.
Now running the marathons of Heaven. Love and deepest sympathies to
Sandy and the children.
From Allen Lang (South Africa) Victoria Adams (Rotary Canada) and
Lesley
e mail < philwzim@ecoweb.co.zw >
EMMY GOUMA PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON 1 NOVEMBER. LOVED MOTHER OF RUDI
AND NIKKI AND THE LATE WILLIE. GRANDMOTHER OF LAUREN, MARC AND
DANIELLE. DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO ALL THE FAMILY
e mail - < nicgouma@mweb.co.zw >
AT THE LOSS OF MY GRANNY
Why do the ones we love,
Get taken away so soon?
Why does it happen,
At the moment your life is about to bloom?
Yes, there is a time to cry,
and a time to laugh,
But how do you divide
the two of them in half?
We laughed and cried so many times,
but tears will dry,
and my laughing memories of you
will never die.
Times and moments i will cherish forever,
you and me happy together.
You are safe now Granny, up there,
away from the problems of the world, and
from those people at Edith Duly,
who thought YOU were the crazy one!
You are in my thoughts forever more,
Goodbye Gran,
We will be together again,
just wait for me in the sky.
Love
Lauren CONDOLENCES
DAVE LOWE - BELOVED HUSBAND OF TRACEY - PASSED AWAY ON 4 NOVEMBER
2005. SUCH A LOSS TO ALL WHO LOVED HIM AND TO THE BULAWAYO COMMUNITY
AS A WHOLE. DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO TRACEY AND FAMILY.
email < zimdaveandtracy@hotmail.com >
Condolences
Dyllis Mc Killop (ex Zambia) passed away in South Africa (East
London) 30/10/05, loving sister of Shaun, sister-in-law Carole, Aunty
of Gary and Tonya.
Dyllis Mc Killop - passed away on the 30th October 2005 in East
London. Our heart felt condolences to the family, our thoughts and
prayers are with you. From Amanda, Hansel, Dylan and Adam.
Dyllis Mc Killop - Our sincere condolences to Shaun and Family (UK),
Tommy and Family (SA), Steven and family (SA) Fern and family (SA)
Michael and family (SA) on the passing of your loving mother and
sister. From Tanya, Jermaine, Taylyn and Matthew.
CHATHAM - TOMMY
Our sincere condolences to Tommy's family, he will be sadly missed
amongst the fishing community. From National Anglers Union of
Zimbabwe - Matabeleland.
ALEXANDER GEDDES
DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO MARGOT AND MAC, ROUELLE AND ANDY, AMANDA AND
CHRIS, ISOBEL AND DUDLEY BURTON, VERNON AND FAMILY, IAN, HEATHER,
IVAN AND RENAE ON THE LOSS OF YOUR FATHER AND GRANDFATHER.
"We haven't had water for over a month now, only in the last three
evenings have we had a trickle from our downstairs taps which however
is not enough to fill our geyser or the tanks for our Flushmaster
(non-cistern type) toilets. We have been carting containers of
drinking water to and fro, and fortunately do have a limited supply
of water from our borehole. One crafty idea which my husband devised
was this: if you have an outside tap for municipal water (ie a garden
tap) the thing to do is to remove the tap fitting and replace it with
a valve fitting (gate valve or ball valve). You then turn OFF your
municipal supply tap to the house, which is normally on 'your' side
of your water meter. Then connect your borehole tap to the new valve
by means of a hose, open the borehole tap and the new valve, and
switch on your borehole for long enough to fill your geyser, water
tanks and toilet cisterns (you should be able to hear when the water
stops flowing into the cisterns etc). Mostly you will need cold water
pressure whilst showering if you don't want to get scalded, so once
your geyser has heated up enough take a shower whilst the borehole
water is still flowing into the house, but remember to switch off the
pump once you have finished and everything is full.
One word of warning about the washing machine though - automatic
washing machines can be very 'sensitive' and it's not at all
advisable to turn the timer switch on by hand once the machine has
started a programme. It might save water but the price of a new timer
switch for a Defy Automaid is now well over $7million. Perhaps it is
better to do the washing by hand and use the machine just to spin the
water out, rather than risk blowing a timer switch."
D. AND L. F.
TIDBITS
Chartless
Emily Dickinson
I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet I know how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.
I was once told: If you lose
the power to laugh,
You lose the power to think.
No, my friends, if you lose
the ability to laugh,
You lose the ability to live.
- Ian Richard -
MATABELE DRY
FROM THE BOOK BY JOHN EPPEL
ENTITLED:
SONGS MY COUNTRY TAUGHT ME
The Water table drops
boreholes cave in, crops
tighten. Our cactus sighs
like a puncture and dies.
The water table drops
Summer stretches and pops
blisters on my shoulders.
Dry heat cracks boulders
when the water table drops
too far. Nest building stops,
baobabs shrivel and squat
like dotage on a chamber pot.
Hi Mum
I will pray for rain
I will pray for good crops
I will pray for peace
and I will pray for all of you in Zimbabwe
I am sorry you are so sad and my thoughts are with you and all those
who have lost their loved ones.
God Bless
Love Josie
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