30 December 2010

Happy New Year 2011

for all NNRT members and for all readers of this blog!

29 December 2010

For the car,

I bought the compulsory insurance (RCA) for 2011. Interesting is that is cheaper than last year. Last year I paid 360 lei and now is only 275 for a year.
I also had to buy at last a new car battery as the old one could not start the car. I charged it quite often, last time it was charged 6 days ago. Hope the new one will have a longer life.

24 December 2010

Merry Christmas!

and happy holidays everyone!
May God bless you this Christmas.
"For unto us a Child is born, for unto us a Son is given..."

23 December 2010

A group of musician Santa's,

singing the Jingle bells in the front of our flat. Christmas is coming!

20 December 2010

Family shoebox gifts in Mina 1 Mai

Today I had my last visit in Mina 1 Mai for 2010. In the kindergarten I have distributed many family shoebox gifts from Link Romania. Also went to the hospital and gave some goodie bags for some of the downstairs patients. I did this together with my family. Garofita is also sending her best wishes for the team. Below are the photos.
                             Waiting for the presents in the kindergarten

                                          Here is the first class
And here is the second class
                                        I drove in right to the front door
        This is John who proudly began his computer study with... Windows 98
              In the center of the village stands this big Christmas tree

16 December 2010

Exhaust replaced

The middle and the rear part of the exhust pipe had to be replaced on the car. The middle one was full of rust and little hole and the rear one due to the rust break it. In these days the car was so noisy like a tractor. Glad that is done now.
The cold weather came back, we had -15 C early this morning.
Thanks Vanessa for MSG. Hope is not lethal! We'll try it in small dosage.

13 December 2010

Monday,

a long driving to the airport, as the team left today. Hospital staff and head nurse were very thankful for all.

12 December 2010

Sunday,

been in the village, visited the hospital. Karina joined us once more. We have distributed all the Christmas gifts for the patients this afternoon.
And in the evening the Christmas cards too.
Andy and Sharon been at us for a short while in the evening and than went into the center of Brasov.
Again, it was snowing and generally was a cold day.

11 December 2010

Saturday,

In the village with the team and Karina joined us today. In the morning the hospital was visited and later on we went shopping for Christmas presents. We bought a lot of stuff for the 150 patients and Karina was excited to make those presents, so later on we did all the bags. They are ready for tomorrow noon, when we shall distribute them.

Andy and Sharon bought a washing machine for the hospital. I asked Vladimir to help us in transportation, and he came immediately.

Karina really enjoyed the day, especially when making the presents.

10 December 2010

Friday

After I left last night, the power came back in 1 hour according to the villagers. This morning was quite warm around the flat and pleasant. Road is full of snow, and have to drive carefully. Today we had  a meeting with the head nurse who is hospital official, school and kindergarten teachers, dentist in Vulcan, and also been at the Metro for sourcing prices. Nina was with us, helping. We shall make Christmas presents for all and distributing on Sunday, which is the last full day of the team.
Requests from the hospital for now: a washing machine (not industrial size) for washing the staff's uniforms, Christmas presents, as they had none for St. Nicholas day.
Ideas for 2011: Building an extension for the existing OT building as a kitchen to train patients in cooking. It may be possible to convert the head nurse's existing storage for kitchen but than make another storage area for her.
Also they would need another clothes drying area, similar one we did in this year.
Today we have seen that the whole drying area was full with wet clothes, also the attic as well, and they still had washed clothes and had no place where to dry.

Team has arrived,

however the plane was delayed 2 hours. Driving was safe, stoped in Brasov for a meal and than went to Mina. Road conditions here were very difficult. Started to snow, and it was a storm as well, road filled with branches... Arrived safely to Mina at 10.30 p.m. Due to the storm there was no electrical power in the whole village, including the hospital. Hope that this will be resolved today.

09 December 2010

Leaving to the airport

to fetch the NNRT team members. Arrival scheduled at 14.40 today at Bucharest.

07 December 2010

Preparing the team visit

I have been out again, this time for preparing the team's visit. The flat is clean, bought some food and put it in the fridge, prepared the sleeping bags and the heaters. Also took with me the NNRT tool box from the lorry and put in the secured room.
There is snow there as you can see.

05 December 2010

Heavy snowfall

Winter has arrived here as well. We had a heavy snowfall yesterday and today morning. We also experience intreruptions of the phone line and internet.
                                                          Last night
...and this morning

03 December 2010

Congratulations for the Tolsons

as they are grandparents again!
The baby:  Effie May Tolson arrived today, 2.19pm 6lbs 14ozs
God bless them!

30 November 2010

National day of Romania

is tomorrow on the 1st of December, and is a day off.

19 November 2010

Car lock repaired,

as it broke down and urgently needed repairing. This is the lock of the front left door, at the driver seat.

17 November 2010

Lorry arrived

This morning the lorry has arrived to the village, and I was called by the driver. So I went out there and we unloaded the big lorry. Many people were there to help. All went on very well and all the boxes were safely stored. All boxes were there, nothing missing.

I want to thank you in the name of the hospital for all the stuff you have sent over. There are a lot of clothes, which the hospital will use for the patients. All went into the head nurses's room safely and is locked there. The head nurse was extremely grateful for this.
Poor Romanian lorry driver, al night long was driving from Oradea to Vulcan, about 500 km-s made.
I just arrived home opened our boxes and I want to thank you for them. That is a nice surprise!
I also informed the head nurse that the decorations arrived safely to England and that in December we shall have a team over here.

15 November 2010

Updates

I paid the second part of the full car insurance today, which is valid till 13 May 2011. I am now waiting for the lorry from UK to arrive over here, to unload it in Vulcan.
Laura received the box of decorations safely and soon it will be on sale. There are about 313 pieces, all handmade.
The car winter tyres are now at the "recommanded" stage but now is official - from next year starting with the 1 November 2011 all vehicles must have winter tyres.
The weather these days is extremely warm comparing that we are in the mid of November. Yesterday was +19 C !

04 November 2010

26 October 2010

Changed today

the spark plugs on the car, all 4 of them. The last ones I used alomost 30,000 km-s.

25 October 2010

Due to the increasing number of accidents,

a new law is about to be issued this days in Romania regarding winter time driving. The bigger vehicles must have winter tyres from this November and all the cars must have winter tyres from next year, to prevent winter time accidents. This is a new law which will have an impact on all drivers... who wants to drive during the winter. Besides the winter tyres is recommanded to have chains for tyres and sand as well.

22 October 2010

Box posted

Today at noon I have been in Mina 1 Mai again. Got the box of decorations and took to Brasov where I already posted it to UK. It's weight is 13.265 kg. It contains all the Christmas decorations which are made by the hospital occupational therapy. It will arrive to UK in 7-8 days.

Yesterday,

Amadea was 4 years old. We'll celebrate it on Sunday afternoon.

Today,

Karina is going on a school holiday to a village named Sandominic Ciuc, about 130 km north from Brasov, for 2 days. This means that she is sleeping over there. That will be for the first time for her. This is organized by the school.

From the beginning of September,

we have a new pastor in our church. He is a young man, just finished his studies and recently married. We wish that may the Lord bless his work in Brasov and the area.

20 October 2010

Winter tyres on

Today the winter tyres were fitted, summer ones removed as the temperature droppes and winter is coming.

15 October 2010

Mid October Update

The new poultry farm is getting finished and a new road will lead towards it.They will have turkeys there too.


I have checked the school and the kindergarten. The walls are indeed worse than ever. It must be the result of the concrete layer. I was told that they would like in the kindergarten a new clothes hanging area for kids, right there at the corridor, and prevent the outdoor clothes to be brought in. They have started something in this area but as you can see in the photos, is a rather temporarily measure. Perhaps this is a summer job for the team.

The flat house is almost finished witht he roof tiling. There was one worker there making adjustments. How safe is he up there? As you see we can consider the job done. Although when the old tiles were removed it was raining and a little bit the ceiling of the flat was wet, but it will be OK soon. John promised that he will paint the ceiling.



The hospital has a new phone now and a new phone number. The old one is no longer valid.

The OT ladies have made a lot of Christmas decorations. There are about 300 pieces now. They are nice, mostly made of plaster. I doubt that all will fit into one box. I told them it is important to be wrapped up properly, due to the transport. As we discussed they will have the box ready by the 25 October, and than I post it to UK.