Vrydag 9 Oktober 09
Goeiedag allemaal, familie en vriende!!!
Net so ‘n rukkie terug vanmy geestelike byeenkoms met 3 ander Suid Afrikaanse vroue, Dit was my tweede bywoning ,en soos die vorige keer ‘n wonderlike ervaring. Weereens nog ‘n mede verpleegster ontmoet wie se man vir Midoc werk en nou hul 6 weke hier in Ierland deurbring.
Hulle woon In Irene, en vanoggend se trietsige weer het haar byna onder gekry maar gelukkig en ek hoop dat dit die geval is ,is sy terug Mullingar toe op ‘n meer positiewe noot!
Ons kan regtig nie kla nie die weer was sedert September wonderlik, ‘n pragtige herfs, sonnige dae blou lug en min wind. Daar moet ook dae wees wat dit reen ander sraak die boere op ‘n ander manier benoud. As dit teveel reen kan hul nie die oes inbring nie en alles vrot op die land en aan die ander kant as die son te lank skyn word dit weer te droog.
Gister of eergisteraand was daar ‘n program wat wys hoe die boere hier in Ierland hulle kontant oeste terugploeg in die land in want die pryse is so swak en die die groot super market betaal minder vir ingevoerde groente as om hul eie produk te koop. Melk word by die gellings in dreine afgegooi en seldery, ens word weer teruggeploeg!
Eintlik het ons heelwat beleef die afgelope week. Sondag was Rustig en die preke uit Jona wonderlik insiggewend! Gedurende die middag het ons Victor Mee ,die antieke veiling naby Belturbet gaan gesigtig. Sy plek was stampvol byna moeilik omtebeweeg maar in die ‘bargain corner’ was daar ‘n heel party stukkies van waarde as die prys reg is!
Met ‘n lee yskas en niks op die land nie moes ons eers Maandag gaan inkopies doen, Die gras was lank en net na ete het die gras die snyer geproe , dit het vinnig gegaan want dit was droog en en daar is nie meer so baie groei in die gras oor as toe die dae lank was nie. Teen ½ 5 is ons hier weg,veiling toe.
Nadat ons suksesvol op 6 items gebie het is ons uit en weer op pad terug huis toe. Die pad was rustig en ons het sonder moeite die rit afgele. Heerlik in ons eie bed geslaap en Dinsdag moes die organisasie vir transport begin. Koerant nader getrek en gou vir Jonny’s Express Transport gekry wat toe blyk ‘n swart man van Ghana te wees. Hy stop toe hier , laai Barry op en teen 2nm was al die verkope hier. Vroeer die oggend het Barney wat ‘n ou 97 kar en sleepwa het die antike grassnyer by Gowna gaan haal die plek was gesluit en die yskas binne maar hulle kon darem die snyer laai.
Nadat alles goed besigtig is en waardeer is , het ‘n rustigheid oor Barry gekom en hy het nou genoeg om hom besig te hou vir die winter maande.
Woensdagoggend ons eerste ryp -2, maar ‘n pragtige blou lug windlose dag en ons besluit om BAllinasloe toe te ry. Naby Westport aan die weskus. Waar die wereld se grootste ‘Horse Fair’ jaarliks plaas vind, Gedeelte van die pad is ‘n pragtige motorweg en gaan vinig maar die res is maar gewoon, kronkel paaidjies en hier en daar ‘n stukkie plesier tussenin. Die natuurskoon ,herfs kleure orals en baie blare as roesbruin tapyte! Maar daargekom .kon jy sien daar moes perde gewees het maar ons sien niks dag toe ons is te vroeg en sal maar iewers ander ‘n draai gaan gooi . Ry toe Birr toe en gaan kyk na ‘n ander antieke veiling wat komende Saterdag plaas vind, net omte sien , en om tyd teverwyl.
Nou nie die mooiste dorp nie en effe deurmekaar met geen straat name nie en jy moet wonder en vra , anders loop jy in sirkels.
Het baie beter verwag na aanleiding van die advertensie in die koerant maar sienende dat Barry iets weet van Antieke meubels , het ons niejuis opgewonde gewees oor wat ons besigitg het nie en ry toe terug Ballinasloe toe om die perde te gaan besigitig!
Baie honger teen die tyd ,word ons verwen met ‘n Ierse bord kos teen goeie prys en laat die kar waar hy is en stap na die ‘Fair’ terrein, maar steeds geen paard in sig nie..ons drentel toe so bietjie rond en besef dat daar niks gaan gebeur nie in elke geval nie Woensdag nie en neem toe teen 4nm weer die pad terug. Andersoort landskap baie plat met min bome, klip muurtjies as heinings en min plantegroei naby die pad! Gras nog steeds groen!Wonder nou maar oor die ‘Fair’ seker net Saterdag en Sondag!!!!
OOOooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maar dis lekker om na ‘n lang dag in jou eie bed te slaap!
Gister was ontspan dag en vroeg vroeg is ons werkswinkel toe om die ou gras snyer uitmekaar te haal. Die ding is nou soort van regtig oud en het net die rimme van die oorspronklike wiele oor en die laaste eienaar het 2 gewone wiele met ‘n ekstra wieldrom aan die ou wiele vasgeskroef. Dit was alles geroes en het brute vors gesoek omte beweeg maar ek is trots om te se dat om ½ 2 vandag was alles uitmekaar. Moet ook se Barry het die spul goed gedous met olie voor ons begin het om dinge effe safter te maak! Ou enjintjie en al. Nou begin die hertsel werk en soek na onderdele uit die vorige 2 eeue!
Ek werk die naweek en was reeds meegedeel dat ek my pasient in die ouetehuis gedeelte sal oppas, en dit meen dat ek dubbele diens doen, gee glad nie om nie want dan vlieg die nag!Dit gaan maar vrot en ek het soveel oortyd date k volgende week die heel week af is, soos verlof!!!!
Sal nou Sondag se orgel speel vir die eerste keer in 18 maande mis en ook die erediens.
Nou ja verjaardae in my boek is Hildegard die 12de reeds genoem verlede week en Jaco(Jhb) die 14de. Ek sal wel vir Jaco ‘n kaartjie epos!
Dit was heerlik om van almal te hoor Zambie, Nottingham, Hoedspruit, Nine, Haya en natuurlikk die gereelde skrywe uit Kanada en Exeter ens ...Baie dankie vir die lekker lees!
Ek groet en hoop dat die wat eksamen voorbereiding doen en die wat reeds begin skryf het hulle goed van hul taak sal kwyt. Lees die vraag versigtig deur en maak seker dat jy weet wat julle vra!!!!
Vir die wat gereed maak om te trou alles van die beste met die voorgereidings!
Ry asb veilig, sluit die deure, wees altyd op jul hoede.
Mag daar reen val waar dit droog is en ek hoop die Jakarandas lyk mooi!
Goeie oeste vir die boere!!!!
Opregte groete vanuit Cranleymore!
Barry&Christina(Stieneke) ens..............
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Irish Autumn Greetings
Friday night 2/3 Oct 09
Good day all family and friends,
English week and I hope I remember all I wanted to tell you. So many times the letter is all ready in outer space when I think of something else I wanted to share with you.
I am at present sitting in the ward and it is just about 9pm.
Baby sitting a patient who had an Abdominoplasty done yesterday and being a fairly big operation where they give you a beautiful flat tummy again, she had to stay over another night and being a patient of Harley Street (elite Cosmetic Clinic) she could not be moved to the old age home for the night . Cross infe3ction a reason but also because of the name ‘Harley Street’ and the contract we have with them in Ireland!
I am prepared for a lonely night, TV Times next to me so that I can choose which films I want to watch, a few sudoku’s and of course they never let me go free, a bit of accreditation work as well.
Going back to last week Saturday, we did go to the Monster Auction in Gowna, Isabel will remember well surrounded by lakes and we stopped at 2 lakes during her visit, one very tranquil and the water so bright that you can see every stone in it and the other lake was on both sides of the road, we drove underneath the road to get to both of them. The village is just really a cross roads with Pub , convenient store, petrol pump on the side of the road in front of the shop, a church ,cemetery a few unfinished houses in a housing estate. Outside town you will find the very well kept GAA grounds, with every amenity available to the Gaelic football and Hurling mad Irish.
The Irish very much keep Africa time and we started a good ¾ hr later than advertised but no was is worried and here I experienced for the 1st time an auctioneer that bids backwards.
Lot no 1 a single chair ( there were 750 items and each one was individually sold, and him spending at least 10 min on each item)
“Let start the bidding at €20 , not a sound, €19, still very quiet except the gossiping going on,€18 is the bid, repeated about 10x and with no reaction he goes 1 euro down until he got reaction at €2, it was an absolute disaster 3 hours later he was at no 107, which I likes very much and patiently waited for by going outside several time where the farm machinery was, and a second auction taking place at the same time as the partner in crime must have realised they will be there till Sunday night if he does not start outside in the mean time. He followed the same tactics of starting high and working backwards, so it happened that the other item Barry was interested in, an antique mower, came under the hammer at the same time as my Royal Albert tea set.
I was bidding inside and he outside with more success than me because the woman whom the tea set belonged to was buying it back and was prepared to pay whatever the price was going to be.
We also discovered that the auction were donations from the community in order to bring in some funds for the GAA of Gowna!
Only one horse, one pig for sale, no chickens, or geese as we had hoped. We also bought a fridge, brand new for a few €, everything
still there as the man who offered transport never arrived, so we will have to make another plan.
Sunday was Harvest Thanksgiving Service, and we had a full church Praise the Lord! To play the organ to so many voices was a great joy!! I played SA Psalms and Hymns from my big book which Isabel brought me and it was brilliant as interludes and after the service. Could not stay for tea as it was getting late and I had to get ready for work, so we missed out on all the delicious fat making cakes and had a boiled egg instead!
Left for Castlecomer just after 12.30 on Monday afternoon after I had a bit of a sleep, to attend the Antique auction where we had a few pieces for sale and were also in the buyers market.
Were in good time for viewing and booked into the B&B at 6pm to find out that that the family who runs the place does not believe in TV’s or even a radio in the room! We were there and that was where were going to stay. Very hospitable lady and a lovely room , a lovely bathroom, Direction back to Kilkenny to find something to eat and after a good supper wholesome veggies and a good piece of Sirloin steak we drove the 18km back to Castlecomer to relax and go to sleep. We settled at 8.15pm and I was very tired and not at least worried about the stupid ‘box’ absence went to sleep immediately and woke the next morning at 8 nearly 12 hours!
The house was an old school building and beautifully renovated with excellent taste in furniture. Ground immaculately groomed and a grand piano in the lounge/dining room! OOOOoooooo!!!! I so much wanted to sit in front of it and get going but behaved myself well!
Off to the next auction where we spend, in times of recession a few valuable €’s in the hope that after renovation we will get a good price for the furniture. We were very fortunate to buy an old, in need of work Bombay press, very much the same as the one Arnolda bought to take to Canada, if she still has it. Leather dining room chairs and a much looked for Persian carpet!!!!the rest were real bargains and in good condition. It will keep Barry busy for the winter months and then we will dispose of it in the spring!
Chests of drawers with marble tops and Georgian tables on casters which are very lovely and it felt good to be surrounded by things that are familiar to you.
We drove back in the last light of the day after a long day of bidding and not buying except when the price was right. Our own items were last on the auction and did not fetch the prices we would have liked but we did make a bit of money! and we are happy!
Home, sweet home and even sleeping only one night in a strange bed, made me appreciate my own bed very much!
By 1pm Wednesday the truck arrived and all was packed into the new room, very exciting, and every now and again we admire our purchases!!!
Autumn has arrived and for the 1st time today, in about 4 weeks we had rainy cloudy miserable weather with winds picking up now and promised to be blowing at 80km/hr during the night and with that the youngest of the nuns just left after she came to inform me of the fire that was outside!
The grounds of the hospital belonging to the nuns have quite a few acres under grass which were not cut for 2-3 years and this year with the better weather in Sept the man who always cut the lawns said he will cut the fields charge a small amount for doing it and then the bales would belong to him. So about 16 days ago the grass was cut and baled. Last weekend we had trouble with youngsters playing in the fields between the bales trying to set them alight. At 8.15 this evening the hospital received a call the bales are alight. Fire brigade called and 8 men bravely fought the fire which was started by these youngsters and apparently they stuffed firelighter into the bales, poured some fuel over it and there you had the most spectacular bon fire thinkable. When the fire got out of control the kids must have run away and left the place in blazes. Just 10.30pm and the fires are out. The nun took photos, and it was mighty flames reaching several 100ft into the sky. I knew nothing as I was typing and minding my patient, not looking out windows. Fortunately the fields are some distance from the hospital and we were safe but there were some houses quite near to the nearest bale that was set alight! So much for a quiet Friday night. Naughty children are every where in the world, but I must say there is an element of real un-discipline-ness
in Ireland that is frightening!
Lisbon treaty voting is over and the voting poles are closed and now we all wait in anticipation for the result! The Government is not a show piece of honesty and integrity and transparency has not surfaced here yet and they continue covering-up for each other
But I doubt if they will stay in power if the vote is ‘NO’
I will be off for a few nights until next Saturday night, looking forward to being at home and in the garden.
I have 9 new hanging baskets filled with winter pansies and hope to change the baskets in the front of the house, which lasted 6 months, during this time off!
The leaves are falling fast and the colours along the motorways and roads are beautiful!
I have waffled on long enough and wish every one studying; the very very best of memory ability, those who are waiting for rain like Jaco in Reitz, and may it pour as well as in poor dust drenched Australia.
The winter creeping nearer to the Canadians and us in Europe getting ready for the inevitable, wet, cold, and darkness of winter.
Thank you to all who answers my letters , Joy, Sue, and Thabo (Sam) I hope that you guys there in Brisbane make the best of every opportunity to enhance your knowledge!
Pauli in Hoedspruit, I enjoyed your letter, so please include me in future correspondence!
Always be watchful, never let your guard down, locked the doors and watch your step! Enjoy the month of October the most beautiful month of the year as Mimmie Coertze used to sing!
Regards to tante Poppie, and Birthday wishes to Hildegard on the 12th!
Greetings from the Dunnes in Cranleymore
Good day all family and friends,
English week and I hope I remember all I wanted to tell you. So many times the letter is all ready in outer space when I think of something else I wanted to share with you.
I am at present sitting in the ward and it is just about 9pm.
Baby sitting a patient who had an Abdominoplasty done yesterday and being a fairly big operation where they give you a beautiful flat tummy again, she had to stay over another night and being a patient of Harley Street (elite Cosmetic Clinic) she could not be moved to the old age home for the night . Cross infe3ction a reason but also because of the name ‘Harley Street’ and the contract we have with them in Ireland!
I am prepared for a lonely night, TV Times next to me so that I can choose which films I want to watch, a few sudoku’s and of course they never let me go free, a bit of accreditation work as well.
Going back to last week Saturday, we did go to the Monster Auction in Gowna, Isabel will remember well surrounded by lakes and we stopped at 2 lakes during her visit, one very tranquil and the water so bright that you can see every stone in it and the other lake was on both sides of the road, we drove underneath the road to get to both of them. The village is just really a cross roads with Pub , convenient store, petrol pump on the side of the road in front of the shop, a church ,cemetery a few unfinished houses in a housing estate. Outside town you will find the very well kept GAA grounds, with every amenity available to the Gaelic football and Hurling mad Irish.
The Irish very much keep Africa time and we started a good ¾ hr later than advertised but no was is worried and here I experienced for the 1st time an auctioneer that bids backwards.
Lot no 1 a single chair ( there were 750 items and each one was individually sold, and him spending at least 10 min on each item)
“Let start the bidding at €20 , not a sound, €19, still very quiet except the gossiping going on,€18 is the bid, repeated about 10x and with no reaction he goes 1 euro down until he got reaction at €2, it was an absolute disaster 3 hours later he was at no 107, which I likes very much and patiently waited for by going outside several time where the farm machinery was, and a second auction taking place at the same time as the partner in crime must have realised they will be there till Sunday night if he does not start outside in the mean time. He followed the same tactics of starting high and working backwards, so it happened that the other item Barry was interested in, an antique mower, came under the hammer at the same time as my Royal Albert tea set.
I was bidding inside and he outside with more success than me because the woman whom the tea set belonged to was buying it back and was prepared to pay whatever the price was going to be.
We also discovered that the auction were donations from the community in order to bring in some funds for the GAA of Gowna!
Only one horse, one pig for sale, no chickens, or geese as we had hoped. We also bought a fridge, brand new for a few €, everything
still there as the man who offered transport never arrived, so we will have to make another plan.
Sunday was Harvest Thanksgiving Service, and we had a full church Praise the Lord! To play the organ to so many voices was a great joy!! I played SA Psalms and Hymns from my big book which Isabel brought me and it was brilliant as interludes and after the service. Could not stay for tea as it was getting late and I had to get ready for work, so we missed out on all the delicious fat making cakes and had a boiled egg instead!
Left for Castlecomer just after 12.30 on Monday afternoon after I had a bit of a sleep, to attend the Antique auction where we had a few pieces for sale and were also in the buyers market.
Were in good time for viewing and booked into the B&B at 6pm to find out that that the family who runs the place does not believe in TV’s or even a radio in the room! We were there and that was where were going to stay. Very hospitable lady and a lovely room , a lovely bathroom, Direction back to Kilkenny to find something to eat and after a good supper wholesome veggies and a good piece of Sirloin steak we drove the 18km back to Castlecomer to relax and go to sleep. We settled at 8.15pm and I was very tired and not at least worried about the stupid ‘box’ absence went to sleep immediately and woke the next morning at 8 nearly 12 hours!
The house was an old school building and beautifully renovated with excellent taste in furniture. Ground immaculately groomed and a grand piano in the lounge/dining room! OOOOoooooo!!!! I so much wanted to sit in front of it and get going but behaved myself well!
Off to the next auction where we spend, in times of recession a few valuable €’s in the hope that after renovation we will get a good price for the furniture. We were very fortunate to buy an old, in need of work Bombay press, very much the same as the one Arnolda bought to take to Canada, if she still has it. Leather dining room chairs and a much looked for Persian carpet!!!!the rest were real bargains and in good condition. It will keep Barry busy for the winter months and then we will dispose of it in the spring!
Chests of drawers with marble tops and Georgian tables on casters which are very lovely and it felt good to be surrounded by things that are familiar to you.
We drove back in the last light of the day after a long day of bidding and not buying except when the price was right. Our own items were last on the auction and did not fetch the prices we would have liked but we did make a bit of money! and we are happy!
Home, sweet home and even sleeping only one night in a strange bed, made me appreciate my own bed very much!
By 1pm Wednesday the truck arrived and all was packed into the new room, very exciting, and every now and again we admire our purchases!!!
Autumn has arrived and for the 1st time today, in about 4 weeks we had rainy cloudy miserable weather with winds picking up now and promised to be blowing at 80km/hr during the night and with that the youngest of the nuns just left after she came to inform me of the fire that was outside!
The grounds of the hospital belonging to the nuns have quite a few acres under grass which were not cut for 2-3 years and this year with the better weather in Sept the man who always cut the lawns said he will cut the fields charge a small amount for doing it and then the bales would belong to him. So about 16 days ago the grass was cut and baled. Last weekend we had trouble with youngsters playing in the fields between the bales trying to set them alight. At 8.15 this evening the hospital received a call the bales are alight. Fire brigade called and 8 men bravely fought the fire which was started by these youngsters and apparently they stuffed firelighter into the bales, poured some fuel over it and there you had the most spectacular bon fire thinkable. When the fire got out of control the kids must have run away and left the place in blazes. Just 10.30pm and the fires are out. The nun took photos, and it was mighty flames reaching several 100ft into the sky. I knew nothing as I was typing and minding my patient, not looking out windows. Fortunately the fields are some distance from the hospital and we were safe but there were some houses quite near to the nearest bale that was set alight! So much for a quiet Friday night. Naughty children are every where in the world, but I must say there is an element of real un-discipline-ness
in Ireland that is frightening!
Lisbon treaty voting is over and the voting poles are closed and now we all wait in anticipation for the result! The Government is not a show piece of honesty and integrity and transparency has not surfaced here yet and they continue covering-up for each other
But I doubt if they will stay in power if the vote is ‘NO’
I will be off for a few nights until next Saturday night, looking forward to being at home and in the garden.
I have 9 new hanging baskets filled with winter pansies and hope to change the baskets in the front of the house, which lasted 6 months, during this time off!
The leaves are falling fast and the colours along the motorways and roads are beautiful!
I have waffled on long enough and wish every one studying; the very very best of memory ability, those who are waiting for rain like Jaco in Reitz, and may it pour as well as in poor dust drenched Australia.
The winter creeping nearer to the Canadians and us in Europe getting ready for the inevitable, wet, cold, and darkness of winter.
Thank you to all who answers my letters , Joy, Sue, and Thabo (Sam) I hope that you guys there in Brisbane make the best of every opportunity to enhance your knowledge!
Pauli in Hoedspruit, I enjoyed your letter, so please include me in future correspondence!
Always be watchful, never let your guard down, locked the doors and watch your step! Enjoy the month of October the most beautiful month of the year as Mimmie Coertze used to sing!
Regards to tante Poppie, and Birthday wishes to Hildegard on the 12th!
Greetings from the Dunnes in Cranleymore
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