Greetings from a very wet Ireland

23 August 09 Sunday


Good day to all family and friends,

Our entertainment on a Sunday afternoon on TV is usually a James Bond movie, this one must be very they still use haukie talkies and the Mercedes dates put of 1967!
It always takes me some time to write this weekly letter and have the laptop in the right position, on my lap.
The freeing of the Lockerbie Bomber has made the headlines since his release ...one can argue any way you want to but in the end the Lord knows it all!
The gender dispute about the SA Athlete and Bolt the fasted man on earth for a while in the 100 and 200 meters, it is a wonder they run in meters and not in feet as little has changed here , has overshadowed the recession for a while!
Since I arrived in Ireland I have very much kept to myself but stepped out on Friday morning after I have been invited to a coffee get together of South African women living in Westmeath and Longford counties.
This group of women meet every Friday for coffee and breakfast unbeknown to myself and were invited by one of the ladies that remembered that I might not be working every Friday and as it happen, I was off and in Marks and Spencer’s coffee shop the world was changed into South Africa with humming and bussing of 10 women nearly talking together in a foreign language and people staring. Nurses always seem to find each other and as the majority of the women were the wives of Doctors working here for MIDOC on 3 month contracts or engineers with something else in-between!
I have to admit that it was surely one the most enjoyable mornings I have ever experienced here in Ireland!
Speaking to Louise who trained in Bfn at the same hospital as I did ,just a little later than me, and her husband working here more than in SA the women across the table looked at me and asked what my maiden names was...Eloff...
W H A T???????????? She said ...do you know a Dr Paul Eloff? And of course that was the beginning of sharing a wonderful teacher, professional person brother and friend !!!
I have already let Nine know but here is who they are. Wessel and Rina Herbst. He started out as a young doctor as the Dr at Groothoek during 1971-75 and he still apparently refer back to what Dr Paul would have done!!!
Rina was and still is a gold medallist in flower arrangement she has been for years the chairperson of the VLU translated Women agricultural association where ever they were posted! It was wonderful to talk here miles away of all Paul and Nine’s children and grand children and me of course ever so proud!
Here in Cranleymore Autumn is approaching rather fast and morning temperatures has dropped to 8 , rising again during the day but that is our first indication of a definite change in weather it rained so much that the grass freshly cut yesterday when the sun eventually came out, that we have now flooded lawns, literally under water!
The vegetable garden has been dug, and the last of food traces removed! All the onions in the fridge and the miniature carrots cooked! the green tomatoes fell and were devoured by bugs and we had no pleasure in it!
Flower wise we still have gladiolas and dahlias flowering, some sweat peas and climbing roses. The nasturtiums did not produce what we expected and look somewhat sorrowful in the pots! On the window sill in the kitchen I have some joy in the new growth of Cyclamens x3 with leaves the size of saucers.
I do not mind the winter coming, at least we know what it holds and expects nothing but to be continually disappointed is very disheartening!
Arnolda’s holiday in Mexico seemed to have been a real beautiful experience and I sincerely hope that Gerlof will give us a similar reflection of his visit to SA!
I am ever so sorry to hear that it is so dry in Australia, it reminds me so much of being always hoping for rain while I grew up and now I would like to channel the water from here to where-ever it is needed. The new room is nearing completion and I just wonder what will be next project of keeping Barry busy.
We do plan to put a gate between the bottom field and where the yard ends and for that, new posts will have to be planted , these already delivered in the form of railway sleepers. Well any one available for some digging????.............
THERE SURELY Are a GOOD 100 BIRD CHILDREN IN THE HEDGE AND THE SWALLOWS IN THE DONKEY HOUSE DID GO FOR THEIR FIRST FLIGHT yesterday 3 weeks after being hatched, somewhat lazy and back for a snooze in the afternoon! The female swallow sitting on the eggs in the garage abandoned the nest or died in her travels but they are no more, sad to say!

Sunday is nearly at an end and with Ps 78 as our sermon and lovely hymns to complete the spiritual feasting, it was a good and spiritual experience!
Birthdays have come and gone and somewhere along the line I fell off the bus...but Paul (Aus) I send a message to your mom. Hope you had a lovely day!
I hope that those who are at the Boskamp this week will be greatly blessed!
My thoughts are with Karin, and Stephan, Anke who is recovering well and our tante Poppie! Angie ti was great to hear your voice and that of the children and Groovy that was a great gift!
Thank you to all who send good wishes!
Be careful and aware all the time , drive carefully and watch your step!
Regards from
The Dunnes in Cranleymore
Ever changing and unexpected weather patterned Ireland