End Autumn Irish Greetings

Saturday 30 Oct’10
Good day to all, Family and friends,

The sun is shining and it is wind still, it is still fairly early in the day and there will surely be a change before this letter is finished!
The last 3 days was rain, rain and specks of sunlight in between and again rain! The Southerly wind was warm but strong!
The leaves fall like snowflakes and the colours warm red to golden yellow! Beautiful!
A rather hectic week for us! Sunday after church we left for Dublin, I should really Castleknock as it is a suburb far out of the hub of Dublin and easily assessable! All went well and we had a lovely afternoon with our grandson Lukas! He was just 6 months old on Saturday. He eats well, shows his preferences very clearly but Amanda is very strict and he gets just the best of everything, home cooked and lots of veggies and fruit! He can laugh, so inspiring you to laugh as well! Wonderfully content and happy child! All praise to the parents!
The garden is out of bounce at the moment! We did notice that some of the daffodils that were left in the ground are now visible, the baskets need dire attention but with all the rain we decided not to waste money and will wait for the early Spring!
Monday was a dull day with the sun just appearing for moments and the wind blowing us off our feet! Tuesday was preparation day as we decided after long deliberations to leave on Wednesday @9am for Cork! Barry has been putting this visit off for many years and it had to be done! Booked a hotel room for the night in Kinsale on the little harbour, very lovely and still full of visitors!
The 1st part of the journey was old road with some highway in between but we got onto the motorway at Port Loaish and from thereon we drove straight to Cork, here is a stretch of road of about 162 kilometres with not one petrol station or restroom off the motorway, you have to take a turnoff into a town to be able to fill your car or have a cup of coffee! The road is very good and 1 ½ hrs later we entered the tunnel under the sea to get into the outer suburbs of Cork Journey time from front door to 1st stop 3hrs and 10 min. Google predicted another 35 min but we did not use that!
The place has changed so much since our last proper visit in 1997( the visit in 2003 was just 2 nights and spent with the family then, no sightseeing.) As we were early we enjoyed a leisure drive to the coastal village of Kinsale where the hotel was and enjoyed the wonderful autumn colours small roads zigzagging through woody areas and small villages with enormous housing estates – the beauty of the hills destroyed for progress and greed! We had tea with Barry’s brother Frank and his wife Breda and had a good chat, which was on our way, left then on the 2nd part of the journey so surprised at the development! The village of Kinsale is on the sea and I love the sea! Unfortunately it rained and we had to wait for a good hour before we could explore the small and narrow streets!
Barry remembered it as it was years ago and he was very sad on the one side but also impressed with the growth! The hills covered now with housing estates and the beauty of the countryside destroyed.
We had dinner with Sharon and the twins Christopher and Nicholas at the hotel, the very best behaved young boys, very well mannered and a pleasure to have a conversation with. We last saw them at the age of 8 and now they are 15jrs old! Doing well at school and partaking in community activities to the full! Very talented as well! All honours to Sharon for bringing up these boys so wonderfully, what a pleasure it was to see and talk to them!
Thursday morning we did the nostalgic tour of where Barry grew up, Douglas, the old house made way for a highway, although some places were still standing! Like the Toomey’s house across the road! Visiting familiar places now unrecognisable! Frank and Breda went with us to the cemetery and we visited the grave of Barry’s parents and other family members who passed away!
After a lovely lunch with them we hit the road again and while putting in petrol, with the pump not working we read the notice. Pay before you get petrol, difficult as I like to fill up my car before a long journey and now you have to guess- they must have had a lot of people putting in petrol and drive off! Little bit inconvenient but we had enough to get us home!
The Lord granted us once again save travelling mercies and we were home at ¼ to 5. The geese were totally mad with gladness for seeing us! That was the first time they were ever left alone for a night! They survived and were none the better off for staying outside for the night! We did plan it like that as the night was going to be very mild and we knew they would be fine outside!
They do restrict our movements in many ways and we seriously consider selling them if not all, at least some!
Just back from a visit to the village where I had to get some cortisone cream and Periton antihistamine for my face as that came up again; as we were travelling back I could feel the tingling going on in the left cheek. I am so highly allergic and all we can think of is that I rubbed cheeks with many people and on Thursday morning we also met Linda, Frank and Breda’s daughter and she might have had a cream on her face with anti ageing component in, which I am super sensitive to, even any of the other ladies with make-up on could have caused it! Just my left cheek!! In the chemist just after I put my card back in my bag I heard a mighty bang behind me and there at the door an old lady good over 80yrs fell! She hit her head on the cement and her glasses cut her nose, she was slightly heavy and had 2 swollen feet and knees matching, I did my good deed for the day and after some 1st aid and the assistance of the Pharmacist we got her up onto a chair, cleaned the face and steri-stripped the cuts, cleaned the bruises and applied some dressings! Taking her history she told me she had a knee replacement in July and that the knee is now very sore! I checked every thing thoroughly and when I was happy that she was well and proper orientated we helped her into the car which her son brought nearer and with advice of getting to an A&E or Midoc a.s.a.p they left! Barry wondered what happened to me as I am usually back to the car before he paid for his paper and bread!
Thank the Lord she was fine when she left and a good ½ later I was back in the car!
The weather as promised is starting to change and temp of 8 degrees might drop as the sun is disappearing fast behind the clouds! Sometimes it even rises when clouds take over, but we are well prepared for the winter and after 2 days of -2 already behind ours back we do not mind, it has to come and tonight we can sleep an hour longer as we enter winter time! I think it is foolish and not good for your health but the authorities have other concerns! The fire gets lit early afternoon and is very warm and cosy!
Thank you for all the lovely letters in the post, I sincerely appreciate them and read them over and over! Haya, Hessie, Arnolda, Gerlof, Nine, Leopold, Paul in VdBijl, Joy in Brisbane, Gerhard in Mazibuku, Sue, and thank you for the “Sambok” Zumbuck ointment Annarie en Nico!!!!! It is on the way, it was confirmed!
In brackets!:
[We had a very lovely get- together of the SA friends with Marthie’s birthday and great was the “ gezoem van die bye” the humming of the bee’s the way we were talking! Memel, Newcastle, represented! It was great!]
Laurel, Nanette, Karin, Isabel and my dear cousin Retha!. We do think of all those who are not well and sincerely hope that healing is taking place, physically or mentally! And in faith! I am not good with face book and do not entertain it often and therefore hope that the rest of the family are well.
Birthdays according to my records is Sam in Melbourne on the 8th
May your year be excellent! Any-one else our best wishes! For those who are studying , do well! An update on how Nicole fared in Miss Teen Roodepoort would be lovely!
Tomorrow is the very best day of the week! Hymns and Psalms practised and our own minister back in the pulpit we look forward to food for our souls!
I waffled now long enough, Gerlof, I hope you and Sandra enjoy your granddaughter as much as we enjoy our grandson! They are without a doubt very special!
Watch your steps, lock the doors and stay safe!
Greetings from us in Cranleymore, full of warmth and good wishes!
Barry & Christina