Greetings from a pleasant Ireland

8 May 2010

Saturday

Good day to all, family and friends!!!!

My life is still twirling around the new little man in our lives! Lucas is growing well, His mother and father adores him and we will hopefully be able to see him again soon!
Any-one interested in what Lukas looks like can put in a request and I forward a photo! Thank you once again for all the lovely wishes received with the birth of this long expected grandchild! Gerlof and Sandra , time flies and I hope that Kathleen will experience a good rest before the great day! It involves a lot of hard work when the time arrives!
All around is grandiose beauty of new life, growth, flowers, blossoms, birds, bees and butterflies!
The blue tits in the box are feeding the young ! we are so fortunate to have been witnessing the whole intricate affair of nest building, wooing, and the eggs being laid ! The little birds are as big as Barry’s thumb nail!
The finches have a colony of nests in the electrical pole right next to the house and they stopped feathering the nests, all now complete, and the egg laying is taking place!
The cherry blossom trees are in full bloom but with the strong north easterly wind the roads and gardens are covered in flowers and that is such a pity as it is surely one of the most beautiful sights in our spring! The hawthorn bushes are starting to bloom and the display of this very special white between the green is wonderful! In between the bright yellow of the gorse flowers!
In the garden we have the apple trees in full blossom crab as well as eating apples. For some or other reason there was not a flower on the pear trees and same is covered in leaves! Is that normal? does the pear tree only flower alternative years! They received the same amount of compost and water!
The skies are clear today not a cloud in sight, wonderful bright sunshine after a few days of heavy clouds and showers! As described before these showers are like real showers, unexpectedly, with enormous drops splattering all around you while the sun shines!!!
I have just completed the task of watering the pots and holders that does not catch the rain and were once again astonished, a remarkable pansy, in 2 of the hanging baskets, still flowering through the harshness of the winter, snow and frost, planted late October!
The tiger lilies are multiplying and coming up fast, the pionie last year gave us one flower but this year we are already counting 4 knobs just on 1 plant!!
With Greece in great financial difficulties, England not knowing what they want and 3rd world observations of not enough ballot papers and all other kind of irregularities present, sounding very familiar, left them hanging!!!!
I will not utter a sound about this island’s affairs, it is out of a story book!!!!
There was an important meeting at the hospital on Thursday which I could not attend as I was fast asleep in my bed, collecting strength for the night in the nursing home with 40 patients and usually 2 of us. Somewhere there must be some-one watching me, I absolutely dreaded even getting into the car and driving to work never mind start the job when a 2nd carer arrived!!!! “ Thank you Lord” The 2 cares did most of the round, getting every-one settled for the night and I struggling through a medicine round, new patients, new medication and feeding most of them the tablets with a yogurt or rice pudding! Talking nonsense to those who cannot reason any-more and sympathising with those that realize that their existence has now dwindled into nothing! We have 3 nuns in the home at present! One of them 93 years old!
The meeting will be revealed to me tonight and I expect that it is a further cut in hours! I thought of taking a job in England as it seems if it is a slight bit more secure there and travel then over 2 weekly periods BUT then I loose my benefit of pension and I cannot afford that!
The Lord has looked after us all along and I believe that it is a question of trust!
Birthdays ,nothing in my book, Gerlof forwarded his list of birthday to me and I cannot find it , will have to look for it in every file! Those that do have birthdays, Congratulations!
I am now continuing the goose saga and those who want to exit DO IT NOW!
Madam is a remarkable goose hen she has laid her 56 egg today!!!! Surely something to go into the Guinness Book of records! We are ignorant regarding these most gracious birds grazing in our field and cannot get them to sit on the eggs which now count to 28, hopefully fertile eggs! Ruthie is in her 24th day and we are ever so curious to see if there will be goslings! The eggs older that 10 days are no good! What are we to do???????????We have about 60 to cook and feed back to them again!
Prince Scruffie knows his name and when we call to him he listens and hiss with authority! He is now a beautiful bird, upright and very proud! Clean and fat! Very much adored by his harem!
Their existence is somewhat monotonous, Graze, swim and sleep! Every 2nd day the 3 hens lay each an egg!
My news has dried up and I enter the weekend with well practised hymns in case I cannot see tomorrow after a nights work! I now know the hymns by heart!
To those who farm may it go well, may it rain where it is dry ,may the crops be good and the income pleasant! Success to all those who study and work hard!
Take care of yourselves, be vigilant in security!
A cheerful good bye from us in Cranleymore!
Barry and Christina